Page 148 - United States

US lawmakers meet Tibet's Dalai Lama, warn China on choice of successor

The bipartisan group of seven met the 88-year-old Nobel peace laureate at his monastery in Dharamshala. The comments are expected to anger Beijing which calls Dalai Lama a separatist

Noam Chomsky discharged from hospital following false death reports

Everything you need to know about Noam Chomsky, the man who is considered the 'father of modern linguistics'

Allow foreign currency transactions in India via RBI: ICT Chairman Kapila

Consultants and service providers have urged the government to enable direct foreign currency transactions within the country through RBI, bypassing the current practice of routing transactions via the US banking system. Intercontinental Consultants and Technocrats (ICT) Chairman K K Kapila said currently, even domestic transactions in the US dollar between entities within India necessitate routing through the US banking system, incurring transaction fees. "This practice results in substantial funds leaving our economy in the form of fees paid to American banks," Kapila added, who also heads Indian Road Federation (IRF). He emphasised that it is illogical that internal foreign currency transactions within India require routing through the US, resulting in unnecessary costs to our businesses and economy. According to Kapila, consultants and service providers emphasised the need for a streamlined approach where transactions involving foreign currencies like US dollars are facilitated

Children were sent to distillery by school bus: NCPCR chief on MP case

Police in the state of Madhya Pradesh launched an investigation into Som after the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights last week found 39 boys and 19 girls working at the factory

At $7.3 billion in FY24, India's seafood exports touched an all-time high

Frozen shrimp remained the leading export item in the Indian seafood basket, generating Rs 40,013.54 crore ($4,881.27 million), while the US emerged as the top market

Russia and North Korea have vowed to aid each other if attacked: Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un signed a new partnership deal that includes a vow of mutual aid if either country is attacked, as both face escalating standoffs with the west. It was not clear what kind of assistance the deal, described as a comprehensive strategic partnership, would call for. Putin's first visit to North Korea in 24 years comes amid growing concerns over an arms arrangement in which the country provides Moscow with badly needed munitions for its war in Ukraine in exchange for economic assistance and technology transfers that could enhance the threat posed by Kim's nuclear weapons and missile program. Putin added that Russia would not rule out developing military-technical cooperation with North Korea the deal, according Russian state news agencies. Kim said that the agreement was of a peaceful and defensive nature, according to Ria Novosti. I have no doubt it will become a driving force accelerating the creation of a new ...

What is Juneteenth? Check history, significance, celebration and more

Juneteenth is a special festival celebrated to mark the ending of slavery in the United States. Here's all you need to know about this day

Goods demand slowing, global growth outlook likely to weaken: Report

Global retail sales were 'well below' pre-Covid trend observed between 2017 and 2019, it says

Why does the American Surgeon General want warning labels on social media?

Banning phones in schools to limited screen times at home: Vivek Murthy is advocating for proactive steps by all to safeguard mental health of the youth on social media platforms

Early blast of heat & humidity leaves millions sweltering across US

A blast of heat and humidity in the Midwest and Northeast days before the official start of summer put a wet blanket on outdoor activities from festivals to sports camps as officials urged people to take precautions. Cities that opened cooling centers this week advised that Wednesday's Juneteenth holiday means some public libraries, senior centers and pools where residents could beat the heat will be closed. The dangerous temperatures were expected to peak in the eastern Great Lakes and New England on Wednesday and Thursday, and in the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic on Friday and Saturday, the National Weather Service said. Heat index readings were expected to reach 100 to 105 degrees (37.7 C to 40.5 C) in many locations. People and even zoo animals were forced to find ways to thwart the muggy weather. An organization that provides produce to areas with limited access to fresh food in Columbus, Ohio, prepared frozen towels and packed cold water for their workers. Hydration is the ke

Baltimore bridge collapse: Attorneys seek to keep crew from returning home

Attorneys are asking a federal judge to prevent crew members on the cargo ship Dali from returning to their home countries amid ongoing investigations into the circumstances leading up to the deadly collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in March. Eight of the Dali's crew members were scheduled to debark the ship and return home as early as Thursday, according to emails included in court filings Tuesday. The roughly two dozen total seafarers hail from India and Sri Lanka. That would mark the first time any of them can leave the ship since it lost power and crashed into one of the bridge's supporting columns shortly after leaving Baltimore on March 26. In the court filings, attorneys representing the City of Baltimore said the men should remain in the U.S. so they can be deposed in ongoing civil litigation over who should be held responsible for covering costs and damages resulting from the bridge collapse, which killed six construction workers and temporarily halted most maritime

TikTok child privacy case referred to US Justice Dept over violations

The FTC was looking into the social media company over potential violations of federal law that protects children on the internet

Half a million immigrants could get US citizenship under new Biden plan

President Joe Biden is taking an expansive, election-year step to offer relief to potentially hundreds of thousands of immigrants without legal status in the US aiming to balance his own aggressive crackdown on the border earlier this month that enraged advocates and many Democratic lawmakers. The White House announced on Tuesday that the Biden administration will, in the coming months, allow certain spouses of US citizens without legal status to apply for permanent residency and eventually, citizenship. The move could affect upwards of half a million immigrants, according to senior administration officials. To qualify, an immigrant must have lived in the United States for 10 years as of Monday and be married to a US citizen. If a qualifying immigrant's application is approved, he or she would have three years to apply for a green card, and receive a temporary work permit and be shielded from deportation in the meantime. About 50,000 noncitizen children with a parent who is married

Oil up after Fed comments, expected US crude stockpile drawdown: Report

Prices extended gains on Tuesday after the New York Federal Reserve President John Williams said interest rates will come down gradually over time

US retail sales miss expectations in May; April data revised significantly

Inflation and higher interest rates are forcing households to prioritise essentials and cut back on discretionary spending

Amazon Pharmacy expands eligibility for subscription to Medicare patients

Amazon has worked to lure customers away from more established pharmacies like CVS and Walgreens since launching its pharmacy unit in 2020

UK approval of arms exports to Israel plunged sharply at start of Gaza war

The United States and Germany increased arms sales to Israel after the start of the war with the Palestinian group Hamas in October last year

US Senators and corporate world bat for stronger India-US relationship

Two influential American Senators along with leaders from the corporate world have called for strengthening ties with India, including in the defence sector. We want India and the United States to be the very best of friends with the deepest relationships, Senator Steve Daines said on Monday. He was speaking at a fireside between John Chambers and Senator Dan Sullivan during the annual Leadership Summit of the US India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF). I think globally it's so important here that we have clarity around who the good guys are and how we want to perpetuate these relationships and strengthen relationships. And the good guys are the United States and India, the Senator from Montana said. China is watching what we are doing with India, Daines said. Senator Dan Sullivan said a lot of these countries are motivated by historical grievances. "I think this... new era, it's really a return to the era of authoritarian aggression, is going to be with us for years and ..

After 2-yr delay, Taiwan to receive anti-tank missiles from US by year-end

The timeline update came during a legislative session in response to queries from ruling Democratic Progressive Party lawmaker Wang Ting-yu about the delivery schedule

US suspends inspections of avocados in Mexico over security concerns

The United States government has suspended inspections of avocados and mangoes in the Mexican state of Michoacan due to security concerns, an official said on Monday. A US government spokesperson, whose name could not be used under agency policy, said the US Department of Agriculture's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is pausing inspections in Michoacan, which is Mexico's biggest exporter of avocados, until the security conditions are resolved. Inspections in other Mexican states are not affected, the spokesperson said. In February 2022, the US government suspended inspections of Mexican avocados until further notice after a US plant safety inspector in Michoacan received a threatening message. The halt was lifted after about a week. Later that year, Jalisco became the second Mexican state authorized to export avocados to the US. The pause in inspections won't block shipments of Mexican avocados to the United States, because Jalisco is now an exporter and there are a lot