Page 111 - United States

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

Trump's defence pick Pete Hegseth faces scrutiny amid numerous allegations

Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for Defense Secretary, spent a second day Tuesday on Capitol Hill, meeting privately with Republican senators amid rising questions about his ability to effectively lead the Pentagon. Hegseth told reporters he was planning to sit down with senators, even with those potentially skeptical of his nomination. We're going to meet with every senator who wants to meet with us, across the board, Hegseth as he went from office to office Tuesday. And we welcome their advice as we go through the advice and counsel process. Trump tapped the Fox News co-host, a former Army National Guard major and combat veteran who deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan, as his Secretary of Defense, typically among the first Cabinet posts to be considered by the US Senate for confirmation. But Hegseth is running into questions amid a sexual assault allegation, which he has denied, and other emerging reports about his work conduct and history. GOP Sen Lindsey Gr

China's industries warn US chips no longer safe amid rising trade tensions

China and the US have targeted each other's economies in the last few days, escalating tensions even before U.S. President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House in January

GOP lawmaker seeks to impose robust tariffs on Indian ceramic tile imports

Ahead of his party coming to power, a GOP lawmaker has demanded a robust tariffs on Indian ceramic tile imports claiming that the tile manufacturing industry in his state has been negatively impacted by the unfair and uncompetitive trade practices of Indian exporters, threatening good-paying manufacturing jobs in Tennessee. Tennessee jobs are at risk due to India's unfair and uncompetitive trade practices in the ceramic tile market, Congressman John Rose said after sending a letter in this regard to the outgoing Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo. Tennessee's manufacturers deserve a fair shake on the world stage, he said, adding that India's underhanded subsidisation and dumping of ceramic tile is upending the domestic market and hemming in American manufacturers. The Department of Commerce should use the tools at its disposal to aggressively counteract these nefarious trade practices to protect Tennessee jobs and domestic manufacturing, he said. In May, the department announced ...

Marvell forecasts Q4 revenue above estimates due to AI chip demand

Marvell's shares have risen nearly 60% this year as Wall Street has bet heavily on soaring demand for advanced chips that can support the complex processing needs of genAI

Trump's lawyers urge judge to drop his hush money criminal conviction

President-elect Donald Trump's lawyers formally asked a judge Monday to throw out his hush money criminal conviction, arguing continuing the case would present unconstitutional disruptions to the institution of the Presidency. In a filing made public Tuesday, Trump's lawyers told Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan that dismissal is warranted because of the extraordinary circumstances of his impending return to the White House. Wrongly continuing proceedings in this failed lawfare case disrupts President Trump's transition efforts, the attorneys continued, before citing the overwhelming national mandate granted to him by the American people on November 5, 2024. Prosecutors will have until Dec. 9 to respond. They have said they will fight any efforts to dismiss the case but have indicated openness to delaying sentencing until after Trump's second term ends in 2029. Following Trump's election victory last month, Merchan halted proceedings and indefinitely postponed his sentencing, ...

Microchip Technology pauses Chips Act application amid inventory woes

The struggling chipmaker was in line for $162 million in grants from the Chips and Science Act to support plants in Oregon and Colorado

US can keep using Seattle airport for deportation flights: Appeals court

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement can continue using a Seattle airport for chartered deportation flights, a federal appeals court ruled in a decision that rejected a 2019 local order that sought to counter then-President Donald Trump's immigration policies. The agency has long used airports around the country to charter flights deporting hundreds of thousands of noncitizens considered lawfully removable from the US. But in 2019, in keeping with efforts in liberal Seattle and Washington state to resist Trump's priorities, King County Executive Dow Constantine issued an executive order expressing concern that the deportations could constitute human rights abuses. It announced that future leases at the county airport, also known as Boeing Field, would bar operators from servicing deportation flights. The order prompted ICE to begin using an airport in Yakima a much farther drive from ICE's Northwest detention center in Tacoma for the deportation flights. The US sued King County

US imposes sanctions on 35 entities, vessels for transporting Iranian oils

The United States on Tuesday imposed sanctions on 35 entities and vessels, including two from India, for transporting Iranian oil to other countries. The two India-based entities are Vision Ship Management LLP that manages and operates the PHONIX, and Tightship Shipping Management (OPC) Private Limited. Entities and vessels from the United Arab Emirates, China, Liberia, China, Hong Kong among others have also been slapped with sanctions. In a statement, the Department of Treasury said this action imposes additional costs on Iran's petroleum sector following Iran's attack against Israel on October 1, as well as Iran's announced nuclear escalations, building upon the sanctions issued on October 11. Petroleum revenues provide the Iranian regime with the resources to fund its nuclear program, develop advanced drones and missiles, and provide ongoing financial and material support for the terrorist activities of its regional proxies, it said. Acting Under Secretary for Terrorism and ..

US job openings rose last month, hiring slowed, in mixed picture for market

The number of job postings in the United States rebounded in October from a 3 1/2 year low in September, a sign that businesses are still seeking workers even though hiring has cooled. Openings rose 5% to 7.7 million from 7.4 million in September, the Labour Department said Tuesday. The increase suggests that job gains could pick up in the coming months. Still, the latest figure is down significantly from 8.7 million job postings a year ago. Last month, job openings rose sharply in professional and business services, a category that includes engineers, managers, and accountants, as well as in the restaurant and hotel and information technology industries. The number of people quitting their jobs rose in October, a sign of confidence in the job market. And layoffs tumbled to just 1.6 million below the lowest figures in the two decades that preceded the 2020 pandemic. Taken as a whole, Tuesday's figures suggest that the job market might be stabilising at a modest level, with hiring

Bangladesh interim govt has obligation to protect Hindus: US Congressman

An influential US lawmaker on Tuesday said the interim Bangladeshi government has an absolute obligation to protect the minority Hindu community in the country after the fall of the democratically-elected Sheikh Hasina-led government earlier this year. Over the weekend, Hindus from Bangladesh organised a rally at the White house demanding release of Chinmaya Das and protection for Hindus of Bangladesh. Bangladesh's interim government has an absolute obligation to protect its Hindu minority and meaningfully address the protests of thousands of minority Hindus in outcry over the recent wave of attacks and harassment, Congressman Brad Sherman said in a statement. With the calls for an investigation from the Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Trk for killings and other rights violations during the violent unrest leading up to and after the fall of Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the current

Secret Service agent fired at suspects outside of Janet Yellen's house

An investigation is underway after a Secret Service agent working on protective assignment outside Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's house fired a weapon following a confrontation between the agent and occupants of a sedan, early Tuesday. At roughly 1:30 am Tuesday, the agent assigned to Yellen's protective detail outside of her home, observed a sedan with multiple people attempting to open car doors along the street, according to Secret Service spokesman Anthony Guglielmi. A confrontation between the agent and the car's occupants led to gunfire. It was unclear how many shots were fired by the agent. The Secret Service said there is no evidence that anyone was harmed. The suspects fled the scene in the sedan, and a lookout was issued to local law enforcement, Guglielmi said. The D C Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the shooting and the case will also be reviewed by the US Attorney's Office.

US commerce dept expands list of Chinese firms subject to export controls

The US Commerce Department has expanded the list of Chinese technology companies subject to export controls to include many that make equipment used to make computer chips, chipmaking tools and software. The 140 companies newly included in the so-called entity list are nearly all based in China. But some are Chinese-owned businesses in Japan, South Korea and Singapore. The revised rules were posted Monday on the website of the U.S. Federal Register for publication later this week. They also limit exports of high-bandwidth memory chips to China. Such chips are needed to process massive amounts of data in advanced applications such as artificial intelligence. China's Commerce Ministry protested and said it would act to protect its rights and interests, without giving any details. This is a typical act of economic coercion and non-market practice, the ministry said in a statement. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said the move was intended to impair China's ability to use advanced ..

Trump's bizarre offer to Trudeau at meet on tariffs: Here's what happened

Justin Trudeau met US President-elect Donald Trump for dinner to discuss the Republican leader's proposed tariffs on Canada. Here's what reportedly happened at the meeting.

Trump's FBI pick Kash Patel wants to reshape bureau via surveillance reform

Indian American Kash Patel has been well-known for years within Donald Trump's orbit as a loyal supporter who shares the president-elect's scepticism of the FBI and intelligence community. But he's receiving fresh attention, from the public and from Congress, now that Trump has picked him to lead the FBI. As he braces for a bruising and likely protracted Senate confirmation fight, Patel can expect scrutiny not only over his professed fealty to Trump but also for his belief revealed over the last year in interviews and his own book that the century-old FBI should be radically overhauled. Here's a look at some of what he's proposed for the nation's premier federal law enforcement agency. How much of it he'd actually follow through on is a separate question. He's mused about shutting down the FBI's Washington headquarters The first FBI employees moved into the current Pennsylvania Avenue headquarters 50 years ago. The building since then has housed the supervisors and leaders who m

US to send additional $725 million to Ukraine in military assistance

The US is preparing to send Ukraine an additional USD 725 million in military assistance, including counter-drone systems and munitions for its High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, which could indicate more of the longer-range missiles are headed to the battlefield. It was unclear whether the munitions for the HIMARS are the coveted ATACMS the Army Tactical Missile System but Ukraine has been pressing for more of the longer-range missiles to strike additional targets inside Russia. The package, announced Monday by the State Department, also includes more of the anti-personnel land mines that Ukraine is counting on to slow Russian and North Korean ground forces in Russia's Kursk region. President Joe Biden has pledged to spend all of the military assistance funds Congress approved this year for Ukraine before the end of his administration on January 20, which before Monday's announcement included about USD 7.1 billion in weapons that would be drawn from the Pentagon's ...

Joe Biden on his maiden visit to Angola; seeks to strengthen US-Africa ties

President Joe Biden arrived for his long-awaited first presidential visit to sub-Saharan Africa on Monday to the cheers of thousands in Angola, where he will highlight an ambitious US-backed railway project meant to counter China's influence on the continent of over 1.4 billion people. Biden's three-day visit to Angola will focus largely on the Lobito Corridor railway redevelopment in Zambia, Congo and Angola. It aims to advance the US presence in a region rich in the critical minerals used in batteries for electric vehicles, electronic devices and clean energy technologies. Biden's trip comes weeks before Republican Donald Trump takes office on Jan. 20, finally delivering on Biden's pledge to visit sub-Saharan Africa. On his way to Angola, he stopped in the Atlantic Ocean island nation of Cape Verde for a brief, closed-door meeting with Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva. Biden plans to meet with Angolan President Joo Loureno in the capital, Luanda, where crowds lined the stree

Some Democrats frustrated over Biden reversing course, pardoning son Hunter

Already reeling from their November defeats, Democrats now are grappling with President Joe Biden's pardoning of his son for federal crimes after the party spent years slamming Donald Trump as a threat to democracy who disregarded the law. The president pardoned Hunter Biden late Sunday evening, reversing his previous pledges with a grant of clemency that covers more than a decade of any federal crimes his son might have committed. The 82-year-old president said in a statement that his son's prosecution on charges of tax evasion and falsifying a federal weapons purchase form were politically motivated. He believes in the justice system, but he also believes that politics infected the process and led to a miscarriage of justice, said White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who along with Biden and other White House officials insisted for months that Hunter Biden would not get a pardon. That explanation did not satisfy some Democrats, angry that Biden's reversal could make it

Hunter Biden gets presidential pardon: What were the charges against him?

Outgoing US President Joe Biden pardons his son Hunter Biden on tax and weapons charges, sparking political debate

Kash Patel must prove he'll restore public faith in FBI: GOP senator

Donald Trump's drive to upend the FBI was welcomed by Republican senators although it was not clear on Sunday how strongly members of the incoming majority party would embrace his move to install ally Kash Patel as the next director of the Justice Department's top investigative arm. Patel, a onetime national security prosecutor who is aligned with the president-elect's rhetoric about a deep state, "must prove to Congress he will reform & restore public trust in FBI, said Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, in line to be the Senate Judiciary Committee chairman when Republicans take control in January, in a post on X. Patel lacks the high-level legal and management experience that FBI directors, including Robert Mueller, James Comey and Christopher Wray, who now holds that job, had before their nominations. It's a 10-year term, and Trump named Wray in 2017 after firing Comey. So Trump's announcement late Saturday means Wray must either resign or be fired after Trump takes office on Jan 20,