Page 41 - Us Government

California celebrates Mahavir Jayanti, launches digital detox campaign

An eminent Jain community leader has launched a digital detox campaign from the California State Assembly, which witnessed the first-ever Mahavir Jayanti celebrations. The celebration at the State Assembly in Sacramento on Monday marked the birth anniversary of Lord Mahavir and highlighted the importance of peace, compassion, nonviolence, and love, a media release said on Thursday. Jain spiritual leader Lokesh Muni flew in from India to attend the event along with leaders of the Federation of Jain Associations in North America or JAINA, Prem Jain, its past president and Biren Shah, its director. The birth anniversary of Lord Mahavira, the 24th Tirthankar of Jainism, is being organised in the dignified atmosphere of the California State Assembly, that too in the glorious presence of California State Senator and Assemblyman," Lokesh Muni said. "The philosophy of Lord Mahavira is very significant and relevant. It is relevant today as it was useful in the past. Solutions to many global

US airlines ask govt not to approve additional flights between US, China

Large U.S. airlines and some of their unions are asking the Biden administration to stop approving any more flights between the United States and China because of what they call anti-competitive policies that China imposes on U.S. carriers. The airlines and unions said Thursday that China closed its market to U.S. carriers at the outbreak of the pandemic and imposed rules that still affect American operations and airline crews. These actions demonstrated the clear need for the U.S. government to establish a policy that protects U.S. aviation workers, industry and air travelers, they said in a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. The letter was signed by the CEO of the Airlines for America trade group and the presidents of the Air Line Pilots Association, the Allied Pilots Association, which represents crews at American Airlines, and the Association of Flight Attendants. The number of flights between China and the U.S. has been ...

Biden hosts Philippines prez, Japan PM for first ever trilateral meeting

Japan and the Philippines both have separate territorial disputes with China, in the former's case the Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea and in the latter's areas of the South China Sea

Japan PM Kishida urges US to overcome 'self-doubt' about global leadership

PM Kishida's govt has drawn a direct line between supporting Ukraine in its defensive war against Russia as essential to deterring China from launching aggression against Taiwan

Activists protest Biden's nod to huge oil export terminal off Texas coast

In a move that environmentalists called a betrayal, the Biden administration has approved construction of a deepwater oil export terminal off the Texas coast that would be the largest of its kind in the United States. The Sea Port Oil Terminal being developed off Freeport, Texas, will be able to load two supertankers at once, with an export capacity of 2 million barrels of crude oil per day. The USD 1.8 billion project by Houston-based Enterprise Products Partners received a deepwater port license from the Department of Transportation's Maritime Administration this week, the final step in a five-year federal review. Environmentalists denounced the license approval, saying it contradicted President Joe Biden's climate agenda and would lead to disastrous planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions, equivalent to nearly 90 coal-fired power plants. The action could jeopardise Biden's support from environmental allies and young voters already disenchanted by the Democratic administration's .

Average long-term US mortgage rate edges closer to 7%, highest since March

The average long-term U.S. mortgage rate rose to its highest level in five weeks, a setback for prospective homebuyers during what's traditionally the busiest time of the year for home sales. The average rate on a 30-year mortgage rose to 6.88% from 6.82% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, the rate averaged 6.27%. When mortgage rates rise, they can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for borrowers, limiting how much they can afford at a time when the U.S. housing market remains constrained by relatively few homes for sale and rising home prices. Rates have been mostly drifting higher in recent weeks as stronger-than-expected reports on employment and inflation have stoked doubt among bond investors over how soon the Federal Reserve will move to lower its benchmark interest rate. The central bank has signaled that it expects to cut its short-term rate three times this year once it sees more evidence of cooling inflation. On Wednesday, Treasury yiel

US Treasury seeks more review authority over deals with foreign firms

U.S. Treasury wants to enhance the power of a little-known, secretive government committee to review deals made between U.S. firms and foreign investors. This comes as high-profile deals involving foreign investment in the U.S. like Chinese firm ByteDance's ownership of popular social media app TikTok and Japanese firm Nippon Steel's bid to purchase Pittsburgh-based U.S. Steel Corp. receive increased scrutiny by lawmakers and even President Joe Biden. A new proposed rulemaking would strengthen powers for the interagency Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States known as CFIUS which is tasked with investigating corporate deals for national security concerns and holds power to force the company to divest ownership or change major parts of the firm. The rulemaking if finalized would expand the committee's subpoena authority, allow the committee to request more information from parties to a proposed sale and expand circumstances when fines can be imposed and their size

X received inquiry from US govt on actions in Brazil, says Elon Musk

In a decision on Sunday, Brazil Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes said the probe will check whether Musk was involved in obstruction, criminal organisation and incitement

One killed, five wounded as shooters open fire on crowd in DC neighbourhood

A man was killed and five others including two children were injured in a barrage of gunfire on Wednesday in the nation's capital. The shooting happened just after 6 p.m. in the Carver Langston neighbourhood of Washington, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith said. Investigators believe the suspects exited a vehicle and then began shooting into a crowd of people on the street. Multiple people were shot. One of the victims, an adult man, was killed. Two men, a woman and a 9-year-old were taken by ambulance to local hospitals. A 12-year-old later arrived at a hospital with a gunshot wound and is also believed to be a victim in the shooting, Smith said. The shooting comes as the District of Columbia is struggling with a sharp increase in violent crime, which went up 39 per cent in 2023. The increase was largely fuelled by a 35 per cent rise in homicides and growth in carjackings, which nearly doubled. Smith has pushed lawmakers to pass legislation that would strengthen

Top US trade mission to visit India to explore agribusiness sector

A high-powered trade delegation will visit India later this month to explore opportunities in the country's agribusiness sector. "India represents a growth economy for the US agribusinesses seeking to capture an increasing share of the household food purchases in the fifth-largest economy in the world," said Under Secretary of Agriculture for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affair Alexis Taylor. From April 22 to 25, Taylor will lead a US Department of Agriculture (USDA) agribusiness trade mission to Delhi. "India's rising middle-class consumers' familiarity with American food products and increased purchasing power is a real opportunity for US producers," Taylor said. "This along with the Indian consumers' trusted view of American food and agricultural products as high-quality has contributed to an 11 per cent growth in the US agricultural-related exports to India over the past two years," she said. While on the trade mission, participants will engage in targeted business-to-busine

New York court rejects Trump's third request to delay hush money trial

For the third straight day, a New York appeals court has rejected an attempt by Donald Trump's lawyers to delay the former president's hush money criminal trial. Trump's lawyers had argued that the trial should be put off indefinitely while they fight to remove the judge, Juan M. Merchan, and challenge several of his rulings. Justice Ellen Gesmer's ruling is another loss for Trump, who has tried repeatedly to get the trial postponed. The decision means the first of Trump's four criminal trials will start as scheduled on April 15. Trump has pleaded not guilty to charges alleging he falsified business records to hide the true nature of payments made in connection with a scheme to suppress damaging stories about him during his 2016 presidential campaign. Donald Trump's lawyers tried Wednesday for a third straight day to get a New York appeals court to delay his hush money criminal trial. Among other grievances, they argued the former president and presumptive Republican nominee should

Baltimore bridge collapse: Investigators focus on electrical system of ship

During the initial stages of a federal probe into the deadly collapse of Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge, investigators are focusing on the electrical power system of the massive container ship that veered off course. Jennifer Homendy, chair of the National Transportation Safety Board, said her agency is gathering data with assistance from Hyundai, the manufacturer of equipment in the ship's engine room. Testifying before a U.S. Senate committee Wednesday morning, she said investigators have also requested assistance to examine its circuit breakers. That is where our focus is right now in this investigation, she said. Of course, that's preliminary. It could take different roads, different paths as we continue this investigation. Homendy said they've zeroed in on the electrical system. The ship experienced power issues moments before the crash, as evidenced in videos showing its lights going out and coming back on. Homendy said information gleaned from the vessel's voyage data

At least 3 shot as gunfire erupts at Philadelphia Eid event, says police

At least three people were shot and injured Wednesday at an Eid al-Fitr event in Philadelphia, police said. The shooting occurred around 2:30 p.m., when police at the scene heard about 30 gun shots, Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said at a news conference. Two groups of people started firing at each other, and people began fleeing the scene, he said. Officers took into custody four males and a female, and four weapons were recovered at the scene, Bethel said. One suspect, a 15-year-old boy who police said had a gun, was shot by police and sustained wounds to his shoulder and leg. A man also was shot in the stomach, and another juvenile had a wound to his hand. No one was killed, police said. It was not immediately clear what caused the shooting. Dozens of police officers responded to the shooting in the city's Parkside section. The shooting happened in an area where residents were celebrating Eid al-Fitr, the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

Diaspora body urges US govt to address deaths of Indian-origin students

A prominent Indian diaspora body has urged various agencies of the US government, universities and student associations to work towards addressing the spike in the deaths of Indian-origin students in the US in recent months. An analysis of the Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS) found the causes of these incidents range from suspicious shootings/kidnapping, environmental deaths due to lack of safety knowledge (monoxide poisoning, hypothermia), mental issues triggering suicides, and even suspicious accidents to violent crimes. The FIIDS said authorities should enhance safety education, improve search and rescue procedures, implement stricter rules against fraternity ragging; increase awareness of risks and safety, and provide mental health support. Since the beginning of 2024, there have been at least half a dozen deaths of Indian and Indian-origin students in the US. A 25-year-old Indian student who had been missing since last month was found dead in the US cit

'Don't have evidence' of Israel committing genocide in Gaza: Lloyd Austin

Austin referred to the horrors carried out by Hamas on October 7 as a 'war crime' but refrained from calling them a genocide at the hearing on Tuesday

India-US partnership has achieved new heights: US NSA Jake Sullivan

The partnership between India and the United States has reached a new height with collaboration on technology and other fields, the US National Security Advisor has said. "The partnership between the US and India, a country in BRICs, has gone to new heights with an engagement across technology and security and so many other dimensions," NSA Jake Sullivan told reporters at a White House news conference. Sullivan was responding to questions on the decline in American leadership in the world, in light of Iran, Egypt, UAE, and Ethiopia joining BRICS, and Saudi Arabia mulling over becoming part of it. "I think if you look at the US role and standing in its relationships across the key regions of the world, we feel very good about where we are," Sullivan said. "If you look at what's happened with NATO, we've made NATO larger than ever, if you look at what's just happening this week, a historic trilateral with the US, Japan, and the Philippines. If you look across the Indo-Pacific at how

US govt to award Samsung up to $6.6 bn chip subsidy for Texas expansion

The announcement will cap off a string of major Chips and Science grants in quick succession as the US seeks to expand domestic chip production

US-China deepening cooperation on financial stability issues: US officials

The exercises will help establish lines of communication between US and Chinese regulators and identify areas of potential cross-border contagion and other risks, the US officials said

Yellen meets China's central bank chief, presses case on excess capacity

Yellen will wrap up her trip to Guangzhou and Beijing with a news conference later on Monday

US Presidential polls: Trump to declare his position on abortion today

Former President Donald Trump says he will finally announce Monday when he believes abortions should be banned, after months of refusing to stake a position on an issue that could decide the outcome of November's presidential election. The presumptive Republican nominee wrote on his social media site Sunday night that he plans to issue a statement on abortion and abortion rights." He told reporters last week he would make a statement soon after being asked about Florida's six-week abortion ban going into effect. Trump for more than a year now has declined to say when in a pregnancy he would try to draw the line, even as Republican-led states have ushered in a wave of new restrictions following the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022. His announcement will be closely watched both by Democrats who believe the fight over abortion rights helps them at the polls and Republicans who failed to push Trump to endorse a national abortion ban during the GOP primary. Great love and compassion