Page 96 - United States

Trump denies claims he's ceded presidency to Musk, calls it 'hoax'

Trump told a conservative audience in Phoenix, addressing growing complaints about the outsized role the Tesla boss has already had in his incoming administration

Indian Oil Corporation probes allegation of US firm bribing officials

State-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has begun a probe into allegations of a US speciality chemicals firm bribing its officials 15 years back to obtain contracts to supply catalysts, according to a company's regulatory filing. Albemarle Corporation, a global speciality chemicals supplier that develops and sells catalysts used in the operation of oil refineries, allegedly "paid approximately USD 1.14 million in commission to India intermediary company relating to Indian Oil Corporation business and obtained approximately USD 11.14 million in profits on that business between approximately 2009 and 2011," according to a US SEC order dated September 28, 2023. Albemarle was caught for bribery by the US authorities in 2017 and then settled the case in September 2023 by paying a hefty fine of more than USD 198 million to avoid prosecution. In a filing, IOC said it is "neither party to nor is there any allegation against the company in relation to the proceedings" in the US SEC. "Howev

VC investments hit $16.7 billion this year powered by tech sector

At $6.50 bn, tech accounted for largest share, followed by consumer discretionary and financial sector

2 US Navy pilots shot down over Red Sea in 'friendly fire' incident

Two US Navy pilots were shot down Sunday over the Red Sea in an apparent friendly fire incident, the US military said, marking the most serious incident to threaten troops in over a year of America targeting Yemen's Houthi rebels. Both pilots were recovered alive after ejecting from their stricken aircraft, with one suffering minor injuries. But the shootdown underlines just how dangerous the Red Sea corridor has become, with ongoing attacks on shipping by the Iranian-backed Houthis despite US and European military coalitions patrolling the area. The US military had conducted airstrikes targeting Yemen's Houthi rebels at the time of the friendly fire incident, though the US military's Central Command did not elaborate on what the pilots' mission was and did not respond to questions from The Associated Press. The F/A-18 shot down had just flown off the deck of the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier, Central Command said. On December 15, Central Command acknowledged the Truman had .

New year looks dull for emerging markets due to Trump's tariffs, trade wars

While a handful of frontier markets such as Pakistan, Kenya and Sri Lanka posted turnarounds this year, no major emerging market outperformed the US stock market in 2024

Delegation of state ministers, CMs, CEOs to attend WEF Summit in Davos

At least three chief ministers -- Devendra Fadnavis, Chandrababu Naidu and Revant Reddy -- will join over 100 CEOs and other leaders from India in Davos next month for the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2025. Naidu will also be joined by his son and senior Andhra Pradesh minister Nara Lokesh, while Karnataka's Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, Tamil Nadu Minister T R B Rajaa and Uttar Pradesh minister Suresh Khanna will also be there for the five-day annual congregation in the Swiss ski resort town starting on January 20, 2025. Some senior Union ministers are also expected to attend the meeting, but their names are still being finalised. Those who attended the last WEF annual meeting from the central government included Ashwini Vaishnaw, Smriti Irani and Hardeep Singh Puri. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also attended the meeting in the past, but there is no official word so far about his participation in the high-profile summit, for which the main theme this time would b

Leather exports likely to grow by over 12% to $5.3 bn this fiscal: CLE

The country's leather and footwear exports are expected to grow by over 12 per cent to USD 5.3 billion in the current financial year on account of healthy demand in key global markets, CLE Chairman Rajendra Kumar Jalan has said. He also said several global companies, including from the US, are showing keen interest in setting up manufacturing bases in India. "Our exports were USD 4.69 billion in 2023-24, and this fiscal, we are expecting it to increase to USD 5.3 billion. Order books are good for the coming months," Jalan said, adding that "huge demand is coming from the US and UK". Indian exporters are exploring business opportunities in Africa as well, he added. He informed that the industry is labour intensive, providing employment to about 42 lakh people. The sector has a total turnover of about USD 19 billion, which includes exports of USD 5 billion. "The sector has the potential to reach a total turnover of USD 47 billion by 2030, which includes the domestic production of US

Elon Musk killed US congressional spending bill, made false claims

President-elect Donald Trump's billionaire ally Elon Musk played a key role this week in killing a bipartisan funding proposal that would have prevented a government shutdown, railing against the plan in a torrent of more than 100 X posts that included multiple false claims. The X owner, an unelected figure, not only used his outsize influence on the platform to help sway Congress, he did so without regard for the facts and gave a preview of the role he could play in government over the next four years. Trump has got himself a handful with Musk, John Mark Hansen, a professor of political science at the University of Chicago, said in an email. Trump's done this kind of thing before, blowing up a bill at the last minute. This time, though, it looks like he was afraid of Musk upstaging him. Now there's a new social media bully in town, pushing the champion social media bully around. Hansen added: We'll see what Musk's influence is when he runs up against reality like when he proposes

US Congress passes funding bill, averting govt shutdown; Biden to sign soon

Facing a government shutdown deadline, the Senate rushed through final passage early Saturday of a bipartisan plan that would temporarily fund federal operations and disaster aid, dropping President-elect Donald Trump's demands for a debt limit increase into the new year. House Speaker Mike Johnson had insisted Congress would meet our obligations and not allow federal operations to shutter ahead of the Christmas holiday season. But the day's outcome was uncertain after Trump doubled down on his insistence that a debt ceiling increase be included in any deal if not, he said in an early morning post, let the closures start now. The House approved Johnson's new bill overwhelmingly, 366-34. The Senate worked into the night to pass it, 85-11, just past the deadline. At midnight, the White House said it had ceased shutdown preparations. This is a good outcome for the country, Johnson said after the House vote, adding he had spoken with Trump and the president-elect was certainly happy .

Crypto companies Kraken, Ripple, Ondo donate to Trump's inauguration

Coinbase donated $1 million to the Trump-Vance inauguration committee before the election results were known, according to the company

Senate approves 235th judge of Biden's term, beating Trump's tally

President Joe Biden secured the 235th judicial confirmation of his presidency Friday, an accomplishment that exceeds his predecessor's total by one after Democrats put extra emphasis on the federal courts following Donald Trump's far-reaching first term, when he filled three seats on the Supreme Court. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-NY, teed up votes Friday on two California district judges, and they were the last judicial confirmations this year before Congress adjourns and makes way for a new, Republican-led Senate. The confirmation of Serena Raquel Murillo to be a district judge for the Central District of California broke Trump's mark. The tally also marks the largest number of confirmations in a single term since the Jimmy Carter administration. Come next year, Republicans will look to boost Trump's already considerable influence on the makeup of the federal judiciary in his second term. Biden and Senate Democrats placed particular focus on adding women, minorities and

US drops $10 million bounty on Syrian rebel leader who ousted Assad

The Biden administration said Friday it has decided not to pursue a USD 10 million reward it had offered for the capture of a Syrian rebel leader whose forces led the ouster of President Bashar Assad earlier this month. The announcement followed a meeting in Damascus between the leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, or HTS, Ahmad al-Sharaa, who was once aligned with al-Qaida, and the top US diplomat for the Middle East, Barbara Leaf, who led the first US diplomatic delegation into Syria since Assad's ouster. HTS remains designated a foreign terrorist organisation, and Leaf would not say if sanctions stemming from that designation would be eased. But, she told reporters that al-Sharaa had committed to renouncing terrorism and as a result the US would no longer offer the reward. We discussed the critical need to ensure terrorist groups cannot pose a threat inside Syria or externally, including to the US and our partners in the region, she said. Based on our discussion, I told him that we .

Bald eagle: Icon of freedom, now officially America's national bird

For nearly 250 years, the bald eagle has represented self-reliance and virtue for Americans-and it is now finally getting its due

Russia targets Kyiv in response to Ukrainian strike using US-made weapons

Ukraine's air force said it intercepted five Iskander short-range ballistic missiles fired at the city

US' commerce dept asks Nvidia to probe how chips ended up in China

The chip giant has asked big distributors such as Super Micro Computer and Dell Technologies to conduct spot checks of their customers in Southeast Asia, the report said

US diplomats and hostage envoy in Syria on first visit since Assad ouster

The first US diplomats to visit Syria since President Bashar Assad's ouster earlier this month are now in Damascus to hold talks with the country's new leaders and seek information on the whereabouts of missing American journalist Austin Tice. Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Barbara Leaf, former special envoy for Syria Daniel Rubinstein and the Biden administration's chief envoy for hostage negotiations, Roger Carstens, made the trip for talks with Syria's interim leaders, the State Department said early Friday. The team is also the first group of American diplomats to formally visit Syria in more than a decade since the US shuttered its embassy in Damascus in 2012. They will be engaging directly with the Syrian people, including members of civil society, activists, members of different communities, and other Syrian voices about their vision for the future of their country and how the United States can help support them, the State Department said. At the top o

US has 2,000 troops in Syria, increase from previous 900, says Pentagon

He explained that such fluctuations in numbers of personnel are often quite common, and that the additional forces have been in place since before the December 8 downfall of Syrian President

Democratic governors hammered Trump earlier, now they hope to work with him

They warned about him. Now they'll have to work with him. A handful of prominent Democratic governors are quickly adjusting their approach to President-elect Donald Trump before he takes office, hoping to avoid antagonising him to ensure they'll have a working relationship with his new administration. They're in a precarious position: adopting caution while also weighing their party's desires to stake out early, and often combative, positions against Trump's agenda. It's a combination of fighting like hell if your values are attacked or if your innocent communities or innocent people are attacked. And then on the other hand, you're trying like heck also to find common ground on things that we could agree on, New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy said in an interview with The Associated Press. Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is walking a similar tightrope, vowing to push back against Trump on potential policies against reproductive rights, while also appearing hopeful that sh

Starbucks workers' union to strike in 3 US cities ahead of Christmas rush

Starbucks said it is ready to continue negotiations, claiming the union delegates prematurely ended the bargaining session

Pakistan's missile programme is 'emerging threat', says top US official

Deputy National Security Advisor Jon Finer's surprise revelation underscored how far the once-close ties between Washington and Islamabad have deteriorated