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☆ US State Dept OKs potential sale to Australia of HIMARS for $975 mln - Pentagon
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, Aug 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department has approved a possible sale to Australia of M142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) for $975 million, the Pentagon said on Friday. The principal contractors will be Lockheed Martin (LMT.N), L3Harris (LHX.N), Leonardo DRS, and Oshkosh (OSK.N), the Pentagon said in a statement. Reporting by Paul Grant and Kanishka SinghOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Lockheed Martin, Leonardo, Paul Grant, Kanishka Singh Organizations: U.S . State Department, High, Artillery Rocket Systems, Pentagon, Lockheed, Leonardo DRS, Thomson Locations: Australia, Oshkosh

☆ US to send Ukraine new security aid worth $200 million
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Military aid, delivered as part of the United States of America's security assistance to Ukraine, is unloaded from a plane at the Boryspil International Airport outside Kyiv, Ukraine February 11, 2022. REUTERS/Serhiy Takhmazov/File PhotoWASHINGTON, Aug 14 (Reuters) - The United States said on Monday it will send Ukraine new security assistance valued at $200 million, including air defense munitions, artillery rounds, and additional mine-clearing equipment. "I want to thank the United States today for the new package. Washington is currently working on a supplemental budget request to continue to aid Kyiv, the U.S. officials said. Monday's announcement of $200 million would be the first tranche of a $6.2 billion windfall of previously authorized Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA), the officials said.

Persons: Serhiy Takhmazov, Antony Blinken, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Paul Grant, Ismail Shakil, Bernadette Baum, Conor Humphries Organizations: Boryspil, REUTERS, United, Reuters, Pentagon, Munitions, Patriots, Thomson Locations: United States, Ukraine, Kyiv, Washington, U.S

☆ US SEC gets emergency relief to halt Digital Licensing's crypto asset fraud scheme
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday said it had obtained emergency relief to halt Utah-based Digital Licensing Inc’s crypto asset fraud scheme involving 18 defendants. The SEC obtained a temporary asset freeze, restraining order, and other emergency relief against Digital Licensing of Draper, Utah, doing business as “DEBT Box,” as well as the company’s four principals, the regulatory agency said on its website. Reporting by Katharine Jackson and Paul Grant; Editing by Doina ChiacuOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: ”, Katharine Jackson, Paul Grant, Doina Organizations: U.S . Securities, Exchange Commission, SEC, Thomson Locations: Utah, Draper , Utah

☆ US nurse, child abducted in Haiti, non-profit organization says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, July 29 (Reuters) - A U.S. nurse and her child have been kidnapped in Haiti, a faith-based humanitarian aid organization said on Saturday. "We can confirm that Alix Dorsainvil, our director’s wife, and their child were kidnapped on the morning of Thursday, July 27th from our campus near Port au Prince while serving in our community ministry," El Roi Haiti said on its website. The statement gave no further information on the age or gender of the child. “We are aware of reports of the kidnapping of two U.S. citizens in Haiti,” a U.S. State Department spokesperson said in a statement. “We are in regular contact with Haitian authorities and will continue to work with them and our U.S. government interagency partners.”Reporting by Paul Grant; Editing by Daniel WallisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Alix Dorsainvil, “, ”, Paul Grant, Daniel Wallis Organizations: U.S . State Department, Thomson Locations: U.S, Haiti, Port au Prince, El Roi Haiti

☆ European official: EU likely to keep missile sanctions on Iran
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-18 | by ( Arshad Mohammed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, July 18 (Reuters) - A European official on Tuesday said he expected no difficulty persuading EU nations to maintain ballistic missile sanctions on Iran that are due to expire in October. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also said he sees a window of opportunity by the end of 2023 to try to negotiate a de-escalatory nuclear deal with Iran. In June, sources told Reuters that European diplomats had informed Iran they planned to retain EU ballistic missile sanctions set to expire in October under the nuclear deal, a step they said could provoke Iranian retaliation. Keeping the EU sanctions would reflect Western efforts to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and the means to deliver them despite the collapse of the 2015 deal, which then-U.S. President Donald Trump abandoned in 2018. Asked if Britain, France and Germany, which were parties to the 2015 deal, had convinced the rest of EU to keep the ballistic missile sanctions, the European official replied: "It's nearly agreed.

Persons: Donald Trump, It's, Joe Biden's, Arshad Mohammed, Paul Grant, Tim Ahmann, Deepa Babington Organizations: Reuters, EU, Thomson Locations: Iran, Washington, Tehran, U.S, Ukraine, Russia, United States, Britain, France, Germany, EU, China

☆ Israel's Netanyahu suffers dehydration after holiday in heatwave
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-15 | by ( Dan Williams | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Rami AmichaySummary 73-year-old PM felt dizziness after holiday at seaBenjamin Netanyahu is Israel's longest-serving leaderSunday's cabinet meeting postponed'I feel really well,' he says from hospitalJERUSALEM, July 15 (Reuters) - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu entered hospital on Saturday with apparent dehydration after a coastal break during a heatwave, delaying the weekly cabinet meeting even though he declared himself well. Netanyahu's office said the 73-year-old was admitted to Sheba Hospital, close to his private residence, after experiencing dizziness, and would stay there overnight. In a video from hospital, a smiling Netanyahu said he had taken holiday on Friday at the Sea of Galilee in temperatures hitting 38 Celsius (100.4 Fahrenheit). "I wish the prime minister a full recovery and good health," tweeted Yair Lapid, the centrist leader of the opposition. In early October, Netanyahu was taken ill during the Jewish fast of Yom Kippur and was also briefly hospitalised.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Rami Amichay, Sunday's, Netanyahu, disperses, Ariel Sharon, Ehud Olmert, Yariv Levin, Yair Lapid, Paul Grant, Dan Williams, Andrew Cawthorne, Frances Kerry Organizations: Sheba Medical, REUTERS, Sheba Hospital, White House National Security Council, Thomson Locations: Tel Hashomer, Ramat Gan, Israel, JERUSALEM, Galilee, United States, Sheba, Washington, Yom Kippur

☆ US Secret Service ends White House cocaine probe, no video, fingerprints, DNA available
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, July 13 (Reuters) - The U.S. Secret Service said on Thursday it had concluded its investigation into cocaine found at the White House and said it had been unable to identify a suspect. The cocaine was found "inside a receptacle used to temporarily store electronic and personal devices prior to entering the West Wing," the Secret Service said, confirming earlier Reuters reporting. "Without physical evidence, the investigation will not be able to single out a person of interest from the hundreds of individuals who passed through the vestibule where the cocaine was discovered," the Secret Service said. "At this time, the Secret Service's investigation is closed due to a lack of physical evidence." Reporting by Paul Grant and Rami Ayyub; editing by Tim Ahmann, Heather Timmons and Jonathan OatisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Paul Grant, Rami Ayyub, Tim Ahmann, Heather Timmons, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: Secret, White, Service, Thomson

WASHINGTON, June 15 (Reuters) - A federal grand jury has indicted a U.S. Air National Guardsman accused of leaking top-secret military intelligence records online, the Justice Department said in a statement on Thursday. Jack Douglas Teixeira, 21, of North Dighton, Massachusetts, was indicted on six counts of willful retention and transmission of classified information relating to national defense, the statement said. He was arrested in April after allegedly posting highly classified material on the messaging app Discord, prompting concerns about how a low-level airman could have such broad access to military secrets. The leaked documents held highly classified information on allies and adversaries, with details ranging from Ukraine's air defenses during the Russian invasion to Israel's Mossad spy agency. A member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard’s 102nd Intelligence Wing, Teixeira had earlier waived his right to a preliminary hearing.

Persons: Jack Douglas Teixeira, Teixeira, Joe Biden, leaker, Massachusetts Air National Guard’s 102nd Intelligence Wing, Kanishka Singh, Sarah N, Lynch, Rami Ayyub, Susan Heavey, Paul Grant, Eric Beech Organizations: U.S . Air National, Justice Department, WikiLeaks, Massachusetts Air National Guard’s 102nd Intelligence, Thomson Locations: North Dighton , Massachusetts

☆ Biden: Inflation data 'good news' for US families, more work to do
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, June 13 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden hailed Tuesday's inflation data as "good news for hard working families" and said there was more work to do to bring down the cost of living in the country, according to a statement released by the White House. U.S. consumer prices barely rose in May and the annual increase in inflation was the smallest in more than two years, though underlying price pressures remained strong, supporting the view that the Federal Reserve would keep interest rates unchanged on Wednesday while adopting a hawkish posture. Reporting by Susan Heavey, writing by Paul GrantOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden, Susan Heavey, Paul Grant Organizations: White House, Federal Reserve, Thomson Locations: White House .

☆ US spy satellites detected blast at Ukraine dam before it collapsed -NYT
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, June 9 (Reuters) - A U.S. official said American spy satellites detected an explosion at Ukraine's Kakhovka dam just before it collapsed and unleashed a torrent of flood water into surrounding areas this week, the New York Times reported on Friday. The official said that satellites equipped with infrared sensors detected a heat signature consistent with a major explosion, the official told the newspaper. U.S. intelligence analysts suspect Russia was behind the dam's destruction, the official said, but that American spy agencies do not have solid evidence about who was responsible. Reporting by Paul Grant; editing by Rami AyyubOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Russia, Paul Grant, Rami Ayyub Organizations: U.S, New York Times, Thomson Locations: American

☆ Jim Brown, legendary NFL running back, dead at 87
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-19 | by ( Bill Trott | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

[1/2] Former NFL football player Jim Brown speaks after meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, U.S., October 11, 2018. Brown led the NFL in rushing in eight of his nine seasons and was voted the league's most valuable player four times. "I didn't retire because I was broken down and slow," Brown told Sports Illustrated in 2015. "I was basically a proponent of economic development as a way to equality, social equality," Brown told the Cleveland Plain Dealer in 2013. The NFL this year honored Brown by renaming the league's rushing title the Jim Brown Award.

☆ Democratic senators urge Biden to use 14th Amendment to avoid debt default
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, May 18 (Reuters) - A group of U.S. Senate Democrats called on President Joe Biden to prepare to invoke the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment to avoid a debt default if negotiations with Republicans fail, according to a letter released on Thursday. Led by independent Bernie Sanders, who caucuses with the Democrats, the 11 lawmakers said while they appreciated Biden's efforts to find a bipartisan deal to lift the debt ceiling, Republicans in Congress were "not acting in good faith." "Using this authority would allow the United States to continue to pay its bills on-time, without delay, preventing a global catastrophe," they said. The periodic lifting of the federal government's borrowing limit allows the government to pay for spending Congress has already authorized. Reporting by Jasper Ward and Paul Grant; Editing by Doina ChiacuOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Biden administration grants Mountain Valley Pipeline permit
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 16 (Reuters) - The Biden administration has approved a permit to allow the Mountain Valley natural gas pipeline to run through the Jefferson National Forest straddling Virginia and West Virginia, Senator Joe Manchin said on Tuesday. Manchin, a conservative Democrat of West Virgina, has introduced a bill to speed fossil fuel and renewable energy projects that calls on the administration to approve Equitrans Midstream Corp's (ETRN.N) $6.6 billion Mountain Valley pipeline. The Biden administration has supported Manchin's bill as it would help renewable energy companies reap the benefit of billions of dollars of tax credits contained in last year's Inflation Reduction Act. The Mountain Valley Pipeline has been opposed by environmental activists, but won the backing of Biden administration officials, including Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm. The Forest Service is part of USDA.

☆ U.S. attorney general OKs transfer of forfeited funds from Russia oligarch for use in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, May 10 (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland has authorized the first transfer of forfeited Russian assets for use in Ukraine, he said on Wednesday. The Justice Department last year charged Russian oligarch Konstantin Malofeyev with violating sanctions imposed on Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, saying he provided financing for Russians promoting separatism in Crimea. In February, Garland said he authorized the transfer of that money for use in Ukraine. "While this represents the United States’ first transfer of forfeited Russian funds for the rebuilding of Ukraine," Garland said, "it will not be the last,” he said in a statement. Reporting By Paul Grant; editing by Jasper Ward and Doina ChiacuOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Ex-Peru president Toledo surrenders to US authorities, extradition imminent
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/3] A media member streams their news desk on their phone screen while reporting outside Robert F. Peckham Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse on the day Peru's former President Alejandro Toledo, wanted in his home country on charges of taking millions of dollars in bribes, is expected to turn himself in for extradition, in San Jose, California, U.S. April 21, 2023. REUTERS/Loren ElliottApril 21 (Reuters) - Former Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo surrendered to U.S. authorities on Friday, a U.S. Marshals Service official told Reuters, a day after his bid to block his extradition to Peru over corruption charges was denied. The former president was arrested in the United States in July 2019 after a formal request by Peru for his extradition.

[1/4] U.S. President Joe Biden meets with Colombian President Gustavo Petro in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, U.S., April 20, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueApril 20 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden praised Colombian President Gustavo Petro on Thursday for his country's treatment of refugees from Venezuela and for his commitment to democracy and human rights. "As we begin the next century of our partnership, I believe we can do even more" to deepen and develop cooperation, Biden told Petro during Thursday's meeting. Biden thanked Petro for the hospitality and support that Colombia was showing to Venezuelan refugees. REGIONAL PARTNERS"We're working closely with regional partners to help Colombia meet this challenge," Biden said.

☆ U.S. extends Citgo's protection from creditors for three months
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, April 19 (Reuters) - The U.S. on Wednesday extended for three months a license that protects Venezuela-owned oil refiner Citgo Petroleum (PDVSAC.UL) from creditors trying to seize its assets to recoup pending debts. The U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) extended the general license until July 20, according to the department's website. Washington has since 2019 recognized the opposition-led congress as the entity controlling the refining subsidiary, extending protection to prevent its breakup at the hands of Venezuela creditors. O-I Glass Inc (OI.N), Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII.N), ACL1 Investments, Rusoro Mining Ltd (RML.V) and Gold Reserve (GRZ.V) separately have won attachments contingent on obtaining U.S. Treasury approval to seize assets, or an end to the Treasury protection. ConocoPhillips (COP.N) separately has a claim against Venezuela valued at $1.29 billion over the nationalization of its oil assets in the country.

☆ Pence must testify in Jan. 6 attack probe, judge rules -reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, March 28 (Reuters) - A federal judge has ruled that former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence must testify to a grand jury about conversations he had with former President Donald Trump leading up to January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol, according to media reports. In a ruling that remains under seal, the judge also said that Pence can still decline to answer questions related to Jan. 6, CNN reported, citing unnamed sources, adding that Pence can still appeal the ruling. NBC separately reported the judge's split decision citing sources familiar with the ruling, saying it compels Trump former vice president to appear before the federal grand jury but shields him from testifying about Jan. 6, 2021. Pence, who is exploring a challenge to Trump for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024, is fighting a grand jury subpoena to secure his testimony, sources have told Reuters. Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; additional reporting Kanishka Singh; writing by Susan Heavey and Paul Grant Editing by Tomasz JanowskiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ US urges Turkey to quickly ratify Sweden's NATO bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, March 17 (Reuters) - The United States welcomed Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan's announcement on Friday that the country's parliament will begin ratifying Finland's NATO bid, and encouraged Turkey to quickly ratify Sweden's accession into the military alliance as well. "Sweden and Finland are both strong, capable partners that share NATO’s values and will strengthen the Alliance and contribute to European security. The United States believes that both countries should become members of NATO as soon as possible," White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement. Reporting by Costas Pitas and Rami Ayyub; editing by Paul GrantOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ US Treasury's Yellen expressed confidence in regulators after meeting on SVB
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, March 10 (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen met with banking regulators on Friday to discuss the collapse of SVB Financial Group (SIVB.O) and expressed "full confidence" in their abilities to respond to the situation and that the U.S. banking system remains resilient, the Treasury Department said. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein"Secretary Yellen expressed full confidence in banking regulators to take appropriate actions in response and noted that the banking system remains resilient and regulators have effective tools to address this type of event," the Treasury said. California banking regulators on Friday closed SVB, appointing the FDIC as receiver to protect depositors at the startup-focused lender. And when banks experience financial losses, it is and should be a matter of concern." Reporting by Paul Grant; Editing by Paul SimaoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. State Dept okays potential Javelin anti-tank missile sales to UK -Pentagon
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 28 (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department has approved the possible sale of anti-tank Javelin missiles to the United Kingdom for an estimated $125 million, the Pentagon said on Tuesday. The potential sale package authorized by the State Department would include 600 Javelins technical assistance, and logistics support, the Pentagon said. The Pentagon's Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress of the possible sale on Tuesday. Despite approval by the State Department, the notification does not indicate that a contract has been signed or that negotiations have concluded. Reporting Rami Ayyub; writing by Paul Grant and Mike Stone; Editing by Doina Chiacu and David GregorioOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ White House: Wagner Group has suffered over 30,000 casualties in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Feb 17 (Reuters) - The Russian mercenary company Wagner Group has suffered more than 30,000 casualties since Russia's invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, with about 9,000 of those fighters killed in action, the White House said on Friday. The United States estimates that 90% of Wagner group soldiers killed in Ukraine since December were convicts, White House National Security Council (NSC) spokesman John Kirby told reporters at a regular briefing. Half of the overall deaths occurred since mid-December, as fighting in the eastern Ukrainian city of Bakhmut intensified, an NSC spokesperson said, citing newly downgraded intelligence. Kirby told reporters that Wagner continued to rely heavily on convicts, who were sent to war with no training or equipment, despite recent comments from Wagner's founder Yevgeny Prigozhin that he had stopped recruiting prisoners to fight in Ukraine. Reporting by Andrea Shalal, writing by Paul Grant; Editing by Kanishka Singh and Alistair BellOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S. Rep. Santos to recuse himself from committee assignments
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] U.S. Rep. George Santos (R-NY) passes by members of the news media after telling a Republican party conference that he will recuse himself from House committee assignments as he returns to his office on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., January 31, 2023. REUTERS/Evelyn HocksteinWASHINGTON, Jan 31 (Reuters) - U.S. Representative George Santos, who has admitted to fabricating much of his resume, told fellow Republican lawmakers on Tuesday he would not serve on committees for now, lawmakers said. House of Representatives' Speaker Kevin McCarthy said the freshman lawmaker asked if he could recuse himself from his committee assignments while he works to clear up an ethics cloud. "The voters have elected him," McCarthy told reporters. Santos, who announced his decision in a closed-door meeting with fellow Republican lawmakers, has rebuffed calls for his resignation, saying he would vacate his seat only if he loses the next election.

☆ U.S. to announce international cryptocurrency action -statement
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, Jan 18 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department will "announce a major, international cryptocurrency enforcement action" on Wednesday, it said in a statement, adding the U.S. Treasury Department will also make an announcement. "The U.S. Department of the Treasury will also announce an action in this space," the statement said. U.S. officials, including Deputy U.S. Attorney General Lisa Monaco and Deputy U.S. Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo, will deliver remarks at 12 p.m. (1700 GMT) in Washington, according to the statement. Other officials will include the associate deputy director of the FBI and the U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York. Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis and Susan Heavey, editing by Paul Grant and Chizu NomiyamaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ U.S.-Japan warn against use of force or coercion anywhere in world
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Jan 13 (Reuters) - The United States and Japan on Friday reiterated the importance of peace and stability in Taiwan Strait and warned against any use of a nuclear weapon by Russia in Ukraine. The two nations, following a meeting between U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, also cited "provocations" by North Korea in a joint statement issued by the White House. "We strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion, anywhere in the world," the statement said. Reporting By Paul Grant; Editing by Tim AhmannOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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