Page 90 - United States

Trump Jr plans surprise visit to Greenland after talk of US purchase

The visit is private and Trump has scheduled no official meetings, Kleist said. Trump Jr. does not have an official role within his father's incoming administration

US reports first death from bird flu in Louisiana, say health officials

The first US bird flu death has been reported a person in Louisiana who had been hospitalised with severe respiratory symptoms. Louisiana health officials announced the death on Monday. Health officials have said the person was older than 65, had underlying medical problems and had been in contact with sick and dead birds in a backyard flock. They also said a genetic analysis had suggested the bird flu virus had mutated inside the patient, which could have led to the more severe illness. They have disclosed few other details about the person. Since March, 66 confirmed bird flu infections have been reported in the US, but previous illnesses have been mild and most have been detected among farmworkers exposed to sick poultry or dairy cows. In two cases and adult in Missouri and a child in California health officials have not determined how they caught it. The origin of the Louisiana person's infection was not considered a mystery. But it was the first human case in the U.S. linke

Judge denies Trump's bid to halt Friday's hush money case sentencing

US President-elect Donald Trump was thwarted Monday in his bid to indefinitely postpone this week's sentencing in his hush money case while he appeals a ruling that upheld the verdict and put him on course to be the first president to take office convicted of crimes. Manhattan Judge Juan M. Merchan ordered Friday's sentencing to proceed as scheduled, rejecting arguments from Trump's lawyers who said it should be halted while they ask a state appeals court to reverse his decision to let the conviction stand. Trump can still ask the appeals court to intervene and order a stay, or pause. Otherwise, he'll be sentenced a little more than a week before he is inaugurated to a second term. Trump's lawyers have told Merchan that if his sentencing happens, he will appear by video rather than in person. The judge had given him the option in light of the demands of the presidential transition process. Merchan last Friday denied Trump's bid to throw out the verdict because of his impending retu

PM Modi appreciates letter from President Biden handed over by NSA Sullivan

During the meeting, PM Modi recalled his meetings with Biden, including during his visit to the US for Quad Leaders' Summit in September last year

US eases restrictions on Syria to allow aid, keep sanctions in place

The US on Monday eased some restrictions on Syria's transitional government to allow the entry of humanitarian aid after Islamist insurgents ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad last month. The US Treasury issued a general license, lasting six months, that authorizes certain transactions with the Syrian government, including some energy sales and incidental transactions. The move does not lift sanctions on the nation that has been battered by more than a decade of war, but indicates a limited show of US support for the new transitional government. The general license underscores America's commitment to ensuring its sanctions do not impede activities to meet basic human needs, including the provision of public services or humanitarian assistance, a Treasury Department statement reads. Treasury Deputy Secretary Wally Adeyemo said his agency "will continue to support humanitarian assistance and responsible governance in Syria. Since Assad's ouster, representatives from the nation's new

US NSA highlights challenges posed by China's 'predatorial strategies'

Sullivan emphasised the significance of stronger defence cooperation between the US and India, citing its role in enabling greater security across the region

Carter had little use for presidents club, made friends with Gerald Ford

Jimmy Carter and the man he beat for president, Gerald Ford, got so tight after office that their friendship became a kind of buddy movie, complete with road trips that were never long enough because they had so much to gab about. Carter did not get along nearly so well with the other living presidents. The outsider president was an outlier after his presidency, too. Nevertheless, past and present Oval Office occupants will attend Carter's state funeral this week in what could be the largest gathering of the presidents club since five attended Washington services for George H W Bush in December 2018. As a member of that elite, informal club, Carter was uniquely positioned to do important work for his successors, whether Democrat or Republican. He achieved significant results at times, thanks to his public stature as a peacemaker, humanitarian and champion of democracy, and his deep relationships with foreign leaders, troublemakers included. But with Carter, you never knew when he'd

Two Indian firms indicted in US for importing opioid fentanyl ingredients

Athos Chemicals and Raxuter Chemicals, both based in Gujarat, were each charged in Brooklyn with distributing the ingredients and conspiring to distribute them

Fed's vice chair Barr to resign early to avoid dispute with Trump over role

Barr said he was stepping down from his role as the central bank's vice chair of supervision over a year before his term expires, but planned to keep his seat on the Fed's Board of Governor

Paperwork underway to unleash civil nuclear deal: US NSA Sullivan

Signed back in 2007, the nuclear deal has not yet been fully realised, he said

AI chatbots boost US holiday season online sales by 4% in 2024: Report

Shoppers used AI-based chatbot services 42 per cent more than a year ago, according to Salesforce, which analyzed data from 1.6 trillion page views on its platform

Antony Blinken warns of Russia-North Korea cooperation in space technology

The remarks by Blinken came as North Korea fired a suspected hypersonic missile into the East Sea

Afghans arrive in Philippines to process visas for resettlement in US

A group of Afghan nationals arrived in the Philippines Monday to process special immigrant visas for their resettlement in the United States, as part of an agreement between Manila and Washington. The Philippines agreed last July to temporarily host a US immigrant visa processing centre for a limited number of Afghan nationals aspiring to resettle in America. Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Teresita Daza said the Afghan nationals who landed in the Philippines on Monday were provided entry visas. She said they had completed extensive security vetting and undergone full medical screenings prior to their arrival. The US government will cover the costs for the Afghan nationals' stay in the Philippines, including their food, housing, security, medical and transportation expenses, she said. She didn't specify how many Afghans arrived or how long the visa processing will take. Under the Philippines' rules, visa applicants can stay for no longer than 59 days. A senior Philippi

Five Indian-origin men charged with murder of Indian man in New Jersey

Five Indian-origin men have been charged with murder in the US in connection with the death of a 35-year-old man from India. Sandeep Kumar, 34, of South Ozone Park, New York, was charged with murder and conspiracy to commit murder in connection with the death of Kuldeep Kumar in Manchester Township around October 22, 2024, according to a statement on Saturday by Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer and Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police Colonel Patrick Callahan. Investigation into Kuldeep's death revealed that Sandeep acted in concert with other defendants in carrying out Kuldeep Kumar's murder. Other defendants in the case are Sourav Kumar, 23, Gaurav Singh 27, Nirmal Singh 30, and Gurdeep Singh 22, all from Greenwood, Indiana. On December 14, 2024, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office Major Crime Unit was contacted for a report of a deceased individual located in the Greenwood Wildlife Management Area in Manchester Township. Law enforcement authorities and detect

Thousands rally in Montenegro seeking ouster of top officials over shooting

Several thousand people rallied in Montenegro on Sunday demanding the resignations of top security officials over the shooting earlier this week that left 12 people dead, including two children. Chanting Resignations and Killers," protesters outside the Interior Ministry building in the capital, Podgorica, demanded that Interior Minister Danilo aranovic and Deputy Prime Minister for Security and Defense Aleksa Becic step down. Milo Perovic, from a student-led group that helped organize the rally, told the crowd that innocent people died during their watch. You failed to protect us, so resign! Perovic said. Hours earlier, hundreds of people held 12 minutes of silence for the 12 victims at a rally in Cetinje, Montenegro's historic capital where the shooting took place on Wednesday. It was the second such massacre in the town in less than three years. Many residents of Cetinje and other Montenegrins believe that police mishandled the situation and haven't done enough to boost securit

President Biden inks Social Security bill in rare public signing ceremony

Social Security Fairness Act will boost Social Security payments to more than 2.5 million retirees - some by as much as $550 a month- by changing formulas used to reduce benefits for certain beneficia

Accused in New Orleans attack used Meta glasses to record street: FBI

The man responsible for the truck attack in New Orleans on New Year's Day that killed 14 people visited the city twice before and recorded video of the French Quarter with hands-free glasses, an FBI official said on Sunday. Shamsud-Din Jabbar, a US citizen from Houston, also travelled to Cairo, Egypt, as well as Ontario, Canada, before the attack, although it was not yet clear whether those trips were connected to the attack, Deputy Assistant Director Christopher Raia said at a press conference. The attack early Wednesday was carried out by Jabbar, a former US Army soldier. Police fatally shot Jabbar, 42, during a firefight at the scene of the deadly crash on Bourbon Street, famous worldwide for its festive vibes in New Orleans' historic French Quarter. Thirteen remain hospitalized after attack The coroner's office listed the cause of death for all 14 victims as blunt force injuries. About 30 other people suffered injuries. University Medical Centre New Orleans spokesperson Caroli

Biden's move to block Nippon Steel takeover sparks uncertainty for workers

By blocking a Japanese company's takeover of US Steel, President Joe Biden said he was protecting good jobs in the American heartland. He may be putting them at risk instead. In making its nearly USD 15 billion bid for the storied Pittsburgh-based steelmaker, Nippon Steel had promised to invest USD 2.7 billion in U.S. Steel's aging blast furnace operations in Gary, Indiana, and Pennsylvania's Mon Valley. It also vowed not to reduce production capacity in the United States over the next decade without first getting US government approval. They were going to invest in the Valley,' said Jason Zugai, an operating technician and vice president of the United Steelworkers union local at a U.S. Steel plant in the Mon Valley. They committed to 10 years of no layoffs. We won't have those commitments from anybody.' Zugai and some other Mon Valley steelworkers supported the Nippon deal in defiance of the union's national leadership, which pressured the Biden administration to kill it. Losing t

Auto component companies focus on new markets, products as growth slows

According to a recent CRISIL report, while replacement demand will provide some support, export growth is expected to taper compared to the previous year

Donald Trump hosts Italian Prime Minister Georgia Meloni at Mar-a-Lago

Trump walked in to a movie screening at his resort with Meloni and pointed her out to a crowd