World
Putin lowers threshold for nuclear response as Biden administration pledges new funding to Ukraine
In a pointed warning to the West, Russian President Vladimir Putin said any nation’s conventional attack on Russia supported by a nuclear power will be considered a joint attack on his country.
Putin’s announcement came as the Biden administration announced $375 million in additional security assistance to Ukraine, including air-to-ground weapons, munitions for rocket systems and artillery, armored vehicles and anti-tank weapons.
The warning came at a meeting of Russia’s Security Council, with Putin announcing revisions to the country’s nuclear doctrine.
Putin said a revised version of the document states that an attack against his country by a nonnuclear power with the “participation or support of a nuclear power” will be seen as a “joint attack on the Russian Federation.”
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Russian President Vladimir Putin listens during a meeting at the Novo-Ogaryovo estate near Moscow. (Gavriil Grigorov/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
Putin emphasized that the revised doctrine spells out conditions for using nuclear weapons in greater detail, noting they could be used in case of a massive air attack.
“Conditions for Russia’s move to use nuclear weapons are clearly stated” in the revisions, he said.
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“We will consider such a possibility when we receive reliable information about a massive launch of air and space attack assets and them crossing our state border,” Putin added, citing “strategic and tactical aircraft, cruise missiles, drones, hypersonic and other flying vehicles.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy addresses the 79th United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York City. (Reuters/Mike Segar)
The Kremlin’s revision of its nuclear response doctrine has opened the door for a major nuclear power to loosen its declaratory policy, which is “never good,” one expert warned.
“Regardless of whether you think this is a bluff or not, it’s never good when a major nuclear power loosens the conditions for nuclear use in its declaratory policy,” Samuel Charap, senior political scientist at RAND, said in a post on X.
The $375 million package for Ukraine was announced by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken late Wednesday.
President Biden addresses the U.N. General Assembly earlier this week in New York City. (Getty Images)
“The United States is committed to Ukraine’s defense against Russia’s brutal aggression,” Blinken said in a statement. “We will deploy this new assistance as quickly as possible to help Ukraine protect its territory and its people.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet with President Biden and Vice President Harris in Washington Thursday to discuss allowing his troops to use long-range weapons to strike deeper into Russia.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
new video loaded: Train Crashes Into Bangkok Traffic, Killing at Least 8 People
By Jorge Mitssunaga
May 16, 2026
World
WHO declares Ebola outbreak in Central Africa a public health emergency after 80 suspected deaths
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The World Health Organization declared an Ebola outbreak in Central Africa an international public health emergency on Sunday after dozens of suspected deaths were reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo and neighboring Uganda.
The outbreak, caused by the Bundibugyo virus, does not meet the criteria for a pandemic emergency, the WHO said.
The declaration follows reports of 80 suspected deaths, eight laboratory-confirmed cases and 246 suspected cases as of Saturday across at least three health zones in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including Bunia, Rwampara and Mongbwalu.
The development comes as global health officials continue monitoring a rare hantavirus outbreak tied to the MV Hondius cruise ship, which left multiple passengers and crew members sick, and caused three deaths.
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A health worker sprays disinfectant on a colleague after working at an Ebola treatment center in Beni, eastern Congo, on Sept. 9, 2018. (Al-hadji Kudra Maliro/AP)
As of May 13, the WHO said 11 hantavirus cases had been identified in connection with the cruise outbreak, including eight confirmed cases, two probable cases and one inconclusive case.
In neighboring Uganda’s capital, Kampala, the WHO said two apparently unrelated laboratory-confirmed Ebola cases — including one death — were reported Friday and Saturday involving people who had traveled from the DRC.
Another laboratory-confirmed case was reported in the DRC capital of Kinshasa involving a person returning from Ituri province.
Initial tests suggested the outbreak does not involve the Ebola Zaire strain, which caused Congo’s devastating 2018–2020 epidemic that killed more than 1,000 people.
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Health workers wearing protective suits tend to an Ebola victim in an isolation tent in Beni, Congo, on July 13, 2019. (Jerome Delay/AP)
However, unlike Ebola-Zaire strains, there are currently no approved vaccines or therapeutics for the Bundibugyo strain, which the WHO described as making the outbreak “extraordinary.”
The WHO warned the outbreak could be larger than currently reported due to the high positivity rate among initial samples and the growing number of suspected cases.
The outbreak also poses a public health risk to other countries, the WHO said, urging nations to activate emergency-management systems and implement cross-border screening measures.
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Ambulances parked at Bunia General Referral Hospital following confirmation of an Ebola outbreak involving the Bundibugyo strain in Bunia, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo, May 16, 2026. (REUTERS/Victoire Mukenge)
Ebola is a highly contagious and often fatal disease spread through bodily fluids, including blood, vomit and semen. Symptoms can include fever, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle pain and internal bleeding.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus recently said Congo has a “strong track record” responding to Ebola outbreaks while announcing the release of $500,000 in emergency funding to support containment efforts.
The WHO said it will convene an emergency committee to review recommendations for how affected countries should respond.
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Health workers dressed in protective gear begin their shift at an Ebola treatment center in Beni, Congo, on July 16, 2019. (Jerome Delay/AP)
The organization did not recommend border closures or travel restrictions.
Congo has now recorded 17 Ebola outbreaks since the virus was first identified in the country in 1976.
Fox News Digital’s Jasmine Baehr and Brittany Miller, along with Reuters, contributed to this report.
Iran to reveal its plan for Strait of Hormuz soon as Israel attacks Lebanon and Gaza, killing and wounding dozens.
Published On 17 May 2026
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