Bogota, June 14 (IANS) Colombian President Ivan Duque confirmed he has received his first dose of a jab against Covid-19 and said that the National Vaccination Plan is continuing its fight to immunise 35 million people in the country. In a statement on Sunday, Duque thanked doctors and health personnel for helping thousands of patients […]

Washington, June 14 (IANS) Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the US state of Montana witnessed more deaths than births for the first time since data collection began in 1908. The Independent Record newspaper based in Helena, capital city of Montana, reported on Sunday that early and provisional data from the state’s health department showed that […]

Buenos Aires, June 13 (IANS) The Argentinean government has decided to extend the closure of the country’s borders to non-resident foreigners until June 25 in an attempt to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus. The measure announced on Saturday also allows the continuation of suspension of all direct flights to and from the UK […]

Chicago, June 13 (IANS) One person was killed and nine others were injured during a mass shooting in the US city of Chicago, according to the police. It incident took place shortly after 2 a.m., on Saturday in the 7500-block of South Prairie Avenue, after two men approached a group of people standing on the […]

Washington, June 13 (IANS) At least 14 people were injured in a mass shooting in the US state of Texas, authorities said, adding that a suspect have been arrested in connection with the incident. The shooting took place on Saturday in the state capital of Austin. Addressing the media, Austin Interim Police Chief Joseph Chacon […]

United Nations, June 13 (IANS) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Saturday expressed his sadness over the death of William Swing, a former leader of the UN migration agency. “I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of my dear friend William Swing, the former director-general of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and past […]

Washington, June 12 (IANS) The White House announced that it has returned more than $2 billion of military funds to the Pentagon that former President Donald Trump had diverted for building the controversial border wall on the country’s southern border with Mexico. The funds will now be used for 66 military projects in 11 states, […]

Chicago, June 12 (IANS) The US midwest state of Illinois, including the country’s third largest city of Chicago, has fully reopened amid the Covid-19 pandemic. By fully reopening, it means going outside without a mask or gathering in small groups with other vaccinated friends, increasing social interactions and dropping restrictions incrementally, reports Xinhua news agency. […]

Ottawa, June 12 (IANS) Maxime Bernier, leader of People’s Party of Canada, was arrested for violating a public health act in Manitoba province. Bernier was charged on Friday under the Public Health Act for attending a rally against Covid-19 restrictions in Manitoba and for failing to self-isolate once he got to the province, reports Xinhua […]

Washington, June 12 (IANS) One of the largest in the US which spreads across the states of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho, the Yellowstone National Park had more visitors last month than it has witnessed during any other May on record. Yellowstone hosted 483,159 recreation visits in May 2021, an 11 per cent increase from May […]

Washington, June 12 (IANS) The US Justice Department’s (DoJ) internal watchdog said it will launch a probe into subpoenas seeking secret seizure of data from Democratic lawmakers and reporters during investigations initiated under former President Donald Trump’s administration. “The review will examine the Department’s compliance with applicable DOJ policies and procedures, and whether any such […]

Washington, June 12 (IANS) The Attending Physician of US Congress has sent new guidance announcing that masks are no longer required on the House floor for those who are fully vaccinated, a media report said. The Capitol Hill complex is now at 85 per cent vaccination rate, Xinhua news agency quoted the CNN report as […]

United Nations, June 12 (IANS) Iran has regained its voting rights at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) after a partial payment of its dues in arrears, a spokesman at the world body has confirmed. “I can confirm to you today that the Islamic Republic of Iran has paid the minimum amount due and is no […]

Washington, June 12 (IANS) US President Joe Biden will host German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the White House on July 15, Press Secretary Jen Psaki said. “Chancellor Merkel’s visit will affirm the deep bilateral ties between the US and Germany,” Psaki said in a statement on Friday. “The leaders will discuss their commitment to close […]

By Arul LouisNew York, June 12 (IANS) Indian-origin journalist Megha Rajagopalan has won the US’ top journalism award, the Pulitzer Prize, for innovative investigative reports harnessing satellite technology that exposed China’s mass detention camps for Muslim Uighurs and other minority ethnicites. The award in the international reporting category that she shared with two colleagues from […]

By Nikhila NatarajanNew York, June 12 (IANS) Kevin Kishore Kaul, a Kashmiri Pandit who arrived in South Dakota on a student visa 30 years ago is wading into a crowded field of candidates betting that California will likely hurtle into a recall election for Governor in 2021. Kaul, an electrical engineer from Regional Engineering College […]

Washington, June 12 (IANS) The Pentagon has announced $150 million of security assistance package for Ukraine to enhance its defense capability. The US will provide Ukraine with counter-artillery radars, counter-unmanned aerial systems, secure communications gear, electronic warfare and military medical evacuation equipment, and training and equipment to improve the operational safety and capacity of Ukrainian […]

Washington, June 11 (IANS) The US Senate has confirmed Zahid Quraishi to become the first Muslim American federal judge in the country’s history. Senators on Thursday voted 81-16 to confirm Quraishi to serve as a district judge for the district court of New Jersey, Xinhua news agency reported. As many as 32 Republican Senators joined […]

Miami, June 11 (IANS) Three people, including a child, were killed in a shooting inside a supermarket in the US state of Florida, local media reported. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said the shooter is among the vitims of Thursday’s shooting inside the Publix supermarket, reports Xinhua news agency. The store’s parking lot was […]

Washington, June 11 (IANS) Multiple wildfires are currently raging in the US state of Utah, with authorities warning of escalating danger due to extreme drought. On Thursday, officials closed some parts of US-6 freeway hours after it was briefly reopened, in Carbon County due to a wildfire, dubbed Bear Fire, which was believed to be […]

Lima, June 11 (IANS) Peru’s anti-corruption prosecutor Jose Domingo Perez has requested a new pre-trial detention of presidential candidate Keiko Fujimori to prevent her from interfering in an ongoing investigation. “It has been determined once again that the defendant Fujimori Higuchi does not comply with the restriction of not communicating with witnesses,” Perez said in […]

By Arul LouisNew York, June 11 (IANS) While the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is the most popular Indian political party among the Indian diaspora in the US, a majority is critical of government policies despite showing overall strong support for the country, according to a study. Thirty-two per cent of Indian-Americans surveyed said they identified […]

Washington, June 11 (IANS) The US budget deficit soared to $2.1 trillion during the first eight months of fiscal year 2021, which ends on September 30, the Treasury Department reported. Federal revenue for the eight-month period ending in May rose to $2.6 trillion, while total outlays rose to $4.7 trillion, driven by payments for jobless […]

Washington, June 11 (IANS) The US Treasury Department has sanctioned members of a smuggling network that helps fund the Houthi militia in Yemen and Irans Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force (IRGC-QF). In a statement on Thursday, the Department said the network, led by Iran-based Houthi financier Sa’id al-Jamal, generates tens of millions of dollars in […]

Phoenix, June 11 (IANS) Four people were killed and multiple others injured in a road accident in the US state of Arizona involving a commercial truck transporting milk and seven other vehicles, authorities said. The incident took place on a freeway in Phoenix at 10.09 p.m. on Wednesday night, Xinhua news agency quoted the Arizona […]

San Francisco, June 11 (IANS) Staring from June 15, the city of San Francisco will fully reopen and eliminate capacity limits, according to an announcement by Mayor London Breed. Based on the draft guidelines that the state had released in advance, San Francisco has determined that it will fully align with the state plan with […]

Washington, June 10 (IANS) A new study has revealed that one in two Indian-Americans have reported being discriminated against in the past one year. The study titled, ‘Social Realities of Indian Americans: Results from the 2020 Indian American Attitudes Survey’, was conducted jointly by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Johns Hopkins-SAIS, and the University […]

Washington, June 10 (IANS) US President Joe Biden has ended infrastructure talks with Senate Republicans after weeks of intense negotiations between the two sides, according to top negotiator Shelley Moore Capito. “Despite the progress we made in our negotiations, the president continued to respond with offers that included tax increases as his pay for, instead […]

Washington, June 10 (IANS) Joe Biden arrived in Britain on Wednesday in his first foreign trip as US President, during which he is scheduled to visit several European countries. The president arrived at an air base of the Royal Air Force in eastern England, DPA reported citing a leading British media outlet. The president and […]

Amsterdam, June 9 (IANS) More than 50 companies have stepped forward to show their shared commitment as part of the ‘Sharm El Sheikh to Kunming Action Agenda for Nature and People’ in support of the global biodiversity framework expected to be adopted in October at Kunming in China during the 15th Conference of the Parties […]

Sofia, June 9 (IANS) A Bulgarian MiG-29 fighter jet has disappeared from radars during a Bulgarian-US drill over the Black Sea, while a search and rescue operation is underway, the government said on Wednesday. The MiG-29 aircraft lost radio communication and disappeared from radars at 00:45 (local time) on Wednesday when performing a training task […]

Managua, June 9 (IANS) Nicaragua authorities have arrested two more potential presidential challengers to veteran leader Daniel Ortega in polls later this year. Felix Maradiaga and Juan Sebastian Chamorro have been accused of terrorism and plotting against Nicaragua’s sovereignty and independence, the BBC reported. They were held under a controversial new security law passed in […]

Amsterdam, June 9 (IANS) Almost 26 years after the Srebrenica genocide, the UN War Crimes Tribunal has confirmed the sentence of life imprisonment handed down to former Bosnian Serb general Ratko Mladic for the Srebrenica genocide, among other crimes. The confirmation was in the last instance and upheld an earlier verdict, meaning Mladic has lost […]

By Nikhila NatarajanNew York, June 9 (IANS) US Vice President Kamala Harris much hyped tie-breaking vote in a 50-50 Senate is running into a stonewall called Joe (from her own party) whos just not letting the math get to the magic number where Harris can close the deal on President Joe Bidens most ambitious legislative […]

Washington, June 8 (IANS) The White House considers the planned meeting between US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on June 16 Geneva both necessary and important. Biden’s National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in Washington on Monday that the US President was meeting his Russian counterpart not “despite” but precisely because […]

Washington, June 8 (IANS) Next week’s NATO summit will send a strong signal of trans-Atlantic unity, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said after meeting with US President Joe Biden at the White House. “This summit will be a strong demonstration of trans-Atlantic unity of Europe and North America, because we are stronger and safer together in […]

Brasilia, June 6 (IANS) The Rio Negro river in Brazil’s Amazon region has reached its highest level since records began in 1902, rising to 30 metres in the city of Manaus, a news portal said. More than 24,000 families were affected by the river’s flooding, dpa news agency quoted the portal as saying on Saturday. […]

Washington, June 6 (IANS) Two people were killed and two others injured after a shooting at a parking lot in Indianapolis, the capital of the US state of Indiana, police said. Police officers responded to a report of shots fired just after 2 a.m., on Saturday where they found four people shot, Xinhua news agency […]

Los Angeles, June 6 (IANS) Los Angeles County authorities said investigations were being conducted after videos emerged on social media showing Asian passengers were being slapped while travelling in the metro. The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority said in a statement on Friday that it on June 3 took note of the Instagram video […]

Washington, June 6 (IANS) US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said that the G7 nations have agreed to support new rules that will achieve a global minimum tax rate of at least 15 per cent. Calling it a “significant, unprecedented” commitment, Yellen said in a statement on Saturday that the global minimum tax would end the […]

By Arul LouisNew York, June 6 (IANS) The US tariff war against India has been reinvigorated by President Joe Biden threatening to increase import duties on a range of imports, from prawns and Basmati rice to furniture and jewellery, in retaliation against New Delhi imposing Digital Services Tax (DS) on tech giants. The US Trade […]

By Nikhila NatarajanNew York, June 5 (IANS) India on Saturday slammed a notice to billionaire Jack Dorsey’s Twitter, giving the microblogging platform one last chance to “immediately” comply with her new information technology rules which came into effect from May 26, 2021. A furious Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) warned Twitter that failure […]

Brasilia, June 5 (IANS) Record levels of deforestation continue unabated in the Brazilian Amazon and in May alone, 1,180 square kilometres of the rainforest were chopped down, according to official data. It marks a 41 per cent increase compared to the same month a year earlier, the data released by the National Institute for Space […]

Mexico City, June 5 (IANS) Mexico is gearing up for the largest ever mid-term elections in the country’s history on Sunday, with tens of thousands of candidates vying to fill more than 20,000 public posts, according to authorities. The race to watch, said political observers, is the one to fill the Chamber of Deputies, or […]

United Nations, June 5 (IANS) Amidst the triple environmental threats of biodiversity loss, climate disruption and escalating pollution, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres launched “an unprecedented effort to heal the Earth”. Kicking off the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, the UN chief said on Friday that the planet was rapidly reaching a “point of no return”, […]

Mexico City, June 4 (IANS) A massive water-filled sinkhole which opened up for unknown reasons in a field in central Mexico is getting bigger, local authorities said. The sinkhole, which was just five metres in diameter when it was first discovered in the village of Santa Maria Zacatepec in the central state of Puebla, is […]

Ottawa, June 4 (IANS) Former Canadian Senator Murray Sinclair has called for an independent investigation into the sites of indigenous residential schools across the country. Addressing the the Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee of Parliament on Thursday, Sinclair, also the Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC), said a search must be conducted outside […]

Washington, June 4 (IANS) US President Joe Biden has offered to take the proposed corporate tax increase off the table during infrastructure talks with Republicans, local media reported. Citing a person familiar with the talks, The Washington Post said on Thursday that Biden raised the idea during a private meeting on Wednesday with Senator Shelley […]

Chicago, June 4 (IANS) Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced that the third largest US city will fully reopen on June 11, in line with the date of reopening of the state of Illinois ordered by Governor J.B. Pritzker. The date is three weeks earlier than the target date of July 4 that Lightfoot had initially […]

United Nations, June 4 (IANS) UN officials have called for access to the long-abandoned fuel tanker off Yemen’s coast amid growing fears of a catastrophic oil spill. Political and logistical gridlocks in assessing the risk of an oil spill or explosion in the Red Sea are increasing the likelihood of a new humanitarian and environmental […]

Washington, June 4 (IANS) The World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) have called on countries anticipating excess Covid-19 vaccine supplies in the coming months to release their surplus doses as soon as possible to developing nations. “The coronavirus pandemic will not end until everyone has access to vaccines, including people in developing […]

United Nations, June 4 (IANS) With factors contributing to transnational corruption becoming increasingly complex, the UN has launched an initiative to “empower all countries” to find practical solutions and better tools to track, investigate and prosecute the scourge. On Thursday, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres addressed the General Assembly’s first-ever special session against corruption via a video […]

Washington, June 4 (IANS) The head of the US Postal Service is under federal investigation over political fundraising made by his employees, a spokesman confirmed. The investigation aims to find out wrong-doings in political fundraising involving Postmaster General Louis DeJoy’s former business, New Breed Logistics, a supply-chain services provider of which he was the Chief […]

United Nations, June 4 (IANS) Drought and a rain deficit is pushing more than 2.73 million people in Somalia towards the crisis level of acute food insecurity, Uthe UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said. The annual rains of early spring came late in some parts of the country and were mainly […]

United Nations, June 4 (IANS) The UN Security Council (UNSC) has extended the mandate of the UN Integrated Transition Assistance Mission in Sudan (UNITAMS) for a year until June 3, 2022. Resolution 2579, adopted unanimously on Thursday, retains the four strategic objectives for UNITAMS outlined in Resolution 2524, which established the mission on June 3, […]

Washington, June 4 (IANS) Initial unemployment claims in the US dropped for a fifth straight week to 385,000, marking the first time the figure dipping below the 400,000 mark since the Covid-19 pandemic ravaged the labour market early last year, the Labour Department. In the week ending May 29, the number of Americans filing for […]

Washington, June 4 (IANS) Private companies in the US added 978,000 jobs in May, which marked the biggest gain in 11 months and indicated a continued labour market recovery amid the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a report. The service-providing sectors added 850,000 jobs in May, the report released on Thursday by the payroll data company […]

Washington, June 4 (IANS) Senior US officials met with visiting Israeli Defence Minister Benjamin Gantz on Thursday, reaffirming US commitment to Israel’s security. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Gantz discussed the US-Israel partnership and US ironclad commitment to Israel’s security, according to a readout issued by the State Department, Xinhua news agency reported. “The […]

Ottawa, June 3 (IANS) The Canadian government has announced a C$27 million funding to assist indigenous communities to locate more indigenous children who died at residential schools in the country. At a press conference here on Wednesday, Canadian Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett said the government earmarked some C$33 million in its 2019 budget to […]

San Francisco, June 3 (IANS) A hiker fell to his death about 500 feet from a summit ridge in California’s Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, while another person was injured while trying to grab the man, the media reported. In a statement on Wednesday, the National Park Service said the accident occurred on Monday […]

United Nations, June 3 (IANS) Yemen’s Houthi militia have appeared to reject pleas to guarantee the safety of a UN team to inspect the rusting, abandoned tanker Safer, which is threatening to leak 1.1 million barrels of oil, an official said. Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, said on Wednesday from […]

Washington, June 3 (IANS) The US Treasury Department has sanctioned three Bulgarian individuals for their extensive roles in corruption in the country, as well as their networks encompassing 64 entities. On Wednesday, the Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Vassil Kroumov Bojkov, a prominent Bulgarian businessman and oligarch; Delyan Slavchev Peevski, a former […]

Toronto, June 2 (IANS) As Canadians fear discovery of more graves of indigenous children after the remains of 215 kids were found from the grounds of a former native school, the UN has called for an “exhaustive investigation” into the tragedy. “Remains should be identified and forensic studies carried out to ensure proper identification of […]

Toronto, June 2 (IANS) Canadians fear there could be more graves of indigenous children after the discovery of the remains of 215 kids from the grounds of a former native school. The discovery of the remains at the former Indian residential school in Kamloops in British Columbia led to calls on Tuesday for officially designating […]

Washington, June 2 (IANS) US President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced a series of measures aimed at narrowing the wealth gap among racial groups in a speech commemorating the 100th anniversary of Tulsa massacre, one of the most atrocious racial violence in US history. In less than 24 hours between May 31 and June 1, […]

By Arul LouisNew York, June 2 (IANS) Tejinder Singh, the founder editor of the Washington-based India America Today newspaper has died, according to a tweet from the publication. On Tuesday, Pentagon Spokesperson John Kirby paid tributes to Singh calling him “a real gentleman, good reporter, damn good reporter.” He said at his regular news briefing, […]

By Arul LouisUnited Nations, June 2 (IANS) General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir is “saddeneda¿ by India’s reaction to his statements on Kashmir, according to his Deputy Spokesperson Amy Quantrill, who has asserted that they were taken out of context. She said at a news briefing on Tuesday, “The President was saddened to see a press […]

Hanoi, June 1 (IANS) The Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on Tuesday suspended international arrivals, following the latest Covid-19 resurgence in the country, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam. The suspension will last until at least June 7, while outbound flights will operate as normal, Xinhua news agency quoted the Authority as […]

Ottawa, June 1 (IANS) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that his government will take further actions in response to the discovery of the remains of 215 children in a former residential school in Kamloops city. Amid calls for accountability and to go beyond lowering flags at federal buildings, Trudeau told the media on Monda […]

Washington, June 1 (IANS) More states and cities across the US are offering lotteries, cash payments or other incentive programs to encourage more residents to get vaccinated against Covid-19. From $1 million cash prizes to a free dinner with a Governor, states are introducing incentives as part of their efforts to boost vaccination rates as […]

By Arul LouisNew York, June 1 (IANS) A technology company has admitted to committing fraud to bring Indians on the coveted H1-B visas to the US, according to a federal prosecutor. Jomon Chakkalakkal, the corporate representative of Cloudgen, made the admission before a federal court in Houston, Texas, on behalf of the company on May […]

United Nations, May 31 (IANS) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday called for a global partnership to tackle climate change and strive toward inclusive green growth. He made this appeal in a video message at the Partnering for Green Growth and the Global Goals 2030 Summit hosted by South Korea, Xinhua news agency reported. “The […]

Bogota, May 30 (IANS) At least six people have died in protests in the Colombian city of Cali, local media reported. Newspaper El Tiempo said there were six deaths on Saturday, while RCN Radio put the toll at seven, reprts dpa news agency. President Ivan Duque on Friday night sent additional military assistance to support […]

Brasilia, May 30 (IANS) Thousands of Brazilians took to the streets across major cities in the country to protest against the Covid policies of President Jair Bolsonaro and his government. In Rio de Janeiro, demonstrators on Saturday marched from the statue of Zumbi de Palmares, a hero of the Afro-Brazilian human rights movement, reports dpa […]

Sofia, May 30 (IANS) The Bulgarian government has extended the nationwide Covid-19 pandemic emergency until July 31, the cabinet said in a statement. The epidemic emergency was initially declared on May 14 last year with a duration of one month, replacing the state of emergency implemented on March 13, Xinhua news agency. It has already […]

Washington, May 30 (IANS) US air passenger numbers are forecast to average as many as two million a day through the Memorial Day holiday, testing the ability of airlines and airports to handle infrequent and, in some cases, unruly fliers, a media report said. While domestic air-travel numbers last Christmas were only half those in […]

Washington, May 30 (IANS) With the Covid-19 pandemic abruptly cutting off a steadily growing pipeline of cash for US colleges and universities from international students,higher education institutions are now looking to the White House to shore up a besieged visa process to bring those lucrative students back, a media report said. Students from abroad often […]

Washington, May 30 (IANS) US President Joe Biden’s $6 trillion budget proposal for fiscal year 2022 has drawn mixed reviews from lawmakers and analysts, setting the stage for a potentially heated debate in Congress. The proposal, which included Biden’s plan to increase investment in infrastructure, education, health care and beyond, would push federal spending to […]

Washington, May 30 (IANS) The overall global Covid-19 caseload has topped 169.7 million, while the deaths have surged to more than 3.52 million, according to the Johns Hopkins University. In its latest update on Sunday morning, the University’s Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) revealed that the current global caseload and death toll stood […]

Washington, May 29 (IANS) American aerospace giant, Boeing has again halted deliveries of its 787 aircraft after US federal regulators sought more information about its production flaws, according to a statement released by the company. In the statement issued on Friday, Boeing said it is working with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to provide more […]

Brasilia, May 29 (IANS) The Brazilian government will expand vaccination against Covid-19 to the general population in the age group from 18 to 59 years old, as well as to education workers, the Ministry of Health announced. In a statement on Friday, the Ministry said that new orientation is possible because states and municipalities have […]

Washington, May 29 (IANS) US Senate Republicans have blocked a legislation to establish an independent commission to investigate the violent January 6 Capitol riot that claimed the lives of five people. The senators on Friday voted 54-35 on the House-passed bill, falling short of 60 votes needed to get it over an initial hurdle, reports […]

Washington, April 19 (IANS) In a historic feat for humankind, NASA on Monday successfully launched the first powered, controlled flight of its Ingenuity Mars Helicopter on another planet. The mini helicopter began its flight approximately at 3:45 p.m. (India time) and the data was received at NASA headquarters around 4.25 p.m. (India time). It took […]

Houston, April 19 (IANS) At least three people were killed in a shooting incident in the US state of Texas, police said, adding a search in underway for the suspect who has been identified. During a briefing on Sunday, officials announced that 41-year-old Stephen Nicholas Broderick was identified to be the suspect shooter, reports Xinhua […]

Quito, April 19 (IANS) The National Electoral Council (CNE) of Ecuador has proclaimed former banker and three-time presidential candidate Guillermo Lasso as the winner of the second round of presidential elections held on April 11, with 52.36 per cent of votes. Lasso, the right-of-centre candidate in his third presidential campaign, edged out Andres Arauz, a […]

Washington, April 19 (IANS) One person has been arrested in connection with a shooting incident at a bar in Wisconsin in the US in which three persons were killed and three injured, officials said. The Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement on Sunday that the person, whose name was not released, was arrested […]

Washington, April 18 (IANS) The US State Department has ordered the families of the Americembassy staff members to leave N’Djamena, the capital of Chad. The Department on Saturday ordered non-emergency US government employees to leave the city due to civil unrest and armed violence, reports dpa news agency. “Armed non-governmental groups in northern Chad have […]

La Paz, April 18 (IANS) The left-wing MAS party of former Bolivian President Evo Morales has been facing calls for renewal following its defeat in the country’s regional elections. “There are leaders who think they own the party. There are leaders who don’t want to let go of their chair,” dpa news agency quoted Alvaro […]

San Francisco, April 18 (IANS) An armed man who allegedly threatened to shoot residents in Northern California was shot and killed by Alameda County Sheriff’s deputies, authorities said. Deputies responded to multiple reports shortly after 3.30 a.m. on Saturday and confronted the man, Xinhua news agency quoted the Sheriff’s Office as saying. The suspect fired […]

San Francisco, April 18 (IANS) Hundreds of people took to the streets of the city of Oakland in California to protest against fatal police shootings in Minneapolis and Chicago. “The City of Oakland experienced disruptive protests in the Downtown area,” the city’s police department said on Saturday. Some protesters assaulted a community member and police […]

Vienna, April 18 (IANS) Iran’s top negotiator at nuclear talks under way in Vienna said on Saturday that the discussions were on the right track and consultations would continue. Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Iranian media that “good discussions” had been held among the delegations from Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany, DPA news […]

Washington, April 16 (IANS) At least eight people were killed during a shooting incident that took place at a FedEx facility in the US city of Indianapolis, police said on Friday, adding there were multiple others who suffered serious gunshot wounds. Of those suffering gunshot wounds, at least one person remained in critical condition by […]

Washington, April 16 (IANS) US President Joe Biden has named Radhika Fox and Meera Joshi, two Indian-American women already working in his administration, to be part of a 10 member team to lead on climate and transportation matters across key agencies, the media reported. According to a White House announcement on Wednesday, Fox would become […]

Washington, April 16 (IANS) US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she has “no plans” to bring a bill to expand the Supreme Court from nine seats to 13 to the House floor for a vote. “No. I support the President’s Commission to study such a proposal, but frankly I’m not, right now, we’re back, our […]

Washington, April 16 (IANS) A shooting incident took place at a FedEx facility in the US city of Indianapolis, police said on Friday, adding that there were multiple people injured. In a report, the city-based WRTV channel said the incident occurred on Thursday night at the facility near the Indianapolis International Airport. According to Indianapolis […]

Washington, April 16 (IANS) Initial unemployment claims in the US have dropped to 576,000, the lowest level since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic early last year that ravaged the labour market, the Labour Department reported. In the week ending April 10, the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits decreased by 193,000 from the […]

Washington, April 16 (IANS) US President Joe Biden has called for de-escalating the ongoing tensions with Moscow after his administration launched diplomatic and financial offensives against Russian officials and businesses in retaliation for election-meddling and hacking that compromised major federal agencies. In his remarks at the White House on Thursday, Biden detailed his phone call […]

New York, April 16 (IANS) The body of a “brilliant” Indian origin cryptocurrency expert has been found floating in the Hudson River in this city, according to media reports. Shuvro Biswas, 31, was a mathematician working with cryptocurrency security and artificial intelligence, the New York Post reported on Wednesday quoting his family. His body was […]

Washington, April 16 (IANS) US President Joe Biden will receive his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in in the second half of May, the White House has said. Biden said recently his top foreign policy agenda was the nuclear threat posed by North Korea, whose rogue regime last month test-fired short-range ballistic missile. White House Press […]

Washington, April 16 (IANS) The US has launched diplomatic and financial offensives against Russian officials and businesses in retaliation for election-meddling and Moscow-linked hacking that compromised major federal agencies. The move included the expulsion of 10 Russian diplomats from the US and sanctions on several organisations and individuals, the White House and State Department said […]

Sofia, April 15 (IANS) Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Boyko Borisov on Thursday resigned from his coalition government, as expected, after the parliamentary election earlier this month. The announcement was made by the Interim President of the newly elected Parliament, Mika Saykova, during the first session, dpa news agency reported. The resignation of the nationalist government, which […]

United Nations, April 15 (IANS) Nearly half of women in 57 developing countries are denied the right to decide whether to have sex with their partners, use contraception or seek healthcare — the three dimensions of bodily autonomy, according to a UN report. Only 55 per cent of women in those countries are fully empowered […]

New York, April 15 (IANS) Akanksha Education Fund, a New York-based non-profit that supports initiatives to improve access to high quality education for the disadvantaged children in India, has named an Indian-American as its new Executive Director. “The Akanksha Education Fund is thrilled to announce that Sejal Desai, of Dallas, Texas, will be the new […]

Washington, April 15 (IANS) The American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) has elected a new team to lead the largest ethnic medical organisation in the US, the media reported. Anjana Samadder was elected as Vice President, Satheesh Kathula as Secretary and Krishan Kumar as Treasurer, the American Bazaar reported on Wednesday citing Chief […]

By Arul LouisNew York, April 15 (IANS) US President Joe Biden has asked India and other regional countries to pitch in to help stabilise Afghanistan as Washington has decided to pull out its troops ending a 20-year-old war. Announcing his plans on Wednesday to unconditionally bring home the last of the US military before September […]

Vienna, April 15 (IANS) As Japan’s decision to discharge the nuclear wastewater from the crippled Fukushima plant into the Pacific Ocean sparked an international backlash, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Mariano Grossi said that he took these concerns “seriously” and called for “transparency”. “The way to deal with these concerns, for me … […]

Washington, April 15 (IANS) Former police officer Kim Potter, who fatally shot 20-year-old African-American man Daunte Wright in the US state of Minnesota, will be charged with second-degree manslaughter for the killing, a prosecutor said. On Wednesday, Washington County Attorney Pete Orput said he is filing a second-degree manslaughter charge against Potter, a 48-year-old veteran […]

Washington, April 15 (IANS) US employment growth has recently picked up, but hiring remains a “widespread” challenge, the Federal Reserve said. “The pace of job growth varied by industry but was generally strongest in manufacturing, construction, and leisure and hospitality,” the central bank said in its latest Beige Book released on Wednesday. “Hiring remained a […]

Washington, April 15 (IANS) International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva said she is “confident” the financial organisation will distribute a new allocation of Special Drawing Rights (SDR) to member countries by mid-August. “It is a remarkable demonstration of multilateralism” that the IMF membership has agreed to support a new SDR allocation of $650 […]

Washington, April 15 (IANS) US President Joe Biden has announced that all US troops will be withdrawn from Afghanistan before September 11, a move to end the longest war in American history. “The United States will begin our final withdrawal, begin it on May 1 of this year,” Biden said on Wednesday in his remarks […]

Washington, April 14 (IANS) US President Joe Biden wants to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan by September 11, the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, a senior administration official has said. Biden has been facing mounting pressure to make a decision on the deployment of troops in Afghanistan, where the US has had a sustained […]

Washington, April 14 (IANS) US President Joe Biden has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to de-escalate border tensions with Ukraine and proposed the two leader hold a summit in the coming months, the White House said. Biden spoke by phone with Putin on Tuesday to discuss a range of issues, from arms control to cyberattacks […]

By Arul LouisUnited Nations, April 14 (IANS) India has been invited to an Afghanistan peace conference in Turkey to back up the slowed down negotiations in Qatar between the Taliban and the Kabul government ahead of a delayed US withdrawal from that country, according to diplomatic sources. The convening of the meeting announced at the […]

Washington, April 13 (IANS) G7 member countries have said they were deeply concerned about the build-up of Russian troops on the border with Ukraine and the annexed Crimea region. Recent reports of Russian military activity in and around Ukraine as well as ceasefire violations have sparked international concern that the seven-year conflict between the two […]

Washington, April 13 (IANS) One person was shot dead and a police officer was injured during a shooting at a high school in the US state of Tennessee, police said. A gunfight erupted on Monday police officers responded to a report of an armed man at the Austin-East Magnet High School in Knoxville city, Knoxville […]

Quito, April 13 (IANS) Ecuador’s National Electoral Council (CNE) will take a few days to officially announce the winner of the presidential runoff due to procedural requirements, a top official said here In a statement on Monday, President of the election body, Diana Atamaint, said preliminary results issued late Sunday by the CNE indicated an […]

Washington, April 13 (IANS) A police officer who fatally shot a 20-year-old African-American man in the US state of Minnesota used her gun by mistake instead of her taser, a police chief said on Monday. “It is my belief that the officer had the intention to deploy their taser, but instead shot Wright with a […]

Washington, April 13 (IANS) At least three police officers were shot and injured during a car chase in the US state of Georgia, authorities said, adding that one suspect was dead and another has been taken into custody. A Georgia State Patrol trooper tried to stop a car around 3.30 a.m. on Monday after he […]

Washington, April 13 (IANS) US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Tuesday embarked on a visit to Brussels, Belgium, to consult with NATO allies on a range of shared priorities. Taking to Twitter, Blinken said: “Glad to be heading back to Brussels. The US is committed to rebuilding US alliances, particularly with our NATO allies. […]

Washington, April 13 (IANS) US President Joe Biden will nominate Chris Magnus, the chief of police in the city of Tucson, Arizona, to lead the Customs and Border Protection, the country’s border enforcement agency that is currently dealing with a migrant influx. On Monday, the White House announced the nomination of Magnus, a critic of […]

Washington, April 13 (IANS) The White House said that the United States was not involved in a recent attack on Iran’s Natanz nuclear facility. “We, of course, have seen the reports of the incident at the Natanz enrichment facility. The US was not involved in any manner. We have nothing to add on speculation about […]

La Paz, April 10 (IANS) The Bolivian government said it has decided to keep the country’s border with Brazil closed for another seven days to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus, especially the Brazilian variant of the virus considered to be more contagious and possibly more lethal. Bolivia first closed its border with Brazil […]

San Francisco, April 10 (IANS) San Francisco Mayor London Breed has signed legislation to fund new grants and loans to provide immediate financial relief for small businesses struggling as a result of Covid-19. The $10.9 million grant program will focus on helping storefront businesses that have received little to no federal or city funding, businesses […]

United Nations, April 10 (IANS) Over 2.3 million people in Niger could face food insecurity in the coming months, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA). About 1.6 million of them are likely to face severe food insecurity as soon as May, a 30 per cent increase compared to projections […]

Washington, April 10 (IANS) American aerospace major Boeing announced that it has recommended 16 carriers to address a potential electrical issue in a specific group of 737 MAX planes, which were globally grounded after two fatal crashes that took place within months, before further operations. The recommendation is made to allow for verification that a […]

Washington, April 10 (IANS) US President Joe Biden has signed an executive order establishing a commission to study the possibility of adding more seats to the Supreme Court and other reforms. The Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court of the US will be co-chaired by former White House counsel Bob Bauer and Cristina Rodriguez, a […]

United Nations, April 10 (IANS) United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the steps announced by the International Monetary and Finance Committee (IMFC) and the World Bank Group Development Committee to address debt crises and other financial distress to economies arising from the Covid-19 pandemic. In a statement issued via his spokesperson on Friday, the UN […]

Vienna, April 10 (IANS) The Joint Commission of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), known as the Iran nuclear deal, resumed talks here again, with the lifting of sanctions on Iran and nuclear implementation measures on top of the agenda. The European External Action Service (EEAS) said in a press release earlier on Friday […]

Washington, April 9 (IANS) Tennessee will become the latest US state where residents will be allowed to carry guns without a permit after Governor Bill Lee signed an “open carry” bill, a local media report said. The “constitutional carry” law which takes effect July 1 will allow most citizens over 21 years old and legally […]

Washington, April 9 (IANS) The US State Department has warned against high expectations for Vienna talks as parties of the Iran nuclear deal will reconvene on Friday. “These talks have been described as constructive, as businesslike, as accomplishing what they set out to do and that is true,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters […]

United Nations, April 9 (IANS) The UN and humanitarian partners have expressed concerns about allegations of beheadings and unverified reports of the use of child soldiers in Mozambique, a spokesman of the world body said. The allegations in reports of violations against civilians by non-state armed groups and clashes in Cabo Delgado’s Palma District said […]

San Francisco, April 9 (IANS) San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced that the city is on track to issue guidelines that will resume indoor live events with capacity limits and other safety protocols beginning April 15. San Francisco plans to allow up to the maximum capacity of 35 per cent for indoor ticketed and seated […]

Buenos Aires, April 9 (IANS) The Argentine government has extended the social, preventive and mandatory distancing measures established to control the Covid-19 pandemic until April 30, according to a presidential decree. The decree stated published on Thursday that “in all areas, both public and private”, people must maintain a minimum distance of two metres from […]

Washington, April 9 (IANS) US President Joe Biden called gun violence in the country an “epidemic” and an “international embarrassment”, as he delivered a speech from the White House introducing new executive actions aimed at addressing the issue. “Nothing I’m about to recommend in any way impinges on the Second Amendment,” Biden said in the […]

Washington, April 9 (IANS) The US is “increasingly concerned” by the Russian military build-up on its border with Ukraine, the White House said, adding that Moscow now has more troops on that frontier since 2014. “The US is increasingly concerned by recent escalating Russian aggression in eastern Ukraine, including Russian troop movements on Ukraine’s border,” […]

Washington, April 9 (IANS) President Joe Biden’s National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan expressed US concern over the crisis in the Tigray region to Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen, the White House said. In a Wednesday phone call with Mekonnen, Sullivan “expressed the Biden Administration’s grave concern about the continued humanitarian and human rights crisis […]