Page 27 - Us

India key to expansion, focus on localisation here: US-based First Solar

PLI scheme winner says working with local players to develop supply chain of parts in India

France shooting shows US is not alone in struggles with police brutality

A police killing caught on video. Protests and rioting fueled by long-simmering tensions over law enforcement treatment of minorities. Demands for accountability. The events in France following the death of a 17-year-old shot by police in a Paris suburb are drawing parallels to the racial reckoning in the U.S. spurred by the killings of George Floyd and other people of color at the hands of law enforcement. Despite the differences between the two countries' cultures, police forces and communities, the shooting in France and the outcry that erupted there this week laid bare how the U.S. is not alone in its struggles with systemic racism and police brutality. These are things that happen when you're French but with foreign roots. We're not considered French, and they only look at the color of our skin, where we come from, even if we were born in France, said Tracy Ladji, an activist with SOS Racisme. Racism within the police kills, and way too many of them embrace far-right ideas so .

Unthinkable: Biden on court's decision to strike down student relief plan

The US Supreme Court dealt a blow to Joe Biden administration's student loan forgiveness plan on Friday

Biden offers alternative student debt plan to remove instant default threat

President Joe Biden is offering an alternative student debt plan designed to ease borrowers' threat of default if they fall behind on their payments, after the Supreme Court struck down his original initiative. Biden on Friday blamed Republican opposition for triggering the Supreme Court's ruling and slammed the decision as wrong. The president said he will work under the authority of the Higher Education Act to begin a new programme that would begin loan repayment but remove the immediate threat of default. He said the plan would take longer but provide relief to millions of borrowers. The president earlier had insisted that this fight is not over after the Supreme Court struck down his USD 400 billion student loan forgiveness plan. He blamed Republicans' opposition, aiming to direct the ire of millions of borrowers towards them rather than his own party in next year's elections.

'Affirmative action' ends: US SC bans use of race in university admissions

Affirmative action, also known as positive discrimination, aims to reverse long-standing prejudices against underrepresented groups

China growth momentum slows further amid calls for more policy support

Speculation about potential policy support has been mounting as the recovery for the world's second-largest economy loses traction

Indian rupee may struggle on more Fed rate hike bets, US yields surge

Non-deliverable forwards indicate rupee will open at around 82.08 to the US dollar compared with 82.0550 in the previous session

NATO tentatively agrees to ask Stoltenberg to remain head for another year

NATO members have reached a tentative agreement to ask Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg to remain head of the 31-member transatlantic alliance for another year, according to a US official familiar with the decision. The official, who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity, said the decision still needs to be finalized by alliance members. The much-anticipated decision to formally ask Stoltenberg to extend his tenure for another year is expected to happen relatively soon, the official said. NATO members are scheduled to hold their annual summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, on July 11-12. President Joe Biden conveyed to Stoltenberg during their recent meeting at the White House that it was evident there wasn't going to be consensus in the near term among NATO allies on picking a new permanent leader, the official said. Stoltenberg, a former Norwegian prime minister, has been NATO's top civilian official since 2014. His term was due to expire last year b

Harvard defends diversity in education after defeat in Supreme Court

Gay, who's currently Dean, Faculty of Arts and Sciences and will be the school's first Black president, said in a separate message that today is a hard day

Denial of opportunity: Kamala Harris as court cancels race-based admissions

The US Supreme Court on Thursday struck down race-based admissions at the University of Harvard and the University of North Carolina

Disagree with Supreme Court's decision to end race-based admissions: Biden

The US Supreme Court on Thursday struck down race-based admission programs at the University of Harvard and the University of North Carolina, The Washington Post reported

Mike Pence makes a surprise visit to Ukraine, meets President Zelenskyy

Former Vice President Mike Pence made a surprise visit to Ukraine on Thursday, meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and touring the war-torn country as it fights Russian aggression. Pence, who this month launched his campaign for the Republican nomination for president, has been deeply critical of Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. He has called on the US to deliver more military aid to the country and criticised GOP rivals who have questioned the ongoing US involvement, saying there is no room in the party for Putin apologists" and pushing back against those who want the US to take on a more limited role on the world stage. Pence spent roughly 12 hours in the country on Thursday, according to an adviser, with stops in Moshchun, Bucha and Irpin, according to NBC News, which travelled with him. I'm here because it's important that the American people understand the progress that we've made and how support for the Ukrainian military has been in ou

UNESCO members expected to approve US entry in UN's cultural agency

UNESCO's 193 members states are gathering Thursday for a two-day meeting in Paris aimed at voting on the United States' plans to rejoin the U.N. cultural and scientific agency after a decade-long dispute sparked by the organization's move to include Palestine as a member. The U.S. announced earlier this month, that it wanted to return, five years after it withdrew from the agency during the presidency of Donald Trump. U.S. officials say the decision was motivated by concern that China is filling the gap left by the U.S. in UNESCO policymaking, notably in setting standards for artificial intelligence and technology education around the world. Approval by member states seems a formality since not a single country has raised an objection to the return of a country that was once the agency's single biggest funder. The vote is expected Thursday or Friday. The U.S. and Israel stopped financing UNESCO after it voted to include Palestine as a member state in 2011. The Trump administration

Presumed human remains found in debris of Titan submersible: US Coast Guard

The US Coast Guard says it has likely recovered human remains from the wreckage of the Titan submersible and is bringing the evidence back to the United States. The submersible imploded last week, killing all five people on board. The vessel was on a voyage see the wreck of the Titanic. Debris from the Titan submersible was returned to land Wednesday. The return of the debris to port in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, is a key piece of the investigation into why the submersible imploded. In a statement late Wednesday, the Coast Guard said it had recovered debris and evidence from the sea floor and that included what it described as presumed human remains. I am grateful for the coordinated international and interagency support to recover and preserve this vital evidence at extreme offshore distances and depths, US Coast Guard Chief Capt. Jason Neubauer said in a statement. The evidence will provide investigators from several international jurisdictions with critical insights .

What a powerful idea: US Ambassador on PM Modi's 'not an era of war' remark

The Prime Minister made a 'not an era of war' comment while talking with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in September 2022 during an SCO summit

Oil prices jump 3% on bigger-than-expected decline in US crude storage

Investors remained cautious that interest rate hikes could slow economic growth and reduce oil demand

Cong questions pricing of predator drone deal with US, seeks transparency

The Congress on Wednesday demanded complete transparency in the multi-crore India-US drone deal, while alleging that the 31 MQ-9B Predator UAV drones were being procured for a higher price. Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said at a press conference that national security was paramount and that several doubts were being raised on the predator drone deal. "The Modi government is known to jeopardise national interests and the people of India have witnessed the same in the Rafale deal, where the Modi government bought only 36 Rafale jets instead of 126. We also saw how HAL was denied transfer of technology. We also saw how several unilateral decisions were made, despite widespread objections from the Defence Acquisition Committee and the Armed Forces. The Rafale 'scam' is still under scrutiny in France," he charged. "We demand complete transparency in this Predator Drone deal. India needs answers to the crucial questions. Otherwise, we will be trapped in another 'scam' under the Modi

India produces 27 mn vehicles, valued at $108-bn in FY23: Report

The Indian automobile industry produced a whopping 2.7 crore vehicles across segments and types, worth around USD 108-billion (Rs 8.7-lakh crore) in FY23, with passenger vehicle segment accounting for 57 per cent at Rs 5-lakh crore in the total value, a report said on Wednesday. Also, in the total 2.7 lakh crore vehicles churned out last fiscal, the commercial vehicle segment, which includes small 4-wheel carrier with less than 2-ton capacity to large tractor trailers and specialty vehicles like tippers, share stood at 10-lakh vehicles, generating a value of Rs 1.7-lakh crore, management consulting services firm Primus Partners said in its report. The CV segment accounted for 4 per cent in the total volume and 19 per cent in value terms, it said. According to Primus Partners, the production of two-wheelers is closely matched by China, with 20-million two-wheelers coming out of the manufacturing facilities in the country, accounting for 77 per cent of the volume share. The overall .

'In-country renewal of H-1B visas by US to boost India's services exports'

The US announcement to introduce in-country renewable of H-1B visas will help swift movement of Indian IT professionals and promote services exports, SEPC said on Wednesday. Services Export Promotion Council (SEPC) said that the decision would allow easier on-site client engagement by domestic IT professionals. "When Indian IT professionals can quickly travel to client locations abroad, they can better understand client requirements, build stronger relationships, and deliver tailored solutions. This direct engagement can lead to increased client satisfaction, repeat business, and ultimately, higher IT exports," SEPC Chairman Sunil H Talati said. He said that as the US is the major market for India's IT exports, this development will have a significant positive impact on the export of IT services from India. "The earlier estimates for IT exports growth have been in the range of 8-12 per cent however with this particular push the exports growth in IT can further stride in the range o

Rupee gains 5 paise to 81.97 against US dollar on foreign fund inflows

The rupee strengthened by 5 paise to 81.97 against the US dollar in early trade on Wednesday on foreign fund inflows and gains in domestic equities. The currency opened higher by 2 paise at 82 at the interbank foreign exchange market and moved in a tight range of 82.01 to 81.97 in early trade. The rupee was trading at 81.97 against the US dollar at 9.35 am, registering a gain of 5 paise over the previous close of 82.02. Foreign portfolio investments into equities and overnight losses in the US dollar in global markets boosted the rupee sentiment in early trade, analysts said. The dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was almost flat at 102.58. Global crude oil benchmark Brent crude was trading 0.69 per cent higher USD 72.76 per barrel. In the domestic equity market, the 30-share BSE Sensex advanced by 199.06 points or 0.31 per cent to 63,615.09 points while the broader Nifty gained 62.75 points to 18,880.15 points. Foreign Portfo