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US registers 50% increase in weekly Covid-19 cases among children

About 41,000 child Covid-19 cases were reported in the US in the week ending December 8, an increase of about 50 per cent over the weekly average in the previous eight weeks

US plans for more migrant releases when asylum restrictions end next week

The Department of Homeland Security said more migrants may be released into the United States to pursue immigration cases when Trump-era asylum restrictions end next week in one of its most detailed assessments ahead of the major policy shift. The department reported faster processing for migrants in custody on the border, more temporary detention tents, staffing surges and increased criminal prosecutions of smugglers, noting progress on a plan announced in April. But the seven-page document dated Tuesday included no major structural changes amid unusually large numbers of migrants entering the country. More are expected with the end of Title 42 authority, under which migrants have been denied rights to seek asylum more than 2.5 million times on grounds of preventing spread of COVID-19. A federal judge in Washington ordered Title 42 to end December 21 but Republican-led states asked an appeals court to keep it in place. The Biden administration has also challenged some aspects of

US, Africa seal $15 billion in trade investments during Washington summit

The United States committed to $15 billion worth of two-way trade deals with several countries in Africa during a summit in Washington this week, the White House said on Wednesday

Twitter must tell fired workers about severance lawsuit, says US judge

Filed by a handful of workers, the suit alleges Twitter failed to give the required 60 to 90 days notice about the mass layoffs and is shortchanging the former employees on severance pay

Biden administration proposes ban on misleading Medicare Advantage ads

The Biden administration on Wednesday proposed a ban on misleading ads for Medicare Advantage plans that have targeted older Americans and, in some cases, convinced them to sign up for plans that don't cover their doctors or prescriptions. The rule, proposed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, would ban ads that market Medicare Advantage plans with confusing words, imagery or logos. The rule also would ban ads that don't specifically mention a health insurance plan by name. It's an aggressive step to tackle a growing problem in the Medicare Advantage marketplace, a booming business that offers privately run versions of the government's Medicare program for people who are 65 and older or have disabilities. Nearly half of all Medicare enrollees about 28 million are now turning to Medicare Advantage plans. And some have been deceived by television commercials, online ads and mailers put out by the marketing agencies and brokers that some insurers have hired to win over

US charges 7 Russian nationals with military tech plot on govt orders

The US has charged five Russian nationals, including a suspected Federal Security Service (FSB) officer for allegedly conspiring to obtain military-grade and dual-use technologies from US companies

US lawmakers introduce bipartisan legislation to ban Chinese app TikTok

US Senator Marco Rubio introduced bipartisan legislation to ban the Chinese social media platform TikTok from operating in the United States

EU moves closer to new data transfer deal over spying concerns with US

The European Union moved closer to a clinching a revamped deal over transatlantic data transfers aimed at resolving concerns about U.S. spying with a draft decision that confirms comparable safeguards to those in the EU, which has stringent privacy rules. The EU's executive Commission released its draft decision approving the pact Tuesday, which follows a breakthrough preliminary agreement in March between Brussels and Washington to resolve a yearslong battle over the privacy of EU citizens' data that businesses routinely store in the U.S. That breakthrough was hailed by business groups, which said it will provide certainty to thousands of companies, including tech giants like Google and Facebook, sending data between Europe, which has stricter data privacy regulations, and the comparatively lax U.S., which lacks a comprehensive federal privacy law. Frictions over the transfers had raised the prospect that companies might need to keep European data out of the U.S. We are now confid

Massive US storm brings tornadoes to South, areas under blizzard threat

A massive storm blowing across the country spawned tornadoes that wrecked homes and injured a handful of people in parts of Oklahoma and Texas, including the Dallas-Fort Worth area, as much of the central United States from the Rocky Mountains to the Midwest braced Tuesday for blizzard-like conditions. An area stretching from Montana into western Nebraska and Colorado was under blizzard warnings, and the National Weather Service said that as much as 2 feet (61 centimeters) of snow was possible in some areas of western South Dakota and northwestern Nebraska. Ice and sleet were expected in the eastern Great Plains. In the south, a line of thunderstorms that moved across North Texas and Oklahoma in the early morning hours brought tornadoes, damaging winds, hail and heavy rain, said National Weather Service meteorologist Tom Bradshaw. Authorities on Tuesday reported dozens of damaged homes and businesses and several people injured. In the Fort Worth suburbs, photos sent by the North ...

Investors see growth in Asian equities, currencies as US CPI eases

The consumer price index reading supports forecasts for the Federal Reserve to reduce the pace of monetary tightening

Biden signs gay marriage law, calls it 'a blow against hate in all forms'

A celebratory crowd of thousands bundled up on a raw Tuesday afternoon to watch President Joe Biden sign gay marriage legislation into law, a joyful ceremony that was tempered by the backdrop of an ongoing conservative backlash over gender issues. This law and the love it defends strike a blow against hate in all its forms, Biden said on the South Lawn of the White House. And that's why this law matters to every single American. Singers Sam Smith and Cyndi Lauper performed. Vice President Kamala Harris recalled officiating at a lesbian wedding in San Francisco. And the White House played a recording of Biden's television interview from a decade ago, when he caused a political furor by unexpectedly disclosing his support for gay marriage. Biden was vice president at the time, and President Barack Obama had not yet endorsed the idea. I got in trouble, Biden joked of that moment. Three days later, Obama himself publicly endorsed gay marriage. Lawmakers from both parties attended ...

USDA announces another climate-smart agriculture project worth $325 million

The federal government on Monday announced another $325 million for agricultural projects that are intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The latest list of 71 recipients for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Climate-Smart Commodities programme primarily involve small and underserved farmers and ranchers. The payments follow $2.8 billion awarded in September to 70 projects, mostly larger-scale efforts backed by universities, businesses and agricultural groups. USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the latest round of funding at Tuskegee University, a historically Black college in Alabama, saying it's vital that small operations benefit from the programme. It's important that we send a message that it's not about the size of your operation, that you don't only benefit from the programmes like this if you're a large-scale producer, Vilsack told The Associated Press. If you're a producer that historically has not been able to participate fully and completely in programmes at

Elon Musk's attacks on Anthony Fauci 'disgusting,' says White House

Musk in a tweet on Sunday mocked the use of gender pronouns and called for Fauci to be prosecuted. "My pronouns are Prosecute/Fauci," he wrote

China casts long shadow over US-Africa Leaders Summit in Washington

With dozens of African leaders descending on Washington this week, the Biden administration is offering a not-so-subtle pitch in its economic competition with China on the continent: The US offers a better option to African partners. Ahead of Tuesday's start of the three-day US-Africa Leaders Summit, Deputy Commerce Secretary Don Graves acknowledged that the US has fallen behind as China has surged past American foreign direct investment in Africa but argued that the US remains the partner of choice in Africa. We took our eye off the ball so to speak, and US investors and companies are having to play catch up, Graves said at an event hosted by the news outlet Semafor. He added, We're bringing the best technologies and innovations, the highest standards.... The US helps to build capacity in our partner countries as opposed to exploiting those countries. Heads of states from 49 African nations and the African Union have been invited to take part in the summit that has been billed as a

Biden aims to narrow trust gap with US-Africa leaders summit

President Joe Biden is set to play host to dozens of African leaders in Washington this week as the White House looks to narrow a gaping trust gap with Africa one that has grown wider over years of frustration about America's commitment to the continent. In the lead-up to the three-day U.S-Africa Leaders Summit that begins Tuesday, Biden administration officials played down their increasing concern about the clout of China and Russia in Africa, which is home to more than 1.3 billion people. Instead, administration officials tried to put the focus on their efforts to improve cooperation with African leaders. This summit is an opportunity to deepen the many partnerships we have on the African continent, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said when asked about the shadow that China and Russia cast on the meetings. We will focus on our efforts to strengthen these partnerships across a wide range of sectors spanning from businesses to health to peace and security, but our .

Markets to track inflation data, US Fed rate decision this week: Analysts

The trading activity in the domestic equity market this week will be largely driven by a host of macroeconomic data announcements and the US Fed interest rate decision, analysts said. Industrial Production data and retail inflation rate are scheduled to be announced on Monday. Besides, wholesale inflation data will be released on Wednesday. "This week is going to be crucial in terms of global cues, where the US inflation numbers and the outcome of US Fed policy decision will be the most important events for the market. "On the domestic front, our industrial production and retail inflation numbers will be announced on December 12, while wholesale inflation numbers will be announced on December 14," said Santosh Meena, Head of Research, Swastika Investmart Ltd. Apart from this, news flows from China, the movement of crude oil prices and the dollar index will be other important factors. Institutional flows also need to be watched, as FIIs have been net sellers for the past week, Meena

FTX collapse: US asks companies to disclose involvement with crypto firms

In wake of the collapse of crypto exchange FTX, the US Securities and Exchange Commission has directed publicly-traded companies to tell about their involvement with struggling cryptocurrency firms

India-US ties not built on anxiety around China: White House official

The diplomatic relationship between India and the United States is not just based on mutual concern over China but a deeper understanding of the synergies, a White House official has said

India will not be a US ally, it will be another great power: White House

India, which has a unique strategic character, will not be an ally of the US, but another great power, a top White House official has said, asserting there is no other bilateral relationship that is being "deepened and strengthened" more rapidly than between the two countries over the last 20 years. Responding to a question on India during his appearance at the Aspen Security Forum meeting here on Thursday, Kurt Campbell, the White House Asia Coordinator, said that in his view India is the most important bilateral relationship for the United States in the 21st century. The fact is, I don't know of any bilateral relationship that is being deepened and strengthened more rapidly than the United States and India over the last 20 years, he told a Washington audience. The United States needs to invest even more of its capacity, and build in people-to-people ties, working together on technology and other issues, he said. India has a unique strategic character. It will not be an ally of th

Indian national pleads guilty to illegally entering US after being deported

An Indian national Thursday pleaded guilty before a court that he illegally entered the United States after he was deported from the country two years ago. Ashok Kumar Prahladbhai Patel, 40, could face imprisonment of up to two years. Sentencing is scheduled for April 5, 2023. According to the court documents, Patel, an Indian national, appeared before US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers on November 24, 2021 at the Henry E Rohlsen Airport in St Croix for pre-boarding inspection for his flight to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. During his inspection, Patel presented a fraudulent Florida driver's license, the Department of Justice said. The officers then conducted a database inquiry which revealed that on August 17, 2019, Patel was apprehended and detained by the CBP in Tecate, California, and was processed for expedited removal, it said. Patel was subsequently removed from the United States to India on November 21, 2019. After his removal, Patel did not obtain express consent