President Joe Biden on Friday will temporarily transfer power to Vice President Kamala Harris while he is under anesthesia for a routine colonoscopy, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters. “The Vice President will work from her office in the West Wing during this time,” Psaki said in a …
Read More »US warns China after South China Sea standoff with Philippines
The United States on Friday warned China after a standoff in the South China Sea between China and the Philippines, saying it stood by Manila amid an “escalation that directly threatens regional peace and stability”. Beijing “should not interfere with lawful Philippine activities in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone”, U.S. …
Read More »Putin says West taking Russia’s ‘red lines’ too lightly
President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that the West was taking Russia’s warnings not to cross its “red lines” too lightly and that Moscow needed serious security guarantees from the West. In a wide-ranging foreign policy speech, the Kremlin leader also described relations with the United States as “unsatisfactory” but …
Read More »Pfizer signs $5.3 billion US deal to supply COVID-19 antiviral pills
Pfizer Inc said on Thursday it had signed a $5.29 billion deal with the US government to deliver 10 million courses of its experimental COVID-19 antiviral drug, as the country rushes to secure promising oral treatments for the disease. The deal is rough twice the size of the contract the …
Read More »US intends to move forward on F-35 sale to UAE, U.S. official says
A US State Department official has said the administration of President Joe Biden has planned to move forward with the sale of 50 F-35 stealth fighter jets to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in a deal that could be worth $10 billion. “We continue consulting with Emirati officials to ensure …
Read More »Biden, Xi stick to their positions but turn down the heat in three-hour talk
U.S. President Joe Biden pressed his Chinese counterpart on human rights in a video call lasting more than three hours, while Xi Jinping warned that China would respond to provocations on Taiwan, according to official accounts of the exchange. The closely scrutinized conversation between the leaders of the world’s biggest …
Read More »Trump adviser Bannon turns himself in to face charges in January 6 Capitol riot probe
A defiant Steve Bannon, former president Donald Trump’s long-time adviser, turned himself in to the FBI Monday to face charges of contempt of Congress after refusing to testify on the January 6 Capitol assault. “This is all noise,” he said of his indictment, as he arrived at the FBI’s Washington …
Read More »US imposes sanctions on Eritrean military over conflict in Ethiopia
The United States on Friday imposed sanctions on the Eritrean military and other individuals and entities as Washington steps up pressure on parties to the conflict to bring an end to fighting in northern Ethiopia. In a statement, the US Treasury Department said it blacklisted Eritrea’s ruling political party the …
Read More »Qatar to represent US interests in Afghanistan: Official
The United States and Qatar have agreed that Qatar will represent the diplomatic interests of the United States in Afghanistan, a senior US official told Reuters, an important signal of potential direct engagement between Washington and Kabul in the future after two decades of war. Qatar will sign an arrangement …
Read More »Biden says US will deepen economic ties with APEC
U.S. President Joe Biden on Friday pledged to deepen U.S. ties with Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) countries, including advancing fair and open trade as well as investment in the region and urged action to shore up the environment and global health. “Biden reaffirmed our interest in serving as a strong, …
Read More »US Biden, China’s Xi expected to meet virtually on Monday: Sources
US President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping were expected to hold a virtual summit on Monday, sources told Reuters on Thursday, amid tensions over trade, human rights, and military activities. Washington and Beijing have been sparring on issues from the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic to China’s expanding …
Read More »Rivalry with China in Pacific need not lead to new Cold War, says U.S. security advisor
The “stiff competition” between the United States and China in the Indo-Pacific does not have to turn into a new Cold War, U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan said on Thursday, describing the United States as “doubling down” on its presence in the region. Earlier on Thursday China’s President Xi …
Read More »Biden signs bill calling for more sanctions, pressure on Nicaragua
U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday signed into law a bill calling for more sanctions and other punitive measures against the government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, who extended his grip on power in an election that Washington denounced as a sham. Biden, who has accused Ortega of orchestrating Sunday’s …
Read More »Turkey releases US citizen accused of being behind coup messaging app: Report
Turkey has reportedly released a Turkish-American man imprisoned for being the license holder of an encrypted messaging app allegedly used during the attempted coup in 2016, a Turkish opposition website said Wednesday. “The İstanbul 29th High Criminal Court ruled to release Alpaslan Demir, who changed his name to David Keynes …
Read More »US annual inflation hits 30-year high amid supply chain disruption
The US annual inflation has hit a 30-year high amid the coronavirus pandemic as well as the glitch in the country’s supply chain. According to the latest statistics, the consumer price index (CPI) rose 6.2 percent in the US federal government’s fiscal year, which runs from Oct. 1 to Sept. …
Read More »Leaders of US, Mexico and Canada to hold first summit in five years
U.S. President Joe Biden, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will hold their first in-person meeting in Washington on Nov. 18, Mexico’s foreign minister said on Wednesday. The meeting, which will be the first summit held by the three countries in five years, will …
Read More »China says conducted readiness patrol as US lawmakers visit Taiwan
China’s military said on Tuesday it conducted a combat readiness patrol in the direction of the Taiwan Strait after its defense ministry condemned a visit to Taiwan by a US Congressional delegation it said had arrived on a military aircraft. The patrol was aimed at the “seriously wrong” words and …
Read More »Twitter flags US lawmaker’s anime video on Biden, Ocasio-Cortez for violating policy
Twitter Inc added a warning label on Tuesday to an anime video shared by US Republican lawmaker Paul Gosar, depicting him swinging swords at President Joe Biden and killing Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. Twitter said the video violated its “hateful conduct” policy and restricted engagement with the tweet, blocking the …
Read More »Deaths at Travis Scott Astroworld festival spur calls for independent review
The Houston police and fire departments were deeply involved in safety measures for the music festival where a surging crowd killed eight people, playing key roles in crowd control measures, on-site security staffing and the emergency response. The police chief even says he met with the headlining performer before the …
Read More »US federal appeals court freezes Biden’s vaccine rule for companies
A US federal appeals court issued a stay on Saturday freezing the Biden administration’s efforts to require workers at US companies with at least 100 employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 or be tested weekly, citing “grave statutory and constitutional” issues with the rule. The ruling from the United States …
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