Page 10 - United States

US, Germany in 'lockstep' on Russia Ukraine war: Joe Biden and Olaf Scholz

US President Joe Biden and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz met privately in the Oval Office for more than an hour on Friday after declaring themselves in "lockstep" on maintaining pressure on Russia over its invasion of Ukraine. Even their top advisers were left out of the conversation. When the meeting ended, Biden and Scholz walked across the hall to the Roosevelt Room, where the American and German officials had been mingling. Biden joked that the two leaders had solved all the world's problems by themselves, according to a senior administration official, who requested anonymity to describe the closed-door discussions. If any agreements were reached or plans made, the White House was not saying. The official readout of the meeting provided little additional detail, except to say the two leaders discussed the war and "exchanged perspectives on other global issues". The conversation came at a delicate moment in the conflict. Ukraine and Russia are preparing for spring offensives, ...

Antony Blinken meets Ukraine's Foreign Minister, reiterates US support

Blinken on Wednesday arrived in India to take part in the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting and the Raisina Dialogue

IndiGo gets aviation ministry's nod to wet lease planes for US, Canada ops

The country's largest airline IndiGo, which is focusing on internationalisation, has received approval from the civil aviation ministry to wet lease up to two planes for operating flights to the United States and Canada, according to a senior official. For the first time, IndiGo started operating wide-body Boeing 777 on Delhi-Istanbul route in February. The plane has been taken on wet lease from Turkish Airlines. The airline has received nod from the ministry to wet lease two aircraft that can be utilised on this route. The official, on the condition of anonymity, said on Friday the ministry has also given approval for IndiGo to wet lease up to two wide-body aircraft which can be used for flying to the US and Canada. Queries sent to IndiGo on this issue remained unanswered. It could not be immediately ascertained whether IndiGo has firmed up plans on operating flights to the US and Canada. Indian carriers require approval from the ministry to wet lease aircraft. Under the wet le

South Korean, US militaries to go ahead with drills despite N Korea threat

The South Korean and US militaries said Friday they'll go ahead with large-scale annual military drills later this month despite North Korea's threats to take unprecedently strong action against such training. It's likely that North Korea will respond to the upcoming South Korean-U.S. exercises with provocative missile tests and belligerent rhetoric because it views them as an invasion rehearsal. In a joint press conference, the South Korean and US militaries said they will conduct the Freedom Shield exercise, a computer-simulated command post training, from March 13-23 to strengthen their defense and response capabilities. They said the training would focus on North Korean aggression, lessons learned from recent conflicts and the changing security environment. The Korea-U.S. alliance will prepare for the FS (Freedom Shield) training while maintaining a firm readiness against potential provocations by the North Korean military, said Col. Lee Sung Jun, a spokesperson at the South ..

US says it hopes to work closely with India to end Ukraine-Russia conflict

India as the G20 host has a "unique role" to play in bringing about an end to the war in Ukraine due to its "longstanding historical" ties to Russia, the US has said, expressing hope to work closely with New Delhi to find a way to stop the conflict. The G20 foreign ministers' meeting hosted by India on Thursday was unable to come out with a joint communique due to a sharp rift between the West and Russia over the Ukraine conflict despite efforts by host India to bridge the differences. "We are deeply grateful to our Indian partners for the way they have led the G20 to date. And as you alluded to, there is a lot more work to be done over the course of this year, but India is off to a very promising start with its stewardship of the G-20," State Department Spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at his daily news conference on Thursday. The India-US partnership was a subject of discussion between Secretary of State Antony Blinken and his counterpart External Affairs Minister S Jaishanka

Having been duped, US city scraps agreement with Nithyananda's 'Kailasa'

Having been duped, a US city has scrapped a sister-city agreement with the fictional nation of Kailasa that the fugitive godman Nithyananda's outfit claimed was recognition by the US

It is an embarrassment not to have a US Ambassador to India, says Senator

The absence of a US Ambassador to India for more than two years now is an embarrassment, a top Democratic Senator said Thursday, floating the idea of an "equally qualified" candidate if the current nominee Eric Garcetti is not able to get enough votes for a Senatorial confirmation. Garcetti, 52, a former Mayor of Los Angeles, was nominated by President Joe Biden for US Ambassador to India in July 2021. His nomination was not brought to the Senate floor for a vote as the ruling Democratic Party did not have enough support to get him through. "It is an embarrassment that we say this is one of the most valuable relationships in the world, and yet we've not appointed an ambassador," Senator Mark Warner, Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, told PTI when asked about the issue. Warner, who was part of a Congressional delegation to India last week, said that Indians also raised the issues of the absence of an ambassador at this important time. "I think that the message

US expected to send more ammo, folding armoured bridges to Ukraine

The US is expected to announce a new package of military aid for Ukraine Friday, including for the first time eight armoured vehicles that can launch bridges and allow troops to cross rivers or other gaps, US officials said Thursday. The officials said the total cost of the package will be about USD 400 million and will also include large amounts of ammunition, such as rockets for the High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems. It comes just a week after the one-year anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and as Ukrainian forces are preparing for a spring offensive. Officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the aid package has not yet been publicly announced. The so-called Armoured Vehicle Launched Bridge is a portable, 60-foot folding metal bridge that is carried on top of a tank body. Providing that system now could help Ukrainian troops as they launch the expected offensive, and make it easier for troops to cross rivers to get to Russian forces. Including this latest

US expands crackdown on China with export restrictions on Inspur, BGI

The Commerce Department added a number of companies to the so-called Entity List for acquiring and attempting to acquire US-origin items in support of China's military modernization efforts

India is off to very promising start with its stewardship of G20: US

Ned Price said that US' partnership with India is one of the most "consequential relationships" and they can work closely with India on everything that is a priority for both nations

US nominee to head World Bank, Ajay Banga, to visit China, other countries

Banga said he believes the scientific evidence on climate change, and underscored the need for the bank to continue to work on poverty reduction and inequality

US approves F-16 fighters' munitions sale to Taiwan worth $619 million

The U.S. has approved more arms sales to Taiwan, including $619 million worth of munitions for F-16 fighter jets, in a decision likely to be yet another point of friction between the U.S. and China, which claims the island as its own territory. The State Department said in a statement Wednesday night it had approved sales of missiles to be used with the F-16s as well as equipment to support the missiles. That includes AGM-88 anti-radiation missiles, as well as air-to-air missiles and launchers. Taiwan is unofficially supported by the U.S. and has a fleet of F-16s bought from the U.S. Tensions between China and the U.S. are at their highest level in years over American support for the self-governed island, including visits by high-ranking politicians, and a host of other issues, including a suspected Chinese spy balloon that crossed the U.S. before being shot down last month. China considers Taiwan part of its territory to be brought under its control by force if necessary, and has .

US inches closer to ban TikTok nationwide over data security concerns

The Technological Adversaries Act, or DATA Act, directs Biden to sanction or ban TikTok nationwide if his administration finds that the Chinese firm shared American users' data with the Chinese govt

TTP aims to push Pakistan govt out of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: US report

According to the 2021 Country Reports on Terrorism, the TTP uses the tribal belt along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border to train and deploy its operatives

Joe Biden's pick to lead FAA faces stormy confirmation hearing

President Joe Biden's pick to run the Federal Aviation Administration finally got a hearing Wednesday on his nomination, with Democrats praising him as a skilled leader of large transportation bureaucracies while Republicans called him unqualified because of his relatively thin aviation experience. If confirmed by the Senate, Phillip Washington would take over an agency dealing with safety concerns including several recent close calls between planes, understaffing that has contributed to flight delays, and the breakdown of a pilot-alert system that briefly stopped flights nationwide in January. Washington told the Senate Commerce Committee that safety will be his top priority, and he will leave the FAA better than I found it. Washington is a longtime transit official in Los Angeles and Denver who has served as CEO of Denver International Airport the third-busiest in the world since July 2021. Committee Chair Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., called him an experienced, mission-driven leade

US pick to head World Bank, Ajay Banga, starts 'charm offensive': Report

Directors appreciated Banga's management and leadership experience, and his willingness to engage openly, the source added

Ahead of Blinken's India visit, US contrasts its G-20 goals and Russia's

"The G-20 must hold Russia accountable now for its failure to respond to UN efforts to reopen the sea lanes for grain delivery," the US said

Forget chatbots, this is how corporate America is really using AI

A lot of the companies tossing around the phrase AI are just taking advantage of the hype

China poses an 'existential' threat: US lawmakers at Congressional hearing

Top American lawmakers have described China as an "existential" threat to the US during a first hearing on China by the Republican-majority House of Representatives. They also called for an all-out effort within the country and in coordination with its allies to successfully address the challenge posed by the Communist Party-led China. The US has routinely and historically described Chinese behaviour as aggressive. The name of the newly-constituted committee is House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). This is not a polite tennis match. This is an existential struggle over what life will look like in the 21st century and the most fundamental freedoms are at stake," Congressman Mike Gallagher, Chairman of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), told his fellow Congressional colleagues in his opening remarks on Tuesday. We must act with a sense of urgency. Our policy over the next ten years will set the stage for the next hundred," Gallag

Why stereotypical portrayal of Asok the IITian in Dilbert escaped criticism

As Dilbert comic strips get pulled for creator's racism, Asok was accepted as a satirical comment