Page 31 - White House

Chinese app TikTok a 'potential national security risk', says White House

The White House on Wednesday (local time) asserted that the Chinese-owned app TikTok is a "potential national security risk"

No more TikTok on government devices within 30 days, says White House

The White House is giving all federal agencies 30 days to wipe TikTok off all government devices, as the Chinese-owned social media app comes under increasing scrutiny in Washington over security concerns. The Office of Management and Budget calls the guidance, issued Monday, a critical step forward in addressing the risks presented by the app to sensitive government data. Some agencies, including the Departments of Defense, Homeland Security and State, already have restrictions in place; the guidance calls on the rest of the federal government to follow suit within 30 days. The White House already does not allow TikTok on its devices. The Biden-Harris Administration has invested heavily in defending our nation's digital infrastructure and curbing foreign adversaries' access to Americans' data, said Chris DeRusha, the federal chief information security officer. This guidance is part of the Administration's ongoing commitment to securing our digital infrastructure and protecting the

No definitive conclusion on Covid-19 origin theory, says White House

There is no definitive conclusion on the origin of COVID19, the White House said on Monday. "The intelligence community and the rest of the government is still looking at this. There's not been a definitive conclusion, so it's difficult for me to say, nor should I feel like I should have to defend press reporting about a possible preliminary indication here," National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby told reporters at a daily White House news conference. Kirby was responding to questions on the findings of the Department of Energy that a lab leak most likely caused the COVID19 pandemic, which was first reported in The Wall Street Journal over the weekend. "What the President wants is facts. He wants the whole government designed to go get those facts, and that's what we're doing. And we're just not there yet. And when we're there yet and if we have something that is ready to be briefed to the American people and the Congress, then we're going to d

White House promises crackdown on exploitation of migrant child labour

The Biden administration said Monday that it is creating a new task force to crack down on an explosion of the illegal exploitation of migrant children for labour in the U.S. Hundreds of companies that employed nearly 4,000 children last year were found in violation of federal labor laws, a dramatic increase in the last five years. The growing problem has put Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra in the hot seat, with concerns mounting that migrant children have been discharged from shelters and out of federal custody too quickly, pushing them into vulnerable situations where they're more likely to become victims of child labor. In a new video that's been circulating, first reported by The New York Times, the secretary urged his staff to discharge children from the federal government's broken system of shelters faster. If Henry Ford had seen this in his plants, he would have never become famous and rich, Becerra told staff during a meeting last summer in a recording. T

G7 sanctions to target key industries helping Russia's war: White House

This would be the largest layoff in the industry. Analysts predict that North America would likely be worst affected

Biden to host G7 virtual meet, announce sanctions against Russia: WH

US President Joe Biden on Friday would host a virtual meeting of leaders from G-7 nations along with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelensky during which he will expect sweeping sanctions against Russia as its war against Ukraine enters the second year, the White House has said. G-7 comprises seven major world economies Canada, Italy, France, United Kingdom, Germany, Japan and the United States. Tomorrow morning, President Biden will gather with G-7 leaders and President Zelenskyy for a virtual meeting to continue coordinating our efforts to support Ukraine and hold Russia accountable for its war, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at her daily news conference. Thanking Japan, the new G-7 president, for its recent pledge to provide Ukraine with an additional USD 5.5 billion in economic assistance, Jean-Pierre said Tokyo has proven a steadfast ally, ready to step up and do its part to advance their shared interests and values. Our alliance with Japan

Biden, Modi discuss importance of US-India strategic technology partnership

President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed the importance of the US-India strategic technology partnership and committed to continue working together and in groups like the Quad to advance economic growth and expand cooperation on their shared priorities, a presidential spokesperson has said. A phone call between the two leaders took place on Tuesday following the announcement of a historic deal between Boeing and Air India for the latter to buy more than 200 planes from the American plane manufacturer. They also discussed the importance of the strategic technology partners between India and the United States. And the two leaders reaffirmed the strength of the US-India relationship, and committed to continue working together and in groups like the Quad to advance economic growth for our two countries and expand cooperation on their shared priorities, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at a news conference. In November 2017, the US, ...

White House defends decision to shoot down 3 unidentified objects

The White House on Monday defended the shootdowns of three unidentified objects in as many days even as it acknowledged that officials had no indication the objects were intended for surveillance in the same manner as the high-altitude Chinese balloon that traversed American airspace earlier this month. The three objects, including one shot down Sunday over Lake Huron, were travelling at such a low altitude as to pose a risk to civilian air traffic, said White House national security spokesman John Kirby. While the Biden administration does not yet have evidence that they were equipped for spying purposes or even belonged to China officials have not ruled that out, he said. "These were decisions based purely and simply on what was in the best interests of the American people," Kirby said. The weeks-long succession of objects, starting with a giant white orb first detected over US skies in late January, has puzzled American officials and stirred curiosity around the world. Though t

US to welcome efforts by India to end hostilities in Ukraine: White House

The US will welcome any attempt that could lead to ending the raging Russia-Ukraine conflict, including any effort that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is willing to undertake, the White House has said. The remarks by National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby came on Friday, days after National Security Advisor Ajit Doval held talks with Russian leaders, including President Vladimir Putin. When asked if there is still time for Prime Minister Modi to convince Russian President Putin to stop the war, Kirby said: "I think there's still time for Putin to stop the war. I think there's still time for it." "PM Modi can convince; I will let PM Modi speak to (or make) whatever efforts he's willing to undertake. The US would welcome any effort that could lead to an end of hostilities in Ukraine that are in keeping with President (Volodymyr) Zelenskyy's objectives and his leadership, his determination of what is acceptable to the Ukrainian people," Kirby ...

US would welcome any efforts by PM Modi to stop Ukraine war: White House

White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said, " I think there's still time for Putin to stop the war. I think there's still time for it. PM Modi can convince"

Quad nations launch public campaign to improve cyber security: White House

The Quad -- a plurilateral framework comprising India, Australia, Japan and the US -- has announced the launch of a public campaign to improve cyber security in these four nations. Named "Quad Cyber Challenge", Internet users across the Indo-Pacific and beyond have been invited to join it and pledge to practice safe and responsible cyber habits, the White House said. According to a media release, the initiative reflects the Quad's continuing efforts to strengthen people's cyber security awareness and action as well as to foster a more secure and resilient cyber ecosystem to benefit economies and users everywhere. "We joined our Quad partners in launching the cyber challenge to advance cyber security across our nations. Together, we are asking people and companies to commit to simple actions to secure themselves and their customers," US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said. Internet users worldwide are targets of cybercrime and other malicious cyber threats that can cost ...

Conservative groups look beyond ex-President Trump for 2024 GOP nominee

Two major conservative groups have signalled they are open to supporting someone other than Donald Trump in the 2024 race for the White House, the latest sign from an increasingly vocal segment of the Republican Party that it's time to move on from the former president. David McIntosh, the president of the influential Club For Growth group, said Tuesday that the group has invited a half dozen potential Republican candidates to its donor summit in Florida next month, but Trump the only declared major candidate in the race so far is not among them. Instead, the group has invited Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is viewed as Trump's most formidable likely challenger, along with Nikki Haley, the former South Carolina governor and United Nations ambassador; former Vice President Mike Pence; former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo; Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina; and Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin. "We think it would be great for our members to hear them, see what they have to say, where th

Biden to talk about his economic successes in State of the Union Address

In his State of the Union Address to a joint session of Congress, US President Joe Biden will highlight the key economic policies of his administration that have helped in not only creating jobs but also strengthening the country's economy. The president is hoping to do two things broadly when it comes to the economy in the State of the Union, National Economic Council Director Brian Deese told reporters at a news conference here. Biden will deliver his second State of the Union Address before a joint session of the Congress on Tuesday night. The first is to put the progress that we have made economically back into the broader frame that really compelled him to run for president in the first place. That broader frame around what it actually means to pursue what he refers to as a middle out, bottom-up economic strategy and make a clear contrast to the trickle down economic philosophy that has pervaded thinking for years and decades in the past, he said. In his address, Biden will ta

Improved surveillance helped indentify Chinese balloon: White House

US officials said Monday that improvements ordered by President Joe Biden to strengthen defences against Chinese espionage helped identify last week's spy balloon and determine that similar flights were conducted at multiple points during the Trump administration. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday that after Biden took office, the U.S. enhanced our surveillance of our territorial airspace, we enhanced our capacity to be able to detect things that the Trump administration was unable to detect. Speaking at the event hosted by the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, Sullivan added that as part of those efforts we were able to go back and look at the historical patterns" and uncover "multiple instances during the Trump administration in which Chinese surveillance balloons traversed American airspace and territory. Several Trump administration officials have have said they didn't learn of Chinese surveillance balloons during their tenures. Before Monday, U.S

From China to big sky: The balloon that unnerved the White House

The biggest question was how would China respond to all the furore that was unfolding at a rapid pace as Asia was asleep

Biden believes iCET key for US, India to create technology ecosystem

US President Joe Biden believes that the India-US initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies, or iCET, is key for the two countries to create a democratic technology ecosystem, the White House has said. iCET, which is being billed as the Next Big Thing in the India-US relationship, was launched by national security advisors Jake Sullivan from the US and Ajit K Doval from India at the White House here on Tuesday. The President believes this initiative is key for the US and India to create a democratic technology ecosystem and reinforces our democratic values and our democratic institutions. So, we see this as an incredibly important initiative and a partnership that we have with India, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at her daily news conference. iCET was being launched at the direction of Biden and Prime Minister Narendra Modi who after their Tokyo meeting in May 2022 had announced to elevate and expand the strategic technology partnership and ...

LIVE: Cong must be fulcrum of any Oppn alliance for 2024, says Ramesh

LIVE news updates: The Congress general secretary also said in his view the Congress should be preparing to fight on its own in every state in the 2029 general elections

Donald Trump's return to Facebook could be major fundraising boost

The decision by Facebook's parent company to soon reinstate Donald Trump's account comes at a critical moment for the former president as he tries to build campaign momentum for a return to the White House. Reclaiming his social media megaphone could open an important new stream of revenue for the 2024 contest's only declared candidate, whose campaign has faced criticism for its lackluster launch. Trump is considering a return to Twitter, as well, rejoining both of the social media giants that he used to great effect to widely and personally connect with his supporters in previous campaigning. He was banned from posting on both Facebook and Twitter, along with other social media sites, for his role in inciting violence in the deadly insurrection at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021. In considering a return to the platforms that shunned him, Trump is essentially recognising that the social media company he launched last year, Truth Social, pales in comparison to the reach of the ...

Biden understands first-hand impact layoff can have on family: White House

US President Joe Biden understands first-hand the crushing impact of losing a job can have on a family, the White House has said, amid the massive layoffs by major tech companies like Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Facebook that have rendered thousands of Indian-American IT professionals jobless. On January 20, Google axed 12,000 jobs across the globe, its CEO Sundar Pichai announced, becoming the latest tech giant after Microsoft, Facebook and Amazon to retrench staff en mass amid the global economic downturn. Last week, Microsoft announced 10,000 job cuts, or nearly 5 per cent of its workforce. Amazon is also cutting 18,000 jobs and Facebook parent Meta was trimming 11,000 positions. The bloodbath in the tech sector that began last year is continuing into 2023. The President understands first-hand how the impact of losing a job can have on a family. He understands that very personally, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at her daily news conference on .

Nikki Haley accused of plotting a bid to become Trump's vice-president

Nikki Haley, the Indian-American Republican who is eyeing a bid for the White House in 2024, has been accused of plotting to become former US President Donald Trump's Vice-President