Us

US spends $17.9 bn on Israel as military aid since its war with Gaza began

The United States has spent a record of at least USD 17.9 billion on military aid to Israel since the war in Gaza began and led to escalating conflict around the Middle East, according to a report for Brown University's Costs of War project, released on the anniversary of Hamas' attacks on Israel. An additional USD 4.86 billion has gone into stepped-up U.S. military operations in the region since the Oct 7, 2023, attacks, researchers said in findings first provided to The Associated Press. That includes the costs of a Navy-led campaign to quell strikes on commercial shipping by Yemen's Houthis, who are carrying them out in solidarity with the fellow Iranian-backed group Hamas. The report completed before Israel opened a second front, this one against Iranian-backed Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, in late September is one of the first tallies of estimated U.S. costs as the Biden administration backs Israel in its conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon and seeks to contain hostilities by ...

Death toll from Hurricane Helene rises to 227 as bodies recovery continues

The death toll from Hurricane Helene inched up to 227 on Saturday as the grim task of recovering bodies continued more than a week after the monster storm ravaged the Southeast and killed people in six US states. Helene came ashore on September 26 as a Category-4 hurricane and carved a wide swath of destruction as it moved northward from Florida, washing away homes, destroying roads and knocking out electricity and cellphone service for millions. The number of deaths stood at 225 on Friday; two more were recorded in South Carolina the following day. It was still unclear how many people were unaccounted for or missing, and the toll could rise even higher. Helene is the deadliest hurricane to hit the mainland US since Katrina in 2005. About half the victims were in North Carolina, while dozens more were killed in Georgia and South Carolina. The city of Asheville, in the western mountains of North Carolina, was particularly battered. A week later, workers used brooms and heavy machine

Sees progress in port labour dispute: Biden as strike enters third day

The strike, the biggest of its kind in nearly half a century, has blocked unloading of container ships from Maine to Texas, threatening shortages of everything from bananas to auto parts

US office market segment shows signs of bottoming after big discount sales

The US office property market has been hard hit since the pandemic by higher interest rates and as many office workers worked from home

Tesla to recall over 27,000 cybertrucks in US over rear-view image delay

The recall covers more than 27,000 Cybertrucks, Tesla said in a report filed with the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

US labour board accuses Amazon of illegally refusing to bargain with union

The NLRB in the complaint, which was issued on Monday, said Amazon broke the law by terminating its contract with BTS after the drivers unionized without first bargaining with the Teamsters

Doctor charged in Matthew Perry's death case expected to plead guilty

One of two doctors charged in the investigation of the death of Matthew Perry is expected to plead guilty on Wednesday in a federal court in Los Angeles to conspiring to distribute the surgical anesthetic ketamine. Dr. Mark Chavez, 54, of San Diego, signed a plea agreement with prosecutors in August and would be the third person to plead guilty in the aftermath of the Friends star's fatal overdose last year. Prosecutors offered lesser charges to Chavez and two others in exchange for their cooperation as they go after two targets they deem more responsible for the overdose death: another doctor and an alleged dealer that they say was known as ketamine queen of Los Angeles. Chavez is free on bond after turning over his passport and surrendering his medical license, among other conditions. His lawyer Matthew Binninger said after Chavez's first court appearance on August 30 that he is incredibly remorseful and is trying to do everything in his power to right the wrong that happened ...

US, UAE discuss progress on India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor

US President Joe Biden and his counterpart from the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed discussed the progress of the landmark India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and underscored its potential to usher in a "new era of international connectivity". The ambitious project was launched at the 2023 G20 Leaders' Summit in New Delhi, together with the leaders of India, Saudi Arabia, France, Germany, Italy, and the European Union. When complete, it would connect India by ship-to-rail connections through the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, and Europe through Greece. At the meeting held at the White House on Monday, Biden and Zayed reaffirmed that the corridor will generate economic growth, increase efficiencies, lower greenhouse gas emissions, and enable the transformative integration of Asia, Europe, and the Middle East, according to a joint statement. The two leaders underscored that the transformative partnership had the potential to usher in a

Could combine potential with China if face threat from US, says Russia

"I would like to remind you that Moscow and Beijing will respond to 'double containment' by the United States with 'double counteraction'," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said

Explosion at US military facility in Iraq ahead of Iranian prez visit

Iraqi security officials said an explosion targeted a site used by the U.S. military next to Baghdad airport late Tuesday, one day before an expected visit by Iran's president. The expected visit by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian to Baghdad Wednesday would be his first official trip abroad since taking office. Iraq's security media cell said in a statement that an explosion was heard at 11 p.m. at the airport, in an area used by advisers to the U.S.-led international coalition. The statement said Iraqi security forces were unable to determine the type or causes of the explosion, and no party has claimed responsibility for it. It added that the incident was under investigation and civilian air traffic continued as normal. There was no immediate information on damages or casualties. U.S. officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment. An Iraqi security official at the airport, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly ab

US, Britain, EU to sign first legally binding international AI treaty

The AI Convention, which has been in the works for years and was adopted in May after discussions between 57 countries, addresses the risks AI may pose, while promoting responsible innovation

PM Narendra Modi's US visit may focus on smaller events in New York

In his earlier visits, he also travelled to Washington DC, Chicago, Houston, San Francisco, and San Jose

Rahul Gandhi to visit US from Sep 8, hold interactions at Texas university

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will visit the US from September 8-10 during which he will hold numerous interactions in Washington DC and Dallas, including at the University of Texas. Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitorda shared details of Gandhi's first visit to the US after becoming the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha in June. "Since Rahul Gandhi has become the leader of opposition, I, as chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, which has a presence in 32 countries, (have) been bombarded with requests from the Indian diaspora, diplomats, academicians, businesspersons, leaders, international media and many others, for interactions with him," Pitroda said in a video statement. "Now, he (Gandhi) is coming to the US for a very brief visit. He will be in Dallas on September 8th and Washington DC on September 9th and 10th. In Dallas, we will have interactions with the University of Texas, (with) students, academic institutions and community people. We wil

Indo-US ties a powerful force for global progress, says Ambassador Garcetti

The Indo-US relationship is a powerful force for global progress, US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said on Wednesday. The ambassador made the remarks during his address at the Annual IC3 Conference and Expo 2024 here. "The Indo-US relationship is a powerful force for global progress, deeply rooted in our shared commitment to education. As we strive to strengthen this partnership, effective counselling emerges as a key driver in opening doors and fostering mutual understanding," he said. "By investing in our students and providing them with the guidance they need, we are not only enhancing educational pathways but also deepening our bilateral ties," the ambassador added. The conference brought together nearly 2,000 educators, school leaders, counsellors, and university representatives from around the world. "Events like IC3 are pivotal in this mission, demonstrating how transformative counselling can be in shaping future leaders and advancing our collective goals," Garcetti ...

Superstars for too long: Time to move away from India, US equity markets?

Investors face a crucial decision. While the US equity market may face short-term underperformance, the jury is still out on India's potential

Losing faith in US as mediator in Gaza cease-fire talks: Top Hamas official

A top Hamas official said the Palestinian militant group is losing faith in the United States' ability to mediate a cease-fire in Gaza ahead of a new round of talks scheduled for this week amid mounting pressure to bring an end to the 10-month-old war with Israel. Osama Hamdan told The Associated Press in an interview Tuesday that Hamas will only participate if the talks focus on implementing a proposal detailed by US President Joe Biden in May and endorsed internationally. The US referred to it as an Israeli proposal and Hamas agreed to it in principle, but Israel said Biden's speech was not entirely consistent with the proposal itself. Both sides later proposed changes, leading each to accuse the other of obstructing a deal. Hamas is especially resistant to Israel's demand that it maintain a lasting military presence in two strategic areas of Gaza after any cease-fire, conditions only made public in recent weeks. We have informed the mediators that...any meeting should be based o

US repudiates involvement in former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina's ouster

The US has described as "laughable" and "false" the accusation that it was behind Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina's ouster. Hasina resigned and fled to India on August 5 following widespread protests against her government over a controversial quota system in jobs. An interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, was formed in the country after her ouster. "That's laughable. Any implication that the United States was involved in Sheikh Hasina's resignation is absolutely false," Vedant Patel, US State Department's principal deputy spokesperson, said on Tuesday when asked about Hasina's accusation that the United States orchestrated mass protests that led to her ouster after weeks of violence. "We have seen a lot of disinformation in recent weeks, and we remain incredibly committed to strengthening information integrity across the digital ecosystem, especially with our partners in South Asia," he said. The United States on Monday said it would continue to monitor

US beefs up naval, air forces in West Asia ahead of Gaza truce talks

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin ordered the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group, equipped with F-35C fighters, to speed up its arrival in the region

S Korea and US to start summer military drills next week to counter threats

South Korea and the United States will begin their annual joint military exercises next week with a focus on improving their combined capabilities to deter and defend against growing North Korean nuclear threats, the allies said Monday. The drills could trigger a belligerent response from North Korea, which portrays them as invasion rehearsals and have used the allies' military cooperation as a pretext to advance the development of nuclear weapons and missile systems. South Korean and US military officials said this year's Ulchi Freedom Shield exercise, scheduled for August 19-29, will include computer-simulated exercises designed to enhance readiness against such threats as missiles, GPS jamming and cyberattacks, and concurrent field maneuvers and live-fire exercises. The allies in particular aim to further strengthen (their) capability and posture to deter and defend against weapons of mass destruction, South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a statement. The South Korean and

Nuclear weapons would fracture US ties: South Korean defence chief

The prospect of another term for former U.S. President Donald Trump, who complained about the cost of the U.S. military presence in South Korea and launched unprecedented talks with the North