🛫 The US State Department lifted restrictions, imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, on visas for students, certain scientists, journalists and individuals who "provide critical infrastructure support in countries affected by a geographic COVID-19 restriction," from China, South Africa, Iran and Brazil

❗️#URGENT | Apollo 11 astronaut Michael Collins passes away at the age of 90

Collins' family issued a statement on his Twitter page, confirming his passing and indicating that "he spent his final days peacefully, with his family by his side."

His family asked for privacy, and promised that details on a funeral services would be forthcoming.

💬 Biden nominee for top arms control post says would pursue deeper weapons cuts with Russia

“Certainly, I think the idea would be deeper cuts but I think a lot of that depends on what happens with the strategic stability talks that are being planned,” Jenkins told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

Jenkins stressed that Washington certainly wants to include discussions on some of the novel weapons that Russia has developed and to explore non-strategic weapons

The gaffe machine runs true to form.

US President Joe Biden abruptly ended his remarks to the press at the White House Tuesday afternoon, saying that he is going to get in trouble if he continues to answer questions further

🔍 Trump-era CIA chief and secretary of state Mike Pompeo has called on John Kerry to “explain” why he allegedly leaked confidential information about Israel’s illegal bombing operations in Syria.

#URGENT | Three men indicted with federal hate crimes, attempted kidnapping charges over Ahmaud Arbery murder

🧢 Make America Great Again?

Newly surfaced details have indicated that Trump is considering the possibility of returning to the public eye and resuming his signature “Make America Great Again” rallies in an attempt to grasp the prime-time spotlight he once attained through the Oval Office

#LIVE | Biden addresses joint session of Congress on 100th day in office

https://youtu.be/TDrHw0N5RXw

#BREAKING | US does not seek escalation with Russia, Joe Biden says

#BREAKING | Biden to Xi: US will maintain strong military presence in Indo-Pacific

💰 Federal reserve chairman says China’s digital yuan will not work in US.

“The currency that's being used in China is not one that would work here,” Powell said. “It's one that really allows the government to see every payment that's used, for which it is used in real-time. It's more to do with things happening within their own financial system than it is to do with the global competition."

✍️ CNN reporter triggers confusion after praising Joe Biden’s ‘moderate radicalism’.

It is highly questionable that Biden's agenda could be deemed "radical", especially compared to lawmakers from the so-called progressive wing of the Democratic Party.

However, a CNN reporter believes otherwise: "Biden's quiet radicalism is expressed through a huge pandemic rescue bill, a larger proposal that redefines the concept of infrastructure, and a massive health and child care blueprint," CNN White House reporter Stephen Collinson wrote in an article

The news you might have missed:

▪️U.S. tells citizens to leave India as Covid crisis deepens

▪️Federal agencies are investigating a possible mysterious directed energy attack near the White House

▪️In the US, coronavirus cases have recently dropped in over half the states

▪️SpaceX launches another Starlink internet communications satellite constellation

▪️Rudy Giuliani's son blasts 'politicisation' of the DoJ over 'absurd' raid on father's home

▪️Biden has urged the US Congress to approve police reform in May

👮‍♂️ The New York Police Department has ended a contract with Boston Dynamics, parting ways with the high-tech robot police dog after it drew massive negative attention online and caused a City Council subpoena.

The department has stopped leasing the “Digidog” from Boston Dynamics, a spokesperson told the New York Post on Wednesday, adding that the dog will be returned.

The news comes after a Twitter video of the police robot dog patrolling the streets went viral.

The clip caused massive backlash online, where people drew comparisons to TV series “Black Mirror,” which depicts dystopian future

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has threatened Turkey and other allies against any more purchases of Russian weapons, warning that countries could be subject to new sanctions if they fail to obey.

“It’s also very important going forward that Turkey, and for that matter all US allies and partners, avoid future purchases of Russian weaponry, including additional S-400s – which again, bring Russia revenue, access, and influence,” Blinken said, speaking at a virtual ‘World Press Freedom Day Roundtable’ in Washington, DC on Wednesday.

Blinken added that Washington had been “very clear, very direct, and very consistent in urging Turkey to abandon the S-400 system,” and said that the Turkish military’s operation of the system “runs directly counter to commitments all allies made at the 2016 NATO summit in Warsaw to reduce, not increase, dependencies on Russian equipment.”

‼️ #BREAKING | US will ‘temporarily’ deploy elements of Army Ranger Task Force to Afghanistan

🛫 The deployment comes in the wake of the Biden administration's announcement earlier this month that the US would begin its final withdrawal from Afghanistan in May, and complete it by the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks in September.

"Elements of an Army Ranger task force will temporarily deploy to Afghanistan to assist with the force protection of forces on the ground as we initiate the withdrawal operations," Jean-Pierre said, speaking to reporters on Thursday.

"In the weeks and months ahead, US Central Command will continually assess force protection requirements in coordination with US forces in Afghanistan and has the flexibility to move additional capabilities into and out of Afghanistan as required," the spokeswoman added.

The imminent Ranger deployment comes following the Pentagon's sending of B-52 bombers near Afghanistan last week to help ensure security during the withdrawal. Also last week, Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin approved the extended deployment of the USS Eisenhower aircraft carrier in the Middle East, with its air assets expected to help cover withdrawing forces.

Former US President Donald Trump is frustrated with Joe Biden for failing to discuss the southern border issue during his first address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday, warning that the situation was getting “out of control” and the current administration was "doing absolutely nothing."

“He didn’t discuss the border and the fact that tens of thousands of people are pouring into our country, many of them criminals, many of them people from jails, many of them doing acts that you don’t even want to know about,” Trump raged to Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo in an exclusive interview.

“It could destroy our country if it keeps going,” the ex-president continued.

Trump also blasted Biden’s reversal of some of his crucial immigration policies, including the "Remain in Mexico" programme, asylum seeker regulations, and the construction of the border wall, which he says the current administration just doesn’t “want to finish.”

#BREAKING | US says progress has been made in Iran nuclear talks, deal within reach but Long road remains ahead