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White House/Handout via REUTERSWASHINGTON, June 9 (Reuters) - The White House said on Friday that Russia appeared to be deepening its defense cooperation with Iran and had received hundreds of one-way attack drones that it is using to strike Ukraine. "We are also concerned that Russia is working with Iran to produce Iranian UAVs from inside Russia." Moscow has denied its forces used Iranian drones in Ukraine. A White House official said Iran had transferred several hundred drones to Russia since August. The advisory highlighted key items sought by Iran for its development of drones, including electronics such as processors and controllers.

Persons: John Kirby, Kirby, Jeff Mason, Steve Holland, Michelle Nichols, Daphne Psaledakis, Heather Timmons, Chizu, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, House, Vehicles, Russian, Ukraine, White, United Nations, Security, Iran’s, Thomson Locations: Russia, Russian, Iran, White, REUTERS WASHINGTON, Ukraine, U.S, Alabuga, Moscow, United, Britain, France, Germany

White House/Handout via REUTERSWASHINGTON, June 9 (Reuters) - The White House said on Friday that Russia appeared to be deepening its defense cooperation with Iran and had received hundreds of one-way attack drones that it is using to strike Ukraine. "We are also concerned that Russia is working with Iran to produce Iranian UAVs from inside Russia." Moscow has denied its forces used Iranian drones in Ukraine. "We will continue to impose sanctions on the actors involved in the transfer of Iranian military equipment to Russia for use in Ukraine," Kirby said. The advisory highlighted key items sought by Iran for its development of drones, including electronics such as processors and controllers.

Persons: John Kirby, Kirby, Jeff Mason, Steve Holland, Michelle Nichols, Daphne Psaledakis, Heather Timmons, Chizu, Marguerita Choy Organizations: REUTERS, House, Vehicles, Russian, Ukraine, United Nations, Security, Iran’s, Thomson Locations: Russia, Russian, Iran, White, REUTERS WASHINGTON, Ukraine, U.S, Alabuga, Moscow, United, Britain, France, Germany

☆ McCarthy's moment: Debt ceiling vote secures Republican US House speaker's standing
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

"Keep underestimating us and we'll keep proving to the American public that we'll never give up," McCarthy told reporters after the vote. But in getting the April measure passed, House Republicans became the only body in Washington that had acted to raise the debt ceiling. "Speaker McCarthy's done an incredible job," said Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a member of the hardline Republican House Freedom Caucus. "This is where the honeymoon can definitely end," said Republican strategist Ron Bonjean, a one-time aide to former House Speaker Dennis Hastert. Asked this week whether he expects to keep his speakership, McCarthy told a reporter: "What do you think?

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Joe Biden, McCarthy, Biden, we'll, Dusty Johnson, haven't, Johnson, wouldn't, Donald Trump, Trump, Republican Mitch McConnell, McConnell, Rohit Kumar, Mitch McConnell, Julia Nikhinson, Shalanda Young, McCarthy's, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Patrick McHenry, Garret Graves, Ralph Norman, Norman, that's, John Boehner, Ron Bonjean, Dennis Hastert, I'm, Kelly Armstrong, David Morgan, Steve Holland, Gram Slattery, Jason Lange, Scott Malone, Suzanne Goldenberg Organizations: U.S . House, Republican, Democratic, Democrats, White House, Reuters, Republicans, House Republicans, U.S, Capitol, REUTERS, House, Caucus, White, Thomson Locations: Washington, Washington . U.S, U.S, Washington , U.S

☆ McCarthy's moment: Debt ceiling win secures Republican US House speaker's standing
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( David Morgan | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

But in getting the April measure passed, House Republicans became the only body in Washington that had acted to raise the debt ceiling. The White House, for its part, contends that the talks between Biden and McCarthy were not a negotiation on the debt ceiling. "Speaker McCarthy's done an incredible job," said Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, a member of the hardline Republican House Freedom Caucus. "This is where the honeymoon can definitely end," said Republican strategist Ron Bonjean, a one-time aide to former House Speaker Dennis Hastert. Asked this week whether he expects to keep his speakership, McCarthy told a reporter: "What do you think?

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Joe Biden, McCarthy, Biden, Dusty Johnson, haven't, Johnson, wouldn't, Donald Trump, Trump, Republican Mitch McConnell, McConnell, Rohit Kumar, Mitch McConnell, Shalanda Young, McCarthy's, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Patrick McHenry, Garret Graves, Ralph Norman, Norman, that's, John Boehner, Ron Bonjean, Dennis Hastert, I'm, Kelly Armstrong, David Morgan, Steve Holland, Jason Lange, Scott Malone, Suzanne Goldenberg Organizations: U.S . House, Republican, Democratic, Democrats, White House, Reuters, Republicans, House Republicans, House, Caucus, White, Thomson Locations: Washington

☆ Biden says Sweden will 'soon' join NATO at U.S. Air Force address
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/7] U.S. President Joe Biden attends the graduation ceremony at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S., June 1, 2023. Biden, in a flag-waving commencement address in Colorado Springs, Colorado, warned graduates they will enter service in an increasingly unstable world, citing challenges from Russia and China. Biden told reporters Erdogan repeated Ankara's desire to buy F-16 fighter jets from the United States, while Biden urged Ankara to drop its objection to Sweden's joining NATO. Biden made clear the United States would not back down from the challenge posed by China amid deep strains in the relationship. China and the United States should be able to work together where we can to solve some global challenges, like climate," he said.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kevin Lamarque, Biden, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Sweden's, Vladimir Putin's, Antony Blinken, Steve Holland, Caitlin Webber, Heather Timmons, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Air Force Academy, REUTERS, Sweden, NATO, U.S . Air Force Academy, Nordic, F16s, Ukraine, Thomson Locations: Colorado Springs , Colorado, U.S, Kevin Lamarque COLORADO SPRINGS , Colorado, Russia, China, United States, Ankara, Ukraine, Finland, Sweden, Vilnius, Lithuania, Turkey

☆ Biden trips and falls during graduation ceremony, recovers quickly
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] U.S. President Joe Biden addresses the graduation ceremony at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S. June 1, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueCOLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., June 1 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden tripped and fell after handing out the last diploma at a graduation ceremony at the U.S. Air Force Academy on Thursday, but got up quickly and walked back to his seat. The 80-year-old U.S. president fell forward, caught himself with his hands, then got up on one knee helped by three people. After Biden was helped up, he pointed behind him, seeming to indicate what he tripped over. Biden fell as he was dismounting his bicycle last June, after snaring a foot in a toe clip, but was uninjured.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kevin Lamarque, Biden, Ben LaBolt, Donald Trump, Doctors, Steve Holland, Doina Chiacu, Heather Timmons, Tim Ahmann, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Air Force Academy, REUTERS, U.S . Air Force Academy, White House, Twitter, Republican, Thomson Locations: Colorado Springs , Colorado, U.S, Kevin Lamarque COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo, Russia, China

[1/2] Former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence addresses the National Review Institute's 2023 Ideas Summit in Washington, U.S., March 31, 2023. Christie, who advised Trump's campaign in 2016 only to become a vocal critic of the former president, will formally announce his 2024 campaign on June 6, a person familiar with the matter said. The growing Republican field concerns many Trump opponents inside the Republican Party. Trump has a massive polling lead in a Republican field that now has more than 10 declared or almost-declared candidates. On Wednesday, Pence's polling average in the Republican field was less than 4%, compared to Trump's 53%, according to a RealClearPolitics average of polls.

Persons: Mike Pence, Kevin Lamarque, Chris Christie, Donald Trump, Christie, Trump's, Pence, Doug Burgum, Trump, Ron DeSantis, Tim Scott, Nikki Haley, Donald, Steve Holland, Joseph Ax, Tim Reid, Daniel Wallis Organizations: U.S, REUTERS, New, Reuters, North, Trump, Republican Party, Republican, Florida, Capitol, Christian, Saint Anselm College, Republicans, South Carolina, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, New Jersey, North Dakota, Iowa, New Hampshire

☆ Former US VP Mike Pence plans 2024 campaign launch next week
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Pence will launch his campaign with a video and a speech in the early nominating state of Iowa, the sources said. On June 1, Pence's polling average in the Republican field was less than 4%, compared to Trump's 53%, according to a RealClearPolitics average of polls. Pence has continued to embrace many of Trump's policies, while portraying himself as an even-keeled and consensus-oriented alternative. The success of his campaign will hinge on whether he can attract enough backers of Trump's policies who are turned off by the former president's rhetoric and behavior to build a viable coalition. Reporting by Steve Holland; writing by Kanishka Singh and Tim Reid; editing by Tim Ahmann and Ross ColvinOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Mike Pence, Donald Trump's, Pence, Trump, Steve Holland, Kanishka Singh, Tim Reid, Tim Ahmann, Ross Colvin Organizations: Republican, Trump, U.S, Capitol, Christian, U.S . House, Thomson Locations: Iowa, Indiana, U.S

That vote underscored the need for Democrats to help pass the measure in the House, which is controlled by Republicans with a narrow 222-213 majority. The Congressional Budget Office also said the measure, if enacted into law, would reduce interest on the public debt by $188 billion. Many Democrats in Congress did not want Biden to engage in budget-cutting negotiations with Republicans until they lifted their hold on enacting a debt limit bill. Jacquelyn Martin/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoWhite House Budget Director Shalanda Young, who was one of Biden's lead negotiators, urged Congress to pass the bill. The debt-ceiling standoff prompted ratings agencies to warn that they might downgrade U.S. debt, which underpins the global financial system.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kevin McCarthy, Chip Roy, Ralph Norman, Biden, McCarthy, we've, Wednesday's, Hakeem Jeffries, Calif, Jacquelyn Martin, Shalanda Young, Biden's, Young, Republican Mike Lee, White, Moira Warburton, David Morgan, Richard Cowan, Steve Holland, Gram Slattery, Scott Malone, Mark Porter, Matthew Lewis, Gerry Doyle, Himani Organizations: Republicans, Senate, Treasury Department, Treasury, Congressional, Republican, Democratic, Capitol, Internal Revenue Service, Thomson Locations: U.S, Washington

☆ Ukrainian drone sparks fire at Russian refinery - governor
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

MOSCOW/KYIV, May 31 (Reuters) - A Ukrainian drone sparked a fire at an oil refinery in southern Russia and shelling hit a Russian town close to the border for the third time in a week, damaging buildings and setting vehicles ablaze, Russian officials said on Wednesday. The Afipsky refinery is not far from the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk, near another refinery that has been attacked several times this month. There was no immediate information on who launched the drone but Moscow has accused Kyiv of increased attacks inside Russia in recent weeks, while Russia has repeatedly pounded Ukrainian cities with drones and missiles. Russian drone attacks killed one person and wounded four in Kyiv on Tuesday, according to Ukrainian officials. Civilian targets in Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities have since the earliest days of the war been struck repeatedly by Russian drones and missiles.

Persons: Veniamin Kondratyev, Vyacheslav Gladkov, Mykhailo Podolyak, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Karine Jean, Pierre, Rafael Grossi, Grossi, David Ljunggren, Guy Faulconbridge, Max Hunder, Olena Harmash, Pavel Polityuk, Valentyn Ogirenko, Gleb Garanich, Lidia Kelly, Trevor Hunnicutt, Steve Holland, Stephen Coates, Robert Birsel Organizations: Kyiv, Residents, Civilian, Washington, Russian, International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, . Security, Thomson Locations: MOSCOW, KYIV, Ukrainian, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Russia's Krasnodar, Novorossiisk, Russian, Kyiv, Shebekino, Ukraine's Kharkiv, Ukraine's, Washington, United States, Zaporizhzhia

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a candidate for the Republican 2024 presidential nomination, said the deal does not do enough to change the fiscal trajectory. "After this deal, our country will still be careening toward bankruptcy," he said on Fox News. There's no question about that," said Republican Representative Dusty Johnson, who said he had talked to dozens of fellow lawmakers. Some $4 trillion in debt for - at best - a two-year spending freeze and no serious substantive policy reforms," Roy wrote on Twitter. McCarthy has predicted it will draw the support of most of his fellow Republicans, who control the House 222-213.

WASHINGTON, May 28 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Sunday finalized a budget agreement with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to suspend the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling until Jan. 1, 2025, and said the deal was ready to move to Congress for a vote. The deal, if approved, will prevent the U.S. government from defaulting on its debt and comes after weeks of heated negotiations between Biden and House Republicans. "I strongly urge both chambers to pass that agreement," Biden said, adding that he expected McCarthy to have the necessary votes for the deal to pass. The deal has drawn fire from hardline Republicans and progressive Democrats, but Biden and McCarthy are banking on getting enough votes from both sides. McCarthy dismissed threats of opposition within his own party, saying "over 95%" of House Republicans were "overwhelmingly excited" about the deal.

The exchange took place when Biden called Erdogan to congratulate him on his victory in Turkey's presidential election on Sunday. And so we'll be back in touch with one another," Biden told reporters before departing the White House for Delaware. Bids for NATO membership must be approved by all NATO members. A Turkish Air Force F16 jet lands at a new airport under construction in Istanbul, Turkey September 22, 2018. Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership last year, ditching long-held policies of military non-alignment following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

☆ Biden and McCarthy's bumpy journey to a debt ceiling deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

During months of tense exchanges over the U.S. debt ceiling, McCarthy has also taken some swipes at Biden. Arguing that Biden should meet him to discuss his demands for lifting the debt ceiling in March, McCarthy made fun of the 80-year-old president's advanced age. "I would bring lunch to the White House. But it also preserves much of Biden's Inflation Reduction Act and punts the next debt ceiling showdown into 2025, which Republicans hate. Although he initially called for the debt ceiling to be raised without negotiations, he ended up making compromises.

☆ Biden warns Uganda of possible sanctions due to anti-gay law
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, May 29 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden condemned Uganda's new anti-gay law on Monday, and said the United States may impose sanctions and will evaluate the implications of the law "on all aspects of U.S. engagement with Uganda." Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni on Monday signed one of the world's toughest anti-LGBTQ laws, including the death penalty for "aggravated homosexuality," drawing Western condemnations and risking sanctions from aid donors. "This shameful act is the latest development in an alarming trend of human rights abuses and corruption in Uganda," Biden said in a statement. "And we are considering additional steps, including the application of sanctions and restriction of entry into the United States against anyone involved in serious human rights abuses or corruption," said Biden. Same-sex relations were already illegal in Uganda, as in more than 30 African countries, but the new law goes further.

WASHINGTON, May 28 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden said on Sunday he had finalized a budget agreement with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy to suspend the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling and that the deal was ready to move to Congress for a vote. "I strongly urge both chambers to pass that agreement," Biden said, adding that he expected McCarthy to have the necessary votes for the deal to pass. The deal has drawn fire from hardline Republicans and progressive Democrats, but Biden and McCarthy believe they have enough votes from moderates on both sides. [1/2] U.S. President Joe Biden speaks on his deal with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to raise the United States' debt ceiling at the White House in Washington, U.S., May 28, 2023. But McCarthy dismissed threats of opposition within his own party, saying "over 95%" of House Republicans were "overwhelmingly excited" about the deal.

Hours later, the Democratic president said he was confident the legislation would pass both chambers of Congress to avoid a U.S. government default. Biden and McCarthy were due to speak later on Sunday to finalize the agreement, which has drawn fire from hardline Republicans and progressive Democrats. House Republicans expected on Sunday to unveil legislation to pass the deal. But McCarthy dismissed threats of opposition within his own party, saying "over 95%" of House Republicans were "overwhelmingly excited" about the deal. The deal would also impose a 1% across-the-board spending cut should Congress fail to enact 12 appropriations bills by Oct. 1.

[1/3] U.S. President Joe Biden hosts debt limit talks with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., May 22, 2023. Here's what we know so far:A CAP ON DISCRETIONARY SPENDINGThe deal would suspend the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling until January of 2025, allowing the U.S. government to pay its bills. Republicans have told their members that non-defense discretionary spending would be cut to 2022 levels, apart from veterans' healthcare, which would remain fully funded. The U.S. government will spend $936 billion on non-defense discretionary spending in 2023. However, other sources say the deal codifies relief from student loan payments while Biden's executive action providing up to $20,000 of debt relief per borrower is under review by the Supreme Court.

WASHINGTON, May 27 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden and top congressional Republican Kevin McCarthy reached a tentative deal to suspend the federal government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling on Saturday evening, ending a months-long stalemate. Biden and McCarthy held a 90-minute phone call earlier on Saturday evening to discuss the deal, McCarthy briefed his members later in the evening, and the White House and the House leader spoke afterward. [1/6] General view of the U.S. Capitol after U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) reached a tentative deal with President Joe Biden to raise the United States' debt ceiling and avoid a catastrophic default, in Washington, U.S. May 27, 2023. The long standoff on raising the debt ceiling spooked financial markets, weighing on stocks and forcing the United States to pay record-high interest rates in some bond sales. The work to raise the debt ceiling is far from done.

[1/3] U.S. President Joe Biden hosts debt limit talks with U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., May 22, 2023. REUTERS/Leah MillisWASHINGTON, May 27 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden and House Republican Speaker Kevin McCarthy on Saturday reached an agreement in principle to lift the debt ceiling that would trim some U.S. federal spending. Here's what we know so far:A CAP ON DISCRETIONARY SPENDINGThe deal would suspend the $31.4 trillion debt ceiling until January of 2025, allowing the U.S. government to pay its bills. In exchange, non-defense discretionary spending would be capped at current year levels in 2024 and increased by only 1% in 2025. INCREASED DEFENSE SPENDINGThe deal is expected to boost defense spending to around $885 billion, in line with Biden's 2024 budget spending proposal.

☆ Debt ceiling deal keeps non-defense spending roughly flat until fiscal 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

May 27 (Reuters) - A deal reached to raise the U.S. federal government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling keeps non-defense spending roughly flat for current fiscal year and 2024, a source familiar with the negotiations said on Saturday,There are no budget caps after 2025 in the U.S. debt deal, the source added. Reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

However just ahead of the expected call between Biden and McCarthy, Republican deal negotiator Patrick McHenry told reporters "major disagreement" remained between his party and Biden's Democrats. That's what we've offered with our approach to raising the debt ceiling, with work requirements for able bodied folks to get back in the workforce. The two sides have tentatively reached an agreement that would raise the debt ceiling by enough to cover the country's borrowing needs through the November 2024 presidential election. Republican Representative Dan Bishop reacted with anger to the idea of extending the debt ceiling through the next presidential election. A failure by Congress to raise its self-imposed debt ceiling before June 5 could trigger a default that would shake financial markets and send the United States into a deep recession.

"Things are looking good," Biden told reporters. "I'm hopeful," said McHenry, one of House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy's lead negotiators with the White House. Negotiators are discussing a deal that would lift the limit for two years, but remain at odds over whether to stiffen work requirements for some anti-poverty programs. WORK REQUIREMENTS IN DISPUTEThe safety-net programs remained a sticking point. Biden in particular has resisted the work requirements for Medicaid, which covered 85 million Americans as of January.

☆ Hiroshima G7 marks costs of war and welcomes Ukraine's Zelenskiy
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-20 | by ( Trevor Hunnicutt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

[1/5] Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and French President Emmanuel Macron shake hands during the G7 leaders' summit in Hiroshima, Japan May 20, 2023. Zelenskiy will receive a hero's welcome during the closing day of the G7 summit hosted in Hiroshima, Japan, where leaders debated how to respond to a conflict that many expect only to escalate after nearly 15 months of fighting. On Sunday, Japan and South Korea, two of China's wealthiest neighbours, will highlight their improved ties with a joint meeting. But Zelenskiy has pushed the countries to go further on both economic and military measures. "Important meetings with partners and friends of Ukraine," Zelenskiy said on Twitter as he arrived in Hiroshima.

WASHINGTON, May 19 (Reuters) - U.S. House Republicans and President Joe Biden's Democratic administration on Friday paused talks on raising the federal government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling, rattling financial markets as the deadline to avoid default ticked closer. Talks at the Capitol broke up around midday, and there was no immediate word on when they would resume. A White House official said: "There are real differences between the parties on budget issues and talks will be difficult. Biden and McCarthy spent most of the year in an impasse with the White House insisting on a "clean" increase in the debt ceiling without conditions. Young and Ricchetti told reporters they were going to play it "by ear" as they departed the negotiating sessions, according to reporters for NBC News and ABC News.

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