Page 5 - United States

Iran's foreign minister says Islamabad memorandum has 'never been closer'

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi says negotiations on an Islamabad-backed understanding have entered the final stages.

Will leave no stone unturned to hunt down those who harm US: FBI official

America First does not mean America alone, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation will "leave no stone unturned" to hunt down and bring to justice those who would harm the US and its allies, FBI Co-Deputy Director Andrew Bailey has said. He made the remarks during a virtual press briefing on Wednesday on the subject of industrial-scale scam compounds, nihilistic violent extremism and transnational narcotics trafficking. Nihilistic violent extremism (NVE) is violence motivated by a hatred of society and a drive to cause its collapse through indiscriminate chaos. NVE members advocate for destruction across the world by glorifying mass killers, promoting animal cruelty and urging self-harm. "I'm here to discuss three of the most significant threats facing the world today. And those are industrial-scale scam compounds, nihilistic violent extremism and transnational narcotics trafficking. While these threats victimise Americans daily, their deadly impact across Southeast Asia is growing

Trump signs law boosting immigration, deportation funding by $70 bn

President Donald Trump signed a bill into law on Wednesday that gives his immigration and deportation agenda a nearly USD 70 billion boost for the rest of his time in the White House. The bill provides USD 38 billion for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement and USD 26 billion for the Border Patrol. An additional USD 5 billion would cover unforeseen costs, according to the White House. Trump signed the legislation in the Oval Office a day after House Republicans pushed the measure through by a 214-212 vote over the objections of Democrats. His signature ended a nearly six-month fight over Department of Homeland Security funding that began with shooting deaths of deaths of two US citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, in January during federal immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis. Democrats began demanding changes to immigration enforcement after the shootings, creating an impasse - and resulting in the longest agency in history - that ultimately led Republicans to go it

India summons US charge d'affaires over attack on tanker off Oman coast

India on Wednesday summoned US charge d'affaires Jason Meeks and lodged a strong protest over a US attack on a commercial tanker with 24 Indian crew members off the coast of Oman, sources said. Three of the 24 crew members on board the vessel went missing following the attack. In its reaction, New Delhi said the targeting of commercial shipping and civilian infrastructure in West Asia must end, and free and unimpeded navigation through the international waterways should be restored at the earliest. The attack on commercial vessel Settebello came two days after a Palao-flagged vessel with 24 Indians came under attack of the US Navy as the ship tried to evade the US blockade of Iranian ports. "We condemn the attack on the commercial vessel Settebello off the coast of Oman, earlier today. Of the 24 Indian crew onboard, 21 Indians have been rescued thus far and three Indians are reportedly missing," the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. It said the Indian embassy in Oman is clo

US inflation rises to 4.2%, highest in over 3 years on Iran war impact

Beyond the initial energy shock, disruptions to fertilizer markets may eventually lead to higher grocery bills, while rising transportation costs could boost prices for all kinds of consumer goods

Bill Gates to appear before congressional panel investigating Epstein files

Bill Gates will appear Wednesday before a congressional panel investigating the Jeffrey Epstein files, becoming the latest powerful figure linked to the disgraced financier to testify. Members of the House Oversight Committee are slated to interview the billionaire Microsoft co-founder behind closed doors, as they have done with other witnesses in the investigation. Transcripts are often released later. Republican US Rep James Comer, the committee chairman, formally requested that Gates testify after he appeared multiple times in a trove of documents released by the Justice Department as part of its Epstein probe. The files read like a who's who of powerful men across tech, finance, politics and other industries. All have denied involvement in Epstein's crimes, but some maintained or formed friendships with him even after his history of sexual abuse came to light. Included in the files are calendar entries for meetings between Gates and Epstein, email correspondence between the two

FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried seeks presidential pardon from Trump

The 34-year-old submitted an application to the Justice Department's Pardon Attorney Office, according to the office's website, requesting a "pardon after completion of sentence"

Kerala-born Nithya Raman in 2nd spot in primary for Los Angeles mayor poll

Kerala-born Nithya Raman has surged ahead to second place in the primary election for Los Angeles Mayor, edging past reality TV star Spencer Pratt. He appears set to take on incumbent Karen Bass in November. Bass, 72, a former Democratic Congresswoman who has already advanced to the November runoff, remained in the lead with 34.7 per cent of the vote, according to the updated tally released by the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk's office. The primary election for the Mayor's post took place on January 2 and 80 per cent of the ballots have been counted so far. Raman, 44, who has steadily gained ground as the count has progressed, had 27.1 per cent, enough to overtake Pratt by a little more than 3,000 votes. Pratt, a Republican, had been running in second place since election night, but slipped to the third position with 26.69 per cent of the votes. Raman has been a Los Angeles councilwoman since 2020, when she defeated incumbent council member David Ryu, a victor

US sees nuclear renaissance with new micro-reactor, eyes global markets

A small nuclear reactor developed by a private US company has achieved first criticality, a stepping stone in the development of small modular reactors which Washington plans to sell to countries including India. The Mark-0 demonstration reactor, built by Antares Nuclear, achieved first criticality the start of a self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction on June 4, a month ahead of schedule as US President Donald Trump encouraged the private sector to develop newer nuclear reactors. Experts describe the crucial milestone as the heralding of a second nuclear renaissance in the country that had not tested new technologies in the sector for over four decades. Maria Korsnick, the President and CEO of the Nuclear Energy Institute, said that the US is keen to sell small reactors to India besides the conventional large reactors such as the AP-1000s. "Yes, there's going to be an appetite for small modular reactors and even potentially microreactors. It just sort of depends on what exactly i

Paramount Skydance to face legal challenge from states on Warner deal

Most of the states that have been weighing the lawsuit are led by Democratic attorneys general although at least two Republican attorney generals are involved in the probe

Bill in US Congress seeks to end H-1B visa as route to green card

A hardline Republican lawmaker has introduced a draft legislation in the US Congress seeking an overhaul of the H-1B visa programme, including ending its use as a pathway to permanent residency in the United States. Congressman Chip Roy introduced the American White-Collar Worker Jobs Act on Thursday. The proposed legislation also seeks to scrap the optional practical training (OPT) programme, which allows foreign students to work in the US for a limited period after graduation. "For its nearly forty-year history, the H-1B visa has been abused, allowing employers to routinely sideline American STEM workers in favour of cheap foreign labour, while masking layoffs and wage suppression as 'shortages.' "It's time to end this lottery-based pipeline and replace it with a system that prioritises merit, enforces real wage standards, and puts American white-collar workers first," said Roy, who represents the 21st district of Texas in Congress. The bill is backed by US Tech Workers, the ...

Trump's lawyers sought to halt discovery in $10 billion BBC lawsuit

Trump has accused the BBC of defaming him by splicing together parts of a January 6, 2021, speech to make it appear that he directed supporters to storm the US ‌Capitol

John Bolton reaches deal to plead guilty over classified information

The former Trump national security adviser plans to plead guilty to a count of illegal retention of classified information, which could result in a fine and possibly prison time of up to five years

Trump's trade chief says new tariffs can fit within existing deals

The EU and US agreed to a free-trade deal in July that would see the bloc erase levies on US industrial goods in exchange for a 15 per cent tariff ceiling on its exports

Trump says Iran has agreed to forgo nuclear weapons, may meet Mojtaba

Asked about Khamenei's involvement in talks with the US on ending hostilities, Trump said, "He's involved, absolutely. ...I think they have a lot of respect for him"

Indian tyre exports hit record high in FY26 despite global challenges

Exports rose 9 per cent to ₹27,312 crore in FY26 as tyre makers expanded into new markets and strengthened manufacturing capacity despite trade and logistics challenges

War games and warnings on Strait of Hormuz went unheeded by Trump

Over the past two decades, Iran repeatedly threatened to close down the waterway. President Trump underestimated Iran's ability to do so

US-India trade deal 99% done, last-mile talks this week: US Ambassador Gor

US Ambassador Sergio Gor says 99 per cent of the bilateral trade pact is in place, with negotiators working to resolve final technical and legal issues during talks in New Delhi