President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is back home leading Ukraine's fight against Russia after a U.S. trip that brought him face to face with the American leaders who will help decide his country's future. The Biden administration pledged more than $8 billion in continued support to Ukraine, guaranteeing military aid until a new U.S. administration takes power. But Zelenskyy found himself briefly mired in domestic politics before meeting with Trump in New York. And the Ukrainian's leader's longer-term strategic aim convincing his allies to adopt a victory plan that he is promoting remains elusive and out of his control, analysts and officials said. So does the aim of using far-reaching Western weapons against Russia, the most immediate element of Zelenskyy's plan. Zelenskyy navigated partisan politics Zelenskyy's visit to an ammunition plant in the swing state of Pennsylvania upset Republicans and House Speaker Mike Johnson fired off an open letter saying the visit was part of a partisa
The Biden administration said Monday it is making asylum restrictions at the southern border even tougher, as it's increasingly eager to show voters uneasy over immigration that it is taking a hard stance on border security. The new rules, which toughen restrictions announced in June, bar migrants from being granted asylum when US officials deem that the southern border is overwhelmed. Under the previous rules, the US could restrict asylum access when the number of migrants trying to enter the country between the official border crossings hit 2,500 per day. The daily numbers had to average below 1,500 per day for a week in order for the restrictions to be lifted. But the version rolled out Monday says the daily numbers will have to be below 1,500 for nearly a month before the restrictions can be lifted. And the administration is now counting all children toward that number, whereas previously only migrant children from Mexico were counted. These changes will make it much more ...
A crisis unfolded in Asheville, North Carolina, as officials pledged to get more water, food and other supplies to flood-stricken areas without power and cellular service Monday, days after Hurricane Helene ripped across the US Southeast. The death toll from the storm surpassed 100. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said during a news conference Monday that the death toll in that state had risen from 17 to 25. A North Carolina county that includes the mountain city of Asheville reported 30 people killed there. President Joe Biden said Monday he will travel to North Carolina on Wednesday to get a first-hand look at the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. Biden said he will travel to Raleigh to get a briefing from state and local officials and take an aerial tour of Asheville. He announced plans for the trip following an operational briefing on the hurricane response and recovery efforts from federal government officials and North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper, who took an aerial tour o
The Biden administration has decided not to seek a second consecutive term on the much-maligned UN Human Rights Council, the State Department said Monday. The administration had made US membership on the Geneva-based council a priority when it took office in 2021 after former President Donald Trump had withdrawn from the body, citing anti-Israel bias. Since returning to the council, the administration has frequently taken issue with its votes on the Middle East and other issues. "We decided not to seek another (term) on the Human Rights Council at this time because we are engaged with our allies about the best way to move forward," State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters. Elections for the 47-member council are held by the UN General Assembly with candidate countries coming from various geographic groups. The three other candidates -- Iceland, Spain and Switzerland -- from the US geographic group known as Western Hemisphere and Others, or WEOG, would be able to ...
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Helene blew ashore in Florida's Big Bend region as a Category 4 hurricane late Thursday with winds of 140 mph
President Joe Biden on Saturday called the Israeli strike that killed Hezbollah's Hassan Nasrallah a measure of justice for his four-decade reign of terror. The comments came after Lebanon's Hezbollah group confirmed earlier Saturday that Nasrallah, one of the group's founders, was killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut the previous day. Biden noted that the operation to take out Nasrallah took place in the broader context of the conflict that began with Hamas' massacre of Israelis on October 7, 2023. Nasrallah, the next day, made the fateful decision to join hands with Hamas and open what he called a 'northern front' against Israel, Biden said in a statement. He also noted that Hezbollah under Nasrallah's watch has been responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans.
Israeli PM rejects US-backed ceasefire with Hezbollah, raising fears of wider conflict in West Asia amid Gaza war. Netanyahu to address the UN General Assembly in New York today
The order, signed by Biden at a White House event, sets up a new federal task force to assess the threat posed by machine gun
During the meeting, Zelenskyy expressed his gratitude for the support of the United States
Moolenaar's remarks signal Congress could revive long-sought restrictions on US investment in China, which have faced a rocky path in Washington
Former President Donald Trump, who has made anti-immigration rhetoric a key part of his reelection campaign, has warned that he would kick out hundreds of thousands of immigrants who have entered the country under two key Biden administration programmes if he is reelected. Speaking to Fox News on Wednesday, Trump railed against two immigration programs created by the Biden administration to encourage migrants not to come directly to the southern border to seek asylum and make the region less chaotic. Trump said he would make the more than 1 million people who have entered the US under the two programmes leave: Get ready to leave because you're going to be going out real fast." Trump has already promised a vast crackdown on immigration if he's reelected, including a vow to carry out mass deportations of migrants. He made similar pledges during previous campaigns, but during his time as president, deportations never topped 350,000. Under one Biden administration programme, migrants a
During the meeting, Zelenskyy also expressed his gratitude for the US's support in Ukraine's defence efforts
President Joe Biden said Wednesday that all-out war is still possible as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah escalates, but he's hopeful an off-ramp can be found to prevent further bloodshed. Biden spoke during an interview on ABC's "The View." His comments come after days of back and forth between Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon that have killed hundreds and rekindled fears of a broader war in the Middle East.
The India-US relationship is strong and getting stronger, the White House said, adding that President Joe Biden when looks back at his term will be most proud of deepening the partnership with India, making it more inclusive and broadening. "I think one word -- well, actually, three words: strong, and getting stronger, White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby said on Tuesday during a press briefing here. Kirby was responding to a question by Press Trust of India on how he would characterise the trajectory of bilateral relations under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Biden as his term as the American leader ends soon. Biden has invested a lot in our bilateral relationship with India, Kirby told PTI. He elevated the Quad group of Australia, Japan, India and the US to the leader level and hosted Modi for an official state visit in June last year. We've elevated our strategic partnership to the highest level. We are pursuing a defence relationship on various sys
The world's leaders gathered in New York for the beginning of their annual meeting at the UN General Assembly. Let's just say the vibe was pretty grim. Leader after leader spoke of the wars in Ukraine, Gaza, and Sudan, climate problems, exclusion from UN decision making, poor nations struggling to feed their populations. I cannot recall a time of greater peril than this, said King Abdullah II of Jordan. A few speakers, including US President Joe Biden, tried to push a message of hope for the future. "We are stronger than we think. We are stronger together than alone," Biden said. "And what the people call impossible is just an illusion. But the US was the target of much veiled criticism for acting unilaterally on the response to the Gaza war: Impunity was the word of the day. Here's your daily guide to what's going on at the United Nations this week, day by day: From the podium WAR IN GAZA: Many delegates focused their speeches on the war in Gaza. Jordan's Abdullah said Israel's
President Joe Biden will make his long-awaited visit to Africa when he travels to Germany and Angola in mid-October, the White House announced Tuesday. Biden had promised during a summit of African leaders he hosted in Washington in late 2022 to visit Africa the following year. His visit was to be the capstone of an administration effort to shore up ties with the continent, partly to counter growing influence there from China, a US rival. Several Cabinet members and Vice President Kamala Harris, as well as first lady Jill Biden, visited African nations in 2023, but the year passed without a visit from Biden. Now, with just a few months left in office after he ended his reelection campaign, Biden plans to travel to Berlin and Luanda, Angola, from October 10-15, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced while Biden was in New York. He delivered his final address as president to the UN General Assembly earlier Tuesday. Biden will be the first US president to visit ...
President Joe Biden declared the U.S. must not retreat from the world, as he delivered his final address to the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday as Israel and Hezbollah militants in Lebanon edged toward all-out war and Israel's bloody operation against Hamas in Gaza neared the one-year mark. Biden used his wide-ranging address to speak to a need to end the Middle East conflict and the 17-month-old civil war in Sudan and to highlight U.S. and Western allies' support for Kyiv since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. His appearance before the international body also offered Biden one of his last high-profile opportunities as president to make the case to keep up robust support for Ukraine, which could be in doubt if former President Donald Trump, who has scoffed at the cost of the war, defeats Vice President Kamala Harris in November. Still, Biden insisted that despite global conflicts, he remains hopeful for the future. I've seen a remarkable sweep of history," Biden said. I kno
Biden will huddle with world leaders gathered in New York to work on a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza and avert an all-out war in the Middle East, Sullivan said
In yet another gaffe, US President Joe Biden experienced an embarrassing moment during a Quad event in Wilmington, Delaware, when he struggled to introduce Prime Minister Narendra Modi.