Page 123 - United States

Activist investor Starboard Value takes $1 billion stake in Pfizer

Starboard has also approached Ian Read, a former Pfizer CEO, and Frank D'Amelio, who served as CFO until 2021, and both have expressed interest in helping the activist investor

US lawmakers visit Taiwan for bilateral talks as China tensions escalate

The delegation's visit comes as Taiwan and the US seek to deepen defence cooperation to counter the Chinese threat

Hurricane Milton growing stronger as it blows toward Florida's Tampa Bay

Hurricane Milton quickly intensified on Sunday and is on track to become a major hurricane with the Tampa Bay area in its sights, putting Florida on edge and triggering evacuation orders along a coast still reeling in Helene's aftermath. While forecast models vary widely, the most likely path suggests Milton could make landfall on Wednesday in the Tampa Bay area and remain a hurricane as it moves across central Florida into the Atlantic Ocean, forecasters said. That would largely spare other southeastern states ravaged by Hurricane Helene, which caused catastrophic damage from Florida into the Appalachian Mountains and a death toll that rose on Sunday to at least 130 people. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said on Sunday that while it remains to be seen just where Milton will strike, it is clear that Florida is going to be hit hard -- "I do not think there is any scenario where we do not have major impacts at this point." Hurricane Milton was centred about 815 miles (1,310 kilometres)

Risk of another US port worker strike looming threat for exporters

In India, the trade union movement is very fragmented and at its weakest since independence. So, the fears of workers disrupting critical activities like port operations are very low

Group of Chinese hackers access critical American telecom firms: Report

A group of Chinese hackers infiltrated multiple US telecommunications firms in search for sensitive information on issues like national security, CNN reported citing multiple sources.The US investigators identified US broadband and internet providers AT & T, Verizon and Lumen among the targets of the recent slew of cyber-attacks launched against the US.Notably, as the backbone of internet and phone communications, US telecom firms hold enormous volumes of caller and user data.The Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC, denied that Beijing-backed hackers had breached US telecom firms, calling that information "a distortion of the fact." Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu accused the US of "politicizing cybersecurity issues to smear China", CNN noted.The matter has been taken up by the highest echelons of the US administration. US officials have briefed the House and Senate intelligence committees on the Chinese hacking campaign, two sources said. Cybersecurity experts from Microsoft and ...

Amul ready to enter European market after recent success in US: MD Mehta

Managing Director of AMUL and Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation Ltd (GCMMF) Jayen Mehta said AMUL's recently launched milk in US has been "highly successful" and they are now ready to enter the European market, which would mark a historic moment for the brand. Delivering the 11th Dr Verghese Kurien Memorial Oration on "AMUL Model: Transforming Lives of Million" organised by a private business management institute here on Saturday, Mehta said "India is now the largest milk producer in the world and is set to produce one-third of the world's total milk in the coming years", XLRI in a statement said. "Dairy isn't just a businessit's a lifeline for rural India," he said. Talking about Amul's recent launch of milk in the US, Mehta said it has been "highly successful", and they are now ready to enter the European market for the first time. To stay relevant, Amul focuses on offering protein-rich, organic, and chemical-free products that customers trust, while continuously ...

India to host four-nation Malabar naval exercise from Oct 8 to 18

India will host the four-nation Malabar naval exercise beginning Tuesday amid evolving security situation in the region. The navies of India, the US, Australia and Japan will carry out a series of complex naval drills during the 'sea phase' of the mega wargame. "Exercise Malabar 2024 is scheduled to take place from October 8 to 18, beginning with the Harbour Phase in Visakhapatnam, followed by the sea phase," the Indian Navy announced on Saturday. The Malabar exercise, which began in 1992 as a bilateral naval drill between the US and the Indian Navy, has evolved into a key multilateral event aimed at enhancing interoperability, fostering mutual understanding and addressing shared maritime challenges in the Indian Ocean and Indo-Pacific region. The exercise will feature the participation of various Indian naval platforms, including guided missile destroyers, multi-purpose frigates, submarines, fighter aircraft and helicopters. "The exercise will focus on a broad range of activities

Alleged plots against US campaign examples of Iran targeting adversaries

Iran has emerged as a twofold concern for the United States as it nears the end of the presidential campaign. Prosecutors allege Tehran tried to hack figures associated with the election, stealing information from former President Donald Trump's campaign. And US officials have accused it of plotting to kill Trump and other ex-officials. For Iran, assassination plots and hacking aren't new strategies. Iran saw the value and the danger of hacking in the early 2000s, when the Stuxnet virus, believed to have been deployed by Israel and the US, tried to damage Iran's nuclear programme. Since then, hackers attributed to state-linked operations have targeted the Trump campaign, Iranian expatriates and government officials at home. Its history of assassinations goes back further. After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, Iran killed or abducted perceived enemies living abroad. A look at Iran's history of targeting opponents: A history of hacks For many, Iran's behaviour can be traced to the ..

Kamala Harris heading to North Carolina to survey Helene's aftermath

Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris is heading to North Carolina on Saturday as the state recovers from Hurricane Helene, arriving there one day after a visit by Republican Donald Trump, who is spreading false claims about the federal response to the disaster. Earlier in the week, Harris was in Georgia, where she helped distribute meals, toured the damage and consoled families hard-hit by the storm. President Joe Biden, too, visited the disaster zone. During stops over two days in the Carolinas, Florida and Georgia, Biden surveyed the damage and met with farmers whose crops have been destroyed. The two have been vocal and visible about the government's willingness to help, and the administration's efforts so far include covering costs for all of the rescue and recovery efforts across the Southeast for several months as states struggle under the weight of the mass damage. In a letter late Friday to congressional leaders, Biden wrote that while the Federal Emergency Managem

Jurors in trial of Rushdie's attacker likely won't hear about his motive

Jurors picked for the trial of a man who severely injured author Salman Rushdie in a knife attack likely won't hear about the fatwa that authorities have said motivated him to act, a prosecutor said Friday. We're not going there, District Attorney Jason Schmidt said during a conference in preparation for the Oct. 15 start of Hadi Matar's trial in Chautauqua County Court. Schmidt said raising a motive was unnecessary, given that the attack was witnessed and recorded by a live audience who had gathered to hear Rushdie speak. Potential jurors will nevertheless face questions meant to root out implicit bias because Matar, of Fairview, New Jersey, is the son of Lebanese immigrants and practices Islam, Judge David Foley said. He said it would be foolish to assume potential jurors had not heard about the fatwa through media coverage of the case. Matar, 26, is charged with attempted murder for stabbing Rushdie, 77, more than a dozen times, blinding him in one eye, as he took the stage at a

US launches airstrikes by fighter jets, ships on Yemen's Houthi rebels

The US military struck more than a dozen Houthi targets in Yemen on Friday, going after weapons systems, bases and other equipment belonging to the Iranian-backed rebels, US officials confirmed. Military aircraft and warships bombed Houthi strongholds at roughly five locations, according to the officials. Houthi media said seven strikes hit the airport in Hodeida, a major port city, and the Katheib area, which has a Houthi-controlled military base. Four more strikes hit the Seiyana area in Sanaa, the capital, and two strikes hit the Dhamar province. The Houthi media office also reported three air raids in Bayda province, southeast of Sanaa. The strikes come just days after the Houthis threatened escalating military operations targeting Israel after they apparently shot down a US military drone flying over Yemen. And just last week, the group claimed responsibility for an attack targeting American warships. The rebels fired more than a half dozen ballistic missiles and anti-ship cru

US military launches air attacks on Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels

The US military struck a number of Houthi targets in Yemen on Friday, going after weapons systems, bases and other equipment belonging to the Iranian-backed rebels, a US official confirmed. US aircraft and ships struck Houthi strongholds, according to the official. The exact number of targets was not yet available as the mission was just ending. According to the Houthi media, seven strikes hit the airport in Hodeida, a major port city, and the Katheib area, which has a Houthi-controlled military base. Four more strikes hit the Seiyana area in Sanaa, the capital, and two strikes hit the Dhamar province. The Houthi media office also reported three air raids in Bayda province, southeast of Sanaa. The strikes come just days after the Houthis threatened escalating military operations targeting Israel after they apparently shot down a US military drone flying over Yemen. And just last week, the group claimed responsibility for an attack targeting American warships. The rebels fired more

US arranges flights to bring American citizens out of crisis-hit Lebanon

US-arranged flights have brought about 350 Americans and their immediate relatives out of Lebanon this week during escalated fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, while thousands of others still there face airstrikes and diminishing commercial flights. In Washington, senior State Department and White House officials met Thursday with two top Arab American officials to discuss US efforts to help American citizens leave Lebanon. The two leaders also separately met with officials from the Department of Homeland Security. Michigan state Rep. Alabas Farhat and Abed Ayoub, executive director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, used the White House meeting to "really drive home a lot of important points about the issues our community members are facing on the ground and a lot of the logistical problems that they're encountering with it when it comes to this evacuation, Ayoub said. Some officials and community leaders in Michigan, home to the nation's largest concentration

Escalation in US-China trade war may help India to increase exports: GTRI

The escalation in the US-China trade war is expected to help India increase its exports and attract investments from American companies, think tank GTRI said on Friday. He said that last month, the US Senate introduced two bills that could intensify the trade war and have major global economic impacts if passed. The 'Neither Permanent Nor Normal Trade Relations Act' (PNTR Act) and the 'Axing Non-Market Tariff Evasion Act' (ANTE Act) aim to counter China's trade practices by raising tariffs and imposing new trade barriers. The PNTR Act seeks to phase out China's favourable trade status, while the ANTE Act targets non-market economies like China and Russia with tougher measures, the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said. "While these bills aim to protect US industries, they also create opportunities for countries like India to grow their manufacturing sectors. "As US companies look for alternatives to China, India could see increased investment in electronics, textiles, and .

India to continue dialogue with US on totalisation pact: Piyush Goyal

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal has said that India will continue to engage with the US on the proposed social security or totalisation pact and it will take time. The proposed agreement seeks to do away with the requirement for an expatriate in either country to pay for social security schemes of the host country. He said that the issue should have been resolved earlier when the dimensions were manageable. "Now the dimension of the money collected by the (US) Treasury is so large that for any government, this will be a major decision," he told reporters here. He added that when the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government came to power in 2014, the country held discussions with the US on the matter. "The subject that has festered far too long and is not going to resolve over night...So we will continue to have the dialogue with the US...It's going to take time, we recognise that," Goyal said. He noted that the President Joe Biden administration has sent some "very

Is Nasrallah's successor Hashem Safieddine eliminated in Israeli strikes?

Hashem Safieddine is widely regarded as a likely successor to Hassan Nasrallah. If appointed, he could take charge of Hezbollah during a challenging period amid increased escalation with Israel

US port workers, operators reach deal to end East Coast strike immediately

The union and the port operators said in a statement that they would extend their master contract until Jan. 15, 2025 to return to the bargaining table

Helene's death toll reaches 200 as crews try to reach areas hit by storm

Hurricane Helene's death toll reached 200 on Thursday and could rise higher still, as searchers made their way toward the hardest to reach places in the mountains of western North Carolina, where the storm washed out roads and knocked out electricity, water and cellular service. Officials in Georgia and North Carolina added to their states' grim tallies, padding an overall count that has already made Helene the deadliest storm to hit the US mainland since Hurricane Katrina in 2005. A week after the storm came ashore in Florida before carving a path of destruction through the Southeast, connections between friends, neighbours and even strangers have provided hope in the worst-affected areas. While government cargo planes brought food and water to these areas and rescue crews waded through creeks searching for survivors, those who made it through the storm leaned on one another for support. Sarah Vekasi, who makes and sells pottery out of her Sarah Sunshine Pottery store in Black ...

US to spend $1.2 billion to restock arms after Iran, Houthi attacks

The largest chunk of projected Pentagon spending from a year's worth of Middle East operations is $300 million for unplanned depot maintenance

Taiwan urges democratic allies to stand together against China's expansion

Yui said that US congressional support is crucial, as it signals to aggressors that Taiwan is not alone