Page 85 - United States

I return to highest calling in democracy: Blinken during farewell speech

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also described his return as 'private citizen' as 'the highest calling in a democracy'

TikTok ban implementation now responsibility of incoming administration: WH

Given the sheer fact of timing, this Administration recognises that actions to implement the law simply must fall to the next administration, a released statement said

US to take extraordinary steps to avert a default, says treasury secy

Yellen wrote in a letter to bipartisan congressional leaders Friday she was advising them of the extraordinary measures that Treasury will begin using on January 21

US FTC files case against PepsiCo over exclusive discounts to Walmart

The practices fed high consumer prices by placing at a disadvantage other retailers, from large grocery chains to independent convenience stores, the FTC said

US Supreme Court upholds law banning popular short-video app TikTok

TikTok is one of the most prominent social media platforms in the United States, used by about 270 million Americans - roughly half the country's population, including many young people

Trump to take oath of presidency on Lincoln Bible, one given by his mother

President-elect Donald Trump will use his Bible, which was given to him by his mother, and the Lincoln Bible for his swearing in on January 20, the inaugural committee announced on Friday. In 1955, Trump received this Bible to mark his Sunday Church Primary School graduation at First Presbyterian Church, in Jamaica, New York. The Bible is a 1953 revised standard version published by Thomas Nelson and Sons in New York and is embossed with his name on the lower portion of the front cover. The inside cover is signed by church officials and inscribed with the president's name and details of when it was presented, a media release said. In addition to Trump's Bible, the Lincoln Bible will be used for this historic ceremony, the announcement said. The Lincoln Bible was first used on March 4, 1861, for the swearing-in of the 16th president. It has only been used three times since, by President Barack Obama at each of his inaugurations and by President Trump at his first inauguration in ..

Outgoing President Biden grants clemency to 2,500 nonviolent drug offenders

As his presidency ends, Joe Biden commutes the sentences of 2,500 nonviolent drug offenders in a historic move to address sentencing disparities

Jake Sullivan briefs USISPF board members on India-US relationship

Outgoing US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Thursday addressed board members of the US-India Strategic and Partnership Forum on various aspects of bilateral relationship between the two largest democracies of the world and the landmark initiatives launched during the four years of the Biden administration. Sullivan, who was in India early this month, briefed the USISPF Board on the productive dialogue he had with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his counterpart Ajit Doval, the Indian National Security Advisor, and External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar. He touched on the comprehensive US-India partnership and the landmark initiatives launched during the Biden Administration, and how he prioritised his India visit in his limited time in the new year, USISPF said. During the briefing, Sullivan underscored a broad array of initiatives spanning defense, technology, cyber and maritime security, and economic collaboration to enhance mutual interests and contribute to a secure

Bessent criticises China's economic practices, proposes sanctions on Iran

During the Senate confirmation hearings, Bessent called China an 'unbalanced economy,' and described the nation as being in a 'severe recession'

Isro mission succeeds, 2 satellites dock in space in 'historic moment'

'Significant stepping stone for India's ambitious space missions,' says Prime Minister Modi

Oligarchy taking shape in America, says Joe Biden in farewell address

His speech in the Oval Office is the latest in a series of remarks on domestic policy and foreign relations that are intended to cement his legacy

US sanction clarifications tighten squeeze on India's February oil supplies

Indian refiners have until Feb 27 to wind down transactions with sanctioned Russian tankers, opaque traders, a shadow fleet, and insurers, according to a US govt official

EU can stand up to US, China rivals with integrated energy market: IMF

Boosting Europe's economic competitiveness is a priority for the 27-nation bloc as it struggles in the race for new, climate-friendly technologies against China and the United States

China gives a wary welcome to influx of 'TikTok refugees' on RedNote

The influx of more than 700,000 new users has been driven by a looming US ban on TikTok, used by 170 million Americans, on national security concerns

Trump's pick to oversee US public lands and waters faces Senate hearing

Former North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum is due before a Senate committee Thursday as lawmakers consider the Republican's nomination to be chief steward of US public lands and waters. President-elect Donald Trump in November tapped Burgum to be interior secretary and to lead the new National Energy Council, which is charged with promoting oil, gas and other energy development. The Interior Department oversees a half-billion acres of federal land and vast areas offshore. Combined those areas produce about one-quarter of US oil, or more than 1 billion barrels of crude annually, making them a flashpoint in the debate over how to address climate change. President Joe Biden's administration scaled back new oil and gas sales from public reserves as part of its efforts to curb climate change. Nevertheless, oil production hit record levels under the Democrat as high prices spurred drilling on lands that were previously leased. Burgum is an ultra-wealthy software industry entrepreneur who grew

Los Angeles 'Red Flag' wildfire warnings removed, but dangers persist

Some 6.5 million people remained under a critical fire threat, after the fires consumed an area nearly the size of Washington, DC, resulting in at least 25 deaths so far, authorities said

Toyota unit Hino Motors reaches $1.6 bn US diesel emissions settlement

The settlement, which still must be approved by a US judge, includes a criminal penalty of $521.76 million, $442.5 million in civil penalties to US authorities and $236.5 million to California

Downfall of Byju's, India's hot edutech startup, wipes out US debtholders

Recoveries will need to come from how Indian courts rule on the company's broader insolvency plan and how it aims to repay creditors; it's unclear how much, may be available to those in US

Deal on Chagos Islands won't be finalised until Trump consulted, says UK

Britain's government confirmed on Wednesday that it will not finalize a deal to hand over sovereignty of the contested Chagos Islands to Mauritius until President-elect Donald Trump's administration is consulted. The governments of Britain and Mauritius have been negotiating in recent months to complete an agreement to settle the future of the disputed Indian Ocean archipelago, which is home to a strategically important UK-US naval and bomber base. But the agreement was opposed by Trump and his supporters. The president-elect's pick for secretary of state, Marco Rubio, warned last year that the deal posed a serious threat to US national security. The military base, located on Diego Garcia, the largest of the chain of tropical islands off the tip of India, has supported US military operations from Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan. In 2008, the US acknowledged it also had been used for clandestine rendition flights of terror suspects. The official spokesperson for British Prime Minis

GPU export curbs may derail India's AI ambitions, tech-driven growth

Key chips designed in the US by companies like Nvidia and AMD are fabricated abroad. Some of the key raw-material inputs are also drawn from nations that are not on the "favoured" list