Page 4 - United States

US military airlifts microreactor as Trump pushes nuclear expansion

The Pentagon and the Energy Department for the first time airlifted a small nuclear reactor from California to Utah, demonstrating what they say is US potential to quickly deploy nuclear power for military and civilian use. The nearly 700-mile flight last weekend - which transported a 5-megawatt microreactor without nuclear fuel - highlights the Trump administration's drive to promote nuclear energy to help meet skyrocketing demand for power from artificial intelligence and data centres, as well for use by the military. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and Undersecretary of Defence Michael Duffey, who travelled with the privately built reactor, hailed the February 15 trip on a C-17 military aircraft as a breakthrough for US efforts to fast-track commercial licensing for the microreactors, part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to reshape the country's energy landscape. A new emphasis on nuclear energy ======================= President Donald Trump supports nuclear power

Govt studying implications of US Court tariff ruling; Trump remarks

The US Supreme Court ruled that Trump exceeded his authority by imposing tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), a 1977 law intended for national emergencies

Explained: What Trump's 10% global import tariff reset means for India

From 50% duties to a temporary 10% levy, US tariff rules on Indian goods have shifted, lowering costs for now while leaving sectoral duties and trade deal negotiations largely unchanged

11 million visitors short: Inside America's continuing tourism slump

Visitors from Canada, the second-largest source of US tourism, plunged by 28 % in January compared to January 2024

Indonesia signs trade deal with Trump admin, tariffs slashed to 19%

Indonesian coffee, chocolate, natural rubber and spices would be tariff-free, the Jakarta government said

Directing govt agencies to release files on UFOs, aliens and more: Trump

US President Donald Trump said Thursday that he's directing the Pentagon and other government agencies to identify and release files related to extraterrestrials and UFOs because of "tremendous interest." Trump made the announcement in a social media post hours after he accused former President Barack Obama of disclosing "classified information" when Obama recently suggested in a podcast interview that aliens were real. Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, "I don't know if they're real or not," and said of Obama, "I may get him out of trouble by declassifying." In a post on his social media platform Thursday night, Trump said he was directing government agencies to release files related "to alien and extraterrestrial life, unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP), and unidentified flying objects (UFOs), and any and all other information connected to these highly complex, but extremely interesting and important, matters." Obama, who made his comments in a podcast appearance over th

Sovereignty, pragmatism, and choices: India balances risks in neighbourhood

The "foreign hand" was always American. Its adversaries, the Soviet Union and its allies, were natural friends

US GDP growth slows sharply in Dec quarter amid moderate consumer spending

Gross domestic product increased at a 1.4% annualized rate last quarter, the Commerce Department's Bureau of Economic Analysis said in its advance estimate of fourth-quarter GDP

Saudi Arabia may enrich uranium under proposed US deal, warn experts

Saudi Arabia could have some form of uranium enrichment within the kingdom under a proposed nuclear deal with the United States, congressional documents and an arms control group suggest, raising proliferation concerns as an atomic standoff between Iran and America continues. US Presidents Donald Trump and Joe Biden both tried to reach a nuclear deal with the kingdom to share American technology. Nonproliferation experts warn any spinning centrifuges within Saudi Arabia could open the door to a possible weapons program for the kingdom, something its assertive crown prince has suggested he could pursue if Tehran obtains an atomic bomb. Already, Saudi Arabia and nuclear-armed Pakistan signed a mutual defense pact last year after Israel launched an attack on Qatar targeting Hamas officials. Pakistan's defense minister then said his nation's nuclear program "will be made available" to Saudi Arabia if needed, something seen as a warning for Israel, long believed to be the Middle East's ..

Mexico, El Salvador seize over 10 tonnes of cocaine amid deadly US strikes

The navies of El Salvador and Mexico announced drug seizures in the Pacific Ocean this week of more than 10 tonnes of cocaine, in contrast to deadly strikes by the US government that just this week left 11 people dead on three boats suspected of carrying drugs in Latin American waters. The latest announcement came Thursday, when Mexico said it had seized nearly four tonnes of suspected drugs and detained three people from a semisubmersible craft, 250 nautical miles (463 kilometres) south of the port of Manzanillo. Mexican Security Secretary Omar Garcia Harfuch said via X that the seizure from the sleek, low-riding boat with three visible motors brought the weekly total to nearly 10 tonnes, but he did not provide detail on the other seizures. Mexican authorities said the seizure was made with intelligence shared US Northern Command and the US Joint Interagency Task Force South. On Sunday, El Salvador's navy announced the largest drug seizure in the country's history of 6.6 tonnes of

US pays $160 million of $4 billion it owes to UN, Trump promises more funds

The United States has paid about USD 160 million of the nearly USD 4 billion it owes the United Nations, the UN said Thursday, and President Donald Trump promised more money to the financially strapped world organization. The Trump administration's payment last week is earmarked for the UN's regular operating budget, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told The Associated Press. The UN has said the United States owes USD 2.19 billion to its regular budget, including USD 767 million for this year, as well as USD 1.8 billion to a separate budget for the far-flung UN peacekeeping operations. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned late last month that the world body faces "imminent financial collapse" unless its financial rules are overhauled or all 193 member nations pay their dues, a message clearly directed at the United States. He said in a letter to all member nations that cash for the regular budget could run out by July, which could dramatically affect UN operations. U.N. ...

Trump says 9 Board of Peace members pledge $7 bn for Gaza relief

President Donald Trump announced Thursday at the inaugural Board of Peace meeting that nine members of the body have agreed to pledge USD 7 billion toward a Gaza relief package. Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, UAE, Morocco, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Kuwait are the countries that are making pledges, Trump added. "But every dollar spent is an investment in stability and the hope of new and harmonious (region)," said Trump, thanking the donors. The amount, while significant, represents a fraction of the estimated USD 70 billion needed to rebuild the Palestinian territory decimated after two years of war. Trump also announced the US was pledging USD 10 billion for the Board of Peace, but didn't specify what the money will be used for. "The Board of Peace is showing how a better future can be built, starting right here in this room," Trump said.

US gives IEA one-year deadline to drop net zero focus or they'll quit

The Paris-based IEA was formed after the 1970s oil supply crisis and provides research and data to the US and other industrialised governments to guide energy policy

US jobless claims fall sharply to 206,000, biggest drop since Nov

That was lower than all but one estimate in a Bloomberg survey. In the past year, new applications have fallen below the 210,000 mark only a handful of times

US trade deficit slipped to $901 billion last year amid Trump tariffs

The US trade deficit slipped modestly in 2025, a year in which President Donald Trump upended global commerce by slapping double digit tariffs on imports from most countries. The gap the between the goods and services the US sells other countries and what it buys from them narrowed to just over USD 901 billion from USD 904 billion in 2024, the Commerce Department reported Thursday. Exports rose 6 per cent last year, and imports rose nearly 5 per cent. The trade gap surged from January-March as US companies tried to import foreign goods ahead of Trump's taxes, then narrowed most of the rest of the year. Trump's tariffs are a tax paid by US importers and often passed along to their customers as higher prices. But they haven't had as much impact on inflation as economists originally expected. Trump argues that the tariffs will protect US industries, bringing manufacturing back to America and raise money for the US Treasury.

Trump claims, again, that he stopped India-Pak war with 200% tariff threat

India has repeatedly stated that the ceasefire following the 2025 military escalation was reached bilaterally, without any third-party intervention

Meaningful deal in 10 days or 'bad' things will happen: Trump warns Iran

"Otherwise bad things happen," Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to attack Iran, told the first meeting of his Board of Peace in Washington

India likely to join US-led 'Pax Silica' strategic bloc on Friday: Report

India is likely to formally join a US-led strategic alliance, known as 'Pax Silica', which is aimed at building a resilient supply chain for critical minerals and artificial intelligence. The move comes amid efforts by the two sides to finalise the proposed trade deal and move forward on several other initiatives to solidify the bilateral ties after a spell of severe strain in the relations. India is likely to formally join the 'Pax Silica' initiative on Friday, people familiar with the matter said. The initiative was launched in December to build a secure, resilient, and innovation-driven supply chain for critical minerals and artificial intelligence (AI). The Pax Silica Summit was held in Washington on December 12 where partner nations signed the Pax Silica declaration. The declaration lays out a shared vision of deep economic and technology cooperation across supply chains -- from raw materials through semiconductors and AI infrastructure -- and commitment to mutual prosperity

Indian-origin former Optum director convicted for hiring 'ghost employee'

A former senior director at Optum was convicted on multiple fraud charges for hiring an unqualified friend in a no-show job and receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks

Iran says it agreed with US on principles for potential nuclear deal

The two sides will each draft and exchange texts for a deal before setting a date for a third round of talks, he said, cautioning that the next stage would be "more difficult and detailed"