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VILNIUS, July 12 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy meets NATO leaders on Wednesday after they declared his country's future lay inside the alliance but rebuffed his call for a timeline to membership. Zelenskiy will join the NATO leaders on the second day of their summit in Vilnius for an inaugural session of the NATO-Ukraine Council, a body established to upgrade relations between Kyiv and the 31-member transatlantic military alliance. At a rally in Vilnius on Tuesday, Zelenskiy expressed disappointment that NATO had not offered a timeline to membership - a prospect he had earlier branded "absurd". Its leaders on Tuesday reiterated a 2008 declaration that Ukraine would join NATO but also made clear this would not happen automatically after the war ends. Although it did not get what it wanted on membership at the summit, Ukraine has received new pledges of arms from NATO members.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin, Emmanuel Macron, Andrius Sytas, Steve Holland, Anna Pruchnicka, Olena Harmash, Lewis Macdonald, Ronald Popeski, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: NATO, U.S, Twitter, Patriot, Thomson Locations: VILNIUS, Vilnius, Ukraine, Kyiv, United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia, Europe, Russian, Paris

VILNIUS, July 11 (Reuters) - Washington will move ahead with the transfer of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey in consultation with Congress, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said on Tuesday, a day after Ankara gave the green light for Sweden to join NATO. He intends to move forward with that transfer," Sullivan told reporters, without giving any details on the timing. Both Turkish officials and the Biden administration have rejected any suggestion that Ankara's approval of Sweden's NATO accession was being linked to the F-16 sale in the months of talks to address Turkish opposition. Russian officials said Sweden's expected accession to NATO would have "negative implications" for Russia's security and that Moscow would have to respond. TIMING UNCERTAINThe timing of both the F-16 transfer and Sweden's NATO entry remains unclear.

Persons: Jake Sullivan, Sullivan, Joe Biden, Bob Menendez, Biden, Tayyip Erdogan, Camille Grand, Erdogan, Gerard Araud, Sweden's, Peter Szijjarto, Jens Stoltenberg, Steve Holland, Justyna, John Irish, Nick Macfie, Heather Timmons, Devika Organizations: U.S . National, NATO, Lockheed Martin Corp, Senate Foreign Relations, Democrat, Turkish, European Council, Foreign Relations, Twitter, Kurdistan Workers Party, EU, Monday, Finland's, Nordic, Thomson Locations: VILNIUS, Washington, Turkey, U.S, Ankara, Sweden, Lithuanian, Vilnius, NATO, French, Swedish, United States, Turkey's, Moscow, Hungary, Finland, Ukraine

☆ Biden to meet with King Charles, PM Sunak ahead of NATO meeting
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

LONDON, July 10 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will look to deepen his relationships with King Charles and British Prime Minster Rishi Sunak during separate meetings on Monday in which Ukraine and climate change are expected to dominate the agenda. Sullivan said Biden hopes to deepen his personal relationship with King Charles. Biden will also travel to 10 Downing Street on Monday to hold a low-key meeting with Sunak, their fifth in as many months. Ahead of the trip, Biden urged caution for now on Ukraine's drive to join NATO, saying the alliance could get drawn into the war with Russia due to NATO's mutual defense pact. Biden's trip comes days after he agreed to send controversial U.S. cluster munitions to Ukraine.

Persons: Joe Biden, King Charles, Rishi Sunak, Biden, Jake Sullivan, Sullivan, Sunak, Steve Holland, Jarrett Renshaw, Leslie Adler Organizations: NATO, Russia, Kyiv, Windsor Castle, clarion, House, Air Force, Downing, CNN, Cluster Munitions, Thomson Locations: British, Ukraine, London, Lithuania, Russia, United Kingdom, United States

☆ Israel, Saudi normalization a long way off, Biden says
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, July 9 (Reuters) - Israel and Saudi Arabia are a long way from a normalization agreement that would involve a defense treaty and a civilian nuclear program from the United States, U.S. President Joe Biden said in a CNN interview broadcast Sunday. "We're a long way from there. Israel’s religious-nationalist government has acknowledged setbacks in the normalization efforts, amid Saudi censure of its policies toward the Palestinians. And it depends upon the conduct and what is asked of us for them to recognize Israel," Biden said in the interview. Israel, which is outside the voluntary Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and has no nuclear energy, is widely believed to have atomic weaponry.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Fareed, Eli Cohen, ”, Steve Holland, Doina Chiacu, Dan Williams, Andrea Ricci, William Maclean Organizations: CNN, Fareed Zakaria's GPS, Israel’s Army, Israel Football Association, Saudi, U.S, Washington, Thomson Locations: Israel, Saudi Arabia, United States, U.S, Saudi, Riyadh, Yemen, Iran, Iraq, Libya

☆ Biden begins three-nation tour with stop in London
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-09 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] U.S. President Joe Biden waves as he is escorted to Air Force One, before departing for Britain from Dover, Delaware, U.S., July 9, 2023. Biden will travel on to Vilnius, Lithuania, on Monday night and hold talks with NATO leaders there on Tuesday and Wednesday. Biden and the allies aim to show support for Ukraine and give Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskiy a sense of what he will have to do to gain NATO membership at some point in the future. A centerpiece of Biden's visit to Lithuania will be a speech that he will deliver at Vilnius University on Wednesday night. One of Biden's objectives on the trip is to show Americans back home the importance of continuing support for Ukraine as he faces re-election.

Persons: Joe Biden, Kevin Lamarque, Biden's, Rishi Sunak, King Charles ., Biden, Queen Elizabeth, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy, Jake Sullivan, Steve Holland, Franklin Paul, Andrea Ricci Organizations: Air Force, REUTERS, FORCE, NATO, Russia, Kyiv, British, Downing, Ukraine, CNN, Vilnius University, White House, Reuters, Nordic, Thomson Locations: Britain, Dover , Delaware, U.S, Kevin Lamarque DOVER, Delaware, Lithuania, Ukraine, London, Windsor, Russia, China, Vilnius, Moscow, Helsinki, Finland

Jake Sullivan, Biden's national security adviser, said Ukraine will not be voted into NATO membership at the summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, but he encouraged Ukraine's President Volodomyr Zelenskiy to attend to discuss the matter. Also topping Biden's agenda in Vilnius will be Sweden, whose accession into NATO has been blocked by Turkey. Sullivan said Sweden will eventually gain NATO membership despite Turkey's opposition. He said Biden will discuss Sweden with Erdogan at some point during the summit but did not know the format for the talks. Biden leaves on Sunday for London, the first stop on a three-nation trip centered around the NATO summit in the Lithuanian capital.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jake Sullivan, Volodomyr Zelenskiy, Biden, Sullivan, Denys Shmyhal, Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Rishi Sunak, King Charles, Nandita Bose, Steve Holland, Chris Reese, Alistair Bell Organizations: NATO, Kyiv, United States, Kurdistan Workers Party, London, British, Windsor Castle, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Vilnius, Lithuania, Europe, Russia, Sweden, Turkey, Stockholm, Lithuanian, Helsinki, London

Cluster munitions could boost Ukraine's counteroffensive to reclaim territory seized since Russia invaded in February 2022. Cluster munitions typically release large numbers of smaller bomblets that can kill indiscriminately over a wide area. Germany is one of 111 states party to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, a pact that does not include the United States. Biden waived prohibitions around the munitions, just as his predecessor Donald Trump did in 2021 to allow the export of cluster munitions technology to South Korea. 'VERY SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTION'Ukraine previously had urged U.S. lawmakers to press the Biden administration to approve sending cluster munitions.

Persons: Jake Sullivan, Joe Biden's, Sullivan, we've, Biden, Bradley, Antonio Guterres, Annalena Baerbock, Biden's, Donald Trump, Mykhailo Podolyak, Podolyak, Mike Stone, Nandita Bose, Steve Holland, Will Dunham, Grant McCool Organizations: United States, Pentagon, Russia, U.S . National Security, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, Stryker, Human Rights Watch, Cluster Munitions, Republicans, U.S . House, Representatives Foreign, U.S, Army Tactical Missile, Munitions, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russia, U.S, Ukrainian, Germany, United States, Britain, South Korea, Russian

☆ US plans to supply Ukraine with cluster munitions, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Mike Stone | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A weapons aid package that includes cluster munitions fired by a 155 millimeter Howitzer cannon was expected to be announced Friday, said two U.S officials speaking on condition of anonymity. The White House said sending cluster munitions to Ukraine is "under active consideration" but it had no announcement to make at this time. Human Rights Watch on Thursday called on Russia and Ukraine to stop using cluster munitions and urged the U.S. not to supply them. In order to send cluster munitions to Ukraine, Biden would need to sign a waiver, one of the people said, similar to one that was signed for exporting cluster munitions technology to South Korea in 2021. The cluster munitions, banned by more than 120 countries, normally release large numbers of smaller bomblets that can kill indiscriminately over a wide area, threatening civilians.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Bradley, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Mike Stone, Jeff Mason, Steve Holland, Rami Ayyub, Doina, Christina Fincher, Gareth Jones, David Gregorio Our Organizations: United, NATO, Human Rights, High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems, Stryker, Pentagon, Munitions, ABC, Thomson Locations: United States, Ukraine, Vilnius, Lithuania, Russia, South Korea, U.S, Kyiv, Denmark, Netherlands

☆ Biden shows support for Sweden's NATO bid in talks with PM
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Steve Holland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

WASHINGTON, July 5 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden gave a show of support for Sweden's entry into NATO on Wednesday in talks with Sweden's prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, amid efforts to overcome opposition from fellow NATO ally Turkey. Biden, seated next to Kristersson in the Oval Office, told reporters he wanted to reiterate U.S. support for Sweden's accession to NATO. Kristersson thanked Biden for the invitation and said Sweden “highly appreciates” Biden’s support for NATO membership. Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership last year, ditching long-held policies of military non-alignment after Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Sweden, Turkey and NATO will meet in Brussels on Thursday to try to find a solution ahead of next week's NATO summit.

Persons: Joe Biden, Ulf Kristersson, Biden, Kristersson, Sweden “, Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Steve Holland, Johan Ahlander, Heather Timmons, Bill Berkrot, Alistair Bell Organizations: NATO, Turkey, Kurdistan Workers Party, Thomson Locations: Vilnius, Lithuania, Turkey, Sweden, Finland, Ukraine, Hungary, Stockholm, United States, Brussels, Washington

The Secret Service is investigating the matter, the White House said. White House spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters: "Where this was discovered is a heavily traveled area where many ... West Wing visitors come through." The West Wing is attached to the executive mansion where President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden live. Jean-Pierre said West Wing tours took place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The discovery led to a brief closure of the White House complex on Sunday.

Persons: Karine Jean, Pierre, Jean, Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Biden, it's, Jeff Mason, Steve Holland, Heather Timmons, David Gregorio, Howard Goller Organizations: West Wing, U.S, Washington , D.C, Office, West, White, Administration, Wing, East Wing, Thomson Locations: Washington ,, Camp David , Maryland

Thwarted by the conservative-leaning court, Biden told reporters that his administration would pursue student loan relief through a different avenue, the Higher Education Act. In a 6-3 decision earlier on Friday, the Supreme Court blocked Biden's plan to cancel $430 billion in student loan debt. "I believe the court's decision to strike down my student debt relief program was a mistake, was wrong. About 53% of Americans supported Biden's original student loan forgiveness program, while 81% of Democrats did so, a Reuters/Ipsos poll showed this year. "Americans saw right through this desperate vote grab, and we are thankful that the Supreme Court did as well."

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, I'm, Leah Millis, Elizabeth Warren, Democrat Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, Miguel Cardona, “, Ronna McDaniel, Steve Holland, Jeff Mason, Rami Ayyub, Andrea Shalal, Trevor Hunnicutt, Timothy Ahmann, Jonathan Oatis, Matthew Lewis Organizations: U.S, Supreme, Higher, The Education Department, Republicans, Democratic, Education Department, Progressive, White, REUTERS, Twitter, Democrat, Reuters, Republican, Education, Republican National Committee, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Washington

Biden told reporters at the White House that his administration would pursue student loan relief through the Higher Education Act. In the 6-3 decision earlier Friday, the Supreme Court blocked Biden's plan to cancel $430 billion in student loan debt. Biden said he would find another way to make good on his promises to help people struggling with student loan debt. The White House made clear it would be putting blame on Republicans for stymieing student-loan relief efforts. “Biden's student loan bailout unfairly punished Americans who already paid off their loans, saved for college, or made a different career choice," Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement.

Persons: Joe Biden, Read, Biden, Elizabeth Warren, they've, Warren, Democrat Alexandria Ocasio, Cortez, “, Ronna McDaniel, Steve Holland, Jeff Mason, Rami Ayyub, Andrea Shalal, Timothy Ahmann, Jonathan Oatis, Matthew Lewis Organizations: U.S, Harvard University, University of North, White, Supreme, Higher, Republicans, Democratic, Progressive, Twitter, Democrat, Republican, Republican National Committee, Thomson Locations: U.S ., University of North Carolina, Washington , U.S, WASHINGTON, Washington

☆ Supreme Court blocks Biden student loan forgiveness
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( John Kruzel | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Biden plans to announce new actions to protect student loan borrowers in the wake of the ruling, a White House source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and South Carolina challenged Biden's debt relief. The court's conservative justices had previously used the "major questions" doctrine to invalidate major Biden policies deemed lacking clear congressional authorization. Both Biden and his Republican predecessor Donald Trump relied upon the HEROES Act beginning in 2020 to repeatedly pause student loan payments and halt interest from accruing to alleviate financial strain on student loan borrowers during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the arguments, a Justice Department lawyer portrayed the debt relief as a benefits program rather than an assertion of regulatory power not authorized by Congress.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, John Roberts, Roberts, Education Miguel Cardona, Pell, Biden's, Elena Kagan, Kagan, Donald Trump, John Kruzel, Steve Holland, Will Dunham Organizations: U.S Supreme Court, Biden, Democratic, Education, Congress, Higher Education, Act, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Liberal, Republican, Justice Department, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Arkansas , Iowa , Kansas , Missouri , Nebraska, South Carolina, U.S

☆ UN ends peacekeeping mission in Mali, US blames Russia's Wagner
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Ambassador Anna Evstigneeva told the Security Council that Mali had made a "sovereign decision." "Russia will continue to provide comprehensive support to Mali for normalizing the situation in that country on a bilateral basis." Ambassador Issa Konfourou told the Security Council. "The government regrets that the Security Council continues to consider the situation in Mali as a threat to international peace and security," Konfourou said. The Security Council deployed MINUSMA in 2013 to support foreign and local efforts to restore stability.

Persons: Russia's Wagner, Mali's, Wagner, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Prigozhin, John Kirby, Anna Evstigneeva, U.N, Issa Konfourou, Konfourou, Antonio Guterres, Abdoulaye Diop, MINUSMA, Michelle Nichols, Steve Holland, Caitlin Webber, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, United Nations Security, African, Security, House, Security Council, United Nations, Malian Foreign, MINUSMA, Thomson Locations: Mali, United States, Russia, French, Bamako, Malian, Washington

WASHINGTON, June 30 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden plans to announce new actions on Friday to protect student loan borrowers following a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that blocked his plan to cancel $430 billion in student loan debt, a White House source said. "The president will make clear he’s not done fighting yet, and will announce new actions to protect student loan borrowers," said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity. In a 6-3 decision on Friday, the Supreme Court blocked Biden's plan to cancel $430 billion in student loan debt. Republicans argued that Biden's initial student loan relief plan was unconstitutional and unfair. "Americans saw right through this desperate vote grab, and we are thankful that the Supreme Court did as well."

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Elizabeth Warren, they've, stymieing, We’ll, “, Ronna McDaniel, Steve Holland, Jeff Mason, Rami Ayyub, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: U.S, Supreme, Republicans, Democratic, Progressive, Twitter, Republican National Committee, Thomson

☆ State Department review of 2021 Afghanistan evacuation critical of Biden, Trump
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-30 | by ( Jonathan Landay | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Victor Mancilla/Handout via... Read moreWASHINGTON, June 30 (Reuters) - A U.S. State Department report on Friay criticized the handling of the 2021 evacuation from Afghanistan, saying decisions by President Joe Biden and his predecessor Donald Trump to withdraw troops had "serious consequences for the viability" and security of the former U.S.-backed government. The review, and a similar Pentagon study, contributed to a report released by the White House in April. But the State Department review's critical findings were not reflected in the White House report.cWhite House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre defended Biden's handling of the Afghan pullout. "I can't speak to that internal coordination piece and how the administration settled on the core conclusions that it presented" in April, a senior State Department official said. The review said State Department planning for the evacuation "was hindered" because it was "unclear" which senior official "had the lead."

Persons: Victor Mancilla, Read, Friay, Joe Biden, Donald Trump, Antony Blinken, Karine Jean, Pierre, Biden's, Steven Cheung, Afghanistan — Joe Biden, Trump, Biden, Jonathan Landay, Steve Holland, Grant McCool, Alistair Bell Organizations: U.S, Marines, 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, Evacuation Control Center, Hamid, Airport, . Marine Corps, Staff, U.S . State Department, State, White House, State Department, United, Trump, American, Department, Thomson Locations: Kabul, Afghanistan, WASHINGTON, U.S, United States, State

[1/2] Russia's President Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Donald Trump attend a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan June 28, 2019. "I want people to stop dying over this ridiculous war," Trump told Reuters in a telephone interview. As president, Trump developed friendly relations with Putin, who Biden said on Wednesday has "become a bit of pariah around the world" for invading Ukraine. Trump said Putin had been damaged by an uprising by the Russian mercenary force, the Wagner Group, and its leader Yevgeny Prigozhin, last weekend. As president, Trump adopted a tougher stance on China while claiming a good relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping that soured over the coronavirus pandemic.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Donald Trump, Mikhail Klimentyev, Putin, Trump, they've, Joe Biden, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Biden, Yevgeny Prigozhin, he's, you'll, Xi Jinping, they'd, They'd, Steve Holland, Nathan Layne, Kanishka Singh, Ross Colvin, Grant McCool Organizations: U.S, Sputnik, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Former U.S, Reuters, Russian, NATO, Wagner Group, International, Thomson Locations: Osaka, Japan, Kremlin, Former, United States, Russia, Ukraine, China, Chinese, Cuba, U.S, Kyiv, Russian, Beijing, Taiwan

☆ Trump says may skip first Republican debate, hold rival event
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The debate will be the first chance for voters to see the Republican presidential candidates square off against each other. Why would I do that when I'm leading them by 50 points and 60 points," Trump said. National polls have consistently showed him to be the front-runner in the Republican primary race by a wide margin. Trump has drawn some criticism for previously suggesting he may skip the debate. Trump said he was entertaining offers to hold a separate event during the debate or later in the same evening.

Persons: Donald Trump, Republican Party's, Trump, Chris Christie, I'm, Ron DeSantis, Christie, We've, it's, Steve Holland, Nathan Layne, Kanishka Singh, Jason Lange, Kieran Murray, Grant McCool Organizations: Former U.S, Republican, Reuters, Fox News, Fox, Florida, Thomson Locations: Former, Milwaukee, New Jersey

☆ In verbal slip, Biden says Putin losing the war in 'Iraq'
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, June 28 (Reuters) - In a new verbal slip-up, U.S. President Joe Biden said on Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin was "losing the war in Iraq" when he meant to say Ukraine. But he's clearly losing the war in Iraq. He's losing the war at home and he has become a bit of a pariah around the world. India is not looking for a permanent alliance, but they're looking for some hedge against - in the region," he said. Some 73% of respondents to an April 21-24 Reuters/Ipsos poll said that they considered Biden too old to work in government.

Persons: Joe Biden, Vladimir Putin, Biden, Putin, he's, He's, it's, Narendra Modi, Steve Holland, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: White, Ukraine, NATO, European Union, Thomson Locations: U.S, Iraq, Ukraine, Chicago, Russian, Japan, China, India

☆ Biden using CPAP machine for sleep apnea, officials say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-28 | by ( Trevor Hunnicutt | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

June 28 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden has begun using a continuous positive airway pressure machine, or CPAP, to address a long-standing problem with sleep apnea, White House officials said on Wednesday. He used a CPAP machine last night, which is common for people with that history," White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said. Another White House official said Biden had begun using the CPAP machine in recent weeks to improve his sleep quality. Sleep apnea is a common sleep disorder characterized by brief interruptions of breathing during sleep. In the most common form of sleep apnea, the throat muscles relax, blocking the flow of air into the lungs.

Persons: Joe Biden, Andrew Bates, Biden, Trevor Hunnicutt, Steve Holland, Costas Pitas, Tim Ahmann, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: White, Bloomberg News, Mayo Clinic, Thomson

WASHINGTON, June 26 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden on Monday said a brief uprising by Russian mercenaries against the Kremlin was part of a struggle within the Russian system and that the United States and its allies were not involved in it. "We made clear we were not involved, we had nothing to do with this," Biden said in his first comments on the uprising by Wagner mercenaries that fizzled over the weekend. The Biden administration would not address a widely held perception in Washington that the uprising showed that Russian President Vladimir Putin has been weakened by his 16-month war against Ukraine. The White House said Biden also consulted on Monday with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni about the situation. Kirby said the United States does not know the parameters of the deal reached between Putin and Prigozhin that ended the uprising.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Wagner, John Kirby, Sergei Lavrov, Yevgeny Prigozhin's, Vladimir Putin, Matt Miller, Putin's, Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Giorgia Meloni, It's, Kirby, We're, Jeff Mason, Steve Holland, Simon Lewis, Jonathan Landay, Phil Stewart, Kanishka Singh, Trevor Hunnicutt, Humeyra Pamuk, Mark Porter, Alistair Bell, Alex Richardson, Deepa Babington, Sandra Maler Organizations: Kremlin, Ukraine, White House, TASS, U.S ., Ukraine . State, NATO, Italian, Putin, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Russian, United States, Russia, Moscow, U.S, Washington, Ukraine, United

[1/2] U.S. President Joe Biden and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi attend an official state dinner at the White House in Washington, U.S., June 22, 2023. Biden and Modi gathered with CEOs including Apple's (AAPL.O) Tim Cook, Google's (GOOGL.O) Sundar Pichai and Microsoft's (MSFT.O) Satya Nadella. Modi, who has appealed to global companies to "Make in India," will also address business leaders at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts. Modi praised Gopalan for keeping India "close to her heart" despite the distance to her new home, and called Harris "really inspiring." On Friday evening, Modi will address members of the Indian diaspora, many of whom have turned out at events during the visit to enthusiastically fete him, at times chanting "Modi!

Persons: Joe Biden, Narendra Modi, Elizabeth Frantz WASHINGTON, Modi, Biden, Tim Cook, Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, Sam Altman, OpenAI, Sunita Williams, Anand Mahindra, Mukesh Ambani, Farwa Aamer, John Kirby, Kirby, India's, Kamala Harris, Antony Blinken, Harris, Shyamala Gopalan, Gopalan, Steve Holland, Simon Lewis, Jeff Mason, Trevor Hunnicutt, Don Durfee, Grant McCool Organizations: India's, White, REUTERS, Indian, U.S, NASA, Mahindra Group, Reliance Industries, Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, FedEx, MasterCard, Adobe, South China Seas, South, Asia Society Policy Institute, White House, Washington, State Department, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, Washington, China . U.S, India, United States, CHINA, Beijing, China, South, South Asia, New Delhi, Taiwan, Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, American

Over the past year, Biden has signed multiple executive orders aimed at shoring up access to abortion rights, including the ability to access abortion pills or travel out of states that have banned the procedures. Biden's campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez said the organizing power of the three abortion rights groups was essential to Democrats' strong performance in the 2022 midterms and will be again. The June 24, 2022, Dobbs decision struck down the 1972 Roe v. Wade ruling that had largely protected abortion rights in the U.S. Strategists in both parties have attributed Democratic strength in 2022, in part, to higher support from people who back abortion rights. The biggest expansions of abortion rights over the past year occurred in states, including Michigan and Minnesota, where Democrats control both the legislature and the governor's office.

Persons: Joe Biden, Evelyn Hockstein WASHINGTON, Biden, Kamala Harris, Ron DeSantis, Mike Pence, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, MAGA, Harris, Donald Trump's, Ronna McDaniel, McDaniel, Dobbs, Roe, Wade, Nandita Bose, Steve Holland, Gram Slattery, Trevor Hunnicutt, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Mayflower, REUTERS, NARAL, Republican, Florida, Faith &, Coalition, MAGA Republicans, reelecting, Republicans, Democratic, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, U.S, Michigan, Minnesota, Washington

☆ Biden to sign executive order expanding access to contraception
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Biden senior adviser Jen Klein told reporters that the order will increase ways for women to access contraception and lower out-of-pocket costs. Biden's order comes as reproductive rights advocates say rising barriers are leaving millions of women without easy access to contraception. Biden’s order will also direct the government to consider ways to make affordable over-the-counter contraception, including emergency contraception, more accessible, the fact sheet said. The U.S. House of Representatives last July, when it was still controlled by Democrats, passed a bill to protect access to contraception, but it was blocked in the Senate by Republicans. Two U.S. senators last week introduced a new bill to protect access to contraception.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Jen Klein, Klein, Roe, Wade, Kamala Harris, Barack Obama, Steve Holland, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Affordable, U.S . House, Democrats, Republicans, Democratic, Republican, Thomson Locations: U.S

[1/2] U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden meet India?s Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington, U.S., June 21, 2023. In a rare gesture, Modi has agreed to take questions from reporters with Biden at the White House on Thursday. He has not conducted a news conference since becoming prime minister nine years ago. At the same time, Biden plans to raise human rights concerns with Modi amid worries about democratic backsliding in India. Biden is under pressure by his fellow Democrats to discuss human rights with Modi.

Persons: Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Narendra Modi, Biden, Modi, Modi's, Elon Musk, Musk, Steve Holland, Nandita Bose, Shri Navaratnam Organizations: India's Press, REUTERS, Indian, Washington, Oval Office, White, Senior Biden, United, General Electric Co, U.S . Navy, U.S ., U.S, chipmaker Micron, Modi . Rights, Wednesday, Tesla, Thomson Locations: Washington , U.S, REUTERS WASHINGTON, U.S, Washington, India, China, United States, Australia, Gujarata, backsliding, New York

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