United States

Via press release from the United States Postal Service: The United States Postal Service is proud to announce the dedication ceremony for a new Forever stamp honoring Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, celebrating her groundbreaking contributions to justice, gender equality and the rule of law. The Ruth Bader Ginsburg stamp features an oil painting of her in her black …

CNN Sports reports: Heartbreak for the US and the three-peat dream has come to an end. After dominating most of the match, the US is beaten by Sweden in a penalty shootout. US forward Sophia Smith had the chance to win it for the two-time reigning champion, but was made to rue her missed spot-kick. To make the defeat more …

Politico Europe reports: The United States on Tuesday sharply limited Hungary’s participation in its visa waiver program over security concerns regarding new passports issued between 2011 and 2020. After coming to power in 2010, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government implemented a major policy change that granted citizenship to ethnic Hungarians abroad — including in Romania, Slovakia and Ukraine. Domestic …

Axios reports: U.S. passport holders used to embarking on European vacations without much additional paperwork will soon see that change. New travel rules announced by the EU dictate that travelers from 60 visa-free countries will need to get a new authorization via the European Travel Information and Authorization System starting in 2024. The new rules will apply to travelers from …

The New York Times reports: The Biden administration is hunting for malicious computer code it believes China has hidden deep inside the networks controlling power grids, communications systems and water supplies that feed military bases in the United States and around the world, according to American military, intelligence and national security officials. The discovery of the malware has raised fears …

The Associated Press reports: The American-led U.N. Command said Monday it has started a conversation with North Korea about a U.S. soldier who ran into the North last week across one of the world’s most heavily fortified borders. Andrew Harrison, a British lieutenant general who is the deputy commander at the U.N. Command, refused to say when the conversation started, …

The Associated Press reports: North Korea hasn’t responded to U.S. attempts to discuss the American soldier who bolted across the heavily armed border, officials in Washington said, underscoring that the serviceman’s prospects for a quick release are unclear at a time of high tensions and inactive communication channels. Pvt. Travis King, who was supposed to be on his way to …

Reuters reports: The U.S. military was scrambling on Wednesday to determine the fate of an American soldier who made an unauthorised crossing of the inter-Korean border into North Korea, throwing Washington into a new crisis in its dealing with the nuclear-armed state. The U.S. Army identified the soldier as Private Travis T. King who joined in 2021 and was facing …

The Washington Post reports: North Korean officials have detained a U.S. national who crossed into the country through the demarcation zone without authorization, a United Nations body responsible for ensuring security on the inter-Korean border reported Tuesday. The person detained is a U.S. Army soldier, according to two U.S. officials. One of the officials said the soldier was scheduled on …

The Associated Press reports: An American has crossed the heavily fortified border from South Korea into North Korea, the American-led U.N. Command overseeing the area said Tuesday, amid heightened tensions over North Korea’s nuclear program. The U.N. Command tweeted that the U.S. citizen was on a tour to the Korean border village of Panmunjom and crossed the border into the …

Via press release from the US Embassy in Hungary: On the occasion of the 28th Budapest Pride Festival, we the undersigned embassies and cultural institutes express our full support for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI+) community in Hungary and their rights to equality and non-discrimination, freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, and freedom from …

The Hill reports: Nearly 30 percent of American households comprise a single person, a record high. The U.S. Census shows that “solitaries” made up 8 percent of all households in 1940. The share of solo households doubled to 18 percent in 1970 and more than tripled, to an estimated 29 percent, by 2022. The solo-living movement intersects with several other …

Via press release from the State Department: Reconsider travel to mainland China due to the arbitrary enforcement of local laws, including in relation to exit bans, and the risk of wrongful detentions. The People’s Republic of China (PRC) government arbitrarily enforces local laws, including issuing exit bans on U.S. citizens and citizens of other countries, without fair and transparent process …

The Independent reports: US President Joe Biden has been briefed and his administration is closely monitoring fast-moving developments in Russia as Vladimir Putin vowed “decisive actions” to suppress mercenary leader Yevgeny Prigozhin and his armed rebellion. The president and Vice President Kamala Harris were briefed by their national security team on Saturday morning, according to a White House statement. Mr …

Axios reports: Secretary of State Tony Blinken held a secure conference call this morning with several Western foreign ministers to consult about the escalating situation in Russia, a source with direct knowledge of the issue told Axios. The foreign ministers of France, Germany, the U.K., Italy, Canada and the European Union were on the call with Blinken, according to the …

The Telegraph reports: Joe Biden has been briefed on the chaotic situation in Russia with US officials describing it as “serious”. The president was being kept informed as Wagner mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was accused by Moscow of launching an armed rebellion. A White House National Security Council spokesman said: “We are monitoring the situation and will be consulting with …

The New York Times reports: As President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has pursued enemies abroad, his intelligence operatives now appear prepared to cross a line that they previously avoided: trying to kill a valuable informant for the U.S. government on American soil. The clandestine operation, seeking to eliminate a C.I.A. informant in Miami who had been a high-ranking Russian …

Reuters reports: China’s Xi Jinping hailed “progress” in talks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Beijing on Monday, the final engagement of a closely-watched trip aimed at ensuring the superpower’s disputes do not spiral into conflict. Blinken, the first holder of his post to meet the Chinese leader since 2018, strode towards Xi with his hand outstretched at …

ABC News reports: A new sign on base Friday morning signified a new era for the military institution in Cumberland County formerly known as Fort Bragg. Fort Bragg shed its Confederate namesake to become Fort Liberty on Friday, June 2, 2023. It’s a change that some veterans view as a small but important step in making the U.S. Army more …

The Hill reports: Only half of Americans now say they are sure God exists. That finding, from the closely watched General Social Survey, stands out among several nuggets of new data about religion in America. Not quite 50 percent of Americans say they have no doubt about the existence of God, according to the 2022 survey, released Wednesday by NORC, …