The Biden White House was angling to replace David Beasley, the head of the World Food Program, before an extraordinary bipartisan intervention by senators convinced the president to support extending his term, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The potential change at the top of the Rome-based United Nations agency, which won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020, could have complicated the WFP's ability to raise money and deliver food at a critical moment for global hunger.
The Russian-owned fast-food chain that will replace McDonald's in Russia opened the doors to its first restaurants in Moscow on Sunday, AP reported.
Catch up quick: McDonald's temporarily closed its Russian stores in March in the wake of Russia's unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. In May, the fast-food giant announced that it would sell its Russian businesses to a local buyer and exit the country.
President Biden plans to visit Israel and Saudi Arabia in July, the White House confirmed to Axios on Sunday.
Details: Three Israeli officials told Axios Biden is expected to visit Israel and the Palestinian Authority on July 14 and 15 before traveling on to Saudi Arabia. The White House has not confirmed those dates, and the Israeli officials all warned that the timing had shifted several times and could change again.
Russian forces occupying two Ukrainian cities have begun handing out Russian passports to citizens, Russian state media said Saturday.
Why it matters: Ukrainian authorities have condemned the creation of Russian citizens on Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia as "Russification" and a "flagrant violation" of its territorial integrity, according to the BBC.
Brazilian police said on Friday that human remains were found near where British journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous expert Bruno Pereira were last seen five days ago on a remote river in Amazonia, The Guardian reports.
The big picture: Brazilian authorities have been searching for the two men since they did not show up in a town following a reporting trip in an area on the border between Peru and Colombia on Sunday.
Why it matters: Russia rationing its use of such weapons could suggest that its stockpile is dwindling and that Western sanctions may have hamstrung its ability to produce more.
Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin reiterated the U.S.' support for Taiwan at a defense summit in Asia on Saturday, warning of a recent "steady increase" of Chinese military activity near the self-governing island country.
Why it matters: Austin's speech comes after China's defense minister Wei Fenghe told Austin on the sidelines of the summit that an independent Taiwan would leave the Chinese military with no choice but to "fight at any cost," according to the BBC.
An Afghan American freed in April after being detained by the Taliban used his connections to help secure the release this week of another American — a woman held in northern Afghanistan, Axios has learned.
Why it matters: The State Department, which has yet to recognize the Taliban government, did not engage in negotiations to free 33-year-old Mahnaz Safi.
President Biden unveiled a sweeping declaration on Friday, with buy-in from countries from Canada to Ecuador, to help stem migration and promote welcoming policies throughout Latin America, the Caribbean and the U.S.
Why it matters: The move comes as record numbers of migrants continue to cross the U.S.-Mexico border. Biden announced the declaration at the Summit of the Americas despite the absence of heads of state in several key countries such as Mexico, Guatemala and Honduras.
