USA

Chinese leader Xi Jinping was to directly tell US President Joe Biden that China would annex Taiwan, but it was not decided when it would happen - reports the American station NBC News on the sidelines of the leaders' meeting, which took place in San Francisco in November. Although the content of the declaration is not new, its context caught the attention of American officials.more

The words of former president and leading Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump about migrants "poisoning the blood of the country" were met with a wave of criticism in the USA. "This is an imitation of Hitler," commented representatives of President Biden's campaign, quoted by The Independent.more

"Today, the fate of Ukraine's freedom is at stake, but if we don't stop Putin, freedom everywhere will be at risk," - declared US President Joe Biden at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski yesterday. more

During his last visit to Israel at the end of November, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned the country's authorities that the military intervention in Gaza must still end in December; however, this goal now seems very difficult to achieve, the website of the British weekly Economist reported yesterday.more

Senate Republicans have blocked a move to pass an aid bill for Ukraine after failing to secure border compromises they sought in exchange. The $110bn (£87.3bn) package included $61bn for Ukraine, as well as funds for Israel and aid for Gaza.more

American pop star Taylor Swift, who delighted the music world this year with her ongoing phenomenal tour, was named Person of the Year 2023 by Time magazine.more

Two mass shootings in the US states of Texas and Washington on Sunday, in which at least four people were killed, bring the total to 38 already this year. This represents the highest number since 2006, the "Washington Post" reported.more

"We are out of money for Ukraine and almost out of time," - wrote White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) chief Shalanda Young in a letter to House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson on Monday. She warned that if Congress does not pass a new appropriations package for Ukraine by the end of December, the administration will not be able to deliver aid to Ukraine.more

If Donald Trump wins the US presidential elections, Republika Srpska will announce secession from Bosnia and Herzegovina, said Milorad Dodik, the president of this majority-Serb autonomous unit of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The US presidential elections will take place in 2024.more

Following New York tradition, thousands of colorful LED lights lit up the Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center in Manhattan today. The celebrations were accompanied by pro-Palestinian demonstrations in the nearby streetsmore

Former US Secretary of State, national security adviser and diplomat Henry Kissinger has died at the age of 100, his company Kissinger Associates announced.more

A senior US State Department official assesses that Vladimir Putin will not make peace in Ukraine until the results of the US presidential election in November 2024 are known, Reuters reported. The assessment came during a meeting of NATO heads of diplomacy in Brussels.more

Today in the USA is Thanksgiving Day, during which Americans meet for gala dinners, where the main dish is roast turkey. The holiday meal will be cheaper this year thanks to lower turkey prices, reports CNBC. ​more

Dr. Ruth Westheimer, a popular American sex therapist referred to in the media as Dr. Ruth, has been named New York State's Honorary Ambassador for Singleness. This is the first feature of its kind in the United States. Her task will be to support people who complain of loneliness.more

China's share of global GDP is declining in 2022 and 2023, a historic shift. 'China is no longer contributing to the growth of the global economy, the US and emerging countries, including notably India, Indonesia, Mexico, Brazil and Poland, are responsible for its growth,' Ruchir Sharma, head of Rockefeller International, writes in the Financial Times.more

The US government has started accepting orders for free tests for the Covid-19 virus, the Ministry of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced.more

The average life expectancy of men in the United States is now almost six years less than that of women. This is the biggest difference since 1996 - reports the journal "JAMA Internal Medicine".more

Former US President Donald Trump, who intends to run for president, presented an outline of his program and promised to end the war in Ukraine and stop the "endless stream of American funds flowing" to that country.more

Pro-Palestinian protesters broke into the New York Times editorial office during a demonstration in New York's Mahattan, the NY Daily News reported.more

Along with Mexico, Vietnam, Indonesia and Morocco, Poland is one of the key countries in the changing global economy that benefit most from changes in global supply chains resulting from the rivalry between the US and China, according to an analysis published by Bloomberg. The report points to Poland's importance in the context of battery production.more

The US Senate approved the nomination of Adm. Lisa Franchetti as Chief of Naval Operations, the highest-ranking officer in the U.S. Navy. She is the first woman to hold this position and the first woman to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which brings together commanders of all branches of the armed forces.more

Americans spent over $12 billion on Halloween celebrations this year, according to analyzes by the National Federation of Retailers. This is a record amount, higher than last year by about 15%. - added.more

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is finding it increasingly difficult to convince his partners that victory in the war with Russia is just around the corner, and with the outbreak of conflict in Israel, it is a major challenge to even keep the world's attention on Ukraine, wrote the US-based 'Time'.more

Applications for admission to the current edition of the Diversity Visa 2025 program - commonly known as the visa lottery - can be submitted only until November 7. The program issues 50,000 visas for permanent residence in the US each year.more

We have information that the Russian military is executing soldiers who refuse to follow orders and threatening to execute entire units that want to withdraw from Ukrainian fire, said John Kirby, spokesman for the US National Security Council. He added that during the offensive on Avdiivka, the Russians lost 125 armored vehicles.more