Page 30 - Us Government

US commends India's elections, refrains from commenting on results

The US on Tuesday praised India's parliamentary elections as the "largest exercise of democracy in history", while refraining from commenting on the outcomes of the polls. State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller commended the Indian government and its voters for successfully completing the massive electoral process. "On behalf of the United States, we want to commend the government of India and voters there for successfully completing and participating in such a massive electoral undertaking, and we look forward to seeing final results," he stated during his daily news briefing. Miller emphasised the US stance on not commenting on electoral winners and losers worldwide. "I'm also not going to comment on winners and losers in elections as is our case around the world. What is important for us and what we have seen over the past six weeks is the largest exercise of democracy in history, as the Indian people came to the polls," he added. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on Tuesday

Deepfake concerns over Biden interview audio highlights AI misuse worries

The admission highlights the impact the AI-manipulated disinformation could have on voting and the limits of the federal government's ability to combat it

Biden preparing to stop asylum if daily average of migrants reaches 2,500

The White House is telling lawmakers that President Joe Biden is preparing to sign off on an executive order that would shut down asylum requests at the US-Mexico border once the average number of daily encounters hits 2,500 at ports of entry, with the border reopening only once that number declines to 1,500, according to several people familiar with the discussions. The impact of the 2,500 figure means that the executive order could go into immediate effect, because daily figures are higher than that now. The Democratic president is expected to unveil the actions -- his most aggressive unilateral move yet to control the numbers at the border -- at the White House on Tuesday at an event to which border mayors have been invited. Five people familiar with the discussions on Monday confirmed the 2,500 figure, while two of the people confirmed the 1,500 number. The figures are daily averages over the course of a week. All of the people insisted on anonymity to discuss an executive order

Donald Trump raises $141 million in May, bolstered by guilty verdict

Donald Trump 's campaign and the Republican National Committee say they raised USD 141 million in May, a massive fundraising haul that includes tens of millions of dollars raised in the aftermath of his guilty verdict in his criminal hush money trial. Trump's campaign is not required to publicly disclose its fundraising to the Federal Election Commission until later this month. But its decision to release the numbers early underscores how it sees the wave of contributions as evidence that last Thursday's verdict has energised the former president's supporters and as a sign that it will not hobble his efforts to return to the White House. President Joe Biden's campaign has yet to release its own May fundraising totals. Trump and the Republican Party reported raising USD 76 million in April, topping the more than USD 51 million reported by Biden and the Democratic National Committee that month for the first time. It is unclear how much Trump and the GOP spent in May. But the sum could

As Trump denies allegations, here's how it could affect him at sentencing

Donald Trump has had plenty to say since his hush money trial conviction last week. He's claimed the case was rigged, incorrectly linked President Joe Biden to the state prosecution, called the star witness against him a "sleazebag" and said the judge was a "devil" and "highly conflicted". What he hasn't done is utter any variation of the words that might benefit him most come sentencing time next month: "I'm sorry." It's a truism of the criminal justice system that defendants hoping for lenient treatment at their sentencing are expected to take responsibility for their actions, even express remorse. But that flies in the face of Trump's longtime refusal to acknowledge any wrongdoing, a tone that he often strikes to portray strength and present himself as a fighter under ceaseless attack. While the strategy may resonate with his most loyal political supporters, it failed during his New York criminal trial and could complicate his legal team's efforts to avoid a tough sentence. "Th

Current, former Boeing execs unlikely to be charged for 737 Max crashes

The department's decision about what to do next will advance just one of the multiple legal threats Boeing now faces after a fuselage panel blew off a 737 Max mid-flight in January

Delaware judge allows more than 70,000 Zantac lawsuits to go forward

In 2019, some manufacturers and pharmacies halted Zantac sales after a chemical called NDMA, which is known to cause cancer, was detected in some pills

Donald Trump to appeal against the guilty verdict after July 11 sentencing

Trump will have 30 days from the date of his July 11 sentencing to file a notice of appeal

Tesla shareholder sues Elon Musk for alleged $7.5 bn insider trading

According to the lawsuit, Musk sold the shares on various dates in November 2022 and December 2022

Texas SC rejects challenge to state's abortion law over medical exceptions

The Texas Supreme Court on Friday rejected a closely watched challenge to the state's restrictive abortion ban, ruling against a group of women who had serious pregnancy complications and became the first in the US to testify in court about being denied abortions since Roe v. Wade was overturned. In a unanimous ruling, the all-Republican court upheld the Texas law that opponents say is too vague when it comes to when medically necessary exceptions are allowed. The same issue was at the centre of a separate lawsuit brought last year by Kate Cox, a mother of two from Dallas, who sought court permission to obtain an abortion after her fetus developed a fatal condition during a pregnancy that resulted in multiple trips to an emergency room. Abortion rights activists have struggled to stem the tide of restrictions that have taken effect in most Republican-led states since the US Supreme Court in 2022 overturned Roe vs Wade, which for nearly 50 years had affirmed the constitutional right t

FDA warns against infant formula by Texas firm due to contamination

US health officials warned parents to avoid powdered infant formula sold by a Texas dairy producer, because a dangerous bacteria was found in one of the company's products. The Food and Drug Administration issued the alert Friday on Crecelac Infant Powdered Goat Milk Infant Formula, after a sample collected from a Texas store tested positive for cronobacter, which can cause deadly infections in babies. The same bacteria sparked recalls and shortages of infant formula in 2022 after it was detected at a major US formula factory. The Crecelac formula was imported and distributed by Dairy Manufacturers Inc., of Prosper, Texas, according to the FDA. Press releases from the FDA and the company did not specify where the product was produced or how widely it was distributed in the US Messages left for the company on Friday were not immediately returned. Last week, the company voluntarily recalled the Crecelac formula and another brand, Farmalac, because they had not received approval by the

Pentagon chief extends deployment of aircraft carrier, ships in Red sea

The US Navy aircraft carrier strike group that for months has launched crucial strikes against Houthi rebels in Yemen to protect military and commercial ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden will remain in the region for at least another month, according to US officials. US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin signed the order last week to extend the four ships' deployment for a second time, rather than bring the carrier, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, and its three warships home. The other ships in the strike group are the USS Philippine Sea, a cruiser, and two destroyers, the USS Gravely and the USS Mason. All together they include about 6,000 sailors. The decision means the sailors and the carrier's Air Wing won't be home until the middle of the summer, according to the officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss a decision not made public. The officials declined to provide exact dates. A normal ship deployment lasts for about seven months, and the ships left their homepo

US Presidential polls: Trump can vote for himself if he remains out of jail

Donald Trump may be convicted of a felony and reside in Florida, a state notorious for restricting the voting rights of people with felony convictions. But he can still vote as long as he stays out of prison in New York state. That's because Florida defers to other states' disenfranchisement rules for residents convicted of out-of-state felonies. In Trump's case, New York law only removes the right to vote for people convicted of felonies when they're incarcerated. Once they're out of prison, their rights are automatically restored, even if they're on parole, per a 2021 law passed by the state's Democratic legislature. If a Floridian's voting rights are restored in the state of conviction, they are restored under Florida law, Blair Bowie of the Campaign Legal Centre wrote in a post explaining the state of law, noting that people without Trump's legal resources are often confused by Florida's complex rules. So as long as Trump isn't sent to prison, he can vote for himself in Florida

Donald Trump's guilty verdict adds twist to 2024 race: A convicted felon

Trump's felony conviction provides Biden an opportunity to shake up the race by refocusing voters' attention on Trump's conduct

Former US Prez Trump found guilty on all 34 counts, sentencing on July 11

Donald Trump on Thursday became the first former US president to be convicted of a felony as a grand jury in New York found him guilty on 34 counts of falsifying business records. The Biden Harris Campaign said no one is above the law while Trump said the verdict is a result of a rigged political system. Trump's sentencing is scheduled for July 11, four days before the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he will be formally nominated as the party's presidential candidate against incumbent Joe Biden in the November elections. This was a disgrace. This was a rigged trial by a conflicted judge who was corrupt. It's a rigged trial, a disgrace. They wouldn't give us a venue change. We were at 5 per cent or 6 per cent in this district, in this area. This was a rigged, disgraceful trial, said Trump shortly after the verdict was read. Trump is the presumptive presidential nominee of the Republican party. The real verdict is going to be November 5th by the people.

Govt bond yields largely unchanged as traders await fresh debt supply

New Delhi will raise Rs 29,000 crore ($3.48 billion) through the sale of bonds later in the day and the auction includes a new five-year paper worth Rs 12,000 crore

US govt reaffirms unwavering commitment to the Indo-Pacific region

Highlighting significant milestones, Patel referenced President Biden's initiatives, including a historic trilateral summit at Camp David involving Japan and the Republic of Korea

Proxy adviser urges Tesla shareholders to reject Elon Musk's pay package

The opposition comes days after another prominent proxy adviser, Glass Lewis & Co., recommended investors vote down the Musk remuneration plan

Biden allows use of US weapons for limited Ukrainian strikes inside Russia

Under the new directive, Ukraine is permitted to retaliate against Russian forces or targets located near Kharkiv using weaponry supplied by the United States

US Defence Secy Austin to meet Chinese counterpart to discuss thorny issues

US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping have sought to manage tensions, and in November the two leaders agreed to resume direct military talks