United States

Biden’s budget boosts military, raises taxes on billionaires, companies

U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday submitted a $5.79 trillion budget plan to Congress that calls for record peacetime military spending and further aid for Ukraine, while raising taxes for billionaires and…

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Riyadh gets U.S. military help as Washington seeks better ties

The United States has stepped up its military support for Saudi Arabia over the past few months following missile strikes on the kingdom by the Yemeni Houthi group, Western diplomats…

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U.S.-Moscow ties close to rupture after Biden’s ‘war criminal’ remarks, Russia says

Russia's foreign ministry said on Monday it had summoned U.S. Ambassador John Sullivan to tell him that President Joe Biden's calling Russian President Vladimir Putin a "war criminal" had pushed…

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Pentagon says it will help gather evidence of Russian war crimes in Ukraine

The Pentagon on Monday accused Russian forces of committing war crimes in Ukraine and said it would help gather evidence of them, as it accused the Kremlin of carrying out…

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U.S. raises concerns about China aligning with Russia

U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan on Monday raised concerns with Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi about China’s alignment with Russia as Washington warned of the economic penalties and global isolation…

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UPDATE – Biden announces U.S. ban on Russian oil imports

WASHINGTON, March 8 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden announced a ban on Russian oil and other energy imports on Tuesday in retaliation for the invasion of Ukraine, underscoring strong bipartisan support…

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Americans, Canadians answer Ukraine call for foreign fighters

A Texas software developer and a cook in British Columbia are among dozens of Americans and Canadians answering Ukraine's call for foreign volunteers to fight Russia's invasion. With their governments…

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As Ukraine conflict rages, Biden seeks to unite Americans in annual speech

U.S. President Joe Biden, who has earned praise for his efforts to rally European allies and other nations against Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, will turn to uniting Americans…

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Five dead as man kills three children and himself in California church

A man shot and killed his three children and a fourth person before taking his own life on Monday in an outburst of gun violence that unfolded in a church…

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Trump offered encouragement to France’s far-right candidate Zemmour in call, campaign official

French far-right presidential candidate Eric Zemmour had a phone call with former U.S. President Donald Trump who told him not to give in to pressure, a senior official of Zemmour's campaign said…

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US Navy eyes Israeli robot boats as Bennett visits Bahrain, official says

The U.S. Navy is considering adding unmanned Israeli boats to its Middle East operations, a U.S. official said, a move that could deepen Israel's growing role in regional military arrangements…

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Accounting firm Mazars cuts ties with long-term client Donald Trump

The accounting firm that handled Donald Trump's company's financial statements dropped it as a client and said it could no longer stand behind a decade of statements, a court filing…

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U.S. Republicans try to out-Trump each other with tough border rhetoric ahead of election

In the past year, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has deployed thousands of National Guard troops to the southern U.S. border, begun building a new border barrier, and arrested migrants for…

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Biden pledges end to Nord Stream 2 if Russia invades Ukraine

U.S. President Joe Biden said on Monday that the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline would be halted if Russia invades Ukraine and stressed unity with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz as…

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Trump fundraising slows but still yields over $100 million in cash

Donald Trump's fundraising slowed in late 2021 but the former leader still amassed more than $100 million in cash that could help Republicans in their bid to win congressional majorities…

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Biden tells emir he will make Qatar major non-NATO ally

President Joe Biden promised Qatar's emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, on Monday that he will soon designate Qatar as a major non-NATO ally, granting special status to a key…

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Russia, U.S. clash at U.N. over Russia’s troop build-up near Ukraine

Tensions between Russia and the United States over Moscow's troop build-up near Ukraine spilled into the United Nations Security Council on Monday when diplomats for both countries fiercely outlined their positions. Russia failed to stop what it dubbed a "provocative"…

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US prepared to sanction Russian elites close to Putin if Russia invades Ukraine

The United States and its allies have prepared a list of Russian elites in or near Russian President Vladimir Putin's inner circle to hit with economic sanctions should Russia invade Ukraine, a senior administration official said…

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U.S. puts 8,500 troops on alert to deploy amid Ukraine tensions

The U.S. military on Monday put about 8,500 troops on alert to be ready to deploy to Europe if needed, potentially on very short notice, in the latest effort to…

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New York judge strikes down state mask mandate

A New York judge struck down the state's mask mandate on Monday, one week before it was due to expire, ruling the governor overstepped her authority in imposing a rule that needed to…

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Pro-Trump death threats prompt bills in 3 states to protect election workers

In Vermont, lawmakers are considering bills to make it easier to prosecute people who threaten election officials. In Maine, proposed legislation would stiffen penalties for such intimidation. In Washington, state…

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Major U.S. airline CEOs warn 5G could ground some planes, wreak havoc

The chief executives of major U.S. passenger and cargo carriers on Monday warned of an impending "catastrophic" aviation crisis on Wednesday when AT&T and Verizon are set to deploy new 5G service.…

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US authorities likely to require upgraded masks against Omicron

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is considering updating its mask guidance because of an increase in the number of Omicron-related coronavirus cases, the Washington Post reported…

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U.S. reports at least 1.1 million COVID cases in a day, shattering global record

The United States reported at least 1.13 million new coronavirus infections on Monday, according to a Reuters tally, the highest daily total of any country in the world as the…

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New York man threatened to kill Donald Trump, prosecutors charge

A New York man upset with what he perceived as Donald Trump's threats to democracy was criminally charged on Monday with threatening to kill the former U.S. president, who he once…

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Russia, China, Britain, U.S. and France say no one can win nuclear war

China, Russia, Britain, the United States and France have agreed that a further spread of nuclear arms and a nuclear war should be avoided, according to a joint statement by…

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Elizabeth Holmes found guilty in Theranos fraud trial

A U.S. jury on Monday found Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes guilty of conspiring to defraud investors in the blood testing startup, convicting her on four of 11 counts. Gloria Tso…

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U.S. FDA backs Pfizer’s COVID-19 booster shot for 12- to 15-year-olds

Pfizer and BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 12 to 15, and narrowed the time for all booster shots by a month to five months after the primary doses. The agency…

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U.S. appeals court sets Jan 7 argument date in Texas abortion case

A United States appeals court has set a Jan. 7 argument date in the Texas abortion case, where the panel will hear the state's bid to push a legal question about enforcement…

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American States braced for Omicron holiday Spike

Rising cases snarled air travel over Christmas weekend as flight crews contracted the virus, causing thousands of flight cancellation in the US. Curtailed cruises and a lack of widely available…

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Magnitude 6.2 earthquake strikes offshore Northern California

A 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck offshore in the Cape Mendocino area of Northern California, followed by aftershocks that rattled nerves and caused items to fall from shelves, authorities said Monday.…

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Blinken touts deeper U.S. engagement amid concern over ‘aggressive’ China

Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday touted a U.S. strategy to deepen its Asian treaty alliances, offering to boost defence and intelligence work with partners in an Indo-Pacific region increasingly concerned…

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Kentucky governor: 64 deaths, 105 unaccounted for in state after tornadoes

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear on Monday said 64 people were confirmed dead in the state and another 105 were unaccounted for after a weekend burst of tornadoes. While the toll from…

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Biden pledges more military support for Central Europe, Lithuanian official says

U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday promised Central European NATO members more military support as concern grows over a Russian troop build-up on the border with Ukraine, Lithuania's presidential advisor…

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China says U.S. will ‘pay the price’ for diplomatic boycott of Olympics

The United States will have to "pay a price" for its diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing, China said on Tuesday, just weeks after talks aimed at easing tense relations between the…

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Financial regulators investigate Trump social media deal

Wall Street's top financial regulators are investigating former U.S. President Donald Trump's $1.25 billion deal to float his new social media venture on the stock market, a filing showed. Digital World Acquisition Corp, the…

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U.S. officials to boycott Beijing Olympics over rights ‘atrocities’

U.S. government officials will boycott the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing because of China's human rights "atrocities", the White House said on Monday, just weeks after talks aimed at easing tense relations between the…

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Wife of Mexican drug lord ‘El Chapo’ to face sentencing in U.S. court

U.S. prosecutors will ask a judge on Tuesday to sentence the wife of imprisoned Mexican drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman to four years in prison after she pleaded guilty to…

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U.S. Republicans move to decriminalize cannabis at federal level

Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives introduced legislation on Monday that would decriminalize marijuana at the federal level and eliminate legal hazards facing many cannabis-related businesses while regulating its use like…

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Venezuela’s Maduro ally Saab pleads not guilty to U.S. money laundering charge

Alex Saab, an ally of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, has pleaded not guilty to a U.S. charge of conspiring to launder money, according to a court document filed on Monday, in…

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U.S. says Russia carried out irresponsible anti-satellite test

The U.S. State Department said Russia on Monday tested an anti-satellite missile against one of its own satellites in a test that generated debris, jeopardized outer space and showed that Russian opposition to…

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Chinese President Xi calls Biden ‘old friend’ in U.S.-China talks

U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping stressed their responsibility to the world to avoid conflict as the heads of the two top global economies gathered for hours of talks on Monday.…

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‘Open for business:’ U.S. welcomes first travellers as COVID travel curbs are lifted

Packed intercontinental flights touched down and people embraced relatives at land borders on Monday after the United States lifted restrictions imposed on travellers from much of the world when the…

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Dead-heat Virginia governor’s race headlines U.S. elections

Virginians voted on Tuesday in an unexpectedly close race for governor that carries national implications for both Republicans and Democrats ahead of U.S. congressional elections next year. Democrat Terry McAuliffe,…

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US judge dismisses most money laundering charges against Maduro ally Saab

A U.S. judge in Florida on Monday dismissed money laundering counts against Alex Saab, an ally of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, but he remains accused of one count of conspiracy to launder money, a…

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U.S. vaccines for children plan fully operational next week, White House says

The United States is rolling out Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 5 to 11 this week, but most of the 15 million shots being shipped initially are unlikely to be available…

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Biden imposing new international travel vaccine rules, lifting restrictions

U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday signed an order imposing new vaccine requirements for most foreign national air travelers and lifting severe travel restrictions on China, India and much of Europe effective…

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White House: Biden to host talks with moderate Democrats today, climate change in focus

President Joe Biden will host separate meetings on Tuesday with moderate and progressive Democratic lawmakers who are wrangling over aspects of his infrastructure and social spending bills, the White House said on…

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UN chief warns China, US to avoid new Cold War

Warning of a potential new Cold War, the head of the United Nations implored China and the United States to repair their “completely dysfunctional” relationship before problems between the two…

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Weather disasters killed 2 million in last 50 years, UN agency WMO says

The number of disasters, such as floods and heatwaves, driven by climate change have increased fivefold over the past 50 years, killing more than 2 million people and costing $3.64…

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Out of Afghanistan: Joe Biden and the future of America’s foreign policy

President Joe Biden’s decision to press ahead with the US withdrawal from Afghanistan has prompted the first major foreign policy crisis of his presidency. The harrowing pictures after the bombing…

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U.S. says it is up to Afghans to defend country as Taliban take more territory

The United States said it was up to Afghan security forces to defend the country after Taliban militants captured a sixth provincial capital on Monday, along with border towns and trade routes.…

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Rising coronavirus cases fuel resurgence fears as Biden ramps up vaccination push

Swiftly rising coronavirus cases across the United States and abroad fueled fears of a pandemic resurgence on Monday and sent shockwaves through stock markets as the highly contagious Delta variant appeared to…

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U.S. lobby groups write battle plan to beat Biden tax hikes

U.S. business lobbying groups cheered a bipartisan $1.2 trillion infrastructure deal, but are gearing up to fight the corporate tax hikes looming in a separate but linked spending bill that…

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U.S. CDC to suspend import of dogs from more than 100 countries over rabies concerns

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said on Monday it will temporarily suspend importation of dogs from 113 countries classified as high risk for dog rabies effective…

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U.S. military ship fires 30 warning shots after encounter with Iranian vessels

A U.S. Coast Guard ship fired about 30 warning shots after 13 vessels from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy (IRGCN) came close to it and other American Navy vessels in the…

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U.S. to share up to 60 mln AstraZeneca vaccine doses globally -White House

The United States will start to share up to 60 million doses of AstraZeneca Plc's coronavirus vaccine with other countries as they become available, White House senior COVID-19 adviser Andy…

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