Page 5 - United States

Washington watching Rahul Gandhi's case in Indian courts: US official

The United States is watching the court case of Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi, an official has said while observing that Washington continues to engage with India on the shared commitment towards democratic principles and the protection of human rights, including freedom of expression. Gandhi was on March 23 sentenced to two years in jail by a Surat court in a 2019 criminal defamation case over his "why all thieves have Modi surname" remark. A day later, he was disqualified from the Lok Sabha from the date of his conviction in the case. "Respect for the rule of law and judicial independence is a cornerstone of any democracy. We are watching Mr Gandhi's case in Indian courts and we engage with the Government of India on our shared commitment to democratic values, including, freedom of expression," the State Department's Deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters at a news conference on Monday. "In our engagements with our Indian partners, we continue to highlight the ...

South Dakota Guv Noem's veto of cryptocurrency regulations upheld

South Dakota's House failed on Monday to override Gov. Kristi Noem's recent veto of a bill that would have created government regulations for the use of cryptocurrency in the state. The bill had passed smoothly throughout the legislature, and Noem's veto of last week was upheld on a 37-30 vote. Proponents had argued the bill would have centralized different cryptocurrency systems through one government oversight commission, boosting transparency. But opponents saw the proposed regulations as a tool for potential government surveillance and overreach, saying they wanted more time to see how such legislation fares in other states. Six other states have passed the Uniform Commercial Code's update, which requires tangible records of cryptocurrency exchanges so that they can be considered money. National commercial standards aim to regulate digital currency exchanges by adding transaction records, but Noem said such a step would take away from South Dakotans' market freedoms. It would b

Train carrying 'hazardous' materials derails in US, no threat to public

In the latest toxic railway accident to hit the US, a train reportedly carrying hazardous materials derailed in North Dakota

US condemns violence at Indian Embassy, says violence is never acceptable

The response from the US Department of State comes after the pro-Khalistan supporters in the US threatened the Indian embassy and Indian Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu

Harris pledges aid to Ghana amid security, economic concerns

With fears of terrorism and Russian mercenaries rippling through West Africa, Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday opened her weeklong trip to the continent by vowing support for Ghana, a democratic pillar in the region that's being squeezed by an economic crisis and security concerns. The visit was a high-profile show of support for Ghanaian President Nana Akufo-Addo, who faces rising discontent over inflation after previously overseeing one of the world's fast-growing economies. Under your leadership, Ghana has been a beacon of democracy and a contributor to global peace and security, Harris said during a joint press conference at the Jubilee House, the presidential palace in Accra. Harris announced $100 million in assistance for the region and pledged that the United States would be strengthening our partnerships across the continent of Africa. The administration also is requesting another $139 million from Congress to help Ghana reduce child labor, improve weather forecasting,

Daunting recovery underway in Mississippi as devastating tornado kills 25

Help began pouring into one of the poorest regions of the U.S. after a deadly tornado tore a path of destruction for more than an hour across a long swath of Mississippi, even as furious new storms Sunday struck across the Deep South. At least 25 people were killed and dozens of others were injured in Mississippi as the massive storm ripped through more than a half-dozen towns late Friday. A man was also killed in Alabama after his trailer home flipped over several times. Everything I can see is in some state of destruction, said Jarrod Kunze, who drove to the hard-hit Mississippi town of Rolling Fork from his home in Alabama, ready to help in whatever capacity I'm needed. Kunze was among volunteers working Sunday at a staging area, where bottled water and other supplies were being readied for distribution. Search and recovery crews resumed the daunting task of digging through flattened and battered homes, commercial buildings and municipal offices after hundreds of people were ...

Zydus recalls over 55k bottles of generic drug used to treat gout in US

Drug firm Zydus Lifesciences is recalling over 55,000 bottles of generic medication in the US market due to failed impurities specifications. As per the latest enforcement report by the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA), Zydus Pharmaceuticals (USA) Inc is recalling 21,936 (30 count) and 33,096 (100 count) bottles of Colchicine tablets, which are used to treat gout. The affected lot is manufactured by Ahmedabad-based Zydus Lifesciences and marketed in the US by New Jersey-based Zydus Pharmaceuticals (USA) Inc. USFDA said the company is recalling the product due to "failed impurities/ degradation specifications". An out-of-specification (OOS) result was observed during release testing of one lot for a related substance, i.e. Beta-lumicolchicine, it added. Zydus commenced the Class III recall on February 24 this year. As per the USFDA, a Class III recall is initiated in a "situation in which use of, or exposure to, a violative product is not likely to cause adverse health ...

India's highways infra to match US by 2024, work underway, says Gadkari

India's highways infrastructure will match that of the US by 2024 for which work in time bound 'mission mode' is on including construction of green expressways and rail over bridges, Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari said. He said cabinet nod to 'Bharatmala 2' is likely soon and once obtained it will meet the requirements of a robust infrastructure in the country. "I am confident that India's highways will be on par with that of the US by 2024. Work in a time bound mission mode is on to build a robust infrastructure including a network of green expressways across the length and breadth of India," Gadkari told PTI in an interview. The Road Transport and Highways Minister said in this year railway over bridges are being constructed at a cost of Rs 16,000 crore which will be increased to Rs 50,000 crore in five years. On the Kailash Mansarovar highway project via Pithoragarh, Gadkari said "Ninety three per cent work on Kailash Mansarovar project has been ...

President Joe Biden's pick to lead FAA withdraws nomination, says report

President Joe Biden's choice to run the Federal Aviation Administration has withdrawn his nomination, a setback for the administration that comes after Denver International Airport CEO Phillip Washington failed to gain enough support in the closely divided Senate. Washington's withdrawal was confirmed Saturday night by a person familiar with the situation who insisted on anonymity to discuss the matter. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Republicans were united in opposition to Washington, calling him unqualified because of limited aviation experience. Democrats and allied independents still might have pushed the nomination through, but key senators on their side balked at supporting Biden's pick.

Small US banks see record drop in deposits after SVB collapse: Fed data

Deposits at small banks fell $119 billion to $5.46 trillion in the week ended March 15

2 dead, 9 missing in chocolate factory blast in Pennsylvania: Police

An explosion at a chocolate factory in Pennsylvania Friday evening killed two people and left several others missing as investigators begin to determine a cause. West Reading Borough Police Department Chief of Police Wayne Holben confirmed there were two fatalities, nine people missing and several others injured by the explosion at the R.M. Palmer Co. plant in West Reading. The explosion at 4:57 p.m. sent a plume of black smoke into the air and resulted in the destruction of a building at the facility and damage to a neighbouring building. The cause of the explosion remains under investigation, Holden said during a press conference. There was no further danger, but Holden directed residents to avoid the area of the factory about 60 miles (96 kilometers) northwest of Philadelphia. Tower Health spokeswoman Jessica Bezler said eight people were taken to Reading Hospital Friday evening. Two were admitted in fair condition and five were being treated and would be released, she said in

Eric Garcetti sworn in as US Ambassador to India by VP Kamala Harris

Former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti was officially sworn in as the US Ambassador to India by Vice President Kamala Harris at a ceremonial event.

Meta Platforms Inc sued by its home county over social media addiction

Issues around social media addiction were highlighted at a Congressional hearing Thursday

Suspected Iranian drone strike kills US contractor in Syria: Pentagon

A US contractor was killed and five US service members and one other US contractor were wounded when a suspected Iranian drone struck a facility on a coalition base in northeast Syria on Thursday, the Pentagon said. In a statement released late Thursday, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said US Central Command forces retaliated with precision airstrikes against facilities in eastern Syria used by groups affiliated with Iran's Revolutionary Guard. The Defence Department said the intelligence community had determined the unmanned aerial vehicle was of Iranian origin. The airstrikes were conducted in response to today's attack as well as a series of recent attacks against Coalition forces in Syria" by groups affiliated with the Revolutionary Guard, Austin said. Overnight, videos on social media purported to show explosions in Syria's Deir Ez-Zor, a strategic province that borders Iraq and contains oil fields. Iran-backed militia groups and Syrian forces control the area, which also has

IMF, World Bank to convene next sovereign debt roundtable for April 3

The meeting comes amid continued delays in securing debt treatment agreements for Zambia, Ghana, and Ethiopia that US officials and others blame on foot-dragging by China

TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew rebuts Chinese spy charge at Congress grilling

TikTok has said it has spent more than $1.5 billion on what it calls rigorous data security efforts under the name "Project Texas"

US not considering 'blanket' bank deposit insurance: Treasury Secy Yellen

Yellen has earlier said that the US is prepared to take further actions to protect depositors if smaller lenders are threatened

Another report coming soon, says US short-seller Hindenburg Research

The latest tweet by the New York-based research firm didn't provide any specifics on the timing of the next report's release, or what it intends to say

India participates in the US-led IPEF negotiating round in Bali

During negotiations issues related to trade, supply chain, clean economy, fair economy, and supply chains were taken up

China's Xi aligns with Putin against US, but hesitates on big gas deal

Xi saw an opportunity to push back at the US and buttress his image as a global statesman after helping to broker a Saudi-Iran deal, while Putin can show he has the support