Axios

Mexican authorities have resorted to sinking illegal fishing nets with bricks in the Sea of Cortez in an effort to stop rampant poaching and save the vaquita marina, the world's most endangered marine mammal.

The big picture: Sea life poaching is a lucrative business — likely worth tens of millions of dollars, according to a report by the Brookings Institution. Cartels pay fishermen and extort fisheries for species that sell for big bucks in China’s black market.

Russian officials visited an airfield in Iran multiple times in the last few weeks to view weapons-capable drones that could be used in its war against Ukraine, the White House said.

Driving the news: The White House released satellite imagery that indicates Russian officials visited Iran for a showcase of weapons-capable drones, AP reports.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pushed back on President Biden's criticism over the murder of Jamal Khashoggi by raising the abuse suffered by prisoners of the U.S.-run Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq and the U.S. response to the May killing of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, a Saudi official told Saudi-funded Al-Arabiya.

Why it matters: The murder of Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist, was the most sensitive issue discussed in Biden's meeting with MBS on Friday.

President Biden on Saturday told nine Arab leaders at a summit in Saudi Arabia that the U.S. "will not walk away" from the Middle East and "leave a vacuum to be filled by China, Russia or Iran."

Driving the news: The visit — part of Biden's first trip to the region since becoming president — was aimed at recalibrating ties with Saudi Arabia and bolstering U.S. influence in the region.

Mexican authorities on Friday captured infamous drug lord Rafael Caro Quintero, who was behind the killing of a DEA agent in 1985, AP reports.

Why it matters: Caro Quintero was wanted in the U.S. for the kidnapping and killing of DEA undercover agent Enrique “Kiki” Camarena, a murder that marked a low point in U.S.-Mexico relations.

President Biden's fist bump with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has swiftly brought backlash.

Driving the news: U.S. officials had determined that MBS was responsible for the 2018 murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, a conclusion Saudi officials reject. The Post's publisher, Fred Ryan, on Friday said the fist bump "was worse than a handshake — it was shameful."

President Biden said from Jeddah on Friday that he raised the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi at the top of his meeting with Saudi Crown Prime Mohammed bin Salman.

Why it matters: U.S. intelligence concluded MBS was responsible for Khashoggi's murder — an allegation Saudi officials deny.

Saudi Arabia has agreed to start discussions on direct flights from Israel to Jeddah for approved carriers for Muslim pilgrims in Israel wanting to participate in next year’s hajj, a senior U.S. official said after President Biden's meetings with King Salman and Crown Prince Mohamed Bin Salman on Friday.

Why it matters: It is the second step Saudi Arabia has taken towards normalizing relations with Israel since President Biden arrived in the region earlier this week. Late Thursday, the Gulf kingdom announced it will allow Israeli airlines to use its airspace.

President Biden shared a fist bump with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman after arriving in the Gulf kingdom for a high-stakes visit.

Why it matters: Biden once vowed to make the kingdom a "pariah," and U.S.-Saudi relations have been strained over a number of issues, including the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi.

President Biden stressed in a speech after his meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem on Friday that a two-state solution based on the 1967 lines with agreed upon land swaps is the best way to achieve peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

Why it matters: Biden's address — the first time as president he laid out parameters for ending the Israeli-Palestinian conflict — was seen as a win for the Palestinians, who were hoping to get a diplomatic achievement from the president's visit in the form of a more detailed U.S. public position on the conflict.

President Biden said in Bethlehem on Friday the U.S. will continue to "insist on a full and transparent accounting" of the killing of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.

The big picture: A chair was left empty at a joint press conference between Biden and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to honor Abu Akleh, who was killed in May while covering an Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin. She was wearing a bulletproof vest marked "press" at the time.

Brittney Griner's lawyers told a Russian court on Friday that doctors in the U.S. prescribed the WBNA star medical cannabis two years ago for chronic pain, AP reports.

Driving the news: The revelation comes on the fourth day of Griner's trial in Russia. She is facing drug charges that carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.

A dangerous heat wave is fueling fires across Europe and climate change is "aggravating the situation, making countries more prone to wildfires and increasing the intensity of such events," a new EU report warns.

What's happening: Thousands of firefighters are battling blazes in searing heat across the continent. The fires have forced thousands of people to evacuate in France, Spain, Portugal and Croatia, as Europe faces another potentially record-breaking heat wave for a second consecutive month.

President Biden said Friday Saudi Arabia's decision to allow Israeli airlines to use its airspace "can help build momentum toward Israel's further integration into the region," including in Riyadh.

Why it matters: The historic decision marks the first time Saudi Arabia has allowed unlimited use of its airspace by Israeli airlines to fly to and from the country. Biden in a statement vowed to do all he can "through direct diplomacy and leader-to-leader engagement, to keep advancing this groundbreaking process."

Rescuers in Ukraine's central city of Vinnytsia were searching through rubble for survivors on Friday after a Russian missile strike killed at least 23 people and injured over 100 others, Ukrainian officials said Friday.

What's new: Local authorities said 39 people were still missing one day after the attack that killed at least three children.

Sri Lanka President Gotabaya Rajapaksa's resignation has been accepted after he was fled the country following months of heated protests over his handling of the country's economic crisis, the parliamentary speaker confirmed Friday.

What's new: Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeyweardana told reporters Parliament will convene on Saturday and he expected the process to elect a new president to be completed within seven days.

Economic growth in China slowed sharply last quarter — with the economy expanding 0.4% from a year ago, the government said — as the country’s "zero COVID" policy spurred lockdowns in major cities that lasted for much of the three-month period.

Why it matters: Aggressive efforts to stamp out COVID-19 infections brought factory production and consumer spending to a crawl in the world’s second-biggest economy.

The Biden administration welcomed Saudi Arabia's move to open its airspace to all civilian carriers, including flights to and from Israel on Thursday.

What they're saying: "This decision paves the way for a more integrated, stable, and secure Middle East region, which is vital for the security and prosperity of the United States and the American people, and for the security and prosperity of Israel," said national security adviser Jake Sullivan in a statement.