U.S.

December 3, 2024 12:36 PM

Ukraine pushes for NATO invite 30 years after failed nuclear deal

Ukraine on Tuesday blasted an agreement struck 30 years ago under which it relinquished nuclear weapons in exchange for security assurances that never materialised, as it makes a concerted push for an invitation to join the NATO alliance. Kyiv is desperately calling for robust security guarantees to protect it from renewed Russian aggression as U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House raises fears of a rapidly-struck settlement to the war that would leave it exposed. Ukrai...

November 21, 2024 10:57 AM

Bitcoin breaks $96,000 for first time on optimism over Trump crypto plans

Bitcoin's march toward $100,000 made further ground on Thursday as investors bet a friendlier U.S. regulatory approach to cryptocurrencies under President-elect Donald Trump will unleash a boom era for the asset class. Bitcoin prices topped $96,000 for the first time in Asia trade, touching a high just above $96,898. The cryptocurrency's price has more than doubled this year and is up about 40% in the two weeks since Trump was voted in as the next U.S. president and a slew of pro-crypto lawmak...

October 23, 2024 10:29 AM

U.S. reaffirms commitment to strong and positive relations with India, Brazil, South Africa

The United States has reiterated its commitment to maintaining a strong and positive relationship with India, Brazil, and South Africa. In a media briefing on Tuesday, US Principal Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel emphasized the US’s ongoing collaboration with these countries in various key areas, as well as the intention to responsibly manage its relationship with China. On being asked about BRICS Summit, Vedant Patel said, "We believe all countries are sovereign countries and they have thei...

October 21, 2024 2:51 PM

Latin America braces for US election impact on trade, tariffs

Latin America is anxiously counting the days to Nov. 5, when U.S. voters will choose between relative continuity under Vice President Kamala Harris or a return to policies that triggered volatility in the region's largest markets and economies under former president Donald Trump. Trade and tariffs, as well as monetary policy's effect on global interest rates, are likely the largest avenues for the election to jolt the U.S.'s neighboring region. Washington's economic war with China could particu...

October 21, 2024 1:23 PM

Gulen, the powerful cleric accused of orchestrating a Turkish coup, dies

The U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who built a powerful Islamic movement in Turkey and beyond but spent his later years mired in accusations of orchestrating an attempted coup against Turkish leader Tayyip Erdogan, has died. He was 83. Herkul, a website which publishes Gulen's sermons, said on its X account that Gulen had died on Sunday evening in the U.S. hospital where he was being treated. Gulen was a one-time ally of Erdogan but they fell out spectacularly, and Erdogan held him respons...

October 17, 2024 2:34 PM

Biden heads to Germany for talks on Ukraine, Middle East

U.S. President Joe Biden takes off for Berlin on Thursday for a rapid visit to discuss Russia's invasion of Ukraine with the leaders of Germany, France and Britain as Kyiv urges its western allies to take urgent steps to end the fighting. The rapidly expanding conflict in the Middle East is also expected to be high on the agenda in talks between the leaders as diplomatic efforts to halt the fighting have stalled. Biden had originally been scheduled to convene a broader meeting of Ukraine's mil...

October 14, 2024 5:04 PM

Nobel economics prize goes to inequality researchers

Three U.S.-based academics won the 2024 Nobel Economics Prize on Monday for their research into why global inequality persists, especially in countries dogged by corruption and dictatorship. Simon Johnson and James Robinson, both British-American, and Turkish-American Daron Acemoglu were commended for their work on "how institutions are formed and affect prosperity", the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences said. "Reducing the vast differences in income between countries is one of our time's grea...

September 30, 2024 10:50 PM

UN authorizes Haiti security force for another year

The U.N. Security Council unanimously agreed on Monday (September 30) to authorize for another year an international security force helping fight armed gangs in Haiti, but a U.S. push for a plan to transform it into a U.N. peacekeeping mission was dropped from the resolution because of opposition by Russia and China. The United States is now focused on supporting a call in the General Assembly last week by the head of Haiti's transition council, Edgard Leblanc, for a U.N. peacekeeping mission, ...

September 26, 2024 5:31 PM

Biden announces $8 billion in military aid for Ukraine

U.S. President Joe Biden announced more than $8 billion in military assistance for Ukraine on Thursday to help Kyiv "win this war" against Russian invaders, using a visit by President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to make a major commitment. The aid includes the first shipment of a precision-guided glide bomb called the Joint Standoff Weapon, with a range of up to 81 miles (130 km). The medium-range missile gives Ukraine a major upgrade to the weapons it is using to strike Russian forces, allowing the Uk...

September 16, 2024 5:04 PM

U.S. reaffirms support for India’s permanent seat on UN Security Council

The United States has renewed its endorsement of India's bid for a permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, emphasized that India, along with Japan and Germany, is well-deserving of a permanent position within the council. This continued support is part of ongoing discussions aimed at modernizing the UNSC and aligning it with the evolving global order. On Thursday, Thomas-Greenfield outlined a set of proposals for UNSC ref...