Page 102 - United States

Trump crypto venture likely used by criminals, Iran-backed militants

World Liberty Financial Inc founded by the Witkoff family two months before November's US election with Trump as a financial beneficiary

Taiwan officials visit US for talks with President-elect Trump's aides

The visit by Lin and Hsu comes as China's military has stepped up activity near the Taiwan Strait

India-EU trade pact talks need political directions for meaningful deal

The proposed free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations between India and the European Union (EU) need political directions to reach a commercially meaningful deal while understanding each other's sensitivities, an official statement said on Thursday. The pact came up for discussion during an interaction between Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal and Ambassadors of the European Commission delegation. Goyal said that both sides are aiming for a balanced, ambitious, comprehensive and mutually beneficial FTA. "The FTA negotiations, after 9 rounds of intense engagement, need political directions to arrive at a commercially meaningful deal while understanding the sensitivities of each other," the commerce and industry ministry said. The minister also noted that any sustainability discussions must appreciate the principle of 'Common But Differentiated Responsibility (CBDR)' and implementation of such measures should take into account differing paths of development. These remarks

Hamas finds itself with few options for the day after the Gaza war

Israel's recent ceasefire agreement in Lebanon has further damaged Hamas' prospects by curbing Hezbollah's direct support in Gaza and by extension that of Iran

US Judge orders CIA analyst accused of Israel-Iran leak held pending trial

A CIA analyst charged with leaking top secret details ahead of a planned Israeli attack on Iran earlier this year will remain jailed pending trial, a judge ordered Wednesday. The ruling by US District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles overrules a magistrate who said last week that Asif Rahman, 34, of Vienna, Virginia, could be free on restrictions while he awaits trial on charges of disclosing national defence information. The fight over Rahman's detention revealed additional details about the government's investigation of the leak and the analyst who allegedly disclosed the classified documents in October on the Telegram messaging app. At Wednesday's detention hearing, prosecutor Troy Edwards said Rahman was motivated by ideology, though he did not discuss what that ideology might be. In fact, he said the conclusion that Rahman's motive was ideological was essentially process of elimination, noting that Rahman comes from a wealthy family and has access to a multimillion-dollar family

US raises tariffs on Chinese solar wafers, polysilicon, tungsten imports

The Biden administration plans to raise tariffs on solar wafers, polysilicon and some tungsten products from China to protect US clean energy businesses. The notice from the US Trade Representative's office said tariffs on Chinese-made solar wafers and polysilicon will rise to 50% and duties on certain tungsten products will increase to 25%, effective on Jan. 1, following a review of Chinese trade practices. The tariff increases announced today will further blunt the harmful policies and practices by the People's Republic of China," USTR Katharine Tai said in a statement. "These actions will complement the domestic investments made under the Biden-Harris Administration to promote a clean energy economy, while increasing the resilience of critical supply chains. Last week, Washington tightened restrictions on Chinese access to advanced semiconductor technology. Beijing responded by banning exports to the US of certain critical minerals needed to make computer chips, such as gallium,

Oppn tried to destroy country; I will fight to the end: South Korea's Prez

South Korean President said the opposition was "dancing the sword dance of madness" by trying to drag a democratically elected president from power

First trade agreement under US-Taiwan initiative officially takes effect

The deal includes key commitments aimed at enhancing cooperation in areas such as domestic service industries and the promotion of small and medium-sized enterprises

US asks court to reject TikTok's bid to stave off law that could ban app

TikTok and ByteDance on Monday filed the emergency motion with the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia pending a review by the US Supreme Court

Battle for Seven & i shows Japan Inc's resilience amid management buyout

Seven & i Holdings Vice President Junro Ito swooped in last month with an offer to take private the company founded by his late father

Canadian premiers urge strong response to Trump tariff threat: Minister

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and other government ministers met with provincial premiers to discuss Trump's pledge to impose steep tariffs on Canadian and Mexican imports

Donald Trump invites China's Prez Xi Jinping to attend inauguration: Report

The invitation to the Jan. 20 inauguration in Washington occurred in early November, shortly after the Nov. 5 presidential election

Chinese Salt Typhoon telecom hacking: Senators say US must boost security

US agencies held classified briefings for the Senate and the House of Representatives over the last week about the hacking incident

UnitedHealthcare CEO murder: Gun found on suspect matches shells at scene

The gun found on the suspect in the killing of United Healthcare's CEO matched shell casings found at the site of the shooting, New York City's police commissioner said Wednesday. Suspect Luigi Mangione's fingerprints also matched a water bottle and a protein bar wrapper that police found near the scene and that officials say the gunman purchased at a nearby coffee shop while awaiting his target, Commissioner Jessica Tisch said at an unrelated news conference. The 26-year-old Mangione's was charged with murder in the shooting last week in midtown Manhattan of Brian Thompson, who led the United States' largest medical insurance company. Authorities have said that writings found in Mangione's possession hinted at a hatred of corporate greed. They've recovered a spiral notebook that Mangione kept, along with a three-page handwritten letter found when he was arrested, a law enforcement official said Wednesday. Police have not disclosed what was in the notebook. The letter, found when

Attorneys for accused in Trump assassination attempt seek trial delay

Attorneys for a man accused of attempting to assassinate President-elect Donald Trump in September asked a federal judge on Wednesday to delay his trial until next December as they need more time to review the evidence against him and decide whether to mount an insanity defence. Ryan Wesley Routh's public defenders told District Judge Aileen Cannon they cannot prepare their case by February when the trial is currently scheduled, saying that's not enough time to review the massive amounts of phone and computer evidence the FBI has retrieved. Routh owned 17 cellphones and numerous other electronic devices, plus there are hundreds of hours of police body camera and surveillance videos that have been provided to the defence. Assistant federal public defender Kristy Militello told Cannon the only other clients she has had with more voluminous evidence presented against them are those accused of complicated frauds and two who were accused of taking part in the January 6, 2021, attack on t

GM to retreat from robotaxi operations once championed by CEO Mary Barra

While GM will still develop autonomous technology, it's a big retrench for the company

US core inflation stays firm with 4th straight 0.3% increase, fuels concern

The so-called core consumer price index - which excludes food and energy costs - increased 0.3% for a fourth straight month, Bureau of Labor Statistics figures showed Wednesday

Ukraine's Zelenskyy asks for security guarantees at Paris meet with Trump

Zelenskiy believes Putin fears only Trump and possibly China in the international arena and that any lasting peace would require Washington to be 'truly strong'

Biden approves security memo to help Trump on China, Iran, N Korea, Russia

President Joe Biden has approved a new national security memorandum that is meant to serve as a roadmap for the incoming Trump administration as it looks to counter growing cooperation among China, Iran, North Korea and Russia, the White House said Wednesday. Biden administration officials began developing the guidance this summer. It was shaped to be a document that could help the next administration build its approach from day one on how it will go about dealing with the tightening relationships between the United States' most prominent adversaries and competitors, according to two senior administration officials. The officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity under ground rules set by the White House, said the classified memorandum would not be made public because of the sensitivity of some of its findings. The document includes four broad recommendations: improving US government interagency cooperation, speeding up the sharing of information with allies about the four .

US defence chief Lloyd Austin observes joint drills with Japan, Australia

US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin expressed confidence about enhanced military capabilities among the United States, Australia and Japan as he observed joint exercises Wednesday showcasing their closer cooperation as tensions grow in the region. Austin is in Japan to reaffirm the importance of their alliance and Washington's commitment to regional security. Austin noted as he observed the trilateral Yama Sakura 87 exercises held at the Japanese army's Camp Asaka on the outskirts of Tokyo that the necessary equipment, munitions and people are in place and these are the things that will guarantee success if we ever get challenged on the battlefield. Japan, under a security strategy introduced in 2022, is pursuing a rapid military buildup to increase its deterrence against growing threats from China, North Korea and Russia, and has bolstered defense cooperation, especially with the United States and Australia. On Tuesday, during talks with Japanese officials, Austin praised the ...