United States

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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., Britain warn Russia against any new Ukraine aggression

The United States and Britain warned Russia on Tuesday over any new military aggression against Ukraine as the Western military alliance NATO met to discuss Moscow's intentions for massing troops on the border with…

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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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FIFA wraps up inspection of potential 2026 World Cup venues

FIFA, world soccer's governing body, wrapped up site visits to potential venues for the 2026 World Cup to be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico with a stop…

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Oil price drops on growing talk of increased production despite faltering demand

Oil prices fell on Tuesday, reversing gains in the previous session, on growing talk the United States, Japan and India will release crude reserves to tame prices despite the threat of…

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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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Nicaragua’s Ortega secures fourth term, U.S. threatens sanctions

Nicaragua's President Daniel Ortega clinched a fourth consecutive term, results showed on Monday, after jailing political rivals ahead of a vote that prompted threats of sanctions from the United States and international…

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Biden administration asks U.S. Supreme Court to block Texas abortion law

President Joe Biden's administration on Monday asked the U.S. Supreme Court to block a Texas law that imposes a near-total ban on abortion, calling the Republican-backed measure plainly unconstitutional and specifically…

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Global player? EU summit to seek answers on China, U.S. strategy

The European Union's 27 leaders will seek a new approach to China on Tuesday in their first summit on Sino-European strategy since the bloc imposed sanctions on Beijing in March…

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Afghan army collapse ‘took us all by surprise,’ U.S. defense secretary

U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told Congress on Tuesday that the Afghan army's sudden collapse caught the Pentagon off-guard as he acknowledged miscalculations in America's longest war including corruption and damaged morale…

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Man wanted in US for $50m fraud arrested in Malta

A man wanted in the US to face charges of fraud and money laundering of $50 million has been arrested in Malta. The 68-year-old was apprehended on Monday morning after…

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Oil hits 6-week high as U.S. Gulf braces for another hurricane

Oil prices hit a six-week high on Tuesday as another hurricane threatened to bring heavy rain to Texas and parts of Louisiana that were still recovering from Ida, and as the…

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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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Taliban celebrate ‘complete independence’ as last U.S. troops leave Afghanistan

Celebratory gunfire echoed across Kabul as Taliban fighters took control of the airport before dawn on Tuesday following the withdrawal of the last U.S. troops, ending 20 years of war that left…

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Iran says it is holding talks on prisoner exchanges with U.S.

Iran said on Tuesday it was holding talks on prisoner exchanges with the United States aimed at securing the release of Iranians held in U.S. jails and other countries over violations of U.S. sanctions.…

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U.S. among first foreign countries to join EU defence project, diplomats say

The European Union will allow the United States, Norway and Canada to join a project to overcome delays in moving troops across Europe, diplomats said on Wednesday, which NATO sees…

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White house says Biden does not intend to meet with North Korea’s Kim

U.S. President Joe Biden does not intend to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, the White House said on Monday. Asked if Biden's diplomatic approach to North Korea would include "sitting with President Kim Jong Un"…

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Afghan peace talks should rotate among countries, envoy says amid stall

Afghan peace talks, now stalled in Qatar, should be rotated to other venues, Afghanistan's ambassador to the United Arab Emirates said, indicating the Qatari hosts had not pushed hard enough for the…

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U.S. proposes interim government could run Afghanistan until new polls

A U.S.-drafted peace plan for Afghanistan, reviewed by Reuters on Monday, calls for the current government to be replaced with an interim administration until a new constitution is agreed and…

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Bangladesh court sentences five to death for killing U.S. blogger

A court in Bangladesh sentenced to death five members of an Islamist militant group for killing a U.S. blogger critical of religious extremism six years ago. Avijit Roy, a U.S. citizen of…

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Iraq rocket attack hits U.S. forces, killing contractor

A rocket attack on U.S.-led forces in northern Iraq on Monday killed a civilian contractor and injured a U.S. service member, the U.S. coalition in Iraq said, in the deadliest such attack in almost…

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Joe Biden names foreign policy team, taps Blinken as State Sec

U.S. President-elect Joe Biden on Monday named the key members of his foreign policy team, tapping trusted aide Antony Blinken to head the State Department and take the lead in…

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China imposes sanctions on US republicans

China imposed sanctions on 11 U.S. citizens including lawmakers from President Donald Trump Republican Party on Monday in response to Washington's imposition of sanctions on Hong Kong and Chinese officials accused…

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International order at risk by coronavirus

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian warned that rising diplomatic tensions between the US and China will weaken international relations after the coronavirus crisis. In an interview with influential paper…

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Trump suspends immigration into United States

United States President Donald Trump announced late Monday night that he will be signing an executive order to temporarily suspend immigration into the country. On Twitter, he justified this decision…

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CoVid19 Update – Another dark day for Europe

Thirty-two more people have died in England after testing positive for coronavirus - taking the total number of UK deaths to 104. It follows the biggest daily leap in confirmed cases…

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Huawei sues US government

Chinese telecom giant Huawei has filed a lawsuit against the US government over a ban that restricts government agencies from using its products.The lawsuit is part of a wider push…

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US ends diplomatic spat with the EU

It seems the United States has ended a spat with the European Union over diplomatic protocol. Early this year it emerged that the United States had changed the way it…

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Extradition hearing of Huawei executive held in Canada expected to proceed

Reuters, quoting legal experts in Canada, is reporting that Canada is likely to announce on Friday that an extradition hearing against a Huawei Technologies Co Ltd executive can proceed, worsening…

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Trump expresses disdain towards globalism, praises own administration, attracts mocking laughter during UN General Assembly

President Donald Trump poured scorn on the “ideology of globalism” and heaped praise on his own administration’s achievements Tuesday in a speech to the U.N. General Assembly that drew head-shakes…

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Air Strikes on Syria – Pope Francis urges common action

In his first comments since the missile attacks on Syria by the United States, Britain and France, Pope Francis said on Sunday, April 15, that he is deeply disturbed by…

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