President Donald Trump will hold talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House on Thursday as the Republican leader has indicated the U.S. government鈥檚 hold on sales of advanced fighter jets to Ankara may soon be lifted.
During Trump鈥檚 first term, the United States a NATO ally, from its flagship F-35 fighter jet program after it purchased an air defense system from Russia. U.S. officials worried that Turkey鈥檚 use of Russia鈥檚 S-400 surface-to-air missile system could be used to gather data on the capabilities of the F-35 and that the information could end up in Russian hands.
But Trump last week gave Turkey hope that a resolution to the matter is near as he announced plans for Erdogan鈥檚 visit.
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Former Chilean president says she plans to run for the UN鈥檚 top job
Former Chilean President Michelle Bachelet said Thursday she plans to run for the post of U.N. secretary general.
鈥淚 just want to say something: I鈥檓 going to run for secretary general of the U.N.,鈥 Bachelet said, as she left the stage at the Clinton Global Initiative, following her appearance on a panel about the importance of investing in women and girls.
Bachelet became Chile鈥檚 first women president in 2006 after serving as Latin America鈥檚 first woman defense minister during the government of President Ricardo Lagos.
She served as U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, appointed by current Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. His second term expires at the end of 2026.
China sanctions 6 US companies as trade frictions continue
That鈥檚 despite a between President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Three U.S. companies have been added to China鈥檚 鈥渦nreliable entity list,鈥 effectively banning them from trade with China, according to a statement by the Commerce Ministry.
The ministry said the companies have 鈥渆ngaged in so-called military-technical cooperation with Taiwan, severely undermining China鈥檚 national sovereignty, security and development interests.鈥
The companies are unmanned vehicle maker Saronic Technologies, satellite technology company Aerkomm and subsea engineering firm Oceaneering International.
Separately, three other U.S. companies were added to China鈥檚 export control list, preventing them from receiving Chinese shipments of 鈥渄ual use鈥 items, with both military and civilian applications.
The companies are military shipbuilder Huntington Ingalls Industries, engineering and facilities manager Planate Management Group and intelligence firm Global Dimensions.
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Trump cheers for GOP New Jersey governor candidate
The president took to social media to make the case for Jack Ciattarelli, the former state Assembly member, while ripping Democratic nominee Rep. Mikie Sherrill.
鈥淛ack is tough on crime and cutting taxes, two things that people really demand today,鈥 Trump said, adding that Ciattarelli 鈥渨ill be a GREAT Governor.鈥
Trump and his administration鈥檚 policies loomed large when Ciattarelli and Sherrill on Sunday participated in their first debate ahead of the November election. The New Jersey race is one of the most closely watched races in this off-year election cycle.
Trump heads to the Ryder Cup, embraced by a golf world that once shunned him
Four years ago, President Trump was persona non grata in the professional golf world, ostracized from the sport he loves in the wake of the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. The PGA of America pulled and officials in his hometown, New York City, from the golf course it had hired him to run.
On Friday, Trump will be front and center at the at Bethpage Black 鈥 welcomed to the first day of competition by the very powers that once shunned him. The Ryder Cup is run by the PGA of America, the organization that yanked its 2022 PGA Championship from his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf course.
U.S. captain Keegan Bradley said he鈥檚 鈥渄eeply honored鈥 that Trump will be there to cheer on his squad. European captain Luke Donald said the president鈥檚 attendance 鈥渏ust shows how big the Ryder Cup is,鈥 calling it a 鈥渕ark of respect,鈥 even if he鈥檚 rooting for the other side.
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US economy expanded at a surprising 3.8% pace in significant upgrade of second quarter growth
U.S. gross domestic product 鈥 the nation鈥檚 output of goods and services 鈥 rebounded in the spring from a 0.6% first-quarter drop caused by fallout from President Trump鈥檚 trade wars, the Commerce Department said Thursday. The department had previously estimated second-quarter growth at 3.3%.
The first-quarter GDP drop, the first retreat of the U.S. economy in three years, was mainly caused by a surge in imports 鈥 which are subtracted from GDP 鈥 as businesses hurried to bring in foreign goods before Trump could impose sweeping taxes on them. That trend reversed as expected in the second quarter: Imports fell at a 29.3% pace, boosting April-June growth by more than 5 percentage points.
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Trump鈥檚 Thursday schedule
At 11:15 a.m. ET, Trump will greet the President of Turkey. They鈥檒l have a meeting in the Oval Office, followed by a lunch.
At 3:30 p.m., Trump will sign executive orders.
At 4:30 p.m., Trump will have a meeting with the Prime Minister of Pakistan.
US military intercepts Russian aircraft near Alaska for ninth time this year
U.S. fighter jets were scrambled Wednesday to identify and intercept four Russian warplanes flying near Alaska, according to the North American Aerospace Defense Command.
NORAD, in a statement issued early Thursday, said it detected and tracked two Tu-95s and two Su-35s operating in the Alaskan Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
NORAD scrambled nine U.S. aircraft, including an E-3 Sentry command and control aircraft, four F-16s, and four KC-135 tankers, to positively identify and intercept the Russian jets.
The Russian aircraft remained in international airspace and did not enter American or Canadian sovereign airspace. Such Russian activity near Alaska occurs regularly and is not seen as a threat, NORAD said. This was ninth time this year that the command has publicly announced such an incursion.
The incident comes after President Trump said Tuesday that he believed Ukraine could win back all territory lost to Russia, a dramatic shift from the U.S. leader鈥檚 repeated to end the war.
Trump hosts Turkey鈥檚 Erdogan at the White House as the US considers lifting a ban on F-35 sales
Trump will hold talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House on Thursday as the Republican leader has indicated that the U.S. government鈥檚 hold on sales of advanced fighter jets to Ankara may soon be lifted.
During Trump鈥檚 first term, the United States a NATO ally, from its flagship F-35 fighter jet program after it purchased an air defense system from Russia. U.S. officials worried that Turkey鈥檚 use of Russia鈥檚 S-400 surface-to-air missile system could be used to gather data on the capabilities of the F-35 and that the information could end up in Russian hands.
But Trump last week gave Turkey hope that a resolution to the matter is near as he announced plans for Erdogan鈥檚 visit.
The visit will be Erdogan鈥檚 first trip to the White House since 2019. The two leaders forged what Trump has described as a 鈥渧ery good relationship鈥 during his first White House go-around despite the U.S.-Turkey relationship often being complicated.
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