Pompeo kicks off Mideast leg of first trip as top U.S. envoy

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrived in Saudi Arabia on Saturday, kicking off the Middle East leg of his first trip abroad as America’s top diplomat.

Pompeo arrived in the Saudi capital of Riyadh for talks with the Saudi king, crown prince and foreign minister just weeks ahead of several key dates that could further roil the volatile region. After leaving Saudi Arabia on Sunday, Pompeo will travel to Israel and Jordan before returning home.

President Donald Trump has set a May 12 deadline to decide whether to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal.

Two days later the U.S. plans to open its new embassy in Jerusalem, marking a significant shift in American policy toward Israel and the Palestinians, who also claim the holy city as their capital. Saudi sports officials apologized Saturday after images of scantily clad women appeared on big screens during a World Wrestling Entertainment event held in the ultraconservative kingdom, which hosted women and children for the first time.

Friday’s show was part of a gradual expansion of public entertainment

The search for a man accused of killing a sheriff's deputy came to an end Saturday on the fourth day of an intense manhunt in the woods of central Maine.

The Maine Department of Public Safety reported that 29-year-old John Williams was in custody but provided no details of the arrest.