Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Thursday additional sanctions against Russia and the deployment of more troops to Europe as conflicts in Ukraine continue to evolve. Speaking from the East Room of the White House, Biden said the new measures will target major Russian banks, limit …
Read More »U.S. sanctions Russia after Putin sends troops to Lugansk, Donetsk
Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced “the first tranche” of sanctions against Russia after Moscow deployed troops in the Lugansk and Donetsk regions. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday signed two decrees, recognizing “the Lugansk People’s Republic” and “the Donetsk People’s Republic” as “independent and …
Read More »Biden extends national emergency beyond March 1
Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | The U.S. national emergency beginning almost two years ago will be extended beyond March 1 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, U.S. President Joe Biden has announced. “There remains a need to continue this national emergency. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause significant risk to the public …
Read More »Biden accepts “in principle” meeting with Putin: White House
Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Sunday that President Joe Biden “accepted in principle” a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Psaki’s confirmation of a potential Biden-Putin summit followed a statement by the Elysee Palace in France saying the two presidents have “accepted in principle” …
Read More »U.S. Senate passes stopgap bill to avoid federal gov’t shutdown
Senate passes stopgap bill to avert shutdown ahead of Friday deadline Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | The U.S. Senate on Thursday passed a three-week spending bill to fund the federal government through March 11, just a few hours before the current funding expired on Friday. The bill, already approved by the …
Read More »Biden’s decision to compensate 9/11 victims with Afghan assets unfair: Taliban spokesman
Kabul, Afghanistan | Xinhua | Deputy spokesperson for the Taliban government Inamullah Samangani on Sunday criticized Washington’s “unfair” decision to compensate the victims of 9/11 terrorist attacks with Afghanistan’s assets. “The recent decision of U.S. President Joe Biden on the handling of the foreign exchange reserve of Afghanistan is a hasty, …
Read More »Putin discusses Ukraine crisis with Biden, Macron as more countries urge evacuation of nationals
Moscow, Russia | Xinhua | Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday discussed the Ukraine crisis with U.S. President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron respectively over the phone as tensions continue to escalate between Russia and Ukraine. During these conversations, Putin reiterated the absence of a substantive response from the …
Read More »Taliban criticizes U.S. president’s decision splitting Afghan assets
Kabul, Afghanistan | Xinhua | A Taliban political spokesman has criticized U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision on splitting the frozen Afghan assets in the United States. Mohammad Naeem, spokesman of the Taliban political office in Qatar, tweeted on Friday that “Stealing the blocked funds of Afghan nation by the United States …
Read More »Biden reaffirms Nord Stream 2 won’t advance if Russia invades Ukraine
Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | U.S. President Joe Biden reaffirmed Monday that a joint gas pipeline project between Germany and Russia won’t advance if Russia invades Ukraine, stopping short of explaining how it will be achieved if Germany has reservations for that decision as a deterrence against Moscow. With visiting German …
Read More »Biden announces new actions as gun violence surges across U.S.
Washington, U.S. | Xinhua | U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Thursday a new set of actions aimed at reducing gun violence across the country. The Biden administration will crack down illegal flow of guns, help prosecutors bring cases against those using “ghost guns” — unserialized and untraceable firearms — to …
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