Page 57 - Us Government

Tata Power's Tamil Nadu solar cell unit gets $425 mn from US govt agency

Investment by Development Finance Corporation will supporting India in its clean energy transition, says Tata Power

India's Covid vax rate falls 75% since Apr as US, UK ready for another shot

In recent weeks, over 70 per cent of India's current vaccinations have been adminis­tered to people in the age group of 45-60 years

H-1B Visa denied, 70 Indians take legal action against US government

The agency violated the Administrative Procedure Act by exceeding its authority and deeming the plaintiffs as inadmissible without a full record of the evidence, according to the lawsuit

US govt urged to make priority dates current for Indian Green Card seekers

A group of US lawmakers has urged the Biden administration to take executive action to make priority dates current for Green Card applicants from India to reduce the 195-year-long wait period which has left them in a constant state of limbo. Led by Congressmen Raja Krishnamoorthi and Larry Bucshon, the bipartisan group of 56 lawmakers sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas requesting the administration take executive action to provide relief to high-skilled employment-based visa holders. In their letter, the US lawmakers also appealed to the administration to mark all dates for filing of employment-based visa applications in the Bureau of Consular Affairs' published Employment-Based Visa Bulletin as "current". A Green Card, known officially as a Permanent Resident Card, is a document issued to immigrants to the US as evidence that the bearer has been granted the privilege of residing permanently. The curre

US, India welcome growing energy cooperation in SCEP ministerial meeting

The Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas said that the two sides also recognised the importance of producing green hydrogen as a critical energy source

Judge blocks US govt from working with social media cos on protected speech

A judge on Tuesday prohibited several federal agencies and officials of the Biden administration from working with social media companies about protected speech, a decision called a blow to censorship by one of the Republican officials whose lawsuit prompted the ruling. U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty of Louisiana granted the injunction in response to a 2022 lawsuit brought by attorneys general in Louisiana and Missouri. Their lawsuit alleged that the federal government overstepped in its efforts to convince social media companies to address postings that could result in vaccine hesitancy during the COVID-19 pandemic or affect elections. Doughty cited substantial evidence of a far-reaching censorship campaign. He wrote that the evidence produced thus far depicts an almost dystopian scenario. During the COVID-19 pandemic, a period perhaps best characterised by widespread doubt and uncertainty, the United States Government seems to have assumed a role similar to an Orwellian Ministry

Biden denies US, Nato's role in Russia mutiny, calls it struggle in system

President Joe Biden declared Monday that the United States and NATO played no part in the Wagner mercenary group's short-lived insurrection in Russia, calling the uprising and the longer-term challenges it poses for President Vladimir Putin's power a struggle within the Russian system. Biden and U.S. allies supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia's invasion emphasized their intent to be seen as staying out of the mercenaries' stunning insurgency, the biggest threat to Putin in his two decades leading Russia. They are concerned that Putin could use accusations of Western involvement to rally Russians to his defense. Biden and administration officials declined an immediate assessment of what the 22-hour uprising by the Wagner Group might mean for Russia's war in Ukraine, for mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin or for Russia itself. We're going to keep assessing the fallout of this weekend's events and the implications from Russia and Ukraine, Biden said. But it's still too early

US-India defence cooperation: Fighter jet engines to ship repairs

HAL-GE's India plant could eventually produce close to a 1,000 F414 engines

'It's the Modi phenomenon': Diaspora ahead of PM Narendra Modi's visit

Senators and Congressmen are having a tough time deciding whom to give their one ticket to watch the speech of the prime minister from the visitor's gallery

US share in India's merchandise exports up despite diversification move

Between FY12 and FY23, the US share in India's import basket rose from 4.8 per cent to 7 per cent

Debt limit deal in place but budget deficit still a challenge for US govt

Even with the new spending restraints in the debt limit deal that cut borrowing by USD 1.5 trillion, the US government's deficits are still on course to keep climbing to record levels over the next few decades. The projections are a sign that the two-year truce between President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., might be only a pause before a far more wrenching set of showdowns over the federal budget. The Congressional Budget Office said Tuesday that the agreement would reduce spending by USD 1.3 trillion and interest payments by USD 188 billion over 10 years. But that sum is too modest to fully offset the growing costs of Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Both Biden and McCarthy ruled out any cuts to Social Security and Medicare, two programs that benefit older voters, before their teams even began their budget talks. That omission reflects the politics around two popular programs as Democrats and Republicans prepare for next year's presidential ...

US announces criminal cases involving flow of information to Russia, China

The Justice Department announced a series of criminal cases Tuesday tracing the illegal flow of sensitive technology, including Apple's software code for self-driving cars and materials used for missiles, to foreign adversaries like Russia, China and Iran. Some of the alleged theft highlighted by the department dates back several years, but U.S. officials are drawing attention to the collection of cases now to highlight the work of a task force created this year to disrupt the transfer of goods to foreign countries. We are committed to doing all we can to prevent these advanced tools from falling into the hands of adversaries who wield them in a way that threatens not only our national security but democratic values everywhere, said Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen, who heads the Justice Department's national security division. One of the cases, unsealed Tuesday in federal court in Los Angeles, accuses a former software engineer from Apple of taking proprietary data related

Government rejects US report criticising India on religious freedom

India on Tuesday trashed as "motivated" and "biased" a report by the US State Department on religious freedom that criticised the country for alleged attacks on minorities. External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said such reports continue to be based on "misinformation and flawed understanding". The annual report listed alleged attacks on religious minorities in India and expressed concerns over such incidents. "We are aware of the release of the US State Department 2022 Report on International Religious Freedom. Regrettably, such reports continue to be based on misinformation and flawed understanding," Bagchi said. "Motivated and biased commentary by some US officials only serves to undermine further the credibility of these reports," he said. Bagchi was responding to media queries on the report. "We value our partnership with the US and will continue to have frank exchanges on issues of concern to us," he said. The report that documents the status of religious f

US govt working on new regulations for airline cancellations, delays

The Biden administration is working on new regulations that would require airlines to compensate passengers and cover their meals and hotel rooms if they are stranded for reasons within the airline's control. The White House said President Joe Biden and Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg would announce the start of the rulemaking process Monday. The rulemaking pledge continues a push by the Democratic administration to require airlines to improve customer service, and it comes just weeks before the start of the peak summer travel season. The aim of the rules would be, for the first time, to require airlines to pay compensation beyond a ticket refund and to cover expenses that consumers incur, including rebooking on another flight, if the airline causes a cancellation or significant delay. When an airline causes a flight cancellation or delay, passengers should not foot the bill, Buttigieg said in a statement. Currently, when an airline cancels a flight for any reason, consume

US probes how companies use AI to monitor and manage workers

White House is probing how companies use artificial intelligence to monitor and manage workers, practices the Biden Administration says are increasingly prevalent and can inflict significant harm

Indo-American Iyengar Plumb confirmed as Deputy under Defence Secretary

The US Senate has confirmed Radha Iyengar Plumb, a national security expert, as the Deputy Under Secretary of Defence for Acquisition and Sustainment, the latest Indian-American to be named by the Biden administration for a key position. President Joe Biden had nominated Plumb, currently serving as Chief of Staff to the Deputy Secretary of Defence, to this prestigious position in June 2022. By a vote of 68-30, the Senate confirmed Radha Iyengar Plumb to be the Deputy Under Secretary of Defence, US Senate Periodical Press Gallery tweeted on Tuesday. Prior to her appointment as the Chief of Staff, she was the Director of Research and Insights for Trust and Safety at Google and had previously served as the Global Head of Policy Analysis at Facebook. Plumb previously was a Senior Economist at the RAND Corporation where she focused on improving the measurement and evaluation of readiness and security efforts across the Department of Defence. She also held a number of senior staff posit

Biden administration highlights infrastructure investments with new bridges

The Biden administration is closing out a three-week push to highlight the benefits of infrastructure investments in local communities by awarding nearly USD 300 million to help repair or replace more than a dozen bridges across the country. Events in four states on Thursday will mark the end of the beginning phase of a more expansive White House push heading into President Joe Biden's expected 2024 reelection race to remind voters of his accomplishments. During the administration's Investing in America tour, Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and other officials held more than 50 events across 25 states at projects benefiting from the landmark infrastructure, climate and high-tech manufacturing laws passed during the Democratic president's first two years in office. There will be much more talk about Biden's record to come. This is the focus of the next year-plus, White House chief of staff Jeff Zients, who got the job in February with a mandate to oversee implementation of the .

China sanctions groups, Taiwan official in US in response to meet

China announced sanctions Friday against two Asia-based organisations and Taiwan's representative in the US in response to the closely watched meeting this week between the US House Speaker and Taiwan's president. The Prospect Foundation and the Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats were being sanctioned for their involvement in promoting Taiwan independence under the guise of academic and research exchanges," China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson, Zhu Fenglian, said. Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy held talks with Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen in California this week in a rare high-level, bipartisan meeting on US soil. The meeting came as US-China relations have sunk to historic lows and as tensions between Taiwan and China have risen. China views any official exchanges between foreign governments and Taiwan as an attempt to raise Taipei's global status, and thus an infringement on Beijing's claims of sovereignty over the island. China had vowed countermeasures .

Biden offers $450 million for clean energy projects at coal mines

President Joe Biden's administration is making USD 450 million available for solar farms and other clean energy projects across the country at the site of current or former coal mines, part of his ongoing efforts to combat climate change. As many as five projects nationwide will be funded through the 2021 infrastructure law, with at least two projects set aside for solar farms, the White House said on Tuesday. The White House also said it will allow developers of clean energy projects to take advantage of billions of dollars in new bonuses being offered in addition to investment and production tax credits available through the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act. The bonuses will "incentivize more clean energy investment in energy communities, particularly coal communities,'' that have been hurt by a decade-plus decline in US coal production, the White House said. The actions are among steps the Biden administration is taking as the Democratic president moves to convert the US economy to

How this little-known US agency holds power over future of TikTok

Under pressure from the US government, TikTok is now facing the music with the possibility of a nationwide ban if it defies a government order to sell to an American company unless the popular social media app can convince a high-powered panel that its data security restructuring plan sufficiently guards against national security concerns. At the heart of this social media business and national security drama is the increasingly tense relations between the US and China. The video-sharing platform with 150 million US users is best known for quick snippets of viral dance routines and has been under scrutiny for years by federal authorities who say that its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, could share sensitive user data with the Chinese government, or push propaganda and misinformation on its behalf. Having already banned the shipment of certain technologies to China, and recently passing new legislation banning the app on government devices, lawmakers want to pursue a nationwide b