Page 4 - Washington

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

Ignored warnings, missed signals: What led to Washington midair collision

Pilot error, ignored warnings, and communication failures blamed for the deadly mid-air collision over Washington that killed 67, indicates an investigation

Moscow, Washington narrow Ukraine peace deal gaps in high-level talks

Moscow and Washington have managed to narrow differences on not only the Ukraine peace deal but also on many other issues after three hours of talk with the visiting US special envoy Steve Whitkoff on Friday, a top Kremlin aide said. Whitkoff had his fourth round of negotiations with President Vladimir Putin assisted by Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov and foreign investments chief Kiril Dmitreyev. Three hours long talks between special envoy Steve Whitkoff with President Vladimir Putin made it possible to further bring Moscow and Washington's positions closer together not only on Ukraine, but also on other international issues, Ushkov said. Describing the Putin-Whitkoff meeting as constructive and useful, Ushakov said the possibility of direct Russia-Ukraine negotiations was also discussed. The US and Russia have agreed to carry forward their productive dialogue in the most active mode, local media reported.

Trump to join top advisers for White House talks on trade with Japan

President Donald Trump said he's joining some of his top economic advisers on Wednesday for negotiations at the White House over tariffs and trade with a top Japanese official who is travelling to Washington for the talks. The Republican president said in a post on his social media platform that he'll attend the meeting alongside Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, top economic advisers with a central role in his trade and tariff policies. Trump recently announced a round of global tariffs but then quickly put them on hold for 90 days after the markets tanked and fears of a recession mounted. He left steep tariffs in place against China. The move put Japan's 24 per cent across-the-board tariff on hold, but a 10 per cent baseline tariff and a 25 per cent tariff on cars, auto parts, steel and aluminum exports to the US remain in place. US economic rival China, meanwhile, is trying to capitalise on the turmoil around Trump's announcements, with its

India-US trade talks conclude, sector expert-level round to start soon

The next level of the proposed bilateral trade agreement will be held virtually, eventually looking to finalising the broad contours of trade deal; meanwhile, the threat of reciprocal tariffs kicking

Shadowy China network trying to lure fired US govt workers, shows research

The news agency's attempts to track down the four companies and Smiao Intelligence ran into numerous dead-ends including unanswered phone calls, phone numbers that no longer work

Who is Rasha Alawieh, the doctor US deported over pics of Hassan Nasrallah?

Rasha Alawieh was reportedly held for at least 36 hours before being deported to Lebanon on Saturday, despite a federal judge's order to delay her removal

Didn't want PM Modi, others to see tents, potholes in Washington DC: Trump

US President Donald Trump said he did not want Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other world leaders who visited him to see the tents and graffiti near federal buildings in Washington DC and has ordered the cleaning up of the American capital. "We're cleaning up our city. We're cleaning up this great capital, and we're not going to have crime, and we're not going to stand for crime, and we're going to take the graffiti down, and we're already taking the tents down, and we're working with the administration," Trump said Friday in remarks at the Department of Justice. He said so far the Mayor of Washington DC Muriel Bowser has been doing a good job cleaning up the capital. We said there are tents galore right opposite the State Department. They have to come down. And they took them down right away. And so so far, so good. We want to have a capital that can be the talk of the world," Trump said. "When Prime Minister Modi of India, the President of France, and all of these people Prime

Washington DC to remove 'Black Lives Matter' painting near WH: Mayor

The nation's capital city will remove the large painting of the words Black Lives Matter on a street one block from the White House as Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser struggles to fend off threats of encroachment from both President Donald Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress. Bowser pointed to the change on the social platform X on Tuesday, writing: The mural inspired millions of people and helped our city through a painful period, but now we can't afford to be distracted by meaningless congressional interference. The devastating impacts of the federal job cuts must be our number one concern. The move shows Bowser's striking shift in tone toward Trump and congressional Republicans since the president's first term in office. Bowser, a Democrat, ordered the painting and renamed the intersection Black Lives Matter Plaza as a public act of defiance in June 2020. It came after days of chaotic protests at that location over police brutality following the killing of George Floyd by

Trump backs congressional GOP push for federal govt takeover of DC

President Donald Trump on Wednesday threw his support behind congressional efforts for a federal takeover of the nation's capital, saying he approves putting the District of Columbia back under direct federal control. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump complained about crime and homelessness in the district, saying, I think we should take over Washington, D.C. make it safe. He added, "I think that we should govern District of Columbia. Under terms of the city's Home Rule authority, Congress already vets all D.C. laws and can outright overturn them. Some congressional Republicans have sought to go further, eroding decades of the city's limited autonomy and putting it back under direct federal control, as it was at its founding. Trump said he liked District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser personally, but complained about the city's governance. They're not doing the job, Trump said. Too much crime, too much too many tents on the lawns these magnificent lawns. He arg

IRS plans to lay off 7K probationary workers across US starting today

The IRS will lay off roughly 7,000 workers in Washington and around the country beginning on Thursday, a person familiar with the plans told AP. The layoffs affect probationary employees with roughly one year or less of service at the agency and largely include workers in compliance departments, according to the person, who was not authorised to disclose the plans and spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday. Compliance work includes ensuring that taxpayers are abiding by the tax code, filing their returns and paying their taxes, among other duties. The layoffs are part of the Trump administration's intensified efforts to shrink the size of the federal workforce through the Department of Government Efficiency by ordering agencies to lay off nearly all probationary employees who have not yet gained civil service protection. They come despite IRS employees involved in the 2025 tax season being told earlier this month that they would not be allowed to accept a buyout offer from the ...

Presidents Day 2025: What's open and closed on Washington's birthday?

This year, Presidents Day 2025 falls on Feb 17. Originally dedicated to George Washington, it now honors Lincoln as well as Washington. Federal offices and banks are closed, however, shops are opened

Plane carrying Marco Rubio forced to return to US ahead of Europe trip

An Air Force plane carrying Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman, Sen Jim Risch, to Germany for the Munich Security Conference was forced to return to Washington late Thursday after developing a mechanical issue. This evening, en route from Washington to Munich, the plane on which Secretary Rubio is flying experienced a mechanical issue, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said. "The plane has turned around and is returning to Joint Base Andrews, she said. The secretary intends to continue his travel to Germany and the Middle East on a separate air craft. The issue with what one official said had to do with the cockpit windshield on the C-32, a converted Boeing 757, occurred about 90 minutes after the flight took off from Joint Base Andrews outside of Washington. Although Rubio plans to resume his journey on a new plane it was not immediately clear if the delay would cause him to miss a scheduled Friday morning meeting with Vice Presid

PM Modi arrives in Washington DC to rousing welcome by Indian diaspora

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received a rousing welcome from members of the Indian-American diaspora when he reached Blair House, the President's Guest House. Prime Minister Modi arrived in the US on Wednesday where he will meet President Donald Trump on Thursday for his bilateral meeting after last month's inauguration ceremony. As he reached Blair House, the President's Guest House, where he will be staying he was accorded a rousing welcome by members of the Indian-American diaspora. Braving freezing temperatures and rain, the community members gathered at Blair House and welcomed him with 'Bharat Mata ki Jai', 'Vande Mataram' and Modi Modi' as they waved the Indian and American flags. A warm reception in the winter chill! Despite the cold weather, the Indian diaspora in Washington DC has welcomed me with a very special welcome. My gratitude to them, Modi said on X. Prime Minister Modi is the fourth foreign leader hosted by Trump in the weeks after his inauguration last ...

Trade, energy imports in focus as PM Modi to meet Trump during key US visit

PM Modi's US visit takes on added significance as Donald Trump plans to introduce reciprocal tariffs, with an announcement expected just before the Indian PM's arrival in Washington DC

Time features Musk at Oval Office desk, Trump mocks magazine's relevance

The cover showcases Elon Musk holding a coffee cup while seated at the presidential desk, with the American and presidential flags positioned in the background

Trump's demand that US aid workers return home sparks outrage, anxiety

Frustration boiled over Wednesday among supporters of the United States' lead aid agency at a Washington rally, and anxious aid workers abroad scrambled to pack up households after the Trump administration abruptly pulled almost all agency staffers off the job and out of the field. The order issued Tuesday followed 2 1/2 weeks that have seen the Trump administration and teams led by billionaire ally Elon Musk dismantle much of the US Agency for International Development, shutting down a six-decade mission intended to shore up US security by educating children, fighting epidemics and advancing other development abroad. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has been touring Central America on his first visit in office, defended the administration's broad shutdown of aid funding and other actions while saying, Our preference would have been to do this in a more orderly fashion. But, Rubio said, the administration faced a lack of cooperation in an attempt to review the worth of each agenc