President Joe Biden and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy held their first talks as the White House seeks authorization to raise borrowing limits. The opposition is believed to be seeking promises to cut spending.

Several cities in the northeastern United States enacted emergency measures to protect the homeless population. The Arctic blast also caused "frostquakes" from sudden snaps in frozen soil.

Sarah McCoy is an American who honed her songwriting and singing skills touring the US and New Orleans in particular, before moving to France several years ago. Unlike Emily (of "Emily in Paris" fame), she speaks French and has charmed her way into the hearts of the locals. She has just released her second album "High Priestess", which she is about to tour extensively throughout France and other European countries.

China has maintained a "strategic partnership" with Ukraine for years, but as Beijing and Moscow deepen ties amid the ongoing war, Kyiv is wondering what this partnership is worth.

This week, tensions between the US and China spiked further after an alleged spy balloon was shot down by Washington. Beijing later said it would firmly defend its interests after President Joe Biden vowed to protect the sovereignty of the United States. China continues to insist the balloon was for civilian purposes and had veered off course.

The FRANCE 24 Observers team have conducted an investigation since November 2022 and have spotted a variety of fake anti-Ukraine ads throughout the globe – a product of Russian disinformation and propaganda. Find out more in this edition of Truth or Fake.

Missile strikes have hit several cities across Ukraine as Russia renews its assault on civilian infrastructure. Ukraine's top general says the missiles crossed into Romanian and Moldovan airspace.

Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy had a few key asks on his European tour this week. On one — a call for allies to send fighter jets — he claimed to see progress, but had little to show on the spot.

The US State Department said the balloon that had flown over the US for days was part of a bigger surveillance program targeting 40 countries.

The former commanding US general in Europe, Ben Hodges, has told DW that the West should provide Kyiv with fighter jets. He said that providing Ukraine with the planes could lead to a victory for Kyiv within the year.

The object was downed over Lake Huron following two other such incidents in Alaska and Canada in recent days. Earlier, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said investigators were hunting for wreckage in north-west Canada.

The US military shot down the high-altitude object over Alaska. It is the second foreign incursion into US airspace in two weeks.