WASHINGTON Allies of Mike Pence launched a Super PAC on Tuesday to garner support for the former vice

Residents of southern Ukraine braced for a second day of swelling floodwaters on Wednesday as authorities warned that a Dnieper River dam breach would continue to unleash pent-up waters from a giant reservoir

The White House weighed in on Ukraine’s potential Nato membership shortly after announcing that it will send controversial cluster munitions to the eastern European country. The munitions will be sent for the first time amid Ukraine’s ongoing war against Russia, as the conflict enters its 500th day this weekend and ahead of a Nato summit to be held next week in Lithuania. Turkey president Recep Tayyip Erdogan told Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky that his country ‘deserves’ to be in the Western bloc. White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan on Friday said the upcoming summit will underscore Nato’s readiness to consider Ukraine’s membership. Mr Sullivan, however, said Ukraine “will not be joining Nato coming out of this summit”. Meanwhile, he said Kyiv has “provided written assurances” that it would use the controversial weapons “in a very careful way that is aimed at minimising any risk to civilians”. A senior Ukrainian official previously said Ukraine would welcome the munitions from the US as they would have an “extraordinary psycho-emotional impact” on Russian forces. Read More US will provide Ukraine with cluster munitions, White House says Why the US is willing to send Ukraine cluster munitions now What are cluster munitions? The controversial weapons US will send to Ukraine How many casualties has Russia suffered in Ukraine?

Florida governor Ron DeSantis came to his wife’s defence on Monday, claiming that those mocking her as “America’s Karen” were actually threatened by her. Mr DeSantis’s pushback came as MSNBC analyst and former Republican congressman from Florida, David Jolly, called his wife Casey DeSantis “America’s Karen”, a pejorative term typically used for a middle-class white woman who exhibits entitled, demanding, and often confrontational behaviour. The comments were made on MSNBC’s Saturday Show with Jonathan Capehart last week during a discussion on Ms DeSantis’s campaign on behalf of her husband. Appearing on Fox News on Monday, Mr DeSantis said he and his wife will wear the tag as a “badge of honour”. “My wife is an incredibly strong first lady of Florida, a fantastic mother and a great wife, and that threatens the Left,” he said. "So she and I kind of shrug it off because we know it just shows they view her as a threat, because the message that she was bringing in Iowa about the rights of parents and how we are not going to take this anymore with the Left trying to indoctrinate our kids, they understand that that resonates not just with Republican parents, with independent parents and, yes, with Democrat parents," he added. Mr Jolly, who represented Florida’s 13th Congressional District from 2014 to 2017, said the presidential hopeful’s wife was a “fairly compelling political figure in Florida and now nationally”. “For many, she’s the brighter side to Florida’s angry governor. For others, she’s become America’s Karen," he said. "Look, she’s a more effective messenger than Ron DeSantis, but if all she’s doing is amplifying the wrong message, she’s actually clarifying Ron DeSantis’s weaknesses," he added. “It doesn’t matter if it’s presented in heels or boots, the DeSantis doctrine’s a losing one,” he said. “We’re gonna learn that the more Casey DeSantis gets out there.” The panellists on the show, including The Lincoln Project member Tara Setmayer, cracked up at the mention of the words “America’s Karen” and joined Mr Jolly in mocking her. “Well, I called her, I called her this, you know, Serena Waterford wannabe needs to cut it out. We see you. So… there’s all kinds of names for her,” Ms Setmayer said. Waterford is a reference to the antagonist in Margaret Atwood’s dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale. “She needs to stop trying to measure the drapes in the White House and think that she’s some kind of Jackie O reincarnate. I mean, Casey DeSantis, keep an eye on her, though. She’s a wily figure." Mr DeSantis said those who are criticising her are probably feeling challenged. "She’s a great advocate for families, a great advocate for children. And I’m thankful that she’s my wife," Mr DeSantis said. "And I’m really honoured that she’s willing to go out there and press the case. And so we wear criticism from MSNBC as a badge of honour." The comments came even as Donald Trump was found to be leading Mr DeSantis in polls of Florida Republicans. A survey of likely Republican primary voters in the Sunshine State by Florida Atlantic University showed him firmly trailing Mr Trump, with the pair’s other rivals for the GOP nomination far out in the wilderness. Mr Trump leads Mr DeSantis 50-30 in the survey. Read More MSNBC panelist calling Casey DeSantis ‘America’s Karen’ sparks war of words with Fox News Trump news – live: Trump spreads White House cocaine conspiracy as DeSantis pledges interviews on policy Palace insists King Charles didn’t mind when President Biden ‘broke protocol’ and patted him on back Cameron bows out of Kentucky political event hosted by possible Rep. Massie challenger Trump leads DeSantis by 20 points in poll of Florida Republicans MSNBC panelist calling Casey DeSantis ‘America’s Karen’ sparks war of words with Fox

Senior Chinese officials have greeted California Gov. Gavin Newsom with smiles and warm words in a rare display of friendliness that stands in sharp contrast to the dialogue between the United States and China in recent years

Ukraine announced Monday it had recaptured a village on the southern frontline where its forces are hoping for a breakthrough in their grinding...

A cannabis operation in Cardiff was discovered when a man who tried to steal drugs was murdered.

A retired US Coast Guard captain stepped down as president of a college in Massachusetts on Tuesday after CNN revealed that he had been accused of sexual misconduct involving several students he taught at the prestigious Coast Guard Academy a decade ago.

The beginning of the pandemic was devasting for the leader of the indie rock band Black Belt Eagle Scout, Katherine Paul

Organisers of next year's Paris Olympics say they want its carbon footprint to be half that of previous summer Games, but with a year to go observers say they still do not...

By Andrew Chung U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito on Friday rejected a push by Senate Democrats to

The Biden administration has canceled the remaining seven oil and gas leases in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, overturning sales held in the Trump administration’s waning days and angering Republicans