Page 2 - Joe Biden

Taiwan must invest in asymmetric weapons, warfare, says US military expert

The report compared military equipment sold to Taiwan during US President-elect Donald Trump's first term in office and US President Joe Biden's current term

US lawmakers demand to scrap China science agreement renewal deal for 5 yrs

Extension comes despite repeated requests from Congress to either suspend the agreement or implement stronger safeguards to protect US national security, human rights, and intellectual property

US Secy of State Blinken to visit West Asia amid fresh trouble in region

The State Department said Blinken would meet Jordanian officials, including King Abdullah II, in the port city of Aqaba on Thursday before flying to Ankara for meetings with Turkish officials Friday

White House releases first-ever national strategy to combat Islamophobia

The White House has announced what it called the first-ever national strategy to counter Islamophobia, detailing more than 100 steps federal officials can take to curb hate, violence, bias and discrimination against Muslims and Arab Americans. The proposal follows a similar national plan to battle antisemitism that President Joe Biden unveiled in May 2023, as fears about increasing hatred and discrimination were rising among US Jews. Officials worked on the anti-Islamophobia plan for months, and its release came on Thursday, five weeks before Biden leaves office meaning implementation will mostly fall to President-elect Donald Trump, if his administration chooses to do so. In a statement announcing the strategy, the Biden administration wrote that Over the past year, this initiative has become even more important as threats against American Muslim and Arab communities have spiked. It said that included the October 2023 slaying of six-year-old Wadee Alfayoumi, an American Muslim boy

President Biden watching situation in Bangladesh very closely: White House

President Joe Biden is closely monitoring the situation in Bangladesh and the United States will hold the Bangladeshi interim government accountable for ensuring the protection of religious and ethnic minorities in the country, the White House has said. "The security situation in Bangladesh has been difficult following the ouster of the former prime minister. And we have been working closely with the interim government to enhance the capability of their law enforcement and security services to deal with the challenge," White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby said at a news conference on Thursday. "We have been very clear in our engagement with all Bangladeshi leaders that protection of religious and ethnic minorities security to all Bangladeshis regardless of religion or ethnicity. We want to hold them to that," Kirby said in response to a question. Over the past few weeks, Indian Americans have held peaceful protests and marches in several cities, including

Biden govt makes final diplomatic push for stability across Middle East

Top US officials were in the Middle East on Thursday, pushing for stability in Syria and an end to Israel's 14-month war in the Gaza Strip in a last-ditch diplomatic push by the outgoing Biden administration before President-elect Donald Trump takes office in a few weeks. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was in Jordan and Turkey for talks on how to ensure a peaceful transition of power in Syria following the ouster of longtime President Bashar Assad, while White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan was in Israel in a bid to wrap up a ceasefire with Hamas militants. A ceasefire would give President Joe Biden a final diplomatic victory after a turbulent term in which his administration has been unable to halt a brutal war that has claimed tens of thousands of lives in Gaza and plunged the territory into a humanitarian crisis. Trump has demanded the immediate release of hostages, threatening on social media that otherwise there would be HELL TO PAY, and has urged the US not t

Israel, Palestine explore Gaza truce with US envoy on Mideast mission

Israel Defence Minister Israel Katz told his US counterpart Lloyd Austin in a phone call on Wednesday there was now a chance for a new deal

Democratic senators urge Biden to extend temporary protections for migrants

Democratic senators are urging President Joe Biden to extend temporary protections for migrants in the US before he leaves office, warning that millions of people could be forced to return to unsafe countries once President-elect Donald Trump retakes the White House. The senators have been quietly urging the White House to take executive actions that would attempt to extend legal protections for migrants into Trump's administration, and the White House has been discussing what steps to take. But any actions from the outgoing president would happen in the wake of an election that Trump won on promises of hardline immigration enforcement. The Democratic Party is also debating internally how it should approach immigration and border security after its election losses. The Biden administration earlier this week made permanent a rule that extends work authorisations for asylum seekers, but has not made commitments on other priorities for immigration advocates and Democrats. With just wee

FBI Director Wray announces plan to resign, paves way for Kash Patel

FBI Director Christopher Wray said Wednesday he plans to resign at the end of President Joe Biden's term in January, an announcement that came a week and a half after President-elect Donald Trump announced his intention to nominate loyalist Kash Patel for the job. At a town hall meeting with the bureau workforce, Wray said he would be stepping down after weeks of careful thought. Wray's intended resignation is not unexpected considering that Trump had picked Patel for the role in his new administration. Wray had previously been named by Trump and began the 10-year term a length meant to insulate the agency from the political influence of changing administrations in 2017, after Trump fired then-FBI Director James Comey. Trump had telegraphed his anger with Wray on multiple occasions, including after Wray's congressional testimony in September. But the soft-spoken director rarely seemed to go out of his way to publicly confront the White House.

Biden approves security memo to help Trump on China, Iran, N Korea, Russia

President Joe Biden has approved a new national security memorandum that is meant to serve as a roadmap for the incoming Trump administration as it looks to counter growing cooperation among China, Iran, North Korea and Russia, the White House said Wednesday. Biden administration officials began developing the guidance this summer. It was shaped to be a document that could help the next administration build its approach from day one on how it will go about dealing with the tightening relationships between the United States' most prominent adversaries and competitors, according to two senior administration officials. The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House, said the classified memorandum would not be made public because of the sensitivity of some of its findings. The document includes four broad recommendations: improving US government interagency cooperation, speeding up the sharing of information with allies about the four .

Xi readies bargaining chips for US trade war after Biden announces curbs

If Trump were to impose tariffs again, China could once more respond in kind, hitting US exports of machinery or agricultural exports of soybeans, corn, pork again

Was stupid not to put name on pandemic relief checks like Trump did: Biden

President Joe Biden said he was stupid not to put his own name on pandemic relief checks in 2021, noting that Donald Trump had done so in 2020 and likely got credit for helping people out through this simple, effective act of branding. Biden did the second-guessing as he delivered a speech at the Brookings Institution defending his economic record and challenging Trump to preserve Democratic policy ideas when he returns to the White House next month. As Biden on Tuesday focused on his legacy with his term ending, he suggested Trump should keep the Democrats' momentum going and ignore the policies of his allies. The president laid out favourable recent economic data but acknowledged his rare public regret that he had not been more self-promotional in advertising the financial support provided by his administration as the country emerged from the pandemic. I signed the American Rescue Plan, the most significant economic recovery package in our history, and also learned something from

Biden is rushing aid to Ukraine as all sides are bracing for Trump

The grinding war between Ukraine and its Russian invaders has escalated ahead of Donald Trump's inauguration, with President Joe Biden rushing out billions of dollars more in military aid before US support for Kyiv's defences is thrown into question under the new administration. Russia, Ukraine and their global allies are scrambling to put their side in the best possible position for any changes that Trump may bring to American policy in the nearly 3-year-old war. The president-elect insisted in recent days that Russia and Ukraine immediately reach a ceasefire and said Ukraine should likely prepare to receive less US military aid. On the war's front lines, Ukraine's forces are mindful of Trump's fast-approaching presidency and the risk of losing their biggest backer. If that happens, those people who are with me, my unit, we are not going to retreat," a Ukrainian strike-drone company commander, fighting in Russia's Kursk region with the 47th Brigade, told The Associated Press by ...

Biden's nod for oil lease sale may permit drilling in Alaska's Arctics

The Biden administration has approved plans for a sale of oil and gas leases in Alaska that leaves open the door for drilling in a portion of the pristine Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The sale will be held on January 9, less than two weeks before President Joe Biden leaves office. It will include a fraction of the land total that was available for bidding roughly four years ago in a sale held during the Trump administration. President-elect Donald Trump pledged during his latest run for the White House to expand oil drilling in the US, and he's pointed to the passage of a 2017 law that enabled Monday's announcement as a highlight when it comes to Alaska policy. The 2017 law mandated two lease sales by late 2024, but major oil companies sat out the first sale. The Biden administration reviewed the leasing programme, and seven leases from the first sale ultimately were cancelled. Does this mean there will be drilling in the refuge? It's unclear. A lease sale is one step in a lon

US says terror designation does not hinder talks with Syrian rebel group

The State Department said on Monday it is not actively reviewing the foreign terrorist organisation designation of the main Syrian rebel group that overthrew Bashar Assad's government this weekend. But, it said such designations are constantly under review, and that even while it's in place, the label does not bar US officials from speaking with the group. There is no specific review related to what happened over the weekend, State Department spokesman Matthew Miller told reporters. That said, we are always reviewing. Based on their actions, there could be a change in our sanctions posture, but we have nothing today. He said a review could be initiated if Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, known as HTS, takes steps to reverse the reasons for its designation. That would be based entirely on its actions, he said. The designation imposes numerous sanctions against those targeted, including a ban on the provision of material support to such groups, although Miller said that would not necessarily ...

Big questions confronting Biden, Trump after Assad's collapse in Syria

The sudden collapse of the Syrian government under Bashar Assad is forcing the Biden administration and the incoming Trump team to confront intensifying questions about the possibility of greater conflicts across the Middle East. President-elect Donald Trump said Sunday that Assad had fled his country, which his family had ruled for decades, because close ally Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, was not interested in protecting him any longer. Those comments on Trump's social media platform came a day after he used another post to decry the possibility of the US intervening militarily in Syria to aid the rebels, declaring, THIS IS NOT OUR FIGHT." The Biden administration had no intention of intervening, according to President Joe Biden's national security adviser. Biden was meeting with his national security team at the White House on Sunday. He was expected to make public comments later in the day. The US has about 900 troops in Syria, including forces working with Kurdish alli

Fall of Assad regime historic opportunity for people of Syria, says Biden

The fall of the Assad regime that brutalised, tortured and killed thousands of innocent Syrians over the past half a century is a historic opportunity for the people of the country, outgoing US President Joe Biden said on Sunday. Biden spoke at the White House hours after rebel groups took over the country following more than a dozen years of violent civil war and decades of leadership by Bashar Assad and his family. After 13 years of civil war in Syria and more than half a century of brutal authoritarian rule by Bashar Assad and his father before him, rebel forces have forced Assad to resign his office and flee the country. We're not sure where he is, but there's word that he's in Moscow. At long last, the Assad regime has fallen, Biden said. This regime brutalised, tortured and killed hundreds of thousands of innocent Syrians. The fall of the regime is a fundamental act of justice. It's a moment of historic opportunity for the long-suffering people of Syria to build a better futur

Biden should revive WTO dispute settlement mechanism before leaving

The decision to give a second term to Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala reflects broad recognition of her exceptional leadership and strategic vision for the future of the WTO

President Biden considering preemptive pardons before Trump assumes office

President Joe Biden is weighing whether to issue sweeping pardons for officials and allies who the White House fears could be unjustly targeted by President-elect Donald Trump's administration, a preemptive move that would be a novel and risky use of the president's extraordinary constitutional power. The deliberations so far are largely at the level of White House lawyers. But Biden himself has discussed the topic with some senior aides, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday to discuss the sensitive subject. No decisions have been made, the people said, and it is possible Biden opts to do nothing at all. Pardons are historically afforded to those accused of specific crimes and usually those who have already been convicted of an offense but Biden's team is considering issuing them for those who have not even been investigated, let alone charged. They fear that Trump and his allies, who have boasted of enemies lists and exacti

Biden considers preemptive pardons for allies before Trump takes office

President Joe Biden is weighing whether to issue sweeping pardons for officials and allies who the White House fears could be unjustly targeted by President-elect Donald Trump's administration, a preemptive move that would be a novel and risky use of the president's extraordinary constitutional power. The deliberations so far are largely at the level of White House lawyers. But Biden himself has discussed the topic with some senior aides, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday to discuss the sensitive subject. No decisions have been made, the people said, and it is possible Biden opts to do nothing at all. Pardons are historically afforded to those accused of specific crimes and usually those who have already been convicted of an offense but Biden's team is considering issuing them for those who have not even been investigated, let alone charged. They fear that Trump and his allies, who have boasted of enemies lists and exactin