Secretary of State Tony Blinken said Wednesday that he plans to speak with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov "in the coming days" to raise several issues, including the detentions of WNBA star Brittney Griner and other Americans in Russia as well as the recent deal to resume Ukrainian grain exports.
Why it matters: It will be the first such call since Russia's invasion of Ukraine began on Feb. 24, though Blinken insisted it "will not be a negotiation about Ukraine." He also said he would warn Lavrov that the U.S. and international community would not accept Russian annexations of Ukrainian territory.
ANKARA, Turkey — The attack that killed nine tourists in northern Iraq last week opened a significant rift between Ankara and Baghdad and could significantly impact Turkey’s military plans in Iraq and Syria.
Driving the news: The tourists, including a child, were killed last Wednesday after artillery shells hit a park in the Duhok governorate in the Kurdish region of Iraq.
Russia's move to suspend an agency that helps Jews immigrate to Israel has led to heightened tensions between Israel and Russia that risk severely hurting the two countries' bilateral relationship.
Why it matters: It could also significantly limit the emigration of Jews from Russia to Israel at a time it is on the rise and hamper education and welfare operations among Jewish communities in Russia.
White House Middle East coordinator Brett McGurk told a group of think tank experts last week that Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are capable of increasing oil production even more, according to the three U.S. sources who were on the call.
Why it matters: Urging Gulf countries to increase oil production was one of the goals of Biden's trip to Saudi Arabia.
White House Middle East coordinator Brett McGurk told a group of think tank experts last week it's “highly unlikely” that the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran will be revived in the near future, according to three U.S. sources who were on the call.
Why it matters: The shrinking likelihood that the deadlock in the nuclear talks will be broken increases the pressure on the Biden administration to formulate a Plan B.
Israel has given the U.S. its updated proposal on the disputed maritime border with Lebanon ahead of a visit by U.S. energy envoy Amos Hochstein to Beirut, two Israeli officials told Axios.
Why it matters: The Biden administration as well as the Israeli and Lebanese governments hope Hochstein’s visit will lead to a breakthrough amid threats of war from Hezbollah.
Driving the news: Griner said Wednesday that her rights were not read to her when she was arrested at a Moscow airport in February after Russian authorities said they found a vape cartridge with hashish oil in her luggage, the Washington Post reports.
A powerful earthquake that struck the northern Philippines on Wednesday morning killed at least four people and wounded dozens of others as it triggered small landslides and destroyed homes, per Al Jazeera.
The big picture: The 7-magnitude quake hit the northwestern part of Luzon, the country's most populous island, at 8:43am local time, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It sent tremors to the capital Manila, about 250 miles away, forcing residents and workers to evacuate buildings and rush into streets, CNN notes.
Pope Francis' wearing of a traditional headdress during his historic apology in Canada this week for the abuse of generations of Indigenous children at Catholic-run Canadian residential schools is being criticized by some leaders in North America.
Why it matters: The headdress, often referred to as a war bonnet, is a sacred, highly regarded traditional item that has for hundreds of years been reserved for Indigenous communities' most respected leaders.
