Secretary of State Tony Blinken met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS) in Riyadh on Monday and discussed the war in Gaza, including efforts to end the fighting, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said in a statement.
Why it matters: The Biden administration is hoping to use a potential historic peace deal between Israel and Saudi Arabia as leverage for getting the Israeli government on board with its plan for the day after the war in Gaza, which includes creating a political horizon for the Palestinians.
The Israeli military has taken control of much of Hamas' strategic tunnel system in the Gazan city of Khan Younis and believes it is making progress in its hunt for Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, according to two Israeli defense officials.
Why it matters: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that the war in Gaza will take months and "must not end" until Hamas' leadership in the enclave is killed.
One look at Saudi Arabia's latest growth figures explains why the Gulf giant has struggled mightily to boost global crude prices.
Driving the news: With oil prices capped despite widespread geopolitical turmoil, Saudi Arabia's growth turned grim in 2023, with gross domestic product tumbling by -0.9 percent, compared with 8.7 percent in 2022.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is considering replacing the country's top military general as part of a broader leadership shakeup.
Why it matters: The change would come at a critical juncture in the war, as Russia has vowed to intensify its strikes on the country and Ukraine fights for continued military aid from the U.S.
Extreme weather events worsened by climate change are chipping away at sites linked to the Holocaust and endangering historical buildings, archives and artifacts, according to an international advocacy group.
The big picture: Mass graves and sites of former concentration camps hold the record of the Holocaust. As the last generation of the Holocaust ages, these sites are the final living memory of what happened.
Veterans of the Obama administration are re-launching an advocacy group, National Security Action, to make the case for President Biden's re-election based on his foreign policy, according to a memo obtained by Axios.
Why it matters: The Israel-Hamas war in Gaza has divided the Democratic Party and the group will try to make the case for Democrats to unite, using the argument that Biden is better than another Trump term.
Boeing said Sunday some 50 undelivered 737 MAX jets need more work after its supplier, Spirit AeroSystems, identified misdrilled holes on some fuselages, Reuters first reported.
Why it matters: Boeing's reputation was hit following the mid-flight Alaska Airlines incident that led to the temporary grounding of 737 Max 9s in U.S. territory, and this latest issue could delay some near-term 737 deliveries.
Yang Hengjun, an Australian writer who was based in New York before his arrest in China on espionage charges in 2019, was given a suspended death sentence by a Chinese court on Monday.
The big picture: Australia's Foreign Affairs Minister, Penny Wong, said in a statement she's "appalled" at the sentence of Yang, which is expected to be commuted to life in prison after two years, and vowed the Australian government would communicate its response "in the strongest terms."
Why it matters: The deal took months of agonizing negotiations. Within the first few hours of the bill’s grand reveal — Republicans across the spectrum are driving the nail in the coffin.
