Page 100 - United States

US sanctions target North Korea and Russia over military cooperation

The sanctions, which list North Korean banks, generals and other officials, as well as Russian oil shipping companies, are the latest US measure aimed at disrupting North Korea's support to Russia

US moves to boost crackdown on China Telecom's unit over data privacy

There is growing alarm in Washington about China's alleged efforts known as Salt Typhoon to infiltrate American telecommunications companies

US FDA declines to approve injection form of J&J's lung cancer drug

The FDA's so-called complete response letter was related to observations as part of a standard pre-approval inspection at a manufacturing facility

China's factories seek to Trump-proof their business by going global

Factory bosses also acknowledged that their attempts to Trump-proof their businesses are vulnerable to the whims of his trade policies

Two charged in Iran-backed drone strike case that killed 3 US troops

Two men, including a dual Iranian American citizen, have been arrested on charges that they exported sensitive technology to Iran that was used in a drone attack in Jordan that killed three American troops early this year and injured dozens of other service members, the Justice Department said Monday. The pair were arrested after FBI specialists who analyzed the drone traced the navigation system to an Iranian company operated by one of the defendants, who relied on technology funnelled from the U.S. by his alleged co-conspirator, officials said. We often cite hypothetical risk when we talk about the dangers of American technology getting into dangerous hands, said U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy, the top federal prosecutor in Massachusetts. Unfortunately, in this situation, we are not speculating. The defendants were identified as Mahdi Mohammad Sadeghi, who prosecutors say works at a Massachusetts-based semiconductor company, and Mohammad Abedininajafabadi, who was arrested Monday in ..

Students should only learn to read, write: Biden condemns school shooting

As many as two people were killed and six others sustained injuries in a shooting incident at Abundant Life Christian School in Madison, Wisconsin on Monday, CNN reported citing officials

Syria must succeed; rights of women, minorities should be respected: US

Our message to the Syrian people is this: We want them to succeed and we are prepared to help them do so, US State Department spokesperson Mathew Miller said in a press briefing

Biden establishes national monument for 1st female US Cabinet secretary

President Joe Biden on Monday established a national monument honouring the late FDR-era Labor Secretary Frances Perkins, the first woman to serve in a presidential Cabinet and a driving force behind Franklin D Roosevelt's New Deal programmes after the Great Depression. Perkins is one of America's greatest labour leaders, and that's not hyperbole, Biden said. Perkins cemented the idea that if you're working a full-time job, you shouldn't have to live in poverty, Biden said. The outgoing Democratic president signed the proclamation establishing the monument in Newcastle, Maine, after a speech at the Department of Labor as he seeks to burnish his legacy as a champion of women's and labour rights with just over five weeks left in his term. The department's building is named after Perkins, who helped President Roosevelt formulate policies behind the 1930s New Deal agenda and create safeguards in the national economy following the Great Depression that began in 1929. Perkins was the ...

Some North Korean troops killed fighting alongside Russia, say Ukraine, US

Ukraine's military intelligence agency and the Pentagon said Monday that some North Korean troops have been killed during combat against Ukrainian forces in Russia's Kursk border region. These are the first reported casualties since the US and Ukraine announced that North Korea had sent 10,000 to 12,000 troops to Russia to help it in the almost 3-year war. Ukraine's military intelligence agency said around 30 North Korean troops were killed or wounded during battle with the Ukrainian army over the weekend. The casualties occurred around three villages in Kursk, where Russia has for four months been trying to quash a Ukrainian incursion, the agency, known by its acronym GUR, said in a public post on the Telegram messaging app. At least three North Korean servicemen went missing around another Kursk village, GUR said. Maj Gen Pat Ryder, Pentagon press secretary, told reporters that some North Korean troops have died in combat in Kursk but did not have a specific number of those kill

EU seeks assurances from Syria's leaders in exchange for dropping sanctions

European Union nations on Monday set out conditions for lifting sanctions on Syria and kick-starting aid to the conflict-ravaged country amid uncertainty about its new leaders' intentions just over a week after they seized power. At a meeting in Brussels, the EU's top diplomats said they want guarantees from members of Syria's interim government that they are preparing for a peaceful political future involving all minority groups, one in which extremism and former allies Russia and Iran have no place. Since Damascus fell on Dec 8 and leader Bashar Assad fled to Moscow, Syria's transition has been surprisingly smooth. Few reports have surfaced of reprisals, revenge killings or sectarian violence. Most looting or destruction has been quickly contained. But the new leadership has yet to lay out a clear vision of how Syria will be governed. The interim government was set up by former opposition forces led by the Islamic militant group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, a former al-Qaida ...

15-year-old girl fatally shoots teacher, teenager at school in Wisconsin

A student opened fire at a private Christian school Monday morning in Wisconsin, killing two people in the final week before Christmas break. The shooter also died, police said. Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes offered no details about the victims but said other people were wounded at Abundant Life Christian School, a K-12 school with about 390 students. Police previously said a total of five people had died but corrected the statement. Barnes said the suspected shooter was a student who likely died by suicide. They found the person responsible who was down, deceased, the chief said. The wounded had injuries ranging broadly from minor to life-threatening, Barnes said. I'm feeling a little dismayed now, so close to Christmas, he said. Every child, every person in that building is a victim and will be a victim forever. ... We need to figure out and try to piece together what exactly happened. Barnes said police were alerted shortly before 11 a.m. and did not fire their weapons when

President-elect Trump loses bid to get hush money case tossed over immunity

New York state court Justice Juan Merchan on Monday rejected Trump's argument that his trial was tainted by witness testimony and other evidence

Journalists anticipate renewed hostility toward work under new Trump govt

For the press heading into a second Trump administration, there's a balancing act between being prepared and being fearful. The return to power of Donald Trump, who has called journalists enemies and talked about retribution against those he feels have wronged him, has news executives nervous. Perceived threats are numerous: lawsuits of every sort, efforts to unmask anonymous sources, physical danger and intimidation, attacks on public media and libel protections, day-to-day demonisation. In a closely-watched case settled over the weekend, ABC chose to settle a defamation lawsuit brought by the president-elect over an inaccurate statement made by George Stephanopoulos by agreeing to pay $15 million toward Trump's presidential library. The news media is heading into this next administration with its eyes open, said Bruce Brown, executive director of the Reporters Committee for the Freedom of the Press. Some challenges to the free press may be overt, some may be more subtle, Brown sa

Pak made progress in countering terrorist financing: US state dept report

Pakistan has made substantial progress in countering terrorist financing and addressing regional extremist networks, a US State Department report states while also highlighting significant security challenges, including a sharp rise in terrorist attacks in 2023. The Dawn newspaper said that the report released this week commends Pakistan for completing its updated National Risk Assessment (NRA) on money laundering and terrorist financing in 2023. This assessment evaluated 87 terrorist organisations, conducted sectoral vulnerability analysis and identified donations and extortion as key funding sources for terrorism. According to the assessment, 41 groups remain active in Pakistan, leveraging cash couriers and illegal money transfer services. The report flagged porous borders with Afghanistan as critical vulnerabilities facilitating illicit financial flows. The report notes that consistent with its commitment to relevant UN resolutions, Pakistan prosecutes its returning citizens who

As Trump threatens mass deportations, Central America braces for migrants

As dozens of deported migrants pack into a sweltering airport facility in San Pedro Sula, Norma sits under fluorescent lights clutching a foam cup of coffee and a small plate of eggs all that was waiting for her in Honduras. The 69-year-old Honduran mother had never imagined leaving her Central American country. But then came the anonymous death threats to her and her children and the armed men who showed up at her doorstep threatening to kill her, just like they had killed one of her relatives days earlier. Norma, who requested anonymity out of concern for her safety, spent her life savings of USD 10,000 on a one-way trip north at the end of October with her daughter and granddaughter. But after her asylum petitions to the US were rejected, they were loaded onto a deportation flight. Now, she's back in Honduras within reach of the same gang, stuck in a cycle of violence and economic precarity that haunts deportees like her. They can find us in every corner of Honduras, she said i

Zakir Hussain passes away in US, tributes pour in for tabla maestro

Tabla maestro Zakir Hussain died in a hospital in San Francisco, US, his family said on Monday. He was 73. Hussain died from complications arising out of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, the family said in a statement. He had been in hospital for the past two weeks and was shifted to the intensive care unit (ICU) after his condition deteriorated. Hussain's sister Khurshid Aulia said he passed away "very peacefully". "He passed away very peacefully after the ventilation machine was switched off. This was 4 pm San Francisco time," she told PTI. Regarded as the greatest tabla player of his generation, Hussain is survived by his wife Antonia Minnecola and their daughters -- Anisa Qureshi and Isabella Qureshi. Born on March 9, 1951, he was the son of legendary tabla master Ustad Alla Rakha. The family said in its statement, "He leaves behind an extraordinary legacy cherished by countless music lovers around the globe, with an influence that will resonate for generations to come." In a

US lawmakers demand to scrap China science agreement renewal deal for 5 yrs

Extension comes despite repeated requests from Congress to either suspend the agreement or implement stronger safeguards to protect US national security, human rights, and intellectual property

Trump appoints Richard Grenell to serve as special missions' envoy

President-elect Donald Trump announced Saturday that he's picked longtime foreign policy adviser Richard Grenell to serve as an envoy for special missions, tasking him with helping the incoming administration deal with some of the toughest foreign policy challenges. Grenell served as ambassador to Germany during Trump's first administration, special presidential envoy for Serbia and Kosovo peace negotiations, and did a stint as acting director of national intelligence. He was also a contender to serve as secretary of state, but Trump opted to nominate Florida Sen. Marco Rubio. Ric will work in some of the hottest spots around the World, including Venezuela and North Korea, Trump said in a posting on his social media platform, Truth Social, announcing the appointment. Grenell during Trump's first term developed a reputation for employing a sometimes contentious approach to diplomacy that rankled allies and the foreign policy establishment in Washington. But his style was appreciated

US reaffirms ironclad commitment to South Korea amid political turmoil

Miller also conveyed the United States' readiness to collaborate with acting President Han Duck-soo and the Korean government, affirming the shared interests and values that underpin the partnership

Top diplomats from US, Arab League, Turkey discuss Syria's power transition

Top diplomats from the United States, the Arab League and Turkey met in Jordan on Saturday to discuss how to assist Syria 's transition after the fall of Bashar Assad's government a week ago. No Syrian representatives attended. The collapse of the Assad family's more than half-century of rule has sparked new fears of instability in a region already shaken by the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and hostilities between Israel and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah despite a tenuous ceasefire. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said American officials have been in direct contact with the Syrian insurgent group that led the overthrow of Assad's government, but the group continues to be designated a foreign terrorist organization by the United States and others. The insurgent leader in an interview with Syrian TV didn't mention contact with the US, but he warned Israel about the hundreds of airstrikes it has carried out in Syria in the past week. The US is also making a renewed push for a ceasefire