Page 24 - United States

Lanka's ousted prez Gotabaya applies for US citizenship restoration: Rpt

Sri Lanka's ousted president Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who fled the country in July last year and then returned after nearly two months, has applied for restoration of his US citizenship after he failed to get asylum in any country, according to a media report. However, the US government is yet to consider the request, The Sunday Times newspaper here reported. In 2019, Rajapaksa renounced his US citizenship to contest the 2019 presidential polls. As per Sri Lankan Constitution, dual citizenship holders are barred from contesting elections. "An appeal by his lawyers to the US government -- more pointedly the Department of State to restore his citizenship, which he renounced to contest the November 2019 presidential election, has still not been considered, the report said on Sunday. The former president and his immediate family are currently in Dubai on holiday. Rajapaksa, 73, had made the appeal for the restoration of his US Citizenship after he failed to seek asylum in any country upon

US budget includes $15 mn for improving security along Pak-Afghan border

The US budget for 2023 includes $15 million for improving security along the Pakistan-Afghan border and an unspecified amount of funds to promote gender equality in Pakistan

South Korea asks US to take up more active role in managing nuclear weapons

South Korean President Yoon said the strategy of "nuclear umbrella" or "extended deterrence" is no longer reassuring for the public now that North Korea has developed nuclear weapons

Global economy faces tougher year in 2023: IMF's Kristalina Georgieva

"Why? Because the three big economies - the US, EU and China - are all slowing down simultaneously," she said

Coordinated actions needed to deal with global challenges

The United States and its allies are committed to supporting Ukraine, despite serious hardships, especially in Europe

US announces testing for passengers from Hong Kong, China after Covid surge

The CDC said that starting from January 5, the United States would require international travellers coming from China to test negative for Covid-19 before entering the country

Iran tests military drones in wargame near Strait of Hormuz: Report

Iran's military tested new attack drones in the coastal area of the Gulf of Oman and near the strategic Strait of Hormuz on Saturday as part of its ongoing annual drill, state TV reported. Meanwhile, antigovernment protests underway for over three months continued. Videos on social media showed protests in Tehran's grand bazaar and several cities and towns including in the Kurdish area. Part of Tehran's bazaar closed in the wake of the protests which authorities cracked down on. State TV said the Ababil-5 attack drone was used during wargames for the first time and successfully hit its target with a bomb after traveling 400 kilometers (250 miles). Iran has tested many other military drones over the past decade. The military drones have been a point of contention between Iran and the United States and its allies, which claim Tehran is supplying Moscow with drones that have been used in attacks in West-backed Ukraine. In November, Iran acknowledged it has supplied Russia with drones

Covid-mutation risk drives rush to test travellers from China across world

Covid-19 testing requirements for passengers traveling from China highlight mounting concerns about the potential for undetected new strains of the virus spawned by the country's burgeoning outbreak

Wall Street indices fall, treasury yields rise upon final 2022 trading day

The dollar, a beneficiary of rising US interest rates, was down slightly on Friday but on track for a 2022 gain of 8%, its biggest annual percentage increase since 2015

Trump's team takes victory lap over dying subpoena of Jan 6 Committee

With Republicans poised to retake control of the House as the new Congress is sworn in on January 3, 2023, any outstanding subpoenas issued by the committee are set to expire

US House committee to release Trump's personal tax returns for 6 yrs

A House committee is set to release six years of Donald Trump's tax returns on Friday, pulling back the curtain on financial records that the former president fought for years to keep secret. The Democratic-controlled House Ways and Means Committee voted last week to release the returns, with some redactions of sensitive information, such as Social Security numbers and contact information. Their dissemination comes in the waning days of Democrats' control of the House and as Trump's fellow Republicans prepare to retake power in the chamber. The committee obtained six years of Trump's personal and business tax records, from 2015 to 2020, while investigating what it said in a December 20 report was the Internal Revenue Service's failure to pursue mandatory audits of Trump on a timely basis during his presidency, as required under the tax agency's protocol. The release raises the potential of new revelations about Trump's finances, which have been shrouded in mystery and intrigue since

Chinese intercept over South China Sea could have caused air collision: US

The US military says a Chinese navy fighter jet flew dangerously close to an Air Force reconnaissance plane over the South China Sea earlier this month, forcing the American pilot to maneuver to avoid a collision. US Indo-Pacific Command said in a statement Thursday that the incident occurred December 21 when the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy J-11 flew in front of and within 6 metres (20 feet) of the nose of an RC-135, a type of large reconnaissance plane operated by the US Air Force. The US plane was lawfully conducting routine operations over the South China Sea in international airspace, the statement said. Its pilot was forced to take evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision," it said. China frequently challenges military aircraft from the US and its allies, especially over the South China Sea, which China claims in its entirety. Such behaviour led to a 2001 in-air collision in which a Chinese plane was lost and pilot killed. The US Indo-Pacific Joint Force is dedicated t

Death toll climbs to 40 as blizzard-battered Buffalo area digs out

Roads reopened Thursday in storm-besieged Buffalo as authorities continued searching for people who may have died or are stuck and suffering after last week's blizzard. The driving ban in New York's second-most-populous city was lifted just after midnight Thursday, Mayor Byron Brown announced. At least 40 deaths in western New York, most of them in Buffalo, have been reported from the blizzard that raged across much of the country, with Buffalo in its crosshairs on Friday and Saturday. Significant progress has been made on snow removal, Brown said at a news conference late Wednesday. Suburban roads, major highways and Buffalo Niagara International Airport had already reopened. Still, Brown urged residents not to drive if they didn't have to. The National Guard was going door-to-door to check on people who lost power, and authorities faced the possibility of finding more victims as snow melted amid increasingly mild weather. Buffalo police and officers from other law enforcement ..

US to sell Taiwan anti-tank system amid rising China military threat

The US State Department has approved the sale of an anti-tank mine-laying system to Taiwan amid the rising military threat from China. The department on Wednesday said the Volcano system and all related equipment would cost an estimated USD 180 million. It's capable of scattering anti-tank and anti-personnel mines from either a ground vehicle or helicopter, the type of weapon some experts believe Taiwan needs more of to dissuade or repel a potential Chinese invasion. To advertise that threat, China's military sent 71 planes and seven ships toward Taiwan in a 24-hour display of force directed at the self-ruled island it claims is its own territory, Taiwan's Defence Ministry said on Monday. China's military harassment of Taiwan has intensified in recent years, along with rhetoric from top leaders that the island has no choice but to accept eventual Chinese rule. That has seen the ruling Communist Party's increasingly powerful military wing, the People's Liberation Army, send planes

Frigid monster storm across US claims 62 lives, including 37 in NY

The storm buried the city of Buffalo in Erie County in nearly 52 inches of snow, trapping residents at home, many without heat as the Christmas weekend blizzard took out power lines

US officially records over 100 million Covid-19 cases, shows CDC data

Experts said the actual number is much higher as people testing at home do not relay their results to public health departments, and many people do not do tests any more

US reports nearly 48,000 weekly child Covid-19 cases, shows report

There is a need to collect more age-specific data to assess the severity of illness related to new variants as well as potential longer-term effects, the report added

US will require Covid testing for travellers from China as infections surge

The US announced new COVID-19 testing requirements on Wednesday for all travellers from China, joining other nations imposing restrictions because of a surge of infections. The increase in cases across China follows the rollback of the nation's strict anti-virus controls. China's "zero COVID" policies had kept China's infection rate low but fuelled public frustration and crushed economic growth. Beginning Jan. 5, all travellers to the US from China will be required to take a COVID-19 test no more than two days before travel and provide a negative test before boarding their flight. The testing applies to anyone 2 years and older. Other countries have taken similar steps in an effort to keep infections from spreading beyond China's borders. Japan will require a negative COVID-19 test upon arrival for travellers from China, and Malaysia announced new tracking and surveillance measures. India, South Korea and Taiwan are requiring virus tests for visitors from China. Lunar New Year, whi

Global arms sales: Change is underway

There are signs of a significant shift away from the world's major weapons-producing region, with impressive gains for China, and to an extent, India

Illegal immigration from India to US rose in last 2 months, doubled in 2022

In just the last two months, a total of 13,655 illegal immigrants from India were caught compared to 6,865 during those two months in 2021, the data showed