Page 41 - United States

Millennials, Gen Z lead 90% of India's outbound travel in 2025: Report

The year 2025 marked a defining shift in India's outbound travel landscape, with millennials and Gen Z leading nine out of 10 international trips, a new report has revealed. The annual travel report, released by travel-banking fintech platform Niyo, highlights how young, digital-first and experience-driven Indians are reshaping global travel trends through smarter planning, solo exploration and cost-conscious decision-making. Gen Z and Millennials accounted for 9 in 10 international trips. Two-thirds of these journeys originated from Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai, reflecting the strong influence of India's leading metros in outbound travel, the report findings said. Solo travel emerged as the dominant preference among Indian travellers, with 63.8 per cent of trips undertaken by individuals. Couples accounted for 19.93 per cent of trips, followed by families at 12.26 per cent and groups at 4.01 per cent, indicating a growing inclination towards independent travel. Short-haul Asian ...

North Carolina plane crash: Retired NASCAR driver Biffle, 6 others killed

A business jet with six people aboard crashed Thursday at a regional airport in North Carolina used by NASCAR teams and Fortune 500 companies, erupting in a large fire and killing multiple people, authorities said. Flight records show the plane was registered to a company run by retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle. There were six people on the Cessna C550 that crashed while landing at Statesville Regional Airport, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Charlotte, the Federal Aviation Administration said. I can confirm there were fatalities," Iredell County Sheriff Darren Campbell said. Golfers playing next to the airport were shocked as they witnessed the disaster, even dropping to the ground at the Lakewood Golf Club while the plane was overhead. The ninth hole was covered with debris. We were like, Oh my gosh! That's way too low,' said Joshua Green of Mooresville. It was scary. The National Transportation Safety Board and the FAA were investigating. AccuWeather says there was so

Lines from Lolita, Bill Gates, Chomsky: What new Epstein photos show

House Democrats released 68 photos from Jeffrey Epstein's estate showing Bill Gates, Noam Chomsky, passports and Lolita excerpts, ahead of a wider Trump-era file release deadline

US Coast Guard removes references to swastikas, nooses being 'divisive'

References in US Coast Guard policy calling hate symbols potentially divisive" were removed Thursday, and a US senator said she was lifting a hold she had placed on a nomination for the service's top job. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, whose agency oversees the Coast Guard, said on social media that the latest changes were made so no one can misrepresent the branch's position. The pages of superseded and outdated policy will be completely removed from the record so no press outlet, entity or elected official may misrepresent the Coast Guard to politicize their policies and lie about their position on divisive and hate symbols, Noem said. The move appears to cap off back-and-forth revisions to Coast Guard policy on swastikas, nooses and other hate symbols, which has sparked an uproar. The Department of Homeland Security has said there was never a downgrade' in policy language. Noem's announcement came a day after Democratic Sen. Jacky Rosen of Nevada said she was holding u

Britain appoints new ambassador to US, replaces Epstein-linked diplomat

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer appointed a new UK ambassador to the United States on Thursday, replacing a diplomat who was fired over his over his links to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Christian Turner, currently the UK's permanent representative to the United Nations, will replace Peter Mandelson, who was sacked in September because of his friendship with Epstein. The appointment comes as US President Donald Trump has been critical of Europe and at a time when Starmer and his European peers are pushing to make sure that a US brokered peace plan between Russia and Ukraine does not leave Kyiv vulnerable. The United Kingdom and United States have a very special relationship, and Christian's extensive experience as an outstanding diplomat will support this uniquely close bond and ensure it continues to flourish," Starmer said. Turner, a veteran diplomat, will take on the role after US agreement. He was previously political director of the Foreign, Commonwealth and

Furious Minds: The MAGA intellectuals and the rise of extremist ideas

How ideas that used to be the arcane obsessions of nerdy young men and buttoned-up tenured professors have become 'an engine and accelerant' for extremism

Outbound shipments from India to China surge to $12.22 bn in Apr-Nov

Trend indicates Beijing is shifting its sourcing away from US, say officials

Why Asim Munir's third US trip may cost him support of Pakistanis

Pakistan's military chief Asim Munir is expected to travel to Washington for a third time in six months, amid discussions on a proposed US-backed force to stabilise Gaza

Rubio speaks to Australian FM as US condemns 'heinous' Bondi Beach attack

Rubio had a call with Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong to discuss the antisemitic terrorist attack at Sydney's Bondi Beach

Historic rains and flooding trigger dramatic rescues in Washington state

When Eddie Wicks and his wife went to bed in their house next to the Snoqualmie River on a Washington state farm known for its sunflower mazes and Christmas trees, they weren't too worried about the flooding heading their way. After 30 years living in the city of Duvall, northeast of Seattle, their family had plenty of experience with floods and always made it through largely unscathed. But as they moved their two donkeys to higher ground and their eight goats to their outdoor kitchen, the water began to rise much quicker than anything they'd experienced before. It was hours, not days," he said. In four hours, it had to come up 4 feet. As the water engulfed their home on Thursday afternoon, deputies from the King County Sheriff's Office marine rescue dive unit were able to rescue them and their dog, taking them on a boat the half mile (800 metres) across their field, which had been transformed into a lake. They were among the thousands forced to evacuate as an unusually strong ...

House Democrats release photos of Trump, Clinton from Epstein's estate

House Democrats released a selection of photos from the estate of Jeffrey Epstein on Friday, including some of Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and the former Prince Andrew. The 19 photos released by Democratic lawmakers on the House Oversight Committee were a small part of more than 95,000 they received from the estate of Epstein, who died in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting sex trafficking charges. The photos released Friday were separate from the case files that the Department of Justice is now compelled to release. The photos were released without captions or context and included a black-and-white image of Trump alongside six women whose faces were blacked out. The committee did not say why their faces were blacked out. Several of the photos have already circulated in the public. Democrats pledged to continue to release photos in the days and weeks ahead, as they look to pressure Trump over his Republican administration's earlier refusal to release documents in the Epstei

Historic floods in Washington wash away homes, leave families stranded

Days of torrential rain in Washington state has caused historic floods that have stranded families on rooftops, washed over bridges and ripped at least two homes from their foundations, and experts warned that even more flooding expected Friday could be catastrophic. Washington is under a state of emergency and evacuation orders are in place for tens of thousands of residents. Gov Bob Ferguson on Thursday urged everyone to follow evacuation instructions as yet another river neared record levels. I understand that many in our state have experienced significant floods in the past," he said on the social platform X. "However, we're looking at a historic situation. About 78,000 residents of a major agricultural region north of Seattle were ordered to evacuate the floodplain of the Skagit River, which was expected to crest Friday morning. The floods were impacting large parts of the state, with several bridges flooded and some major roads inundated or washed out. Some roads had no ...

Putin offers 'solidarity' for Venezuelan people as tensions with US rise

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed "solidarity with the Venezuelan people" on Thursday amid growing tensions between Venezuela's leader, Nicols Maduro, and the Trump administration. The Kremlin said in a statement that Putin spoke with Maduro by phone and reaffirmed his support for Venezuelan leader's policy of "protecting national interests and sovereignty in the face of growing external pressure." The call comes a day after American forces seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, the latest tactic from US President Donald Trump's administration to ramp up pressure on Maduro, who has been charged with narco-terrorism in the United States. During testimony before Congress on Thursday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem linked the seizure of the vessel to the Trump administration's anti-drug efforts in the region. The US has built up its largest military presence in the region in decades and launched a series of deadly strikes on alleged drug-smuggling ...

Big Boost for Pakistan’s F-16s: US signs off on a $686 million upgrade

The US has approved a $686 million upgrade package for Pakistan’s F-16 fleet. Watch to know what’s included, why Washington cleared it now, and what it means for regional security dynamics.

Judge to decide degree of media access in Charlie Kirk assassination case

Lawyers for the 22-year-old Utah man charged with killing Charlie Kirk are due in court Thursday as they push to further limit media access in the high-profile criminal case. A Utah judge is weighing the public's right to know details in Tyler Robinson's case against his attorneys' concerns that the swarm of media attention could interfere with his right to a fair trial. Robinson's legal team and the Utah County Sheriff's Office have asked Judge Tony Graf to ban cameras in the courtroom. Prosecutors have charged Robinson with aggravated murder in the Sept. 10 shooting of the conservative activist on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem, just a few miles north of the Provo courthouse. They plan to seek the death penalty. Robinson was expected to appear in person Thursday after making previous court appearances via video or audio feed from jail, according to a transport order. A coalition of national and local news organizations, including The Associated Press, is fighting to .

Meet Eileen Higgins, first woman and Democrat in 30 years to lead Miami

Eileen Higgins, 61, defeated Republican Emilio González in a result that broke a long streak of the Grand Old Party (GOP) wins in Florida

A worrying shift: New security strategy in US reflects changing worldview

Control of the Western Hemisphere is necessary to achieve ends that are important in domestic politics

Fintech Skydo set to expand to US after $10 million Series A round

The Bengaluru-based company is targeting US-based small and medium businesses (SMBs) as part of its expansion plan

No accord yet on Ukraine's east in US talks: Ukrainian President Zelenskyy

Zelenskiy said his country needed unity between its main allies to secure an agreement

India, US seek additional punitive measures against LeT, JeM, their backers

India and the US have sought additional punitive measures like asset freeze and arms embargo by the UN against Pakistan-based terror outfits Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, their proxy groups and backers. The two sides also called for additional designations of ISIS and al-Qa'ida affiliates. These terror groups were designated by the UN and they have already been facing various punitive actions under the global body's sanctions regime. India and the US deliberated on boosting cooperation to combat terrorism at a meeting of their joint working group (JWG) on counter terrorism as well as during deliberations at 'designations dialogue', held on December 3 in New Delhi. In the talks, the Indian side thanked the US State Department for designating The Resistance Front (TRF), a proxy of LeT, as both a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). The TRF had taken responsibility for the Pahalgam terror attack. The two sides emphasised tha