Page 11 - Joe Biden

Biden govt informs Congress of planned $8 bn weapons sale to Israel

The State Department has informed Congress of a planned USD 8 billion weapons sale to Israel, US officials say, as the American ally presses forward with its war against Hamas in Gaza. Some of the arms in the package could be sent through current US stocks but the majority would take a year or several years to deliver, according to two US officials Saturday who spoke on condition of anonymity because the notification to Congress hasn't been formally sent. The sale includes medium-range air-to-air missiles to help Israel defend against airborne threats, 155 mm projectile artillery shells for long-range targeting, Hellfire AGM-114 missiles, 500-pound bombs and more. The weapons package would add to a record of at least USD 17.9 billion in military aid that the US has provided Israel since the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, launched the war. The Biden administration has faced criticism over mounting deaths of Palestinian civilians. There have been demonstrations on college campuses

Biden to present Presidential Medal of Freedom to Clinton, Soros, Messi

US President Joe Biden has named former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, fashion designer Ralph Lauren, football superstar Lionel Messi, former Defence Secretary late Ashton Carter, and controversial investor George Soros, along with 14 others for the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the Nation's highest civilian honour, would be presented to the awardees at a White House ceremony by Biden Saturday afternoon. The prestigious award is presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavours, the White House said Saturday. Biden believes great leaders keep the faith, give everyone a fair shot, and put decency above all else. These nineteen individuals are great leaders who have made America and the world a better place. They are great leaders because they are good people who have made ...

NSA Sullivan to visit India to finalise important initiatives: White House

Outgoing US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will travel to India January 5 and 6 to meet his counterpart Ajit K Doval and other top government officials for a final round of talks with them on a wide range of bilateral, regional and global issues and to finalise some ongoing initiatives that were important priorities for them to wrap up, the White House said on Friday. Sullivan, 48, the youngest national security advisor when President Joe Bident appointed him on January 20, 2021, would also deliver a major India-centric foreign policy speech at IIT, New Delhi during his last trip to India before leaving office. He would be succeeded by Congressman Michael Waltz on January 20, when Donald J Trump would be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States. While there, the main purpose will be a capstone engagement and dialogue with his counterpart, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, a senior administration official told reporters during a conference call Friday ...

Biden to ban more offshore oil and gas drilling before Trump arrives

Biden is set within days to issue the executive order barring the sale of new drilling rights in portions of the country's outer continental shelf

New Orleans attacker acted alone, had strong support for ISIS, says Biden

New Orleans attacker Shamsud-Din Jabbar acted alone even though there are indications that he had strong support for ISIS, US President Joe Biden has said. At least 14 people were killed and 35 others were injured after Jabbar drove his pickup truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street early Wednesday. The FBI is investigating the incident as an act of terrorism. Jabbar, 42, a former veteran, also died in a shootout with the local police. A resident of Houston, he drove to New Orleans. Today, the FBI briefed me that, as of now, we have no information that anyone else is involved in the attack. They've established that the attacker was the same person who planted the explosives in those ice coolers in two nearby locations in the French Quarter just a few hours before he rammed into the crowd with his vehicle, Biden told reporters at the White House on Thursday. In response to a question, Biden said he is trying to travel to New Orleans. They assess he had a remote detonator in his vehicle

'We are going to pursue ISIS': Biden on terrorist attack in New Orleans

Biden informed that 15 people, including the attacker, had been killed in the attack

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan to visit India early next week

US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan is set to visit India early next week to take stock of the India-US Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET). The iCET represents a landmark initiative between the two countries in areas of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, biotech, and defence innovation. Sullivan's trip will be the last high-profile visit to New Delhi from the outgoing Biden administration. The inauguration of Donald Trump as the 47th president of the US will take place on January 20. It is learnt that Sullivan will be in Delhi on January 6 and will hold wide-ranging talks with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. No official announcement has been made yet on the US NSA's visit to India. Sullivan's trip comes days after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar concluded a six-day visit to the US. In their talks, Sullivan and Doval are expected to deliberate on implementation of the iCET, billed as one of the very ...

Driver expressed desire to kill before New Orleans rampage, says Biden

The FBI said it was investigating the attack early Wednesday as a terrorist act and did not believe the driver acted alone

H-1B visa programme: A policy shift under Donald Trump, Joe Biden

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations requiring theoretical or technical expertise

US announces $5.9 billion in additional military, budget aid to Ukraine

Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the United States has made available $3.4 billion in additional budget aid to Ukraine, giving the war-torn country critical resources

Donald Trump to Sunita Williams: Who were the top newsmakers of 2024

From Mukesh Ambani hosting one of the most extravagant weddings to Gisele Pelicot's mass rape trial in France, here is a list of all the top newsmakers of 2024

World leaders mourn passing of longest-serving former US Prez Jimmy Carter

According to the Carter Center's statement from February 2023, after a series of hospital stays, the former US President decided to stop further medical treatment and spend his remaining time at home

Ex-US Prez Jimmy Carter passes away, to receive state funeral, says Biden

While the White House didn't immediately announce specific plans, state funerals for presidents usually include lying in state at the US Capitol and a memorial service

US plans more action against China over telecom hack and cyber threats

As the Biden administration learns about the scope and scale of the so-called Salt Typhoon breach which it attributed to China, officials are laying the blame on companies

Biden condemns Russian strikes, says Ukrainians deserve to live in peace

Biden also said that the US Department of Defence would increase the weapon deliveries to Ukraine

News updates: Arunish Chawla elected as revenue secretary

Latest news updates: Catch all the latest news developments from across the world here

US Steel takeover plan has support in steelmaking areas: Nippon Steel Prez

On Monday, a US foreign investment committee referred the decision whether to approve or block the $15 billion deal to US President Joe Biden, who has 15 days to decide

President Biden signs bill officially making bald eagle national bird of US

The bald eagle, a symbol of the power and strength of the United States for more than 240 years, earned an overdue honor on Tuesday: It officially became the country's national bird. President Joe Biden signed into law legislation sent to him by Congress that amends the United States Code to correct what had long gone unnoticed and designate the bald eagle familiar to many because of its white head, yellow beak and brown body as the national bird. The bald eagle has appeared on the Great Seal of the United States, which is used in official documents, since 1782, when the design was finalized. The seal is made up of the eagle, an olive branch, arrows, a flag-like shield, the motto E Pluribus Unum and a constellation of stars. Congress that same year designated the bald eagle as the the national emblem, and its image appears in a host of places, ranging from documents and the presidential flag to military insignia and U.S. currency, according to USA.gov. But it had never been ...

Trump vows to pursue executions after Biden commutes most on death row

President-elect Donald Trump promised on Tuesday to vigorously pursue capital punishment after President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of most people on federal death row partly to stop Trump from pushing forward their executions. Trump criticized Biden's decision on Monday to change the sentences of 37 of the 40 condemned people to life in prison without parole, arguing that it was senseless and insulted the families of their victims. Biden said converting their punishments to life imprisonment was consistent with the moratorium imposed on federal executions in cases other than terrorism and hate-motivated mass murder. Joe Biden just commuted the Death Sentence on 37 of the worst killers in our Country, he wrote on his social media site. When you hear the acts of each, you won't believe that he did this. Makes no sense. Relatives and friends are further devastated. They can't believe this is happening! Presidents historically have no involvement in dictating or recommending the

Nippon Steel's US Steel bid referred to President Biden for final decision

The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which reviews foreign investments in the US for national security risks