President Biden's visit to the Middle East that was planned for late June has been postponed to July, two senior Israeli officials and a U.S. official said.
Why it matters: It will be Biden's first trip to the region since he came to office.
Marriott International will suspend all of its operations in Russia over the Kremlin's ongoing unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, the company announced Friday.
Why it matters: Marriott, which has operated in the country for 25 years, joins a long and growing list of multinational companies pulling out of Russia in response to the war and international sanctions levied against Moscow.
President Biden on Friday said there is a "possibility" he could visit Saudi Arabia on a trip to the Middle East, but he is not "going to change" his "views on human rights" in the kingdom.
Driving the news: The president was responding to questions from reporters about whether he was planning to visit Saudi Arabia and meet with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who U.S. intelligence has concluded is responsible for the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi — an allegation Saudi officials reject.
In part five of How it Happened: Putin’s Invasion, Axios' Dave Lawler zooms into the frontlines of the war, seen through the eyes of a journalist who has been covering the war there and a soldier who has been fighting there, both since 2014.
Why it matters: The battle to defend this region, which has been partially controlled by pro-Russian separatists since 2014, will determine the outcome of this war.
A House committee has launched an investigation into former Trump White House adviser Jared Kushner and a $2 billion investment in his private equity company from a wealth fund controlled by Saudi Arabia's crown prince.
Why it matters: House Committee on Oversight and Reform chair Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) wrote to Kushner on Thursday, saying the panel was investigating "whether your personal financial interests improperly influenced U.S. foreign policy during the administration of your father-in-law, former President Trump." Kushner denies any wrongdoing.
A network of Twitter accounts previously linked to the Chinese government is targeting female journalists of Chinese heritage who work for western news outlets in a campaign of online harassment, according to a new report.
Why it matters: The campaign appears to be part of the Chinese government's efforts to silence criticism of Beijing abroad through coercion, intimidation, and retaliation.
100 days into Russia's invasion of Ukraine, no end to the bloodshed is in sight and neither side seems poised for a decisive victory.
The big picture: Vladimir Putin failed to take Kyiv, but he's now moving toward his stated goal of "liberating" the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, and experts say Ukraine is unlikely to force Russian forces out of the country entirely.
100 days, thousands dead, millions displaced, billions in destruction, countless lives touched: Russia's war in Ukraine looks less likely to end today than it did when it began on Feb. 24.
The big picture: With the prospect for meaningful peace talks virtually non-existent, the war appears set to continue for weeks or months longer.
Kuwait's government said it summoned a senior U.S. diplomat after the American Embassy posted a pair of tweets supporting LGBTQ+ rights in English and Arabic to mark Pride Month on Thursday.
Why it matters: Rights for LGBTQ+ people are severely restricted in Kuwait, but the embassy tweeted that President Biden is a "champion for the human rights" of LGBTQ+ people and "all human beings should be treated with respect and dignity and should be able to live without fear no matter who they are or whom they love."
