The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday canceled upcoming scheduled arguments in appeals filed by Republican former President Donald Trump`s administration defending his funding of the U.S.-Mexico border wall and his so-called "remain in Mexico" asylum policy.

Democratic President Joe Biden`s administration, which is in the process of changing course on both issues, on Monday had asked the justices to postpone further legal filings in the two cases and to remove them from their oral argument calendar. Biden`s administration already has announced plans to discontinue wall construction and suspend the asylum program, potentially making the cases moot.

The court was scheduled to hear arguments in the wall case on Feb. 22 and the asylum police case on March 1.

The cases involve two contentious issues left over from Trump`s turbulent four years in office.

The border wall was one of Trump`s central 2016 campaign promises, with his supporters chanting at rallies "build the wall." At issue was the legality of Trump`s decision, after Congress refused to appropriate money he sought for the wall, to shift military funds already provided by lawmakers for other purposes to pay for the project.

Trump called the wall necessary to curb illegal immigration and drug trafficking across the southern border. Democrats have called the wall immoral, ineffective and expensive. Trump promised during the 2016 presidential race that Mexico would pay for the wall. Mexico refused.

Trump in 2019 redirected $2.5 billion from military counter-narcotics programs for border wall construction in California, New Mexico and Arizona. Biden issued a proclamation on Jan. 20, his first day in office, ordering a freeze on border wall projects and directing a review of the legality of its funding and contracting methods.

The "remain in Mexico" policy, which took effect in 2019, has forced tens of thousands of migrants along the southern border to wait in Mexico, rather than entering the United States, while their asylum claims are processed.

Trump said the policy reduced the flow of migrants from Central America into the United States. Migrants in the program, many of them children, faced violence and homelessness in Mexico while awaiting court dates. Human rights groups have documented cases of kidnappings, rapes and assaults.

Biden`s Department of Homeland Security has said it will suspend new enrollments in the asylum program, pending further review. On Tuesday, Biden announced a formal review of the asylum program.

In both cases, lower courts ruled against the Trump administration. The Supreme Court last year agreed to hear the Trump administration`s appeals.

They are among several cases pending at the high court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, that Biden`s administration may seek to change course on after earlier action by Trump`s administration.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday canceled upcoming scheduled arguments in appeals filed by Republican former President Donald Trump`s administration defending his funding of the U.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday canceled upcoming scheduled arguments in appeals filed by Republican former President Donald Trump`s administration defending his funding of the U.S.-Mexico border wall and his so-called "remain in Mexico" asylum policy. Democratic President Joe Biden`s administration, which is in the process of changing course on both issues, on Monday had asked the justices to postpone further legal filings in the two cases and to remove them from their oral argument calendar. Biden`s administration already has announced plans to discontinue wall construction and suspend the asylum program, potentially making the cases moot. The court was scheduled to hear arguments in the wall case on Feb. 22 and the asylum police case on March 1. The cases involve two contentious issues left over from Trump`s turbulent four years in office. The border wall was one of Trump`s central 2016 campaign promises, with his supporters chanting at rallies "build the wall." At issue was the legality of Trump`s decision, after Congress refused to appropriate money he sought for the wall, to shift military funds already provided by lawmakers for other purposes to pay for the project. Trump called the wall necessary to curb illegal immigration and drug trafficking across the southern border. Democrats have called the wall immoral, ineffective and expensive. Trump promised during the 2016 presidential race that Mexico would pay for the wall. Mexico refused. Trump in 2019 redirected $2.5 billion from military counter-narcotics programs for border wall construction in California, New Mexico and Arizona. Biden issued a proclamation on Jan. 20, his first day in office, ordering a freeze on border wall projects and directing a review of the legality of its funding and contracting methods. The "remain in Mexico" policy, which took effect in 2019, has forced tens of thousands of migrants along the southern border to wait in Mexico, rather than entering the United States, while their asylum claims are processed. Trump said the policy reduced the flow of migrants from Central America into the United States. Migrants in the program, many of them children, faced violence and homelessness in Mexico while awaiting court dates. Human rights groups have documented cases of kidnappings, rapes and assaults. Biden`s Department of Homeland Security has said it will suspend new enrollments in the asylum program, pending further review. On Tuesday, Biden announced a formal review of the asylum program. In both cases, lower courts ruled against the Trump administration. The Supreme Court last year agreed to hear the Trump administration`s appeals. They are among several cases pending at the high court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, that Biden`s administration may seek to change course on after earlier action by Trump`s administration.

US Supreme Court scraps arguments in Trump-era immigration and wall cases

Former President Donald Trump&nbsp;said on Tuesday that the US Senate has no authority to try him as a private citizen on an impeachment charge that he incited the Capitol riots.

Trump&nbsp;became the first US president in history to be impeached twice when the House of Representatives charged him last month with inciting the mayhem inflicted by his followers when they invaded Congress on January 6.

Trump's defence team said that not only does the Senate lack the authority to put Trump on trial as a private citizen but that the chamber also lacks the jurisdiction to prevent Trump from holding office again.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/donald-trumps-impeachment-defense-team-leaves-less-than-two-weeks-before-trial-360411/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In a pre-trial brief, the House impeachment managers made their case for the Senate to convict, saying the American people should be protected "against a president who provokes violence to subvert our democracy."

Trump's impeachment was triggered by a speech he delivered to a crowd on the National Mall just before the riot, telling them Joe Biden had stolen the presidential election and that they needed to march on Congress and "fight like hell."

The mob stormed the Capitol, fatally wounded one police officer, wrecked furniture and forced terrified lawmakers and vice president Mike Pence to hide, interrupting a ceremony to put the legal stamp on Biden's victory.&nbsp;

The nine impeachment managers, all Democrats, argued in their sweeping 77-page document that&nbsp;Trump's speech had whipped the crowd into a "frenzy."

Trump, they said, "is singularly responsible for the violence and destruction" during the riot that left five people dead.

During his January&nbsp;6 speech, Trump repeated false claims that the election was fraudulent and exhorted supporters to march on the Capitol, telling them to "stop the steal," "show strength" and "fight like hell." The rampage interrupted the formal congressional certification of Democrat Joe Biden's election victory and sent lawmakers into hiding for their own safety.

"The Senate must make clear to him and all who follow that a president who provokes armed violence against the government of the United States in an effort to overturn the results of an election will face trial and judgment," the Democratic managers added.

Trump is just the third president to have been impeached, the first to be impeached twice and the first to face trial after leaving office. Members of the 100-seat Senate will serve as jurors in his trial.

Convicting Trump would require a two-thirds majority, meaning 17 Republicans would need to join the Senate's 50 Democrats in the vote. That presents a daunting hurdle. Last week, 45 of the 50 Republican senators voted in favour of a failed bid to dismiss the impeachment charge as unconstitutional because Trump has left office.

A conviction could lead to a second vote banning Trump from holding public office again.

The Tuesday deadline for briefs in the case came just days after he parted ways with his initial legal team amid a reported dispute over how to respond to the charge. Trump is still making his false claims of a stolen election.

In their brief, the Democratic impeachment managers said the Senate has jurisdiction to try Trump now because the House impeached him while in office for acts he committed as president.

"There is no 'January Exception' to impeachment or any other provision of the Constitution," the managers said. "Presidents do not get a free pass to commit high crimes and misdemeanours near the end of their term."

The brief made no mention of any witnesses the managers planned to call during the trial, though it did cite a phone call Trump placed to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger urging him to "find" just enough votes to undo Biden's victory in that state.

Trump's first impeachment trial, on charges of abuse of power and obstructing Congress arising from his request that Ukraine investigates Biden and his son Hunter, ended last year in an acquittal by the then Republican-led Senate.

A group of Republican former officials rebutted the argument that the trial was unconstitutional in an open letter released on Tuesday.

It is "essential to focus the nation on the gravity of what Trump did," the group said in a statement.

The three dozen former officials signing the letter included former Governors Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey and William Weld of Massachusetts and Carter Phillips, a veteran Washington litigator and assistant solicitor general under former President Ronald Reagan.

"It will be a permanent stain on the history of the Republican Party and the legacy of its members in the US&nbsp;Senate if they fail to find a way to hold a president of their party to account for this unprecedented mayhem at our nation's Capitol," the group wrote.

Former President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the US Senate has no authority to try him as a private citizen on an impeachment charge that he incited the Capitol riots.

Former President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that the US Senate has no authority to try him as a private citizen on an impeachment charge that he incited the Capitol riots. Trump became the first US president in history to be impeached twice when the House of Representatives charged him last month with inciting the mayhem inflicted by his followers when they invaded Congress on January 6. Trump's defence team said that not only does the Senate lack the authority to put Trump on trial as a private citizen but that the chamber also lacks the jurisdiction to prevent Trump from holding office again. In a pre-trial brief, the House impeachment managers made their case for the Senate to convict, saying the American people should be protected "against a president who provokes violence to subvert our democracy." Trump's impeachment was triggered by a speech he delivered to a crowd on the National Mall just before the riot, telling them Joe Biden had stolen the presidential election and that they needed to march on Congress and "fight like hell." The mob stormed the Capitol, fatally wounded one police officer, wrecked furniture and forced terrified lawmakers and vice president Mike Pence to hide, interrupting a ceremony to put the legal stamp on Biden's victory. The nine impeachment managers, all Democrats, argued in their sweeping 77-page document that Trump's speech had whipped the crowd into a "frenzy." Trump, they said, "is singularly responsible for the violence and destruction" during the riot that left five people dead. During his January 6 speech, Trump repeated false claims that the election was fraudulent and exhorted supporters to march on the Capitol, telling them to "stop the steal," "show strength" and "fight like hell." The rampage interrupted the formal congressional certification of Democrat Joe Biden's election victory and sent lawmakers into hiding for their own safety. "The Senate must make clear to him and all who follow that a president who provokes armed violence against the government of the United States in an effort to overturn the results of an election will face trial and judgment," the Democratic managers added. Trump is just the third president to have been impeached, the first to be impeached twice and the first to face trial after leaving office. Members of the 100-seat Senate will serve as jurors in his trial. Convicting Trump would require a two-thirds majority, meaning 17 Republicans would need to join the Senate's 50 Democrats in the vote. That presents a daunting hurdle. Last week, 45 of the 50 Republican senators voted in favour of a failed bid to dismiss the impeachment charge as unconstitutional because Trump has left office. A conviction could lead to a second vote banning Trump from holding public office again. The Tuesday deadline for briefs in the case came just days after he parted ways with his initial legal team amid a reported dispute over how to respond to the charge. Trump is still making his false claims of a stolen election. In their brief, the Democratic impeachment managers said the Senate has jurisdiction to try Trump now because the House impeached him while in office for acts he committed as president. "There is no 'January Exception' to impeachment or any other provision of the Constitution," the managers said. "Presidents do not get a free pass to commit high crimes and misdemeanours near the end of their term." The brief made no mention of any witnesses the managers planned to call during the trial, though it did cite a phone call Trump placed to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger urging him to "find" just enough votes to undo Biden's victory in that state. Trump's first impeachment trial, on charges of abuse of power and obstructing Congress arising from his request that Ukraine investigates Biden and his son Hunter, ended last year in an acquittal by the then Republican-led Senate. A group of Republican former officials rebutted the argument that the trial was unconstitutional in an open letter released on Tuesday. It is "essential to focus the nation on the gravity of what Trump did," the group said in a statement. The three dozen former officials signing the letter included former Governors Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey and William Weld of Massachusetts and Carter Phillips, a veteran Washington litigator and assistant solicitor general under former President Ronald Reagan. "It will be a permanent stain on the history of the Republican Party and the legacy of its members in the US Senate if they fail to find a way to hold a president of their party to account for this unprecedented mayhem at our nation's Capitol," the group wrote.

Donald Trump's lawyers say Senate has no authority to put him on trial

US lawmakers will question President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the nation’s top environmental regulator on Wednesday. Multiple reports have confirmed the interaction will be focussed on how he will execute the administration's goal of decarbonising the country's cars and power plants.

Michael Regan would be the first Black man to lead the Environmental Protection Agency if confirmed by the Senate, and would take the reins at a time the agency has been weakened by Trump-era budget and staff cuts and bitter partisan dispute over Biden's climate agenda.

As EPA chief, Biden would rely on him as a key leader in a government-wide approach to tackle global warming after four years during which his predecessor Donald Trump used the agency to dismantle regulation to boost drillers, electric generators, miners and manufacturers.

Senators said they would grill Regan about the administration’s climate change agenda.

Biden says the shift to clean energy will be a net-positive for jobs and the economy, while reducing pollution. He has already signed a slew of climate-focussed executive orders, including suspending federal drilling lease auctions and rejoining international efforts to fight climate change, and has also promised to zero-out power sector emissions by 2035 and accelerate electric car deployment.

Regan was formerly head of North Carolina’s environmental regulator, where he earned a reputation as a bipartisan consensus builder.

US lawmakers will question President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the nation’s top environmental regulator on Wednesday. Multiple reports have confirmed the interaction will be focussed on how he will execute the administration's goal of decarbonising the country's cars and power plants.

US lawmakers will question President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the nation’s top environmental regulator on Wednesday. Multiple reports have confirmed the interaction will be focussed on how he will execute the administration's goal of decarbonising the country's cars and power plants. Michael Regan would be the first Black man to lead the Environmental Protection Agency if confirmed by the Senate, and would take the reins at a time the agency has been weakened by Trump-era budget and staff cuts and bitter partisan dispute over Biden's climate agenda. As EPA chief, Biden would rely on him as a key leader in a government-wide approach to tackle global warming after four years during which his predecessor Donald Trump used the agency to dismantle regulation to boost drillers, electric generators, miners and manufacturers. Senators said they would grill Regan about the administration’s climate change agenda. Biden says the shift to clean energy will be a net-positive for jobs and the economy, while reducing pollution. He has already signed a slew of climate-focussed executive orders, including suspending federal drilling lease auctions and rejoining international efforts to fight climate change, and has also promised to zero-out power sector emissions by 2035 and accelerate electric car deployment. Regan was formerly head of North Carolina’s environmental regulator, where he earned a reputation as a bipartisan consensus builder.

US lawmakers to question Biden's EPA pick over climate agenda

Israel's Energy Minister has said that it would take it on just about six months to produce enough Nuclear fission material to enrich Uranium. Israel has said that it is extremely worry of Biden administration's intent to re-enter the 2015 Iranian Nuclear deal.

Israel criticizes Biden's bid to rejoin Iran Nuclear deal

US President Joe Biden signed three new executive orders to set up a task force to locate migrant families separated under the Trump administration, reshape US border and asylum policy and review restrictions made to the legal immigration system over the past four years.

US President Biden signs orders on legal immigration

The Democratic lawmakers who will prosecute former President Donald Trump at his second impeachment trial urged the Senate on Tuesday to convict him, saying he pointed a mob "like a loaded cannon" at the U.S. Capitol before a deadly Jan. 6 rampage.

In a brief filed a week before the Senate trial is set to begin, nine House of Representatives lawmakers known as impeachment managers also rejected Republican claims that it would be unconstitutional to try Trump since he became a private citizen after leaving office on Jan. 20. The Democrats urged the Senate to bar Trump from holding office again.

Trump also faced a Tuesday deadline to respond to the article of impeachment passed by the Democratic-led House on Jan. 13 charging him with inciting insurrection in his speech to supporters before rioters stormed the Capitol, leaving five people dead including a police officer.

"President Trump`s conduct offends everything that the Constitution stands for," the managers wrote in an 80-page brief that noted that Trump had begun voicing his intention to contest an election loss months before the Nov. 3 election was held.

"He summoned a mob to Washington, exhorted them into a frenzy, and aimed them like a loaded cannon down Pennsylvania Avenue.

As the Capitol was overrun, President Trump was reportedly `delighted,`" they said.

During his Jan. 6 speech, Trump repeated false claims that the election was fraudulent and exhorted supporters to march on the

Capitol, telling them to "stop the steal," "show strength" and "fight like hell." The rampage interrupted the formal congressional certification of Democrat Joe Biden`s election victory and sent lawmakers into hiding for their own safety.

"The Senate must make clear to him and all who follow that a president who provokes armed violence against the government of the United States in an effort to overturn the results of an election will face trial and judgment," the Democratic managers added.

Trump is just the third president to have been impeached, the first to be impeached twice and the first to face trial after leaving office. Members of the 100-seat Senate will serve as jurors in his trial.

Convicting Trump would require a two-thirds majority, meaning 17 Republicans would need to join the Senate`s 50 Democrats in the vote. That presents a daunting hurdle. Last week, 45 of the 50 Republican senators voted in favor of a failed bid to dismiss the impeachment charge as unconstitutional because Trump has left office.

A conviction could lead to a second vote banning Trump from holding public office again.

TRUMP RESPONSE DUE

The Tuesday deadline for a response by Trump comes just days after he parted ways with his initial legal team amid a reported dispute over how to respond to the charge. Trump is still making his false claims of a stolen election.

One of Trump`s recently hired lawyers, David Schoen, called the impeachment process "completely unconstitutional" in an interview with Fox News on Monday but did not outline the former president`s legal strategy.

"I think it`s also the most ill-advised legislative action that I`ve seen in my lifetime," Schoen said. "It is tearing the country apart at a time when we don`t need anything like that."

In their brief, the Democratic impeachment managers said the Senate has jurisdiction to try Trump now because the House impeached him while in office for acts he committed as president.

"There is no `January Exception` to impeachment or any other provision of the Constitution," the managers said.

The brief made no mention of any witnesses the managers planned to call during the trial, though it did cite a phone call Trump placed to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger urging him to "find" just enough votes to undo Biden`s victory in that state.

Trump`s first impeachment trial, on charges of abuse of power and obstructing Congress arising from his request that Ukraine investigate Biden and his son Hunter, ended last year in acquittal by the then Republican-led Senate.

A group of Republican former officials rebutted the argument that the trial was unconstitutional in an open letter released on Tuesday.

It is "essential to focus the nation on the gravity of what Mr. Trump did," the group said in a statement.

The three dozen former officials signing the letter included former Governors Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey and William Weld of Massachusetts and Carter Phillips, a veteran Washington litigator and assistant solicitor general under former President Ronald Reagan.

"It will be a permanent stain on the history of the Republican Party and the legacy of its members in the U.S. Senate if they fail to find a way&nbsp;to hold a president of their party to account for this unprecedented mayhem at our nation`s Capitol," the group wrote.

The Democratic lawmakers who will prosecute former President Donald Trump at his second impeachment trial urged the Senate on Tuesday to convict him, saying he pointed a mob "like a loaded cannon" at the U.

The Democratic lawmakers who will prosecute former President Donald Trump at his second impeachment trial urged the Senate on Tuesday to convict him, saying he pointed a mob "like a loaded cannon" at the U.S. Capitol before a deadly Jan. 6 rampage. In a brief filed a week before the Senate trial is set to begin, nine House of Representatives lawmakers known as impeachment managers also rejected Republican claims that it would be unconstitutional to try Trump since he became a private citizen after leaving office on Jan. 20. The Democrats urged the Senate to bar Trump from holding office again. Trump also faced a Tuesday deadline to respond to the article of impeachment passed by the Democratic-led House on Jan. 13 charging him with inciting insurrection in his speech to supporters before rioters stormed the Capitol, leaving five people dead including a police officer. "President Trump`s conduct offends everything that the Constitution stands for," the managers wrote in an 80-page brief that noted that Trump had begun voicing his intention to contest an election loss months before the Nov. 3 election was held. "He summoned a mob to Washington, exhorted them into a frenzy, and aimed them like a loaded cannon down Pennsylvania Avenue. As the Capitol was overrun, President Trump was reportedly `delighted,`" they said. During his Jan. 6 speech, Trump repeated false claims that the election was fraudulent and exhorted supporters to march on the Capitol, telling them to "stop the steal," "show strength" and "fight like hell." The rampage interrupted the formal congressional certification of Democrat Joe Biden`s election victory and sent lawmakers into hiding for their own safety. "The Senate must make clear to him and all who follow that a president who provokes armed violence against the government of the United States in an effort to overturn the results of an election will face trial and judgment," the Democratic managers added. Trump is just the third president to have been impeached, the first to be impeached twice and the first to face trial after leaving office. Members of the 100-seat Senate will serve as jurors in his trial. Convicting Trump would require a two-thirds majority, meaning 17 Republicans would need to join the Senate`s 50 Democrats in the vote. That presents a daunting hurdle. Last week, 45 of the 50 Republican senators voted in favor of a failed bid to dismiss the impeachment charge as unconstitutional because Trump has left office. A conviction could lead to a second vote banning Trump from holding public office again. TRUMP RESPONSE DUE The Tuesday deadline for a response by Trump comes just days after he parted ways with his initial legal team amid a reported dispute over how to respond to the charge. Trump is still making his false claims of a stolen election. One of Trump`s recently hired lawyers, David Schoen, called the impeachment process "completely unconstitutional" in an interview with Fox News on Monday but did not outline the former president`s legal strategy. "I think it`s also the most ill-advised legislative action that I`ve seen in my lifetime," Schoen said. "It is tearing the country apart at a time when we don`t need anything like that." In their brief, the Democratic impeachment managers said the Senate has jurisdiction to try Trump now because the House impeached him while in office for acts he committed as president. "There is no `January Exception` to impeachment or any other provision of the Constitution," the managers said. The brief made no mention of any witnesses the managers planned to call during the trial, though it did cite a phone call Trump placed to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger urging him to "find" just enough votes to undo Biden`s victory in that state. Trump`s first impeachment trial, on charges of abuse of power and obstructing Congress arising from his request that Ukraine investigate Biden and his son Hunter, ended last year in acquittal by the then Republican-led Senate. A group of Republican former officials rebutted the argument that the trial was unconstitutional in an open letter released on Tuesday. It is "essential to focus the nation on the gravity of what Mr. Trump did," the group said in a statement. The three dozen former officials signing the letter included former Governors Christine Todd Whitman of New Jersey and William Weld of Massachusetts and Carter Phillips, a veteran Washington litigator and assistant solicitor general under former President Ronald Reagan. "It will be a permanent stain on the history of the Republican Party and the legacy of its members in the U.S. Senate if they fail to find a way to hold a president of their party to account for this unprecedented mayhem at our nation`s Capitol," the group wrote.

Trump aimed mob like a 'loaded cannon' before Capitol siege, House Democrats say

President Joe Biden met with 10 moderate Republican senators on Monday (February 01) to discuss their proposal to shrink his sweeping $1.9 trillion U.S. COVID-19 relief package, even as Democrats prepare to push legislation through Congress without Republican support.

Biden meets Republicans as Dems push ahead on aid

US President Joe Biden called Monday on Myanmar's military to relinquish power immediately and ordered a review to consider reimposing sanctions lifted due to the nation's transition to democracy.

Myanmar's military seized power on Monday in a coup against the democratically elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who was detained along with other leaders of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party in early morning raids.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-military-coup-in-myanmar-360738/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"The international community should come together in one voice to press the Burmese military to immediately relinquish the power they have seized," Biden said.&nbsp;"The United States removed sanctions on Burma over the past decade based on progress toward democracy," Biden&nbsp;said in a statement, using Myanmar's former name.

"The reversal of that progress will necessitate an immediate review of our sanction laws and authorities, followed by appropriate action."

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/myanmars-aung-san-suu-kyi-asks-people-to-oppose-military-coup-and-protest-reports-360698" hreflang="en">Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi asks people to oppose military coup: Reports</a>

Biden&nbsp;said the coup was a direct assault on Myanmar's transition to democracy and the rule of law.

Western leaders condemned the coup by Myanmar's military against Aung San Suu Kyi's democratically elected government and hundreds of thousands of her supporters took to the social media to voice their anger at the takeover.

The sudden turn of events in the early hours of Monday derailed years of efforts to establish democracy in the poverty-stricken country and raised more questions over the prospect of returning a million Rohingya refugees.

The U.N. Security Council will meet on Tuesday, diplomats said, amid calls for a strong response to the detention of Suu Kyi and dozens of her political allies, although Myanmar's close ties with council member China will play into any decision.

The army handed power to military chief General Min Aung Hlaing and imposed a state of emergency for a year in the country, saying it had responded to what it called election fraud.

US President Joe Biden called Monday on Myanmar's military to relinquish power immediately and ordered a review to consider reimposing sanctions lifted due to the nation's transition to democracy.

US President Joe Biden called Monday on Myanmar's military to relinquish power immediately and ordered a review to consider reimposing sanctions lifted due to the nation's transition to democracy. Myanmar's military seized power on Monday in a coup against the democratically elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who was detained along with other leaders of her National League for Democracy (NLD) party in early morning raids. "The international community should come together in one voice to press the Burmese military to immediately relinquish the power they have seized," Biden said. "The United States removed sanctions on Burma over the past decade based on progress toward democracy," Biden said in a statement, using Myanmar's former name. "The reversal of that progress will necessitate an immediate review of our sanction laws and authorities, followed by appropriate action." Also read: Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi asks people to oppose military coup: Reports Biden said the coup was a direct assault on Myanmar's transition to democracy and the rule of law. Western leaders condemned the coup by Myanmar's military against Aung San Suu Kyi's democratically elected government and hundreds of thousands of her supporters took to the social media to voice their anger at the takeover. The sudden turn of events in the early hours of Monday derailed years of efforts to establish democracy in the poverty-stricken country and raised more questions over the prospect of returning a million Rohingya refugees. The U.N. Security Council will meet on Tuesday, diplomats said, amid calls for a strong response to the detention of Suu Kyi and dozens of her political allies, although Myanmar's close ties with council member China will play into any decision. The army handed power to military chief General Min Aung Hlaing and imposed a state of emergency for a year in the country, saying it had responded to what it called election fraud.

US President Joe Biden demands Myanmar military cede power, orders sanctions review

US President Joe Biden is slated to order a major review of asylum processing at its border with Mexico, and the legal immigration system as he seeks to undo some of former president Donald Trump's hard-line policies. He on Tuesday will also sign a series of executive orders overhauling the US immigration process, signalling a return to a more inclusive policy.

The Democratic president will&nbsp;create a task force to reunite migrant families who were separated at the US-Mexico border by Trump’s 2018 "zero tolerance" border strategy. He&nbsp;will also sign another executive order dealing with regional migration.

Biden's actions on Tuesday will follow six immigration orders he issued on his first day in office and will further jumpstart his ambitious pro-immigrant agenda that seeks to erase Trump's restrictive policies on legal and illegal immigration.

As part of the actions, he will call for a review of a Trump-era rule that made it harder for poorer immigrants to obtain permanent residency in the United States. He will also mandate a review of the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), a controversial programme that pushed 65,000 asylum seekers back to Mexico to wait for US court hearings. Most returned to their home countries but some remained in a makeshift camp near the Mexican border.

The Biden administration has already stopped adding people to the programme but crucially it has not yet outlined how it will process the claims of those already enrolled.

Chad Wolf, former acting US Department of Homeland Security secretary under Trump, said in an interview that halting the MPP programme was a mistake because it had been an effective deterrent to illegal immigration.

Biden's review of Trump’s so-called “public charge” rule is expected to start the process to rescind it, according to two people familiar with the plan. The rule makes it harder for immigrants who are poor or need government help to secure residency and stay in the country.

It remains unclear whether Biden's executive orders on Tuesday will address two Trump proclamations that banned the issuance of many work and immigrant visas, which Trump had said would protect American jobs during the coronavirus pandemic.

The working group will examine ways to reunite the families, officials said, without specifying whether that could allow parents or children who had been deported to return to US soil.

A second executive order echoes a similar policy under the Barack Obama administration, putting in place legal mechanisms for prospective immigrants in their home countries to apply for residency, allowing them to avoid dangerous smuggling routes.

The third decree will promote the integration of migrants legally settled in the United States and make naturalization "more accessible to the more than nine million immigrants who are currently eligible to apply" for citizenship.

Most of the reforms will be led by the Secretary of Homeland Security.

Biden has nominated Alejandro Mayorkas to the position, and the Senate will vote on his appointment midday Tuesday.

If confirmed, Mayorkas -- who arrived in the United States as an infant as the son of Cuban refugees -- will be the first Hispanic person to lead the Department of Homeland Security, a sprawling agency that oversees immigration issues, border police and emergency responses.

(with inputs from agencies)

US President Joe Biden is slated to order a major review of asylum processing at its border with Mexico, and the legal immigration system as he seeks to undo some of former president Donald Trump's hard-line policies.

US President Joe Biden is slated to order a major review of asylum processing at its border with Mexico, and the legal immigration system as he seeks to undo some of former president Donald Trump's hard-line policies. He on Tuesday will also sign a series of executive orders overhauling the US immigration process, signalling a return to a more inclusive policy. The Democratic president will create a task force to reunite migrant families who were separated at the US-Mexico border by Trump’s 2018 "zero tolerance" border strategy. He will also sign another executive order dealing with regional migration. Biden's actions on Tuesday will follow six immigration orders he issued on his first day in office and will further jumpstart his ambitious pro-immigrant agenda that seeks to erase Trump's restrictive policies on legal and illegal immigration. As part of the actions, he will call for a review of a Trump-era rule that made it harder for poorer immigrants to obtain permanent residency in the United States. He will also mandate a review of the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), a controversial programme that pushed 65,000 asylum seekers back to Mexico to wait for US court hearings. Most returned to their home countries but some remained in a makeshift camp near the Mexican border. The Biden administration has already stopped adding people to the programme but crucially it has not yet outlined how it will process the claims of those already enrolled. Chad Wolf, former acting US Department of Homeland Security secretary under Trump, said in an interview that halting the MPP programme was a mistake because it had been an effective deterrent to illegal immigration. Biden's review of Trump’s so-called “public charge” rule is expected to start the process to rescind it, according to two people familiar with the plan. The rule makes it harder for immigrants who are poor or need government help to secure residency and stay in the country. It remains unclear whether Biden's executive orders on Tuesday will address two Trump proclamations that banned the issuance of many work and immigrant visas, which Trump had said would protect American jobs during the coronavirus pandemic. The working group will examine ways to reunite the families, officials said, without specifying whether that could allow parents or children who had been deported to return to US soil. A second executive order echoes a similar policy under the Barack Obama administration, putting in place legal mechanisms for prospective immigrants in their home countries to apply for residency, allowing them to avoid dangerous smuggling routes. The third decree will promote the integration of migrants legally settled in the United States and make naturalization "more accessible to the more than nine million immigrants who are currently eligible to apply" for citizenship. Most of the reforms will be led by the Secretary of Homeland Security. Biden has nominated Alejandro Mayorkas to the position, and the Senate will vote on his appointment midday Tuesday. If confirmed, Mayorkas -- who arrived in the United States as an infant as the son of Cuban refugees -- will be the first Hispanic person to lead the Department of Homeland Security, a sprawling agency that oversees immigration issues, border police and emergency responses. (with inputs from agencies)

Biden to issue executive orders on asylum, legal immigration, separated families

When Joselaine Cordeiro arrived at the U.S. border in 2017, she spent seven months in immigration detention in Texas while her 14-year-old son, James, languished in a shelter in Chicago.

As the months wore on, her child’s case worker reported that he was depressed, and suggested putting him up for adoption. “I thought, my God, I will never see my child again,” recalled Cordeiro, who had fled an abusive husband in Brazil.

She and her son were among the first of more than 5,500 migrant families separated at the southwestern border under the Trump administration’s most hotly debated immigration policy — a program that President Joe Biden must now find a way to unravel years after the policy was abandoned.

On Tuesday, the White House is expected to announce a task force that will look at demands for restitution, expanded mental health services, the readmission of deported parents and possible permanent legal residency for families like Cordeiro’s who suffered lingering damage from a policy intended to make it too emotionally punishing for migrant families to attempt to cross into the United States.

More than 1,000 migrant children still in the United States likely remain separated from their parents, and another 500 or more were taken from their parents who have yet to be located, according to the latest estimates from lawyers working on the issue.

One of the continuing obstacles to reunification is that hundreds of parents have been deported to their home countries — places they had fled because of the danger there — and are fearful of having their children sent home to them. And some children are being deported even though their parents are still in the United States trying to obtain legal residence.

Cordeiro became the second named plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit that the American Civil Liberties Union brought against the family separation policy and that has accomplished much of the work of identifying relatives all over the world.

“When we brought this case in 2018, we never thought there would be thousands of families separated, much less that we would still be looking for hundreds of them three years later,” said Lee Gelernt, lead counsel in the ACLU lawsuit.

Having inherited the crisis, the Biden administration has committed to addressing it: On Tuesday, Biden is expected to announce a task force that will look at demands for restitution, expanded mental health services, the readmission of deported parents and possible permanent legal residency for families disrupted by separations.

The task force, with representatives from the departments of Homeland Security, Health and Human Services and State, will be headed by Alejandro Mayorkas, Biden’s pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security.

Biden has already encountered resistance to dismantling Trump administration policies, signaling roadblocks ahead. A federal court last week temporarily blocked his administration from enforcing a 100-day suspension of deportations until the judge considers a lawsuit brought by Texas. The Senate confirmation of Mayorkas was stalled by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo.

But given the firestorm that family separations generated across party lines, Biden will be asked to take a wide range of actions to make amends.

“There’s a clear moral imperative here,” said Oscar Chacón, executive director of Alianza Americas, an advocacy group. “At a minimum, they should be offered the opportunity to be reunited and settled in the U.S. as eventual permanent residents.”

In addition to proposals for legal residency and demands for financial compensation, some immigrant advocacy groups are calling for those in the senior levels of the Trump White House who were responsible for crafting and carrying out the policy to be held accountable.

That would include the chief architect of the policy, Stephen Miller, former President Donald Trump’s primary adviser on immigration, and the former attorney general, Jeff Sessions, who issued the official memorandum on “zero tolerance” in April 2018. Former senior officials at the Justice Department, as well as in the Department of Homeland Security, also could be included in accountability investigations.

Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, has called for the creation of a committee to investigate the policy and identify officials to be held responsible and face consequences.

The policy epitomized the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration. According to a report issued last month by the Justice Department’s inspector general, top department officials were a “driving force” behind the decision to separate families in their quest to fulfill Trump’s agenda.

Nearly 3,000 migrant children were separated from their parents while zero tolerance was in force. It later emerged that another 1,000 families had been separated during a pilot program conducted in 2017 near El Paso, Texas. And even after Trump officially rescinded the policy, border authorities removed more than 1,000 children from their families, sometimes for reasons as minor as committing a traffic infraction or failing to change a baby’s diaper, according to court documents.

The revelation late in the presidential campaign that parents of hundreds of children had yet to be found by a committee charged with contacting families created outrage anew, prompting Biden to promise to address the families’ plight. Two-thirds of the parents are believed to be in their home countries, including some whose children may be living in the United States, and a third are believed to be in the United States but might have gone under the radar because of their own fears of being deported.

Some advocates said it was vital that the White House push for legislation to prevent such extreme punitive measures from being employed as a deterrence tool in the future.

“We must right the wrongs committed and make sure this doesn’t happen again under another administration,” said Jennifer Podkul, vice president for policy and advocacy for Kids in Need of Defense, which represents some of the families.

Locating missing parents will continue to be a daunting task. Contact information for many parents is outdated or unavailable, and conditions in Central America make searches on the ground difficult and dangerous. The coronavirus pandemic and hurricanes have caused further delays. Some families, understanding their children to be in safe hands, have not answered their phones or have declined to talk after what they endured.

Even if the Biden administration is willing to offer green cards to parents who were deported, the logistics will be challenging because many remain suspicious of the government and worry they will be arrested again. It is also not clear whether the issue of redress for the effects of family separation will be folded into Biden’s broader immigration plans, which some Republicans might oppose.

Unless Biden revamps border procedures, further separations will almost certainly occur when Border Patrol agents suspect that someone accompanying a child is not a parent or a legal guardian. Some parents lack birth certificates and documents to prove lineage. Border officials are tasked with guarding against the trafficking of children across borders.

In Cordeiro’s case, after months had passed, she finally found a friend willing to take her son from the shelter. But the authorities told her that the woman did not qualify because she was not related.

After acting out, James was administered antidepressants and other drugs, according to his mother.

When she finally was released seven months later, red tape delayed their reunification by another two months.

They are now living in the Boston area, and James has been weaned off the medication, Cordeiro said, but he has few friends and spends most of his time alone. “I never imagined a government would do this to human beings,” she said. “It was pure cruelty.”

Among parents hoping that Biden’s administration will allow them back into the United States is a woman from El Salvador named Xiomara, who was deported without her daughter after they were separated at the border on Mother’s Day in 2018.

“I can hardly wait for the day when I will wake up from this nightmare,” said Xiomara, 34, who spoke on condition that she be identified only by her first name because of security concerns.

One of her last acts of motherhood was to bathe and dress her daughter, after being told by border officials that Briselda, then 8, would be taken away. She said she watched helplessly as officials escorted Briselda to join a line of children, most of them crying, who were waiting to board a van bound for the airport.

For her daughter’s safety, Xiomara said she had preferred that Briselda remain in the United States with family rather than return to her in El Salvador. They are in regular contact over WhatsApp, she said, but the distance has taken an emotional toll, and Xiomara has battled depression and recently started seeing a therapist.

Others continue to suffer repercussions despite being reunited.

Fifteen days passed before Oscar, an immigrant from Honduras who was locked up in McAllen, Texas, heard from his son, Daniel, then 8, from whom he had been separated.

“I felt mad. I was going crazy,” recalled Oscar, 35, who spoke on condition that he be identified only by his middle name.

On a tearful call, his son told him he was staying in a shelter in Houston. Father and son were reunited after 33 days, thanks to a judge’s order, and they moved to Charlotte, North Carolina.

Since then, Oscar has been grappling with how to help his son, whom he described as “not the same boy since we were separated.” Daniel runs away whenever he sees someone in police uniform and wakes up screaming at night, Oscar said.

Recently, Oscar learned that his child had been ordered deported even though his own case is still pending, a result of Daniel’s immigration case not being transferred to North Carolina and consolidated with his father’s.

He struggles to imagine what would happen to his son in Honduras without him.

“I pray to God that this country won’t separate us again,” Oscar said.

When Joselaine Cordeiro arrived at the U.S. border in 2017, she spent seven months in immigration detention in Texas while her 14-year-old son, James, languished in a shelter in Chicago.

When Joselaine Cordeiro arrived at the U.S. border in 2017, she spent seven months in immigration detention in Texas while her 14-year-old son, James, languished in a shelter in Chicago. As the months wore on, her child’s case worker reported that he was depressed, and suggested putting him up for adoption. “I thought, my God, I will never see my child again,” recalled Cordeiro, who had fled an abusive husband in Brazil. She and her son were among the first of more than 5,500 migrant families separated at the southwestern border under the Trump administration’s most hotly debated immigration policy — a program that President Joe Biden must now find a way to unravel years after the policy was abandoned. On Tuesday, the White House is expected to announce a task force that will look at demands for restitution, expanded mental health services, the readmission of deported parents and possible permanent legal residency for families like Cordeiro’s who suffered lingering damage from a policy intended to make it too emotionally punishing for migrant families to attempt to cross into the United States. More than 1,000 migrant children still in the United States likely remain separated from their parents, and another 500 or more were taken from their parents who have yet to be located, according to the latest estimates from lawyers working on the issue. One of the continuing obstacles to reunification is that hundreds of parents have been deported to their home countries — places they had fled because of the danger there — and are fearful of having their children sent home to them. And some children are being deported even though their parents are still in the United States trying to obtain legal residence. Cordeiro became the second named plaintiff in a class-action lawsuit that the American Civil Liberties Union brought against the family separation policy and that has accomplished much of the work of identifying relatives all over the world. “When we brought this case in 2018, we never thought there would be thousands of families separated, much less that we would still be looking for hundreds of them three years later,” said Lee Gelernt, lead counsel in the ACLU lawsuit. Having inherited the crisis, the Biden administration has committed to addressing it: On Tuesday, Biden is expected to announce a task force that will look at demands for restitution, expanded mental health services, the readmission of deported parents and possible permanent legal residency for families disrupted by separations. The task force, with representatives from the departments of Homeland Security, Health and Human Services and State, will be headed by Alejandro Mayorkas, Biden’s pick to lead the Department of Homeland Security. Biden has already encountered resistance to dismantling Trump administration policies, signaling roadblocks ahead. A federal court last week temporarily blocked his administration from enforcing a 100-day suspension of deportations until the judge considers a lawsuit brought by Texas. The Senate confirmation of Mayorkas was stalled by Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo. But given the firestorm that family separations generated across party lines, Biden will be asked to take a wide range of actions to make amends. “There’s a clear moral imperative here,” said Oscar Chacón, executive director of Alianza Americas, an advocacy group. “At a minimum, they should be offered the opportunity to be reunited and settled in the U.S. as eventual permanent residents.” In addition to proposals for legal residency and demands for financial compensation, some immigrant advocacy groups are calling for those in the senior levels of the Trump White House who were responsible for crafting and carrying out the policy to be held accountable. That would include the chief architect of the policy, Stephen Miller, former President Donald Trump’s primary adviser on immigration, and the former attorney general, Jeff Sessions, who issued the official memorandum on “zero tolerance” in April 2018. Former senior officials at the Justice Department, as well as in the Department of Homeland Security, also could be included in accountability investigations. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, has called for the creation of a committee to investigate the policy and identify officials to be held responsible and face consequences. The policy epitomized the Trump administration’s crackdown on illegal immigration. According to a report issued last month by the Justice Department’s inspector general, top department officials were a “driving force” behind the decision to separate families in their quest to fulfill Trump’s agenda. Nearly 3,000 migrant children were separated from their parents while zero tolerance was in force. It later emerged that another 1,000 families had been separated during a pilot program conducted in 2017 near El Paso, Texas. And even after Trump officially rescinded the policy, border authorities removed more than 1,000 children from their families, sometimes for reasons as minor as committing a traffic infraction or failing to change a baby’s diaper, according to court documents. The revelation late in the presidential campaign that parents of hundreds of children had yet to be found by a committee charged with contacting families created outrage anew, prompting Biden to promise to address the families’ plight. Two-thirds of the parents are believed to be in their home countries, including some whose children may be living in the United States, and a third are believed to be in the United States but might have gone under the radar because of their own fears of being deported. Some advocates said it was vital that the White House push for legislation to prevent such extreme punitive measures from being employed as a deterrence tool in the future. “We must right the wrongs committed and make sure this doesn’t happen again under another administration,” said Jennifer Podkul, vice president for policy and advocacy for Kids in Need of Defense, which represents some of the families. Locating missing parents will continue to be a daunting task. Contact information for many parents is outdated or unavailable, and conditions in Central America make searches on the ground difficult and dangerous. The coronavirus pandemic and hurricanes have caused further delays. Some families, understanding their children to be in safe hands, have not answered their phones or have declined to talk after what they endured. Even if the Biden administration is willing to offer green cards to parents who were deported, the logistics will be challenging because many remain suspicious of the government and worry they will be arrested again. It is also not clear whether the issue of redress for the effects of family separation will be folded into Biden’s broader immigration plans, which some Republicans might oppose. Unless Biden revamps border procedures, further separations will almost certainly occur when Border Patrol agents suspect that someone accompanying a child is not a parent or a legal guardian. Some parents lack birth certificates and documents to prove lineage. Border officials are tasked with guarding against the trafficking of children across borders. In Cordeiro’s case, after months had passed, she finally found a friend willing to take her son from the shelter. But the authorities told her that the woman did not qualify because she was not related. After acting out, James was administered antidepressants and other drugs, according to his mother. When she finally was released seven months later, red tape delayed their reunification by another two months. They are now living in the Boston area, and James has been weaned off the medication, Cordeiro said, but he has few friends and spends most of his time alone. “I never imagined a government would do this to human beings,” she said. “It was pure cruelty.” Among parents hoping that Biden’s administration will allow them back into the United States is a woman from El Salvador named Xiomara, who was deported without her daughter after they were separated at the border on Mother’s Day in 2018. “I can hardly wait for the day when I will wake up from this nightmare,” said Xiomara, 34, who spoke on condition that she be identified only by her first name because of security concerns. One of her last acts of motherhood was to bathe and dress her daughter, after being told by border officials that Briselda, then 8, would be taken away. She said she watched helplessly as officials escorted Briselda to join a line of children, most of them crying, who were waiting to board a van bound for the airport. For her daughter’s safety, Xiomara said she had preferred that Briselda remain in the United States with family rather than return to her in El Salvador. They are in regular contact over WhatsApp, she said, but the distance has taken an emotional toll, and Xiomara has battled depression and recently started seeing a therapist. Others continue to suffer repercussions despite being reunited. Fifteen days passed before Oscar, an immigrant from Honduras who was locked up in McAllen, Texas, heard from his son, Daniel, then 8, from whom he had been separated. “I felt mad. I was going crazy,” recalled Oscar, 35, who spoke on condition that he be identified only by his middle name. On a tearful call, his son told him he was staying in a shelter in Houston. Father and son were reunited after 33 days, thanks to a judge’s order, and they moved to Charlotte, North Carolina. Since then, Oscar has been grappling with how to help his son, whom he described as “not the same boy since we were separated.” Daniel runs away whenever he sees someone in police uniform and wakes up screaming at night, Oscar said. Recently, Oscar learned that his child had been ordered deported even though his own case is still pending, a result of Daniel’s immigration case not being transferred to North Carolina and consolidated with his father’s. He struggles to imagine what would happen to his son in Honduras without him. “I pray to God that this country won’t separate us again,” Oscar said.

Biden faces pressure to make amends on family separation

Two people were killed as the Afghan capital was rocked Tuesday by a series of rush-hour car bombs, officials said, while a police vehicle was targeted in an attack north of Kabul.

Attacks during the morning commute have become a favoured tactic of insurgents, who remotely detonate bombs attached to target vehicles.&nbsp;

Police spokesman Ferdaws Faramarz told reporters two people were killed and two injured in a first blast, while a second targeting an interior ministry vehicle wounded two security personnel.

There were no reports of casualties from a third blast.

Deadly violence has ravaged the country in recent months -- particularly in Kabul, with near-daily attacks against government officials, security personnel, journalists and other prominent Afghans.

Separately, a police vehicle was targeted north of Kabul in Parwan province, but the blast caused no casualties, police said.

Peace talks between the warring Taliban and Afghan government were launched in September in Qatar, but progress has been slow.

The new US administration of President Joe Biden has said it will review a landmark deal Washington made with the Taliban last year after accusing the insurgents of ramping up violence.&nbsp;

Two people were killed as the Afghan capital was rocked Tuesday by a series of rush-hour car bombs, officials said, while a police vehicle was targeted in an attack north of Kabul.

Two people were killed as the Afghan capital was rocked Tuesday by a series of rush-hour car bombs, officials said, while a police vehicle was targeted in an attack north of Kabul. Attacks during the morning commute have become a favoured tactic of insurgents, who remotely detonate bombs attached to target vehicles. Police spokesman Ferdaws Faramarz told reporters two people were killed and two injured in a first blast, while a second targeting an interior ministry vehicle wounded two security personnel. There were no reports of casualties from a third blast. Deadly violence has ravaged the country in recent months -- particularly in Kabul, with near-daily attacks against government officials, security personnel, journalists and other prominent Afghans. Separately, a police vehicle was targeted north of Kabul in Parwan province, but the blast caused no casualties, police said. Peace talks between the warring Taliban and Afghan government were launched in September in Qatar, but progress has been slow. The new US administration of President Joe Biden has said it will review a landmark deal Washington made with the Taliban last year after accusing the insurgents of ramping up violence.

Two killed as bombs rock Afghan capital

Ten Republican senators are set to meet with President Joe Biden on Monday to push a much smaller alternative to his $1.9 trillion stimulus bill to address the toll of the pandemic, including scaling back another round of direct payments from the government.

The coalition of mostly centrist Republican senators, led by Susan Collins of Maine, on Monday outlined their $618 billion plan, which they are billing as a way for Biden to pass a pandemic aid bill with bipartisan support and make good on his inauguration pledge to unite the country.

With 10 Republicans on board joining the Senate’s 50 Democrats, a bipartisan bill could overcome the chamber’s 60-vote filibuster rule. But Democrats have shown little enthusiasm for a measure that amounts to less than one third of what the president says is needed to confront the public health and economic crisis.

Still, after receiving a letter from the senators Sunday requesting a meeting, Biden called Collins and invited her and the other signers to the White House, where they are scheduled to meet Monday evening. He also spoke with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader.

The Republicans’ proposal is likely to be met with resistance from congressional Democrats, who are preparing this week to begin laying the groundwork for passing Biden’s plan through a process known as budget reconciliation, which would allow it to bypass a filibuster and pass solely with Democratic votes.

The Republican proposal would include $160 billion for vaccine distribution and development, coronavirus testing and the production of personal protective equipment; $20 billion toward helping schools reopen; more relief for small businesses; and additional aid to individuals.

The package would also extend enhanced unemployment benefits of $300 a week — currently slated to lapse in March — until June 30.

“We recognize your calls for unity and want to work in good faith with your administration to meet the health, economic and societal challenges of the COVID crisis,” wrote the Republican group, which includes Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Mitt Romney of Utah.

The measure omits a federal minimum wage increase Biden included in his plan. It would also whittle down his proposal to send $1,400 checks to many Americans, and limit it to lower-income earners.

The proposal calls for checks of up to $1,000 for individuals making $50,000 a year or less and families with a combined income of up to $100,000, with individuals earning less than $40,000 — and families earning less than $80,000 — receiving the full amount. Previous rounds of direct payments were targeted to Americans earning less than $99,000 annually, with those earning less than $75,000 receiving the full amount.

“Let’s focus on those who are struggling,” Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, a member of the group, said Sunday on the CNN program “State of the Union.”

Biden and Democrats have said they want to work with Republicans, but will press ahead without them if they cannot win agreement on a robust response.

“His first responsibility as president is to help take care of the families who need it,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said of Biden on Sunday, telling CNN that he should move ahead with his full plan if Republicans would not agree.

Congress approved more than $4 trillion through a series of bills last year to address the coronavirus crisis and its economic fallout. Most recently, in December, lawmakers passed a $900 billion stimulus plan that included $600 direct checks to many Americans.

That package sprang from a compromise forged by many of the same centrist Republicans who are to meet with Biden on Monday, who joined moderate Democrats to force their leaders to the negotiating table to find common ground.

Ten Republican senators are set to meet with President Joe Biden on Monday to push a much smaller alternative to his $1.9 trillion stimulus bill to address the toll of the pandemic, including scaling back another round of direct payments from the government.

Ten Republican senators are set to meet with President Joe Biden on Monday to push a much smaller alternative to his $1.9 trillion stimulus bill to address the toll of the pandemic, including scaling back another round of direct payments from the government. The coalition of mostly centrist Republican senators, led by Susan Collins of Maine, on Monday outlined their $618 billion plan, which they are billing as a way for Biden to pass a pandemic aid bill with bipartisan support and make good on his inauguration pledge to unite the country. With 10 Republicans on board joining the Senate’s 50 Democrats, a bipartisan bill could overcome the chamber’s 60-vote filibuster rule. But Democrats have shown little enthusiasm for a measure that amounts to less than one third of what the president says is needed to confront the public health and economic crisis. Still, after receiving a letter from the senators Sunday requesting a meeting, Biden called Collins and invited her and the other signers to the White House, where they are scheduled to meet Monday evening. He also spoke with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California and Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader. The Republicans’ proposal is likely to be met with resistance from congressional Democrats, who are preparing this week to begin laying the groundwork for passing Biden’s plan through a process known as budget reconciliation, which would allow it to bypass a filibuster and pass solely with Democratic votes. The Republican proposal would include $160 billion for vaccine distribution and development, coronavirus testing and the production of personal protective equipment; $20 billion toward helping schools reopen; more relief for small businesses; and additional aid to individuals. The package would also extend enhanced unemployment benefits of $300 a week — currently slated to lapse in March — until June 30. “We recognize your calls for unity and want to work in good faith with your administration to meet the health, economic and societal challenges of the COVID crisis,” wrote the Republican group, which includes Sens. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Mitt Romney of Utah. The measure omits a federal minimum wage increase Biden included in his plan. It would also whittle down his proposal to send $1,400 checks to many Americans, and limit it to lower-income earners. The proposal calls for checks of up to $1,000 for individuals making $50,000 a year or less and families with a combined income of up to $100,000, with individuals earning less than $40,000 — and families earning less than $80,000 — receiving the full amount. Previous rounds of direct payments were targeted to Americans earning less than $99,000 annually, with those earning less than $75,000 receiving the full amount. “Let’s focus on those who are struggling,” Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, a member of the group, said Sunday on the CNN program “State of the Union.” Biden and Democrats have said they want to work with Republicans, but will press ahead without them if they cannot win agreement on a robust response. “His first responsibility as president is to help take care of the families who need it,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., said of Biden on Sunday, telling CNN that he should move ahead with his full plan if Republicans would not agree. Congress approved more than $4 trillion through a series of bills last year to address the coronavirus crisis and its economic fallout. Most recently, in December, lawmakers passed a $900 billion stimulus plan that included $600 direct checks to many Americans. That package sprang from a compromise forged by many of the same centrist Republicans who are to meet with Biden on Monday, who joined moderate Democrats to force their leaders to the negotiating table to find common ground.

Centrist Republicans outline relief package before meeting Biden

Ten moderate Republican U.S. senators urged President Joe Biden on Sunday to significantly downsize his sweeping $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package to win bipartisan support as Democrats in Congress prepared to push ahead with his plan this week.

Republicans press Biden to downsize $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief plan

Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny's anti-corruption foundation has urged US President Joe Biden&nbsp;to impose sanctions on at least eight high profile Russian figures which the foundation says is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Navalny's foundation (FBK) said it had submitted a list of 35 people in total in a letter addressed to Biden with eight named on a ''priority shortlist''.The letter said that seven of the 35 individuals are already on US sanctions lists.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/russias-interior-ministry-warns-citizens-to-not-join-pro-navalny-protests-360393/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

The move comes ahead of nationwide protests planned this weekend in support of Navalny, who is being held in detention ahead of a court hearing next week&nbsp;on charges of violating the terms of a 2014 suspended sentence.&nbsp;

Russian police detained 5,021 people on Sunday&nbsp;at unauthorised rallies nationwide in support of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei&nbsp;Navalny, the OVD-Info monitoring group said.

Also see:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/toilet-brushes-and-blue-pants-unusual-symbols-of-russias-protests-360362" hreflang="en">Toilet brushes and blue pants: Unusual symbols of Russia's protests</a>

'Harsh tactics'

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Twitter condemned "the persistent use of harsh tactics against peaceful protesters and journalists by Russian authorities for a second week straight".

The Russian foreign ministry hit back, accusing the United States of&nbsp;"gross interference" in its affairs and of using "online platforms controlled by Washington" to promote the protests.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also said he deplored the "widespread detentions and disproportionate use of force" against protesters and journalists.

"Russia needs to comply with its international commitments," he added in a tweet.

Navalny, 44, was arrested on January&nbsp;17 after returning to Moscow from Germany where he had been recovering from a nerve agent poisoning in Russia last summer. He accuses President Vladimir Putin of ordering his murder, which the Kremlin denies.

His dramatic return to Moscow despite the obvious threat of arrest and the second straight weekend of protests at his jailing pose a challenge for Putin who has dominated the Russian political landscape for over two decades.

Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny's anti-corruption foundation has urged US President Joe Biden to impose sanctions on at least eight high profile Russian figures which the foundation says is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny's anti-corruption foundation has urged US President Joe Biden to impose sanctions on at least eight high profile Russian figures which the foundation says is close to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Navalny's foundation (FBK) said it had submitted a list of 35 people in total in a letter addressed to Biden with eight named on a ''priority shortlist''.The letter said that seven of the 35 individuals are already on US sanctions lists. The move comes ahead of nationwide protests planned this weekend in support of Navalny, who is being held in detention ahead of a court hearing next week on charges of violating the terms of a 2014 suspended sentence. Russian police detained 5,021 people on Sunday at unauthorised rallies nationwide in support of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, the OVD-Info monitoring group said. Also see: Toilet brushes and blue pants: Unusual symbols of Russia's protests 'Harsh tactics' US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Twitter condemned "the persistent use of harsh tactics against peaceful protesters and journalists by Russian authorities for a second week straight". The Russian foreign ministry hit back, accusing the United States of "gross interference" in its affairs and of using "online platforms controlled by Washington" to promote the protests. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell also said he deplored the "widespread detentions and disproportionate use of force" against protesters and journalists. "Russia needs to comply with its international commitments," he added in a tweet. Navalny, 44, was arrested on January 17 after returning to Moscow from Germany where he had been recovering from a nerve agent poisoning in Russia last summer. He accuses President Vladimir Putin of ordering his murder, which the Kremlin denies. His dramatic return to Moscow despite the obvious threat of arrest and the second straight weekend of protests at his jailing pose a challenge for Putin who has dominated the Russian political landscape for over two decades.

Navalny's foundation calls on Biden to sanction Putin allies

Former US President Donald Trump&nbsp;announced Sunday that he had hired two new lawyers to head his defence team for his historic second impeachment trial.

Lawyers David Schoen and Bruce Castor will head the defence effort in the trial set to begin on February&nbsp;9, Trump's office said in a statement. Schoen had already been helping Trump and advisers prepare for the proceedings, according to the former president's office.

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Butch Bowers and Deborah Barbier, both South Carolina lawyers, have left the defence team in what one person described as a ''mutual decision''&nbsp;that reflected a difference of opinion on the direction of the case.&nbsp;The change injects fresh uncertainty into the makeup and strategy of his defence team.

Trump, who left office January 20, faces trial on a charge that he incited the mob that stormed the US Capitol building in an effort to block his election loss to President Joe Biden.

The trial is historic both because it stems from&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;being impeached a second time during his four years in the White House, and is the first of a former United States president.&nbsp;

Forty-five Senate Republicans backed a failed effort last week to halt Trump’s impeachment trial, in a show of party unity that some cited as a clear sign Trump will not be convicted of inciting insurrection at the Capitol.

The trial, in which&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;faces a charge of "incitement of insurrection" is to begin on February 9.

But with just five Republicans joining all 50 Democrats this week in agreeing that the trial should go forward, it appears unlikely that 17 Republicans would vote against&nbsp;Trump, the minimum number needed to reach the two-thirds threshold for conviction.

Schoen previously represented Trump's former adviser Roger Stone, who was convicted in November 2019 of lying under oath to lawmakers investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election. Trump pardoned Stone in December 2020, weeks before leaving the office on January&nbsp;20.

Castor is a former Pennsylvania district attorney known for his decision not to prosecute entertainer Bill Cosby in 2005 after a woman accused Cosby of sexual assault. In 2017, Castor sued Cosby's accuser in the case for defamation, claiming she destroyed his political career in retaliation.

Cosby, 83, is now serving a three-to-10-year sentence in a state prison near Philadelphia after being found guilty in a 2018 trial of drugging and raping a onetime friend at his home in 2004.

Former US President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he had hired two new lawyers to head his defence team for his historic second impeachment trial. Lawyers David Schoen and Bruce Castor will head the defence effort in the trial set to begin on February 9, Trump's office said in a statement.

Former US President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he had hired two new lawyers to head his defence team for his historic second impeachment trial. Lawyers David Schoen and Bruce Castor will head the defence effort in the trial set to begin on February 9, Trump's office said in a statement. Schoen had already been helping Trump and advisers prepare for the proceedings, according to the former president's office. Butch Bowers and Deborah Barbier, both South Carolina lawyers, have left the defence team in what one person described as a ''mutual decision'' that reflected a difference of opinion on the direction of the case. The change injects fresh uncertainty into the makeup and strategy of his defence team. Trump, who left office January 20, faces trial on a charge that he incited the mob that stormed the US Capitol building in an effort to block his election loss to President Joe Biden. The trial is historic both because it stems from Trump being impeached a second time during his four years in the White House, and is the first of a former United States president. Forty-five Senate Republicans backed a failed effort last week to halt Trump’s impeachment trial, in a show of party unity that some cited as a clear sign Trump will not be convicted of inciting insurrection at the Capitol. The trial, in which Trump faces a charge of "incitement of insurrection" is to begin on February 9. But with just five Republicans joining all 50 Democrats this week in agreeing that the trial should go forward, it appears unlikely that 17 Republicans would vote against Trump, the minimum number needed to reach the two-thirds threshold for conviction. Schoen previously represented Trump's former adviser Roger Stone, who was convicted in November 2019 of lying under oath to lawmakers investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election. Trump pardoned Stone in December 2020, weeks before leaving the office on January 20. Castor is a former Pennsylvania district attorney known for his decision not to prosecute entertainer Bill Cosby in 2005 after a woman accused Cosby of sexual assault. In 2017, Castor sued Cosby's accuser in the case for defamation, claiming she destroyed his political career in retaliation. Cosby, 83, is now serving a three-to-10-year sentence in a state prison near Philadelphia after being found guilty in a 2018 trial of drugging and raping a onetime friend at his home in 2004.

Trump names two new lawyers to lead his impeachment defence team in Senate trial

There he was on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, the Boss himself, the opening act on the night of the virtual inaugural ball. His song was “Land of Hope and Dreams.” “Leave behind your sorrows,” he sang. “Let this day be the last. Tomorrow there’ll be sunshine and all this darkness past.”

I got all weepy listening to Bruce Springsteen perform, especially with the Great Emancipator looking over his shoulder. Still, if you’re part of an L.G.B.T.Q. family in this country, it was hard not to wonder if a more on-the-nose song for him to sing that night might have been his “One Step Up and Two Steps Back.”

The “one step up” was self-evident. Before the sun had set on his first day, President Biden had signed an executive order extending federal nondiscrimination protections for L.G.B.T.Q. people.

“Children should be able to learn without worrying about whether they will be denied access to the restroom, the locker room, or school sports,” the order stated. “Adults should be able to earn a living and pursue a vocation knowing that they will not be fired, demoted or mistreated because of whom they go home to or because how they dress does not conform to sex-based stereotypes.”

More good news followed five days later, when the ban on trans troops was lifted. “What I’m doing is enabling all qualified Americans to serve in uniform,” the president said. It hardly seems crazy, radical stuff.

And yet some see extending rights to all Americans as radical indeed. How else to explain that “two steps back” has been on full display, too, this January. As if in response to the prospect of things getting better for queer Americans at the federal level, Republicans in statehouses from Montana to New Hampshire have introduced a slew of anti-L.G.B.T.Q. bills.

With the coronavirus raging, the economy shattered and white supremacy on the rise, Republican legislators have pushed to the top of their agenda young queer people trying to live their lives safely, and in peace.

Transgender youth — surely the most vulnerable of the already vulnerable L.G.B.T.Q. community — are the target. On the day after the election, Ryan T. Anderson, a fellow at the Heritage Foundation, lamented to The Washington Post, “On the same day he called for healing and unity, President Joe Biden signed a radical divisive transgender executive order that threatens the privacy and safety of women in single-sex facilities, equality and fairness in single-sex sports, and good medicine based on the reality that males and females are biologically different.”

This would be the now-familiar conservative canard that granting equal rights to queer people somehow endangers the womenfolk. Is now a good moment to point out, once again, that more Republican congressmen have been busted for inappropriate behavior in public restrooms than trans women?

Bills restricting trans students from participating in athletics have now been introduced in Florida, Kentucky, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee. Other bills that would penalize or criminalize medical professionals who provide services to young trans and nonbinary people have been proposed in Alabama, Indiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Texas and Utah.

You’d think that legislation affecting the lives of so many young people would be based on hard research and science. But then science has ceased to be a primary concern of social conservatives.

Science shows us that sex is not binary — that it is, like so much of creation, wild and holy in its remarkable variation. We know that trans youth who get access to needed care before the age of 15 face significantly lower risks for attempted suicide, depression, anxiety and eating disorders.

Are conservative parents truly so distressed by the prospect of young people coming out as trans or nonbinary that they would deny them treatment? Is having a nonbinary child so terrible, in their eyes, that it would be better to condemn them to years of depression rather than embrace them? Is having a trans daughter actually worse, in their eyes, than having a dead son?

The movement to deny trans students the opportunity to participate in school sports is likewise spurious. If the argument is that birth sex provides an automatic advantage in sports, this is clearly not borne out by the facts. Trans athletes have been allowed in Olympic competition since 2003, but no trans athlete has made it to the Olympics. Transgender athletes have been able to compete on college teams consistent with their gender identity for the past nine years, without any particular disruption to women’s collegiate sports.

In fact, trans women aren’t dominating the events in which we compete; it’s only with the rare gold medal that hackles rise. (The track cyclist Jen Wagner-Assali accused a trans competitor, Rachel McKinnon, of cheating when she won a 2018 world championship in which Wagner-Assali placed third. She failed to mention she had beaten McKinnon in seven of 12 previous races.)

It’s enough to make you wonder whether the Alliance Defending Freedom, one of the organizations driving these bills, is really out to defend, you know, freedom.

Given that the alliance has been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, it seems to me that what it really wants to defend is not freedom, but its opposite: bigotry against people whose fundamental experience of being human is not identical to their own. What about my freedom? Who will defend me, and the people I love?

I believe that no one in this country is a bigger Bruce Springsteen fan than my wife, Deirdre. The Saturday after the inauguration, I found her drinking coffee in the living room, listening to “Land of Hopes and Dreams” on the radio. Tomorrow there’ll be sunshine, and all this darkness past.

In the wake of the president signing the executive orders, #BidenErasesWomen had trended on Twitter, the hashtag signaling the fear of conservatives and so-called trans-exclusionary radical feminists (“terfs”) that making room for someone like me has to come at the expense of cis women like Deirdre.

But Deirdre wasn’t erased at all. She was as visible as can be. She looked at me and smiled.

What she seemed, above all, was happy that the person she loves is once again considered an American with the same rights as everyone else: a woman free at last to pursue her dreams in peace.

There he was on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, the Boss himself, the opening act on the night of the virtual inaugural ball. His song was “Land of Hope and Dreams.

There he was on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, the Boss himself, the opening act on the night of the virtual inaugural ball. His song was “Land of Hope and Dreams.” “Leave behind your sorrows,” he sang. “Let this day be the last. Tomorrow there’ll be sunshine and all this darkness past.” I got all weepy listening to Bruce Springsteen perform, especially with the Great Emancipator looking over his shoulder. Still, if you’re part of an L.G.B.T.Q. family in this country, it was hard not to wonder if a more on-the-nose song for him to sing that night might have been his “One Step Up and Two Steps Back.” The “one step up” was self-evident. Before the sun had set on his first day, President Biden had signed an executive order extending federal nondiscrimination protections for L.G.B.T.Q. people. “Children should be able to learn without worrying about whether they will be denied access to the restroom, the locker room, or school sports,” the order stated. “Adults should be able to earn a living and pursue a vocation knowing that they will not be fired, demoted or mistreated because of whom they go home to or because how they dress does not conform to sex-based stereotypes.” More good news followed five days later, when the ban on trans troops was lifted. “What I’m doing is enabling all qualified Americans to serve in uniform,” the president said. It hardly seems crazy, radical stuff. And yet some see extending rights to all Americans as radical indeed. How else to explain that “two steps back” has been on full display, too, this January. As if in response to the prospect of things getting better for queer Americans at the federal level, Republicans in statehouses from Montana to New Hampshire have introduced a slew of anti-L.G.B.T.Q. bills. With the coronavirus raging, the economy shattered and white supremacy on the rise, Republican legislators have pushed to the top of their agenda young queer people trying to live their lives safely, and in peace. Transgender youth — surely the most vulnerable of the already vulnerable L.G.B.T.Q. community — are the target. On the day after the election, Ryan T. Anderson, a fellow at the Heritage Foundation, lamented to The Washington Post, “On the same day he called for healing and unity, President Joe Biden signed a radical divisive transgender executive order that threatens the privacy and safety of women in single-sex facilities, equality and fairness in single-sex sports, and good medicine based on the reality that males and females are biologically different.” This would be the now-familiar conservative canard that granting equal rights to queer people somehow endangers the womenfolk. Is now a good moment to point out, once again, that more Republican congressmen have been busted for inappropriate behavior in public restrooms than trans women? Bills restricting trans students from participating in athletics have now been introduced in Florida, Kentucky, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Carolina and Tennessee. Other bills that would penalize or criminalize medical professionals who provide services to young trans and nonbinary people have been proposed in Alabama, Indiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Texas and Utah. You’d think that legislation affecting the lives of so many young people would be based on hard research and science. But then science has ceased to be a primary concern of social conservatives. Science shows us that sex is not binary — that it is, like so much of creation, wild and holy in its remarkable variation. We know that trans youth who get access to needed care before the age of 15 face significantly lower risks for attempted suicide, depression, anxiety and eating disorders. Are conservative parents truly so distressed by the prospect of young people coming out as trans or nonbinary that they would deny them treatment? Is having a nonbinary child so terrible, in their eyes, that it would be better to condemn them to years of depression rather than embrace them? Is having a trans daughter actually worse, in their eyes, than having a dead son? The movement to deny trans students the opportunity to participate in school sports is likewise spurious. If the argument is that birth sex provides an automatic advantage in sports, this is clearly not borne out by the facts. Trans athletes have been allowed in Olympic competition since 2003, but no trans athlete has made it to the Olympics. Transgender athletes have been able to compete on college teams consistent with their gender identity for the past nine years, without any particular disruption to women’s collegiate sports. In fact, trans women aren’t dominating the events in which we compete; it’s only with the rare gold medal that hackles rise. (The track cyclist Jen Wagner-Assali accused a trans competitor, Rachel McKinnon, of cheating when she won a 2018 world championship in which Wagner-Assali placed third. She failed to mention she had beaten McKinnon in seven of 12 previous races.) It’s enough to make you wonder whether the Alliance Defending Freedom, one of the organizations driving these bills, is really out to defend, you know, freedom. Given that the alliance has been designated a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, it seems to me that what it really wants to defend is not freedom, but its opposite: bigotry against people whose fundamental experience of being human is not identical to their own. What about my freedom? Who will defend me, and the people I love? I believe that no one in this country is a bigger Bruce Springsteen fan than my wife, Deirdre. The Saturday after the inauguration, I found her drinking coffee in the living room, listening to “Land of Hopes and Dreams” on the radio. Tomorrow there’ll be sunshine, and all this darkness past. In the wake of the president signing the executive orders, #BidenErasesWomen had trended on Twitter, the hashtag signaling the fear of conservatives and so-called trans-exclusionary radical feminists (“terfs”) that making room for someone like me has to come at the expense of cis women like Deirdre. But Deirdre wasn’t erased at all. She was as visible as can be. She looked at me and smiled. What she seemed, above all, was happy that the person she loves is once again considered an American with the same rights as everyone else: a woman free at last to pursue her dreams in peace.

One step up and two steps back

A group of 10 Republican senators have written President Joe Biden to propose an alternative to his massive Covid-19 relief plan, arguing that their approach could garner the bipartisan support he has said he seeks.

Senator Susan Collins, a moderate Republican from Maine, said on Twitter that she had joined the group, which asked the president in a letter Friday for a meeting to discuss their plan.

She said the group would release details of their plan on Monday.

"We've received the letter and we certainly will be reviewing it," Brian Deese, director of the president's National Economic Council, told CNN.

He said Biden was "open to ideas," but stressed that action was needed immediately.

The president's $1.9 trillion plan, he added, had been "calibrated to the economic crisis that we face," which he said had left some 30 million people without enough to eat.

Biden unveiled his plan on January 14, saying it was urgently needed to bring the Covid-19 pandemic under control and help pull the nation out of a deep economic slump.&nbsp;

The Biden plan would provide checks to families, funds to help safely reopen schools, money to accelerate Covid-19 testing and vaccine distribution, financial support for struggling small businesses, and increased food aid for those in need.

Republicans say the bill is far too costly at a time of historic debt levels, and with Congress already having committed some $4 trillion to pandemic relief. They want aid more closely targeted to those in need.

Republicans also want a separate vote on raising the federal minimum wage -- which Biden's plan would boost from $7.25 an hour to $15.

If Senate Democrats hold together in support of Biden's plan, the 10 Republican senators would give them enough support to pass the bill under normal procedure, which requires 60 out of 100 votes.&nbsp;

Democrats have said that if necessary they will turn to a process known as reconciliation, which would allow them to pass the package with a simple majority.

The Democrats control 50 seats in the upper chamber, but ties are broken by Vice President Kamala Harris. They also hold a narrow majority in the House of Representatives.

Biden said on Friday that "I support passing Covid relief with support from Republicans if we can get it. But Covid relief has to pass. There's no ifs, ands or buts."&nbsp;

Independent-minded Senator Bernie Sanders struck a similar tone on Sunday.

"If Republicans want to work with us, they have better ideas on how to address those crises, that's great," he told ABC's "This Week."

But he quickly added that he was "absolutely confident" that Democrats could stick together and pass the relief bill through reconciliation. 
&nbsp;

A group of 10 Republican senators have written President Joe Biden to propose an alternative to his massive Covid-19 relief plan, arguing that their approach could garner the bipartisan support he has said he seeks.

A group of 10 Republican senators have written President Joe Biden to propose an alternative to his massive Covid-19 relief plan, arguing that their approach could garner the bipartisan support he has said he seeks. Senator Susan Collins, a moderate Republican from Maine, said on Twitter that she had joined the group, which asked the president in a letter Friday for a meeting to discuss their plan. She said the group would release details of their plan on Monday. "We've received the letter and we certainly will be reviewing it," Brian Deese, director of the president's National Economic Council, told CNN. He said Biden was "open to ideas," but stressed that action was needed immediately. The president's $1.9 trillion plan, he added, had been "calibrated to the economic crisis that we face," which he said had left some 30 million people without enough to eat. Biden unveiled his plan on January 14, saying it was urgently needed to bring the Covid-19 pandemic under control and help pull the nation out of a deep economic slump. The Biden plan would provide checks to families, funds to help safely reopen schools, money to accelerate Covid-19 testing and vaccine distribution, financial support for struggling small businesses, and increased food aid for those in need. Republicans say the bill is far too costly at a time of historic debt levels, and with Congress already having committed some $4 trillion to pandemic relief. They want aid more closely targeted to those in need. Republicans also want a separate vote on raising the federal minimum wage -- which Biden's plan would boost from $7.25 an hour to $15. If Senate Democrats hold together in support of Biden's plan, the 10 Republican senators would give them enough support to pass the bill under normal procedure, which requires 60 out of 100 votes. Democrats have said that if necessary they will turn to a process known as reconciliation, which would allow them to pass the package with a simple majority. The Democrats control 50 seats in the upper chamber, but ties are broken by Vice President Kamala Harris. They also hold a narrow majority in the House of Representatives. Biden said on Friday that "I support passing Covid relief with support from Republicans if we can get it. But Covid relief has to pass. There's no ifs, ands or buts." Independent-minded Senator Bernie Sanders struck a similar tone on Sunday. "If Republicans want to work with us, they have better ideas on how to address those crises, that's great," he told ABC's "This Week." But he quickly added that he was "absolutely confident" that Democrats could stick together and pass the relief bill through reconciliation.

Ten Republicans propose alternate Covid relief plan to Biden

US' new Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen took charge amid weak economic rebound. As President Biden received his first formal economic briefing from Treasury Chief Yellen, he renewed the call of speedy actions on passing another stimulus package.

Biden, Yellen push for mega relief package

Britain's Queen Elizabeth will most likely host new US President Joe Biden and other world leaders at Buckingham Palace before a summit of the G7 big economies scheduled between June 11 and 13.

The Sunday Times newspaper described the event as as a "soft power" reception, adding the Queen would be joined by the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

Britain has announced plans to hold the first in-person summit of the G7 for nearly two years in June in Cornwall, southwest England. Prime Minister Boris Johnson hopes the meeting will forge a consensus that the global economy must recover from the COVID-19 pandemic in a pro-free trade and sustainable way.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to participate in events in the lead up to and during the summit in the coastal region of Cornwall after India was invited as a guest country to join the Group of Seven -- the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US -- by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.&nbsp;

According to 'The Sunday Times', the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is keen for the royal family to have a strong presence as part of a pre-summit and post-Brexit charm offensive of world leaders.

"There is a desire from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to have a very strong royal presence before G7 events, and all senior members of the royal family will be part of what happens," the newspaper quoted a senior royal source as saying.

The 94-year-old Queen, who has been based at her Windsor Castle home in south-east England through the coronavirus lockdown since last year, will be hoping to return to her London palace and get a calendar of activities going at Buckingham Palace after a year of pared-down events.

A one-on-one meeting between the monarch and the new US President is set to be her first significant diplomatic engagement after she returns to London.

According to royal aides quoted by the newspaper, Charles has already written to Biden to congratulate him on his appointment and is said to be delighted with a series of executive orders signed by the new president which address climate change and the environment, overturning many of Donald Trump's policies.

During his UK state visit in 2019, Trump had broken with the tradition of arriving at Buckingham Palace in a motorcade, choosing to fly in by helicopter instead.

In another apparent breach of royal protocol, he had famously greeted the monarch with a fist bump instead of a handshake. The Queen has met every US president since the start of her reign in 1952, except Lyndon B Johnson, with Biden now expected to be the next in line for a royal interaction.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth will most likely host new US President Joe Biden and other world leaders at Buckingham Palace before a summit of the G7 big economies scheduled between June 11 and 13.

Britain's Queen Elizabeth will most likely host new US President Joe Biden and other world leaders at Buckingham Palace before a summit of the G7 big economies scheduled between June 11 and 13. The Sunday Times newspaper described the event as as a "soft power" reception, adding the Queen would be joined by the Prince of Wales, the Duchess of Cornwall and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. Britain has announced plans to hold the first in-person summit of the G7 for nearly two years in June in Cornwall, southwest England. Prime Minister Boris Johnson hopes the meeting will forge a consensus that the global economy must recover from the COVID-19 pandemic in a pro-free trade and sustainable way. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to participate in events in the lead up to and during the summit in the coastal region of Cornwall after India was invited as a guest country to join the Group of Seven -- the UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the US -- by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. According to 'The Sunday Times', the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) is keen for the royal family to have a strong presence as part of a pre-summit and post-Brexit charm offensive of world leaders. "There is a desire from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office to have a very strong royal presence before G7 events, and all senior members of the royal family will be part of what happens," the newspaper quoted a senior royal source as saying. The 94-year-old Queen, who has been based at her Windsor Castle home in south-east England through the coronavirus lockdown since last year, will be hoping to return to her London palace and get a calendar of activities going at Buckingham Palace after a year of pared-down events. A one-on-one meeting between the monarch and the new US President is set to be her first significant diplomatic engagement after she returns to London. According to royal aides quoted by the newspaper, Charles has already written to Biden to congratulate him on his appointment and is said to be delighted with a series of executive orders signed by the new president which address climate change and the environment, overturning many of Donald Trump's policies. During his UK state visit in 2019, Trump had broken with the tradition of arriving at Buckingham Palace in a motorcade, choosing to fly in by helicopter instead. In another apparent breach of royal protocol, he had famously greeted the monarch with a fist bump instead of a handshake. The Queen has met every US president since the start of her reign in 1952, except Lyndon B Johnson, with Biden now expected to be the next in line for a royal interaction.

UK's Queen may host Biden at Buckingham Palace before G7 summit in June

An heiress to the Publix Super Markets chain donated about $300,000 to fund a rally that preceded the deadly storming of the U.S. Capitol this month by supporters of former President Donald Trump, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.

The Journal said the funding from Julie Jenkins Fancelli, a prominent donor to Trump`s 2020 campaign, was facilitated by far-right show host Alex Jones. It said her money paid for the lion`s share of the roughly $500,000 rally at the Ellipse park where Trump spoke and urged his supporters to "to fight."

More than 135 people have been arrested in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol as Congress met to certify Democrat Joe Biden`s victory in the November election. Five people including a Capitol Police officer died.

According to the Journal, Jones personally pledged more than $50,000 in seed money for the rally in exchange for a speaking slot of his choice. Jones, who has publicized discredited conspiracy theories, has hosted leaders of the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, two extremist groups that were prominent at the riot, on his popular radio and internet video shows, it said.

Jones did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Fancelli could not immediately be reached for comment.

In a Twitter post, Publix Super Markets said Fancelli is not an employee of the chain, "and is neither involved in our business operations, nor does she represent the company in any way. We cannot comment on Mrs. Fancelli`s actions."

An heiress to the Publix Super Markets chain donated about $300,000 to fund a rally that preceded the deadly storming of the U.S. Capitol this month by supporters of former President Donald Trump, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.

An heiress to the Publix Super Markets chain donated about $300,000 to fund a rally that preceded the deadly storming of the U.S. Capitol this month by supporters of former President Donald Trump, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday. The Journal said the funding from Julie Jenkins Fancelli, a prominent donor to Trump`s 2020 campaign, was facilitated by far-right show host Alex Jones. It said her money paid for the lion`s share of the roughly $500,000 rally at the Ellipse park where Trump spoke and urged his supporters to "to fight." More than 135 people have been arrested in connection with the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol as Congress met to certify Democrat Joe Biden`s victory in the November election. Five people including a Capitol Police officer died. According to the Journal, Jones personally pledged more than $50,000 in seed money for the rally in exchange for a speaking slot of his choice. Jones, who has publicized discredited conspiracy theories, has hosted leaders of the Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers, two extremist groups that were prominent at the riot, on his popular radio and internet video shows, it said. Jones did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Fancelli could not immediately be reached for comment. In a Twitter post, Publix Super Markets said Fancelli is not an employee of the chain, "and is neither involved in our business operations, nor does she represent the company in any way. We cannot comment on Mrs. Fancelli`s actions."

Top Trump donor funded rally that preceded US Capitol riot, report says

On abortion, the White House said Biden was ordering the government to review rules under Donald Trump's administration.

U.S. President Joe Biden reverses restrictions on access to abortion

US President Joe Biden has called Russian President Vladimir Putin to immediately release the jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.

Biden speaks to Putin, calls for Alexei Navalny's release

Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani urged the new US administration Friday to step up pressure on the Taliban and not rush to withdraw more troops.

Ghani said the Taliban have failed to live up to conditions agreed in their February 2020 deal with the United States to reduce attacks in Afghanistan and sever longstanding ties to Al-Qaeda.

"The United States and NATO must take a very strong stand on the conditions-based approach," Ghani said in an online address to the Aspen Security Forum.

"They signed an agreement; that agreement now needs to be implemented."

Even though Taliban and Afghan government negotiators opened peace talks in Doha last year, violence in Afghanistan has soared.&nbsp;

Ghani said the Taliban must admit to attacking government forces and conducting a string of assassinations of public figures.&nbsp;

The Taliban exploited former president Donald Trump's rush to pull US forces from Afghanistan to continue attacking government forces, Ghani suggested.

After the US-Taliban deal last year, US officials assured Kabul "there will be a ceasefire or a very substantial reduction of violence," Ghani said.

"Instead, violence has peaked," he said.&nbsp;

And rather than pursuing peace talks in good faith, "the Taliban are finding one excuse after another not to meet."

&nbsp;'They will not let go'&nbsp;

Ghani said he spoke with new US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday and was assured that President Joe Biden's administration would review matters by sending a new team to Afghanistan, and would consult more closely with Kabul.

"We couldn't be more pleased with the early focused, systematic attention and a dialogue between two partners that have mutually sacrificed and have a mutual interest," he said.

The Taliban believe they defeated the US and that NATO forces in Afghanistan are "on the run", Ghani said.

"Now, robust diplomacy and a stand on conditions-based approaches will enable us all hopefully to resume meaningful discussion," he added.

The United States has about 2,500 troops in Afghanistan, down from close to 13,000 a year ago.

In the Trump administration's withdrawal deal with the Taliban, the US was supposed to pull all troops out by May 2021 in return for security pledges from the insurgents.

Ghani said US forces need to remain, without specifying how many. He said he expected Biden to make "the right decision."

"NATO without US enablers cannot continue its mission," he said.

If the "Taliban realise that they can prevail through violence, they will not let go," he added.&nbsp;

"A combination of presence, plus diplomacy, bringing US tools of power in a concentrated manner.... would be extremely crucial to our success."

In separate comments, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the Biden administration supports the framework for an Afghanistan peace deal established in the US-Taliban agreement.

He said the administration is "taking a hard look" at how much the Taliban is meeting the conditions it agreed to -- on reducing violence, cutting ties with Al-Qaeda, and genuinely negotiating with the Kabul government.

"In that context we will make decisions about our force posture, and our diplomatic strategy going forward," he said at the US Institute for Peace.

Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani urged the new US administration Friday to step up pressure on the Taliban and not rush to withdraw more troops. Ghani said the Taliban have failed to live up to conditions agreed in their February 2020 deal with the United States to reduce attacks in Afghanistan and sever longstanding ties to Al-Qaeda.

Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani urged the new US administration Friday to step up pressure on the Taliban and not rush to withdraw more troops. Ghani said the Taliban have failed to live up to conditions agreed in their February 2020 deal with the United States to reduce attacks in Afghanistan and sever longstanding ties to Al-Qaeda. "The United States and NATO must take a very strong stand on the conditions-based approach," Ghani said in an online address to the Aspen Security Forum. "They signed an agreement; that agreement now needs to be implemented." Even though Taliban and Afghan government negotiators opened peace talks in Doha last year, violence in Afghanistan has soared. Ghani said the Taliban must admit to attacking government forces and conducting a string of assassinations of public figures. The Taliban exploited former president Donald Trump's rush to pull US forces from Afghanistan to continue attacking government forces, Ghani suggested. After the US-Taliban deal last year, US officials assured Kabul "there will be a ceasefire or a very substantial reduction of violence," Ghani said. "Instead, violence has peaked," he said. And rather than pursuing peace talks in good faith, "the Taliban are finding one excuse after another not to meet." 'They will not let go' Ghani said he spoke with new US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday and was assured that President Joe Biden's administration would review matters by sending a new team to Afghanistan, and would consult more closely with Kabul. "We couldn't be more pleased with the early focused, systematic attention and a dialogue between two partners that have mutually sacrificed and have a mutual interest," he said. The Taliban believe they defeated the US and that NATO forces in Afghanistan are "on the run", Ghani said. "Now, robust diplomacy and a stand on conditions-based approaches will enable us all hopefully to resume meaningful discussion," he added. The United States has about 2,500 troops in Afghanistan, down from close to 13,000 a year ago. In the Trump administration's withdrawal deal with the Taliban, the US was supposed to pull all troops out by May 2021 in return for security pledges from the insurgents. Ghani said US forces need to remain, without specifying how many. He said he expected Biden to make "the right decision." "NATO without US enablers cannot continue its mission," he said. If the "Taliban realise that they can prevail through violence, they will not let go," he added. "A combination of presence, plus diplomacy, bringing US tools of power in a concentrated manner.... would be extremely crucial to our success." In separate comments, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said the Biden administration supports the framework for an Afghanistan peace deal established in the US-Taliban agreement. He said the administration is "taking a hard look" at how much the Taliban is meeting the conditions it agreed to -- on reducing violence, cutting ties with Al-Qaeda, and genuinely negotiating with the Kabul government. "In that context we will make decisions about our force posture, and our diplomatic strategy going forward," he said at the US Institute for Peace.

Afghanistan's Ghani urges Biden to up pressure on Taliban

The US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a> visited wounded soldiers in the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center recently for the first time since he took control of the White House.

Biden, a frequent visitor of the medical facility, met with soldiers who were on active duty and also the retired service members who are receiving treatment at the facility.

Calling them as 'real heroes', he said, "These kids are amazing, and thank God there’s not as many people to visit."

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-first-lady-to-help-reunite-migrant-kids-with-parents-360280" hreflang="en">US first lady to help reunite migrant kids with parents</a>

The Walter Reed National Military Medical Center holds a special place for Biden since his son, Beau, died in the hospital.

Biden's son, Beau Biden, died in the same hospital in 2015 of brain cancer.&nbsp;He served as a major in the Delaware Army National Guard and was admitted to Water Reed hospital for his treatment.

Joe and his wife have since then been thankful to the hospital and its staff for taking care of his son "in his final days with great grace and dignity."

Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghanistans-ghani-urges-biden-to-up-pressure-on-taliban-360183" hreflang="en">Afghanistan's Ghani urges Biden to up pressure on Taliban</a>

The Bidens used to frequently visit the hospital even before 2015 when Joe Biden was serving as the Vice President of the US in the Obama administration. The couple used to also visit the hospital on Christmas Day to spread cheer for the soldiers of the country.

This was Biden's one of the first outdoor visits to an establishment since he took an oath to serve the country on Januayr 20, after winning the recently-concluded US election against twice-impeached President Donald Trump.

Other than this, Biden has only twice stepped out in the pubic day — the first being a visit to the Lincoln Memorial as a celebration on the Inauguration Day evening and the second was a visit to the church last Sunday.

The US President Joe Biden visited wounded soldiers in the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center recently for the first time since he took control of the White House.

The US President Joe Biden visited wounded soldiers in the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center recently for the first time since he took control of the White House. Biden, a frequent visitor of the medical facility, met with soldiers who were on active duty and also the retired service members who are receiving treatment at the facility. Calling them as 'real heroes', he said, "These kids are amazing, and thank God there’s not as many people to visit." Also read| US first lady to help reunite migrant kids with parents The Walter Reed National Military Medical Center holds a special place for Biden since his son, Beau, died in the hospital. Biden's son, Beau Biden, died in the same hospital in 2015 of brain cancer. He served as a major in the Delaware Army National Guard and was admitted to Water Reed hospital for his treatment. Joe and his wife have since then been thankful to the hospital and its staff for taking care of his son "in his final days with great grace and dignity." Also read| Afghanistan's Ghani urges Biden to up pressure on Taliban The Bidens used to frequently visit the hospital even before 2015 when Joe Biden was serving as the Vice President of the US in the Obama administration. The couple used to also visit the hospital on Christmas Day to spread cheer for the soldiers of the country. This was Biden's one of the first outdoor visits to an establishment since he took an oath to serve the country on Januayr 20, after winning the recently-concluded US election against twice-impeached President Donald Trump. Other than this, Biden has only twice stepped out in the pubic day — the first being a visit to the Lincoln Memorial as a celebration on the Inauguration Day evening and the second was a visit to the church last Sunday.

Joe Biden visits Walter Reed hospital to meet wounded US soldiers

US first lady Jill Biden will participate in efforts by her husband's administration to reunite families split apart by former president Donald Trump's hardline immigration policies, the White House said Friday.

In line with his campaign promises, President Joe Biden plans to announce on Tuesday "his launch of a task force on reunifying families and children. Something that he is personally committed to, his wife Dr Biden is personally committed to and invested in," said White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki.

The task force will be under the command of Alejandro Mayorkas, who is due to be confirmed by the Senate as head of the Department for Homeland Security on Monday, she added.

Jill Biden, 69, has a doctorate in education and plans to keep teaching at a university close to Washington while her husband serves as president.

In December, she visited a migrant camp in Mexico, close to the border with Texas. "We are a welcoming nation, but that's not the message that we're sending at the border," she said at the time.&nbsp;

Her tone was in marked contrast with her predecessor Melania Trump, who in 2018 visited children who had been locked up by her husband's policy of "zero tolerance" at the border and who wore a jacket with the logo, "I really don't care, do u?"

Trump's government separated hundreds of migrant families, with very young children being taken away from their parents, some of whom were then deported.&nbsp;

The plight of the children, &nbsp;taken from their parents and locked in detention centers, provoked such an outcry, even from some in the ranks of Trump's own Republican party, that he was forced to backpedal. A judge later ordered that the families be reunited.&nbsp;

Authorities identified more than 2,700 children who needed to be reunited with their parents.

But the parents of 611 children have yet to be located, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU).&nbsp;

Most of the parents who were deported remain stuck in their country of origin, the ACLU has said, calling on the US government to allow them to legally return to the United States.

US first lady Jill Biden will participate in efforts by her husband's administration to reunite families split apart by former president Donald Trump's hardline immigration policies, the White House said Friday.

US first lady Jill Biden will participate in efforts by her husband's administration to reunite families split apart by former president Donald Trump's hardline immigration policies, the White House said Friday. In line with his campaign promises, President Joe Biden plans to announce on Tuesday "his launch of a task force on reunifying families and children. Something that he is personally committed to, his wife Dr Biden is personally committed to and invested in," said White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki. The task force will be under the command of Alejandro Mayorkas, who is due to be confirmed by the Senate as head of the Department for Homeland Security on Monday, she added. Jill Biden, 69, has a doctorate in education and plans to keep teaching at a university close to Washington while her husband serves as president. In December, she visited a migrant camp in Mexico, close to the border with Texas. "We are a welcoming nation, but that's not the message that we're sending at the border," she said at the time. Her tone was in marked contrast with her predecessor Melania Trump, who in 2018 visited children who had been locked up by her husband's policy of "zero tolerance" at the border and who wore a jacket with the logo, "I really don't care, do u?" Trump's government separated hundreds of migrant families, with very young children being taken away from their parents, some of whom were then deported. The plight of the children, taken from their parents and locked in detention centers, provoked such an outcry, even from some in the ranks of Trump's own Republican party, that he was forced to backpedal. A judge later ordered that the families be reunited. Authorities identified more than 2,700 children who needed to be reunited with their parents. But the parents of 611 children have yet to be located, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Most of the parents who were deported remain stuck in their country of origin, the ACLU has said, calling on the US government to allow them to legally return to the United States.

US first lady to help reunite migrant kids with parents

A New York judge Friday increased pressure on former President Donald Trump’s family business and several associates, ordering them to give state investigators documents in a civil inquiry into whether the company misstated assets to get bank loans and tax benefits.

It was the second blow that the judge, Arthur F. Engoron of state Supreme Court in Manhattan, had dealt to Trump’s company in recent weeks.

In December, he ordered the company, the Trump Organization, to produce records that its lawyers had tried to shield, including some related to a Westchester County, New York, property that is among those being scrutinized by the New York state attorney general, Letitia James.

On Friday, Engoron went further, saying that even more documents, as well as communications with a law firm hired by the Trump Organization, had to be handed over to James’ office. In doing so, he rejected the lawyers’ claim that the documents at issue were covered by the attorney-client privilege.

The ruling was a fresh reminder that Trump — who left office about a week ago under the cloud of impeachment and is headed for a Senate trial on a charge of “incitement of insurrection” after his supporters stormed the Capitol in a violent rampage — faces significant legal jeopardy as a private citizen.

The most serious threats confronting the former president include a criminal investigation by the Manhattan district attorney and the civil inquiry by the attorney general into possible fraud in Trump’s business dealings before he was elected.

James’ investigation began in March 2019, after Michael Cohen, the former president’s onetime lawyer, told Congress that Trump had inflated his assets in financial statements to secure bank loans and understated them elsewhere to reduce his tax bill.

Investigators in James’ office have focused their attention on an array of transactions, including a financial restructuring of the Trump International Hotel &amp;amp; Tower in Chicago in 2010 that resulted in the Fortress Credit Corp. forgiving debt worth more than $100 million.

James’ office has said in court documents that the Trump Organization — Trump’s main business vehicle — had thwarted efforts to determine how that money was reflected in its tax filings, and whether it was declared as income, as the law typically requires.

A New York judge Friday increased pressure on former President Donald Trump’s family business and several associates, ordering them to give state investigators documents in a civil inquiry into whether the company misstated assets to get bank loans and tax benefits.

A New York judge Friday increased pressure on former President Donald Trump’s family business and several associates, ordering them to give state investigators documents in a civil inquiry into whether the company misstated assets to get bank loans and tax benefits. It was the second blow that the judge, Arthur F. Engoron of state Supreme Court in Manhattan, had dealt to Trump’s company in recent weeks. In December, he ordered the company, the Trump Organization, to produce records that its lawyers had tried to shield, including some related to a Westchester County, New York, property that is among those being scrutinized by the New York state attorney general, Letitia James. On Friday, Engoron went further, saying that even more documents, as well as communications with a law firm hired by the Trump Organization, had to be handed over to James’ office. In doing so, he rejected the lawyers’ claim that the documents at issue were covered by the attorney-client privilege. The ruling was a fresh reminder that Trump — who left office about a week ago under the cloud of impeachment and is headed for a Senate trial on a charge of “incitement of insurrection” after his supporters stormed the Capitol in a violent rampage — faces significant legal jeopardy as a private citizen. The most serious threats confronting the former president include a criminal investigation by the Manhattan district attorney and the civil inquiry by the attorney general into possible fraud in Trump’s business dealings before he was elected. James’ investigation began in March 2019, after Michael Cohen, the former president’s onetime lawyer, told Congress that Trump had inflated his assets in financial statements to secure bank loans and understated them elsewhere to reduce his tax bill. Investigators in James’ office have focused their attention on an array of transactions, including a financial restructuring of the Trump International Hotel &amp; Tower in Chicago in 2010 that resulted in the Fortress Credit Corp. forgiving debt worth more than $100 million. James’ office has said in court documents that the Trump Organization — Trump’s main business vehicle — had thwarted efforts to determine how that money was reflected in its tax filings, and whether it was declared as income, as the law typically requires.

Legal pressure on Trump increases with judge’s order in fraud inquiry

Biden signed a slate of executive orders related to his racial equity agenda. Announced plans buy a total of 200m more vaccine doses from Pfizer and Moderna.

How will America respond to Biden's new policies

The new US government, under President Joe Biden, has named Rob Malley as its special envoy to Iran.

Malley is known as the architect of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran -- one of the chief negotiators on the 2015 nuclear deal reached by Iran and world powers, under which Tehran was promised economic relief for major curbs in its contested nuclear programme.

The deal was reached under Barack Obama, when President Joe Biden was his number two.

Malley has been serving as head of the International Crisis Group, an independent non-governmental organisation focussed on conflict resolution.

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is "building a dedicated team" to address Washington's relations with Iran, to be led by Malley, a State Department official said Friday.

Malley "brings to the position a track record of success&nbsp;negotiating constraints on&nbsp;Iran's nuclear program," the State Department official said.

"The Secretary is confident he and his team will be able to do that once again."

In 2018, Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the 2015 accord, which was also signed by Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia.

The Trump administration deemed the deal not tough enough, and felt it should have also covered what it saw as Iran's "destabilising" activities in the Middle East. It slapped tough sanctions on Tehran.

This week, Blinken confirmed the new US administration's intention to rejoin the accord -- once Tehran meets its commitments.

Iran responded to the tough Trump-era sanctions by reducing its compliance with the deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). It wants Washington to make the first move.

The new US government, under President Joe Biden, has named Rob Malley as its special envoy to Iran. Malley is known as the architect of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran -- one of the chief negotiators on the 2015 nuclear deal reached by Iran and world powers, under which Tehran was promised economic relief for major curbs in its contested nuclear programme.

The new US government, under President Joe Biden, has named Rob Malley as its special envoy to Iran. Malley is known as the architect of the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran -- one of the chief negotiators on the 2015 nuclear deal reached by Iran and world powers, under which Tehran was promised economic relief for major curbs in its contested nuclear programme. The deal was reached under Barack Obama, when President Joe Biden was his number two. Malley has been serving as head of the International Crisis Group, an independent non-governmental organisation focussed on conflict resolution. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is "building a dedicated team" to address Washington's relations with Iran, to be led by Malley, a State Department official said Friday. Malley "brings to the position a track record of success negotiating constraints on Iran's nuclear program," the State Department official said. "The Secretary is confident he and his team will be able to do that once again." In 2018, Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the 2015 accord, which was also signed by Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia. The Trump administration deemed the deal not tough enough, and felt it should have also covered what it saw as Iran's "destabilising" activities in the Middle East. It slapped tough sanctions on Tehran. This week, Blinken confirmed the new US administration's intention to rejoin the accord -- once Tehran meets its commitments. Iran responded to the tough Trump-era sanctions by reducing its compliance with the deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). It wants Washington to make the first move.

US names 2015 nuke deal negotiator Rob Malley as new envoy to Iran

Joe Biden & his team are sending a clear warning to China over expansionism. From reassuring Japan to re-affirming commitment to Taiwan and offering support for Indo-Pacific - The US has underscored its support for allies.

Gravitas: A week after taking office, Joe Biden sends a warning to Beijing

US President Joe Biden called on his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to release jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny during their phone call this week.

White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters on Friday that Biden pressed Putin on a number of issues, including alleged election interference in the 2020 election, Ukraine sovereignty, the massive SolarWind cyber hack, and Navalny.

The details about the phone call and what was discussed come at a time when Biden is adjusting US policy in a more robust way toward Russia after predecessor Donald Trump refused to take on Putin directly.

Police detained Navalny at a Moscow airport after he returned to Russia on January 17 from Germany. He had been recovering there from a near-fatal poisoning with the Novichok nerve agent in an attack he blamed on Russian security services and Putin.

The 44-year-old anti-graft campaigner is accused of violating probationary terms of his 2014 suspended sentence on fraud charges by not appearing at Russia's prison service for checks twice a month.

A Russian court on Thursday upheld a decision to detain him for 30 days.

On Thursday, Psaki had said Biden did not hold back in conveying his concerns about the actions of the Russian government during the call.

Earlier this week, a White House statement said the two leaders agreed to have their teams work urgently to complete the extension of the New START arms control pact between the United States and Russia by February 5, when the current deal expires. The arms control treaty limits the United States and Russia to deploying no more than 1,550 strategic nuclear warheads each.

US President Joe Biden called on his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to release jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny during their phone call this week. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters on Friday that Biden pressed Putin on a number of issues, including alleged election interference in the 2020 election, Ukraine sovereignty, the massive SolarWind cyber hack, and Navalny.

US President Joe Biden called on his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to release jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny during their phone call this week. White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki told reporters on Friday that Biden pressed Putin on a number of issues, including alleged election interference in the 2020 election, Ukraine sovereignty, the massive SolarWind cyber hack, and Navalny. The details about the phone call and what was discussed come at a time when Biden is adjusting US policy in a more robust way toward Russia after predecessor Donald Trump refused to take on Putin directly. Police detained Navalny at a Moscow airport after he returned to Russia on January 17 from Germany. He had been recovering there from a near-fatal poisoning with the Novichok nerve agent in an attack he blamed on Russian security services and Putin. The 44-year-old anti-graft campaigner is accused of violating probationary terms of his 2014 suspended sentence on fraud charges by not appearing at Russia's prison service for checks twice a month. A Russian court on Thursday upheld a decision to detain him for 30 days. On Thursday, Psaki had said Biden did not hold back in conveying his concerns about the actions of the Russian government during the call. Earlier this week, a White House statement said the two leaders agreed to have their teams work urgently to complete the extension of the New START arms control pact between the United States and Russia by February 5, when the current deal expires. The arms control treaty limits the United States and Russia to deploying no more than 1,550 strategic nuclear warheads each.

Biden in conversation with Russia President Putin calls for Navalny release

US President Joe Biden has scrapped an on US funding for abortion counselling provided by international organisations. Abortion has been legal in the United States since a landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision, and Biden has consistently supported that ruling, which guarantees a woman's "right to choose."

Joe Biden reverses Trump abortion access restrictions

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