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☆ Blinken to visit Papua New Guinea and sign defense, maritime agreements
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 18 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will visit Papua New Guinea on May 21-22, sign bilateral defense and maritime security agreements and meet with Pacific Islands Forum leaders, the State Department said on Thursday, after President Joe Biden pulled out of a planned visit. An unfolding crisis over the U.S. debt ceiling prompted Biden on Tuesday to postpone a trip to Papua New Guinea. The U.S. is trying to counterbalance China's rising influence in the Indo-Pacific region and the Biden visit was seen as part of that effort. Blinken "plans to discuss a range of issues with Pacific Islands leaders, including shared priorities such as tackling the climate crisis (and) advancing inclusive economic growth for the people of the Pacific Islands...," the State Department said. Reporting by Eric Beech; writing by Costas PitasOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ The Plan to Build a New Capital
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( David Leonhardt | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Today, 40 percent of Jakarta lies below sea level, and flooding is increasingly common. To deal with that threat, Indonesia’s popular president — Joko Widodo, in his ninth year in office — has devised an audacious solution: He is moving the country’s capital. The new capital, now under construction, is called Nusantara. It is being built from the ground up, about 800 miles from the current capital. Joko promises that the city will be a model of environmental stewardship, carbon neutral within a few decades.

☆ What’s a President to Do When a Nation’s Capital Is Sinking? Move It.
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( Hannah Beech | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +38 min

A new capital city for a place with such disparities and diversity presents both a challenge and a chance for reinvention. Moving the Seat of Power From Java to Borneo Detail area Malaysia Nusantara Borneo Java Sea Indonesia Jakarta Java Indian Ocean Detail area Malaysia Nusantara Borneo Java Sea Indonesia Jakarta Java Indian Ocean Indonesia’s new capital, Nusantara, will be about 800 miles from the current capital, Jakarta. It cannot be overnight, it’s not like Aladdin comes with his genie,” said Bambang Susantono, the head of the Nusantara Capital City Authority. We have to prove that this will be a self-propelling city.” — Bambang Susantono, head of the Nusantara Capital City AuthorityCritics of I.K.N. Indonesia’s capital city faces sinking land and rising seas.

☆ Biden says US debt ceiling talks are moving along
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, May 13 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden said on Saturday that talks with Congress on raising the U.S. government's debt limit were moving along and more will be known about their progress in the next two days. We have not reached the crunch point yet," Biden told reporters at Joint Base Andrews. Biden is expected to meet with Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and other congressional leaders early next week to resume negotiations. Aides for Biden and McCarthy have started to discuss ways to limit federal spending as talks on raising the government's $31.4 trillion debt ceiling to avoid a catastrophic default creep forward, Reuters has reported. The Treasury Department says it could run out of money by June 1 unless lawmakers lift the nation's debt ceiling.

☆ Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson says he will relaunch his show on Twitter
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 9 (Reuters) - Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who was taken off the air by the network last month, said on Tuesday he would relaunch his show on Twitter "soon." Carlson said in a video message posted to Twitter that he would "bring some other things too which we will tell you about" later. Fox News Media and its top-rated host agreed to part ways last month, shortly after parent company Fox Corp (FOXA.O) settled for $787.5 million a defamation lawsuit in which Carlson played a starring role. The outspoken Carlson embraced conservative issues and delivered his views with a style that made his prime-time show, "Tucker Carlson Tonight," the highest-rated cable news program in the key 25-to-54 age demographic on the most-watched U.S. cable news network. Reporting by Eric Beech and Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Tim AhmannOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

CNN —An investigation has been launched into allegations of employment discrimination and a hostile work environment at the National Football League (NFL), according to a joint statement from New York Attorney General Letitia James and California Attorney General Rob Bonta. It comes just over a year since the NFL was warned by a coalition of six attorneys general to take “swift action” to improve conditions for female employees. The attorneys general on Thursday issued subpoenas to the NFL seeking relevant information, the statement said. “No person should ever have to endure harassment, discrimination, or objectification in the workplace,” said NY Attorney General James. “No matter how powerful or influential, no institution is above the law, and we will ensure the NFL is held accountable.”“California will not tolerate any form of discrimination,” California Attorney General Bonta said.

May 1 (Reuters) - Canadian singer-songwriter Gordon Lightfoot, best known for folk-pop hits such as "If You Could Read My Mind" and "The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald," died on Monday in a Toronto hospital, it was announced on his official Facebook page. Canadian news outlets CTV and the CBC cited a family representative, Victoria Lord, as confirming his death. Known for his evocative lyrics and melodic compositions, Lightfoot received five Grammy nominations over the years and won 17 Juno awards, Canada's equivalent. Lightfoot emerged from the folk music movement of the mid-1960s with signature tunes such as "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" and "Pussywillows, Cat-Tails." In it, Lightfoot coupled a soaring melody with poignant lyrics about the sailors' last hours.

☆ US to end COVID-19 vaccination requirements on May 11 -White House
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-01 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, May 1 (Reuters) - The United States will end its COVID-19 vaccination requirements for federal employees and contractors, and international air travelers on May 11, when the coronavirus public health emergency ends, the White House said on Monday. "Additionally, HHS and DHS announced today that they will start the process to end their vaccination requirements for Head Start educators, CMS-certified healthcare facilities, and certain noncitizens at the land border. In the coming days, further details related to ending these requirements will be provided," the White House said. Reporting by Jasper Ward; Editing by Eric BeechOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Within weeks of her arrival in Sudan, fighting broke out in the country, leading to a rushed evacuation of diplomats and rapidly deteriorating conditions. “The State Department has evacuated mainly diplomats and … American citizens that have been working in Sudan,” Kaila said. “But in terms of the rest of the American citizens that are living here, we haven’t received any direct evacuation plans. Her concern now is being able to travel safely to either the capital city of Khartoum or to Port Sudan for any chance of being evacuated. Kaila is hoping to begin the dangerous journey to Port Sudan to make it on an evacuation ship in the coming days.

April 28 (Reuters) - South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said on Friday it was necessary to ensure Russia’s invasion of Ukraine does not succeed and that Seoul was considering its options when it came to lethal aid to Kyiv. "If we were to accept nuclear weapons by North Korea, South Korea may have to possess nuclear weapons... and this would lead to a situation of disarmament. Yoon said the Washington Declaration required Seoul to keep respecting the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and not acquire its own nuclear weapons. He said there were opinions in South Korean society that said Seoul should acquire nuclear weapons and had the technological capabilities for this, but it was complex equation about politics and economics too. "Those opinions saying that we need to have our own nuclear arsenal are not considering all these things."

[1/6] Photo evidence collected during the investigation into U.S. Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira, who is accused of leaking classified documents online, is released in a document by the U.S. Department of Justice. Department of Justice/Handout via REUTERSApril 26 (Reuters) - U.S. Air National Guardsman Jack Teixeira, accused of leaking classified documents online, may still have access to classified materials, federal prosecutors said in court documents filed on Wednesday. Teixeira also "took steps to obstruct the government's investigation" into the leaks, prosecutors said, in a motion filed ahead of a hearing into his detention. "His release would heighten the risk that he would make further unauthorized disclosures of classified national defense information," prosecutors said in the documents. The motion said that in February 2022 Teixeira began to access hundreds of classified documents that had no bearing on his job.

[1/2] Former U.S. President Donald Trump departs from Trump Tower to give a deposition to New York Attorney General Letitia James who sued Trump and his Trump Organization, in New York City, U.S., April 13, 2023. Former Manhattan prosecutor Mark Pomerantz will testify May 12, a spokesperson for the chairman of the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee said. The committee subpoenaed him in connection with the probe that led to Trump becoming the first ex-president to be criminally charged. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, a Democrat, sued Jim Jordan, the Republican chair of the committee, to block the subpoena. Trump, the Republican front-runner in the 2024 presidential nominating campaign, pleaded not guilty on April 4 to 34 felony charges.

☆ Biden to meet Philippine President at White House on May 1
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. delivers a speech as part of a joint press statement with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, at Malacanang Palace, in Manila, Philippines, April 17, 2023. Ezra Acayan/Pool via REUTERSSummary Treaty allies to reaffirm partnership - Philippines presidential officeTwo leaders to discuss economic cooperation - White HouseMarcos' second trip to U.S. since SeptemberApril 20 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will meet his Philippine counterpart Ferdinand Marcos Jr at the White House on May 1 to discuss deepening economic cooperation and the Indo-Pacific region, Manila and Washington said on Friday. The two leaders will also discuss further economic cooperation, White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. "During the visit, President Biden will reaffirm the United States' ironclad commitment to the defense of the Philippines, and the leaders will discuss efforts to strengthen the longstanding U.S.-Philippines alliance," the statement said. Reporting by Eric Beech in Washington and Costas Pitas in Los AngelesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

REUTERS/Chris WattieOTTAWA, April 19 (Reuters) - About 155,000 federal workers in Canada walked off the job on Wednesday after failing to reach a deal for higher wages and work-from-home guarantees, a strike that affects a range of public services from tax returns to passport renewals. The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) union and the federal government said negotiations are ongoing, and Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stressed the urgency of resolving the dispute. The contract negotiations cover two main groups of employees: 120,000 workers under the Treasury Board and more than 35,000 revenue agency workers. Tax agency workers want a pay bump of 22.5% over three years, while the Treasury Board workers are seeking a 13.5% pay rise over three years. "There's obviously still the concern that this contract could set a precedent for other public sector union negotiations," he said.

[1/5] A sign is pictured in front of the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) national headquarters in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada March 13, 2017. REUTERS/Chris WattieOTTAWA, April 19 (Reuters) - About 155,000 federal workers in Canada walked off the job on Wednesday after failing to reach a deal for higher wages and work-from-home guarantees, a strike that affects a range of public services from tax returns to passport renewals. The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) union said contract negotiations would continue, and Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stressed the urgency of resolving the dispute. The contract negotiations cover two main groups of employees: 120,000 workers under the Treasury Board and more than 35,000 revenue agency workers. Tax agency workers want a pay bump of 22.5% over three years, while the Treasury Board workers are seeking a 13.5% pay rise over three years.

☆ Canada public workers to strike over pay dispute
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-19 | by ( Ismail Shakil | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 18 (Reuters) - A union representing some 155,000 public sector workers in Canada called for a strike starting on Wednesday after failing to reach a new wage deal with the federal government, setting up a walkout that could affect tax filings and passport services. The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) union, which has been in collective bargaining for a new contract since 2021, had set a deadline of 9 p.m. The strike will affect federal services and could delay tax refunds since about 35,000 workers at the revenue agency would be walking out in the middle of tax filing season. The contract negotiations cover two main groups of employees - 120,000 workers under Canada's Treasury Board, which oversees public administration, and 35,000 revenue agency workers. Tax agency workers initially sought a pay bump of more than 30% over three years, while the other group is seeking a 13.5% pay rise over three years.

☆ Chinese spy balloon's solar panels could power sophisticated radar, Washington Post reports
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, April 15 (Reuters) - A Chinese spy balloon that was shot down by the U.S. in February carried solar panels that could generate enough electricity to power a type of radar that can generate images at night and through clouds, the Washington Post reported on Saturday, citing leaked U.S. intelligence documents. The balloon caused an uproar in Washington and damaged U.S.-China ties when it flew over the U.S. in January and February. According to the NGA document, the balloon could generate up to 10,000 watts of solar power, more than enough to operate a sophisticated surveillance system known as synthetic aperture radar, the Post said. That type of radar can return images at night and can penetrate clouds and thin materials such as tarps to show objects beneath, the newspaper reported. The balloon also had a parabolic dish measuring 1.2 meters in diameter, several unidentified sensors and a possible mast antenna, the Post said.

☆ Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route: Japan's 20-meter-deep snow corridor reopens for visitors
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Maggie Hiufu Wong | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —A giant snow corridor near the otherworldly Mount Tateyama, one of Japan’s three sacred mountains, is reopening to travelers on April 15. The Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route offers stunning views of the Japanese alps. The opening of the Yuki no Otani walk also marks the resumption of traffic through the entire Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route at the end of winter. Tateyama Kurobe Alpine RouteTravelers can opt to stay in one of the mountain accommodations on offer. Travelers visiting the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route are advised to wear winter clothing and gear suitable for trekking or mountaineering.

☆ US Justice Dept appeals Obamacare ruling blocking coverage mandate- White House
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, March 31 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department is appealing a decision by a Texas judge that blocked Obamacare's mandate that health insurance plans cover preventive care at no cost to patients, the White House said on Friday. U.S. District Judge Reed O'Connor in Fort Worth, Texas, on Thursday blocked the federal government from enforcing requirements that insurance plans cover preventive care, including screenings for certain cancers and pre-exposure prophylaxis against HIV (PrEP). If O'Connor's ruling is not paused or overturned on appeal, insurers will be able to charge patients copays and deductibles for such services in new insurance plans. "The president is glad to see the Department of Justice is appealing the judge's decision," White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement. "Preventive care saves lives, saves families money, and protects and improves our health," she said.

☆ Mass casualty event declared in Arkansas university after tornado - CBS affiliate
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

March 31 (Reuters) - The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences declared a mass casualty event after a "catastrophic" tornado hit Little Rock on Friday, a CBS affiliate reported, adding hundreds of people were injured. Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Eric BeechOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Biden on Friday to visit Mississippi town devastated by tornado
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, March 29 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden will visit Rolling Fork, Mississippi, on Friday after the town was devastated by a tornado last week that killed 26 people, the White House said. The Bidens will meet with first responders, state and local officials and people impacted by the recent storms, and survey recovery efforts, the White House said in a statement. The powerful tornado ripped through the town of 1,900 on Friday night, destroying many of the community's 400 homes. On Saturday, Biden ordered federal aid to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts in the affected areas. Reporting by Eric Beech; editing by Costas Pitas and Sonali PaulOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ US House committee chair signs subpoena for State Dept Afghanistan documents
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Anna VoitenkoMarch 27 (Reuters) - The Republican chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee on Monday said he signed a subpoena to be delivered to Secretary of State Antony Blinken for documents related to the August 2021 U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. Michael McCaul has launched an investigation into the messy withdrawal from Afghanistan under Democratic President Joe Biden and events in the country since. McCaul has given the State Department until Monday to produce the documents. "Unfortunately, Secretary Blinken has refused to provide the Dissent Cable and his response to the cable, forcing me to issue my first subpoena as chairman of this committee," McCaul said in a statement. The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters on Monday evening.

☆ Biden: planning underway for Nashville visit after 'sick' school shooting
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DURHAM, North Carolina, March 28 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday condemned a "sick" epidemic of gun violence against children, one day after a school shooting left three students and three adult staff members dead in Nashville. Asked if he was planning a visit to Tennessee, Biden told reporters, "that's underway now. "I never thought when I started my public life that guns would be the number one killer of children in America," Biden told an audience in North Carolina. U.S. President Joe Biden walks to Marine One to board for travel to North Carolina from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, U.S., March 28, 2023. In the aftermath of the shooting, Biden has called on Congress to re-impose a ban on "assault" weapons.

☆ Biden honors Springsteen, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Mindy Kaling
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Kevin LamarqueWASHINGTON, March 21 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden made an observation when conferring the National Medal of Arts on rocker Bruce Springsteen on Tuesday: "Bruce, some people are just born to run, man." Springsteen and a host of actors, authors, singers and other artists joined Biden in the White House East Room where they received either a National Medal of Arts or National Humanities Medal for their contributions to American society. Comedian Julia Louis-Dreyfus, whose "Veep" show made light of the vice presidency - an office Biden once held - was also honored. Actress Mindy Kaling, a main character on the long-running television show, "The Office," set in Biden's hometown of Scranton, Pennsylvania, received a medal as well. "I'm trying to go back to back myself," said Biden, who has said he intends to run for re-election in 2024.

REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File Photo/File PhotoMarch 17 (Reuters) - Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon on Friday signed into law a bill outlawing the use or prescription of medication abortion pills that was passed by the state's Republican-controlled legislature earlier this month. The crux of the two-page Wyoming bill is a provision making it illegal to "prescribe, dispense, distribute, sell or use any drug for the purpose of procuring or performing an abortion." The measure stipulates that a woman "upon whom a chemical abortion is performed or attempted shall not be criminally prosecuted." Gordon acknowledged that abortion rights proponents who have already challenged Wyoming's "trigger" abortion ban that went into effect after the Roe v. Wade decision have filed suit to block the newly passed Wyoming ban preemptively. The governor expressed concern that enactment of the new abortion ban could muddy the legal waters, creating a new obstacle to swift resolution of the matter by the courts.

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