Page 55 - Us Government

US deepened partnership with India, boosted cooperation via Quad: Blinken

The US State Secretary further said that the US is more closely aligned than ever with the G7, with the EU, and with other allies and partners on the challenges presented by Beijing

Biden denounces Trump as 'doubling down' on support for insurrection

President Joe Biden said it's self-evident that Donald Trump is an insurrectionist for trying to overturn his 2020 election loss but stopped short of commenting on a Colorado legal case that would bar him from the state's ballot. The Democratic president made the comments about his likely Republican opponent in next year's election shortly after landing in Milwaukee for an event focused on the economy. Whether the 14th Amendment applies or not, we'll let the court make that decision," Biden told reporters on the tarmac after stepping off Air Force One. "But he certainly supported an insurrection. There's no question about it. None. Zero. And he seems to be doubling down on it. Biden also criticised Trump for his recent comments that migrants were poisoning the blood of the country. "I don't believe, as the former president said again yesterday, that immigrants are polluting our blood," Biden said in a speech at the Wisconsin Black Chamber of Commerce. The economy and our nation are

US pushes environmental enforcement after more than a decade of budget cuts

The Environmental Protection Agency conducted more on-site inspections of polluting industrial sites this year than any time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency said on Monday as it seeks to reinvigorate its enforcement programme after more than a decade of budget cuts. EPA opened nearly 200 criminal investigations this year, a 70 per cent increase over 2022, the agency said in a report. It completed nearly 1,800 civil settlements, a 9 per cent increase over 2022. More than half the inspections and settlements involved poor and disadvantaged communities long scarred by pollution, the agency said, reflecting the Biden administration's emphasis on environmental justice issues. But some parts of EPA's enforcement efforts still lag. In 2023, for example, it charged 102 defendants criminally. The Trump administration charged more every year, although most years only marginally. Nearly 200 defendants were charged in the latter years of the Obama administration. There is,

2022 federal elections in US not tainted by foreign interference: Report

Foreign hackers did not change vote totals or otherwise compromise the integrity of federal elections last year in the United States, according to a declassified US government report made public on Monday. The report does identify multiple instances in which hackers linked to Iran, China and Russia connected to election infrastructure, scanned state government websites and copied voter information. But it says there is no evidence that any of the cyber activity had any impact on the election or on the vote totals. We have no evidence that any detected activity prevented voting, changed votes, or disrupted the ability to tally votes or to transmit election results in a timely manner; altered any technical aspect of the voting process; or otherwise compromised the integrity of voter registration information or any ballots cast during 2022 federal elections, the report says. The report, a joint document prepared by the Justice Department and the Department of Homeland Security, ...

Biden envoy to meet with Abbas, discuss postwar arrangements for Gaza

The United States national security adviser and the Palestinian president were set Friday to discuss postwar arrangements for Gaza which, according to a senior US official, could include reactivating Palestinian security forces driven out by Hamas in its 2007 takeover of the territory. The proposal, floated as one of several, was the first specific indicator of Washington's vision for security arrangements in Gaza if Israel achieves its US-backed objective to end Hamas control of the besieged enclave. Any role for Palestinian security forces in Gaza is bound to elicit strong opposition from Israel, which seeks to maintain an open-ended security presence there and says it won't allow a postwar foothold for the internationally backed Palestinian Authority, a West Bank-based autonomy government led by President Mahmoud Abbas. On Thursday, Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, spoke to Israeli leaders about a timetable for winding down the intense combat phase of the war. The

Indian-American Vanita Gupta to step down as US Associate Attorney General

Vanita Gupta, the highest-ranking Indian-American in the Department of Justice, will step down as the Associate Attorney General of the US in February 2024. Gupta, the first woman of colour to serve as the Department of Justice's third-highest ranking official, led its "Reproductive Rights Taskforce to defend the reproductive freedoms that are protected by federal law," a statement by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said on Thursday. The 49-year-old has served as the Associate Attorney General since confirmation by the Senate in 2021 and will depart from the post in February 2024, according to the Department of Justice (DoJ). Acknowledging Gupta's "extraordinary service", Garland said that her commitment to the "pursuit of justice and relentless focus on bringing people together to find common ground made her an incredibly effective leader in dealing with some of the most complex challenges facing the American people." "She played an integral role in the department's efforts to

US keeps funding Ukraine's military even as it says it's out of money

The White House has been increasingly pressuring Congress to pass stalled legislation to support Ukraine's war against Russia, saying that funding has run out. On Tuesday, however, President Joe Biden touted a new military aid package worth $200 million for Ukraine. Money is dwindling. But the announcement of more weapons being sent to Kyiv just underscores the complexity of the funding. So has the money run out? Or are there still a few billion dollars floating around? It's complicated. Store credit ... In a Nov. 4 letter to Congress, White House budget director Shalanda Young said flatly: We are out of money to support Ukraine in this fight. This isn't a next year problem. The time to help a democratic Ukraine fight against Russian aggression is right now. Since then, the U.S. has announced three more aid packages totaling $475 million. That may seem contradictory, but it's due to the complex programs used to send aid to Ukraine. There are two pots of money for weapons and sec

Indian-American Sikh leader says no support for Khalistan movement in US

A prominent Indian-American Sikh leader has said that there is no support for the Khalistan movement in the US, neither in the government nor in the community. Jassee Singh from the Sikhs of America organisation also urged the Modi government to provide a comprehensive developmental package for Punjab to address several key challenges being faced by the state, including the problem of illicit drugs among the youths. Modi Government's relationship with the Sikhs and the things that he has done for this community is unprecedented as compared to the previous governments. There is no doubt about that," Singh told PTI in an interview. "At the same time, there are several Sikh issues that need to be addressed. This includes the atrocities against the Sikhs in the 1984 riots. No Sikhs would forget this, Singh said. The Modi government has tried its best to address the concerns of the Sikhs, but there are a number of issues that he still needs to address, he said adding that the prime ...

Hamas war to last mths, says Israeli min as US envoy discusses timetable

Israel's defence minister said it will take months to destroy Hamas, predicting a drawn-out war even as his country and its top ally, the United States, face increasing international isolation and alarm over the devastation from the campaign in Gaza. Yoav Gallant's comments came as US national security adviser Jake Sullivan met with Israeli leaders to discuss a timetable for winding down major combat in Gaza. Israeli leaders repeated their determination to pursue the military assault until they crush the militant group for its Oct 7 attack. The exchange seemed to continue a dynamic the two allies have been locked in for weeks. President Joe Biden's administration has shown unease over Israel's failure to reduce civilian casualties and its plans for the future of Gaza, but the White House continues to offer wholehearted support for Israel with weapons shipments and diplomatic backing. I want them to be focused on how to save civilian lives, Biden said Thursday when asked if he wants

Congressman Ro Khana slams Ramaswamy, says 'he is dangerous to democracy'

Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna has slammed Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, saying he was "dangerous to our democracy" and accusing him and his party of offering "zero solutions" to the real issues faced by Americans. Indian-origin businessman Ramaswamy, 38, on Wednesday night appeared on a CNN town hall in Iowa during which he responded to questions on immigration, border security, his religion, and economic inequality. President Joe Biden's re-election campaign responded to the town hall remarks of Ramaswamy with a statement from Representative Ro Khanna, a 47-year-old Democrat. Vivek's podcast of a campaign would be funny if it weren't so deeply dangerous to our democracy, Khanna, said on Wednesday after a CNN town hall of Ramaswamy, an Indian American running for the Republican Party's presidential ticket along with former president Donald Trump and ex-governor of South Carolina Nikky Haley. His town hall tonight was an exercise in bombastic rhetoric, .

Proposed US bill to charge large apps should be adopted in India: COAI

Telecom operators want the government to adopt a bill, similar to a proposal in the US Congress, that would make large internet apps contribute to infrastructure costs to help lower broadband costs for consumers, a senior industry official said. A bill sponsored by US Senators Markwayne Mullin, Mark Kelly and Mike Crapo in US Congress last month aimed at lowering broadband costs for consumers proposed a direction to telecom regulator Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to mandate social media platforms, streaming services apps, cloud computing service providers like WhatsApp, YouTube, Netflix, Google etc to contribute to universal fund that is used for building networks. The proposed bill named, Lowering Broadband Costs for Consumers Act of 2023, has classified social media platforms, streaming service, over-the-top messaging service, video gaming service, videoconferencing service, e-commerce platform, search engines under edge services providers. Telecom industry body Cellular

Hunter Biden indicted on tax charges in new criminal case: Report

Prosecutors working for Special Counsel David Weiss accused Hunter Biden of tax crimes from 2016 through 2019, including spending millions of dollars on an extravagant lifestyle rather than paying tax

Put premium on civilian lives, US Secretary of State Blinken tells Israel

Israel started its campaign to destroy the Hamas group that rules Gaza after Hamas fighters attacked Israeli towns on October 7, killing 1,200 people

It's something we take seriously: US amid indictment of Indian national

They told us they would conduct an investigation. They have publicly announced an investigation and now we'll wait to see the results of the investigation. It's something we take very seriously

US govt examined Hindenburg allegations before giving $553 mn loan to Adani

Allegations in a scathing report by US-based Hindenburg Research, which erased around $100 billion from the Adani Group's market value earlier this year

New US rules aimed at curbing China could limit tax credits for EVs

The Biden administration proposed new rules on Friday that could make it harder for electric vehicles to qualify for a full USD 7,500 federal tax credit, complicating efforts to meet President Joe Biden's goal that half of new passenger vehicles sold in the US run on electricity by 2030. Plans outlined by the Treasury and Energy departments would limit EV buyers from claiming the full tax credit if they purchase cars containing battery materials from China and other countries that are considered hostile to the United States. The new rules required under Biden's signature climate law approved last year are likely to slow consumer acceptance of electric vehicles just as Biden is trying to ramp up sales to help meet his goal to cut planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030. EV sales have tripled since Biden took office, but the US still depends on foreign sources especially China for many of critical minerals needed to produce EV batteries. The proposals are set to .

Indian student beaten, forced into labour for months in US: Report

Authorities in the US have rescued a 20-year-old Indian student, who was held captive for months without access to a bathroom, viciously beaten, and forced to work at three homes by his cousin and two other Indian-origin men in an incident described as "absolutely inhumane and unconscionable." The victim, whose name was not disclosed, spent months trapped in three homes in the US state of Missouri. On Wednesday, police descended upon a home on a rural highway in St Charles County. They later arrested Venkatesh R Sattaru, Sravan Varma Penumetcha and Nikhil Verma Penmatsa, and on Thursday charged them with offences including human trafficking, kidnapping and assault. Police were dispatched to investigate the home after a concerned citizen became aware of his situation and called 911. The victim is safe and being treated at a hospital for multiple bone fractures, as well as lacerations and injuries covering his entire body, said prosecutor Joe McCulloch. Over seven months, the men lo

TCS Q3 to take $125 million hit on Epic Systems Corporation legal woes

Epic had filed the case against TCS in 2014, alleging that the company had stolen its intellectual property

US is 'not going anywhere', President Joe Biden tells Apec leaders

At the meeting, Biden also said he would keep working to advance a Pacific trade pact, even as his vision for a regional deal to counter China's influence stumbled over his bid to strengthen workers'

Tankers newly sanctioned by US supplied Russian oil to India: Report

NS Century is currently on its way to discharge Sokol crude at Vadinar port in Gujarat for Indian Oil Corp (IOC) on Nov. 25, LSEG and Kpler data showed