Page 101 - United States

Luigi Mangione pleads not guilty to murder in UnitedHealthcare CEO's death

The man accused of fatally shooting the CEO of UnitedHealthcare pleaded not guilty on Monday to murder and terror charges while his attorney complained that statements coming from New York's mayor would make it tough for him to receive a fair trial. Luigi Mangione, 26, was shackled and seated in a Manhattan court when he leaned over to a microphone to enter his plea. The Manhattan district attorney formally charged him last week with multiple counts of murder, including murder as an act of terrorism, in a state case that will run parallel to his federal prosecution. His initial appearance in New York's state's trial court was preempted by federal prosecutors bringing their own charges over the shooting. The federal charges could carry the possibility of the death penalty, while the maximum sentence for the state charges is life in prison without parole. Prosecutors have said the two cases will proceed on parallel tracks, with the state charges expected to go to trial first. One of

EAM Jaishankar to visit US from Dec 24-29 for key bilateral talks

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will pay a six-day visit to the US beginning Tuesday. It will be the first high-level visit from India to the US after Donald Trump won the presidential election. "External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will visit the United States of America from December 24-29," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. "He will be meeting counterparts to discuss key bilateral, regional and global issues," it said in a brief statement. The MEA said Jaishankar will also chair a conference of the Consul Generals of India in the US.

Many Americans rely on Chinese-made drones, lawmakers want to ban them

Russell Hedrick, a North Carolina farmer, flies drones to spray fertilisers on his corn, soybean and wheat fields at a fraction of what it would cost him to use a conventional ground spreader. As a volunteer rescuer, Hedrick uses thermal drones to search for people trapped by mudslides and cargo drones to send water and baby formula to those who are stranded something he did after Hurricane Helene. Now he is fretting that one day he will have to ground his drone fleet. Most commercial drones sold in the United States, including those used by Hedrick, are made in China. They have become a target of US lawmakers, who see the dominance of Chinese drones not only as an espionage threat but as a commercial threat because they make it nearly impossible for American manufacturers to compete. It's another front in the US-China economic and technological competition that's likely to intensify with the return to the White House in January of Republican Donald Trump, who has promised to get .

Luigi Mangione to face state charges in death of UnitedHealthcare CEO

The man accused of fatally shooting the CEO of UnitedHealthcare is expected to be arraigned in a Manhattan court Monday on murder and terror charges in a state case that will run parallel to his federal prosecution. Luigi Mangione, 26, was formally charged last week by the Manhattan district attorney with multiple counts of murder, including murder as an act of terrorism. His initial appearance in New York State Supreme Court was preempted by federal prosecutors bringing their own charges over the shooting. The federal charges could carry the possibility of the death penalty, while the maximum sentence for the state charges are life in prison without parole. Prosecutors have said the two cases will proceed on parallel tracks, with the state charges expected to go to trial first. Authorities say Mangione gunned down Brian Thompson as he was walking to an investor conference in midtown Manhattan on the morning of Dec 4. Mangione was arrested in a Pennsylvania McDonald's after a five-

Here are takeaways from Trump's first rally speech as president-elect

President-elect Donald Trump came to Arizona on Sunday for his first rally speech since winning the November election. He was greeted by thousands of adoring supporters who confirmed his popularity across the conservative base. Trump attempted in his 75-minutes on stage to go beyond his core supporters. But he also employed his usual aggressiveness, including ratcheting up threats against Panama and sending a message to billionaire Elon Musk. Here are some takeaways from the speech: President-elect tests unity message alongside characteristic bombast Trump spoke for about 75 minutes, much of it a typical Donald Trump speech plenty of quips about the U.S. being ripped off and more false assertions that he, not Democrat Joe Biden, won the 2020 presidential election. But Trump was nonetheless relaxed, relishing his victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in November, especially prevailing in the popular vote after not getting the most votes in 2016 or 2020. He went so far as to offe

Taiwan major issue for world peace: Trump in meeting with Shinzo Abe's wife

Trump's comments on Taiwan's importance highlighted the significance of the potential Taiwan-China conflict and its broader implications for world peace

Germany's SPD calls for Antitrust Act to limit Elon Musk's influence

A modern-day version would essentially lead to a break-up of Musk's increasingly monopolistic conglomerate of companies

Trump denies claims he's ceded presidency to Musk, calls it 'hoax'

Trump told a conservative audience in Phoenix, addressing growing complaints about the outsized role the Tesla boss has already had in his incoming administration

Indian Oil Corporation probes allegation of US firm bribing officials

State-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has begun a probe into allegations of a US speciality chemicals firm bribing its officials 15 years back to obtain contracts to supply catalysts, according to a company's regulatory filing. Albemarle Corporation, a global speciality chemicals supplier that develops and sells catalysts used in the operation of oil refineries, allegedly "paid approximately USD 1.14 million in commission to India intermediary company relating to Indian Oil Corporation business and obtained approximately USD 11.14 million in profits on that business between approximately 2009 and 2011," according to a US SEC order dated September 28, 2023. Albemarle was caught for bribery by the US authorities in 2017 and then settled the case in September 2023 by paying a hefty fine of more than USD 198 million to avoid prosecution. In a filing, IOC said it is "neither party to nor is there any allegation against the company in relation to the proceedings" in the US SEC. "Howev

VC investments hit $16.7 billion this year powered by tech sector

At $6.50 bn, tech accounted for largest share, followed by consumer discretionary and financial sector

2 US Navy pilots shot down over Red Sea in 'friendly fire' incident

Two US Navy pilots were shot down Sunday over the Red Sea in an apparent friendly fire incident, the US military said, marking the most serious incident to threaten troops in over a year of America targeting Yemen's Houthi rebels. Both pilots were recovered alive after ejecting from their stricken aircraft, with one suffering minor injuries. But the shootdown underlines just how dangerous the Red Sea corridor has become, with ongoing attacks on shipping by the Iranian-backed Houthis despite US and European military coalitions patrolling the area. The US military had conducted airstrikes targeting Yemen's Houthi rebels at the time of the friendly fire incident, though the US military's Central Command did not elaborate on what the pilots' mission was and did not respond to questions from The Associated Press. The F/A-18 shot down had just flown off the deck of the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier, Central Command said. On December 15, Central Command acknowledged the Truman had .

New year looks dull for emerging markets due to Trump's tariffs, trade wars

While a handful of frontier markets such as Pakistan, Kenya and Sri Lanka posted turnarounds this year, no major emerging market outperformed the US stock market in 2024

Delegation of state ministers, CMs, CEOs to attend WEF Summit in Davos

At least three chief ministers -- Devendra Fadnavis, Chandrababu Naidu and Revant Reddy -- will join over 100 CEOs and other leaders from India in Davos next month for the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2025. Naidu will also be joined by his son and senior Andhra Pradesh minister Nara Lokesh, while Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, Tamil Nadu Minister T R B Rajaa and Uttar Pradesh minister Suresh Khanna will also be there for the five-day annual congregation in the Swiss ski resort town starting on January 20, 2025. Some senior Union ministers are also expected to attend the meeting, but their names are still being finalised. Those who attended the last WEF annual meeting from the central government included Ashwini Vaishnaw, Smriti Irani and Hardeep Singh Puri. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also attended the meeting in the past, but there is no official word so far about his participation in the high-profile summit, for which the main theme this time would b

Leather exports likely to grow by over 12% to $5.3 bn this fiscal: CLE

The country's leather and footwear exports are expected to grow by over 12 per cent to USD 5.3 billion in the current financial year on account of healthy demand in key global markets, CLE Chairman Rajendra Kumar Jalan has said. He also said several global companies, including from the US, are showing keen interest in setting up manufacturing bases in India. "Our exports were USD 4.69 billion in 2023-24, and this fiscal, we are expecting it to increase to USD 5.3 billion. Order books are good for the coming months," Jalan said, adding that "huge demand is coming from the US and UK". Indian exporters are exploring business opportunities in Africa as well, he added. He informed that the industry is labour intensive, providing employment to about 42 lakh people. The sector has a total turnover of about USD 19 billion, which includes exports of USD 5 billion. "The sector has the potential to reach a total turnover of USD 47 billion by 2030, which includes the domestic production of US

Elon Musk killed US congressional spending bill, made false claims

President-elect Donald Trump's billionaire ally Elon Musk played a key role this week in killing a bipartisan funding proposal that would have prevented a government shutdown, railing against the plan in a torrent of more than 100 X posts that included multiple false claims. The X owner, an unelected figure, not only used his outsize influence on the platform to help sway Congress, he did so without regard for the facts and gave a preview of the role he could play in government over the next four years. Trump has got himself a handful with Musk, John Mark Hansen, a professor of political science at the University of Chicago, said in an email. Trump's done this kind of thing before, blowing up a bill at the last minute. This time, though, it looks like he was afraid of Musk upstaging him. Now there's a new social media bully in town, pushing the champion social media bully around. Hansen added: We'll see what Musk's influence is when he runs up against reality like when he proposes

US Congress passes funding bill, averting govt shutdown; Biden to sign soon

Facing a government shutdown deadline, the Senate rushed through final passage early Saturday of a bipartisan plan that would temporarily fund federal operations and disaster aid, dropping President-elect Donald Trump's demands for a debt limit increase into the new year. House Speaker Mike Johnson had insisted Congress would meet our obligations and not allow federal operations to shutter ahead of the Christmas holiday season. But the day's outcome was uncertain after Trump doubled down on his insistence that a debt ceiling increase be included in any deal if not, he said in an early morning post, let the closures start now. The House approved Johnson's new bill overwhelmingly, 366-34. The Senate worked into the night to pass it, 85-11, just past the deadline. At midnight, the White House said it had ceased shutdown preparations. This is a good outcome for the country, Johnson said after the House vote, adding he had spoken with Trump and the president-elect was certainly happy .

Crypto companies Kraken, Ripple, Ondo donate to Trump's inauguration

Coinbase donated $1 million to the Trump-Vance inauguration committee before the election results were known, according to the company

Senate approves 235th judge of Biden's term, beating Trump's tally

President Joe Biden secured the 235th judicial confirmation of his presidency Friday, an accomplishment that exceeds his predecessor's total by one after Democrats put extra emphasis on the federal courts following Donald Trump's far-reaching first term, when he filled three seats on the Supreme Court. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, teed up votes Friday on two California district judges, and they were the last judicial confirmations this year before Congress adjourns and makes way for a new, Republican-led Senate. The confirmation of Serena Raquel Murillo to be a district judge for the Central District of California broke Trump's mark. The tally also marks the largest number of confirmations in a single term since the Jimmy Carter administration. Come next year, Republicans will look to boost Trump's already considerable influence on the makeup of the federal judiciary in his second term. Biden and Senate Democrats placed particular focus on adding women, minorities and

US drops $10 million bounty on Syrian rebel leader who ousted Assad

The Biden administration said Friday it has decided not to pursue a USD 10 million reward it had offered for the capture of a Syrian rebel leader whose forces led the ouster of President Bashar Assad earlier this month. The announcement followed a meeting in Damascus between the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was once aligned with al-Qaida, and the top US diplomat for the Middle East, Barbara Leaf, who led the first US diplomatic delegation into Syria since Assad's ouster. HTS remains designated a foreign terrorist organisation, and Leaf would not say if sanctions stemming from that designation would be eased. But, she told reporters that al-Sharaa had committed to renouncing terrorism and as a result the US would no longer offer the reward. We discussed the critical need to ensure terrorist groups cannot pose a threat inside Syria or externally, including to the US and our partners in the region, she said. Based on our discussion, I told him that we .

Bald eagle: Icon of freedom, now officially America's national bird

For nearly 250 years, the bald eagle has represented self-reliance and virtue for Americans-and it is now finally getting its due