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Sanctioned Russian LNG tanker attempts to transfer cargo to another ship

Pioneer vessel appears to stop next to another LNG ship in an apparent ship-to-ship transfer

US plans closer relations with Taiwan after Palau reports Chinese coercion

Meanwhile, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan will be travelling to China next week to hold talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the White House said in a statement

US approves sale of Anti-Submarine Warfare Sonobuoys to India for $52.8 mn

Notably, the Defence Security Cooperation Agency is an agency within the United States Department of Defence

US sanctions hundreds of firms accused of supplying war machine for Russia

The US imposed sweeping sanctions Friday on hundreds of firms in Russia and across Europe, Asia and the Middle East, accusing them of providing products and services that enable Russia's war effort and aiding its ability to evade sanctions. Among those sanctioned by the Treasury Department were 60 Russian-based technology and defense companies, including three Russian financial tech companies. Also sanctioned were firms in Turkiye, France and Hong Kong that act as suppliers to Russia-based Promtekh, a wholesale distributor of transportation equipment, and an ammunition procurement network connected to Italian and Turkish nationals, who also face sanctions. Friday's action is the latest in a series of thousands of US sanctions that have been imposed on Russian firms and their suppliers in other nations since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. The effectiveness of the sanctions has been questioned, especially as Russia has continued to support its economy by selling oil and

PM Modi going to Ukraine can help in ending conflict: White House

Calling India strong partner of US, White House representative Kirby said that PM Modi going to Kyiv, having conversations with Zelenskyy about where it ends, and how can help to get an end to war

Harris supports Israel ceasefire deal, terms Gaza suffering "heartbreaking"

"What has happened in Gaza over the past 10 months is devastating. So many innocent lives lost. Desperate, hungry people fleeing for safety over and over again. The scale of suffering is heartbreaking

Canadian freight rail halt likely to roil North American supply chains

Canadian National Railway Co and Canadian Pacific Kansas City have said their rail networks south of border will continue to operate, but industry groups fear work stop would have far-reaching effects

Egypt, Qatar, US announce new round of talks to decide on Gaza ceasefire

The United States, with the support of Qatar and Egypt, presented on Friday a proposal that narrows the gaps between them and aligns with the principles set out by President Biden

Kremlin aide says Nato and West helped Ukraine attack Russian territory

The United States and Western powers, eager to avoid direct confrontation with Russia, said Ukraine had not given advance notice and that Washington was not involved, though weaponry provided by Brit

We welcome B'desh govt's focus on minorities, in touch with India too: US

Even as it welcomed the new Bangladesh government's focus on the protection of minority communities, the US has said it is in touch with India and other countries in the region on the situation in the country while seeking an end to the violence there. Amid continued reports on targeted attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, especially the Hindus along with the destruction of temples and their properties after August 5 when Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled to India, several influential US Congressmen have requested the Biden administration to look into these attacks. Chief Advisor to the interim government Yunus Muhammad, who took charge on August 8, met the distressed community at the famous Dhakeshwari temple in Dhaka on Tuesday and assured them that his government would punish the perpetrators. During his daily news conference on Wednesday, US State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel welcomed Yunus' statement calling for calm and an end to the recent violence. We welcome t

Richard Verma now US Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery

Indian-American Richard Verma, who serves as the Deputy Secretary of State for Management & Resources, has been entrusted with an additional task of helping in rebuilding the war-ravaged Ukraine. US Secretary of State Tony Blinken has named him as the US Special Representative for Ukraine's Economic Recovery, in addition to his current position, which is the number two position in the State Department. Verma, the former US Ambassador to India, is the highest ranking Indian-American ever in the State Department. "Deputy Secretary for Resources and Management Rich Verma is going to be carrying on the work that Special Envoy Penny Pritzker has started when it comes to reconstruction and economic issues as it relates to our Ukrainian partners," State Department Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters at his daily news conference here on Wednesday. Pritzker, who served as the Commerce Secretary during the Obama Administration, left the position of US Special Representative for .

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 ..