Page 79 - United States

US federal workers must justify job or risk dismissal, says Elon Musk

The directive was the latest salvo from Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency to the federal workforce

New FBI Director Kash Patel will also be named acting head of ATF

New FBI Director Kash Patel is expected to be named the acting head of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, a Justice Department official said Saturday. Patel could be sworn in next week, the official said, putting Patel in charge of two of the Justice Department's largest agencies in an unusual arrangement that raises questions about the future of the bureau that has long drawn the ire of conservatives. The Justice Department official spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the move before it's announced publicly. White House officials didn't immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday evening. Patel was sworn in Friday as FBI director after winning Senate approval despite Democrats' concerns about the steadfast Trump ally's plans to radically overhaul the FBI. ATF is a separate agency with about 5,500 employees and is responsible for enforcing the nation's laws around firearms, explosives and arson. Among other things, it's in charge of licens

USDA scholarship for students at historically Black colleges suspended

A federal scholarship aimed at boosting students from underserved and rural areas attending historically Black colleges and universities has been put on hold. The US Department of Agriculture suspended the 1890 Scholars Programme, which provided recipients with full tuition and fees for students studying agriculture, food or natural resource sciences at one of 19 universities, known as the 1890 land grant institutions. It's not clear exactly when the program was suspended, but some members of Congress first issued statements criticizing the suspension of the program on Thursday. "The 1890 Scholars Program has been suspended pending further review," the Department of Agriculture said in a post on the program's website. The suspension coincides with a funding freeze President Donald Trump's administration instituted. Administration officials had said the pause was necessary to review whether spending aligned with Trump's executive orders on issues like climate change and diversity, .

Gunman takes hostages at Pennsylvania hospital, one officer killed

A man armed with a pistol and carrying zip ties entered a Pennsylvania hospital's intensive care unit on Saturday and took staff members hostage before he was killed by police in a shootout that also left an officer dead, authorities said. Three staffers at UPMC Memorial Hospital, including a doctor, a nurse and a custodian, and two other officers were shot and wounded in the attack, York County District Attorney Tim Barker said. A fourth staff member was injured during a fall, Barker said. Gunfire erupted after officers from several different agencies went to engage the shooter, who Barker identified as Diogenes Archangel-Ortiz, 49. He said Archangel-Ortiz was holding at gunpoint a female staff member hostage who had her hands tied with zip ties when police opened fire. "This is a huge loss to our community," Barker said at a press conference following the shooting. "It is absolutely clear, and beyond any and all doubt, that the officers were justified in taking their action using

'Had very good talks' with Putin, but Zelensky 'not important', says Trump

Earlier, US President Donald Trump had called Zelensky a 'dictator without elections' following the Ukrainian leader's frustration over being excluded from discussions between US and Russian officials

India should propose 'zero for zero' tariff strategy to US, says GTRI

Says negotiating a trade agreement could be trickier and force India to make 'difficult concessions'

US Treasury chief expresses 'serious concerns' in call with China

Friday's call came as China and the U.S. seek to manage their relationship as the world's two largest economies stand on the precipice of a renewed trade war

Trump again slams $21 mn USAID funding for India, calls it kickback scheme

Speaking at the Republican Governors Association meeting in Washington DC, US President Donald Trump questioned the rationale behind the expenditure

US court allows Donald Trump to continue mass firing of federal employees

US District Court Judge Christopher Cooper observed that he does not have the authority to rule on whether terminating tens of thousands of government workers is lawful

Kash Patel gets Bollywood-style welcome as Trump aide shares 'Malhari' meme

Indian-origin Trump ally Kash Patel has been confirmed as FBI director in a 51-49 Senate vote, with the White House calling it a step toward restoring integrity and upholding justice

After US, Canada designates 7 Latin American groups as terrorist entities

Canada is designating seven Latin American criminal organisations as terrorist entities under the country's Criminal Code, giving Canadian law enforcement another tool in the fight against fentanyl trafficking, Public Safety Minister David McGuinty has said. The list includes Mexico's Sinaloa Cartel, Jalisco New Generation Cartel and La Nueva Familia Michoacana, and was announced a day after the US government formally designated eight Latin American organized crime groups as "foreign terrorist organisations". "The measures will help keep fentanyl off Canadian streets and from entering the United States," McGuinty told a news conference. The announcement was Canada's latest response to US President Donald Trump 's claim that the flow of fentanyl and illegal immigration into the US were behind his threats of imposing a 25 per cent tariff on all Canadian goods with the exception of 10 per cent on energy. Trump has paused the implementation of those tariffs until at least March 4. US

World War III not far away, claims Donald Trump; says US won't participate

Trump said that if former US President Joe Biden's administration had continued, the world would have been in war

Govt readies steps ahead of likely bilateral trade deal with the US

Engaging with various departments, apprising them of sector-specific dynamics

US refuses to co-sponsor UN motion backing Ukraine territorial integrity

The step appears to mirror a widening rift between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US President Donald Trump

Amid war of words, Trump calls Zelenskyy a 'dictator without elections'

Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to meet with Trump's envoy, Keith Kellogg, in an effort to engage in constructive discussions. However, the Ukrainian President remains skeptical of negotiations

Indian generic drugs have 54% more adverse outcomes than US-made: Study

Generic drugs made in India are related to 54 per cent more severe adverse events, including hospitalisation, disability and death, compared to the equivalent generic drugs made in the US, a new study has found. The findings were largely driven by 'mature generic drugs' -- or those that had been in the market for a long time. "Where generic drugs are manufactured can make a significant difference," said co-author John Gray, a professor of operations at The Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business. A generic drug is a medicine created with the same chemical as an already marketed brand-name drug with same dosage, safety and effectiveness. The drug is allowed to be sold once patents for the original brand expire. The results, published in the journal Production and Operations Management, show that all generic drugs are not equal, even though patients are often told that they are, Gray said. "Drug manufacturing regulation and, therefore, quality assurance practices, differ

G20 foreign minister's meet underway in S Africa amid tensions with US

A meeting of foreign ministers from G20 countries will get underway in Johannesburg on Thursday, but US Secretary of State Marco Rubio will not attend amid diplomatic tensions between South Africa and the US. Diplomats including Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi are expected to attend the gathering, while the US will be represented by acting ambassador to South Africa Dana Brown. The European Union, the United Nations and the African Union, which is part of the G20, will also be in attendance. Rubio snubbed the meeting after an executive order by U.S. President Donald Trump stopped foreign aid to the country over a law that the White House said amounts to discrimination against the country's white minority. The US is also displeased with South Africa's case against Israel at the International Court of Justice. South African Foreign Minister Ronald Lamola has said that Rubio's decision was not a complete boycott of South Africa's G20." He s

Indian deportees from US arrive in Panama, embassy secures consular access

Panama has informed India about the safe arrival of a group of Indians deported from the US and the Indian mission in the country is working closely with the host government to ensure their wellbeing after obtaining consular access to them. The Embassy of India in Panama, Costa Rica & Nicaragua took to X on Thursday to share the information but did not provide data on the number of Indians arriving in Panama. The group of Indians is part of a larger group of 299 migrants sent to Panama by the US government. These people arrived in the country on three flights last week after President Jose Raul Mulino agreed that Panama would become a "bridge" country for deportees. The Trump administration has pledged to deport millions of people who crossed illegally into the US. "Panamanian authorities have informed us that a group of Indians have reached Panama from the US," the Embassy of India in Panama, Nicaragua and Costa Rica posted on X. "They are safe and secure at a Hotel with all ...

NISAR space plan with US example of India's cost-effectiveness: Somanath

Former ISRO chairman S Somanath has highlighted the cost-effectiveness of India's space programmes and noted that for the same satellite and share of work, the country will incur five-time less expenditure compared to the US for an upcoming mission. He was referring to the NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar (NISAR) mission. The joint National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)-Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) project will map the entire globe and provide data for understanding changes in Earth's ecosystems, ice mass, vegetation biomass, sea level rise, ground water and natural hazards. Somanath on Wednesday stressed on greater private sector role to push India's contribution in the global space economy from current 2 per cent to 10 per cent. Taking about NISAR, a joint Earth-observing radar mission, he said one part of the payload is being developed by the US, and the other by India. The former ISRO chief was speaking at an interactive session on the topic, "Indi

EU ready to discuss lower auto tariffs with US, says bloc's trade chief

The EU commissioner said the bloc will do its "utmost" to avoid an escalatory tariff clash