Page 3 - Washington

US, Indo-Pacific partners agree to strengthen maritime cooperation

The United States. Australia, India and Japan have agreed to expand their cooperation on maritime security in the Indo-Pacific and further collaborate on supplies of critical minerals and rare earths that are key components of high-tech production. The foreign ministers of the four countries, known as the "Quad", met in Washington on Tuesday as the Trump administration seeks to expand US influence in the Indo-Pacific to compete with a rising China amid tensions with partners over trade and defense issues. In a joint meeting with his three colleagues, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the Quad must be a vehicle for action that goes beyond statements of intent and stressed that commerce and trade will be critical to ensuring the group's relevance in the future. To that end, the four announced in a statement the creation of a Quad Critical Minerals Initiative that aims to strengthen economic security and collective resilience by collaborating on securing and diversifying critical ...

Jaishankar arrives in DC, set to attend QUAD foreign ministers meeting

During the meeting, the leaders will build upon the discussions held during the last QFMM, which took place in Washington, DC on January 21

QUAD to reiterate commitment to free Indo-Pacific: US State Dept official

S Jaishankar is visiting the US at the invitation of US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio to participate in the QUAD Foreign Minister's Meeting, the MEA, said in an official statement

US deports 70-year-old Egyptian man after he kicks CBP dog at airport

The accused, Hamed Ramadan Bayoumy Aly Marie, pleaded guilty to kicking Freddie, who works with the CBP to detect smuggled agricultural products at Washington Dulles International Airport

Washington Post probes hacking attempts on journalists' email accounts

The attack was first reported by the Wall Street Journal, which cited unnamed sources as saying the hack was potentially the work of a foreign government

DC prepares for Trump's parade with 18 miles of fencing, 175 magnetometers

As the nation's capital cleans up from the culmination of World Pride this past weekend, focus now shifts to a very different massive event Saturday's military parade to honour the 250th birthday of the Army and the 79th birthday of President Donald Trump. "We're preparing for an enormous turnout," said Matt McCool of the Secret Service's Washington Field office, who said more than 18 miles of "anti-scale fencing" would be erected and "multiple drones" would be in the air. The entire District of Columbia is normally a no-fly zone for drones. Army officials have estimated around 2,00,000 attendees for the evening military parade, and McCool said he was prepared for "hundreds of thousands" of people. "We have a tonne of magnetometers," he said. "If a million people show up, then we're going to have some lines." A total of 175 magnetometers would be used at security checkpoints controlling access to the daytime birthday festival and the nighttime parade. Metropolitan Police Departmen

Trump urges senators to sign his big bill of tax breaks into law by July 4

President Donald Trump wants his big, beautiful bill of tax breaks and spending cuts on his desk to be signed into law by the Fourth of July, and he's pushing the slow-rolling Senate to make it happen sooner rather than later. Trump met with Senate Majority Leader John Thune at the White House earlier this week and has been dialling senators for one-on-one chats, using both the carrot and stick to nudge, badger and encourage them to act. But it's still a long road ahead for the 1,000-page-plus package. His question to me was, How do you think the bill's going to go in the Senate? Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., said about his call with Trump. Do you think there's going to be problems? It's a potentially tumultuous three-week sprint for senators preparing to put their own imprint on the massive Republican package that cleared the House late last month by a single vote. The senators have been meeting for weeks behind closed doors, including as they returned to Washington late Monday, to revi

At least 7 injured in shooting at park in Washington state: Police

Seven people were shot and wounded at a park near Tacoma, Washington, where more than 100 people were gathered when the gunfire erupted, police said. Police detectives believe a dispute between two groups escalated to gunshots on Wednesday evening, Lakewood Police Sgt Charles Porche said. Investigators don't know how many shooters were involved or whether the victims were targeted, he said. No arrests were made in the immediate aftermath of the shooting. Unfortunately, there were unintended/uninvolved victims struck during this careless act of violence, Porche said in a news release. Detectives will continue to sort through the information gathered to hold those involved accountable for their actions. The police spokesman said the victims ranged from a 16-year-old female, who was in stable condition, to a 38-year-old male who was the only person still in critical condition on Thursday. He added that two others were in serious condition and the rest stable. Officers found a very

Possibility of interim trade deal between India, US by June 25: Report

With a team of US officials expecting to visit India next month for trade talks, there is a possibility that the two countries may agree on an interim trade pact by June 25, sources said. "Talks are moving. Things are on track," they said. India's chief negotiator, Special Secretary in the Department of Commerce Rajesh Agrawal, concluded his four-day visit to Washington last week. He held talks with his US counterpart on the proposed agreement. Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal was also in Washington last week to give an impetus to trade talks. He met with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick twice during his visit. Both sides are looking at an interim trade deal before the first tranche of the proposed bilateral trade agreement (BTA) as the USA's 26 per cent reciprocal tariff on India is suspended till July 9 this year. It was imposed by the US on April 2. However, Indian goods still attract the 10 per cent baseline tariff imposed by America. In the interim trade deal,

Israeli PM Netanyahu condemns diplomat killings, thanks US for support

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed strong condemnation of the cold-blooded murder of two Israeli diplomats in the US.In his remarks delivered via a video message shared on X, the Israeli PM said, "Last night in Washington something horrific happened. A brutal terrorist shot in cold blood a young beautiful couple - Yaron Lischinsky and Sara Milgrim. Yaron had just bought an engagement ring for Sarah. He was planning to give it to her in Jerusalem next week. They were planning to start a new and happy life together. Well, that tragically did not happen. Yaron and Sarah weren't the victims of a random crime. The terrorist who cruelly gunned them down did so for one reason and one reason alone - he wanted to kill Jews."He debunked the claims of food aid not reaching Gaza with facts and figures.In a significant announcement, the Israeli PM said, "As for the hostages, we'll do every effort to secure them. I'm ready for a temporary ceasefire to get more out but we demand, ...

Two Israeli embassy staff shot dead near Jewish museum in Washington

Two Israeli embassy staff were shot and killed near the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, in what officials are calling an anti-Semitic terror attack

India-US trade agreement talks to resume May 17 with ministerial oversight

India and US trade ministers will meet in Washington from May 17 to assess progress on the bilateral trade agreement, provide political direction, and advance talks toward a broader trade pact

FBI likely to disband one of its Washington-based public corruption squads

The FBI is disbanding a Washington-based squad that investigates allegations of fraud and public corruption against members of Congress and other federal officials, people familiar with the matter said Thursday. The move is part of a broader reorganization of the FBI's Washington field office, said one FBI official familiar with the plans, adding that the bureau would continue to pursue investigations into alleged corruption by public officials. It was not immediately clear where the agents on the squad might be reassigned, though the office does have other squads focused on public corruption in the District of Columbia and Virginia. The people who confirmed the FBI's decision insisted on anonymity to discuss personnel changes that had not been previously announced. The action comes as the Trump administration has overhauled its approach to enforcement of public corruption, including by moving to dramatically slash the size of a prestigious section of Justice Department prosecutors

India-US trade pact talks moving forward smoothly: Commerce Secretary

India and the US are making steady progress on a bilateral trade deal, with high-level talks scheduled in Washington as both nations explore early wins and deeper economic cooperation

Indian-origin techie among 3 killed in tragic climbing accident in US

Indian-origin techie Vishnu Irigireddy was among the three persons killed in a tragic climbing accident in Washington state's North Cascades Range of western North America. Vishnu, 48, a resident of Seattle, was attempting to climb North Early Winters Spire area of the Cascades along with his three friends, Tim Nguyen, 63, Oleksander Martynenko, 36 and Anton Tselykh, 38, on Saturday when the accident happened, NBC News reported. The group noticed a storm coming and started to retreat when at some point during their descent, the team's anchor point failed and sent the group plunging 200 feet down, Climbing website reported. Tselykh, the sole surviving climber, miraculously survived the dangerous fall and drove 64 kilometres to inform the authorities about the accident that killed his three friends. Vishnu's friends and family describe him as an experienced climber who found joy and purpose in nature. Originally from India and a proud member of Seattle's vibrant tech and cultural ..

Hotline between military, Washington air traffic controllers down for 3 yrs

A hotline between military and civilian air traffic controllers in Washington, D.C., that hasn't worked for more than three years may have contributed to another near miss shortly after the US Army resumed flying helicopters in the area for the first time since January's deadly midair collision between a passenger jet and a Black Hawk helicopter, Sen. Ted Cruz said at a hearing Wednesday. The Federal Aviation Administration official in charge of air traffic controllers, Frank McIntosh, confirmed the agency didn't even know the hotline hadn't been working since March 2022 until after the latest near miss. He said civilian controllers still have other means of communicating with their military counterparts through landlines. Still, the FAA insists the hotline be fixed before helicopter flights resume around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Defence department officials didn't immediately respond to questions Wednesday about the near miss earlier this month and the steps it is

Goyal to lead team of officials to Washington for trade talks from May 16

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal will lead a team of senior Indian officials to Washington starting May 16 for discussions with their US counterparts on the proposed bilateral trade agreement (BTA), an official said on Tuesday. Goyal is expected to hold meetings with US Trade Representative (USTR) Jamieson Greer and US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick during his visit. The four-day talks come against the backdrop of both countries exploring the possibility of an interim trade arrangement in goods to secure "early mutual wins" ahead of finalising the first phase of the trade agreement by fall (September-October) this year. Through these discussions, officials from New Delhi and Washington aim to take advantage of the 90-day tariff pause window to advance the talks. The US has suspended the additional 26 per cent tariffs on India till July 9. It was announced on April 2 to bridge the widening trade deficit. However, the 10 per cent baseline tariff imposed on the countrie

Trump to withdraw Ed Martin nomination for DC US Attorney amid concerns

President Donald Trump said Thursday that he would pull his nomination of Ed Martin Jr. to be the top federal prosecutor for the nation's capital, bowing to bipartisan concerns about the conservative activist's modest legal experience and divisive politics. Trump abandoned his pick to lead the nation's largest US Attorney's office two days after a key Republican senator said he could not support Martin for the job due to his defence of rioters who stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021. He's a terrific person, and he wasn't getting the support from people that I thought, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office when asked about the status of Martin's confirmation. He later added: But we have somebody else that will be great, indicating the announcement will be made in the next two days. Trump said he still wants to bring Martin into the administration, whether at the Justice Department or elsewhere, and signalled that he had little capacity to call on-the-fence senators to lobby them

Washington lawyer sues Trump admin over revocation of security clearance

A prominent Washington attorney sued the Trump administration Monday over the revocation of his security clearance, calling it an act of improper political retribution that jeopardizes his ability to continue representing clients in sensitive national security cases. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington, challenges a March presidential memorandum that singled out attorney Mark Zaid and 14 other individuals who the White House asserted were unsuitable to retain their clearances because it was no longer in the national interest. The list included targets of Trump's fury from both the political and legal spheres, including former Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, New York Attorney General Letitia James, former President Joe Biden and members of his family. The action was part of a much broader retribution campaign that Trump has waged since returning to the White House, including by directing specific Justice Department investigations against perceived adversaries and ..

US Army pauses helicopter flights near Washington airport after close calls

The Army is pausing helicopter flights near a Washington airport after two commercial planes had to abort landings last week because of an Army Black Hawk helicopter that was flying to the Pentagon. The commander of the 12th Aviation Battalion directed the unit to pause helicopter flight operations around Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport following Thursday's close calls, two Army officials confirmed to The Associated Press on Monday. One official said the flights have been paused since Friday. The pause comes after 67 people died in January when a passenger jet collided in midair with a Black Hawk helicopter at Reagan airport. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details that were not publicly announced. The unit is continuing to fly in the greater Washington, D.C., region. The unit had begun a return to flight within the last week, with plans to gradually increase the number of flights over the next four weeks, according to an Army document viewed