US & Canada

Joe Biden is headed to the U.S.-Mexico border on Sunday for the first time since taking office nearly two years ago, tackling one of the most politically charged issues in the country as he prepares for a reelection bid. Biden on Thursday announced fresh plans to block Cuban, Haitian, and …

More than half a million homes in the US state of California are without power after a strong storm, as the area braced for the next onslaught of severe weather. Torrential downpours and damaging winds left more than 560,000 homes and businesses without power in California early on Sunday, according …

Republican Kevin McCarthy was elected speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives early on Saturday, after making extensive concessions to right-wing hardliners that raised questions about the party’s ability to govern. The 57-year-old Californian suffered one final humiliation when Representative Matt Gaetz withheld his vote on the 14th ballot as …

The United States House of Representatives has adjourned again without choosing a new speaker as the Republicans remained divided over choosing the GOP leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), who has failed to secure the votes of far-right Republicans. McCarthy on Thursday night lost an unprecedented 11th round of voting after three …

The United States will not send M1 Abrams main battle tanks to Ukraine, despite repeated requests from the Kiev government, according to a report in the US media. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday, quoting a US official, that the Abrams tanks’ heavy fuel …

Congress remains in deadlock as insurgent Republicans continue to thwart Representative Kevin McCarthy’s bid for House speaker The US House of Representatives has adjourned yet again after lawmakers failed to appoint a new House speaker for the second day in a row, leaving Congress in disarray amid an uprising against …

Donald Trump began 2022 on a high. Primary candidates were flocking to Florida to court the former president for a coveted endorsement. His rallies were drawing thousands. A bevy of investigations remained largely under the radar. One year later, Trump is facing a very different reality. He is mired in …

China appointed US ambassador Qin Gang as its new foreign minister on Friday, state media reported, installing a top diplomat known for tough talk against the West. The 56-year-old replaces Wang Yi, who has been the face of Chinese diplomacy since 2013. Qin had been Beijing’s top representative in Washington …

A blizzard that paralyzed western New York over the Christmas weekend has killed more than two dozen people, local officials said on Monday, as crews struggled to dig out the snow-bound region around Buffalo from its fiercest winter storm in decades. With snow continuing to fall on top of more …

This will bring total US military assistance for Ukraine to an unprecedented $21.9 billion by 2021. US President Joe Biden approved on Wednesday the drawdown of up to $1 billion in weapons for Ukraine from the Pentagon’s stockpile. The Pentagon also approved another $850 million in security assistance for Ukraine …

Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky may be going to Washington, multiple US outlets reported on Tuesday, citing anonymous sources. While the administration of President Joe Biden would neither confirm nor deny the rumor, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent a letter asking all members to attend in person on Wednesday for “a …

Downed power lines, gas leaks, and damaged roads were reported after the 6.4 magnitude quake off northern California. A magnitude 6.4 earthquake has struck off the coast of northern California, cutting power to tens of thousands. The quake, about 24 miles off the coast of the port city of Eureka, …

The House of Representatives committee probing last year’s deadly attack on the US Capitol will wrap up an 18-month investigation and vote on whether to recommend criminal charges against former president Donald Trump and some of his closest aides. The panel will meet on Monday to unveil the findings of …

US President Joe Biden has promised his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky to strengthen the country’s air defense as the war with Russia drags on. In a telephone conversation with Zelensky on Sunday, Biden reaffirmed that his administration “is prioritizing efforts to strengthen Ukraine’s air defense through our security assistance,” the …

An NYT report reveals that the Drug Enforcement Administration is covertly using a hacking tool developed by the Israeli firm Paragon. Despite US President Joe Biden’s administration taking a public stance last year against the misuse of spyware to target human rights activists, dissidents, and journalists, the global industry for …

Both sides were keen to stress that the meeting of diplomats was not a sign of rapprochement over the war in Ukraine. Russian and U.S. diplomats met in Istanbul on Friday to discuss a number of technical issues in their relationship, Russia’s deputy foreign minister and the U.S. Embassy in …

The United Nations General Assembly overwhelmingly backs a resolution urging Israel to give up its nuclear weapons and join the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). During its meeting on Wednesday, 149 voted in favor and six against the text of a resolution whose earlier version had been approved in …

More than 1,100 journalists and other employees at The New York Times plan to stage a 24-hour strike, in what would be the first such move at the newspaper in more than four decades. The newspaper’s staffers signed a pledge not to work for one day on Thursday unless a contract deal …

Raytheon CEO Greg Hayes has said that the US looks to shift its air defense systems from the West Asia to Ukraine. According to Politico, Hayes said the US is working with West Asian countries to move a handful of their air defense systems to Ukraine. The goal is to …

The United States has accused a Russian private military company of “threatening religious freedom” in the Central African Republic, adding its name to a list that also features the Daesh and al-Qaeda Takfiri terrorist outfits. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken announced the designation on Friday, declaring the Wagner Group …