United States

United States could bear the brunt of escalating trade war with Canada

New 50 per cent US tariffs and Canada's threat of retaliation raise risks of higher prices, weaker investment and fresh economic shocks amid persistent inflation

Paramount and California to hold preliminary talks on Warner Bros deal

The talks are preliminary, ​and there is no assurance that they will lead to meaningful negotiations toward a settlement

Nancy Kassebaum Baker, former US senator from Kansas, passes away at 94

Nancy Kassebaum Baker, a Kansas governor's daughter who became the first woman elected to the US Senate without following a spouse into office, has died. She was 94. Kassebaum Baker died Friday of natural causes, according to her son, Bill Kassebaum. "She loved Kansas. She loved people from Kansas and representing Kansas for 18 years in the US Senate," he told The Associated Press. "She was an independent-minded Republican who was willing to stand up for what she thought was right, even if that meant going against the party." She was elected to the US Senate in 1978 and served three terms. Her modest demeanour endeared her to voters of all political stripes, though she shared the moderate, progressive Republican politics of her father, Gov. Alf Landon, the unsuccessful 1936 GOP nominee for president. Even after leaving the Senate early in 1997, she continued taking on public service roles. She married former Sen. Howard Baker, a Tennessee Republican, in 1996. He died in ...

Canada will impose retaliatory tariffs on US goods beginning Sept 8

Canada will impose retaliatory tariffs on US goods beginning September 8, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said Saturday. The move escalates a trade conflict after Washington imposed 50 per cent tariffs on about USD 20 billion worth of Canadian products and last-ditch negotiations collapsed late Friday in Washington. Carney said the dollar-for-dollar retaliation would target steel, dairy, appliances, agricultural equipment, pulp and paper and electronics. Details of the specific products will be released in the coming days. Carney, speaking in Ottawa, also disclosed that Canada had been willing to drop remaining retaliatory tariffs on steel, aluminum and autos if the United States substantially lowered its own, and to encourage provinces to restore US alcohol sales. But he said Washington's final demands went too far, saying, "They asked too much and offered too little," Carney said.

US judge blocks Trump policy suspending visas for nationals of 75 countries

A federal judge in New York has vacated a Trump administration policy that suspended the processing of visas from 75 countries, including Afghanistan, Iran, Russia and Somalia, whose nationals the Trump administration deemed likely to require public assistance in the United States. US District Judge Jeannette Vargas, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, set aside the policy Friday as "contrary to law and in excess of statutory authority." Secretary of State Marco Rubio exceeded his authority by issuing the policy, which "runs afoul" of the Immigration and Nationality Act by mandating "the refusal of visas to eligible applicants without any basis in law," the judge ruled. Vargas said the policy also undermines the congressional requirement that puts consular officers at the forefront of any visa decision. "Congress imbued these officers with exclusive authority and discretion to determine if an immigrant is eligible for a visa based upon review of specific and detailed criter

Trump urges court to reject BBC's bid for family records in defamation case

President Donald Trump has urged a federal judge to reject the BBC's request for the court's help in securing testimony and documents from three family members in response to his USD 10 billion defamation lawsuit against the British broadcaster. The BBC is trying to gain "politically-driven leverage" over Trump by serving subpoenas on daughter Ivanka Trump, son-in-law Jared Kushner and son Donald Trump Jr., personal lawyers for the Republican president argued in a court filing Friday. US District Judge Jeffrey Kuntz in Miami did not immediately rule on the dispute. Kuntz, who was nominated to the bench by Trump, inherited the president's lawsuit from another judge less than a week ago. Court filings did not immediately specify a reason for the case's reassignment. The previous judge has set a February trial date. In May, a process server working for the BBC tried to serve subpoenas on Ivanka Trump and Kushner at their residence but encountered Secret Service agents who said they we

Telangana CM Revanth Reddy denied permission by Centre to visit US

Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has been denied permission by the Centre to visit the USA, the CMO said on Friday. Reddy, who is in London currently, has planned to visit the US and return to Hyderabad on August 30. "The official TelanganaRising delegation led by Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy has been forced to cancel their visit to the United States of America (USA) after the Ministry of External Affairs has denied permission, saying clearence from political angle is denied," a CMO release said. Reddy will return from London to Hyderabad on August 23 instead of leaving for Boston in the US, it said.

Nancy Kissinger, wife of former US secretary of state, dies at 92

Nancy Kissinger, who helped shape her husband Henry Kissinger's public life and moved among New York's political, social and cultural elite, died at her home in Connecticut at 92

South Korean, US militaries shorten drills after Trump ordered reduction

The South Korean and US militaries have agreed to shorten their drills at the US's request, South Korean officials said Wednesday, days after President Donald Trump ordered cuts to the exercises. The allies' summertime Ulchi Freedom Shield exercises began Monday morning for an 11-day run, just after Trump ordered his Pentagon chief to "substantially reduce" them. Trump cited what he said was a good relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and South Korea's refusal to join the US war against Iran. South Korea's military said in a statement the ongoing drills with the US would end Friday, not Aug. 27 as initially planned. It said the allies also agreed to downsize some joint field training exercises. Many experts say Trump's move threatens to hurt combined US-South Korean readiness and eventually weaken their decades-long alliance. Ulchi Freedom Shield is largely a computer-simulated command post exercise meant to hone the allies' ability to deal with potential regional ...

UK PM Burnham exchanged messages with impersonator posing as Trump's aide

Andy Burnham communicated with someone posing as White House chief of staff Susie Wiles, an incident on which Downing Street has declined to comment

Meta faces landmark US trial over child safety on Facebook, Instagram

Of the thousands of lawsuits Meta faces over child safety on its platforms, none may be more consequential than one going to trial this week in California. US states are seeking extensive financial damages that could, in theory, total as much as USD 1.4 trillion, plus changes to how the company operates Facebook and Instagram. The lawsuit accuses the social media giant of contributing to the youth mental health crisis by knowingly and deliberately designing features that get children addicted to its platforms. It also claims that Meta routinely collects data on children under 13 without their parents' consent, in violation of federal law. "Meta has harnessed powerful and unprecedented technologies to entice, engage, and ultimately ensnare youth and teens. Its motive is profit, and in seeking to maximise its financial gains," the lawsuit says. Dozens of states filed the lawsuit three years ago. The trial set to begin Tuesday in federal court in Oakland, California, features four of

5 shot at Virginia State University, campus lockdown lifted after 8 hours

A shooting involving multiple suspects and five people shot at Virginia State University prompted a campus lockdown early Saturday. It happened near the university's Quad Annexes, where campus police and Chesterfield County officers discovered five people suffering from gunshot wounds outside campus dormitories. Officers responded just before 1:30 am and the lockdown was lifted at about 9 am, county police said. The five were transported to hospitals, and one initially listed as having life-threatening injuries has been upgraded to critical condition, county police said. The others sustained non-life-threatening injuries, police said. The university said in a statement that the shooting involves "multiple suspects." The statement asked people to avoid the immediate area. "A significant law enforcement presence remains on campus as the investigation into this morning's shooting continues," the university said after the lockdown was lifted. The campus had a large law enforcement ...

Indian-origin teen kills mother, 14-yr-old brother in Massachusetts

17-year-old Arjun Aravind has been charged with two counts of murder in connection with the deaths of his mother, Sudha Venkatesan, 45, and his 14-year-old brother, Siddharth Aravind

Raymond Lifestyle eyes Europe for 25% of exports, cuts US dependence

The ‌plan comes as garment exporters reassess their dependence on the US market after tariff-related disruptions and position for higher demand following India's trade deals with Britain and Europe

Joe Biden's cancer has spread further, says Hunter: 'It's very painful'

Former US President Joe Biden's prostate cancer has spread to other parts of his body and is causing him pain, even as he continues to speak out on public issues, his son Hunter said in an interview. In a wide-ranging interview with the BBC broadcast late Friday, Hunter Biden grew emotional as he discussed his father's condition, describing it as very sad to watch. "The cancer has spread, metastasized into his bones and further," he said. "It's very painful and it's very debilitating in many respects." Biden, 83, was the oldest man to serve as US president and his age was a source of concern for much of his four years in office. He and his White House advisers have faced intense criticism for allegedly concealing the extent of his problems, especially after he was forced to abandon his bid for re-election after a disastrous debate with his eventual successor, Donald Trump. The former president revealed his cancer diagnosis in May of last year, less than four months after he left th

Talks with US won't happen while interim deal is breached: Iranian minister

Iran says it will not resume talks with the US while Washington breaches a June interim deal, while an agreement with Oman on Strait of Hormuz shipping lanes nears completion

PM Modi speaks to JD Vance, discusses ways to deepen India-US ties

PM Modi also congratulated Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, on the birth of their son and extended his wishes to the family

US Treasury pressures Harry Sargeant to divest from Venezuela oil venture

Sargeant served as a vital back channel between Washington and Caracas during years of deep hostility, accumulating outsized influence on both sides

US vaccine policy risks undermining use of tech to advance medical science

Flaws in US vaccine policy could make it impossible to leverage technology in optimal ways to advance medical science

Massachusetts declares August 15 as 'India Day' to honour Indian diaspora

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey has declared August 15 as India Day, recognising the contributions made by the Indian diaspora to the state, and urged residents to participate fittingly in observance. In a proclamation issued on August 1, the governor also recognised the vital role played by community organisations and advocates in fostering civic engagement, cultural exchange and mutual understanding through its annual Independence-Day celebrations and community-service efforts. A similar proclamation was also issued by Michelle Wu, the Mayor of Boston, declaring August 15 as India Day. She also welcomed the opening of the new Indian Consulate in Boston and celebrated the visit of INS Sudarshini at the SAILBOSTON-250 event. The proclamation issued by the Massachusetts governor said August 15, 2026, will mark the 79th anniversary of India's independence from British colonial rule in 1947, a historic moment that laid the foundation for the world's largest democracy. It noted tha