Biden arrives at G7 in Italy with sanctions for Russia, support for Ukraine, but no deal on Gaza
Brindisi, Italy — U.S. President Joe Biden arrived in Brindisi, Italy, late Wednesday ahead of his meeting with leaders of the Group of Seven industrialized democracies. He came armed with fresh sanctions for Russia, a new bilateral security agreement for…
What would Trump’s and Biden’s second-term policy on Ukraine look like?
Foreign policy experts differ over what direction U.S. Ukraine policy will take if Donald Trump returns to the White House, with predictions ranging from more robust U.S. support to heavy pressure on Kyiv to concede all the land it has…
US says transparency will be key to Ukraine energy sector upgrade
Russia’s intensive bombardment of Ukraine in recent months has significantly diminished the country’s ability to generate energy. This week, during Ukraine’s Recovery Conference in Berlin, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy appealed for help in repairing Ukraine’s electricity network and for long-term…
US, Ukraine to sign security agreement
U.S. President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy are set to sign a long-term defense and security agreement Thursday at the Group of Seven summit in Italy. Signing the agreement, said White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, notifies…
US Federal Reserve sees inflation progress but envisions only one rate cut this year
washington — Federal Reserve officials said Wednesday that inflation has fallen further toward their target level in recent months but signaled they expect to cut their benchmark interest rate just once this year. The policymakers’ forecast for one rate cut…
World Bank: Inflation, poverty keep climbing in war-torn Myanmar
Bangkok — Myanmar’s economy shows no signs of recovering from the 2021 military coup, as civil war drives more workers abroad, pushes inflation into triple digits in some parts of the country and pulls it deeper into poverty, a new…
Kenyan group uses old ATMs to dispense free sanitary pads to students
A public-private partnership in Kenya provides female students with free sanitary napkins dispensed from converted ATMs at school. The goal is to provide pads to young women from poor families so they don’t miss school because they are menstruating. Victoria…
US expands sanctions against Russia
The United States widened sanctions on Russia Wednesday, targeting more than 300 new entities and people “whose products and services enable Russia to sustain its war effort and evade sanctions.” A U.S. Treasury Department statement said the list includes dozens…
US inflation cooled in May in sign that price pressures may be easing
WASHINGTON — Inflation in the United States eased in May for a second straight month, a hopeful sign that a pickup in prices that occurred early this year may have passed. The trend, if it holds, could move the Federal…
Despite war, surrogacy in Ukraine keeps flourishing
Before Russia’s invasion, Ukraine was an international surrogacy hub. Relatively low cost and a favorable legal framework led to thousands of babies born every year thanks to Ukrainian surrogate mothers, many of them for overseas parents. Despite the war and…