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“De-escalation and a return to diplomacy” – Biden urges Putin to avoid war

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US President Joe Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin have spoken via a secure video call for two hours, with the ongoing situation in Ukraine at the top of the agenda

The Kremlin has labelled the summit as “Frank and professional” and says Putin requested Biden for ‘guarantees’ that NATO will not expand eastwards.

While the White House says in a statement that Biden “voiced the deep concerns of the United States and our European Allies about Russia’s escalation of forces surrounding Ukraine”.

The administration has made it clear that the US and its allies will respond with both economic and other measures “in the event of military escalation”

Biden has reiterated his support for Ukraine’s sovereignty and is calling for a “return of diplomacy”.

For many analysts, the question that remains following the talks is whether Putin will actually launch an attack on Ukraine, or whether Putin is pressuring Biden to guarantee that the nation will not become a so-called “NATO launchpad”.

Following the call, Biden was expected to speak with several American allies, including French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Angela and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Putin has previously complained that Ukraine poses a threat to his country through its close ties to the US and European nations

American intelligence officials said last week they believe Russia is preparing for an invasion of the former Soviet republic that could involve about 175,000 troops.

The White House said ​​Biden called on “de-escalation and a return to diplomacy” from Russia.

Biden was “crystal clear” with Putin about the consequences Russia would face should an invasion occur.

Biden warned Putin that if Russia invades Ukraine, the U.S. will provide additional weaponry to the Ukrainians and impose unprecedented sanctions on Russia, national security adviser Jake Sullivan says.

“I will look you in the eye and tell you as President Biden looked President Putin in the eye and told him today that things we did not do in 2014, we are prepared to do now,”

said National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.

“We still do not believe Pres. Putin has made a decision” on whether to invade Ukraine, national security adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters after Biden-Putin call.

However, it’s important to note that Moscow has dismissed these claims as “fake news” with Russia’s Deputy Foreign Minister saying contact between the two countries was “badly needed”.

William is an Executive News Producer at TICKER NEWS, responsible for the production and direction of news bulletins. William is also the presenter of the hourly Weather + Climate segment. With qualifications in Journalism and Law (LLB), William previously worked at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) before moving to TICKER NEWS. He was also an intern at the Seven Network's 'Sunrise'. A creative-minded individual, William has a passion for broadcast journalism and reporting on global politics and international affairs.

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TikTok CEO testifies as U.S. considers nationwide ban

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FBI says TikTok threatens U.S. national security

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified in Washington D.C. on Thursday.

The hours-long fiery hearing on Capitol Hill was incredibly tense as Chew was grilled by both Republicans and Democrats.

With bipartisan support, both parties are pushing for a nationwide ban on the app which the FBI has said threatens the national security of the United States.

TikTok says it has 150 million America users – almost half the country.

The CEO gave testimony to try and reassure lawmakers and Americans that TikTok is not an agent of the Chinese Communist Party, but critics aren’t convinced.

Chew was bombarded with questions from representatives from both sides of the aisle about the company’s ties to the CCP, security, data storage, well-being, and mental health. 

Many lawmakers are growing increasingly frustrated with the lack of answers from the company.

Congress is now weighing a nationwide ban on the popular social media platform amid concerns that it is used to harvest Americans’ information and harm children online.

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Protests continue across France over pension reforms

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Protestors blocked a terminal at an airport and sat on train tracks

The ongoing nationwide protests in France over plans by the government to raise the retirement age by two years saw another day of disruption – events which President Emmanuel Macron has recently compared to the storming of the U.S. Capitol by Donald Trump supporters two years ago.

Protestors blocked a terminal at Paris’s Charles De Gaulle airport.

Protesters also sat on train tracks, and reportedly triggered a brief fire in the yard of a police station in once city.

Protests have been mostly peaceful, but tear gas has been used against them on occasions.

The plan is to raise the retirement age from 62 to 64.

For comparison, the U.S. is slowly raising its retirement age to 67 and the UK plans to go to 68.

Polls have long shown that a majority of voters in France oppose the move.

Macron earlier in the week said he was standing firm on the law and that it would come into effect by the end of the year.

The government says the change is needed to keep pension budgets from running a deficit – failure would create an annual deficit of about $14 billion by 2030.

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Prosecutors allege Donald Trump misled people on potential arrest

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The move prompted Republicans in Congress to interfere with the course of justice

Manhattan prosecutors say Donald Trump has misled people to expect he would be arrested, prompting Republicans in Congress to interfere with the course of justice.

A probe is currently under way into his alleged hush-money payment to porn star Stormy Daniels.

On Saturday, the former President said he would be arrested on Tuesday.

This saw three Republicans launching an offensive against the District Attorney, who is a Democrat.

They accused him of abusing authority, while also seeking communications, documents and testimony.

A grand jury hearing evidence in the Stormy Daniels case is yet to issue an arrest warrant for Trump.

The attorney’s office has since sent the committee chairmen a letter.

It says the lawmakers’ accusations “only came after Donald Trump created a false expectation he would be arrested”.

It also confirms the attorney’s office is “investigating allegations that Donald Trump engaged in violations of New York State penal law.”

If indicted, Trump would be the first U.S. President to face criminal charges.

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