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☆ Pence says Trump conduct around 2021 Capitol attack was reckless but not criminal
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( Kanishka Singh | Thomson Reuters | Kanishka Singh Is A Breaking News Reporter For Reuters In Washington Dc | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"While his words were reckless, based on what I know, I am not yet convinced that they were criminal," Pence told CNN's "State of the Union." Trump said on Tuesday he had received a letter saying he is a target of a grand jury investigation into efforts to overturn his 2020 presidential election defeat. "I hope it does not come to that," Pence said on a potential Trump indictment over efforts to overturn the 2020 election. "His actions were reckless," Pence said. Pence said on Sunday that Trump was wrong in thinking the former vice president could overturn the outcome of the election.

Persons: Mike Pence, Donald Trump's, Pence, CNN's, Trump, Joe Biden, Kanishka Singh, Andrea Ricci Organizations: Former U.S, Capitol, Trump, Biden's, Thomson Locations: Former, Washington

[1/6] Police officers detain demonstrators during a protest against the alleged sexual assault of two tribal women in the eastern state of Manipur, in Ahmedabad, India, July 23, 2023. REUTERS/Amit DaveWASHINGTON, July 23 (Reuters) - The United States said on Sunday it was deeply concerned by reports of viral videos showing two women paraded naked in India's northeastern state of Manipur, a sexual assault case that enraged the country. A U.S. State Department spokesperson called the incident "brutal" and "terrible" and said the United States conveyed its sympathies to the victims. At least 125 people have been killed and more than 40,000 have fled their homes since the violence erupted in Manipur. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday condemned the assault as "shameful" and promised tough action.

Persons: Amit Dave WASHINGTON, Narendra Modi, Kanishka Singh, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Police, REUTERS, United, U.S . State Department, State Department, Indian, Thomson Locations: Manipur, Ahmedabad, India, United States, U.S, New Delhi, Washington

☆ Blinken says Ukraine has taken back 50% of territory that Russia seized
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, July 23 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that while Ukraine has reconquered half the territory that Russia initially seized in its invasion, Kyiv faced a "a very hard fight" to win back more. "It’s already taken back about 50% of what was initially seized," Blinken said in an interview to CNN on Sunday. It is tough," he said, adding: "It will not play out over the next week or two. Late last month President Volodymyr Zelenskiy was quoted as saying that progress against Russian forces was "slower than desired" but that Kyiv would not be pressured into speeding it up. Reporting by Kanishka Singh and Raphael Satter in Washington; Editing by Cynthia OstermanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Antony Blinken, It’s, Blinken, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Kanishka Singh, Raphael Satter, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: CNN, Russian, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, Russia, Washington

☆ Booz Allen to pay $377.4 million to settle US charges over past billing practices
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Kanishka Singh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corporation building is pictured in Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 29, 2017. REUTERS/Mike Blake/File PhotoWASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S.-based consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton Holding agreed to pay the United States $377.4 million to resolve allegations of violating federal law by improperly billing commercial and international costs to its government contracts, the Justice Department said. Under government contracting rules, there must be a nexus between the costs charged to a government contract and the objective of the contract, the Justice Department said on Friday. U.S. Attorney Matthew Graves for the District of Columbia described the settlement as “one of the largest procurement fraud settlements in history.”The government charged that from 2011 to 2021, Booz Allen improperly allocated indirect costs associated with its commercial and international business to its government contracts and subcontracts that either had no relationship to those contracts and subcontracts or were allocated to those contracts and subcontracts in disproportionate amounts. The company released a separate statement on the settlement on Friday, saying it entered the agreement to avoid protracted litigation and added that it was not an admission of liability.

Persons: Booz Allen, Mike Blake, Matthew Graves Organizations: Booz, Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corporation, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Booz Allen Hamilton Holding, Justice Department, Justice, U.S, District of Columbia Locations: Los Angeles , California, U.S, States

WASHINGTON, July 21 (Reuters) - The White House on Friday launched an office to prepare for and respond to potential pandemics, to be led by Paul Friedrichs, a military combat surgeon and retired Air Force major general who helped lead the Pentagon's COVID response. The new Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy will also take over the duties of President Joe Biden's current COVID-19 and mpox response teams, the White House said. Friedrichs is currently special assistant to the president and senior director for Global Health Security and Biodefense at the White House National Security Council. The White House had been expected to cut down its COVID response team after the U.S. government in May ended its COVID Public Health Emergency. In June, the White House announced the departure of Ashish Jha, the last of the Biden administration's rotating COVID response coordinators.

Persons: Paul Friedrichs, Joe Biden's, Biden, Friedrichs, Ashish Jha, Kanishka Singh, Alison Williams Organizations: Air Force, of Pandemic, Global Health Security, White House National Security Council, White, U.S, White House, Biden, Thomson Locations: United States, Washington

Companies Trump Organization Inc FollowWASHINGTON, July 21 (Reuters) - Donald Trump's onetime lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen is expected to settle his lawsuit against the Trump Organization over missed reimbursements of legal fees and costs, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday. Cohen originally sued in March 2019 to recoup $1.9 million in fees, plus $1.9 million he was ordered to forfeit in a criminal case. The fees kept growing, and the Trump Organization has paid some of them, court papers show. The New York Times reported the proposed settlement earlier on Friday. Cohen, a longtime employee of the firm and of Trump, became a critic of the former president and testified that Trump had directed him to break the law.

Persons: Donald Trump's, Michael Cohen, Cohen, Trump, Karen Freifield, Katharine Jackson, Ismail Shakil, Kanishka Singh, Doina Organizations: Companies Trump Organization Inc, WASHINGTON, Trump Organization, Reuters, New York Times, Times, Trump, Thomson Locations: Trump, Russia

Companies Trump Organization Inc FollowWASHINGTON/NEW YORK, July 21 (Reuters) - Michael Cohen, the onetime personal lawyer and fixer for Donald Trump, has settled his lawsuit accusing the Trump Organization of failing to cover millions of dollars of legal bills he incurred over his work for the former U.S. president. Cohen and a lawyer for the Trump Organization issued statements that the matter "has been resolved in a manner satisfactory to all parties." Once a strong supporter of Trump, Cohen is now a vocal critic, whose 2020 memoir "Disloyal" was a New York Times bestseller. He claimed that the Trump Organization reneged on its agreement to paying his bills after he began cooperating with several probes into his work for the former president. Despite Friday's settlement, Cohen is expected to be a star prosecution witness against Trump in a criminal trial next March.

Persons: Michael Cohen, Donald Trump, Cohen, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Democrat Joe Biden, Karen Freifeld, Katharine Jackson, Ismail Shakil, Jonathan Stempel, Kanishka Singh, Doina Chiacu, Daniel Wallis, Sharon Singleton Organizations: Companies Trump Organization Inc, WASHINGTON, Trump Organization, Trump, New York Times, Republican, White, Democrat, Washington , D.C, Thomson Locations: New York, Manhattan, Florida, Washington ,

☆ Biden asks CIA Director Burns to become member of his cabinet
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

WASHINGTON, July 21 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden said on Friday he had asked CIA Director William Burns to become a member of his cabinet. "Under his leadership, the CIA is delivering a clear-eyed, long-term approach to our nation’s top national security challenges," Biden said in a statement, referring to Burns' approach to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and U.S. competition with China. The move was reported earlier by the Washington Post, which said it was largely symbolic and would not give Burns any new authorities. "He leads with dignity and represents the very best of America, and I look forward to continuing to work with him in the years ahead," Biden said. Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Tim AhmannOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Joe Biden, William Burns, Biden, Burns, Kanishka Singh, Tim Ahmann Organizations: CIA, Washington Post, America, Thomson Locations: Ukraine, U.S, China, Washington

☆ U.S. sanctions 14 Iraqi banks in crackdown on Iran dollar trade- WSJ
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON/BAGHDAD July 19 (Reuters) - The United States has barred 14 Iraqi banks from conducting dollar transactions, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, citing U.S. officials. The United States uncovered information that the Iraqi banks engaged in money laundering and fraudulent transactions, some of which may have involved sanctioned individuals and raised concerns that Iran could benefit, the newspaper said. The Iraqi government, the U.S. Treasury Department and the New York Fed did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Iran has been unable to access billions of dollars in assets in several countries due to U.S. sanctions. The United States has insisted that oil-rich Iraq, the OPEC group's second-largest producer, moves towards self-sufficiency.

Persons: Washington, Kanishka Singh, Daphne Psaledakis, Timour, Michael S, Doina Organizations: United, Wall Street, U.S, Treasury Department, Federal Reserve Bank of New, U.S . Treasury Department, New York Fed, OPEC, Derby, Thomson Locations: WASHINGTON, BAGHDAD, United States, Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Iran, U.S, Iraq, Washington, Timour Azhari, Baghdad, New York, Bengaluru

☆ US says Amazon agrees to penalty for Alexa's alleged violations of children’s privacy law
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Companies Amazon.com Inc FollowWASHINGTON, July 19 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department said on Wednesday that Amazon.com Inc (AMZN.O) and a subsidiary agreed to a permanent injunction and to pay a $25 million civil penalty as part of a settlement to resolve alleged violations of a children's privacy law relating to its Alexa voice assistant. Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kanishka Singh, Leslie Adler Organizations: WASHINGTON, U.S . Justice, Inc, Thomson Locations: Washington

[1/4] Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel addresses supporters during a campaign stop at the IBEW Local 58 union hall in Detroit, Michigan, U.S. November 5, 2022. REUTERS/Rebecca Cook/File PhotoJuly 18 (Reuters) - Michigan's attorney general on Tuesday announced felony charges against 16 Republicans for participating in an alleged "false elector" scheme that aimed to overturn then-President Donald Trump's 2020 election loss in the battleground state. Nessel charged the 16 Republicans with a series of felonies, including forgery, conspiracy to commit forgery, and conspiracy to commit election forgery. The group includes Marian Sheridan, the grassroots vice chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party; Meshawn Maddock, former co-chair of the Michigan Republican Party; Republican National Committeewoman Kathy Berden; and Stanley Grot, the clerk in Shelby Township, a northern suburb of Detroit. Other authorities are also investigating efforts to overturn Trump's 2020 loss.

Persons: Dana Nessel, Rebecca Cook, Donald Trump's, Joe Biden, Nessel, Marian Sheridan, Meshawn Maddock, Kathy Berden, Stanley Grot, Trump, Biden, Mike Pence, Kanishka Singh, Nathan Layne, Andy Sullivan, Will Dunham, Daniel Wallis Organizations: Michigan, REUTERS, U.S . Capitol, Trump's, Democrat, Electoral College, Trump, Michigan Republican Party, Republican, Republican Party, State of, United States Senate, National Archives, U.S . Justice, Thomson Locations: Detroit , Michigan, U.S, Michigan, Shelby Township, Detroit, United States, America, State of Michigan, Georgia

The San Francisco federal court had ruled in favor of Microsoft on Tuesday, saying the FTC had failed to show the deal would be illegal under antitrust law. "The FTC asks this Court to enjoin the merger at issue pending resolution of the FTC’s appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. The FTC had said it was seeking a preliminary injunction to temporarily stop the deal until an internal FTC judge could assess it. It is rare for a merger fight to go to an appeals court. The agency settled with the companies before the appeals court made a decision.

Persons: We're, Brad Smith, Jacqueline Scott Corley, Corley, Diane Bartz, David Shepardson, Kanishka Singh, Tim Ahmann, Josie Kao, Jamie Freed Organizations: U.S . Federal Trade Commission, Microsoft, Activision, San, FTC, Ninth Circuit, Appeals, Nintendo, Britain's, Markets Authority, Foods, Oats, Thomson Locations: San Francisco, Britain, California

WASHINGTON, July 13 (Reuters) - A U.S. federal court rejected the Federal Trade Commission's request that it order Microsoft (MSFT.O) to temporarily hold off on closing its $69 billion purchase of "Call of Duty" maker Activision Blizzard (ATVI.O), according to a court filing. Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Sandra MalerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Kanishka Singh, Sandra Maler Organizations: U.S, Federal Trade, Microsoft, Activision, Thomson Locations: Washington

Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) speaks at the 2023 Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, U.S., May 1, 2023. Senator Joe Manchin said on Thursday he would oppose the nomination of Julie Su as labor secretary, arguing her "progressive background" would prevent her from forging compromises between labor and industry representatives. President Joe Biden nominated Su, a civil rights lawyer and former California labor commissioner who has served as a deputy labor secretary since 2021, to become labor secretary in February. Su previously served as California's labor secretary. "The president's support for Acting Secretary Su is unwavering, and we hope Senator Manchin and Senator Sinema reconsider their position," the White House official added.

Persons: Joe Manchin, Mike Blake, Julie Su, Manchin, Joe Biden, Su, Marty Walsh, Walsh, Kyrsten Sinema, Biden, Sinema, Bernie Sanders, Rami Ayyub, Nandita Bose, David Shepardson, Kanishka Singh, Jamie Freed Organizations: Milken, Global Conference, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Democratic U.S, National Hockey League, Democrat, White, White House, U.S ., Thomson Locations: Beverly Hills , California, U.S, California, U.S . West Coast

WASHINGTON, July 12 (Reuters) - Billionaire Elon Musk said on Wednesday he thinks China is interested in a cooperative international framework on artificial intelligence, from conversations he had when he visited China a few weeks ago. Musk made the remarks in a Twitter Space event with two U.S. congressmen, Democrat Ro Khanna and Republican Mike Gallagher. "China is definitely interested in working in a cooperative international framework for AI regulation," Musk said. He added that he has advocated for artificial intelligence regulations and oversight, including in his meetings in China. After meeting with officials during his China trip, Musk last month said the Chinese government would seek to initiate artificial intelligence regulations in China.

Persons: Billionaire Elon Musk, Musk, Ro Khanna, Mike Gallagher, Tesla, Ding Xuexiang, Kanishka Singh, Anna Tong, Sandra Maler, Leslie Adler Organizations: Billionaire, Regulators, Thomson Locations: China, Shanghai, Beijing, ChatGPT

☆ UN asks Putin to extend Black Sea grain deal in return for SWIFT access -sources
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-12 | by ( Michelle Nichols | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Russia has threatened to ditch the grain deal, which expires on Monday, because several demands to dispatch its own grain and fertilizer abroad have not been met. The last two ships traveling under the Black Sea agreement are currently loading cargoes at the Ukrainian port of Odesa ahead of the deadline. A key demand by Moscow is the reconnection of the Russian agricultural bank Rosselkhozbank to the SWIFT international payment network. Guterres has proposed to Putin that Russia allow the Black Sea grain deal to continue for several months, giving the EU time to connect a Rosselkhozbank subsidiary to SWIFT, two of those sources familiar with discussions told Reuters. The United Nations and Turkey brokered the Black Sea Grain Initiative with Russia and Ukraine in July 2022 to help alleviate a global food crisis worsened by Moscow's invasion and blockade of Ukrainian ports.

Persons: Antonio Guterres, Vladimir Putin, Guterres, Putin, SWIFT, U.N, Stephane Dujarric, JPM.N, Michelle Nichols, Kanishka Singh, Mark Heinrich, Diane Craft Organizations: UNITED NATIONS, Reuters, European Union, European Commission, EU, Russian Agricultural Bank, Russian Federation, Kremlin, United, JPMorgan Chase, reassurances, U.S ., The United Nations, African Export, Import Bank, Thomson Locations: Russian, Ukraine, Russia, Odesa, Moscow, EU, SWIFT, Rosselkhozbank, United Nations, Turkey, Ukrainian, Africa

WASHINGTON, July 11 (Reuters) - U.S. climate envoy John Kerry on Monday will become the Biden administration's third senior official to visit China in recent weeks after trips by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Secretary of State Antony Blinken. A U.S. official said on Tuesday that Kerry would visit from Monday to Thursday. The two countries have previously cooperated on climate change with breakthroughs that led to the 2015 Paris climate accord. Last month, Blinken met President Xi Jinping in China but soon after his trip ended, U.S. President Joe Biden referred to Xi as a 'dictator,' risking a further deterioration of relations. China last year briefly suspended talks with the United States on climate, security and other matters in response to a visit to Taiwan by U.S. House of Representatives by then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Persons: John Kerry, Janet Yellen, Antony Blinken, Kerry, Washington, China, Xie Zhenhua, Yellen, Blinken, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Xi, Nancy Pelosi, Valerie Volcovici, Kanishka Singh, Howard Goller Organizations: Biden, U.S, Beijing, U.S . House, Thomson Locations: China, Taiwan, Paris, U.S, United States

The Justice Department in a filing sought a stay pending its appeal of the judge's preliminary injunction. Doughty's order specifically mentioned certain officials including Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Jen Easterly, who heads the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. U.S. officials have said that in contacting social media companies they were aiming to tamp down misinformation about American elections and about COVID vaccines to curb preventable deaths. It raises grave separation-of-powers concerns," the Justice Department filing said, referring to the Constitution's division of powers among the executive, legislative and judicial branches of the U.S. government. The judge's order made some exceptions for communications between government officials and the companies, including to warn about risks to national security and about criminal activity.

Persons: Dado Ruvic, Joe Biden's, Terry Doughty, Doughty, Donald Trump, Alejandro Mayorkas, Kanishka Singh, Will Dunham, Mike Scarcella Organizations: Twitter, YouTube, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, U.S . Justice, Republican, New, Circuit, District, Department of Health, Human Services, U.S, Department, Department of Homeland, Infrastructure Security Agency . U.S, ., Thomson Locations: New Orleans, Louisiana, Missouri, Washington

☆ EU seals new US data transfer pact, but challenge likely
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BRUSSELS, July 10 (Reuters) - The European Commission announced a new data transfer pact with the United States on Monday, seeking to end the legal uncertainty plaguing thousands of companies that transfer personal data across the Atlantic. The move was immediately criticised by non-profit group noyb, led by privacy activist Max Schrems, which said it would challenge the agreement. U.S. President Joe Biden welcomed the data transfer pact and said it reflected a "joint commitment to strong data privacy protections." Earlier this year, the EU's privacy watchdog, the European Data Protection Board, said the latest data agreement still fell short and urged the commission to do more to protect Europeans' privacy rights. Europe's top court scuppered the previous two deals after challenges by Schrems because of concerns about U.S. intelligence agencies' accessing European citizens' private data.

Persons: Max Schrems, Joe Biden, Didier Reynders, Schrems, Cecilia Bonefeld, Dahl, Foo Yun Chee, Kanishka Singh, Philip Blenkinsop, Christina Fincher, Leslie Adler Organizations: European Commission, Atlantic, European Court, Justice, Airbus, Apple, Ericsson, Nokia, Philips, Samsung, Data Protection, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, United States, Washington

☆ North Korea accuses U.S. of repeatedly entering its economic zone
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SEOUL, July 11 (Reuters) - North Korea's Kim Yo Jong, the powerful sister of leader Kim Jong Un, on Tuesday accused a U.S. military spy plane of entering the country's Exclusive Economic Zone eight times, state media KCNA reported. The Pentagon earlier brushed aside Pyongyang's accusations of airspace violations and said the U.S. military had adhered to international law. "So those accusations are just accusations," Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh told reporters. A country's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) - which extends 200 nautical miles from the 12 nautical-mile territorial zone around the coast - is a right to exploit marine resources within but does not confer sovereignty over the water's surface or the airspace above it. U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller urged North Korea "to refrain from escalatory actions" and reiterated a call for it "to engage in serious and sustained diplomacy" when asked about the North Korean statements at a regular news briefing on Monday.

Persons: Kim Yo Jong, Kim Jong, Kim, Sabrina Singh, Matthew Miller, Hyunsu Yim, Kanishka Singh, Chris Reese, Sandra Maler Organizations: Pentagon, U.S . Air Force, U.S . State Department, Korean People's Army, U.S ., Korea's, Chiefs, Staff, South, Thomson Locations: SEOUL, U.S, Tongchon, Gangwon Province, Uljin, North Gyeongsang Province, North Korea, South Korea, Pyongyang, Washington

WASHINGTON, July 10 (Reuters) - A judge on Monday ordered Kansas to stop allowing transgender people to change the gender listed on their driver's licenses after a lawsuit filed by the state's Republican attorney general. Shawnee County District Court Judge Teresa Watson issued the temporary restraining order on Monday. Some states have banned teachers of younger children from discussing gender or sexuality, while conservative lawmakers have also proposed or passed laws restricting drag performances. In June, President Joe Biden warned of "ugly" attacks from "hysterical" people who he said were targeting LGBTQ+ Americans, especially transgender youth. Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington, editing by Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Laura Kelly, Kris Kobach, Teresa Watson, Kobach, Joe Biden, Kanishka Singh, Deepa Babington Organizations: Republican, Democratic, Kansas Department of Revenue, Defamation League, Thomson Locations: Kansas, Shawnee County, U.S, Washington

WASHINGTON, July 9 (Reuters) - Republican U.S. presidential candidate and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said on Sunday he would take steps to revoke China's permanent normal trade relations status if he won the 2024 White House race. The U.S. Senate voted in 2000 to grant that status to China as it prepared to join the World Trade Organization. The status is a legal designation in the United States for free trade with a foreign nation. 1 geopolitical threat this country faces," DeSantis added in the interview. Reporting by Kanishka Singh; Editing by Scott Malone and Andrea RicciOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, Janet Yellen, Donald Trump, Kanishka Singh, Scott Malone, Andrea Ricci Organizations: Republican U.S, Florida, White, Fox News, U.S, Senate, World Trade Organization, Treasury, Republican, Thomson Locations: China, United States, U.S, Taiwan, Washington, Beijing, Chinese, Cuba

Senator Tim Kaine and Representative Barbara Lee raised concerns on Sunday over the decision by President Joe Biden's administration to send cluster bombs to Ukraine to combat the Russian invasion. "Cluster bombs should never be used. That's crossing a line," she told CNN on Sunday, adding the United States risked losing its "moral leadership" by sending cluster bombs to Ukraine. He added that Russia is using cluster munitions in Ukraine and "indiscriminately killing civilians," while the Ukrainians will be using them to defend their own territory. U.S. Representative Michael McCaul, chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee, said Ukraine's counteroffensive was going slowly and that the cluster bombs could be a "game changer" for the Ukrainians.

Persons: Gabriel Jenko, Tim Kaine, Barbara Lee, Joe Biden's, Antonio Guterres, Kaine, Biden, Lee, John Kirby, Kirby, Michael McCaul, McCaul, Kanishka Singh, Joey Roulette, Doina Chiacu, Scott Malone, Andrea Ricci Organizations: Munitions, U.S . Army, REUTERS, WASHINGTON, Democratic U.S, United, United Nations, Fox News, Senate Armed Services Committee, White, Cluster Munitions, CNN, White House, Democratic, Republican, U.S, Representatives Foreign, Sunday, Thomson Locations: Hovey, South Korea, Handout, Ukraine, Russian, United States, Russia, United

Turkey, along with Hungary, has been a stumbling block to Sweden's bid, which requires unanimous approval by all NATO members. Biden "conveyed his desire to welcome Sweden into NATO as soon as possible," the White House said in a statement. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he would convene a meeting between Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in Vilnius on Monday. While Finland's NATO membership was green-lighted in April, Turkey and Hungary have yet to clear Sweden's bid. During their call, Biden and Erdogan also discussed the delivery of F-16 fighter jets to Turkey, and Ukraine's aim to join NATO, according to the Turkish presidency's readout.

Persons: Joe Biden, Tayyip Erdogan, Erdogan, Biden, Jens Stoltenberg, Ulf Kristersson, Ezgi Erkoyun, Kanishka Singh, Hugh Lawson, Peter Graff, Leslie Adler Organizations: NATO, Kurdistan Workers Party, White, Monday, Thomson Locations: ISTANBUL, WASHINGTON, Sweden, Turkey, Hungary, Stockholm, Ankara, Turkish, Vilnius, Lithuania, Swedish, Finland, Ukraine

WASHINGTON, July 9 (Reuters) - The U.S. assistant secretary of State for African affairs, Molly Phee, will travel to Addis Ababa on Monday and Tuesday to meet with African leaders and Sudanese civilians on how to end the conflict in Sudan, the State Department said on Sunday. Diplomatic efforts to halt fighting between Sudan's army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) have so far proved ineffective, with competing initiatives creating confusion over how the warring parties might be brought to negotiate. During her travel, Phee will meet with Sudanese civilians and with senior representatives of governments in the region, the East African bloc Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the African Union Commission, according to the State Department. Egypt said on Sunday it would host a summit of Sudan's neighbors on July 13 to discuss ways to end the conflict between the rival Sudanese military factions. Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Leslie AdlerOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Molly Phee, Phee, Kanishka Singh, Leslie Adler Organizations: U.S, State Department, Rapid Support Forces, Sudanese Armed Forces, SAF, East, Authority, Development, African Union Commission, Thomson Locations: Addis Ababa, Sudan, Khartoum, Sudan's, El Obeid, Egypt, Jeddah, United States, Saudi Arabia, East, Kenya, Washington

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