The vote ends a nearly two-year pause in Ukraine **** istance from Congress.
Advocates of the bill, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, have argued it would give the White House necessary tools to squeeze Russia economically, curbing the flow of funds to Moscow’s war machine. | Rod Lamkey, Jr./AP
09/17/2026 07:54 AM GMT+9
The House passed the sweeping Russia sanctions bill long championed by the late Sen. Lindsey Graham on Wednesday, sending the legislation to the White House for President Donald Trump’s signature after more than a year of congressional maneuvering.

#white #ukrainian

By Dhara Ranasinghe, Rae Wee and Atsuko Aoyama
LONDON/SINGAPORE/TOKYO, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Six weeks after hitting a four-decade low against the dollar, the tide appears to be turning for the battered yen as a host of factors finally smoke out traders who have spent years betting against the ****** anese currency.
While central bank rate hikes and record currency intervention have failed to provide lasting support for the ‌yen, new tailwinds from capital repatriation, unwinding carry trades and U.S. political pressure are now giving short speculators cause to rethink their long-term game.
The yen is on track for a roughly 2% surge against ‌the greenback this week — the most since a rare joint U.S. and ****** an intervention at the end of July to lift the yen.
"The market psychology around the yen appears to be changing," said Rong Ren Goh, a fixed income portfolio manager at Eastspring Investments. "Investors seem increasingly reluctant to aggressively short the JPY (yen), particularly with the prospect of a BOJ rate hike in September adding another layer of risk to the trade."

#currency #dhara #ranasinghe

WASHINGTON, Aug 31 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump has spoken to Apple about changing ‌the name of "Lake Ontario" to "Lake America" and ‌the company may soon alter its maps, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said on Monday.
Trump announced on Thursday that he was changing the name of the smallest of the five Great Lakes, part of an ‌escalating trade feud ⁠with Canada that has prompted the two countries to impose reciprocal tariffs ⁠on billions of dollars in goods.
"The president reached out to Apple directly, so I'm sure that we may be seeing that change coming up soon ‌to Lake America," Burgum said in an interview on Fox Business' "Mornings with Maria" program.
Apple could not be immediately reached for comment.
The president's executive order on the name change affects the U.S. ‌Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), which sets the standards for official U.S. maps. It does not have any impact ‌on Canadian naming conventions or how the rest of the world refers to the lake.

#changing

SAN MARINO (AP) — Pope Leo XIV used a visit to the tiny landlocked San Marino and a major Catholic gathering in the Italian city of Rimini on Saturday to issue one of his strongest appeals yet against war, polarization and social division, urging believers to foster dialogue and friendship in a fractured world.
Speaking to tens of thousands in Rimini, Leo warned against a culture that "rearms minds, words and nations" and argued that Christians must respond with mercy, encounter and a commitment to peace.
He also delivered a message of encouragement to young Catholics, telling them they are "a sign that the future is promising, and not a threat!"
Earlier, in San Marino, Leo addressed local authorities of the world's oldest surviving republic and reflected on the legacy of Saints Marino and Leone, whom he credited with helping create a society rooted in freedom, mutual respect and community.
The pope said the two saints translated the Christian message into "a new community and political model, strongly characterized by the Christian principles of freedom, mutual respect and communion" — a legacy that he said continues to shape the republic today.

#rimini #pope #saints #mutual

By Jonathan Landay, Gram Slattery and Timour Azhari
WASHINGTON/RIYADH, July 22 (Reuters) - Iranian drone attacks on CIA facilities in the Gulf have prompted U.S. intelligence **** ysts to investigate whether Russia **** isted by providing targeting information or advanced drone technology, said four people familiar with U.S. intelligence.
These people, who spoke on condition of anonymity to ‌discuss national security matters, said U.S. intelligence officials have not yet reached firm conclusions about the possible Russian involvement in the attacks on CIA facilities. But they cited ‌the strikes' effectiveness and apparent precision, as well as Russia's broader technical support for Iran, as possible evidence.
Reuters and other media have reported — and U.S. officials have acknowledged — that Russia has provided targeting and other support for Iran in its strikes on U.S. targets in the Gulf region generally, but the intelligence community's investigation of possible Russian involvement in supporting the CIA facility attacks has not been previously disclosed.
At least two CIA sites were struck in March, Reuters and other outlets have reported. One of the facilities was the CIA station in Saudi Arabia, which is located in the U.S. embassy in Riyadh, and a separate site was located in eastern Iraq. Some of the sources said additional CIA sites had been hit, but they did not disclose details.

#intelligence #possible #riyadh #russian

U.S. Central Command said that two U.S. service members were killed in Jordan while defending against Iranian missile and drone strikes on July 17. NBC News' Julie Tsirkin and Kier Simmons report on the deadliest strikes on American personnel since the two countries signed a ceasefire agreement.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani faced some backlash on Monday after attempting to explain rising rates of rape within his city, as he said it was due in part to an expanded definition of what constitutes rape.
During an interview with PIX11 News, reporter Dan Mannarino asked Mamdani about New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin's concerns over rape and felony ****** ault numbers within the city.
Mamdani maintained that the NYPD has reported among the lowest numbers of murders and shootings in its recorded history and suggested that the rape statistics need to be contextualized.
Zohran Mamdani Praised For 'Fantastic' Question-dodging On Presidential Eligibility
"And what I think is important to know is a lot of the increase in rape also comes from an expanded definition of what counts as rape, as well as survivors coming forward for acts that took place years prior," Mamdani said. "And we are thankful for them coming forward, the courage and the bravery it takes, but just to provide New Yorkers with that context."

FIRST ON FOX: A coalition of state financial officers said it uncovered roughly $225 million in alleged fraud across America's schools over the past six years, identifying nearly 90 cases involving embezzlement, fake invoices, inflated enrollment, bid-rigging and kickbacks.
In a new report obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital, the State Financial Officers Foundation (SFOF) and Open the Books ***** yzed every Education Department Office of Inspector General (OIG) Semiannual Report to Congress issued between Oct. 1, 2019, and March 31, 2026, revealing alleged fraud across 24 states and Puerto Rico.
"All fraud is harmful, but defrauding education dollars meant to help kids learn and succeed is especially hideous," SFOF CEO OJ Oleka said in a statement to Fox News Digital.
"The findings in this report should alarm every family, teacher, and civic leader, especially since they only scratch the surface of the problem. The state financial officers courageously tracking every school dollar abused historically have had a bloated federal education bureaucracy only make their job harder."
The War On Fraud Is Here, And Vice President Vance Is Leading It From The Front

McALLEN, Texas (AP) — A nun was released from immigration custody after she was arrested walking to Mass in her habit in South Texas.
Sister Leticia Ugboaja was walking to Our Lady of Sorrows Church in McAllen, Texas, just a few miles from the U.S.-Mexico border on Sunday when she was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.
The Department of Homeland Security and ICE have not responded to a request for comment since Sunday.
Parish officials posted a message on social media shortly after the arrest that gained traction in the news and led to Congress members including U.S. Rep. Monica de la Cruz intervening on Ugboaja's behalf.
The nun is part of the Daughters of Mary Mother of Mercy and volunteered as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion at Our Lady of Sorrows Church, according to Brenda Riojas, a spokesperson for the Diocese of Brownsville.

Federal authorities say a foiled plot targeting a planned UFC event at the White House is the latest case to raise concerns about the role the internet can play in radicalizing people and connecting would-be attackers.
According to court documents, the men accused in the UFC plot allegedly communicated through encrypted messaging platforms and discussed plans involving drones, firearms and attacks on government officials.
Rather than involving a single suspect acting alone, authorities allege the case involved multiple individuals who connected online and shared extremist beliefs. Investigators have increasingly warned that digital communities can help spread radical ideologies and, in some cases, encourage real-world violence.
From alleged ISIS supporters to anti-government extremists, authorities have repeatedly linked high-profile terror and violent crime investigations to online networks where radical beliefs can spread rapidly. Here are some recent examples.
5 Chilling Details From The Alleged White House Attack Plot Tied To Ufc Event