Page 12 - Usa

US welcomes India's engagement, efforts for peace in Russia-Ukraine war

The United States welcomes India's engagement in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine and its efforts to bring peace between the two countries, US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel has said here. Patel was responding to a question on the likely visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Ukraine later this month. "I will let the (Indian) prime minister's office speak to any of his own travels. I don't have anything to offer there," he said during his daily news conference on Wednesday. "We are in touch with our Indian partners on a number of issues and, of course, would welcome India's engagement in the war between Russia and Ukraine, especially as it relates to ensuring that we get to a just and durable peace that is reflective of what our Ukrainian partners are attempting to do, which is to defend their territorial integrity and sovereignty," Patel said. Modi is likely to visit Poland and Ukraine from August 21 to 23. No official announcement in this regard has

White House denies allegations of US involvement in Bangladesh crisis

The White House on Monday strongly refuted allegations that the United States interfered in the internal affairs of Bangladesh, leading to the resignation and fleeing of the country's former prime minister Sheikh Hasina. We have had no involvement at all. Any reports or rumours that the United States government was involved in these events is simply false. That is not true, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at her daily news conference on Monday. Jean-Pierre was responding to media reports that quoted Hasina allegedly claiming that she could have stayed in power if she had surrendered the sovereignty of St Martin's Island and allowed America to dominate the Bay of Bengal. Hasina's son, Sajeeb Wazed, has denied that his mother ever gave such a statement. The recent resignation statement attributed to my mother published in a newspaper is completely false and fabricated. I have just confirmed with her that she did not make any statement either before or si

4.4 magnitude quake felt in LA, San Diego; buildings sway, no big damage

A 4.4 magnitude earthquake was strongly felt from the Los Angeles area all the way to San Diego, swaying buildings, rattling dishes and setting off car alarms, but no major damage or injuries were immediately reported. Monday's quake was centred near the Los Angeles neighbourhood of Highland Park, about 6.5 miles (10.5 kilometres) northeast of Los Angeles' City Hall, and about 7.5 miles (12.1 kilometres) below the surface, the US Geological Survey said. The quake was felt from greater Los Angeles south to San Diego and east to the Palm Springs desert region, according to the USGS community reporting page. A small number of reports were filed from the southern San Joaquin Valley about 100 miles (160 kilometres) northwest of LA. It shook a medical building, a live interview on ESPN was interrupted, and the ground swayed in Anaheim, where Disneyland is located in Orange County. Dishes rattled in the storied LA neighbourhood of Laurel Canyon, home to many celebrities, and photos on soci

Fatal weekend shootings jolt growing Denver-area suburb in US, says police

Four men were fatally shot and a woman was hospitalized with gunshot wounds during a spate of weekend violence in the Denver suburb of Commerce City. A person of interest in one of the cases was later found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot, police said Sunday. Also in the Denver area over the weekend, a person was fatally shot and three others were injured during two separate altercations Sunday in the city of Aurora. In Denver itself one person was killed and six people injured in a string of weekend shootings and stabbings, police said. Commerce City Police Department spokesperson Joanna Small described it as an incredibly violent weekend for the fast-expanding community of about 70,000 people, which is located just northeast of Denver near the city's airport. We average maybe 5 or 6 homicides a year," she said. We're now talking about four homicides and a person in critical condition in 39 hours ... The fact that the crimes are not related is even more baffling, really. Potenti

US provides over $212 mn fiscal support to B'desh in 2023: Matthew Miller

Further, Miller emphasized the need for a full and transparent investigation into the recent violence in Bangladesh and highlighted the importance of supporting the democratic aspirations

Blinken talks to G7 foreign mins for urgent de-escalation in Middle East

The development comes as tensions continue to rise every minute between Israel and Iran, also Lebanon after the killing of Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran last week

Russia releases US journalist, other Americans in massive prisoner swap

The trade followed years of secretive back-channel negotiations despite relations between Washington and Moscow being at their lowest point since Cold War after Russian President's invasion of Ukraine

Thousands battle US-Canada wildfires as smoke causes air quality alerts

Wildfires across the western United States and Canada put millions of people under air quality alerts on Sunday as thousands of firefighters battled the flames, including the largest wildfire in California this year. The so-called Park Fire had scorched more than 550 square miles (1,430 square kilometres) of inland Northern California as of Sunday morning, darkening the sky with smoke and haze and contributing to poor air quality in a large swath of the Northwestern US and western Canada. Although the sprawling blaze was only 12 per cent contained, cooler temperatures and increased humidity could help crews battle the fire, which has drawn comparisons to the 2018 Camp Fire that tore through the nearby community of Paradise, killing 85 people and torching 11,000 homes. Paradise and several other Butte County communities were under an evacuation warning Sunday. However, Cal Fire operations section chief Jeremy Pierce had some good news for the area, saying around midday that the Park

Kevin Durant likely to play for US in its Olympic opener against Serbia

There is hope that Kevin Durant will play for the US in its Olympic opener against Serbia on Sunday, which means the men's national team may have 12 players available for the first time this summer. That is unless something else happens. The Americans open their path toward what they hope is a fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal when they take on three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic and World Cup finalist Serbia in the opener for both teams at the Paris Games. Durant missed all five exhibition games the US played coming into Paris because of a calf strain, and coach Steve Kerr stopped short of definitively saying Saturday that he is in the line-up for the opener. Hopefully, Kerr said. Durant was on the floor for practice, while presumed starting centre Joel Embiid was not because of illness. Kerr said he didn't expect Embiid to miss Sunday's game. I'm confident we'll have everybody ready tomorrow, Kerr said. There have been signs in recent days that USA Basketball expects Durant a ..

Massive wildfire engulfs northern California, firefighters rescue

Thousands of firefighters battling a wildfire in Northern California received some help from the weather Saturday hours after it exploded in size, scorching an area greater than the size of Los Angeles. The blaze was one of several tearing through the western United States and Canada, fueled by wind and heat. Cooler temperatures and an increase in humidity could help slow the Park Fire, the largest this year in California. Its intensity and dramatic spread led fire officials to make unwelcome comparisons to the monstrous Camp Fire, which burned out of control in nearby Paradise in 2018, killing 85 people and torching 11,000 homes. Paradise again was near the danger zone. The entire town was under an evacuation warning, one of several communities in Butte County. Evacuation orders were also issued in Plumas, Tehama and Shasta counties. An evacuation warning calls for people to prepare to evacuate and await instructions, while an evacuation order means to leave immediately. Temperatur

Pak journalist raises Kanwar Yatra issue

A Pakistani journalist raised the issue of the Kanwar Yatra nameplate controversy before the US state department, on July 25. What did the US state department spokesperson, Matthew Miller say?

'Avoid Manipur, J&K, border areas': US revises travel advisory for India

The US has asked its nationals not to travel to Manipur, Jammu and Kashmir, the India-Pakistan border, and parts of central and eastern parts of the country where Naxalites are active. In a revised travel advisory for India, the State Department said it has updated to reflect information on the northeastern states. "Exercise increased caution in India due to crime and terrorism. Some areas have increased risk, it said. Overall India has been placed at Level 2. But several parts of the country have been placed on Level 4: Jammu and Kashmir, India-Pak border, Manipur and parts of Central and East India. "Do not travel to: The union territory of Jammu and Kashmir (except the eastern Ladakh region and its capital, Leh) due to terrorism and civil unrest; within 10 km of the India-Pakistan border due to the potential for armed conflict; portions of Central and East India due to terrorism and Manipur due to violence and crime, said the State Department. In addition, it recommended Americ

Netanyahu eyes bolstering US support during visit, but faces protests

Protesters against the Gaza war staged a sit-in at a congressional office building Tuesday ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's address to Congress, with Capitol Police making multiple arrests. Netanyahu arrived in Washington Monday for a several-day visit that includes meetings with President Joe Biden and a Wednesday speech before a joint session of Congress. Dozens of protesters rallied outside his hotel Monday evening, and on Tuesday afternoon, hundreds of demonstrators took over the rotunda of the Cannon Building, which houses offices of House of Representatives members. Organized by Jewish Voice for Peace, protesters wearing identical red T-shirts that read Not In Our Name took over the Rotunda of the Cannon Building, chanting Let Gaza Live! After about a half-hour of clapping and chanting, officers from the U.S. Capitol Police issued several warnings, then began arresting protesters binding their hands with zip ties and leading them away one by one. I am the

FBI chief Wray to face questions over Trump's assassination attempt

FBI Director Christopher Wray is set to testify Wednesday about the bureau's investigation into the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump, with lawmakers at a congressional hearing likely to press him for fresh details about the gunman's motive and background. The hearing before the House Judiciary Committee will represent Wray's most detailed comments to date about a shooting that has again thrust the FBI into the political maelstrom as agents continue to investigate the 20-year-old gunman, Thomas Matthew Crooks, and the most serious attempt to assassinate a president or presidential candidate since Ronald Reagan was shot in 1981. The hearing had been scheduled well before the June 13 shooting as part of the committee's routine oversight of the FBI and Justice Department, and though lawmakers may touch on a broad array of topics, questions about the shooting are expected to dominate the session. Despite being appointed by Trump, Wray typically faces antagonistic

US asks Moscow to free jailed Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva

A court in the southern city of Kazan disclosed on Monday that it had convicted Kurmasheva of spreading false information about the Russian army

Changes in US Secret Service protection for presidents over years

During Abraham Lincoln's presidency, anyone could come to the White House and see him. Come they did: mothers looking to have their sons released from military service, wives urging that their husbands be freed from prison after resisting the draft, others who simply wanted to meet the president. Some only wanted comfort in a terrible time, and that he freely gave," James B. Conroy wrote in his book "Lincoln's White House: The People's House in Wartime." The world has vastly changed since the 1860s, and so has protection for presidents. Protective details have grown in size, responsibility and technology over more than a century of the Secret Service protecting presidents. When presidents leave the White House, they are accompanied by a phalanx of Secret Service officers and agents. Cars can no longer drive past what is often dubbed the people's house at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. The fence has been raised, and don't even try to get past the gate without an appointment or badge. The ..

Paris Olympics: Google brings AI to US broadcast for commentators to use it

Google's AI overviews provide written responses to search queries without the need to click a website link

Hunter Biden seeks dismissal of tax, gun cases, cites Trump's verdict

President Joe Biden's son, Hunter, has asked federal judges to dismiss tax and gun cases against him, citing a ruling in Florida this week that threw out a separate prosecution of former President Donald Trump. The requests in federal court in Delaware and California on Thursday underscore the potential ramifications of US District Judge Aileen Cannon's dismissal Monday of the classified documents case against Trump and the possibility that it could unsettle the legal landscape surrounding Justice Department special counsels. Both Hunter Biden and Trump were prosecuted by special counsels appointed by Attorney General Merrick Garland. In dismissing the Trump case, Cannon ruled that the appointment of the special counsel who prosecuted Trump, Jack Smith, violated the Constitution because he was appointed directly to the position by Garland instead of being nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. Smith's team has said the Justice Department followed long-establishment

Trump asks Taiwan to pay for US defence, sending TSMC's stock down

Taiwan Premier Cho Jung-tai, responding to Trump's comments, said Taiwan and the US have good relations despite the lack of formal ties, and is dedicated to bolstering its defences

Fuse of violence burning across US even before assassination bid on Trump

Long before a would-be assassin shot and wounded former President Donald Trump, the fuse of political violence had been burning across America. Members of Congress have been shot. One lawmaker's staffers in Virginia were attacked with a baseball bat. In Louisville, a bullet grazed the mayor's sweater after someone stormed into his campaign office. Someone put a tracking device on the Reno mayor's car. Officials in South Carolina received death threats over a solar panel plant. And outside Buffalo, a man threw a dummy pipe bomb through the window of a county clerk candidate's home while her family slept with a message reading: If you don't drop out of this race, the next pipe bomb will be real. There are people who've come to me and said, I contemplated running for my town office, and I could never imagine my family going through what you did, so I chose not to,' said Melissa Hartman, who was targeted in the pipe bomb episode and ran for county clerk after serving as town supervisor