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Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin to travel to India ahead of Modi's US visit

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will travel to New Delhi next week to meet his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh, the Pentagon has announced. The visit precedes Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official state visit to White House next month. Austin will visit New Delhi to meet with Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and other leaders as the United States and India continue to modernise the US-India Major Defense Partnership, the Pentagon said on Thursday, announcing the defense secretary's trip to Japan, Singapore, India and France next week. This visit provides an opportunity to accelerate new defense innovation and industrial cooperation initiatives and drive ongoing efforts to expand operational cooperation between the US and Indian militaries, the Pentagon said. Austin will begin his trip from Japan, as part of his seventh official visit to the Indo-Pacific region. In Tokyo, he plans to meet with Japanese Defense Minister Yasukasu Hamada and other senior leaders and also visit the U

New law for Veteran Affairs to hire health professionals on H1B visas

A legislation aiming at hiring foreign healthcare professionals on H-1B visas to help the United States Department of Veteran Affairs meet the medical needs of people has been introduced. The Expanding Health Care Providers for Veterans Act' was introduced by Congresswomen Rashida Tlaib and Delia Ramirez on Wednesday. If signed into a law, the legislation would make it easier for VA (veteran affairs) and State Veterans Homes to hire foreign employees on H1-B visas when they cannot find a suitable applicant in the United States. Specifically, the bill designates the Department of Veterans Affairs and State Veterans Homes as cap exempt institutions for the purposes of the H1-B visa programme. Our veterans deserve high-quality healthcare, and our district knows firsthand the importance of providing access to care, especially mental health services, for veterans who need it the most, Tlaib said. We cannot just express our gratitude to our veterans for their service to our country, we

Debt ceiling talks teeter on brink, as lawmakers leave town without a deal

House Republicans pushed debt ceiling talks to the brink Thursday, displaying risky political bravado in leaving town for the holiday weekend just days before the US could face an unprecedented default hurling the global economy into chaos. However, Speaker Kevin McCarthy also said he had directed his negotiating team to work 24/7 to solve this problem. At the Capitol, McCarthy, R-Calif., said every hour matters in talks with President Joe Biden's team as they try to work out a budget agreement. Republican are demanding spending cuts the Democrats oppose as their price for raising the legal debt limit. We've been taking to the White House all day, he told reporters in the evening. We're working hard to make it happen. In remarks at the White House, Biden said, It's about competing versions of America. Yet both men expressed optimism that the gulf between their positions could be bridged. The White House said discussions with the Republicans have been productive, including by vide

Indian-origin youth accused of ramming truck into barriers near White House

A 19-year-old Indian-origin man accused of crashing a truck into a security barrier near the White House and praising Adolf Hitler will remain in custody ahead of his detention hearing on Tuesday, a US federal judge has said. During Sai Varshith Kandula's brief initial hearing in a federal court on Wednesday, US Magistrate Judge Robin Meriweather ordered the suspect to remain detained until his detention hearing on May 30. Kandula, from the US state of Missouri, slammed the U-Haul box truck into barriers along Lafayette Square just steps from the White House late Monday. No one was injured in the crash and no explosives were found inside the rented vehicle. He had allegedly planned the attack for six months, with his goal to get to the White House, seize power, and be put in charge of the nation, records show. Kandula, a self-described unemployed data analyst, made threatening comments regarding the White House at the scene of the incident, including that he wanted to kidnap and ha

PM Modi's state visit sends message that India-US are aligned: USISPF prez

The official state visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the US on June 22 at the invitation of President Joe Biden sends a message that the two countries are aligned geopolitically, economically and technologically, according to Mukesh Aghi, president of US India Strategic and Partnership Forum. Prime Minister Modi will embark on his first state visit to the US at the invitation of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden in June. The US president and the First Lady will also host Modi at a state dinner on June 22. It sends a message (to the rest of the world) that India's growth story is for real. India is a rising power. India will be a great power one day and the world has to take India much more seriously, Aghi told PTI in an interview. I think it sends a message that these two countries are aligned geopolitically, economically and technologically and we are moving in the same direction, he said. US-India Strategic and Partnership Forum (USISPF) is a top American ...

DeSantis's presidential campaign launch on Twitter plagued with glitches

Florida Gov Ron DeSantis launched his 2024 presidential campaign on Wednesday with firm words but a disastrous Twitter announcement that did little to counter criticism that the 44-year-old Republican may not be ready to take on former President Donald Trump. While he tried to project confidence, DeSantis' unusual decision to announce his campaign in an online conversation with Twitter CEO Elon Musk ultimately backfired. The audio stream crashed repeatedly, making it virtually impossible for most users to hear the new presidential candidate in real time. American decline is not inevitable, it is a choice. And we should choose a new direction a path that will lead to American revitalization, DeSantis said on the glitchy stream, racing through his conservative accomplishments. I am running for president of the United States to lead our great American comeback." While his critics in both parties delighted in the rocky start, DeSantis' announcement marks a new chapter in his ...

PM Modi knows what posture to be taken with US: Former Indian diplomat

India and the US are poised for a "better relationship" under Prime Minister Narendra Modi due to his tremendous sense of the country's national interests and the posture to be taken with Washington since his days as a senior BJP functionary, according to a former senior Indian diplomat. The remarks by T P Sreenivasan, who was India's Deputy Ambassador to the US from 1997 to 2000 when India conducted nuclear tests in 1998 and the US slapped sanctions on the country, came ahead of Prime Minister Modi's State visit to the US in June. Prime Minister Modi will embark on his first state visit to the US at the invitation of President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden in June. The US president and the First Lady will also host Modi at a state dinner on June 22. Referring to the recent interaction between Prime Minister Modi and US President Joe Biden in Hiroshima on the sidelines of the G-7 Summit, he said much better days are ahead in the relationship. From what we have seen in Hiroshi

New Jersey firm fined for discriminatory job ads seeking only Indians

A New Jersey-based IT firm will have to pay $25,500 in civil penalties to the US for posting discriminatory job advertisements and seeking job applications only from India

Biden picks new NSA head, key to support Ukraine, defense of US elections

President Joe Biden has chosen a new leader for the National Security Agency and US Cyber Command, a joint position that oversees much of America's cyber warfare and defense. Air Force Lt. Gen. Timothy Haugh, the current deputy commander of Cyber Command, would replace Army Gen. Paul Nakasone, who has led both organizations since May 2018 and was expected to step down this year, according to a notice sent by the Air Force this week and confirmed by a person familiar with the announcement. The person spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters not yet made public. If confirmed, Haugh will take charge of highly influential U.S. efforts to bolster Ukraine's cybersecurity and share information with Ukrainian forces fighting Russia's invasion. He will also oversee programs to detect and stop foreign influence and interference in American elections, as well as those targeting criminals behind ransomware attacks that have shut down hospital systems and at one point a key ..

Russia extends arrest of US journalist Evan Gershkovich by 3 months

A Russian court on Tuesday extended the arrest of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich by three months in a closed-door hearing emblematic of the secrecy that has marked the case against the first U.S. correspondent since the Cold War to be detained in Russia on spying charges. Gershkovich, a 31-year-old American citizen, was ordered held until Aug. 30. He had been arrested in March on espionage charges on a reporting trip in Russia. He, his employer and the U.S. government have denied the charges. Tuesday's pre-trial hearing wasn't announced in advance, and the entire case has been wrapped in secrecy. Russian authorities haven't detailed what if any evidence they have gathered to support the espionage charges. Various legal proceedings have been closed to the media. No details immediately emerged about whether Gershkovich attended Tuesday's hearing or what was said. Tass said the session was closed because the reporter was accused of possession of secret materials.

Earthquake of 5.6-magnitude jolts Northern California, no damage reported

An earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale struck off the Northern California coast, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS).

G7 summit concludes amid protests against Japan-US military alliance

As more protesters took to the streets, G7 nations wrapped up their three-day gathering here, vowing to escalate sanctions against Russia amid the Ukraine crisis.

LIVE: Sonia Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge pay tribute to Rajiv Gandhi

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Quad issues principles for critical tech, clean energy in Indo-Pacific

Quad leaders announced 'Principles on Critical and Emerging Technology Standards' to promote interoperability, innovation, compatibility, inclusiveness, free and fair market competition

LIVE: RBI asks banks to stop issuing Rs 2,000 notes with immediate effect

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Kishida, Biden agree to work together in addressing issues related to China

Japanese PM Fumio Kishida held a meeting with US President Joe Biden in which the two leaders concurred on continuing to work closely together in addressing issues related to China

Country-based quota behind long Green Card wait time for India: Official

The long and agonising wait for green cards for people from India, China, Mexico and the Philippines is mainly due to the country-based quota system in its allocation which can be changed only by the US Congress, a senior official has said. 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 per-country caps are numerical limits on the issuance of green cards to individuals from certain countries. Immigration law provides for approximately 140,000 employment-based green cards to be issued each year. However, only seven per cent of those green cards can go to individuals from a single country annually. Douglas Rand, the Senior Advisor to the director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), said the annual limit established by Congress on family-sponsored preference green cards is 2,26,000 for the whole world while the ..

India, US discuss jet engines, long-range artillery ahead of Modi's visit

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's official state visit to the USA, officials of both countries have intensified their discussions on co-producing jet engines, long-range artillery and infantry vehicles under the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET). India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and US NSA Jake Sullivan launched iCET earlier this year. It was done at the direction of US President Joe Biden and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi who after their Tokyo meeting in May 2022 had announced to elevate and expand the strategic technology partnership and defence industrial cooperation between the governments, businesses and academic institutions of the two countries. At a meeting with Indian Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane at the Pentagon, US Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks termed the proposals to co-produce jet engines, long-range artillery and infantry vehicles under iCET "unprecedented opportunities" to strengthen ties between the defence

US approves extradition of 26/11 attack accused Tahawwur Rana to India

A US court has consented to the Indian request, through the US Government, for the extradition of Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana to India where he is sought for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attack. On June 10, 2020, India filed a complaint seeking the provisional arrest of 62-year-old Rana with a view towards extradition. The Biden Administration had supported and approved the extradition of Rana to India. "The Court has reviewed and considered all of the documents submitted in support of and in opposition to the Request, and has considered the arguments presented at the hearing, Judge Jacqueline Chooljian, US Magistrate Judge of the US District Court Central District of California, said in a 48-page court order dated May 16, which was released Wednesday. "Based on such review and consideration and for the reasons discussed herein, the Court makes the findings set forth below, and CERTIFIES to the Secretary of State of the United States the ...

Russian conduct unchanged with Western warships in east Med: US commander

A U.S. Navy commander said Wednesday there is no significant change in the conduct of Russian aircraft and warships toward Western naval and air assets in the eastern Mediterranean as Moscow's war in Ukraine grinds on. Cmdr. Peter C. Flynn said that Russian warplanes and naval vessels have been conducting themselves professionally, like other military forces in the region, and there's been no indication of any heightened aggression or hostility. We obviously study what is going on in theater and you know that certainly plays a role in what we do and what we prepare for, but not a significant change in the attitude of Russian forces, Flynn told The Associated Press aboard the USS Arleigh Burke. The destroyer, one of the United States' most capable warships, is docked at Cyprus' main Limassol port. Russia has a naval base in Tartus, Syria, the only such facility that Moscow has outside the former Soviet Union. In 2017, Moscow struck a deal with Syrian President Bashar Assad to extend