Page 9 - United States

Covid-19 lab leak fight obscures the global rise of high-security biolabs

There are 69 so-called Biosafety Level 4, or BSL-4, facilities designed to study dangerous infectious pathogens in operation, under construction or planned worldwide, according to Global Biolabs

Biden administration to relax Covid testing rules for travellers from China

The Biden administration is preparing to relax COVID-19 testing restrictions for travellers from China as soon as Friday, according to two people familiar with the decision. The people, who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the administration has decided to roll back the testing requirements as cases, hospitalizations and deaths are declining in China and the US has gathered better information about the surge. The restrictions were put in place on December 28 and took effect on January 5 amid a surge in infections in China after the nation sharply eased pandemic restrictions and as US health officials expressed concerns that their Chinese counterparts were not being truthful to the world about the true number of infections and deaths. At the time, US officials also said the restriction was necessary to protect US citizens and communities because there was a lack of transparency from the Chinese government "about the size of the sur

Powell sees higher peak for rates, says Fed prepared to speed up if needed

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell on Tuesday cautioned that interest rates are likely to head higher than central bank policymakers had expected

In Eric Garcetti, the Biden admin may finally get an ambassador to India

US President Joe Biden nominated Eric Garcetti for the post of ambassador to India in July 2021, but the Senate has held up his confirmation

Dr Reddy's recalls over 4,000 bottles of drug in US due to packaging error

Dr Reddy's Laboratories is recalling over 4,000 bottles of a generic drug in the US due to a packaging error. The Hyderabad-based drug major is recalling 4,320 bottles of Tacrolimus Capsules which are used to prevent the body from rejecting a transplanted organ. New Jersey-based Dr Reddy's Laboratories Inc, a unit of the company, is recalling the affected lot due to "Presence of one Tacrolimus 1 mg capsule co-mingled in a bottle containing and labeled as Tacrolimus 0.5 mg capsules," USFDA said in its latest Enforcement Report. The affected lot was produced at the company's Bachupally-based manufacturing plant and marketed in the US by its American arm. Dr Reddy's initiated the Class II nationwide recall on February 8 this year. As per USFDA, a Class II recall is initiated in a situation in which use of, or exposure to, a violative product may cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences or where the probability of serious adverse health consequences is remot

Ridiculous: Jill on Haley's mental competency test proposal for politicians

US First Lady Dr Jill Biden on Monday termed "ridiculous" a proposal from Republican presidential aspirant Nikki Haley that candidates over the age of 75 should undergo a mental competency test. "Ridiculous," Dr Biden told CNN in an interview when asked about such a proposal from Indian American Haley, who announced her presidential run on February 14. Haley's proposal has caught national attention, but she has been slammed by leaders in both the Republican and the Democratic parties. Haley, the two-term governor of South Carolina, is 51, while President Joe Biden would be 82 at the time of his inauguration in 2025 if he is re-elected in the November 2024 election. Biden, who is already the oldest president in the history of the United States, has not announced his 2024 decision yet, but is most likely to announce it soon. Leading Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is only a few years younger to Biden. In her presidential campaign so far, Haley has pitched for youth an

US must stop suppressing China or risk 'conflict': Chinese FM Qin Gang

"The United States' perception and views of China are seriously distorted," Qin said

US to start premium processing of work permits for certain intl students

The United States on Monday announced premium processing of work authorisation applications for certain categories of international students, which is likely to benefit a large number of Indian students who come to study in the US in the STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) field. US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced the premium processing of applications for OPT (optional practical training) from international students in the STEM field or its extension. The premium processing begins March 6, a media release said, adding that for some other categories, it would begin from April 3. "The availability of premium processing for certain F-1 students, in addition to the ease of online filing, will streamline the immigration experience for a great many international students," said USCIS Director Ur M Jaddou. "The ongoing expansion of online filing is a priority for USCIS as we continue to create operational efficiencies and increase access to the .

Indo-American woman judge named first justice of a district court in US

Tejal Mehta, an Indian-American woman judge who promised to make a real impact to the community and treat people with compassion, has taken oath as the first justice of a district court in the US state of Massachusetts. Mehta will serve as the first justice of the Ayer District Court. Her swearing-in took place on Thursday. She has served as an associate justice with the same court and was unanimously selected and sworn in by Judge Stacey Fortes, chief justice of the District Court, on March 2, the Lowell Sun newspaper reported. I'm confident that with her leadership ... that the best is yet to come for the Ayer District Court, said Fortes, chief justice of the District Court, who selected Mehta for the position and swore her in during the ceremony. As a lawyer, you can help people, but you can only help them to a point, Mehta said, adding that As a judge, you can do so much more and get to the root of issues and talk to people in such a way that really gets through to them. I hav

Novak Djokovic withdraws from Indian Wells tournament amid visa row

The Serbian great asked American authorities last month for special permission to enter the United States despite being unvaccinated against the coronavirus

Covid virus can have lasting effects on nearly every organ for years: CDC

Emerging evidence suggests that Covid virus can have lasting effects on nearly every organ and organ system of the body for potentially years after infection, an updated CDC guidance has revealed

US to introduce bipartisan legislation against Chinese-app TikTok this week

We have never had a potential adversary like China. So this week, I'm introducing bipartisan legislation to protect our national security against a wide range of foreign tech threats, said US Senator

UN should demand end to South Korea-US military drills: North Korea

The statement comes after the officials from Seoul and Washington announced on Friday more than 10 days of large-scale military exercises, including amphibious landings, from March 13 to 23

Game of thrones in Nepal: The great game in the Himalayas

Nepal has become a playground for international geopolitics, and its politics of musical chairs has become murkier

Two dead, six injured in shooting at Georgia house party, says police

Two people were killed and six others were injured on Saturday (local time) after a shooting at a house party in Douglas County, Georgia where more than 100 teenagers gathered, CNN reported

US: Small plane crashes in suburban Long Island; 1 dead, 2 injured

A single-engine plane crashed in suburban Long Island on Sunday afternoon as it approached a regional airport, killing one person and seriously injuring two more, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). The Piper PA 28 with three people on board crashed while on approach to Republic Airport in Farmingdale at about 3 pm, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The airport is about 20 miles (32 kilometres) east of New York City. The plane crashed into an area of trees and brush, and no one on the ground was injured, said Babylon Town Supervisor Rich Schaffer. "It crashed in a wooded area off of the Long Island Railroad tracks. It is like a buffer that runs along the tracks," he said. Schaffer said the plane gave a "mayday" call over the radio before it crashed. Suffolk County Police said they closed a local road because of the crash. A person posted pictures on social media showing black smoke rising over homes on a suburban street. The FAA and

Biden administration prepares new rules for US investment in China: Report

It was mentioned in the report that sectors that could advance rivals' military capabilities would be a focus of the program, as per The Wall Street Journal report

Fatal shooting erupts at Georgia party with over 100 teens, 2 killed

Two people were killed and six others were injured at a shooting in a suburban Atlanta home Saturday night where over 100 teenagers had gathered for a party. Investigators have been piecing together what transpired at the Douglasville home, the Douglas County Sheriff's Office said in a statement posted to social media Sunday morning. No suspects were apprehended as of Sunday morning, and it is unclear whether more than one person carried out the shooting. We know that there was a house party where well over a hundred teenagers were attending. A confrontation occurred that resulted in two deaths and six injured from gun shots. Information is very limited at this time, the statement reads. Deputies did not release the names of the victims in the statement. Douglasville is just over 20 miles (32 kilometers) west of Atlanta, Georgia's capital city.

Amazon halts construction of its second headquarters in US to cut costs

As it cuts costs across the verticals amid the ongoing economic meltdown, Amazon has now halted construction of its second headquarters in the US

Communist China strongest, disciplined enemy US ever faced: Nikki Haley

Communist China is the strongest and the most disciplined enemy that the United States has ever faced, Republican presidential aspirant Nikki Haley said on Friday as she slammed the ruling Democratic Party as a "socialist" party. In an impressive speech addressing the Conservative Political Action Conference -- the top annual event of the Republican Party and its support base -- Indian American Haley continued with her focus on America's foreign policy, wherein she asserted that the US should not give aid to countries that hate it. "Never in my life did I think Americans would look at the sky and see a Chinese spy balloon looking back at us. It was a national embarrassment," she said referring to a recent spy balloon incident. "Make no mistake: Communist China is the strongest and most disciplined enemy we have ever faced. We need to hold China accountable. Let us start with Covid. And before we even talk about the cartels, we need to confront the fact that China is the one sending