- Thursday, April 25, 2024
Indian American Bhavini Patel faced defeat in the Democratic primary Congressional race from US state of Pennsylvania on Tuesday night, putting up a strong challenge against the incumbent. Incumbent Congresswoman Summer Lee emerged victorious in the primary race for the 12th Congressional District of Pennsylvania, securing 59 per cent of…
Explosions were reported in Isfahan, a central province of Iran, on Friday amid claims by US media that Israeli forces had launched retaliatory strikes. Following these reports, Iranian state media said that air defence systems had been activated across several cities. The official Iranian broadcaster stated that the noises heard…
INDIAN AMERICAN politician and former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley has joined the Hudson Institute, the think tank announced. “Nikki is a proven, effective leader on both foreign and domestic policy,” Hudson president and CEO John P Walters said in a statement. “In an era of worldwide political upheaval, she…
ELECTRIC car maker Tesla plans to lay off more than 10 per cent of its global workforce, news site Electrek reported Monday (15), publishing an email from chief executive Elon Musk announcing the cuts. The job reductions are needed after rapid growth that has led to duplication of roles, Musk…
In an address to the parliament, prime minister Rishi Sunak strongly criticised Iran for launching an attack that sent 300 missiles and drones towards Israel, describing Iran as a nation "intent on creating disorder" in the Middle East. On Monday, he commended the Royal Air Force pilots who, in collaboration…
US vice president Kamala Harris travels on Friday (12) to Arizona, three days after a court there upheld a 160-year-old abortion ban, igniting a charged issue in one of 2024's most competitive election states. Arizona's conservative Supreme Court sent a shockwave through the narrowly divided state that could swing the…
US PRESIDENT Joe Biden’s re-election campaign is appealing directly to supporters of former Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley, who was the last major opponent to Donald Trump before she withdrew from the race last month. “Nikki Haley voters, Donald Trump doesn’t want your vote,” Biden said in a social media…
US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti has said if anyone wants to see the future they should come to India. Speaking at an event, Garcetti was all praise for India and said that it was a “great privilege” to be the leader of the US mission in the country, reported…
The United States is on high alert, bracing for potential attacks by Iran on Israeli or American assets in the region, following Israel's recent strike on the Iranian embassy in Syria's Damascus. "We're definitely at a high state of vigilance," the official said in confirming a CNN report that said…
THE crew of 20 Indians and a Sri Lankan of the crippled container vessel that collided with a key Baltimore bridge last week is busy with their normal duties and will remain on board until the investigation into the accident is completed, the company that owns the vessel has said.…
MARKING the first official communication with a Pakistani premier in years, US president Joe Biden has dashed off a letter to prime minister Shehbaz Sharif expressing continuous support and highlighted that the ties between the two nations are critical for bilateral and regional peace and security. President Biden’s letter broke…
US authorities have begun interviewing personnel, including Indian crew members, onboard the crippled container ship 'Dali' that collided against a key bridge in Baltimore this week. The 2.6-km-long, four-lane Francis Scott Key Bridge over the Patapsco River, came crashing down after the 984-foot ship collided against it. Shipping company Synergy…
THE owners of the Singapore-flagged cargo ship, Dali, announced on Wednesday (27) that one crew member from India sustained minor injury when the vessel collided with a bridge in Baltimore. However, the other 21 crew members are safe. The collision happened early Tuesday (26), causing part of the Francis Scott…
US president Joe Biden hailed the prompt action of the 22-member Indian crew of the cargo ship that struck and demolished a key bridge for saving lives by alerting local authorities before the dramatic collision. Baltimore's 2.6 km-long Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed after the container ship manned entirely by…
Britain on Monday accused Chinese hackers of trying to break into email accounts of British lawmakers who were critical of China and said a separate Chinese entity was behind a hack of its electoral watchdog that compromised millions of people's data. In response to the attempted hack in 2021 of…
CATHERINE, the Princess of Wales, and her husband, Prince William, have been "enormously touched" by the messages of support received following her shock announcement that she is being treated for cancer, a Kensington Palace spokesperson said on Saturday. Catherine said on Friday she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy after tests done…
PRINCESS OF WALES said on Friday (22) she was undergoing preventative chemotherapy after tests taken after she had major abdominal surgery in January revealed that cancer had been present. The Princess, 42-year-old wife of heir to the throne Prince William, called the cancer discovery a "huge shock". The news comes…
LEO VARADKAR said on Wednesday (20) he would step down as Ireland's prime minister and the leader of the governing Fine Gael party, in a surprise move, for "personal and political" reasons. Varadkar's departure as head of the three-party coalition does not automatically trigger a general election. He said he…
US vice president Kamala Harris toured an abortion clinic Thursday (14), highlighting the key election issue of reproductive rights in what is believed to be the first such visit by a president or vice president. "We have to be a nation that trusts women," the Democrat said as she met…
THE US House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed a bill on Wednesday (13) that would give TikTok's Chinese owner ByteDance about six months to divest the US assets of the short-video app, or face a ban, in the greatest threat to the app since the Trump administration. The bill passed 352-65…
Joe Biden and rival Donald Trump each won enough delegates Tuesday to clinch their party nominations in the 2024 presidential race, networks projected, all but assuring a rematch and setting up one of the longest election campaigns in US history. The results in four statewide elections Tuesday, the latest in…
FORMER US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley will suspend her presidential campaign on Wednesday (6), according to a source familiar with her plans, ensuring that Donald Trump will win the Republican nomination and once again face Democratic president Joe Biden in November's election. Haley will give a speech at…
INDIAN AMERICAN Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley is trailing far behind her rival Donald Trump, who is most likely to emerge as the presumptive nominee after the Republican Party's crucial Super Tuesday contest. Trump and Haley were campaigning vigorously in various Super Tuesday states, making a last-minute pitch to the…
PRESIDENTIAL contender Nikki Haley won the Washington, D.C., Republican primary on Sunday (3), her first victory in the nominating process and a symbolic win for the former US ambassador to the UN, Edison Research said. Haley, the only remaining challenger to Donald Trump in the race, won 62.9 per cent…
World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiators extended talks again in Abu Dhabi on Friday as they struggled to break a political deadlock after five days of high-level negotiations. It was far from clear whether a consensus could be reached among the WTO's 164 members before a new deadline of 10 p.m.…
Citing "strong evidence" of election rigging in Pakistan, a group of influential lawmakers, including Muslim legislators, belonging to the ruling Democratic Party has urged US President Joe Biden to withhold "recognition" of a new government in Islamabad until a transparent and credible investigation is conducted. The February 8 general election,…
AGE has become an important factor in the 2024 general elections in the US, an eminent Indian-American Democrat has said, signalling that youths and minorities who were a strong pillar of support for President Joe Biden in 2020, seem to lack enthusiasm and energy about the ruling party in the…
As Donald Trump appears poised to receive a third presidential nomination from the Republican Party, according to media reports, a straw poll conducted at a significant conservative activists' gathering indicated that Indian-origin biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem were tied as the leading candidates to become…
Indian-American presidential candidate Nikki Haley lost to former president Donald Trump in her home state of South Carolina, despite giving a better-than-expected fight in the Republican presidential primary. Refusing to give up, the 52-year-old two-time former governor of South Carolina on Saturday vowed to take the fight to the Super…
BACKERS of Nikki Haley’s quest for the Republican presidential nomination are pouring money into states that hold early March nominating contests in a bid to keep her candidacy alive, regulatory filings and pro-Haley political operatives said. Those efforts have ramped up in recent days and reflect a growing belief that…
INDIAN AMERICAN Republican presidential aspirant Nikki Haley has said that if voted to power, her administration will not only strengthen the alliance with NATO but also with several other countries including India, Australia, Japan, South Korea and the Philippines. Haley, 52, the former US ambassador to the UN, said that…
US Vice President Kamala Harris said she was ready to serve as leader, in a Wall Street Journal interview published on Monday (12), as voter concerns mount about president Joe Biden’s age in an election year. Harris, 59, has faced growing scrutiny about her own abilities as the first in…
NIKKI HALEY finished a disappointing third in the Iowa Republican nominating contest and a distant second in New Hampshire, while in Nevada – where she was the only candidate in last week’s primary – she finished behind ballots marked “none of these candidates.” And if opinion polls are correct, the…
THE US State Department has approved the potential sale of 31 armed MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones, related missiles and equipment to India for nearly $4 billion (£3.17bn), the Pentagon said last Thursday (1), years after the two countries started discussing a deal. India has long expressed interest in buying large, armed…
KING CHARLES has been diagnosed with a form of cancer and will postpone public engagements to undergo treatment, Buckingham Palace said on Monday (5), but added he remained "wholly positive" about the scare less than 18 months into his reign. Charles, 75, who became king in September 2022 following the…
In a huge relief for H-1B visa holders, many of whom are Indian technology professionals, the new White House-backed immigration bill will grant automatic work authorisation to about 100,000 H-4 visa holders, who are their spouses and children. The National Security Agreement that was announced on Sunday (4) after long…
NORTHERN IRELAND's parliament appointed an Irish nationalist as first minister for the first time on Saturday (3), a historic milestone in a state established a century ago to ensure the dominance of pro-British unionists. Michelle O'Neill's appointment, the delayed result of a watershed 2022 election, is the latest sign of…
At a South Carolina barbecue joint, Nikki Haley attempted to inspire the crowd, despite polls indicating that Donald Trump is poised to significantly outperform her in the Republican presidential primary in her home state. "Head-to-head, Trump does not beat Joe Biden. I defeat Biden," the former South Carolina governor told…
THE IMF announced on Tuesday (30) it has raised its 2024 global growth forecast to 3.1 per cent, citing unexpected resilience in major advanced and emerging market economies around the world, including the United States and China. The updated figure, released in the latest World Economic Outlook (WEO) report, is…
PRESIDENT Emmanuel Macron arrives as the guest of honour in India on Thursday (25) with a sumptuous palace feast and colourful military parade, as France eyes lucrative deals with the world's fifth-biggest economy. Macron will be offered a red carpet welcome by prime minister Narendra Modi with dinner in a…
NIKKI HALEY made it clear to New Hampshire voters: She won't serve as former president Donald Trump's vice president if he wins the Republican nomination. Haley, who's challenging Trump for the Republican presidential nod, has long said she won't "play for second." She explicitly ruled out being a running mate…
DONALD TRUMP won the key New Hampshire primary Tuesday (23), moving him ever closer to locking in the Republican presidential nomination and securing an extraordinary White House rematch with Joe Biden. With around 80 per cent of votes counted, Trump's winning margin hovered at about 11 percentage points, but his…
FLORIDA governor Ron DeSantis, once the leading Republican rival to Donald Trump, ended his election campaign and threw his support behind the former president. DeSantis's withdrawal, after months of weakening support, leaves only low-polling Nikki Haley standing between Trump and nomination as the Republican party's candidate for the US presidential…
US president Joe Biden and vice president Kamala Harris are set to intensify their advocacy for abortion rights, this week highlighting what the Democrats consider to be a major political vulnerability for Donald Trump in the upcoming November election. Harris is being promoted by the Biden campaign as the face…
New Hampshire voter Jan Dodge expressed her intention to vote for Nikki Haley in the state's Republican primary. However, she clarified that her decision is not primarily driven by support for the former South Carolina governor. "I'm not actually a real supporter of Nikki Haley. But I don't want Donald…
British Sikhs urged French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday (18) to withdraw from India's Republic Day parade due to the alleged targeting of Sikhs in other countries. India announced last month that Macron had accepted an invitation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to be guest of honour at the January…
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has indicated that he intends to predominantly bypass the New Hampshire primary next week, shifting his focus to South Carolina, where the Republican presidential primary is set for February 24. The move makes it a direct contest between former president Donald Trump and Indian American Nikki…
DONALD TRUMP stormed towards New Hampshire on Tuesday (16), knowing that a repeat of his runaway win in Iowa would all but seal the Republican nomination to set up his rematch with president Joe Biden in November. The scandal-plagued former president romped home in the first contest of the drawn-out…
THE number of Asian American eligible voters has skyrocketed over the past two decades and since 2020, according to a new study as the US goes to polls to elect a new president this year. The report titled 'Key facts about Asian American eligible voters in 2024 revealed that in…
BILLIONS of voters across south Asia, the UK and the US will go to polls in the next 12 months in what will be a test of democracy, analysits have told Eastern Eye. In the UK, prime minister Rishi Sunak has to call a general election by January 28, 2025,…
US PRESIDENTIAL hopeful Nikki Haley faced a firestorm of criticism last Thursday (28) after failing to mention slavery as a cause of the American Civil War when asked what led to the conflict at a campaign event. With fewer than two weeks before voting begins in the primary race for…
INDIA’S prime minister, Narendra Modi, does not give press interviews, so why did he choose to give one just before Christmas to the Financial Times, of all papers? The FT, a respected newspaper with digital subscribers all over the world, has been sustained in its relentless attacks on the ruling…
DEMOCRACY is the theme of 2024. Around half of the world’s population has the chance to go to the polls. This weekend’s vote in Bangladesh, boycotted by the opposition to Shekih Hasina, is an inauspicious start. Pakistan in February holds its first elections since 2018. More than 600 million will…
Fireworks illuminated skies worldwide to usher in 2024, yet airstrikes marred the year's earliest hours in Gaza, Israel, and Ukraine. Additionally, a significant earthquake struck Japan, prompting tsunami warnings. Many around the world may wish to shake off high living costs, global tumult and extreme weather in 2024, which heralds…
FRENCH president Emmanuel Macron will be the guest of honour at India's Republic Day parade in January, New Delhi announced Friday (22), days after US president Joe Biden backed out. Macron "will be visiting India as the chief guest for the 75th Republic Day celebrations" on prime minister Narendra Modi's…
THE US Sikh man, who was the intended victim of a purported assassination scheme allegedly orchestrated by an Indian government official, has revealed that he continues to receive hundreds of threats daily, reported The Guardian. Despite India's pledge of investigating the murder-for-hire conspiracy, Gurpatwant Singh Pannun remains under the persistent…
Mobilising Hindu-Americans is crucial for president Joe Biden's potential re-election next year, suggests prominent Indian-American fundraiser for the Democratic Party. This emphasis comes in light of the administration facing discontent from Muslim-Americans amid the Israel-Hamas conflict. Ramesh Kapur, a Massachusetts-based political fundraiser who was in Washington to attend the winter…
A growing number of US business leaders are rallying behind former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley as the Republican Party's presidential hopeful, seeing her as more stable than rival Donald Trump, and more favorable to business interests than incumbent Joe Biden. "Even if you're a very liberal Democrat, I urge…
A US delegation, headed by White House deputy national security adviser Jon Finer, visited New Delhi on Monday (4). During the visit, Finer acknowledged India's establishment of an investigative panel to examine an unsuccessful plot involving the assassination of a Sikh separatist in the US. "Mr. Finer acknowledged India's establishment…
Senior Conservatives have raised concerns that Rishi Sunak's stance against human rights laws, potentially enabling the deportation of asylum seekers to Rwanda, might jeopardise the Northern Ireland peace process. These MPs echoed worries expressed by the White House, underscoring that Downing Street's reported intentions to disregard parts of the Human…
INDIA's government on Friday (24) warned social media firms including Facebook and YouTube to repeatedly remind users that local laws prohibit them from posting deepfakes and content that spreads obscenity or misinformation, two sources said. The warning was conveyed by deputy IT minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar in a closed-door meeting where…
US authorities thwarted a plot to kill a Sikh separatist in the country and issued a warning to India over concerns the government in New Delhi was involved, a senior Biden administration official said. The US is treating the plot with utmost seriousness and has raised the issue with the…
US president Joe Biden and China's Xi Jinping engaged in a four-hour meeting on Wednesday (15), addressing topics spanning military tensions to drug trafficking. Biden welcomed the Chinese leader at the Filoli estate, a country house and gardens about 30 miles (48 km) south of San Francisco, ahead of a…
THE Chinese and Pakistani navies are holding weeklong drills in the Arabian Sea days after the Russian Pacific Fleet and Myanmar practised repelling attacks in their first maritime exercise, while India and the United States pledged security cooperation. At a naval base in Karachi on Saturday (11), the Chinese and…
THE US House voted on Tuesday (7) to censure Democratic representative Rashida Tlaib, Congress's lone Palestinian-American lawmaker, for comments she made regarding Israel's war with Hamas in Gaza. Twenty-two Democrats joined with most Republicans in the chamber to censure Tlaib for allegedly "promoting false narratives" on Hamas' Oct. 7 gun…
India-born Canadian poet Rupi Kaur has turned down the White House’s invitation to attend Diwali celebrations in protest of US President Joe Biden’s response to the Israel-Hamas war. She took to X and released a politically charged statement, criticising the United States for supporting Israel in the wake of the…
US SECRETARY of state Antony Blinken and defence secretary Lloyd Austin will hold talks with India this week that officials say will focus on security challenges in the Indo-Pacific and concerns over China, rather than the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. The talks in New Delhi on Friday (10) with…
A combative Donald Trump took the stand on Monday (6) in the New York civil fraud case threatening his real estate empire, clashing repeatedly with the judge and denouncing the trial as a "disgrace." One year out from an election he hopes will return him to the White House, the…
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators held protests in multiple cities, including London, Berlin, Paris, Ankara, Istanbul, and Washington on Saturday (4), demanding a ceasefire in Gaza and criticising Israel following an escalation of its military actions against Hamas. In London, television footage showed large crowds holding sit-down protests blocking parts of the city…
US vice president Kamala Harris on Wednesday (1) called for urgent action to protect the public and democracy from the dangers posed by artificial intelligence, announcing a series of initiatives to address safety concerns about the technology. In a speech at the US embassy in London, Harris spoke of the…
INDIAN AMERICAN Republican presidential candidate, Nikki Haley, is rising as the likeliest rival to Donald Trump for the Republican nomination, according to the latest poll. Haley's growing prominence in the Republican Party's bid for the 2024 nomination becomes evident with her equal footing with Ron DeSantis, the Florida governor, in…
THE UK government will welcome foreign political leaders, tech industry figures, academics and others this week for a two-day summit billed as the first of its kind on artificial intelligence (AI). The gathering, set to be attended by prime minister Rishi Sunak, US vice-president Kamala Harris, EU chief Ursula von…
WITH the Israel-Palestine conflict escalating so dangerously, its impact on British politics seems a rather local difficulty. When prime minister Rishi Sunak flew to Israel to tell prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu “we want you to win”, he could not really claim to be speaking for his much more ambivalent country.…
FORMER US president Donald Trump has vowed to revive a controversial travel ban on people from some Muslim-majority countries if he is elected to a second White House term. While speaking at the annual summit of the Republican Jewish Coalition last week, Trump, 77, said, “You remember the travel ban?”…
INDIAN-AMERICAN Republican presidential aspirant Nikki Haley has said former president Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 election would result in "four years of chaos, vendettas and drama" that would be dangerous for the US, which needs a captain who will steady the ship, not capsize it. Haley, 51, launched her…
US president Joe Biden bestowed the country's highest scientific awards upon two Indian-American scientists, Ashok Gadgil and Subra Suresh, in recognition of their significant contributions to the field of science and technology. Gadgil, a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UC Berkeley, was honoured with the prestigious…
Several prominent Hollywood actors and artists on Friday wrote to US President Joe Biden, urging him to press for a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza. Amongst the signatories were Joaquin Phoenix, Cate Blanchett, Mark Ruffalo, Jon Stewart, Kristen Stewart, Susan Sarandon, Mahershala Ali, Riz Ahmed, Hasan Minhaj, Ramy Youssef, and…
ABOUT 100,000 people joined a pro-Palestinian demonstration in central London on Saturday (21), marching through the British capital to demand an immediate ceasefire in Gaza following the Hamas attack on Israel two weeks ago. Chanting "Free Palestine", holding banners and waving Palestinian flags, the protesters moved through London before massing…
A spokesman from the Gaza health ministry confirmed that hundreds of individuals lost their lives in a blast at a Gaza City hospital on Tuesday (17). Both Israeli and Palestinian officials pointed fingers at each other regarding the incident, sparking protests not only in the West Bank but also across…
Prime minister Rishi Sunak plans to visit Israel this week, Sky News reported on Tuesday (17). However, Downing Street representatives did not confirm the report, saying that Sunak's travel plans would be announced in the usual manner. Last week, foreign minister James Cleverly visited Israel to express solidarity with the…
Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley criticised Islamic countries on Sunday (15), for not providing refuge to civilians from Gaza fleeing their homes due to the imminent ground invasion by Israel. She also hit out at former US president Barack Obama and Joe Biden, the incumbent, over the Iranian nuclear deal…
GOVERNMENT lawyers will on Monday (9) tell the top court that it should overturn a ruling which declared unlawful a plan to deport migrants to Rwanda, one of prime minister Rishi Sunak's key policies. In June, London's Court of Appeal concluded that the scheme to send tens of thousands of…
In response to the Canadian allegations implicating India in the assassination of a pro-Khalistan separatist, The White House has said that the accusations are "serious" and warrant a comprehensive investigation. Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the chief of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), was killed in Surrey, British Columbia on June…
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has called on India to "cooperate fully" with the ongoing Canadian investigation into the killing of a Khalistani separatist, a senior State Department official said on Friday (29). This statement came a day after external affairs minister S Jaishankar met with the top American…
THE US is in touch with Indians at high levels after Ottawa said Indian government agents had links to the murder of Sikh separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Thursday (21). Washington is giving India no "special exemption" in the matter,…
Narendra Modi has extended an invitation to US President Joe Biden to serve as the chief guest for the Republic Day celebrations on January 26 next year, US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said on Wednesday (20). The invitation was extended to Biden during their bilateral meeting on September 8…
CANADIAN prime minister Justin Trudeau’s accusation on Tuesday (19) that the Indian government was behind the killing of a Sikh leader in Canada led to an escalating war-of-words and diplomats being ejected from both countries. India described as “absurd” Trudeau’s claims that “credible allegations” linked Indian agents to the June…
FOR younger members of the British Asian audience who had come to see The Father and the Assassin, the play was something of a revelation. “I didn’t know anything about this,” admitted a young woman who works in PR. But for a Punjabi woman in her 60s, whose family was…
VIVEK RAMASWAMY joined a growing chorus of 2024 Republican presidential candidates vowing to radically reduce the size and function of the US government if elected next year, calling on Wednesday (13) for a “revolution” that will hold the federal bureaucracy “accountable.” Former president Donald Trump and his top rival, Florida…
THE G20 Summit in New Delhi has positioned India as a key player in the global arena, edging closer to becoming the 'leader of the Global South,' according to analysts. The two-day summit, which concluded on Sunday (10), showcased India's leadership as it championed initiatives aimed at countering the ascendancy…
Leaders from various countries, including heads of state, who participated in the G20 Summit held in Delhi, were presented with a carefully curated assortment of handcrafted artifacts and products that reflect India's vibrant cultural heritage, officials announced on Tuesday (12). They said a number of these gifts were painstakingly created…
US CHIP firm Nvidia on Friday (8) announced AI partnerships with Indian conglomerates Reliance Industries and Tata Group to develop cloud infrastructure and language models, as well as generative applications. The deals with two of India’s largest business houses will help the US chip firm deepen inroads to the emerging…
HEADING to New Delhi for the G20 summit might have felt like a great escape for Rishi Sunak, leaving behind crumbling concrete in classrooms and damning opinion polls for his first visit to India as Prime Minister. The Sunaks were greeted enthusiastically by the Indian media. A British Prime Minister…
Narendra Modi concluded the G20 summit on Sunday, which notably downplayed significant disagreements regarding the Ukraine conflict and climate change. Despite the contentious issues, the summit afforded him a diplomatic moment in the spotlight. The ongoing Ukraine conflict has deeply divided G20 nations since Moscow's invasion last year, leading Russian…
G20 leaders, including US president Joe Biden, UK prime minister Rishi Sunak and UN secretary general António Guterres, paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at his memorial Rajghat on Sunday (10). Prime minister Narendra Modi received the leaders at the rain-drenched Rajghat. Modi welcomed his guests to the site where the…
GLOBAL leaders announced a multinational rail and ports deal linking the Middle East and South Asia on Saturday (9) on the sidelines of the G20 summit in New Delhi. The pact comes at a critical time as US president Joe Biden seeks to counter China's Belt and Road push on…
THE Group of 20 nations adopted a consensus declaration at a summit on Saturday (9) that avoided condemnation of Russia for the war in Ukraine but called on all states to refrain from the use of force to seize territory. Prime minister Narendra Modi of host India announced that the…
INDIAN AMERICAN Nikki Haley is the only Republican presidential aspirant who can defeat president Joe Biden in the November 2024 polls, a CNN poll has revealed. More than half a dozen Republican leaders, including two Indian Americans Nikki Haley and Vivek Ramaswamy -- are seeking to be the party's presidential…
LEADERS of the world's wealthiest and most influential nations are set to convene at the two-day G20 Summit in India's capital, New Delhi, commencing on Saturday (9). This marks India's inaugural hosting of this prestigious assembly of global leaders. The capital city has been adorned with ornate flowers and fountains…
US president Joe Biden headed for the G20 in India on Thursday (7) promising that the summit would "deliver" despite the absence of the Chinese and Russian leaders. Biden is hoping to seize on the no-shows by Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin to boost US influence, and show that the…
Prime minister Rishi Sunak emphasised the significance of India's diversity and its remarkable achievements, asserting that it is the opportune moment for the nation to assume the G20 presidency. He praised prime minister Narendra Modi's leadership over the past year and highlighted that India's leadership in the G20 comes at…
CHINA'S president Xi Jinping skipping this week's G20 summit in New Delhi was not unusual and will not affect negotiations to produce a consensus communique at the meeting, Indian foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said. The September 9-10 summit of leaders of the world's richest countries is being held in the…
"Bharat mata ki jai," megastar Amitabh Bachchan said on Tuesday as debate spiralled over a G20 dinner invitation which described Droupadi Murmu as "President of Bharat". Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan shared on X a G20 dinner invitation from President Murmu which described her position as "President of Bharat", leading to…
PRIME minister Narendra Modi has said the perception of India has changed as the country prepares to host world leaders at the G20 summit this weekend. In an interview with the Press Trust of India news agency, Modi also called on the United Nations to reform in line with 21st…
This week marks the first-year milestone of King Charles III's reign, marked by a seamless transition from the late Queen Elizabeth II's rule. The anniversary on Friday (8) is anticipated to be observed privately, considering it coincides with the date of his mother's passing at the age of 96. Charles,…
The Republican presidential contender, Vivek Ramaswamy, said on Sunday (3) that he anticipates becoming the party's nominee for the November 2024 US elections. However, he also affirmed his intention to cast his vote for Donald Trump should the former president secure the nomination. During an appearance on a Sunday talk…
US president Joe Biden will travel to India next week to participate in the G20 Summit and will have a bilateral meeting with prime minister Narendra Modi on September 8, the White House has announced. India, president of the G20, will host global leaders for the summit scheduled to take…
REPUBLICAN presidential candidate Nikki Haley made a striking comment about the state of the US Senate, referring to it as 'the most privileged nursing home in the country'. This statement comes in the wake of Mitch McConnell, the 81-year-old Republican leader in the Senate, experiencing a second public episode of…
Indian-American presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy criticised his party opponents for targeting him following his strong performance in the initial Republican primary presidential debate last week. He asserted that the attacks were a result of his growing momentum in the White House race. Ramaswamy's presence on the debate stage marked a…
President Joe Biden and top White House officials railed against white supremacy on Monday (28), asking Americans to unite against hatred in the wake of what authorities describe as a racially-motivated killing of three black people in Florida last weekend. "Hate will not prevail in America," Biden told civil rights…
FORMER US president Donald Trump was arrested at a Georgia jail Thursday (24) on racketeering and conspiracy charges and released on a $200,000 bond after having a historic mug shot taken. Trump, who is accused of colluding with 18 other defendants to overturn the 2020 election result in the southern…
IF Wednesday's (23) US Republican debate was judged on applause alone, Vivek Ramaswamy won hands down, with Nikki Haley emerging as a pleasant "surprise" -- at least at one Atlanta bar, where a group of young voters was trying to pick a candidate to back. Gathered at a bar in…
US PRESIDENT Joe Biden will urge reforms to the IMF and World Bank that will better serve developing country needs at the G20 summit in New Delhi next month, the White House said on Tuesday (22). White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan said the two institutions need to offer…
US PRESIDENT Joe Biden will urge reforms to the IMF and World Bank that will better serve developing country needs at the G20 summit in New Delhi next month, the White House said on Tuesday (22). White House national security advisor Jake Sullivan said the two institutions need to offer…
A US court has ordered a stay on the extradition of Pakistani-origin Canadian businessman Tahawwur Rana to India where he faces a trial for his involvement in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Rana, 62, faces charges for his role in the Mumbai attacks and is known to be associated with…
INDIA on Tuesday (15) completed 76 years as an independent country. The historian, Ramachandra Guha, provided a report card in a long article in the Sunday Times (13), headed, “Can India be the next superpower?” Guha, known to be a critic of the Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, whose Bharatiya…
INDIA will remain an “active and willing partner” to find a “lasting” solution to Russia’s war in Ukraine, the country’s national security advisor said, after attending a peace conference in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia last Sunday (6). Ajit Doval told delegates the responsibility to end the war was in the hands…
“RAISE your hand if you are a racist.” This is a question Saira Rao, an Indian American campaigner, poses at the start of the documentary, Deconstructing Karen. It features the work of Race2Dinner, an initiative by co-founders Rao and Regina Jackson, a black American, whose aim is to ultimately dismantle…
‘THE United States versus Donald Trump’. The title of the 45-page indictment of the former President could be a TV mini-series title, though the third season plot of this Trump melodrama often seems stranger than fiction would dare. Trump is now set to spend a fair chunk of his Presidential…
FAR-RIGHT British politician Nigel Farage has said that Indian-American Republican presidential candidate, Vivek Ramaswamy, 'has what it takes to be a force in the US politics'. "He (Ramaswamy) can help Make America Great Again," Farage wrote in his column in The Telegraph. "The story of Ramaswamy's life so far is…
India will take part in the Ukraine peace talks to be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, on August 5 and 6, a spokesperson for India's foreign ministry, Arindam Bagchi, announced during a news briefing on Thursday (03). The talks have been initiated by Saudi Arabia, which extended invitations to Western…
PAKISTAN has quietly approved the signing of a new security pact with the US, a move that indicates a fresh start in defence cooperation between the two nations, a media report said. The federal cabinet gave its seal of approval to sign the Communication Interoperability and Security Memorandum of Agreement,…
DONALD TRUMP was indicted on Tuesday (1) over his efforts to upend the results of the 2020 US election -- the most serious legal threat yet to the former president as he campaigns to return to the White House. It is the third criminal indictment of the 77-year-old Trump since…
The new head of the World Bank said Tuesday (18) that growing divides between rich and poor nations risked deepening poverty in the developing world. Ajay Banga said he feared a lack of progress was in danger of splitting the global economy. "The thing that keeps me up at night…
US PRESIDENT Joe Biden has announced his intent to appoint Shamina Singh, a prominent Indian-American business leader, to the President's Export Council. Singh, who is the founder and president of the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, has said she is "honoured to join the group of esteemed leaders” on council…
INDIA’S multi-billion-dollar purchases of US arms are less about shifting its reliance on Russian defence equipment and moving towards the West - it’s more about developing its own domestic weapons industry, security officials and analysts say. India is the world’s biggest arms importer, but almost all of its major weapons…
US PRESIDENT Joe Biden was in Britain on Monday (10) for a brief visit to his key ally during which he will meet King Charles III and prime minister Rishi Sunak before going on to a Nato summit in Lithuania. Ahead of the visit, the White House said Biden would…
US president Joe Biden will arrive in Britain on Sunday (9) for a brief visit during which he will meet prime minister Rishi Sunak and discuss climate change issues with King Charles ahead of the upcoming NATO summit. The White House said the trip was designed "to further strengthen the…
A SENIOR US diplomat will travel to India in the coming days and engage with its civil society over free speech and marginalisation of minorities. It comes after Indian prime minister Narendra Modi's recent US visit when he denied that abuse of religious minorities existed in his country. Uzra Zeya,…
BRITAIN last Thursday (29) announced its backing for an expanded UN Security Council, including a permanent spot for India and Africa, to reflect the current and future state of the world. “We want to see permanent African representation and membership extended to India, Brazil, Germany and Japan,” said foreign secretary…
THE US Supreme Court on Thursday (29) struck down race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina, effectively prohibiting affirmative action policies long used to raise the number of black, Hispanic and other underrepresented minority students on American campuses. In a decision that will force many…
A WEEKEND article in the Financial Times set out to explain “How India is slowly moving into the American orbit.” The reality is that India is not moving into the American orbit nor America into India’s, but for some decades now the two countries have been drawing closer together. One…
The harassment of a US journalist on social media for asking prime minister Narendra Modi a question at his joint press conference in Washington with President Joe Biden has been strongly condemned by the White House, which deemed it "totally unacceptable." During the press conference, Sabrina Siddiqui, a reporter from…
PAKISTAN'S foreign ministry on Monday (26) summoned the US embassy's deputy chief of mission to express concern over a statement last week by US president Joe Biden and India’s prime minister Narendra Modi that called on Pakistan to ensure its territory was not used as a base for militant attacks.…
FORMER US president Barack Obama has faced criticism from leaders of India's governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for his remarks concerning Muslims in India. Obama expressed concerns that India may "start pulling apart" if the rights of minorities were not safeguarded. He made these comments while addressing a question on…
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi successfully concluded the US State visit, actress-turned-politician Hema Malini penned a note praising his leadership qualities. Taking to Instagram, she wrote, "A truly iconic meeting between the US President and our Hon PM Modi ji. So many issues discussed and sorted out and the world…
INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi met with US and Indian technology executives in Washington on Friday (23), the final day of a state visit where he agreed new defence and technology cooperation and addressed challenges posed by China. US president Joe Biden rolled out the red carpet for Modi on…
More than 380 guests were invited to the state dinner President Biden hosted for Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India on Thursday night (22), a list that included government officials, business leaders, star athletes, a renowned violinist, a Hollywood director, the son of a civil rights icon, fashion designers and…
Several prominent personalities descended on Washington on Thursday as US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hosted a state dinner in honour of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the White House. “PM Narendra Modi arrives at the White House for a State dinner hosted by POTUS Joe…
US president Joe Biden and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi called on Pakistan to act to ensure that its territory is not used to launch extremist attacks, the White House said in a joint statement. "They strongly condemned cross-border terrorism, the use of terrorist proxies and called on Pakistan to…
Mary Millben, a prominent African-American Hollywood actress and singer will perform here on Friday at the concluding event for the Official State Visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Highly popular in India for her singing of the National Anthem Jan Gana Mana and Om Jai Jagdiseh Hare, Millben, 38, will…
Prominent a cappella group Penn Masala, comprising students of the University of Pennsylvania, on Thursday, performed a rendition of popular Bollywood tracks "Chaiyya Chaiyya" and "Jashn-e-Bahaaraa" at the White House ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's arrival. The group of South Asian students performed for the large crowd, ranging between…
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is currently in the US for a three-day visit. While he has visited the US several times as PM before, this is his first state visit to the United States of America and will include a state dinner hosted by US President Joe Biden and…
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the United States has been marked by several key moments that will further strengthen bilateral relations and showcase India’s global influence. Modi is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of US President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden. Modi’s…
WHITE House social secretary Carlos Elizondo said first lady Jill Biden was involved in every step of planning for the state dinner in honour of India’s prime minister Narendra Modi at the White House on Thursday (22). During a preview of the dinner on Wednesday, Elizondo said every element of…
DIAMONDS are a girl’s best friend, it is said, and prime minister Narendra Modi swerved clear of any controversy by gifting an eco-friendly lab-grown 7.5 carat diamond to US first lady Jill Biden. President Joe Biden and his wife hosted Modi for an intimate dinner at the White House on…
PRIME minister Narendra Modi gave Joe Biden a special sandalwood box with a carved silver idol of Lord Ganesha as he met the US president on the first day of his state visit in Washington DC yesterday (21). Sourced from Mysuru in the south Indian state of Karnataka, the box…
INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (21) opened a state visit to Washington as the United States steps up its wooing of India. President Joe Biden is putting on the full pomp for only the third state visitor of his administration, with the billion-plus country seen as a pivotal…
US president Joe Biden welcomes India's prime minister, Narendra Modi, on Wednesday (21) for two days of talks that the White House sees as bolstering "one of the defining partnerships of our age," despite ongoing concerns about human rights. Washington wants India to be a strategic counterweight to China while…
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to embark on a state visit to the United States of America on Tuesday (20) upon the invitation of US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden. The visit will last until June 24. During his visit, Modi plans to meet with…
INDIAN-AMERICAN congressman Shri Thanedar would be escorting prime minister Narendra Modi to his historic joint address to the US congress on Thursday (22). The first-time Democratic congressman, who represents the 13th congressional district of Michigan, has also been invited by president Joe Biden for the White House state dinner hosted…
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to the United States is expected to be marked by several key moments that will further strengthen bilateral relations and showcase India's global influence. Modi is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of US president Joe Biden and first lady…
In anticipation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming State Visit to Washington/Houston, hundreds of enthusiastic Indian-Americans have congregated at renowned sites in 20 cities across the US. They have organised unity marches to extend a warm and welcoming message. Modi has been invited by US President Joe Biden and First…
A top official from NASA has emphasised the importance of India, a global power and one of the select nations with autonomous space capabilities, being involved in the Artemis team. The Artemis Accords, grounded in the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 (OST), serve as a set of non-binding principles that…
When prime minister Rishi Sunak met US president Joe Biden on June 8, one of the overriding themes of their talks was how the world’s leading governments should guard against risks posed by artificial intelligence (AI). Ultimately, Sunak wants an international organisation established, based in London, to effectively be an…
African American singer and actress Mary Millben, known for her moving rendition of ‘Om Jai Jagadish Hare' and ‘Jana Gana Mana', will perform at a diaspora event to be attended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on June 23. Millben, 41, will also attend the 9th International Day of…
FROM Times Square and Niagara Falls to Princeton University and Hawaii, members of the Indian-American community are sending welcome messages from iconic US locations for prime minister Narendra Modi on his upcoming state visit. Members of the diaspora and young Indian students are taking to social media to post their…
THE India-US relationship is now headed to the next level, India's top envoy has said as he emphasised that prime minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to the US will have an impact not only on the two countries but also on other nations. Modi is visiting the US from June…
INDIA's defence ministry has approved the procurement of US-made armed MQ-9B SeaGuardian drones, sources said. India will buy 31 drones made by General Atomics worth slightly over $3 billion, one of the sources said. India’s defence ministry did not respond to a request for comment. The defence ministry's initial clearance…
US president Joe Biden has denounced racism in the US and said the Juneteenth holiday was meant to help underscore American values that he said were under threat. Speaking at the White House's first big Juneteenth celebration, a concert that featured performances by singers Jennifer Hudson, Audra McDonald and Ledisi,…
Former US president Donald Trump pleaded not guilty on Tuesday (13) to federal criminal charges that he unlawfully kept national-security documents when he left office and lied to officials who sought to recover them. Trump's plea, entered before US Magistrate Judge Jonathan Goodman in a federal court in Miami, sets…
Ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's state visit to Washington, the Biden administration is pushing New Delhi to cut through its own red tape and advance a deal for dozens of US-made armed drones, two people familiar with the matter said. India has long expressed interest in buying large…
THE Biden family is planning to host an intimate dinner for prime minister Narendra Modi on June 21, a day before the much-in-demand state dinner at the White House, a senior administration official has said. Modi has been invited by president Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden for an…
Two human rights groups have invited policy makers, journalists and analysts to a screening in Washington of a BBC documentary on Narendra Modi that questioned the Indian prime minister's leadership during the 2002 Gujarat riots, ahead of his state visit to the White House. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International…
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said on Monday (12) that Britain has the potential to become the global home for artificial intelligence (AI) regulation. During his address to industry leaders, he positioned London as a thriving tech hub and encouraged them to embrace the opportunities and complexities presented by AI. Sunak's…
US President Joe Biden and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Thursday (08) announced a partnership between their countries focused on advanced technologies, clean energy, and critical minerals, as they aim to strengthen their historical security alliance. The leaders signed the "Atlantic Declaration," which Sunak described as a first-of-its-kind economic…
The US and Britain unveiled a fresh strategic pact on Thursday (08), reaffirming their commitment to the "special relationship" in order to counter the challenges posed by Russia, China, and economic instability. During a summit held at the White House, US President Joe Biden and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak…
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to the US this month will set new benchmarks for bilateral ties, the Pentagon has said. It also said big announcements are likely to be made on defence industrial cooperation and boosting India's indigenous military base. Modi will embark on his first state visit…
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is set to convey to President Joe Biden the importance of elevating Britain's economic ties with the US to a level on par with their defense and security cooperation. With the UK's departure from the European Union, there is a desire to strengthen alignment with Washington…
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on Wednesday (07) that Britain will be hosting the world's first summit on artificial intelligence later this year. The summit aims to facilitate the establishment of a unified approach among nations to mitigate the potentially catastrophic risks associated with the technology, while also harnessing its…
India and the US must work on making bilateral ties stronger and focus on collaboration on education and cultural fronts, Indian-American Congressman Shri Thanedar has said. He expressed hope that the two sides will talk about cooperation in the education and business sectors and find ways to strengthen the bilateral…
INDIAN Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a gathering of Indian Americans from across the US in Washington on June 23 on the role of diaspora in India's growth story, a community leader has said. Modi is visiting the US from June 21-24 at the invitation of President Joe Biden…
PRESIDENT Joe Biden's top official for the Indo-Pacific region said on Tuesday (6) he hoped a visit this month by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi "consecrates" the relationship with India as the most important for the US in the world. The official, Kurt Campbell, told the Hudson Institute think tank…
AN Air India plane flying from Delhi to San Francisco was forced to divert and land at an airfield in Russia's Far East after it developed a technical issue with one of its engines, the airline said on Tuesday (6). The 216 passengers onboard are being offered support on the…
India and the United States have concluded a roadmap for defence industry cooperation for the next few years, the two countries said on Monday (5), a landmark move expected to bolster New Delhi's defence manufacturing ambitions. Washington is working to deepen ties with India and sees stronger military-to-military and technology…
Indian-Americans are upbeat about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's first state visit to the US and his address to the joint session of Congress later this month. They feel it is going to be an opportunity to strengthen bilateral relations in areas including security cooperation, defence, trade, energy, technology and space.…
PASSENGER and freight trains were running again on Monday (5) at the site of India's deadliest train disaster in decades, which the railway officials blamed on possible "sabotage" and tampering with the electronic system. An investigation has been opened into the three-train crash near Balasore in the eastern state of…
THE World Bank's new president Ajay Banga has asked the lender's 16,000 staff to "double down" on development and climate efforts as he seeks to accelerate the bank's evolution to tackle the most pressing global problems. On his first day in the job, the former Mastercard CEO told staff in…
THE Biden administration is poised to sign off on a deal that would allow General Electric (GE) to produce jet engines powering Indian military aircraft in that country, according to three people briefed on the decision. A deal finalising the joint production of the engines is expected to be inked…
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is scheduled to engage in discussions with U.S. President Joe Biden, next week, focusing on enhancing economic relations and exploring avenues to provide ongoing military assistance to Ukraine amidst its conflict with Russia. During his visit to Washington on Wednesday and Thursday, Sunak will hold meetings…
The UN human rights chief has said that he has formally conveyed his concerns over a new British migration law to the government, saying he was worried it would bar people from seeking asylum. Stopping small boat arrivals across the Channel from France is a priority for prime minister Rishi…
A Missouri man who drove a rented box truck into security barriers near the White House was charged with threatening the president after what authorities appear to believe was a deliberate crash. According to a witness, investigators pull a Nazi swastika flag from inside the truck, which plowed into barriers…
US President Joe Biden aims to speak this weekend with Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi about Ukraine and the "sacrosanct" issue of sovereignty and territorial integrity, US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on Saturday (20). Lula and Modi are attending a…
Indian politician Rahul Gandhi will visit the US in the first week of June and address Indian-Americans on June 4 in New York, sources in the Indian Overseas Congress said Tuesday (16). Gandhi, the former chief of Indian National Congress, is also likely to visit Washington DC and Los Angeles…
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday (17) that a Quad summit would not proceed in Sydney next week without US President Joe Biden, who postponed his trip because of debt ceiling negotiations in Washington. Albanese said the leaders of Australia, the United States, India and Japan would instead…
The White House announced on Wednesday (10) that US president Joe Biden will be hosting India's prime minister Narendra Modi for a state visit on June 22. This visit is set to reinforce the strong and extensive partnership between the two nations, the statement added. It represents the highest level…
Donald Trump criticised President Joe Biden for not attending the coronation of King Charles III, as he toured Scotland and Ireland. Trump, who is running for president in the upcoming elections, called Biden's decision to skip the London event "disrespectful." However, UK and US officials noted that it is in…
The World Bank announced the appointment of Ajay Banga, a prominent Indian-American business leader, as its next President on Wednesday (03). In response, the organisation expressed its anticipation to collaborating with Banga on the ongoing World Bank Group Evolution process. "The Executive Directors of the World Bank today selected Ajay…
Nine months before the first 2024 US presidential primary, Donald Trump’s one-time UN envoy Nikki Haley is barnstorming early-voting New Hampshire, one of several Republicans scrambling to dent the huge poll lead of the nomination frontrunner. With Trump’s legal setbacks mounting, Americans are bracing for a parade of contenders positioning…
A US government panel renewed calls on Monday (1) to blacklist India over religious freedom, saying that treatment of minorities has continued to worsen under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The US Commission on International Religious Freedom offers recommendations but does not set policy and there is little expectation that the…
US president Joe Biden and his Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, will join Pacific Islands leaders next month for a "historic" future-oriented meeting, Papua New Guinea prime minister James Marape said. "This is a historic first and at the same time a 'going forward' futuristic meeting of global superpowers, in the…
US vice president Kamala Harris will play a more prominent role in Joe Biden's second term, according to reports. Indian-American Harris was featured 13 times in the launch video of Biden, making her the second most prominent person in the video, ahead of the first lady. President Biden on Tuesday…
President Joe Biden said on Tuesday (25) he will seek a second White House term in 2024, a decision that will test whether Americans are ready to give the 80-year-old Democrat, already the oldest US president ever, another four years in office. Biden made his announcement in a slickly produced…
The US Ambassador-designate, Eric Garcetti arrived in India on Tuesday (11) evening, more than two years after the departure of the previous US envoy Kenneth Juster when Joe Biden became president. As a close associate of Biden, Garcetti was confirmed for the position by the US Senate about a month…
US President Joe Biden stepped into the politically charged environment of Northern Ireland on Wednesday (12) with a short visit aimed at highlighting the advantages of sustained peace and investment. However, he has already come under intense criticism from pro-UK hardliners. After receiving a late-night welcome in harsh weather conditions…
Northern Ireland on Monday marks the 25th anniversary of its landmark 1998 peace accords, with the UK province mired in political dysfunction and security concerns which threaten to overshadow the historic milestone. No large-scale public events are planned for the day itself, but British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and US…
US voters woke on Wednesday (5) to a uniquely volatile 2024 presidential election landscape, where Donald Trump, the leading Republican candidate, now faces trial and the incumbent, Joe Biden, has not even confirmed he's running. Trump pleaded not guilty on Tuesday (4) to 34 felony charges linked to alleged attempts…
The White House has announced that Eric Garcetti, the US Ambassador to India, will be spearheading an ambitious effort to enhance collaboration between the US and India, particularly in the areas of defense and economy. Garcetti, who previously served as the mayor of Los Angeles, was sworn in as Ambassador…
A New York grand jury has voted to indict former US president Donald Trump over hush money payments made to a porn star ahead of the 2016 election, multiple US media reported on Thursday. The felony indictment, filed under seal by the Manhattan district attorney’s office, will likely be announced…
Eight people including two children were found dead in a marsh near the Canada-US border after trying to cross illegally into the United States, police said Friday. Their bodies were discovered near a capsized boat belonging to a missing man from the Akwesasne Mohawk community, officials reported. "A total of…
The World Bank has confirmed that Ajay Banga, the American pick to lead the organisation, is the sole candidate nominated for the position of president, indicating that he is likely to be appointed in the upcoming months. The bank will follow standard procedures, including conducting a formal interview with Banga…
INDIAN-AMERICAN Richard Verma, was confirmed by the US Senate as deputy secretary of state, management and resources. Verma was confirmed by the Senate by a vote of 67-26. "CONFIRMED: Richard Verma to be Deputy Secretary of State for Management and Resources By a vote of 67-26," the official handle of…
On Wednesday (29), Janet Yellen, the US Treasury Secretary, stated that she anticipates Ajay Banga, the former CEO of Mastercard, to be elected as the president of the World Bank, which is a multilateral development bank. In prepared testimony for the State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programmes subcommittee of the…
Two people were shot at in a Gurudwara in the US on Sunday (26), local media reports said quoting the police. The incident is not related to a hate crime, they said. The shooting took place around 2.30 pm at the Gurdwara Sacramento Sikh Society in Sacramento County of California.…
US president Joe Biden's close aid, Eric Garcetti, was officially sworn in as the US Ambassador to India by vice president Kamala Harris, ending over two years of wait to fill the crucial diplomatic position The swearing-in ceremony was held on Friday (24) with Garcetti's daughter Maya held the Hebrew…
On Wednesday, actress, producer, and screenwriter Mindy Kaling was honoured with a National Medal of Arts from US President Joe Biden for her work across television, film, and books. The Office star was honoured alongside other authors, singers and artists at the White House on 21 March for their contributions…
US vice president Kamala Harris will embark on a tour of three African countries -Ghana, Tanzania, and Zambia, this weekend. During the visit, she will promote the White House's positive view of Africa as the "future of the world." The tour is a part of the Biden administration's efforts to…
FORMER Mastercard CEO Ajay Banga, who is the US nominee to lead the World Bank, returned to his homeland, India, on Thursday (23). The visit will conclude his three-week international trip to seek support and discuss development and climate requirements with borrowing and donor countries. According to the US Treasury,…
Indian-American actor, screenwriter, and producer Mindy Kaling, among others, was presented with the 2021 National Humanities Medal by United States President Joe Biden at a ceremony at the White House on Tuesday, 21 March. The National Medal of Arts is the highest award given to artists, arts patrons, and groups…
The International Criminal Court on Friday announced an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin on the war crime accusation of unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children. Moscow dismissed the orders as "void." Russia is not a party to the ICC so it was unclear if or how Putin could ever end…
Pakistan's prime minister Shehbaz Sharif has reaffirmed the safety and security of the country's nuclear programme, emphasising that it is "completely foolproof" and carefully protected by the state. This statement comes as international concerns have been raised over the safety of Pakistan's nuclear programme due to the country's financial difficulties.…
The US has formally recognised the McMahon Line as the international boundary between India's Arunachal Pradesh and China, rejecting Beijing's claim that the northeastern state is Chinese territory. The McMahon Line, which separates India and China, has been rejected by the latter. A bipartisan resolution, which was first introduced in…
The US senate on Wednesday (15) the confirmed Eric Garcetti as the new ambassador to India, nominated by president Joe Biden. The confirmation came after almost two years of opposition due to accusations of Garcetti mishandling workplace harassment complaints when he was the mayor of Los Angeles. The vote was…
During his visit to California, Rishi Sunak indulged in some of his favourite treats from his time living and working in the US. He stocked up on Vons chocolate chip cookie muffins and bottles of Mexican Coca-Cola made with cane sugar, which he has described as the best version of…
The collapse of the California-based Silicon Valley Bank last week, which is the the largest bank failure after the 2008 global financial crisis, had sent shockwaves through the Indian startup ecosystem. The SVB was the go-to bank for many Indian startups when they do business in the United States. However,…
INDIAN-AMERICAN Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley has said that Joe Biden's annual budgetary proposals were socialist in nature and a 'disaster for America'. She even called Biden an 'ultimate socialist president'. "We should be moving people from welfare to work. But Joe Biden is calling for no-strings-attached welfare checks with no…
FORMER Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti's nomination to become the US ambassador to India has cleared a major hurdle after a key senate committee voted to send his name to the senate floor for a full vote. Garcetti's nomination has been pending before the US Congress since July 2021, when…
AJAY BANGA, the United States' candidate to head the World Bank, has called for a revamp of the development model to better meet the challenge of climate change. Banga, who is on trip to Kenya, said the world cannot continue to "pursue the prior model of (an) emission heavy growth…
REPUBLICAN presidential aspirant Nikki Haley has hit out at two former US presidents from her party - George W Bush and Donald Trump - for adding $10 trillion to America's national debt. She also slammed president Joe Biden, a Democrat, for his record-breaking spending, which she said would add $20…
President Joe Biden is visiting Alabama on Sunday (05) to advocate for stronger voting rights on the occasion of the 58th anniversary of "Bloody Sunday," when peaceful protesters were beaten by state troopers while marching against discrimination. The purpose of Biden's trip to Selma is to emphasise his dedication to…
RUSSIA has claimed it is trying to stop the ongoing war waged against it using the Ukrainian people.“The war, which we are trying to stop, which was launched against us using Ukrainian people, of course, influenced the policy of Russia, including energy policy,” Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said at…
A DIVERSITY and inclusivity specialist has urged the UK to learn from the boom in the number of Indian-origin CEOs of major organisations and cultivate talent from ethnic minority communities. Last week, US president Joe Biden nominated the former CEO of Mastercard, Ajay Banga, as a preferred candidate to lead…
BORIS JOHNSON slammed Rishi Sunak's new post-Brexit deal with the European Union for Northern Ireland, saying the prime minister had given the EU too much power in the UK. Sunak reached a new agreement on Monday (27) to ease trade restrictions in the British-run province, partially undoing Johnson's previous agreement,…
The White House has said that Eric Garcetti is qualified to serve as the US ambassador to India after a Congressional committee vote on his nomination was postponed till Wednesday (8) after a hold placed by a top Republican senator. The 52-year-old Garcetti, a former mayor of Los Angeles, was…
Her elevation to the post of the American vice president after the 2020 presidential election was quite a news but if latest polls are to be believed, a majority of people from California are not enthusiastic about Kamala Harris running for the top post in the 2024 polls despite the…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Tuesday (28) urged pro-UK politicians in Northern Ireland to grab the economic "prize" on offer after he secured a breakthrough reform deal with the European Union. On a visit to the tense province, Sunak said he was "over the moon" at clinching the pact…
US PRESIDENT Joe Biden has announced his intent to appoint two Indian Americans to his Export Council which is the principal national advisory committee on international trade. On Tuesday (28), he announced a list of members he intends to appoint to the the Council, according to a White House press…
RISHI SUNAK had the best day of his premiership to date on Monday (27), unveiling his renegotiated Brexit deal in Windsor. It is just over a century since the Royal proclamation of 1917 rebranded the House of Saxe-Coburg as the House of Windsor and Sunak clearly took inspiration from that…
US president Joe Biden has awarded Jatin Patel, an Indian-American multi-sport coach, the Lifetime Achievement Award for his lifelong commitment towards building a strong nation through volunteer service. He also received a letter signed by the president. Besides being a multi-sport coach in cricket, soccer and baseball, Patel is a…
INDIAN-AMERICAN Republican presidential hopeful Nikki Haley has vowed to cut foreign aid for countries like China, Pakistan and Iraq which “hate” America, if she is voted to power. The 51-year-old two-term governor of South Carolina and the former US ambassador to the United Nations formally launched her 2024 presidential bid…
US PRESIDENT Joe Biden said on Thursday (23) that Washington is nominating former Mastercard chief executive Ajay Banga to lead the World Bank, after its current chief David Malpass announced plans to step down early. Banga, 63, is Indian-American and currently serving as vice chairman at equity firm General Atlantic.…
Pope Francis, speaking two days before the first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, on Wednesday (22) called for a ceasefire and peace negotiations, saying no victory could be "built on ruins". Francis, who has appealed for an end to violence in Ukraine at nearly every public appearance since Russia's…
US President Joe Biden has reconstituted his national economic team at the White House but has retained Indian-American adviser Bharat Ramamurti who has been with him since day one of his presidency. Lael Brainard will now serve as Director of the National Economic Council and Jared Bernstein is being nominated…
Republican leader Nikki Haley has said that as a "brown girl" growing up in a black-and-white world, she saw the "promise of America" unfold before her, as she proudly flaunted her Indian heritage in her first public appearance as a White House hopeful. Haley, 51, is the two-term Governor of…
The landmark Air India-Boeing deal will create up to one million jobs across 44 states in the US and will further deepen bilateral ties, president Joe Biden has told prime minister Narendra Modi. Boeing and Air India announced a mega deal on Tuesday (14) under which the Tata Group-owned airline…
US president Joe Biden on Tuesday (14) hailed Air India's decision to purchase over 200 aircraft from Boeing and called it a "historic agreement between Tata-owned airlines and Boeing. Air India announced the purchase of 220 planes from Boeing for $34 billion, with an option to buy 70 more aircraft…
Former US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley on Tuesday (14) kicked off her campaign for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, a tough challenge as her former boss Donald Trump holds a strong lead in a new Reuters/Ipsos poll. "I'm Nikki Haley and I'm running for president," Haley said in…
Indian American Congressman Ami Bera has been elected as Ranking Member of the US House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee that handles the Indo-Pacific region. After being elected by his colleagues to serve in the position, Ami Bera in a statement said, "I am proud to continue my leadership on the House…
US First lady Jill Biden kissed Vice President Kamala Harris' husband, Doug Emhoff 'on the lips' ahead of the State of the Union Address on Capitol Hill on Tuesday, Fox News reported. On Tuesday night at the national Capitol, President Biden delivered his second State of the Union address, the…
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been pegged as the world's most popular leader with an approval rating of 78 per cent as per a survey by a US-based consulting firm 'Morning Consult.'As per the rating PM Modi's ratings trump those of other leaders including US President Joe Biden, French President…
The Biden administration is in talks with Indian officials over a possible White House visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi later this year, according to a U.S. official aware of the discussions and another person briefed on the matter. U.S. President Joe Biden is eager to deepen ties with the…
India and the United States have elevated their strategic partnership with the launch of the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technology or iCET, the White House said as National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met his US counterpart Jake Sullivan in Washington. "We are committed to fostering an open, accessible, and…
US President Joe Biden is understood to have invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a state visit this summer, PTI has learnt. The invitation has been accepted in principle and officials on both sides are now working on mutually convenient dates, according to multiple sources, who noted that it is…
Haley, 51, is the two-term Governor of South Carolina and the former US Ambassador to the United Nations. When she enters the race, Haley will be the first contender to join the contest against her former boss, who is currently the sole Republican seeking his party's 2024 nomination. Trump, 76,…
Women's economic empowerment is a critical issue for the Biden-Harris administration, a top Indian American official has said, underlining that their full potential can have economic stability, and mobility and are vital to the core issues for democracy. These remarks were made by Neera Tanden, White House Staff Secretary and…
Indian-American astronaut Raja J Chari has been nominated by President Joe Biden for the appointment to the grade of Air Force brigadier general. The nomination was announced on Thursday and will have to be confirmed by the Senate which approves all senior civilian and military appointments, according to the US…
US President Joe Biden has re-nominated Indian American attorney Arun Subramanian to be district judge for the Southern District of New York. A communication on Subramanian's nomination was sent to the Senate by the White House along with other judicial nominations. He was first nominated by the president last September…
US President Joe Biden, whose administration has the largest number of India-Americans, understands how much the community has to offer in public service to the country and how special it is, Cincinnati City Mayor Aftab Pureval said. He was speaking on the sidelines of the US Conference of Mayors Winter…
Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna has said that he is weighing a Senate bid in California, sparking speculation among Democrats in several key US states that he may be eyeing to run for the White House in the future, according to a media report. Those close to Khanna, 46, say he…
An Indian-American body has welcomed the nomination of lawyer diplomat Richard Verma for Deputy Secretary of State, a top diplomatic position in the State Department. In December, the White House in a statement said that Joe Biden announced his intent to nominate 54-year-old Verma to be Deputy Secretary of State…
US President Joe Biden has renominated Eric Garcetti as his envoy to India, with the White House exuding confidence that the former Mayor of Los Angeles would be confirmed by the Senate this time. Garcetti, 51, is a close aide of President Biden. He has been Mayor of Los Angeles…
US President Joe Biden has sent his deepest condolences to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the loss of his mother Hiraben who passed away in Gujarat at the age of 99. Hiraben passed away at a hospital in Ahmedabad in the early hours of Friday. Her mortal remains were consigned…
Temperatures were expected to moderate across the eastern and midwest United States on Tuesday, after days of freezing weather from "the blizzard of the century" left at least 49 dead and caused Christmas travel chaos. Blizzard conditions persisted in parts of the northeastern US, the stubborn remnants of a sprawl…
The White House on Monday accused Texas Governor Greg Abbott of endangering lives after busloads of migrants from the southwest border in Texas were dropped near Vice President Kamala Harris' home in Washington, D.C., on a cold Christmas Eve. The Republican Abbott, a vocal critic of Biden administration immigration policies,…
The Indian diaspora here has welcomed the nomination of Indian-American lawyer diplomat Richard Verma, also a former US ambassador to India, to a top diplomatic position, saying President Joe Biden has made an "inspired choice". Biden on Friday announced his intent to nominate Verma to be Deputy Secretary of State…
AN ACTION-PACKED year for Asian music in the UK had everything from new talent, stunning songs and awesome albums to unforgettable live performances from big-name international stars. The musical melting pot of genres, languages and diverse artists illustrated everything that is great about Britain, and why the past 12 months…
Influential American Senator Chuck Grassley has opposed the nomination of Eric Garcetti as the US envoy to India because of "serious allegations" of sexual harassment by one of his staffers and urged his senatorial colleagues to do the same. Grassley’s remarks on the Senate floor on Tuesday come amidst the…
An Indian-origin professor at Stanford claimed Twitter had blacklisted him before the social media company was taken over by billionaire Elon Musk. Jay Bhattacharya said he visited Twitter’s headquarters in San Francisco after he was invited by Musk to meet him and learn more about the blacklist he was added…
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…
US president Joe Biden has recognised Indian-American and a longtime Houstonian, Krishna Vavilala, with the Presidential Lifetime Achievement (PLA) Award, the nation's highest honour for his contributions to his community and the country at large. The Presidential Lifetime Achievement (PLA) Awards, led by AmeriCorps, is an annual event held to…
Two Indian Americans – Congressman Ro Khanna and Vijaya Gadde – prominently figure in US President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden’s laptop story whose full disclosure Twitter CEO Elon Musk has announced would be released on the microblogging site. Musk, the world’s richest man who purchased Twitter last month, said…
Artworks and traditional items representing the rich heritage of India's states of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh were Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s choice of presents to world leaders during the G-20 summit in Bali. Officials said Modi presented US President Joe Biden with Kangra miniature paintings, which portray ‘Shringar Rasa’, and…
It is time to confirm a US Ambassador to India, a top Indian-American Congressman said noting that for nearly two years now there has been no American envoy in New Delhi. "The US needs a strong defense and strategic partnership with India, especially in the face of escalating aggression from…
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden on Tuesday reviewed the state of India-US strategic partnership including in sectors like critical and emerging technologies and artificial intelligence. It is understood that Modi and Biden also touched upon the Ukraine conflict and its implications in their meeting that took…
A record five Indian-American politicians from the ruling Democratic Party, including Raja Krishnamoorthi, Ro Khanna, Ami Bera and Pramila Jayapal, are headed to the US House of Representatives on Wednesday (9) following the highly polarised midterm elections. The new US Congress will begin in January next year. Apart from these…
Five prominent Indian-American politicians are in the race for the US House of Representatives when the country goes for its midterm polls on November 8. If the pollsters and opinions of political pundits are to be believed, Indian-Americans are likely to have a 100 per cent strike rate for the…
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced on Wednesday (2) that he will attend the COP27 climate summit in Egypt next week, reversing his previous decision to skip the meeting in Sharm El Sheikh to focus on domestic issues and the economic crisis in the UK. Sunak took to Twitter to…
A Pakistani known for being the oldest detainee at the US-run Guantanamo Bay detention facility in Cuba was released to his home country on Saturday, the South Asian country's foreign ministry said. The secretive US military prison once housed hundreds of suspected militants captured by US forces during America's so-called…
People are celebrating the “Festival of Lights,” which celebrates the triumph of good over evil, in several parts of the world, including the United States where it has been announced as a federal holiday in the country. US President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr Jill Biden on Monday hosted…
President Joe Biden called the choice of Rishi Sunak as Britain's first non-white prime minister "groundbreaking" Monday and the White House said he'd reach out in the near future to congratulate the new leader. "It’s pretty astounding, a groundbreaking milestone and it matters," Biden said at a White House celebration…
President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden have thanked Asian Americans in the US for contributing to every part of American life and reflecting the soul of "who we are as a nation", as they hosted the largest-ever Diwali reception at the White House. More than 200 eminent Indian…
Diwali celebrations have started in the US from the iconic Times Square in New York, with the US Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump celebrating the festival of lights at their residences on Friday (21). Eminent Indian-Americans from across the country started flying into the American Capital…
British Prime Minister Liz Truss is fighting for her political survival after only six weeks in the job. Below is a timeline: SEPT. 5 - TRUSS WINS LEADERSHIP CONTEST Truss is elected Conservative Party leader by the party's membership, winning 57% of the vote to succeed Boris Johnson. SEPT. 6…
Former Congresswoman and the first Hindu American to run for the White House in 2020, Tulsi Gabbard, has compared US President Joe Biden to Adolf Hitler, days after announcing her exit from the governing Democratic Party. Gabbard, 41, who retired from the House of Representatives last year, made these remarks…
U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday criticized British Prime Minister Liz Truss's original economic plan as a mistake and said he was not concerned about the strength of the soaring U.S. dollar.Truss on Friday fired her finance minister Kwasi Kwarteng and scrapped parts of their economic package after it sparked…
In perhaps the most candid statement made against it, US President Joe Biden described Pakistan as "one of the most dangerous nations" in the world which holds "nuclear weapons without any cohesion." The US President made these remarks at a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Reception in Los Angeles (California), during…
US President Joe Biden plans to celebrate Diwali at the White House on October 24 while his predecessor Donald Trump is working on celebrating the festival of lights at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on October 21. Biden plans to celebrate Diwali with eminent members of the Indian American community…
President Joe Biden has nominated US Surgeon General Dr Vivek Murthy to serve as the country's representative on the executive board of the World Health Organisation. Dr Murthy, 45, will serve in the new position alongside his continued duties as the US Surgeon General, the White House said in a…
US President Joe Biden has plans to celebrate Diwali at the White House this year, his spokesperson said. This will be Biden's second Diwali celebration as the US President. Details and the nature of preparations have not been revealed yet. “Yes, he has plans to celebrate Diwali just like he…
Vivek Lall, an Indian-origin General Atomics Global Corporation chief executive, is honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award by US President Joe Biden with the citation of 'With Grateful Recognition'. The citation was given to Lall, who has done PhD in Aerospace Engineering from Wichita State University in Kansas, by the…
Queen Elizabeth's coffin was lowered into a vault at Windsor Castle, her final resting place, on Monday after a day of inimitable pageantry that drew world leaders to her funeral and huge crowds to the streets to say farewell to a revered monarch. Hundreds of thousands of well-wishers lined the…
Beijing on Monday (19) said president Joe Biden's latest comments that the United States would defend Taiwan against a Chinese invasion "severely violate" Washington's policy towards the island. "The US remarks... severely violate the important commitment the US made not to support Taiwan independence, and send a seriously erroneous signal…
Leaders and monarchs from across the globe gathered in London on Monday to bid farewell to Britain's Queen Elizabeth at a state funeral of inimitable pageantry, marking the passing of a beloved figure who unified the nation through her 70-year reign. Thousands of people lined the streets to witness the…
Expressing his condolences to the royal family, US President Joe Biden on Sunday (local time) paid his respects at Queen Elizabeth's coffin and said that the Queen had always reminded him of his mother. While mourning the passing of Queen Elizabeth, Biden remembered Queen's warm candour and said, "The way…
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis took credit Thursday for sending two planeloads of undocumented Venezuelans from Texas to wealthy Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, as Republicans play up immigration issues before November midterm elections. Around 50 of the migrants, including children, landed Wednesday on the island, where Democratic presidents from John F. Kennedy…
Hundreds of foreign royals and leaders are expected to attend the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II in London on Monday in one of the biggest diplomatic gatherings in decades. Westminster Abbey has space for around 2,000 people, so only heads of state and one or two guests have reportedly…
Here are a few numbers related to the state funeral of Queen Elizabeth II on Monday. 1,500 The number of miles (2,414 kilometres) travelled by the new King Charles III in his first week on the throne. Charles began his reign with visits to Scotland, where he was at the…
Senior leaders of UK's ruling party have raised concerns about inviting Chinese leaders to the Queen's funeral on Monday (19) over genocide of Uyghur minority. A group of MPs and peers, including former Tory leader leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith, have urged the government to withdraw the invitation to the…
US President Joe Biden has appointed 130 Indian-Americans to key positions in his administration so far, a senior White House official has said, the best representation from the community that makes up around one per cent of the American population. Representing the Biden administration at an event to celebrate 'Azadi…
American president Joe Biden is among the few foreign dignitaries allowed to use their own cars to the venue of the Queen’s funeral while other world leaders would have to use a shared bus, media reports said. The funeral for Elizabeth II who died in Scotland last week will be…
US authorities unveiled indictments on Tuesday (13) of a lucrative human smuggling operation that allegedly included moving migrants in suitcases and water tanks from the US-Mexico border, as the Biden administration cracks down on groups fueling a record number of border crossings. Eight people, mostly US citizens, were indicted for…
Britain has not invited representatives from Russia, Belarus and Myanmar to attend Queen Elizabeth's state funeral due to be held next Monday, a Whitehall source said on Tuesday (13). Britain, along with its Western allies, has sought to isolate Russia and its ally Belarus on the world stage with economic…
Britain's government said Monday (12) that travel plans for foreign leaders and their spouses to Queen Elizabeth II's state funeral "will vary" by country, following a report they will have to take special buses. "Arrangements for different leaders will vary depending on things like security risks, so we are providing…
Foreign dignitaries arriving in London for the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II have been told they will be bussed en masse to the venue as they cannot use their cars or helicopters. They are also asked to use commercial aircraft to arrive in the British capital to avoid crowding of…
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser on Thursday (8) declared a public emergency over buses of migrants sent by Republican governors from the US-Mexico border states of Texas and Arizona. Bowser, a Democrat, issued an order to support arriving migrants by creating a new Office of Migrant Services and will devote $10…
Britain's new prime minister Liz Truss convenes her senior ministers for an inaugural cabinet meeting on Wednesday on her first full day in office, before she faces a barrage of questions in parliament. Truss, who officially became leader Tuesday at an audience with the head of state Queen Elizabeth II…
Vedant Patel, the Principal Deputy Spokesperson for the US Department of State, has scripted history by becoming the first Indian-American to hold the daily State Department press briefing, earning plaudits from senior White House officials for his "utmost professionalism" and "amazing debut". With State Department Spokesperson Ned Price on vacation,…
US President Joe Biden has nominated Indian Americans Manu Asthana and Madhu Beriwal to his National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC). The President’s National Infrastructure Advisory Council (NIAC) advises the White House on how to reduce physical and cyber risks, and improve security and resilience of the nation’s critical infrastructure sectors.…
A Saudi Arabian court has sentenced a woman to 45 years in prison for social media posts, a rights group said, in the latest example of a crackdown on women activists that followed a visit by U.S. President Joe Biden to the kingdom. Nourah bint Saeed al-Qahtani was convicted "likely…
US President Joe Biden has appointed more than 130 Indian-Americans to key positions in his administration so far, the best representation from the community that makes up around one per cent of the American population. In doing so he has not only fulfilled his promise to the community that he…
The UN human rights office, OHCHR, expressed outrage on Friday over a 34-year prison sentence handed down to a Saudi woman charged with aiding dissidents. Salma al-Shehab, 34, was arrested in Saudi Arabia in 2021 while on a holiday from the United Kingdom where she is a student. She was…
PRIME MINISTER Narendra Modi said India will aim to become a developed nation within 25 years as the country marked 75 years of independence on Monday (15), with the leaders of Britain, the US and France sending congratulatory messages. In his traditional address to the nation from Delhi’s historic Red…
India and the US have done more than any other nation in the fight global against COVID-19, the White House's top health official has said, as he highlighted the massive efforts by the two countries to vaccinate their people along with supporting and donating to other nations to tackle the…
Salman Rushdie has been taken off a ventilator and was able to talk, a day after the Mumbai-born author was stabbed, in what US authorities said was a "targeted, unprovoked, preplanned" attack.Rushdie, who faced Islamist death threats for years after writing "The Satanic Verses", was stabbed by a 24-year-old New…
The recent India-specific CAATSA sanctions waiver by the U.S. House of Representatives is the most consequential vote since the civilian nuclear deal, an influential Indian-American Democratic Congressman has said, asserting that U.S. President Joe Biden will expedite the waiver because he has the “political mileage” and the backing of 300…
Vice President Kamala Harris will meet leaders from U.S. colleges and universities on Monday to discuss challenges students are facing after the recent Supreme Court decision to end the nationwide constitutional right to abortion. Harris, who has now held over half a dozen meetings on reproductive rights with key stakeholders,…
Hours ahead of US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's arrival in Taiwan, China upped the ante and threatened Washington with "very grave" consequences if the high-level visit takes place. Pelosi is likely to visit Taiwan Tuesday evening, as per reports. She is going to Taiwan for meetings scheduled with top government…
President Joe Biden in a televised address on Monday (local time) announced that Al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed in an air strike by the United States stating that "Justice has been delivered." al-Zawahiri was one of the world's most wanted terrorists and a mastermind of the September 11, 2001…
Al Qaeda chief and key plotter of the 9/11 terrorist attack, Ayman al Zawahiri, was killed in a US drone strike in Afghanistan on Saturday.US President Joe Biden confirmed it on Monday, saying that "Justice has been served". Zawahiri, who had just turned 71, took over the leadership of Al-Qaeda…
A Saudi who allegedly helped a non-Muslim enter the holy city of Mecca has been arrested, police in the kingdom said on Friday (22), after online backlash against an Israeli journalist. The journalist, Gil Tamary of Israel's Channel 13, on Monday (18) posted to Twitter video of himself sneaking into…
An Ohio grand jury on Thursday returned a two-count indictment against the man accused of raping a girl who later travelled to Indiana to obtain an abortion because she was barred from terminating the pregnancy in her home state. The indictment also reveals that the girl was just 9 years…
Four-nation grouping 'I2U2' has established a positive agenda and its framework is a good model for practical cooperation in the face of increasing global uncertainties, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday at the first virtual summit of the coalition With US President Joe Biden, Israeli PM Yair Lapid and…
AN Ohio man has been charged with raping a 10-year-old girl who later traveled to neighboring Indiana for an abortion, a case that President Joe Biden highlighted in criticizing a US Supreme Court decision eliminating a nationwide right to abortion. Gerson Fuentes, 27, who was arrested on Tuesday (12), appeared…
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson's decision on Thursday to step down as leader of his Conservative Party, paving the way for a new premier to take over, drew a spectrum of reactions from leaders worldwide. Johnson, who quit as Tory leader following a series of scandals and an exodus of…
FOUNDED only in 2014, India's southern state of Telangana is increasingly becoming a destination for US tech giants, The Times reported. The information technology minister of the state, Kalvakuntla Taraka Rama Rao hopes to transform this agricultural region into a new-age tech mecca. The state administration led by Rao’s father,…
Pope Francis expressed his sorrow Tuesday over the deaths of dozens of migrants near the border between the United States and Mexico, and at the border between Spain and Morocco. "I sorrowfully heard the news of the tragedy of the migrants in Texas and Melilla," he said on Twitter. "Let…
For foreign dignitaries, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has often chosen gifts that showcase India's rich cultural and artistic traditions, and it was no different this time as he picked a variety of products for the heads of governments at the G7 Summit. It was distinct artistic products identified with different…
US President Joe Biden and other G7 leaders have unveiled ambitious plans to mobilise USD 600 billion in funding by 2027 to deliver transparent and game-changing infrastructure projects in developing countries like India, in a move seen as a counter to China's Belt and Road Initiative. The Partnership for Global…
Prominent Indian-American legal expert Anjali Chaturvedi has been nominated by US President Joe Biden as General Counsel in the veterans affairs department, the latest from the community to be named for a key position in the administration. Ms Chaturvedi is a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Criminal Division of…
US President Joe Biden on Tuesday nominated Indian American Dr Aarti Prabhakar as the next White House science adviser as his administration aims to leverage science, technology, and innovation.If confirmed by the Senate, Dr Prabhakar will be Biden's Chief Advisor for Science and Technology, a co-chair of the President's Council…
Horse-loving Queen Elizabeth was thanked for being "in the saddle" for 70 years as head of state at a service on Friday to celebrate her Platinum Jubilee, an event she missed due to her "mobility issues". Other senior members of the royal family joined a congregation of politicians, charity figures…
AS thousands converged on central London to mark the historic milestone, messages of congratulation poured in for the 96-year-old queen. The US "Jill and I wish Your Majesty a joyful Platinum Jubilee celebration. On behalf of the United States, congratulations to Queen Elizabeth II on an unprecedented 70 years of…
Longevity Elizabeth has reigned for 70 years and nearly four months -- longer than any other monarch in British history. The previous record was held by her great-great-grandmother queen Victoria, who reigned for 63 years, seven months and two days until 1901. At 96, Elizabeth is the oldest current monarch…
SOUTH KOREAN K-pop band BTS didn't sing a word but in a White House visit Tuesday (31) to meet president Joe Biden the supergroup's message against anti-Asian racism came loud and clear. The seven stars, dressed in matching dark suits and ties, with white shirts, joined White House press secretary…
UNFOUNDED claims that the gunman was born outside the US began to circulate on Twitter, Reddit and other social media platforms within hours of the shooting. According to media reports, two Telegram groups with ties to white supremacist figures proclaimed that the shooter illegally crossed over from the Mexico border…
THE QUAD leaders have launched a slew of new initiatives, ranging from maritime security to healthcare, to benefit the alliance partners and the wider Indo-Pacific. During their Tokyo summit of the grouping, the member states - India, the US, Japan and Australia - vowed to deepen their long-term cooperation.The scope…
Leaders of the Quad alliance said on Tuesday (24) they opposed all attempts to "change the status quo by force, particularly in the Indo-Pacific".The statement, which followed a summit meeting of the four members of the grouping - India, Japan, Australia and the United States in Tokyo - comes with…
LONDON mayor Sadiq Khan was on the hit list of a teenager who gunned down 10 people at a supermarket in Buffalo in the US state of New York on Saturday (14), according to media reports.A 180-page “manifesto” of Payton Gendron, who surrendered after the racist rampage, named Khan as…
RISING student debt is severely affecting students across Britain, who are already struggling with a cost-of-living crisis. Britons heading to university next year face major changes that critics argue will worsen the financial pain. The pressure is "exhausting, especially for someone in their 20s who has just started thinking about…
A Republican Senator has lifted the "hold" on the Senate confirmation of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, who has been nominated by US president Joe Biden as the country's next ambassador to India. In a notice to the Senate on March 10, Republican Senator Chuck Grassley had said that he…
THE bells at Washington National Cathedral rang out 1,000 times Monday (9), with each toll representing 1,000 deaths from Covid-19, as the US closed in on the grim milestone of almost one million Covid dead. The US has suffered the most Covid deaths of any country in the world, ahead…
BILLIONAIRE businessman Elon Musk’s criticism of Twitter’s top legal officer Vijaya Gadde has raised fears of “harassment” against the woman executive of the social media company.Musk, who agreed to buy Twitter in a $44 billion deal, criticised Gadde for her role in banning from the micro-blogging platform a media report…
ELON MUSK's criticism of Twitter sparked a barrage of abusive tweets against the company's top lawyer, raising questions about his compliance with a non-disparagement agreement and the tone that the social media platform's incoming owner will set for its users. Musk tweeted he disagreed with a decision Twitter made in…
AN Indo-British bilateral free-trade deal could be wrapped up by October, prime minister Boris Johnson said in New Delhi last week, as he concluded his much-delayed visit to India. Britain and India also agreed to step up defence and business cooperation, Johnson said, adding that London would support Delhi’s goal…
US vice president Kamala Harris tested positive for Covid-19 on Tuesday (26) but is asymptomatic and not considered a current close contact of president Joe Biden, the White House said. "Today, vice president Harris tested positive for Covid-19 on rapid and PCR tests. She has exhibited no symptoms, will isolate…
PAKISTAN'S new prime minister Shehbaz Sharif and Russian president Vladimir Putin have quietly exchanged letters to strengthen bilateral relations, a media report has said. The letters were exchanged after the election of Shehbaz as the prime minister but both the sides kept development away from the media glare in what seemed to be a move aimed at…
RELIGIOUS freedom has deteriorated "significantly" in India under the Hindu nationalist government, a US commission said Monday (25) as it again recommended targeted sanctions over abuses.It was the third straight year that the US Commission on International Religious Freedom asked that India be placed on a list of "countries of…
BRITAIN and India agreed on Friday (22) to step up defence and business cooperation during a visit to New Delhi by Boris Johnson, who said a bilateral free-trade deal could be wrapped up by October. On his first visit to the Indian capital as UK prime minister, Johnson discussed with…
CONGRESSWOMAN Ilhan Omar made a rare visit by a US lawmaker to the Pakistan-administered part of the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir on Thursday (21) and said the issue should get more attention from the United States, prompting an angry response from India.The Muslim-majority Kashmir region has long been the…
BRITISH prime minister Boris Johnson arrived in India Thursday (21) touting job-creating investment but facing long odds to get his reluctant counterpart Narendra Modi to back Western action against Russia. Johnson arrived in Gujarat -- Modi's home state and the ancestral home to half of the United Kingdom's British Indians…
BRITISH prime minister Boris Johnson will offer to help India cut reliance on Russian oil and defence equipment when he begins a two-day visit this week that will test his diplomatic skills and provide brief respite from a row raging at home. On his first trip to India as prime…
A PROTRACTED political drama in Pakistan turned a page on April 10, with prime minister Imran Khan being removed from office following a vote of no confidence in the country’s Parliament.He was replaced by opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif. But that is unlikely to be the end of political turmoil in…
US Trade Representative Katherine Tai met Indian external affairs minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Tuesday (12) and both agreed the newly relaunched US-India Trade Policy Forum could help boost bilateral trade and reduce barriers, Tai's office said. Tai and one of her deputies, Sarah Bianchi, discussed bilateral trade relations and the…
INDIA's relationship with Russia was developed over decades at a time when the US was not able to be a partner, secretary of state Antony Blinken. Top officials of the Biden administration on Monday (11) showed an understanding of New Delhi's position on Ukraine war. "India's relationship with Russia was…
AMERICAN president Joe Biden and Indian prime minister Narendra Modi held a virtual summit on Monday (11), clouded by US frustration over New Delhi's neutral stance on Russia's invasion of Ukraine.The South Asian nation has tried to walk a tightrope between maintaining relations with the West and avoiding alienating Russia…
INDIA's foreign minister said he was "deeply disturbed" by civilian deaths in the Ukrainian city of Bucha but stopped short of blaming Russia, calling for an independent probe. New Delhi has historically close ties with Moscow and has refrained from condemning its invasion of its ex-Soviet neighbour, abstaining in several…
INDIA'S foreign minister said on Wednesday (6) the government is working to stabilise economic transactions with Russia, a day after New Delhi condemned the killings of civilians in Ukraine and called for an independent probe.S Jaishankar told lawmakers in Parliament that Russia continues to be a critical economic partner and…
Comedian Chris Rock, in his first public comments since he was slapped in the face by actor Will Smith at the Oscars on Sunday, said he is “still processing” the incident that made headlines around the world. “How was YOUR weekend?” Rock asked on Wednesday night of a sold-out crowd…
UKRAINE has sought India’s intervention to stop Russian aggression on the eastern European country as peace talks between Moscow and Kyiv have not made any meaningful headway.Ukraine’s foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba said India should leverage its friendly ties with Russia and prevail upon its president Vladimir Putin to stop the…
Britain's foreign secretary was in India on Thursday (31) to press for tougher action on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, ahead of a visit by Moscow's top diplomat likely aimed at urging Delhi to do the opposite. India has abstained from UN resolutions censuring Russia, calling only for a cessation of…
US president Joe Biden's deputy national security adviser for economics Daleep Singh will be in New Delhi on March 30 and 31 to meet government officials to discuss Russia's war against Ukraine and develop an economic framework for the Indo-Pacific, the White House said. “Singh will consult closely with counterparts…
RUSSIA'S foreign minister Sergei Lavrov will visit India for a two-day visit beginning on Thursday (31), officials said.He is likely to press New Delhi to resist Western pressure to condemn the Ukraine invasion.India has abstained from UN resolutions censuring Russia and continues to buy Russian oil and other goods. Lavrov's…
RUSSIAN foreign minister Sergei Lavrov is set to fly to India this week, sources said, finding time to visit one of the biggest buyers of Russian commodities since the international community began isolating Moscow for its invasion of Ukraine.There is little sign that buying will slow down any time soon,…
US president Joe Biden on Monday (28) proposed $1.8 billion to support his Indo- Pacific Strategy along with another $400 million to counter Chinese influence in the region. Both are part of the $773bn annual defence budget of the US for 2023, which was submitted by the White House to…
A NEW book has revealed friction between Joe Biden and Kamala Harris though the White House worked hard to project a united front between the president and vice president and their respective teams, according to a media report. The upcoming book, This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden, and the Battle…
WHEN 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a 2020 border clash with China, the military hardware New Delhi sent to bolster its Himalayan frontier was mostly Russian-origin, showing not for the first time its closeness to "longstanding and time-tested friend" Moscow.Facing an increasingly assertive China closer to home, these ties…
INDIA and Australia have underlined the need for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Ukraine. Indian prime minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison made the assertion during their virtual summit on Monday (21). According to a joint statement, both nations stressed that the contemporary global order has…
US president Joe Biden has said only India among the Quad group of countries was "somewhat shaky" in acting against Russia over its invasion of Ukraine, as India tries to balance its ties with Russia and the West. While the other Quad countries - the US, Japan and Australia -…
JAPANESE prime minister Fumio Kishida will encourage a unified approach on Ukraine when he meets Indian prime minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Saturday (19), while aiming to strengthen security ties across the Indo-Pacific region. "Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine coincides with this trip, I'd like to emphasise…
US President Joe Biden has confidence in Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and believes that he will be an “excellent representative” of the country in India, the White House has said. White House press secretary Jen Psaki exuded confidence that the Senate would soon confirm Garcetti’s nomination, which has been…
INDIAN AMERICAN public health expert Dr Ashish Jha will take over as president Joe Biden's Covid-19 response coordinator next month, the White House announced on Thursday (17). The current coordinator Jeff Zients and his deputy Natalie Quillian are leaving the administration next month, it said. Jha is the dean of…
LAWYERS and federal prosecutors are negotiating a potential plea agreement that could drop the possible death penalty for the 9/11 mastermind Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and four others, a media report said.The New York Times cited people with knowledge of the discussions as saying that “prosecutors have opened talks with lawyers”…
BRITISH prime minister Boris Johnson began lobbying Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates to pump more oil to calm markets roiled by Russia's invasion of Ukraine as he met the Gulf states' leadership on Wednesday (16).Johnson arrived in Abu Dhabi for talks with crown prince Mohammed bin Zayed and…
US president Joe Biden has announced his intent to nominate Indian-origin political activist Shefali Razdan Duggal as his envoy to the Netherlands, according to the White House. Duggal, 50, is an Indian immigrant to the US from Jammu and Kashmir. She has been raised in Cincinnati, Chicago, New York and Boston.…
US president Joe Biden on Thursday (3) met virtually with the leaders of Japan, Australia and India over Ukraine, but the "Quad" group failed to agree on condemning Russia's invasion, with New Delhi hesitant to censure Moscow. The impromptu meeting was held shortly after it was announced by Delhi. Washington…
LEADERS of the Quad group of countries - the US, Japan, Australia and India - will hold a previously unannounced online meeting on Thursday (3), India and Australia said. US president Joe Biden, Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, Australian prime minister Scott Morrison and Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida will…
US PRESIDENT Joe Biden said Washington is in unresolved "consultations" with India over Ukraine. He was asked on Thursday (24) if Washington and Delhi were "fully in sync" over Russia's attack on Ukraine ahead of an expected UN Security Council vote. Biden did not elaborate, but his short response to a question…
AN Indian American economic advisor is playing a crucial role to impose punitive sanctions on Russia over its actions against Ukraine. Daleep Singh, deputy national security advisor for international economics and deputy director of the national economic council, made his second appearance in the White House press room in a…
BRITISH prime minister Boris Johnson on Monday said he would end all coronavirus restrictions in England including mandatory self-isolation for people with Covid-19 and free testing, drawing scepticism from some scientists and political opponents. Johnson's "living with Covid" plan has sparked alarm that it is premature and will leave the…
PRIME minister Imran Khan will travel to Russia on Wednesday (23) on a two-day visit - the first by a Pakistan premier in more than two decades.Khan will hold talks with Russian president Vladimir Putin and review the bilateral ties including energy cooperation besides exchanging views on major regional and…
THE United States, Australia, Japan and India on Friday pledged to deepen cooperation to ensure the Indo-Pacific region was free from "coercion", a thinly-veiled swipe at China's growing economic and military expansion, as their top diplomats convened to also tackle climate change, Covid and other threats. Foreign ministers of the…
THE US death toll from the Covid-19 pandemic surpassed 900,000 on Friday (4), according to the Johns Hopkins University coronavirus tracker. The toll had hit 800,000 dead in mid-December, just a month and a half ago. New cases linked to the Omicron variant are falling, but daily deaths are still…
A US Congressman has urged president Joe Biden to reject Pakistan’s ambassador-designate Masood Khan’s diplomatic credentials and termed him a “bona fide terrorist sympathiser” working to undermine America’s interests in the region. Republican Congressman Scott Perry also alleged that Khan had encouraged young men to emulate jihadists and praised foreign…
TWO teenagers, arrested in England in connection with the Texas synagogue hostage-taking, have been released without charge, police said.The arrests were on Sunday (16), a day after the 10-hour siege at Colleyville ended with all four hostages released unharmed and the captor, British national Malik Faisal Akram shot dead.Akram, 44,…
TRAVEL plans for thousands of passengers, including those heading to India, were disrupted after airlines cancelled or curtailed some flights to and from the US over deployment of the new 5G service, which began on Wednesday (19). Air India was among several international airlines which cancelled flights to the US,…
THE MAN who held four people hostage at a Texas synagogue was on Sunday (16) identified by US authorities as a British citizen while UK police later arrested two teens over an attack that president Joe Biden called an "act of terror."The captor, who died in the 10-hour siege in…
ALL FOUR people taken hostage in a more than 10-hour standoff at a Texas synagogue have been freed unharmed, police said late Saturday (15), and their suspected captor is dead.The siege in the small Texas town of Colleyville - in which the suspect was apparently demanding the release of a…
A KEY panel of the US Congress has voted in favour of Eric M Garcetti, the mayor of the city of Los Angeles, to become the country’s ambassador to India. US president Joe Biden nominated Garcetti as his envoy to India last July. If confirmed by the Senate, the 50-year-old…
US vice president Kamala Harris was at Democratic committee headquarters in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021, when a pipe bomb was discovered outside, according to a White House official familiar with the matter. Harris, then the vice-president-elect and senator from California, evacuated the Democratic National Committee (DNC) headquarters on Capitol…
WITH Omicron cases on the rise, New York health officials have reported an increase in hospitalised children, as the White House promised Sunday (26) to quickly resolve the country's Covid-19 test shortage. The New York state department of health warned "of an upward trend in pediatric hospitalisations associated with Covid-19,"…
ERIC GARCETTI, the nominee for US ambassador to India, promised on Tuesday (15) to raise human rights and arms purchases from Russia as lawmakers said the concerns clouded the growing relationship with New Delhi. The Los Angeles mayor told his Senate confirmation hearing that he will "actively raise" human rights…
US vice president Kamala Harris has been accused to be a “bully” who has made her office staff members face “constant soul-destroying criticism”, The Washington Post reported. The daily recently came out with a piece after interviewing 18 people connected to Harris and it alleged that the latter would fail…
Russian president Vladimir Putin lauded India as "a great power" in New Delhi on Monday as the traditional allies bolstered their military and energy ties, despite Washington's increasing courtship of the world's largest democracy. India confirmed that Russia this month began deliveries of its long-range S-400 ground-to-air missile defence system,…
The Omicron variant has been detected in 38 countries but no deaths have yet been reported, the WHO said on Friday, as authorities worldwide rushed to stem the spread of the heavily mutated Covid-19 strain. The United States and Australia became the latest countries to confirm their first locally transmitted…
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN will transfer power briefly to vice president Kamala Harris on Friday while he is under anesthesia for a routine colonoscopy, making her the first woman to hold presidential power in US history. Biden is undergoing his annual physical at the Walter Reed military hospital outside of Washington.…
THE first woman and first person of colour to become US vice president, Kamala Harris made history on November 3, 2020. But a year later, she is still trying to figure out what part to play in a role that is by definition thankless. President Joe Biden, by teaming up…
US PRESIDENT Joe Biden and vice president Kamala Harris on Thursday (4) sent wishes for Diwali, saying that amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the Hindu festival of lights carried a deeper meaning and reminded everyone that from darkness, there was knowledge, wisdom and truth. Biden, who is serving his first year…
CLIMATE finance to fund technology innovations will be key to India delivering its goal of ‘net zero’ emissions by 2070, academics, policy experts, business leaders and politicians have said. They were speaking as they welcomed Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s announcement at the COP26 summit in Glasgow this week. India…
INDIA prime minister will be presenting the formal position on India's climate action agenda and lay out the best practices and achievements in the sector at the COP26 summit in Glasgow on Monday (1). During the high-profile segment of the World Leaders' Summit, Narendra Modi is scheduled to deliver a…
THREE Republican senators in the US on Friday (29) said they filed a legislation to exempt India from sanctions for purchasing the S-400 missile-defence system from Russia, Washington’s old foe, citing the importance of working with allies to tackle China. The bill from Texas senator Ted Cruz, Indiana senator Todd…
INDIAN-AMERICAN policy expert Neera Tanden, a close confidant of US president Joe Biden, has been named White House staff secretary, eight months after Republican lawmakers scuttled her nomination to another key post. Tanden, 51, a senior adviser to president Biden was named White House staff secretary on a morning staff…
SPIRITUAL leader Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati has been honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award by US president Joe Biden for her lifelong commitment to volunteer service. The award has been given by the US president along with Americorps. The certificate that was awarded to her was signed by Biden. Sadhvi Bhagawati…
US president Joe Biden plans to nominate Donald Blome, currently ambassador to Tunisia, as his top diplomat in Pakistan as Washington works to manage the situation in neighbouring Afghanistan following the withdrawal of American troops. Blome is a career foreign service diplomat with long experience in the region who once…
A FORMER US national security advisor has said America should not provide any fresh aid to Pakistan as it has “had it both ways” for too long. General (retired) HR McMaster, who advised former US president Donald Trump, said America should hold Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan accountable for his comments apparently hailing…
The top US general conceded in a stark admission on Wednesday (29) that the United States "lost" the 20-year war in Afghanistan. "It is clear, it is obvious to all of us, that the war in Afghanistan did not end on the terms we wanted, with the Taliban in power…
US Deputy secretary of state Wendy Sherman will travel in October to Pakistan and India, who have clashed on the way forward in Afghanistan, the State Department announced Monday (27). Sherman, after CIA chief Bill Burns, will be one of the first high-level officials under president Joe Biden to visit…
A SENIOR White House official has said she cannot "predict" when president Joe Biden would make a call to Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan though there have been engagements between the two countries. Khan during recent interviews with the American media has complained that a "busy" president Biden has not…
PRIME MINISTER Narendra Modi on Friday (24) described as "outstanding" his first bilateral meeting with US President Joe Biden who said the Indo-US relationship is destined to be "stronger, closer and tighter" as the two leaders discussed a wide range of issues, including combating Covid-19, climate change, trade and the…
US PRESIDENT Joe Biden on Friday (24) would look to deepen his bid to strengthen the American leadership of the Indo-Pacific against a rising China by hosting the maiden in-person summit of the regional Quad summit. Biden will be joined by the prime ministers of India, Japan and Australia for…
US vice president Kamala Harris, during her maiden meeting with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi, has "suo motu" referred to Pakistan's role in terrorism, saying terror groups were working in that country. She asked Islamabad to take action so that it does not impact America and India's security. Modi held…
US Vice President Kamala Harris met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday (23) and stressed the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific region at a time when the US is trying to solidify its pivot toward Asia and strengthen ties with allies to take on China's growing influence in…
THE United States is shipping another 2.5 million Covid vaccine doses to hard-hit Bangladesh, a White House official said on Thursday (24), after the Biden administration announced a ramping up of global donations. The latest shipment - 2,508,480 Pfizer doses - brings the total of US shots to the country…
US SECRETARY of State Antony Blinken on Thursday (23) said he believed the world was united on pressing the Taliban after speaking with Pakistan, China and Russia, key players with Afghanistan's new rulers. Blinken met with his counterpart from Pakistan, the chief ally of the Taliban regime that was toppled…
THE new security treaty, signed last week by the US, the UK and Australia and aimed at confronting the menace of China’s growing naval fleet in the Indo-Pacific region, is a “welcome development” for India, influential political, foreign policy and defence experts have told Eastern Eye. AUKUS, an acronym denoting…
THE UK government has said that COVID-19 vaccine certification from all countries must meet a 'minimum criteria' and that it is working with India on a 'phased approach' to its international travel norms. It follows Covishield, the Serum Institute of India manufactured Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, being added as eligible to an…
FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi have vowed to "act jointly" in the Indo-Pacific region, as a row intensified with Australia and the US over a ditched submarine contract. Macron's telephone talks with Modi were timed conspicuously as French anger over an Australian cancellation of a…
US PRESIDENT Joe Biden over the weekend greeted the Jain community on the concluding day of Paryushan and Das Lakshan festivals. In a Facebook post on Sunday (19), the Democratic leader said, “Jill and I send our best wishes to Jains in the US and around the world who’ve concluded…
THE first bilateral meet between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden on Friday (24) will strengthen the relationship between the two countries and will give momentum to the Quad, a White House official has said. Biden will host Modi at the White House on Friday. Later, the…
BRITAIN and the US will "probably end up" striking a bilateral trade deal, but agreement is "very unlikely" if the terms of the Ireland peace deal are broken, Nancy Pelosi said. "This is not said as any threat, it's a prediction, if there's destruction of the Good Friday accords, we're…
US president Joe Biden on Friday (17) urged the world to bring its "highest" ambition to a UN summit on climate change in November, warning that the planet faces a tightening deadline. "We have to bring to Glasgow our highest ambitions. Those who have not yet done so, time is…
"HE is a busy man," Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has said of Joe Biden, expressing his disappointment over the US president's reluctance to contact him since coming into office in January this year. During an interview to CNN on Wednesday (15) from his private Bani Gala residence in Islamabad,…
US SECRETARY of state Antony Blinken on Monday (13) told his country’s angry lawmakers that Washington will look at the role Pakistan played in the last 20 years after they expressed outrage over Islamabad’s “duplicitous” role in Afghanistan post the 9/11 attacks and demanded that the US reassessed its relationship…
INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi will take part in the first in-person summit of leaders of the "Quad" countries - Australia, India, Japan and the US, which President Joe Biden will host in Washington on September 24 India's ministry of external affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday (14) that Modi will also…
INDIA and the US have agreed to expand their energy partnership in emerging fuels as well, an official statement said. The decision was taken at a ministerial meeting of the US-India Strategic Clean Energy Partnership (SCEP) earlier this week. "Minister Hardeep Singh Puri co-chaired a virtual ministerial meeting with US…
MANY wonder what the current catastrophe in Afghanistan will mean for the wider world order, and particularly how the withdrawal will affect the United States’ image on the global stage in terms of its position as an international leader. What can be said is that the pullout has certainly done…
THERE is growing concern among Pakistani officials about security in neighbouring Afghanistan, as the Taliban tries to form a government and stabilise the country following the departure of the US and other foreign forces. Islamabad is particularly worried about militant fighters from a separate, Pakistani Taliban group crossing from Afghanistan…
President Joe Biden on Tuesday (31) mounted a fierce defense of his exit from Afghanistan as the "best decision for America," the day after the US military withdrawal celebrated by the Taliban as a major victory. "This is the right decision. A wise decision. And the best decision for America,"…
BRITAIN has evacuated more than 15,000 people in the two weeks since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan. The last military flight left Kabul late on Saturday (28) ending nearly 20 years of British military presence in the country. "The final flight carrying UK Armed Forces personnel has left Kabul," Britain's…
BRITAIN’S top counter-terrorism police officer has warned that Afghanistan will again become a base for exporting terrorism, and predicted lone-wolf attacks “probably within two years”. In an exclusive interview with Eastern Eye, assistant commissioner at the Metropolitan Police, Neil Basu, said the Taliban take-over in Afghanistan earlier this month will…
BRITISH Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that the G7 had agreed to a plan to deal with the Taliban, with the No. 1 condition being that militants must allow safe passage to Afghans wanting to leave the country even after an Aug. 31 deadline. "What we've done today, the…
WASHINGTON is committed towards “enduring engagement in Southeast Asia and Indo-Pacific”, US vice president Kamala Harris claimed today (23) in Singapore. She is on a short tour to Southeast Asia during which she is expected to offer reassurances of Washington’s commitment amid unrest in Afghanistan and concerns over China’s growing…
Former UK prime minister Tony Blair, who in 2001 took Britain into war in Afghanistan alongside the United States, on Saturday (21) condemned their "abandonment" of the country as "dangerous" and "unnecessary". In his first public comments on the crisis since the Afghan government collapsed last weekend, Blair criticised the…
AS China and Pakistan mull a joint strategy to push for a global recognition of the Taliban regime in war-torn Afghanistan to further their interests, experts have warned the “all-weather allies” of long-term losses, especially a blowback effect from the US. Since the Taliban's takeover of Kabul on August 15,…
SEVEN people died near Kabul airport amid chaos, reports stated on Sunday (22), citing Britain's Ministry of Defence. Meanwhile, the UK, US and other allies continue to struggle to evacuate thousands of foreign nationals and Afghans who are trying to flee Afghanistan after Taliban Islamists took control a week ago.…
After the September 11 attacks, the United States gave Pakistan a harsh ultimatum to break with the Taliban. Pakistan offered help but insisted -- it will not be abandoned again, as in the 1990s after Washington lost interest in Afghanistan. Twenty years later, the Taliban has retaken Afghanistan from a…
US vice president Kamala Harris's trip to Singapore and Vietnam starting on Sunday will show that the United States is in the region "to stay," a senior administration official said, as Washington seeks to bolster international support to counter China's growing global influence. Harris will be the most senior US…
The Taliban takeover of Afghanistan will inspire terrorists and trigger an “explosion” of extremism and security challenges for the world, UK defence secretary Ben Wallace warned on Thursday. Speaking to the BBC, the cabinet minister said he feared that terror groups like Al Qaeda would view the Taliban advance as…
BRITAIN has helped more than 2,000 Afghans to flee the country in recent days, the prime minister said on Wednesday (18), and added that the Taliban must be judged "on actions, not words". Addressing MPs called back to parliament from their summer holidays for an emergency debate, Boris Johnson also…
THE US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has lowered India's travel advisory to "Level 2: moderate," while the state department eased its India rating to "Level 2: exercise increased caution." The new advisory level, which is considered safe, came in the wake of the significant improvement in the…
BRITAIN will not abandon Afghanistan, prime minister Boris Johnson vowed on Friday (13), even as he confirmed the imminent withdrawal of most embassy staff in the face of a rapid Taliban onslaught. With the Islamists seizing control of more Afghan cities, Britain is reportedly deploying around 600 troops to…
A NEW report has revealed that more than 9,000 anti-Asian incidents have been reported across the US since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, The Guardian reported. Stop AAPI Hate, a national coalition that tracks racially motivated hate crimes towards Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, received 9,081 reports between 19…
THE Chinese video-sharing app TikTok was the world's most downloaded app in 2020, market tracker App Annie has said. It overtook Facebook and its messaging platforms, including WhatsApp. TikTok was the fourth most downloaded app in the previous year. The research firm said that TikTok surged in popularity despite efforts by…
IMPACT, the leading Indian American civic and political organisation has raised issues related to expanding voting rights and immigration reforms at the White House last week. IMPACT executive director Neil Makhija along with 13 Asian American civil rights leaders met with the US president Joe Biden and vice president Kamala…
The Taliban are making swift gains in Afghanistan but president Joe Biden is standing firm on a US exit with limited options appearing to be on the table to reverse the insurgents' momentum. The Taliban's advances, including seizing six provincial capitals within days, may appear startling in their speed but…
UPSET over US president Joe Biden's reluctance to telephonically contact prime minister Imran Khan, Pakistan's national security adviser Moeed Yusuf has said Islamabad has “other options" if the American leader continues to ignore the country's leadership. "The president of the United States hasn't spoken to the prime minister of such…
PAKISTAN’S national security advisor said Wednesday (4) that Afghanistan's government and the Taliban must both compromise and reach a peace settlement as the insurgents made rapid gains amid a US troop withdrawal. Wrapping up a week of talks in Washington, Moeed Yusuf played down the level of influence on the…
THE International Monetary Fund has approved a $650 billion (£466bn) allocation to its resources pool to help economically vulnerable countries battling the coronavirus pandemic. The 190-nation lending institution said on Monday (2) that its board of governors approved the expansion of its reserves known as Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), the…
THE US state department has announced a new programme to offer thousands of Afghans, who may be targets of Taliban violence due to their US affiliations, an opportunity to resettle as refugees. The new 'Priority Two' refugee programme, will cover Afghans who worked for US-funded projects and for US-based non-government…
US vice president Kamala Harris has been rated as the most unpopular American vice president since at least the 1970s, claimed a recent media report on Sunday (1). She has spent almost six months in her new role. Citing two recent polls where it emerged that most of the…
PAKISTAN-born American lawyer and slain US Army captain's father Khizr Khan has been appointed commissioner of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom. The Joe Biden administration also nominated Indian-American diplomat Rashad Hussain as ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom. In a statement, the White House said Khan is "an…
US president Joe Biden has nominated Indian-American attorney Rashad Hussain as the ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom. Hussain, 41, who is currently director for Partnerships and Global Engagement at the National Security Council, is the first Muslim to be nominated to the key position. “Today's announcement underscores the president's commitment…
PAKISTAN’S government is not a spokesperson for the Taliban and Islamabad cannot be held responsible for the actions of the insurgent group in Afghanistan, prime minister Imran Khan has said. In his comments to Afghan media representatives that were aired on Thursday (29), Khan also said Pakistan will have good…
CHINESE president Xi Jinping’s visit to Tibet last week is a threat to India, US Republican Congressman Devin Nunes told Fox News in an interview. Last week, Xi made an unannounced three-day trip to Lhasa, a strategically important region and Nyingchi in Tibet. Xi, who is also general secretary of…
CHINA accused the US of "demonising" Beijing in a high-level talk under president Joe Biden's administration. China's vice foreign minister Xie Feng said relations had reached a "stalemate" because the US saw China as an "imagined enemy". He added that the US wanted to "blame China for its own structural…
INDIAN-American Arpita Bhattacharyya has been named as the chief of staff to the office of deputy secretary at the US department of energy by president Joe Biden. Bhattacharyya, who earlier worked for Strategic Projects, Impossible Foods -- a food and beverage company that made meat from plants -- is among…
THE UNITED States on Tuesday (20) voiced concern over what it called a “deteriorating climate for press freedom” in Bangladesh. Bangladeshi prime minister Sheikh Hasina has become a close partner of the United States, which has welcomed her support on climate change and her stand against Islamic extremism as well…
US envoy John Kerry on Tuesday (20) said that the world cannot wait for the Covid-19 pandemic to end before dealing with climate change. He stressed how "pivotal" this year's UN climate conference was to press ahead with action. Addressing an audience at London's Royal Botanic Gardens, Kerry said nations must…
CHINA denied allegations of carrying out a major cyber-attack against tech giant Microsoft, calling such claims “fabricated.” On Monday (19), the US and other western countries including the UK, EU, New Zealand and Australia accused China of hacking Microsoft Exchange - a popular email platform used by companies worldwide, BBC…
Afghanistan has withdrawn its ambassador and diplomats from Pakistan's capital following the kidnapping of the ambassador Najib Alikhil's daughter, the Afghan foreign ministry said on Sunday (18), a new blow to relations at a sensitive time for the Afghan peace process. The daughter of Afghanistan's ambassador to Pakistan was seized…
PAKISTAN on Sunday (18) said the taxi drivers who drove the daughter of Afghan envoy before her abduction were interrogated and a first information report was registered in the case. The 26-year-old daughter of Afghanistan's ambassador to Pakistan was on Friday (16) “abducted, tortured and assaulted" by unknown persons in…
THE United States Senate on Wednesday (14) confirmed Indian-American civil rights lawyer Seema Nanda as the solicitor for the country's department of labour. Nanda, a former chief executive officer of the Democratic National Committee who also served in the labour department in the Barack Obama administration, was confirmed by the…
US president Joe Biden intends to nominate Indian-American surgeon and popular author Atul Gawande to a senior leadership position in the US Agency for International Development (USAID). According to the White House, Biden intends to nominate Gawande for Assistant Administrator of the Bureau for Global Health, USAID. Gawande has four…
BRITISH defence secretary Ben Wallace said the United Kingdom was prepared to work with the Taliban if it enters into a power-sharing government. "Whatever the government of the day is, provided it adheres to certain international norms, the UK government will engage with it," he was quoted as saying to…
US President Joe Biden on Friday nominated Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, an ambitious star in his Democratic Party, to be ambassador to India, with which the US has an increasingly close relationship. Garcetti, who has led the country's second-largest city since 2013 with a focus on improving transportation and sustainability,…
President Joe Biden on Tuesday (7) said the US is predicted to reach the mark of 160 million fully vaccinated Americans by the end of this week and asserted that the country is closer than ever to declaring its independence from the deadly virus. Noting that COVID-19 cases and deaths…
INDIA expects to receive foreign-made Covid-19 vaccine doses through the COVAX global vaccine-sharing programme for the first time, with 3-4 million doses of Pfizer and Moderna shots potentially arriving by August, two sources have said. India, the world's biggest producer of vaccines, was initially the main source of Covid-19 shots…
THE Delta variant is already the dominant strain of Covid-19 in the US, according to data modelling done by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to the health agency's estimates, the Delta variant became dominant in the country over the two weeks ended July 3, with…
TECHNOLOGY major Samsung Electronics said it expects the company’s quarterly profit to grow 53 per cent amid a global chip shortage. The world's biggest memory-chip and smartphone maker has forecast an operating profit of £8 billion for the quarter ending June, as strong demand for memory chips is likely to…
US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen discussed a shared interest between the US and India to implement a "robust" global minimum tax, the Treasury said after Yellen's call with Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. "The secretary stressed the importance of partnership with India in the G20 and OECD to seize a…
THE US on Monday (28) has announced an additional $41 million assistance to India to strengthen the country's preparedness for future health emergencies, taking the total aid to more than $200m. “India came to the assistance of the US during this country's time of need, and now the United States…
SHORTAGE of chip forces Jaguar Land Rover to halt production at its Slovakian factory, The Times reported. The luxury car producer, owned by the Indian conglomerate Tata, is understood to be stopping production this week at Nitra in Slovakia, that has a capacity to build 150,000 off-roaders a year. The…
PAKISTAN is seeking a "civilised" and "even-handed" relationship with Washington like the one that existed between the US and the UK or with India "right now", prime minister Imran Khan has said, underlining the role Islamabad could play in the region, including in Afghanistan after America leaves the war-torn country.…
US Vice President Kamala Harris visited a border patrol facility near the US-Mexico border on Friday (25), aiming to counter claims from Republicans she has been slow to visit the region as part of her role addressing the root causes of immigration. The trip, her first to the border since…
A pregnant British woman, her husband and their one-year-old daughter are reportedly missing among nearly 100 people who are still unaccounted for after an ocean front apartment block in Miami collapsed late Thursday (24) night. According to a family member, Bhavna and Vishal Patel, along with daughter Aishani were staying…
A SENIOR US senator has disapproved of president Joe Biden’s perceived "unwillingness" to engage Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan and warned that the withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan “will not be effective” without coordinating with Islamabad. Republican senator Lindsey Graham said it will be "disastrous" for the US to…
THE United States announced on Monday (21) an allocation of 16 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines for Asian countries including Sri Lanka. Approximately 16 million vaccines will be distributed among India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Maldives, Bhutan, Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Papua New Guinea, Taiwan, Cambodia,…
PAKISTAN prime minister Imran Khan has ruled out hosting American bases in his country for military action inside war-torn Afghanistan, fearing it might lead to Pakistan being "targeted in revenge attacks" by terrorists. In an opinion piece in The Washington Post ahead of US president Joe Biden's meeting with top…
By Lord Jitesh Gadhia IN THE run-up to last weekend’s G7 meeting in Cornwall, expectations were running high. The first physical gathering of world leaders since the start of the pandemic provided an opportunity to address a whole series of pressing policy issues, ranging from vaccines and post-pandemic recovery to…
US PRESIDENT Joe Biden revealed that China tried to warn him against strengthening the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, referred to as the Quad. The Quad group is an informal strategic dialogue with four members -- India, Japan, Australia and the US that has a common objective to ensure and sustain an…
TO counter China’s growing reach, G7 leaders have adopted a plan to support lower-and middle-income countries in building better infrastructure. US president Joe Biden said he wanted the US-backed Build Back Better World (B3W) plan to be a higher-quality alternative to a similar Chinese programme. China's Belt and Road Initiative…
The US mission in India is "actively working" to accommodate as many student visa applicants as possible in July and August, and facilitating their legitimate travel remained a top priority for it, a senior American diplomat said on Sunday. Don Heflin, the minister counselor for consular affairs at the US…
THEY both are promising economies and with mammoth populations on either side of the border, these two neighbours can aspire to be world beaters in decades to come. But in reality, India and China have been more at odds than in unity. From border to political to geostrategic, the two…
THE transatlantic solidarity is at its best again. At the time when US President Joe Biden is touring the UK to attend the G7 and Nato summits, the two old allies have agreed to script a new partnership to deal with future threats in the health sector. The UK Health…
AN AMERICAN of Pakistani heritage, Zahid Qureshi, has become the first Muslim federal judge in US history. The US Senate on Thursday (10) approved president Joe Biden’s nomination of Qureshi to the federal bench. The Democrat-controlled Senate voted 81-16 to confirm Qureshi, 46, who is the son of Pakistani immigrants…
CHANCELLOR Rishi Sunak will seek exemption for financial services firms in London from a new global tax system, agreed last week by the G7 member nations. Proposed by US president Joe Biden, the new tax plan aims to "redistribute" the profits of the world’s 100 largest businesses, such as Google,…
By Amartya Sharma “HATE has no place in America,” said US president Joe Biden, while signing the Covid-19 Hate Crimes Act. Yet, hate has a long history in this New World, going back to the founding of America. The recent spate of violence against Asian Americans has seen a significant…
US PRESIDENT Joe Biden is set to announce plans on Thursday (10) to buy and donate 500 million doses of the Pfizer coronavirus vaccine to more than 90 countries while calling on the world's democracies to do their part to help end the deadly pandemic, the White House said. Biden…
KAMALA HARRIS in an effort to deter immigration from Central America has warned migrants to not come to the United States. In this regard, the US vice president on Monday (7) had talks with Alejandro Giammattei, the Guatemalan president. Since Joe Biden took charge in January, the number of migrants…
THE US SENATE has approved a huge spending plan of approximately £176 billion to boost technology research and production in the country. Republicans and Democrats came together to pass the bill that came in the wake of growing international competition, particularly from China. The bill must pass the House of…
TOP American lawmakers on Friday (4) applauded the Joe Biden administration for its decision to distribute 25 million doses of Covid-19 vaccines to India and other countries. "I applaud the Biden administration's commitment to getting Covid-19 vaccines to countries that need them the most," senator John Cornyn, co-chair of the…
THE US will share approximately seven million doses of Covid-19 vaccines with Asian countries, including Bangladesh, it has emerged. The administration of president Joe Biden has unveiled plans to share at least 80 million US vaccine doses globally by the end of June. Initially, it will share 25 million doses…
INDIA's envoy to the US has said that the country will be a "significant recipient" of US vaccines as president Joe Biden announced details of his administration's decision to send 25 million Covid-19 shots to countries across the globe. In a phone call on Thursday (3), Modi and US vice…
PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN on Thursday (3) laid out how the United States would share some 25 million of a planned 80 million Covid-19 vaccine doses with the rest of the world. However, the 25 million doses Biden announced today will not include supply from AstraZeneca, the White House said. He…
BRITAIN will host health ministers from the Group of Seven (G7) countries in Oxford on Thursday (3) for a two-day summit, as pressure intensifies to do more to broaden access to Covid-19 vaccines across the world. British foreign secretary Dominic Raab has said that equitable access to coronavirus vaccines will…
LETTERS of the Greek alphabet will be used to identify coronavirus variants in order to simplify discussion and pronunciation while avoiding stigma. The World Health Organization (WHO) revealed the new names on Monday (31) amid criticism that those given by scientists to strains such as the South African variant –…
BRITAIN’S prime minister Boris Johnson is said to be lobbying for a quarantine-free air corridor with the US and is expected to raise the idea with president Joe Biden at the upcoming G7 summit in Cornwall. Johnson is said to be pushing for a “green channel” for fully vaccinated people…
CHINA’S chief economic envoy Liu He and the US treasury secretary Janet Yellen held their first virtual meeting on Wednesday (2) to discuss areas of mutual concern. However, the two sides did not give any indication when negotiations on ending their tariff war might resume. On May 26, vice premier…
US PRESIDENT Joe Biden has ordered an internal review on US-Pakistan ties, a media report said. Biden is seeking fresh input to understand where Pakistan-US ties stand at the moment and what is the way forward, The Express Tribune said. He ordered a review to avoid having a biased approach…
US secretary of state Antony Blinken has said that the US and India are united in trying to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic together and Washington is determined to help India with its coronavirus crisis. Indian foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, who has spent the past week in the US seeking help…
THE US is planning to organise an in-person fall summit of leaders of the Quad countries with focus on infrastructure amid challenges from China, president Joe Biden's Indo-Pacific policy coordinator said. Kurt Campbell said other countries were also welcome to work with the Quad group, which includes Australia, India and…
US PRESIDENT Joe Biden will sign an executive order that will address tackling an increase in anti-Asian violence in the country, the White House said on Friday (28). The order will establish the White House Initiative on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders, and expand language access and strengthening…
INDIA’S foreign minister Dr S Jaishankar on Thursday (27) conveyed his appreciation for US solidarity in addressing Covid challenges during a meeting with US national security advisor Jake Sullivan. Jaishankar also stressed healthcare partnerships and the importance of India US collaborations, which he hoped would strengthen supply chains for vaccine…
US president Joe Biden plans to announce that he has selected R Nicholas Burns, a former ambassador to NATO, as his ambassador to China, and Mayor Eric Garcetti of Los Angeles as his ambassador to India, the New York Times reported late on Wednesday (26), citing two people familiar with…
INDIAN AMERICANS are divided on vice president Kamala Harris’s role in response to India’s Covid-19 crisis, and conversations on whether she should do more have intensified along with the crisis, according to a report in The Washington Post. More than 20 Indian Americans, including community leaders, political activists, public officials,…
By Dinesh Sharma FOREIGN students from India who have enrolled in US universities face an uncertain future, as most are stuck in the subcontinent which is battling a deadly second wave of the pandemic, and where a shortage of vaccines has made returning to America a challenge. The US…
PAKISTAN is eyeing a “paradigm shift” in its relationship with the US, according to a local media report. On Sunday (23), Pakistan’s newly appointed national security adviser, Dr Moeed Yusuf, met his US counterpart, Jake Sullivan, in Geneva to present the ‘Pakistani plan’, which will see a shift away from…
THE TALIBAN warned Afghanistan's neighbours on Wednesday (26) against allowing the United States to operate military bases on their soil, with the insurgents insisting they would thwart any such "heinous and provocative acts". Washington is in the final stages of withdrawing its troops from Afghanistan, and a flurry of diplomatic…
AMERICAN has not reinstated its security assistance to Pakistan, following its suspension by the administration of previous US president Donald Trump, Pentagon press secretary John Kirby has said on Monday (24). Kirby added that he would not speculate if the decision would change in future. Recently, US defence secretary Lloyd…
INDIA’S foreign minister S Jaishankar will meet the US Secretary of State, Anthony Blinken, on Monday (24) to emphasise the procurement of coronavirus vaccines. During his five-day visit to the country, the minister explore the possibility of joint production as well as procurement of coronavirus vaccine with American companies. He…
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle have announced a disaster relief center to be built in Mumbai to help people battle Covid-19 as the couple marked their third anniversary earlier this week. A Community Relief Centre will be built in collaboration with World Central Kitchen (WCK), the couple said.…
