Biden

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday spoke with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to discuss their next steps after North Korea conducted its longest ever test launch by firing a nuclear-capable ballistic missile over Japan. The White House in a statement said the leaders condemned North Korea's missile test in the “strongest terms, recognizing the launch as a danger to the Japanese people, destabilizing to the region, and a clear violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions.” The White House said the leaders agreed to coordinate an immediate and longer-term response together, as well as with South Korea, and with the international community. They also vowed to work to limit North Korea's “ability to support its unlawful ballistic missile and weapons of mass destruction programs." North Korea has test-fired about 40 missiles over about 20 different launch events this year as its leader, Kim Jong Un, refuses to return to nuclear diplomacy with the … [Read more...] about Biden consults Japan PM Kishida after N. Korea missile test

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. announced plans on Tuesday to provide an additional $625 million in military aid to Ukraine, a package that includes additional advanced rocket systems credited with helping the country’s military gain momentum in its war with Russia. President Joe Biden provided details on the latest package, which includes High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, or HIMARS, artillery systems ammunition, and armored vehicles, in a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. Vice President Kamala Harris joined the leaders on Tuesday's call. The U.S. and Ukraine leaders spoke as Russia’s upper house of parliament on Tuesday formally approved the annexation of swaths of Ukrainian territory following referendums that Ukraine and its Western allies dismissed as fraudulent. “President Biden also affirmed the continued readiness of the United States to impose severe costs on any individual, entity, or country that provides support to Russia’s purported annexation,” … [Read more...] about US announces new $625M security package for Ukraine

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 17 PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Daily life in Haiti began to spin out of control last month just hours after Prime Minister Ariel Henry said fuel subsidies would be eliminated, causing prices to double. Gunshots rang out as protesters blocked roads with iron gates and mango trees. Then Haiti’s most powerful gang took a drastic step: It dug trenches to block access to the Caribbean country’s largest fuel terminal, vowing not to budge until Henry resigns and prices for fuel and basic goods go down. The poorest country in the Western hemisphere is in the grips of an inflationary vise that is squeezing its citizenry and exacerbating protests that have brought society to the breaking point. Violence is raging and making parents afraid to send their kids to school; fuel and clean water are scarce; hospitals, … [Read more...] about Haiti at breaking point as economy tanks and violence soars

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 ATLANTA (AP) — In Georgia’s pivotal U.S. Senate race, Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and his Republican challenger, Herschel Walker, have each been laboring to cast the other as an extremist on abortion while deflecting questions about the finer points of their own positions. The sidestepping by Warnock, who supports abortion rights, and Walker, who has called for a national ban, reflects the sensitivity of abortion politics in a post-Roe v. Wade America, where the procedure is open to regulation by state governments and, potentially, by Congress. But Walker’s strategy may not work much longer after The Daily Beast reported Monday that the former University of Georgia and NFL football star encouraged and paid for a girlfriend’s abortion in 2009 — a blatant contradiction of his staunch claims that there’s “no excuse” for a procedure he characterizes as “killing.” Walker calls the … [Read more...] about Walker report puts abortion back at center of Georgia race

ATLANTA (AP) — Former President Donald Trump and his allies have whipped up a relentless campaign of attacks against voting equipment since his loss in the 2020 election. After nearly two years, no evidence has emerged that voting machines were manipulated to steal the election or that there was any widespread fraud. Conspiracy theories spread online and in forums across the country nevertheless have undermined public confidence in voting machines and election results, while leading some counties to consider ditching the equipment in favor of hand-marked and hand-counted ballots. Elections have been held across the country this year during a busy primary season. While programming errors sometimes occur and equipment can malfunction, no major problems have been reported. Voting equipment is tested before and after to identify any problems, while audits done after the election confirm it worked correctly. The Associated Press explains how we got to this point, the efforts to … [Read more...] about EXPLAINER: Voting systems reliable, despite conspiracies