Page 56 - Us Government

US, Philippines sign nuclear cooperation pact to bolster power supply

The United States and the Philippines have signed a nuclear cooperation pact under which U.S. investment and technologies are to help the Southeast Asian nation transition to cleaner energy and bolster its power supply. Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. witnessed the signing of the deal by his energy secretary and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Thursday on the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in San Francisco. "We see nuclear energy becoming a part of the Philippines' energy mix by 2032 and we are more than happy to pursue this path with the United States as one of our partners, Marcos said at the signing ceremony. He said the pact, known as a Section 123 agreement, would support the development of reliable, affordable and sustainable power in the Philippines. It will also open doors for U.S. companies to invest and participate in nuclear power projects, he said. Blinken said negotiations with the Philippines were completed within

Govt urges US for evidence in attack on San Francisco consulate: Report

Earlier, in July, a group of Khalistan extremists tried to set the Indian consulate in San Francisco on fire

Pelosi assault: Defence to call witnesses in trial of man accused of attack

Defence attorneys for David DePape, the man on trial for the attack of former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's husband in the couple's San Francisco home, will call witnesses on Tuesday as they argue DePape is not guilty of the crimes he's been charged with. The trial's third day will start with a final witness from the prosecution, and defense attorneys say they hope to wrap up their case by day's end. The case would then go to jurors. Prosecutors say DePape bludgeoned Paul Pelosi in the early hours of October 28, 2022, just days before the midterm elections, and that he had rope and zip ties with him. DePape has pleaded not guilty to attempted kidnapping of a federal official and assault on the immediate family member of a federal official with intent to retaliate against the official for performance of their duties. Defence attorney Jodi Linker told jurors last week that she won't dispute that DePape attacked Pelosi. Instead, she will argue that DePape believed that he was taking

US govt announces steps to free up more wireless spectrum for advanced tech

The White House has said additional spectrum is key to next-generation wireless service and a variety of advanced technology, infrastructure and government needs

India conveys concern to US on activities of pro-Khalistanis in Canada

India on Friday conveyed to the US its serious concerns over increasing activities of pro-Khalistani elements in Canada. India flagged its concerns at the '2+2' foreign and defence ministerial meeting. "We have made our concerns very very clear," Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said at a media briefing. The American delegation at the '2+2' ministerial dialogue talks was led by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin while External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh headed the Indian side. "We have core security concerns and I am sure you are all aware of recent video that has surfaced from one such individual," Kwatra said adding the US side understood New Delhi's concerns. The ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's allegations in September over the killing of Khalistani separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June in the Canadian town of Surrey. Days afte

Google fails to improves products until under pressure, US argues

"We didn't know what would happen" with the choice screen, testified Ben Gomes, who was head of Google's search team at the time. "This was trying to figure out what would happen"

Russia finalises pullout from Cold War-era deal, blames US for its collapse

Russia on Tuesday finalised its pullout from a key Cold War-era security deal, more than eight years after announcing the intention to do so, the Foreign Ministry said. The development came after both houses of the Russian parliament approved a bill proposed by President Vladimir Putin denouncing the Treaty of Conventional Armed Forces in Europe. Putin signed it into force in May this year. The treaty aimed at preventing Cold War rivals from massing forces at or near mutual borders was signed in November 1990, but not fully ratified until two years later. It was one of several major Cold War-era treaties involving Russia and the United States that ceased to be in force in recent years. Russia suspended its participation in 2007, and in 2015 announced its intention to completely withdraw from the agreement. In February 2022, Moscow sent hundreds of thousands of Russian troops into the neighbouring Ukraine, which also shares a border with NATO members Poland, Slovakia, Romania and

US service sector slowed for second straight month in October: ISM survey

Some economists view the ISM services prices paid measure as a good predictor of personal consumption expenditures inflation, tracked by the U.S. central bank for monetary policy

US solar panel manufacturing boom threatened by cheap imports: Report

US industry's souring outlook could hurt Biden's climate agenda

India has lessons to learn from US' artificial intelligence order: Experts

The regulation also requires AI developers to share safety test results with the US government

At least 18 people killed, 13 injured in shootings in Lewiston: Official

This city did not deserve this terrible assault on its citizens, on its peace of mind, on its sense of security, she said

Case to break up Google hinges on 'four taps and a swipe': Report

Microsoft ended up losing its monopoly trial, but after an appeal the company settled in the early aughts with the Justice Department

US veto at UN to shield Israel could compromise its Ukraine rallying cry

US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield justified Wednesday's veto by telling the council more time was needed for diplomacy

US announces sanctions against 10 Hamas members over Israel attack

The US announced sanctions on Wednesday against a group of 10 Hamas members and the Palestinian militant organisation's financial network across Gaza, Sudan, Turkiye, Algeria and Qatar as it responds to the surprise attack on Israel that left more than 1,000 people dead or kidnapped. President Joe Biden, who arrived in the Middle East late Tuesday to show support for Israel, has tried to tamp down tensions in the escalating war between Israel and Hamas, but those efforts have faced massive setbacks, including a deadly explosion at a Gaza hospital that killed about 500 people. Targeted for Wednesday's sanctions action by the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control are members who manage a Hamas investment portfolio, a Qatar-based financial facilitator with close ties to the Iranian regime, a key Hamas commander and a Gaza-based virtual currency exchange. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the US is taking swift and decisive action to target Hamas's financiers and ...

Biden raises over $71 mn for his 2024 race from July through September

President Joe Biden and the Democratic National Committee raised more than USD 71 million for his reelection in the three months ending September 30, a strong indication that party donors remain united behind him going into a 2024 race that may feature a rematch with Donald Trump. Sunday's announcement comes after the Biden campaign and the party reported raising USD 72-plus million in the 10 weeks between his official campaign announcement on April 25 and the end of the second quarter on June 30. Both totals include donations to Biden's campaign and to a network of joint fundraising arrangements with the national and state parties. The campaign said Democrats had USD 91 million in cash on hand through the end of last month, the highest-ever total by a Democrat at this point in an election cycle. This quarter's fundraising haul and historic cash on hand speak to the very real enthusiasm and support, Julie Chavez Rodriguez, manager of Biden's reelection campaign, said in a ...

US defence secy tells Netanyahu 'we have your back' after attack by Hamas

US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin told Israeli leaders that we have your back as he reaffirmed US support in the first week of their war against the militant Hamas group. He voiced little public criticism of their stunning demand that some 1 million civilians evacuate northern Gaza. Austin, the second high-level US official sent by President Joe Biden to visit Israel in two days, was seeing firsthand some of the weapons and security assistance that Washington rapidly delivered to Israel after it was attacked. He stressed that this is a time for resolve and not revenge, for purpose and not panic and for security and not surrender. The defence secretary's quick trip to Israel from Brussels, where he was attending a NATO defence ministers meeting, came a day after Secretary of State Antony Blinken arrived in the region. Blinken is continuing the frantic Mideast diplomacy, seeking to avert an expanded regional conflict. The Israeli military directed Gaza City residents to evacuate for .

Microsoft says US IRS has asked for $28.9 billion in audit dispute

Microsoft said it believes that any taxes owed after the audit would be reduced by up to $10 billion based on tax laws passed by former President Donald Trump

Blinken vows support for Israel, says Hamas does not represent Palestinians

The US will never falter from its support for Israel, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday but underlined the importance of taking "every possible precaution to avoid harming civilians" as the Israeli military prepares for a "next stage" of the war against Hamas militants in Gaza. "No country can or would tolerate the slaughter of its citizens or simply return to the conditions that allowed it to take place. Israel has the right, indeed the obligation, to defend itself and to ensure that this never happens again," Blinken told reporters while speaking alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv. Blinken also reiterated that respect for civilian life is what distinguishes democracies from the likes of Hamas, saying, "As the Prime Minister and I discussed, how Israel does this matters." Blinken also stressed that Hamas does not represent the Palestinian people. "This was just one of Hamas' countless acts of terror. It brings to mind the worst of ISIS

US sanctions 2 shipping companies for violating Russian oil price cap

The Treasury Department said Thursday that it has imposed its first set of sanctions on two companies that shipped Russian oil in violation of a multinational price cap. The United States, along with the European Union, countries in the Group of Seven and Australia, imposed a $60 a barrel limit last year on what Russia could charge for its oil. The cap was designed to deprive the Kremlin of revenue to fund its war in Ukraine, forcing the Russian government either to sell its oil at a discount or divert money for a costly alternative shipping network. The companies being penalized are based in the United Arab Emirates and Turkey, the department said in a statement. A ship owned by the Emirates-based company Lumber Marine carried oil priced above $75 a barrel from a Russian port. Separately, a vessel owned by Turkey-based Ice Pearl Navigation ferried oil from Russia priced at $80 a barrel. Both companies relied on US service providers. As a result of the sanctions, the Biden ...

China challenging US superpower status is 'not inevitable': Xi Jinping

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Monday told a delegation of influential American senators that the Thucydides Trap is not inevitable as he played down the concerns in Washington that China is out to challenge the superpower status of the US. Thucydides Trap is a term to describe an emerging power threatening to displace the existing great power. Competition and confrontation are not consistent with the trend of the times. Still less can it fix one's own problems and address the challenges facing the world, Xi told a US Senate delegation headed by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer during a meeting. China maintains that the common interests of the two countries far outweigh their differences, and the respective success of China and the US is an opportunity, rather than a challenge, to each other, Xi told the six-member delegation of top American legislators. "The Thucydides Trap is not inevitable, and Planet Earth is vast enough to accommodate the respective development and common