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US govt aware of long delays in Indian visa appointments: White House

The Biden Administration is aware of the long delays in visa appointments in India and is working to respond to the "significant demand of these visa services", the White House said Thursday. I can say that the Biden administration is aware of the issues, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at her daily news conference. She was responding to a question on the agonizing long visa appointment period at the US missions in India, which currently runs into more than 1,000 days. While we have made great strides, as you know, because you cover this very closely, in recovering from the pandemic related closures and staffing challenges, we are still working to respond to the significant demand of these visa services, Jean-Pierre said. That is something that we will continue to do. We are successfully lowering visa interview wait times, that's around the world, and we've doubled our hiring of US Foreign Service personnel to do this important work. Visa processing is

US sending additional $275 million in military aid to Ukraine: Officials

The US is sending an additional USD 275 million in military aid to Ukraine, including large amounts of ammunition and high-tech systems that can be used to detect and counter drones in its ongoing war with Russia, according to US officials. The total aid amount is smaller than most of the recent packages the US has delivered, and it comes as many military officials and experts predict a reduction in attacks during the winter. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Russia appears to be slowing its military activities to regroup and launch a new offensive when the weather warms. The officials said the latest package of aid includes 80,000 rounds of ammunition for howitzers and an undisclosed amount of ammunition for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, known as HIMARS. It also includes systems to counter drones and air defences, along with more HUMVEES, generators and other combat equipment. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the aid package prior to .

White House backs bill eliminating per country quota for green cards

The White House has supported Congress to pass a legislation that seeks to eliminate the per country quota on green cards to allow US employers to focus on hiring people based on merit, not their birthplace, a bill if passed would benefit several hundreds of thousands of immigrants specially Indian-Americans. 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. This week, the House of Representatives is scheduled to vote on the Equal Access to Green Cards for Legal Employment (EAGLE) Act of 2022. The EAGLE Act would eliminate a per-country cap on employment-based green cards a policy that disproportionately affects Indian immigrants. If passed, this legislation would phase out the per-country caps over the course of nine years to ensure that eligible immigrants from less populated countries are not excluded as the EAGLE Act is implemented. The ..

US not to put India on list of nations violating religious freedom: Report

The United States has made it clear that India will not be placed on its list of 'Countries of Particular Concern' or 'Special Watch list' this year for violations of religious freedom

US govt appeals ruling that would lift asylum restrictions for migrants

The US government said Wednesday it is appealing a court ruling that would otherwise lift asylum restrictions that have become the cornerstone of border enforcement in recent years. The enforcement rule first took effect in March 2020, denying migrants' rights to seek asylum under US and international law on grounds of preventing the spread of COVID-19. The Homeland Security Department said it would file an appeal with the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, challenging a November ruling by US District Judge Emmet Sullivan that ordered President Joe Biden's administration to lift the asylum restrictions. The restrictions were put in place under former President Donald Trump at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The practice was authorized under Title 42 of a broader 1944 law covering public health, and has been used to expel migrants more than 2.4 million times.

Hawaii prompts US National Guard as lava flow approaches main highway

The world's largest active volcano, the Mauna Loa in Hawaii, has prompted the US National Guard to help as residents and tourists flock to witness the rare scene

Jewish Americans fear collision with emerging far-right Israeli government

Israel's ties to the Jewish American community, one of its closest and most important allies, are about to be put to the test, with Israel's emerging far-right government on a collision course with Jews in the United States. Major Jewish American organisations, traditionally a bedrock of support for Israel, have expressed alarm over the far-right character of the presumptive government led by conservative Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu. Given American Jews' predominantly liberal political views and affinity for the Democratic Party, these misgivings could have a ripple effect in Washington and further widen what has become a partisan divide over support for Israel. This is a very significant crossroads, said Jeremy Ben-Ami, president of J Street, a liberal, pro-Israel group in Washington. The potential for specific actions that could be taken by this government, these are the moments when the relationship between the bulk of American Jews and the state of Israel begins to really

US approves sale of spare aircraft parts worth $425 million to Taiwan

The Biden administration on Tuesday signed off on two new significant arms sales to Taiwan in approvals that are sure to rankle China. The State Department said it had okayed sales worth more than USD 425 million of spare aircraft parts to support Taiwan's fleet of F-16 fighters, C-130 transport planes and other US-supplied weapons systems. The package includes USD 330 million in standard replacement parts and USD 98 million in non-standard equipment along with related accessories and logistics. The sales were announced just weeks after President Joe Biden met his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping for talks in Indonesia in which China's increasingly aggressive behaviour toward Taiwan was a major issue. China regards Taiwan as a renegade province and has vowed to reunify the island with the mainland by force, if necessary. It has roundly condemned previous US arms sales to Taiwan as violations of Washington's one-China policy" and is expected to react similarly to Tuesday's ...

India is world's largest democracy, home to great diversity of faiths: US

India is the world's largest democracy and home to a great diversity of faiths, the US said on Tuesday

US approves $4 billion sale of Abrams battle tanks to NATO ally Poland

The Biden administration on Tuesday approved a nearly USD 4 billion sale of advanced tanks, other combat vehicles and a large amount of assorted weaponry to NATO ally Poland at a time of heightened security concerns because of the war in neighbouring Ukraine. The State Department said it had given the OK for Poland to purchase 116 M1A1 Abrams Battle Tanks and other equipment, including tens of thousands of rounds of various ammunition, worth approximately USD 3.75 billion. At the same time, the department said it had also approved a USD 1.5 billion sale of Chinook helicopters to treaty ally South Korea. The department said both sales were in support of US national security interests and would not alter the basic military balance in either region, which are facing threats from Russia and North Korea. The Abrams tank purchase by Poland will support the foreign policy goals and national security objectives of the United States by improving the security of a NATO ally that is a force f

US court dismisses lawsuit against Saudi prince over journalist's killing

A US federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in the killing of US-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi, bowing to the Biden administration's insistence that the prince was legally immune in the case. District of Columbia US District Judge John D Bates heeded the US government's motion to shield Prince Mohammed from the lawsuit despite what Bates called credible allegations of his involvement in Khashoggi's murder. A team of Saudi officials killed Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in 2018. Khashoggi, a columnist for The Washington Post, had written critically of the harsh ways of Prince Mohammed, Saudi Arabia's de facto ruler. The US intelligence community concluded the Saudi crown prince ordered the operation against Khashoggi. The killing opened a rift between the Biden administration and Saudi Arabia that the administration has tried in recent months to close, as the US unsuccessfully urged the kingdom to undo oil ...

DOJ subpoenas state election officials for communication with Donald Trump

Special counsel Jack Smith has subpoenaed officials in Wisconsin, Michigan and Arizona, asking for communications with or involving former President Donald Trump, his campaign aides and a list of allies involved in his efforts to try to overturn the results of the 2020 election. The requests, issued to Milwaukee and Dane counties in Wisconsin; Wayne County, Michigan; and Maricopa County, Arizona, are the first known subpoenas by Smith, who was named special counsel last month by Attorney General Merrick Garland. Smith is overseeing the Justice Department's investigation into the presence of classified documents at Trump's Florida estate as well as key aspects of a separate probe involving the violent storming of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and Trump's frantic efforts to remain in power. The subpoenas, first reported by The Washington Post, are the clearest indication yet that Smith's work will include an examination of the fake electors that were part of Trump's efforts to subvert

Trump did not disclose $19.8 mn loan he got as prez from Daewoo: Report

Former US President Donald Trump did not disclose publicly he got a loan of $19.8 million from Daewoo, a company with ties to North Korea, which he should have reported in public financial disclosures

Biden administration's efforts to protect abortion access hit roadblocks

The Biden administration is still actively searching for ways to safeguard abortion access for millions of women, even as it bumps up against a complex web of strict new state laws enacted in the months after the Supreme Court stripped the constitutional right. Looking to seize on momentum following a midterm election where voters widely rebuked tougher abortion restrictions, there's a renewed push at the White House to find ways to help women in states that have virtually outlawed or limited the treatment, and to keep the issue top of mind for voters. In reality, though, the administration is shackled by a ban on federal funding for most abortions, a conservative-leaning Supreme Court inclined to rule against abortion rights and a split Congress unwilling to pass legislation on the matter. Meanwhile, frustration on the ground in the most abortion-restricted states is mounting. This is not going away anytime soon," said Jen Klein of the Biden administration's Gender Policy Council.

Uber Eats to pay millions for listing US restaurants on app without consent

Ride-hailing major Uber will pay millions of dollars as settlement with the City of Chicago in the US for listing local restaurants in food delivery apps Uber Eats without consent

Will expand temporary legal status for Haitians residing in country: US

The Biden administration said Monday that it would expand temporary legal status for Haitians already living in the United States, determining conditions in the Caribbean nation were too dangerous for their forced return. The Homeland Security Department said Haitians who were in the United States November 6 could apply for Temporary Protected Status and those who were granted it last year could stay an additional 18 months until August 3, 2024. The administration has extended temporary status for several countries and expanded or introduced it for Haiti, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Myanmar, Cameroon and Venezuela, reversing a Trump-era trend to cut back on protections for those already in the United States. TPS, which typically comes with authorisation to work, may be extended in increments up to 18 months for countries struck by natural disasters or civil strife. Haiti has seen increasingly brazen attacks by gangs that have grown more powerful since the July 2021 assassination of ...

US sees nearly 4,200 daily Covid-19 hospitalisations amid winter surge

The daily average of Covid-19 hospitalisations rose again in the US amid winter surge, according to the latest data of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Former FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried to testify before US House committee

The U.S. House Financial Services Committee plans to hold a hearing in December to investigate the collapse of FTX and expects to hear from the companies and individuals involved in it

India-G7 JETP stuck over coal, Centre's insistence on own transition plan

RE, tech transfer & green jobs on India's agenda, Germany & the US to co-lead the negotiations

Netherlands eliminates US by 3-1 to enter Fifa World Cup quarterfinals

Memphis Depay and Daley Blind scored in the first half and Denzil Dumfries added a late goal as the Netherlands eliminated the United States from the World Cup with a 3-1 victory Saturday that advanced the Dutch to the quarterfinals. Second-half subsitute Haji Wright cut the U.S. deficit to 2-1 in the 76th minute when Christian Pulisic's cross hit his trailing foot and popped over goalkeeper Andries Noppert and into the net. But Dumfries, who assisted on the first two goals, scored on a volley in the 81st. Runners-up in 1974, 1978 and 2010, the Oranje extended their unbeaten streak to 19 games and face Argentina or Australia on Friday.