Monday, September 21, 2026

Developing Nor'easter to batter East Coast with strong winds, flooding and dangerous surf

THE TAKEAWAY

  • A developing week-long nor’easter is forming and will bring days of high surf, strong winds, coastal flooding and severe beach erosion to the East Coast.
  • Some areas could experience wind gusts up to 60 mph, with offshore waves reaching 15 to 18 feet.
  • The FOX Forecast Center said multiple days of continuous pounding waves will severely impact beaches.

A powerful, week-long nor’easter is taking shape along the East Coast, bringing days of high surf, strong winds, coastal flooding and severe beach erosion before the storm eventually tracks northward.

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The system will begin developing Monday and continue through the weekend as a sharp fall cold front pushes off the coast while strong high pressure builds to the north.

Strong northeasterly winds will develop across the offshore and coastal waters, producing powerful wind gusts.

Seas will rise rapidly, creating heavy surf and dangerous, battering waves along exposed beaches.

7 Facts You Should Know About Flash Floods

According to the FOX Forecast Center, persistent onshore winds will remain locked in through multiple high-tide cycles, allowing waves to relentlessly pound the base of coastal dunes.

Significant beach erosion and dune scarping will develop from the Outer Banks through the Mid-Atlantic and Long Island as the surface low-pressure system forms.

Home collapses in North Carolina
Home collapses in Buxton, N.C. on Sept. 30, 2025.

The FOX Forecast Center said moderate coastal flooding is expected during high tides, particularly in vulnerable back bays and low-lying coastal roadways.

How To Watch Fox Weather

The Outer Banks are forecast to see major coastal flooding, extreme surf and heavy, continuous rain. Some areas could experience wind gusts of 40 to 50 mph, with offshore waves reaching 15 to 18 feet.

The region will also see widespread rainfall, although widespread flash flooding is not currently forecast.

However, pounding waves across multiple high-tide cycles could lead to coastal flooding and severe beach erosion.

North Carolina Department of Transportation crews work to clear sand from Highway 12 on Hatteras Island, North Carolina on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2025.
North Carolina Department of Transportation crews work to clear sand from Highway 12 on Hatteras Island, North Carolina on Saturday, Oct. 12, 2025.

Ocean overwash onto coastal roadways, including Highway 12, is expected, potentially creating scenes similar to major coastal events seen last year.

By Thursday and Friday, the surface low-pressure system will strengthen off the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic coasts, causing onshore winds to intensify.

What Is Coastal Erosion And Why Is It Dangerous?

Water will become trapped in back bays, creating consecutive high-tide cycles and preventing water from fully draining during low tide.

Eventually, elevated tidal flooding could spread across North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey, extending into southern New England.

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The FOX Forecast Center said multiple days of continuous pounding waves will severely impact beaches. Dune washouts and damage to oceanfront boardwalks and coastal infrastructure will become increasingly likely across Mid-Atlantic and Long Island beaches.

Compounding tidal flooding and heavy wave action will also begin to impact the southern half of North Carolina.

JERSEY CITY, NJ - OCTOBER 12: Raindrops form on the top of a monument in front of the skyline of lower Manhattan and One World Trade Center as a nor'easter storm moves into New York City on October 12, 2025, as seen from Jersey City, New Jersey.
Raindrops form on the top of a monument in front of the skyline of lower Manhattan and One World Trade Center as a nor'easter storm moves into New York City on October 12, 2025, as seen from Jersey City, New Jersey.

Wind gusts along immediate coastal areas could reach 40 to 50 mph, pushing ocean water inland.

By Saturday and Sunday, the low-pressure center is expected to track north toward the I-95 corridor and New England, solidifying the nor’easter.

As the strengthening system tracks into or near New England, the strongest pressure gradient will impact the region, including Boston.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 13: People walk over the Brooklyn Bridge in the rain as New York City experiences wind and rain associated with a nor’easter storm moving through the region on October 13, 2025 in New York City. While New York City experienced only light rain and wind, thousands of residents in parts of New Jersey and Connecticut were without power. The storm caused New York City officials to cancel the annual Columbus Day Parade. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
People walk over the Brooklyn Bridge in the rain as New York City experiences wind and rain associated with a nor’easter storm moving through the region on October 13, 2025 in New York City.

However, the FOX Forecast Center said there are a few scenarios that could unfold as the storm moves north.

One scenario is if the low shifts closer to Boston. This could turn the storm into a major weather event, featuring 60 to 70 mph wind gusts, heavy rainfall, major storm surge and significant disruptions to Boston Harbor and the Massachusetts coastline.

How High Pressure And Low Pressure Drive The Weather

On the other hand, if the low shifts closer to New Jersey or Long Island, the strongest impacts could shift farther south, potentially putting New York City on the fringe of the storm.

Finally, if the low remains offshore, coastal New England could still experience rough surf, elevated tides and breezy conditions, while the heaviest rain and strongest winds remain displaced to the south and east over open water. The FOX Forecast Center said this scenario is appearing less likely.

What is certain, according to the FOX Forecast Center, is that wind gusts could reach over 60 mph as the peak of the storm shifts into southern New England, Massachusetts Bay and the Gulf of Maine.

FILE: A person wearing a rain poncho struggles with their umbrella in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.
A person wearing a rain poncho struggles with their umbrella in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.

Some areas could see waves reaching 15 to 18 feet along the coast.

Peak onshore winds, high astronomical tides and trapped coastal water will create the greatest risk for significant coastal inundation and structural flooding along east-facing shores, including Boston Harbor, Cape Cod and the north and south shores.

Powerful Waves Batter Southern California Coast, Damaging Homes And Triggering Sinkhole

Officials said dangerous seas, extreme rip currents and massive swells will make ocean waters extremely dangerous.


Original article source: Developing nor’easter to batter East Coast for days with strong winds, flooding and dangerous surf

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U.S. and China discuss new AI safety plan ahead of Trump-Xi summit

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent shakes the hand of China's top trade negotiator He Lifeng stand in front of both countries' flags.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met China's Vice Premier He Lifeng [Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent/X]

Top US and Chinese officials have discussed creating a new "notification mechanism" for AI incidents that could affect national security, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters on Sunday.

Bessent made the comments after what he called "successful" talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in New York.

The meeting came as US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping are due to hold a summit in Washington later this week.

AI has come under intense scrutiny in recent days after researchers warned of the potential risks posed by the technology and some of the industry's most high profile figures called for developers to take a more cautious approach.

"We think that, just like with any cross-border activity, that moving from opaque to more transparency between the number one and the number two AI powers in the world is very important," Bessent told reporters after the talks.

He said the meeting also covered other topics, including plans to "operationalise" a process to identify potential tariff cuts on goods called the Board of Trade.

A truce in the tariffs war between the world's two biggest economies is due to expire on 10 November.

The BBC has contacted the Chinese embassy in the US for comment.

Chinese state news agency Xinhua said the two sides had "candid, in-depth and constructive exchanges on key economic and trade issues", noting that they had discussed AI.

Bessent said in a post on X on Sunday that the talks "help lay the groundwork for President Trump to advance America's economic interests and deliver results for the American people."

The US and China are locked in a race to dominate the AI and technology industries.

In recent days Washington has faced calls to slow down the development of AI over fears abouts its potential negative impact on humanity.

Trump has largely dismissed those concerns, arguing that there are sufficient policies around AI and that the US cannot lose its edge to China.

He said earlier this month "whoever wins in AI, wins."

In May, when Xi hosted Trump in Beijing, ways to collaborate on AI was one of the issues the two leaders discussed.

Those talks ended with an agreement that China would buy Boeing jets and US agricultural goods in exchange for lower tariffs.

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Iran and U.S. exchange fresh warnings as Saudi-Houthi conflict escalates

Flames and large plume of black smoke seen rising near Riyadh airport - Reuters
Flames and large plume of black smoke seen rising near Riyadh airport - Reuters

As world leaders prepare to gather in New York for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) this week, a growing number of flashpoints across the Middle East are raising concerns about a wider regional escalation, from renewed fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen to fresh warnings exchanged between Washington and Tehran.

Why are the Houthis and Saudi Arabia back at the center of regional tensions?

A dramatic Houthi offensive in Yemen has emerged as one of the most significant developments heading into UNGA.

The Iran-backed group has seized key territory in recent weeks, including a strategically important island in the Red Sea and coastal areas overlooking the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a crucial maritime chokepoint linking the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. US and Gulf officials have expressed growing concern that the Houthis are seeking to establish greater control over the waterway, which is vital to global trade and energy shipments.

Despite receiving increased US intelligence and targeting support, Saudi Arabia has struggled to halt the Houthi advance. CNN reported Friday that Gulf and American officials are increasingly doubtful Riyadh can reverse the Houthi gains on its own.

Houthi fighters escort a convoy carrying prisoners freed in Mokha through the Bani Matar district on its way to Sanaa, Yemen, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, following the Houthi takeover of the southern Red Sea port city. - Stringer/AP
Houthi fighters escort a convoy carrying prisoners freed in Mokha through the Bani Matar district on its way to Sanaa, Yemen, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, following the Houthi takeover of the southern Red Sea port city. - Stringer/AP

The fighting has intensified sharply in recent days. Saudi Arabia accused the Houthis of targeting Mecca, Islam’s holiest city, while the Houthis claimed they shot down a Saudi F‑15 fighter jet over Yemen. On Saturday, the group also claimed missile and drone attacks on “sensitive” sites in Riyadh and an Aramco oil facility in Yanbu.

The latest exchanges underscore fears that Yemen is becoming an increasingly important front in the broader regional confrontation involving Iran.

Why are US embassies warning Americans?

Amid the worsening security environment, the US State Department and several US diplomatic missions have urged Americans in the region to exercise increased caution.

On Saturday, the State Department warned that the conflict “has the potential to escalate rapidly” and advised heightened vigilance.

Separately, the US Embassy in Saudi Arabia issued a security alert restricting travel by US government personnel to the cities of Taif and Yanbu without special authorization.

The warnings come as officials monitor the possibility of additional attacks involving Iran, Iranian-aligned groups and US partners in the region.

Women and children who fled fighting between the Houthis and government forces in Red Sea coastline areas walk at a camp for internally displaced people near Aden, Yemen, on September 19. - Stringer/Reuters
Women and children who fled fighting between the Houthis and government forces in Red Sea coastline areas walk at a camp for internally displaced people near Aden, Yemen, on September 19. - Stringer/Reuters

What are Iran and Trump saying?

Iran’s central military command said Sunday it had received information suggesting the United States, with support from regional partners, could be preparing new military action against Iran.

In a statement carried by the semi-official Tasnim News Agency, Iran warned that any new US attack would trigger sustained strikes on US bases and interests across the region. Tehran also warned that countries assisting such operations would be considered parties to the conflict.

There have been no publicly reported US strikes on Iran for more than two weeks.

US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, further raised tensions with remarks indicating major decisions on Iran may be approaching.

Speaking to Fox News, Trump said he was in “deciding mode” and that “very big things” could happen soon. According to Fox correspondent Trey Yingst, Trump outlined three possible outcomes for Iran: a deal with Washington, increased economic pressure or military action.

At the same time, Trump said his administration remains in contact with the Houthis and is still avoiding direct US military involvement in the group’s conflict with Saudi Arabia.

Which Middle East leaders will be at UNGA?

Regional diplomacy is expected to be dominated by discussions on Iran, Yemen, maritime security and energy markets.

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan is leading a delegation, while Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman and Bahrain are all sending senior representatives.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is also expected to attend the General Assembly after the Trump administration approved travel for a core Iranian delegation.

“Consistent with our host country obligations, the core delegation from the Iranian regime will be able to attend UN General Assembly High Level Week,” a State Department spokesperson said Thursday.

With fighting intensifying in Yemen, threats escalating between Washington and Tehran, and energy markets remaining sensitive to disruptions, many diplomats arriving in New York see this year’s General Assembly as taking place under one of the most volatile Middle East security environments in recent years.

CNN’s Tim Lister contributed to this story.

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Sunday, September 20, 2026

Heating bills are about to climb and some households face a 31% jump

A surge of inflation has hiked prices for everything from gasoline to tomatoes, but a looming source of sticker shock will drop onto household budgets over the coming months: heating costs.

The historic oil shortage set off by the Iran war is expected to drive up heating bills at a pace more than twice the level of overall inflation, squeezing households as they weather elevated prices for a range of other essentials, some analysts told ABC News.

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U.S. households will spend an average of $1,030 to heat their homes this winter, which amounts to an increase of 8.7% compared to last year, the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA) said in a report earlier this week.

Households that rely on heating oil -- a major heating source in the Northeast U.S. -- will suffer a staggering average price increase of 31.3% compared to last year, NEADA found. Customers who depend on natural gas are expected to face a jump of 5.8%.

"The costs we're expecting are unusually high this winter," David Konisky, a political science professor at Indiana University and co-director of the Energy Justice Lab, told ABC News.

A large-scale U.S.-Israeli attack on Iran in late February prompted Iran's near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which facilitates one-fifth of global crude supply.

The ensuing war set off the largest oil supply disruption on record and prompted the release of hundreds of millions of barrels of reserve crude from emergency storage in dozens of countries. A six-month stretch of on-again, off-again fighting has continued to choke off oil supply and keep prices elevated.

Global oil prices stood at about $103 a barrel as of Friday afternoon, putting them nearly 50% higher than their pre-war level. The surge in crude costs has propelled diesel prices to a record high and pushed the average price of a gallon of regular gasoline to $4.46, AAA data showed.

Mohammed Aty/Reuters - PHOTO: FILE PHOTO: Drone view of oil tanker HELGA berthed at one of Iraq's southern offshore oil terminals near Basra

Lesser-known fallout from the oil spike will soon hit heating bills as temperatures cool later this year, some analysts said.

The average heating oil price in Maine, for instance, registers at $5.77 per gallon, putting it 74% higher than a year ago, the Maine Department of Energy Resources (DOER) said earlier this week.

Alicia Fasulo, the director of heating assistance at The Opportunity Alliance, a non-profit in southern Maine, said many low-income families in the region are "extremely concerned" about heating costs as winter approaches.

"They have tough decisions about whether to pay for their groceries, whether to pay for their medications, electric bills or fuel costs," Fasulo said.

"Our clients are faced with tough decisions every winter season, but the cost of fuel has never been this high since I started with the heat program seven years ago," Fasulo added.

Maine residents will spend an average of nearly $675 more to fill a standard 275-gallon tank to capacity than they would have a year ago, the DOER said.

Eligible households can avail themselves of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, a federally-funded program that provides $4 billion in annual support to defray heating costs.

The program is a "huge help" for roughly 5,000 applicants who receive assistance from The Opportunity Alliance submitting paperwork each year, Fasulo said.

Only one of every five eligible households nationwide gains access to the program each year, however, in part due to the limited resources available, Konisky said.

"There is much more demand than there are resources to fill that demand," Konisky added.

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To be sure, the precise heating costs to be incurred this winter remain uncertain. The price of heating oil could fluctuate and El NiƱo may bring warmer-than-usual temperatures.

Still, it remains all but certain that elevated inflation will persist into the winter months, Konisky said.

The annual inflation rate stood at 3.4% as of August, the most recent month on record, putting inflation more than a percentage point above the Federal Reserve's target rate of 2%.

"Families will have to figure out how to balance the essential needs they have," Konisky said.

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Ukraine targets Moscow with hundreds of drones in ‘largest ever’ attack

Ukrainian forces fired more than 1,000 drones at Russia overnight, including hundreds that were launched toward Moscow, officials said Sunday as the Kremlin was wrapping up the third and last day of its parliamentary elections.

Moscow’s mayor described the wave of drones as the “largest ever” attack on the Russian capital and said there had been damage to a Moscow oil refinery and a residential building.

Across the wider Moscow region, the attack killed two people and wounded 20, local Gov. Andrei Vorobyov said. The dead were a 74-year-old man and a 44-year-old woman, he said.

Writing on social media, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Kyiv had used a range of missiles and drones in the attack — including Ukraine's domestically made Flamingo and Pelican missiles — to hit oil and logistics facilities.

"These are billions of dollars that sustain the war machine," Zelenskyy said, referring to the financial pressure that Kyiv hopes to put on Russia's economy.

The voting underway in Russia is the country's first wartime parliamentary election — balloting that has been virtually devoid of opposition to President Vladimir Putin’s policies and is all but certain to cement the Kremlin’s dominance.

Russia was also holding the vote in the four Ukrainian regions that Moscow illegally annexed after the war began but still doesn’t fully control, and in Crimea, the Black Sea peninsula that was illegally annexed by Russia in 2014. Kyiv has denounced the action as illegal.

Russia’s Ministry of Defense said that its forces shot down 1,100 Ukrainian drones across the country, as well as over the annexed Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea and the waters of the Black Sea.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that 450 drones had been destroyed en route to the Russian capital, and that the attack had damaged the Moscow Oil Refinery and a residential building.

He said the “unprecedented attack” on Moscow was an attempt to disrupt the elections. "The enemy failed in this regard," he said.

Since Russia’s invasion more than four years ago, Ukraine has become a global leader in military drone technology, deploying domestically produced long-range drones alongside missiles for strikes deep inside Russia. Its drone technology has impressed governments and defense manufacturers around the world.

Kyiv is aiming to make the Russian public feel the war’s consequences and pressure Russian President Vladimir Putin into negotiating a peace settlement. Putin has so far shown no signs he intends to stop the invasion.

Instead, Moscow and Kyiv have been drawn into an escalating duel of long-range aerial strikes as fighting along the roughly 1,250-kilometer (780-mile) front line in eastern and southern Ukraine has slowed, restricted by large numbers of drones and ground robots threatening troop movements.

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U.S. fears rapid escalation in the Mideast after Houthis attack Riyadh

Yemen's Houthi armed forces patrol as Yemeni prisoners loyal to the Houthi authorities arrive in the capital Sanaa on September 12 (Mohammed HUWAIS)

The United States warned Saturday that hostilities between Saudi Arabia and Iran-backed Houthis could "escalate rapidly" after a missile attack targeted Riyadh for the first time since the Yemen conflict resumed.

US President Donald Trump cut short a weekend at Camp David, a secluded presidential complex in rural Maryland, to return unexpectedly to the White House on Saturday.

The White House gave no explanation for the early return, which comes as a new threshold was crossed in the conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, who control a large part of Yemen and are fighting government forces backed by a coalition led by Riyadh.

Loud explosions rang out twice on Saturday in the Saudi capital, where AFP journalists saw a fuel tank bearing the logo of oil giant Aramco on fire near the airport.

"This military conflict has the potential to escalate rapidly," the US State Department warned, adding American citizens outside the Middle East should "seriously reconsider travel to and through the region".

The Houthis's lightning offensive seizing swathes of Yemeni territory in recent weeks has left hundreds dead and, according to the UN, displaced more than 110,000 people.

- 'Thwarted'-

These clashes and the subsequent hostilities with the kingdom have already disrupted Saudi Arabia's exports -- the world's leading supplier of crude oil -- as well as maritime traffic.

The Riyadh-led coalition confirmed Saturday evening on X that a ballistic missile launched by the Houthis towards the capital was "successfully intercepted and destroyed".

The coalition added that the pro-Iranian fighters had tried to target "civilians and civilian infrastructure" in several cities in the west of the kingdom, including the port of Yanbu on the Red Sea, an important export hub for Saudi oil.

It said these attacks were "thwarted by the Gulf monarchy's air defences".

Saudi Arabia has responded with scores of airstrikes on Houthi-held areas but failed to stop the advance.

The Houthis said it had responded to recent Saudi attacks by carrying out "two successful military operations using a large number of ballistic and cruise missiles and drones", Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree said in a statement on Telegram.

"The first targeted sensitive sites in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, and the second targeted Aramco facilities in Yanbu."

Saudi authorities had earlier issued an overnight air raid alert.

Hours after the early morning alert, residents told AFP on condition of anonymity that they heard what sounded like a round of explosions echoing through parts of the Saudi capital.  

- Lightning offensive -

This is the first time since Yemen's civil war resumed that strikes have threatened the Saudi capital, piling further pressure on a global economy already rocked by seven months of war between the US and Iran.

"The area is under a hostile aerial threat," according to a message received just before 3:00 am by Riyadh residents, urging them to stay indoors.

AFP journalists then heard two explosions, before the Saudi civil defence agency lifted the alert half an hour later.

"I heard the alarm, then my windows shook," a Riyadh resident told AFP. Another resident described the attack as "terrifying". 

The incident comes days after Riyadh accused the Houthis of targeting Mecca on Wednesday, denouncing it as a "cowardly terrorist attack" on Islam's holy city, which welcomes millions of pilgrims each year. The Houthis strongly denied the accusation, calling it a "worn-out lie".

The group has reported scores of retaliatory strikes carried out daily by Riyadh since their offensive this month to take over the country's entire Red Sea coast, giving them control over the vital Bab al-Mandab strait.

The United States, according to US news platform Axios, last week refused a Saudi request to strike the Houthis. 

Washington approved a $24.3 billion sale of 48 F-35 fighter jets to the kingdom on Thursday to help Riyadh "deter current and future threats", the US State Department said.

War in Yemen broke out in 2014 when the Houthis seized control of the capital Sanaa and other regions, triggering a military intervention led by Saudi Arabia in March 2015.

The fragile truce reached in 2022 between the warring parties collapsed in July, when the Houthis defied Riyadh's control of Yemeni airspace by allowing an Iranian aircraft to land in Yemen.

The apparent attack came as the Houthis improve their defences in newly conquered territory along Yemen's Red Sea coastline, with members of the group telling AFP they have been installing radar and digging tunnels.

burs-ane/abs

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Saturday, September 19, 2026

Trump signs bill authorizing sweeping Russia sanctions

Russia has intensified attacks against Ukraine as its full-scale invasion grinds through its fifth year (Oleksandr GIMANOV)

US President Donald Trump signed a bill on Friday authorizing new sanctions designed to pressure Russia over its war in Ukraine, after Congress gave its approval after months of delay.

Washington is pushing to revive a mediated path towards ending the conflict as Moscow intensifies attacks against Ukraine, even though much of its attention -- and munitions -- are focused on the ongoing war against Iran.

The legislation, which US lawmakers approved this week, takes aim at Russia's energy and defense sectors, alongside President Vladimir Putin and other senior officials.

It also targets Moscow's so-called shadow fleet of tankers used to evade Western sanctions, and allows Trump the authority to impose tariffs of up to 100 percent on major buyers of Russian oil and gas.

That could potentially cover China and India, and furthers efforts to cut off revenue financing Moscow's war.

The Republican-led House of Representatives passed the package by a 262-159 vote on Wednesday.

The bill would also target companies and foreign actors supporting Russia's military, and extend sanctions involving Iran.

But the broad powers to impose tariffs sparked an unusual split among Democrats, who largely support Ukraine but have resisted handing Trump wider authority over trade.

- Tougher pressure -

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky earlier hailed the legislation as "symbolic" and thanked US lawmakers.

The bill is "an extremely powerful tool that can stop this terrorist war and bring Russia to the point where it has to make peace," Zelensky wrote on X.

"Sanctions must be strong so that all efforts for peace -- including our joint diplomatic efforts with the United States, Europe, and our other friends -- can succeed," he added.

India said on Thursday it would continue buying oil "through diversified sourcing."

New Delhi -- which counts Russia as one of its most important strategic partners -- has navigated the energy crisis sparked by the US-Iran conflict in part by turning to Moscow, despite pressure from Western countries.

Supporters of the legislation argued that tougher economic pressure is needed against Moscow, which launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

The Congress vote was celebrated by pro-Ukraine activists, who pointed to continuing Russian attacks, including drone strikes on Wednesday on civilian transport in the south that officials in Kyiv said killed five people.

Trump has generally preferred to retain control over sanctions and tariffs rather than have Congress dictate policy, helping delay the measure for more than a year.

The president's signing of the bill comes a week before he is due to meet with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in Washington.

bys/jgc/cms/hol

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