New Zealand's prime minister said a shooting that killed two people in central Auckland hours before the women's football World Cup opener Thursday was not linked to a national security threat and...

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President Joe Biden is expected to sign legislation on Saturday to raise the debt ceiling, just two days before the U.S. Treasury warned that the country would struggle to pay its bills. The bipartisan measure, which was approved this week by the House and Senate, eliminates the potential for an unprecedented government default. “Passing this budget agreement was critical. The stakes could not have been higher," Biden said from the Oval Office on Friday evening. “Nothing would have been more catastrophic,” he said, than defaulting on the country's debt. The agreement was hashed out by Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, giving Republicans some of their demanded federal spending cuts but holding the line on major Democratic priorities. It raises the debt limit until 2025 — after the 2024 presidential election — and gives legislators budget targets for the next two years in hopes of assuring fiscal stability as the political season heats up. “No one got everything they wanted but the American people got what they needed,” Biden said, highlighting the “compromise and consensus” in the deal. “We averted an economic crisis and an economic collapse.” Biden used the opportunity to itemize the achievements of his first term as he runs for reelection, including support for high-tech manufacturing, infrastructure investments and financial incentives for fighting climate change. He also highlighted ways he blunted Republican efforts to roll back his agenda and achieve deeper cuts. “We’re cutting spending and bringing deficits down at the same time,” Biden said. “We're protecting important priorities from Social Security to Medicare to Medicaid to veterans to our transformational investments in infrastructure and clean energy.” Even as he pledged to continue working with Republicans, Biden also drew contrasts with the opposing party, particularly when it comes to raising taxes on the wealthy, something the Democratic president has sought. It’s something he suggested may need to wait until a second term. “I’m going to be coming back,” he said. “With your help, I’m going to win.” Biden's remarks were the most detailed comments from the Democratic president on the compromise he and his staff negotiated. He largely remained quiet publicly during the high-stakes talks, a decision that frustrated some members of his party but was intended to give space for both sides to reach a deal and for lawmakers to vote it to his desk. Biden praised McCarthy and his negotiators for operating in good faith, and all congressional leaders for ensuring swift passage of the legislation. “They acted responsibly, and put the good of the country ahead of politics,” he said. Overall, the 99-page bill restricts spending for the next two years and changes some policies, including imposing new work requirements for older Americans receiving food aid and greenlighting an Appalachian natural gas pipeline that many Democrats oppose. Some environmental rules were modified to help streamline approvals for infrastructure and energy projects — a move long sought by moderates in Congress. The Congressional Budget Office estimates it could actually expand total eligibility for federal food assistance, with the elimination of work requirements for veterans, homeless people and young people leaving foster care. The legislation also bolsters funds for defense and veterans, cuts back some new money for the Internal Revenue Service and rejects Biden’s call to roll back Trump-era tax breaks on corporations and the wealthy to help cover the nation’s deficits. But the White House said the IRS' plans to step up enforcement of tax laws for high-income earners and corporations would continue. The agreement imposes an automatic overall 1% cut to spending programs if Congress fails to approve its annual spending bills — a measure designed to pressure lawmakers of both parties to reach consensus before the end of the fiscal year in September. In both chambers, more Democrats backed the legislation than Republicans, but both parties were critical to its passage. In the Senate the tally was 63-36 including 46 Democrats and independents and 17 Republicans in favor, 31 Republicans along with four Democrats and one independent who caucuses with the Democrats opposed. The vote in the House was 314-117. ___ AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report. Read More Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide FBI offers to show GOP chairman document that purports to relate to Biden, his family Republicans schedule 1st presidential debate for Aug. 23, but there's no guarantee Trump will attend DeSantis wraps up 1st early states tour as candidate with more personal touch in South Carolina

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Chelsea could be about to snatch away Liverpool’s expected marquee signing, Moisés Caicedo, at the eleventh hour. Negotiations for the Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder went down to the wire yesterday, according to reports, with Liverpool seemingly securing the player for £110m. But Chelsea are reportedly still in the hunt, after it was widely reported that the London club are ready to bid more than £110m for the Ecuador international. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Caicedo is said to prefer Chelsea, after they made him their top summer transfer target. Chelsea have been frontrunners for Caicedo for much of the summer and submitted an offer worth up to £100m on Thursday. But Liverpool stunned the mid-table side by muscling in with a higher offer for the 21-year-old. The situation remained fast-moving on Friday afternoon. Liverpool’s manager, Jürgen Klopp, said: “I can confirm the deal with [Brighton] is agreed, whatever that means because we want the player and not any kind of agreement – we will see.” “We are a club that doesn’t have endless resources, we didn’t expect a couple of things happening in the summer, like [Jordan] Henderson and Fabinho [leaving], stuff like this. “We didn’t think about that before the summer, to be honest, and then it happened. We gave [attempting to sign Jude Bellingham] a go and the club was really stretched. We will see [what happens with Caicedo].” Klopp has said in the past that he would not pay £100m for a player, but on Friday added: “Everything changes. Do I like it? No. But did I realise I was wrong? Definitely. “It is not great but it is the way it goes. It will not change around again. Saudi Arabia will not help. We as a club have to try and make sure with our resources we get the best possible team together … If people want to throw my quotes from five or six years ago, absolutely no problem.” Both teams are seeking to strengthen their midfield before the start of the Premier League season. Chelsea have already lost Mason Mount, N’Golo Kanté, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Mateo Kovacic before the start of the season. Liverpool, meanwhile, lost Henderson, James Milner and Fabinho. They have signed Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton and Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig. The two sides play on Sunday in their first game of the new season. Which team sheet Caicedo will be named on remains to be seen. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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England coach Steve Borthwick finds himself in the enviable position of overseeing a wealth of riches at fly-half as a returning Owen Farrell joins the mix alongside George Ford and Marcus Smith in...