Page 106 - United States

US, Japan, and Philippine forces jointly patrol in South China Sea

The United States deployed a reconnaissance aircraft while Japan and the Philippines sent navy ships in a joint patrol in the disputed South China Sea on Friday, two days after the allied forces condemned actions by Chinese coast guard vessels against Philippine patrol ships. The US Indo-Pacific Command said the joint patrol was conducted in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone by allies and partners to uphold the right to freedom of navigation and overflight " and "other lawful uses of the sea and international airspace." Those phrases are used by the US, Japan and the Philippines to oppose China's increasingly aggressive actions in the disputed waters. Two Philippine security officials said the patrol was staged about 40 nautical miles (74 kilometers) from Scarborough Shoal, a fishing area hotly disputed by Beijing and Manila off the northwestern Philippines. The two officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they didn't have authority to discuss such details ...

Trump talks of transition, election win as he receives Fox Nation award

Not yet even in office, Donald Trump said Thursday he's already accomplished more than President Joe Biden did in his entire term, an outsized claim by the president-elect just a month out from the election. Trump, who has been largely ensconced at his Mar-a-Lago club in recent weeks as he's worked to staff his new administration, made the comment as he ventured to New York's Long Island to be honoured as part of Fox Nation's annual Patriot Awards on Fox's streaming platform. I think you have seen more happen in the last two weeks than you have in the last four years, Trump told the crowd at the Tilles Center for the Performing Arts. It was a tremendous day, a tremendous night, he said, recalling his election victory in a 10-minute acceptance speech that sounded like a highlight reel of his campaign rally speeches. It came complete with a live performance of God Bless the USA by the singer Lee Greenwood, calls to get the criminals out of our country and an embrace of all-paper ...

New clues surface in search for gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare CEO

The masked gunman who stalked and killed the head of one of the largest US health insurers had the words deny, defend and depose emblazoned on his ammunition, echoing a phrase used by industry critics, two law enforcement officials said Thursday. The words were written in permanent marker, according to one of the officials, who were not authorized to publicly discuss details of the investigation into the shooting early Wednesday outside a Manhattan hotel and spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity. With the gunman still at large, police also released photos of a "person of interest" wanted for questioning in connection with the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. The images, showing an unmasked man in the lobby of a Manhattan hostel, add to a collection of photos and video that have circulated since the shooting including footage of the attack itself, as well as still frames of the suspected gunman stopping at a Starbucks beforehand. Thompson, 50, d

Biden considers preemptive pardons for allies before Trump takes office

President Joe Biden is weighing whether to issue sweeping pardons for officials and allies who the White House fears could be unjustly targeted by President-elect Donald Trump's administration, a preemptive move that would be a novel and risky use of the president's extraordinary constitutional power. The deliberations so far are largely at the level of White House lawyers. But Biden himself has discussed the topic with some senior aides, according to two people familiar with the matter who spoke on condition of anonymity Thursday to discuss the sensitive subject. No decisions have been made, the people said, and it is possible Biden opts to do nothing at all. Pardons are historically afforded to those accused of specific crimes and usually those who have already been convicted of an offense but Biden's team is considering issuing them for those who have not even been investigated, let alone charged. They fear that Trump and his allies, who have boasted of enemies lists and exactin

Trump appoints former Senator David Perdue as US ambassador to China

President-elect Donald Trump said Thursday he is choosing former Sen David Perdue of Georgia to be ambassador to China. Trump said in a social media post that Perdue, a former CEO, brings valuable expertise to help build our relationship with China. Perdue pushed Trump's debunked lies about electoral fraud during his failed bid for Georgia governor. Perdue lost his Senate seat to Democrat Jon Ossoff four years ago and ran unsuccessfully in a primary against Georgia Gov Brian Kemp. Economic tensions will be a big part of the US-China picture for the new administration. Trump has threatened to impose sweeping new tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China as soon as he takes office as part of his effort to crack down on illegal immigration and drugs. He said he would impose a 25% tax on all products entering the country from Canada and Mexico, and an additional 10% tariff on goods from China, as one of his first executive orders. The Chinese Embassy in Washington cautioned earlier this wee

Eli Lilly to boost weight-loss drug supply with $3 billion expansion

The company's s blockbuster weight-loss and diabetes drugs have made it the most valuable pharmaceutical company in the world

Donald Trump set to receive 'Patriot of the Year' award at FOX Nation event

President-elect Donald Trump, largely ensconced at Mar-a-Lago in recent weeks, will make a rare appearance outside his Florida resort to accept the Patriot of the Year" award at FOX Nation's Patriot Awards on Thursday night. Trump, who has been announcing job picks as he builds out his administration, will travel to New York's Long Island for the annual awards ceremony from the Fox News streaming platform. The event is being hosted by Fox host Sean Hannity, a friend of Trump's who stepped in after the president-elect nominated Pete Hegseth, the original host, as defence secretary. The annual awards honour and recognise America's finest patriots, including military veterans, first responders and other inspirational everyday heroes, according to Fox. Trump wrote on his Truth Social site earlier this week that he looks "greatly forward" to receiving the Patriot of the Year award, an honour he called so nice! The award marks the culmination of Fox's reembrace of the president-elect, w

Secret Service director touts changes following Trump assassination attempt

The acting director of the Secret Service said Thursday that the agency is reorganizing and reimagining its culture and how it operates following an assassination attempt against Donald Trump on the campaign trail. Members of a bipartisan House task force investigating the attempt on Trump's life pushed Ronald Rowe on how the agency's staffers could have missed such blatant security vulnerabilities leading up to the July 13 shooting at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. At one point, the hearing devolved into a shouting match between Rowe and a Republican congressman. Rowe promised accountability for what he called the agency's abject failure to secure the rally in Butler, where a gunman opened fire from a nearby building. Trump was wounded in the ear, one rallygoer was killed and two others were wounded. Another assassination attempt two months later contributed to the agency's troubles. That gunman waited for hours for Trump to appear at his golf course in Florida, but a Secret ...

Low salaries can be self-destructive for India Inc, says CEA Nageswaran

Deregulation to be big theme of Eco Survey

China to impose sanctions on US military firms for selling arms to Taiwan

The step follows China's strong objection to the United States authorising a potential $385-million sale of spare parts and support for F-16 jets and radars to Taiwan

Huawei working overtime to meet 'excessive' demand for Mate 70 smartphones

HarmonyOS NEXT is the Android-free version of Huawei's operating system that began testing this year

Wealth of global billionaires surges by 17% due to US gain: Swiss Bank UBS

The UBS Billionaire Ambitions Report for 2024 said the total number of billionaires had risen to 2,682 from 2,544 a year earlier, and their worth to $14 trillion from $12 trillion

Coromandel Int'l, IFDC join hands to boost innovation in fertiliser sector

The collaboration marks a significant step towards addressing critical challenges in agriculture by introducing next-generation fertilisers

Police hunt for gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare's boss in Manhattan

Investigators are searching for clues that could help them identify the masked gunman who stalked and killed the leader of one of the largest UShealth insurance companies on a Manhattan sidewalk, then disappeared into Central Park. UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, 50, died in a dawn ambush Wednesday as he walked to the company's annual investor conference at a Hilton in Midtown, blocks from tourist draws like Radio City Music Hall and the Museum of Modern Art. The killing, and the shooter's movements in the minutes before and afterward, were captured on some of the multitudes of security cameras present in that part of the city. One video showed him approach Thompson from behind, level his pistol and fire several shots, barely pausing to clear a brief gun jam while the dying health executive tumbled to the pavement. Other security cameras captured the initial stages of the gunman's escape. He was seen fleeing the block across a pedestrian plaza, then escaping on a bicycle into

US continues to exploit other economies for their benefit: Vladimir Putin

Addressing the VTB Investment Forum in Moscow on Wednesday, Putin said that the opponents of the US did a lot to undermine the fundamental basis of dollar as their international reserve currency

Taiwan, US territory Guam should defend freedom in region: Taiwan Prez Lai

Taiwan and Guam should work together to defend freedom and democracy in the region, Taiwan President Lai Ching-te said Thursday on a visit to the American territory. Guam was Lai's second US stop on an ongoing tour of the Pacific islands, following a visit to Hawaii last weekend. China's authoritarian government claims Taiwan as its territory and says the self-governing island must come under its control at some point in the future. Lai, in a speech to Guam's legislature, emphasized the shared values and strategic importance of Taiwan and Guam in the Indo-Pacific region. "Let us together become the crucial force in defending freedom, democracy in the first island chain, he said, referring to a string of islands off the Asian continent that includes Japan, Taiwan and part of the Philippines. The legislature passed a resolution welcoming Lai and extending appreciation for Taiwan's "significant contributions to Guam's economy and community, Speaker Therese Terlaje said. Lai called fo

US drug body approves Merus' therapy for lung, pancreatic cancer patients

The therapy, branded as Bizengri, targets the NRG1 gene, which is associated with formation and progression of several tumors

US Congressman Sherman urges Bangladesh govt to protect Hindu minority

The congressman urged the current administration to take action against violence targeting the Hindu community and demonstrate leadership in ensuring their protection

US senators propose bill to reunite families, raise immigration cap

Two Democratic Party Senators on Wednesday introduced a legislation aimed at reuniting the immigrant families and raising the per-country family-based immigration caps, allowing more visas to go to a single country such as India and China. Introduced by Senators Mazie K. Hirono, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Tammy Duckworth introduced the Reuniting Families Act, which would promote family unity in the country's immigration system, reduce the family-based immigration backlogs, and update laws to reflect how families immigrate to the US. The bill also includes Senator Hirono's Filipino Veterans Family Reunification Act, legislation that would speed up the visa process for children of Filipino World War II veterans. As the only immigrant currently serving in the US Senate, I am proud to introduce the Reuniting Families Act to update our country's family immigration system and promote family unity, said Hirono. By implementing changes to reduce the backlog of ...

UnitedHealthcare's insurance unit CEO Thompson fatally shot in Manhattan

Police were still searching for the masked suspect, who fled on foot wearing a cream-colored jacket and a gray backpack