A migrant woman tried to take her own life this month while waiting in a shelter in Monterrey, Mexico, for a U.S. asylum decision — the first known suicide attempt of Joe Biden's presidency under the Trump-era "Remain in Mexico" program he was forced to restart, Axios has learned.
What we're watching: Biden officials are awaiting a U.S. Supreme Court decision they hope will allow them to end a program that advocates say places migrants at risk. The ruling could come as soon as tomorrow.
The massive earthquake that officials say killed more than 1,000 people in southeastern Afghanistan early Wednesday rocked a country already struggling to contend with deepening economic, hunger and other crises.
Driving the news: The withdrawal of U.S. troops and Taliban takeover last August helped plunge the country into a "catastrophic" humanitarian crisis made worse by Russia's war in Ukraine, a collapsing economy and protracted drought.
Basketball player Brittney Griner has been named an honorary WNBA All-Star and starter, the WNBA announced on Wednesday.
Why it matters: Griner has been detained in Russia, where she plays during the WNBA off-season, since February after agents allegedly found vape cartridges in her luggage. The U.S. considers her to be wrongfully detained.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman this week visited Egypt and Jordan to discuss regional issues and sign business deals before traveling to Turkey to continue normalizing relations after a long diplomatic crisis over the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.
Why it matters: The tour, MBS' first official foreign trip in more than three years, comes several weeks ahead of President Biden's planned visit to the kingdom for talks with the Saudi leadership and a summit with nine Arab leaders.
The Israeli Knesset voted in favor today in a preliminary hearing on calling an early election. The final three votes are expected next week.
Why it matters: Once an early election is called, Yair Lapid will assume the post of acting prime minister and Naftali Bennett will become the alternate prime minister.
RAMALLAH, occupied West Bank — Palestinian officials believe that the collapse of the Israeli government will delay any prospect of a “political horizon” or diplomatic process in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Why it matters: Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had hoped that President Biden’s upcoming trip to the region would lead to some kind of a political breakthrough in the conflict.
The White House has been working on a “road map for normalization” between Israel and Saudi Arabia ahead of President Biden’s visit to the Middle East next month, according to four U.S. sources briefed on the issue.
Why it matters: The trip could show that the Biden administration has continued to help foster progress on the warming of relations between Israel and the Arab world after the Trump administration brokered the Abraham Accords, which led to normalization agreements between Israel and four Arab countries.
The big picture: The survival of Prime Minster Naftali Bennett's government, which sidelined former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was the top priority of the Biden administration when it came to its policy on Israel.
A powerful earthquake that struck Afghanistan early Wednesday killed at least 1,000 people and injured more than 1,500 others, officials said, per the state-run Bakhtar News Agency.
Driving the news: The magnitude 5.9 quake struck some 27 miles from the city of Khōst in southeastern Afghanistan, per the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The casualties occurred in the provinces of Khōst and Paktika, near the Pakistan border, officials said.
