At the Group of 20 meeting in Osaka, Japan, President Trump "reserved most of the sought-after sit-down time slots for authoritarians or like-minded nationalists with similar views on immigration," the WashPost's Anne Gearan, David Nakamura and Seung Min Kim write.
Catch up quick: Trump has planned meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, "who was positioned prominently in the front row next to Trump in the official group photo," per the Post.
The Senate blocked an amendment that would have required congressional approval in advance of an attack on Iran. The vote was 50-40, with four Republicans among those voting for the measure.
Why it matters: Per the AP: The U.S. military has, in recent years, been "deployed under war authorizations passed in 2001 and 2002 for conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan." Lawmaker have unsuccessfully tried to pass new war powers acts, with the House voting to repeal those authorizations last week.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison expressed concern on Friday (local time) about an Australian student in North Korea who has been unreachable since Tuesday, the AP reports.
Driving the news: Alek Sigley, a 29-year-old Pyongyang University student and tour guide, has been out of contact with his wife, friends and family since earlier this week. Some reports have suggested that he was arrested and detained by local authorities, Vice reports, however such claims have been unconfirmed.
Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s TV star turned president, has now been in office for nearly 10 weeks.
Behind the scenes: Peter Wagner, head of the European Commission’s Support Group for Ukraine, has been in several meetings with Zelensky. He tells me Zelensky is “saying the right things” and connects easily with people, but has a “huge learning curve.”
The centerpiece of this year’s G-20 summit is a bilateral meeting on Saturday between President Trump and China’s Xi Jinping.
The backdrop: It comes at a crucial tipping point, with Trump threatening tariffs on an additional $300 billion in Chinese imports, a move analysts say could tip the global economy into recession.
In a matter of hours, President Trump will sit down with Russia's Vladimir Putin in Osaka, Japan at the G-20 summit.
Between the lines: Trump, who has said he hopes to improve relations with Russia now that the Mueller investigation is over, told reporters before setting off that what he says to Putin is "none of your business." The ghost of their disastrous press conference last year in Helsinki still lingers.
