Washington, Jan 15 (IANS) A man who had his face painted blue and red and donned a fur hat with horns while storming the US Capitol building in Washington D.C. on January 6, has asked outgoing President Donald Trump to pardon him. Images of Jacob Anthony Chansley, also known as “QAnon Shaman”, went viral on […]

Washington, Jan 15 (IANS) US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said that the Fed should be careful not to prematurely discuss an exit from ultra-easy monetary policy as the US economy is “far from” the central bank’s goals. “Now is not the time to be talking about exit” from easy money policy, Powell said at […]

By Arul LouisNew York, Jan 15 (IANS) A media strategist, Garima Verma, has been named the digital director for Jill Biden, who will become the First Lady next week. Making the announcement about Verma and other additions to her staff, President-elect Joe Biden’ wife Jill Biden said, “Together, we will work to open the White […]

United Nations, Jan 15 (IANS) The Chinese mission to the United Nations (UN) tweeted that the US attempt to challenge the one-China principle is doomed to fail. In response to a phone call between US Ambassador to the UN Kelly Craft and Tsai Ing-wen, leader of China’s Taiwan, after Craft’s trip to Taipei this week […]

Washington, Jan 14 (IANS) US President-elect Joe Biden has been briefed by federal officials on the security concerns regarding his inauguration on January 20 in the wake of the January 6 Capitol violence, according to his transition team. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the team said: “President-elect Biden received a briefing from senior officials […]

United Nations, Jan 14 (IANS) There is deep concern about the plight of hundreds of thousands of the estimated 2.3 million people in Ethiopia’s Tigray region in need of life-saving aid, a UN mission said. “Humanitarian assistance continues to be constrained by the lack of full, safe and unhindered access to Tigray caused by both […]

Washington, Jan 14 (IANS) Airbnb, the San Francisco-based online vacation rental company, has announced that it will cancel reservations in the Washington D.C. metro area during the week of US President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration in response to various local, state and federal officials asking people not to travel to the capital city. “Additionally, we will […]

Washington, Jan 14 (IANS) The US has blacklisted two Iranian foundations allegedly linked to the leadership, the latest move to reinforce its maximum pressure campaign against Tehran. In a statement on Wednesday, the Department said that its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned “two organisations, along with their leaders and subsidiaries, controlled by the […]

New York, Jan 14 (IANS) Mayor Bill de Blasio has announced that the City of New York is taking steps to terminate three Trump Organization agreements after the “deadly insurrection” at the US Capitol on January 6. The administration will be notifying the Trump Organization that the city will begin the process to cancel its […]

Washington, Jan 14 (IANS) US President Donald Trump called on the Americans not to engage in violence next week, in which the inauguration ceremony will be held for President-elect Joe Biden. “In light of reports of more demonstrations, I urge that there must be NO violence, NO lawbreaking and NO vandalism of any kind. That […]

Washington, Jan 14 (IANS) US President-elect Joe Biden announced he has nominated former US Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power as administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). If confirmed by the Senate, Power, 50, will head the agency which oversees US foreign humanitarian and development aid, Xinhua news agency reported […]

By Nikhila NatarajanNew York, Jan 14 (IANS) Another day for the history books as exactly a week after a pro-Trump mob stormed the US Capitol in a violent bid to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory, Donald Trump has been impeached for a second time by the US House of Representatives. As the […]

By Nikhila NatarajanNew York, Jan 14 (IANS) Another day for the history books as exactly a week after a pro-Trump mob stormed the US Capitol in a violent bid to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory, Donald Trump has been impeached for a second time by the US House of Representatives. As the […]

By Nikhila NatarajanNew York, Jan 14 (IANS) Exactly a week after US president Donald Trump pumped up a mob of his supporters to “fight like hell” against the US election results and they ended up launching a deadly attack on the US Capitol, the House of Representatives is barreling towards impeaching Trump for a second […]

By Nikhila NatarajanNew York, Jan 13 (IANS) The Democratic-controlled House of Representatives is moving to impeach outgoing US President Donald Trump for the second time in his tenure, within the span of 12 months. That’s happening on Wednesday and here’s how the day is likely to shape up, give or take some time delays and […]

Havana, Jan 13 (IANS) Cuba condemns its inclusion in a US list of countries that sponsor terrorism, Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez said. Cuba condemns the US-announced “hypocritical and cynical designation” of the country as “a state sponsoring terrorism,” the minister said on Twitter on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported. “The US political opportunism is […]

Washington, Jan 12 (IANS) Outgoing US President Donald Trump, who is facing the prospect of an unprecedented second impeachment following the storming of the US Capitol last week, on Tuesday denied that he had any role to play in inciting the violence. “We want no violence,” he told reporters as he left the White House […]

Washington, Jan 12 (IANS) The US Capitol Police (USCP) has confirmed that it was investigating some officers over their actions during the January 6 riot at the Capitol building staged by supporters of outgoing President Donald Trump. In a statement issued on Monday, Acting Capitol Police Chief Yogananda Pittman said: “The Department has been actively […]

Washington, Jan 12 (IANS) The US government has said that new tariffs on aircraft parts and other products from France and Germany will take effect on Tuesday. In a statement on Monday, the Customs and Border Protection said that it will start collecting an additional 15 per cent duties on certain parts of large civil […]

United Nations, Jan 12 (IANS) The US government’s decision to designate Yemen’s Iran-backed Ansar Allah, more commonly known as the Houthi militia, as terrorists is likely to have serious repercussions, a UN spokesperson said. “It’s clear that the decision is likely to have serious humanitarian and political repercussions,” Xinhua news agency quoted Stephane Dujarric, spokesman […]

By Nikhila NatarajanNew York, Jan 12 (IANS) US vice president elect Kamala Harris’ cover photograph on the latest edition of Vogue has lit up the internet with duelling interpretations of how she is represented even as Harris’ own team is said to be less than thrilled about the way things turned out. Harris wore a […]

By Nikhila NatarajanNew York, Jan 12 (IANS) US vice president elect Kamala Harris’s team is unhappy about the picture of the country’s soon to be second in command which turned up on the cover of the latest Vogue magazine. Harris wore a powder blue suit for her cover shoot but the Vogue cover features Harris […]

By Arul LouisNew York, Jan 12 (IANS) An Indian origin man has admitted before a federal court that he was guilty of participating in a telemarketing scam targeting the elderly, according to John R. Lausch, the Chicago-based federal prosecutor for Northern Illinois. Hirenkumar Chaudhuri admitted that he used a phony Indian passport, false name, and […]

By Arul LouisNew York, Jan 12 (IANS) Democrats launched on Monday a two-pronged attack on US President Donald Trump to remove him from office by starting the process of impeachment and by introducing a resolution in the House of Representatives demanding that Vice President Mike Pence oust him by exercising his Constitutional authority. Republicans blocked […]

By Arul LouisNew York, Jan 11 (IANS) US President-elect Joe Biden on Monday named William Burns, who guided the nuclear deal between India and the US but is a strong critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to be the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. A former Deputy Secretary of State and a senior director […]

Washington, Jan 11 (IANS) In a setback to golf-loving outgoing US President Donald Trump, courses owned by him in the US and Scotland are unlikely to host any major tournaments soon with top sporting associations announcing their decision not to use them as venues. The decision comes in the wake of the storming of the […]

Washington, Jan 11 (IANS) US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has announced that he would notify Congress of his intent to declare Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi militia as a “Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) entity”. In a statement issued on Sunday, Pompeo also said that he intended to designate three leaders of the militia, Abdul Malik […]

By Arul LouisNew York, Jan 11 (IANS) US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi has served a notice to Vice President Mike Pence and the cabinet that they should oust President Donald Trump using their constitutional powers within 24 hours or she will begin impeachment proceedings in the fallout from storming of the Capitol by […]

Barcelona, Jan 11 (IANS) Spanish police have arrested three suspected terrorists in Barcelona suspected to be members of the Islamic State (IS) militant group, a local media report said. The two Libyans and a Moroccan are reported to have previous combat experience in Syria, Xinhua news agency quoted the El Mundo newspaper report as saying […]

By Arul LouisNew York, Jan 11 (IANS) Indian-American novelist Ved Mehta, who shone a bright literary light of evocativeness and imagery overcoming his blindness, has died here at the age of 86. The New Yorker magazine, where he had been a staff writer for 33 years, reported that he had died on Saturday. Mehta provided […]

Washington, Jan 11 (IANS) US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said that Democrats are ready to start impeachment proceedings against outgoing President Donald Trump for a second time in just over a year. In a letter to her colleagues sent on Sunday, Pelosi said the House Democrats will introduce a resolution on Monday urging […]

United Nations, Jan 11 (IANS) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for a new type of multilateralism to address global challenges. In a virtual speech for the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the first meeting of the UN General Assembly on Sunday, Guterres said 97 per cent of respondents to a UN-sponsored global survey called […]

Chicago, Jan 10 (IANS) At least four people were killed and two others severely injured in a shooting rampage in the US state of Illinois, a media report said, adding the suspect was shot and killed by the police. The NBC Chicago report said the first shooting took place at a pharmacy in Chicago on […]

Washington, Jan 10 (IANS) US House Democrats are set to introduce an article of impeachment against outgoing President Donald Trump on Monday over the deadly January 6 Capitol unrest. California Congressman Ted Lieu, a Democratic member of the House Judiciary Committee, tweeted on Saturday that the article of impeachment, which has so far had 180 […]

By Arul LouisNew York, Jan 10 (IANS) A US federal prosecutor has charged three Sri Lankans at a Los Angeles court in connection with the 2019 Easter Sunday terrorist attacks on the island nation that killed 268 people, including five Americans. The Justice Department said on Friday that the three men, who are members of […]

Madrid, Jan 10 (IANS) Three people have lost their lives as a storm named “Filomena” brought chaos to Madrid and vast areas of central Spain with the heaviest snowfall in 50 years, Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska has confirmed. The Madrid regional government confirmed that one of the victims was a 54-year-old man who apparently died […]

San Francisco, Jan 10 (IANS) Boeing said that the company was in contact with its airline customer and stands ready to support them after the Indonesian Sriwijaya Air Flight SJ-182 crashed. “We are aware of media reports from Jakarta regarding Sriwijaya Air flight SJ-182. Our thoughts are with the crew, passengers, and their families,” the […]

Washington, Jan 9 (IANS) US President-elect Joe Biden said that he would be laying out the groundwork for the next Covid-19 relief package next week, as the country’s economic recovery stalls amid the surging pandemic. “As I’ve said before, the bipartisan Covid relief package passed in December is an important step, but just a downpayment,” […]

Washington, Jan 9 (IANS) Washington Governor Jay Inslee said that the US state was tightening measures to ensure the safety and security of “Washingtonians, legislators, state employees and the buildings of the Capitol Campus” as the Legislature is set to convene the 2021 session on January 11. “As legislators begin their work on behalf of […]

Washington, Jan 9 (IANS) US employers slashed 140,000 jobs in December 2020, the first monthly decline in employment since April 2020, as recent Covid-19 spikes have stalled the recovery of the labour market, an official report said. “The decline in payroll employment reflects the recent increase in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and efforts to contain the […]

Brasilia, Jan 9 (IANS) Brazil’s Vice President Hamilton Mourao has been discharged from hospital after recovering from Covid-19 and will return to work on Monday, his press office said. After experiencing body aches and a headache, Mourao had spent 12 days in isolation at his official residence in Brasilia, before being diagnosed with Covid-19 on […]

United Nations, Jan 9 (IANS) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is waiting to get vaccinated against the novel coronavirus, his spokesman said. “We plan to follow the protocols of our host city, of our host state. I think the staff that works in large duty stations, like New York or Geneva or Vienna, will rely on […]

San Francisco, Jan 9 (IANS) San Francisco Mayor London Breed has announced new initiatives to combat and prevent human trafficking in the US city. Starting this month, the Department of Public Health’s Environmental Health Inspectors will begin incorporating new anti-human trafficking training into their inspection process, Xinhua news agency quoted the Mayor as saying in […]

Ottawa, Jan 9 (IANS) Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that the country’s current coronavirus pandemic state was “frightening”, as the overall infection tally has increased to 642,548, while the death toll stood at 16,665. “Frankly, it’s frightening to see cases rise at home and around the world, day after day,” Xinhua news agency quoted […]

Washington, Jan 9 (IANS) The US has announced sanctions against an Iraqi militia leader over “serious human rights abuse”. In a statement issued on Friday, the Treasury Department said that it had designated Iraqi Popular Mobilization Committee (PMC) Chairman Falih al-Fayyadh, who previously served as National Security Advisor to the Iraqi Prime Minister, reports Xinhua […]

Ottawa, Jan 9 (IANS) WestJet, Canada’s second-largest airline, has announced that it would lay off 1,000 people and cut flights due to the official travel restrictions imposed in the wake of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. “Immediately following the federal government’s inbound testing announcement on December 31, 2020, and with the continuation of the 14-day quarantine, […]

New York, Jan 9 (IANS) US President-elect Joe Biden, continuing to fill out top posts to align with a diverse country’s shifting demographics, on Friday appointed to his national security council “incredibly accomplished” Indian Americans who will serve under National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan. Tarun Chhabra, a first-generation American and a graduate of Stanford University, […]

Washington, Jan 9 (IANS) US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that he had met with President-Elect Joe Biden’s Secretary of State nominee Antony Blinken to facilitate an orderly transition. “Today, I met with President-Elect @JoeBiden’s Secretary-Designate @ABlinken in order to facilitate an orderly transition, and to ensure American interests are protected abroad,” Pompeo tweeted […]

By Nikhila NatarajanNew York, Jan 9 (IANS) Social media giant Twitter announced that it is banning US President Donald Trump from its platform, citing “risk of further incitement of violence”. The Twitter ban comes two days after a pro-Trump mob stormed the US Capitol, hoping to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s election victory. On […]

By Nikhila NatarajanNew York, Jan 9 (IANS) Social media giant Twitter announced that it is banning US President Donald Trump from its platform, citing “risk of further incitement of violence”. On Twitter, Donald Trump’s handle is now an empty white page, frozen with 51 followed accounts and 88.7 million followers and two words on the […]

By Arul LouisNew York, Jan 9 (IANS) In an unprecedented action, Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said that she has asked the Pentagon about steps to prevent an “unhinged” President Donald Trump from accessing nuclear weapons launch codes or starting wars amid growing call for him to quit or be removed from office. Two members of […]

Washington, Jan 8 (IANS) In a widely expected move and breaking an over century-and-a-half old tradition, US President Donald Trump on Friday announced that he will not attend his successor Joe Biden’s swearing-in ceremony. “To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th,” tweeted Trump, who […]

New York, Jan 8 (IANS) Indian American Sabrina Singh, a long time aide to US Vice President elect Kamala Harris, has been named White House Deputy Press Secretary in the incoming administration, according to a statement released Friday by the Biden-Harris transition team. Singh was earlier a senior spokesperson on the Mike Bloomberg presidential campaign […]

Washington, Jan 8 (IANS) The US Capitol Police (USCP) has confirmed that an officer who was wounded during the violent protests that rocked Washington D.C., has succumbed to his injuries. Brian D. Sicknick “was responding to the riots on Wednesday at the US Capitol and was injured while physically engaging with protesters”, Xinhua news agency […]

Darwin, Jan 8 (IANS) The government of Australia’s Northern Territory (NT) state has approved a proposed A$200 million ($155 million) Outback copper mine. KGL Resources has been given the green light for its Jervois Copper Project, which chairman Denis Wood said would become a major supplier in the global copper market as demand increases, reports […]

Caracas, Jan 8 (IANS) Venezuela’s National Assembly voted to form a Special Commission for Dialogue, Peace and National Reconciliation, during its first ordinary session since the newly-elected lawmakers were sworn in on January 5. “It has to be a commission that quickly, peremptorily, begins to offer proposals to be consulted with the people of Venezuela […]

Washington, Jan 8 (IANS) Initial unemployment claims in the US fell slightly to 787,000 last week, the lowest level in a month, the Labor Department reported. In the week ending on January 2y, the number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits decreased by 3,000 from the previous week’s upwardly revised level of 790,000, Xinhua news […]

By Arul LouisNew York, Jan 8 (IANS) US President-Elect Joe Biden’s pick to be associate attorney general, Vanita Gupta, has recalled her experience of racial bigotry as a four-year-old while she pledged her commitment to civil rights and justice reform. Speaking on Thursday after Biden introduced her as “one of the most respected civil rights […]

San Francisco, Jan 8 (IANS) Facing the ire of the Donald Trump administration, Chinese short-video making platform TikTok has removed videos of President Trumps speech inciting supporters to mob the US Capitol, stressing these violate the misinformation policy. “Hateful behaviour and violence have no place on TikTok. Content or accounts that seek to incite, glorify, […]

Washington, Jan 8 (IANS) The US Trade Representative’s (USTR) Office said that it has decided to suspend proposed tariffs on about $1.3 billion worth of French products amid a dispute over digital service taxes (DSTs). The additional 25 per cent tariffs on certain French products were announced in July 2020 in response to France’s DST […]

By Arul LouisNew York, Jan 8 (IANS) An Indian flag was seen amid a sea of American and Trump flags in a footage, as well as images, of the violent protests at the US Capitol that went viral on social media. An Indian-American Republican political activist, Vincent Xavier, tweeted on Thursday pictures of the flags […]

By Arul LouisNew York, Jan 8 (IANS) Reeling from the mob attack on Congress, the nation’s two highest-ranking Democrats and a Republican Congressman have demanded that Vice President Mike Pence act to remove President Donald Trump from office. Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Party leader Chuck Schumer on Thursday said that he could pose […]

Washington, Jan 8 (IANS) Acting US Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf on Thursday urged President Donald Trump to “strongly condemn” the violence that took place at the Capitol when his supporters stormed the building a day earlier. “What transpired yesterday was tragic and sickening,” Wolf said in a statement. “While I have consistently condemned political […]

Washington, Jan 7 (IANS) Facebook, which had removed a video in which US President Donald Trump urged his supporters, who forced their way into the Capitol, “to go home” but repeated his allegations of fraud in the presidential elections, and blocked his account, announced on Thursday that the restrictions will continue till the end of […]

Washington, Jan 7 (IANS) For the first time since the November 2020 election, US President Donald Trump on Thursday conceded against President-elect Joe Biden, saying that there would be an “orderly transition of power” on January 20, shortly after Congress affirmed the Democrat’s Electoral College victory. “Even though I totally disagree with the outcome of […]

Washington, Jan 7 (IANS) For the first time since the November 2020 presidential election, US President Donald Trump on Thursday confirmed that he will leave office on January 20, promising an orderly transition of power, while conceding defeat against President-elect Joe Biden. In a statement, Trump said: “Even though I totally disagree with the outcome […]

Washington, Jan 7 (IANS) Hours after unprecedented violence and chaos rocked Washington D.C., the US Congress on Thursday morning affirmed President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory over sitting President Donald Trump. At about 4 a.m., Vice President Mike Pence announced before a joint session of Congress that Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris had won […]

Washington, Jan 7 (IANS) The counting of Vermont’s three electoral votes has placed US President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris over the 270-threshold needed to win the American presidency. On Wednesday night after violent protests rocked Washington D.C., the Senate and House rejected objections to throw out Georgia and Pennsylvania’s electoral votes for […]

Washington, Jan 7 (IANS) Three White House aides, including First Lady Melania Trump’s chief of staff Stephanie Grisham, have resigned from their posts in the wake of the violent protests that rocked Washington D.C. Grisham submitted her resignation Wednesday afternoon, effective immediately, reports Xinhua news agency. In a statement posted on Twitter early Thursday, Grisham […]

Washington, Jan 7 (IANS) Following the violent protests at the Capitol building, the US Congress has voted to reject Republican lawmakers’ objection to President-elect Joe Biden’s victory over sitting President Donald Trump in the state of Arizona. The objection was overturned by the Senate in an overwhelming vote of 93 to 6 late Wednesday night, […]

Washington, Jan 7 (IANS) The reconvened joint session of the US Congress to count and ratify President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College votes, adjourned early Thursday when objections were raised by a Senator and a House of Representatives member to the ballots from Pennsylvania, dashing hopes that President Donald Trump’s supporters chastised by the violent attack […]

Washington, Jan 7 (IANS) At least four people were killed and 42 others arrested in the wake of the violent protests that took place inside the US Capitol in Washington D.C. Addressing the media here on Wednesday night, Metropolitan Police Department Chief Robert Contee confirmed that a woman was shot and killed, while the three […]

Washington, Jan 7 (IANS) In the wake of the unprecedented chaos which unfolded in the US capital city after supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol building, a curfew has been imposed in Washington D.C. In a statement late Wednesday, Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said the curfew, which came into effect at 6 […]

United Nations, Jan 7 (IANS) The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) on Wednesday welcomed the exchange of dozens of detainees between the rival factions of the east-based Libyan National Army (LNA) and the Government of National Accord (GNA). “UNSMIL warmly welcomes the news today about an exchange of 35 detainees facilitated by the (5+5) […]

Washington, Jan 7 (IANS) Democrat Jon Ossoff is on track to defeat Republican incumbent David Perdue in the US Senate runoff in the state of Georgia, which would the Democratic Party control of the upper chamber, multiple media outlets have projected. On Wednesday, NBC News, CNN and ABC News projected Ossoff to be the winner […]

Lima, Jan 7 (IANS) Peru has extended a ban on flights to and from Europe for another 15 days to in an effort to prevent the new coronavirus variant from reaching the country. The new decision was published on the Ministry of Transport and Communications website on Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported. The original suspension […]

By Arul LouisWashington, Jan 7 (IANS) After a deadly attack on the citadel of American democracy, Congress defiantly resumed its constitutional task of tallying the electoral colleges votes to plant the final seal on Joe Biden’s election as the 46th US President and Kamala Harris as Vice President. Sitting President Donald Trump was roundly condemned […]

Washington, Jan 7 (IANS) The US Congress has reconvened for proceedings to certify President-elect Joe Biden’s victory in the November 2020 election, hours after sitting President Donald Trump’s supporters violently stormed the Capitol building. “We condemn the violence in the strongest possible terms,” Xinhua news agency quoted Vice President Mike Pence, who is presiding over […]

Washington, Jan 7 (IANS) Social media giants Twitter and Facebook have temporarily blocked US President Donald Trump from further posting after his supporters violently stormed the Capitol building in Washington D.C. In a video on Wednesday, Trumpurged his supporters, who forced their way into the Capitol earlier in the day, to go home, but repeated […]

By Nikhila NatarajanNew York, Jan 7 (IANS) One person has been shot at the US Capitol as President Donald Trump’s die hard supporters clashed violently with local police and law enforcement officers on Wednesday, sending the US Capitol campus into utter chaos and forcing evacuation of lawmakers from the building. The Virginia Governor is sending […]

By Arul LouisNew York, Jan 7 (IANS) A woman was killed in gunfire inside Capitol building after President Donald Trump’s supporters stormed the building to disrupt the democratic functioning of Congress as it was in the middle of ratifying the election of Joe Biden as President and Kamala Harris as Vice President. The woman was […]

Washington, Jan 7 (IANS) Democrat Jon Ossoff is on track to defeat Republican incumbent David Perdue in the US Senate runoff in the southeastern state of Georgia, which would give Democrats control of the upper chamber, multiple US media outlets projected Wednesday afternoon. NBC News, CNN, and ABC News have projected Ossoff to be the […]

Washington, Jan 7 (IANS) US President-elect Joe Biden condemned what he called “insurrection” at the US Capitol on Wednesday, after protesters broke into the building and forced proceedings to formally count the Electoral College votes to halt. “This is not protest, it’s insurrection,” Biden said in Wilmington, Delaware. “This is not dissent. It’s disorder. It’s […]

Washington, Jan 7 (IANS) US President Donald Trump urged his supporters to “go home” after some of them stormed the Capitol on Wednesday, where lawmakers were certifying Democrat Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election. “You have to go home now. We have to have peace,” Trump said in a video clip posted on […]

By Arul LouisNew York, Jan 7 (IANS) President-elect Joe Biden is planning to name civil rights activist Vanita Gupta to be the associate attorney general, according to several media reports quoting unnamed sources close to him. The reports on Wednesday also said that he will name Merrick Garland, a federal appeals court judge, as the […]

By Arul LouisNew York, Jan 7 (IANS) Supporters of President Donald Trump stormed the Capitol, which houses the Congress, firing shots inside the building as the legislature was preparing to seal the election of Joe Biden as the next President and Kamala Harris as the Vice President. In a direct assault on the democratic process, […]

By Nikhila NatarajanNew York, Jan 7 (IANS) One person has been shot at the US Capitol as President Donald Trump’s die hard supporters clashed violently with local police and law enforcement officers on Wednesday, sending the US Capitol campus into utter chaos and forcing evacuation of lawmakers from the building. Virginia and Maryland governors have […]

By Nikhila NatarajanNew York, Jan 7 (IANS) US President Donald Trump’s die hard supporters clashed violently with local police and law enforcement officers Wednesday, sending the US Capitol campus into utter chaos and forcing evacuation of lawmakers from the building. Crowds waving “Trump” flags , “Stop the Steal!” signs with some of the members wearing […]

By Arul LouisNew York, Jan 7 (IANS) Minutes after the Congress joint session took up the final stage of the confirmation of Joe Biden as the next President and Kamala Harris as the Vice President, it adjourned after President Donald Trump’s supporters objected to the electoral college votes from Arizona State. The Senate and the […]

By Arul LouisNew York, Jan 6 (IANS) The US Congress has launched the final stage of the confirmation of Joe Biden as the next President and Kamala Harris as the Vice President while President Donald Trump vowed he would “never concede” and his supporters in Congress prepared to challenge the electoral college votes. Before the […]

By Nikhila NatarajanNew York, Jan 6 (IANS) What a night. And what a morning in America. Democrats are within reach of a Senate majority after a historic win for first time candidate Raphael Warnock in one of Georgia’s two Senate runoffs. The 100-member Senate is now 50-49 in Republicans’ favour. If Democrats level, they will […]

Washington, Jan 6 (IANS) US lawmakers are set to meet on Wednesday to confirm Joe Biden’s victory in the presidential election amid protests from President Donald Trump’s supporters. A joint session of Congress will count and confirm electoral college votes, the BBC reported. Some Republicans have pledged to support Trump’s efforts to overturn the result […]

By Arul LouisNew York, Jan 6 (IANS) In the runoff elections from Georgia that will determine the future of the US Senate, a Democratic Party candidate won one of the two seats on Wednesday morning and another had a with a razor-thin lead in the other. A Christian priest, Rafael Warnock, who is the Democratic […]

By Arul LouisNew York, Jan 6 (IANS) US President Donald Trump and his supporters prepared to make one final, already doomed effort on Wednesday to overturn Joe Biden’s election when Congress will put its seal on his victory in the November election. Members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives will meet in […]

By Arul LouisUnited Nations, Jan 6 (IANS) India has expressed concern over the possibility of terrorists getting hold of chemical weapons and called for unrelenting global action against them. At a Security Council session on Tuesday on the use of chemical weapons in Syria, India’s Permanent Representative T.S. Tirumurti, said, “India remains concerned about the […]

United Nations, Jan 6 (IANS) A Chinese envoy on Tuesday called for caution in dealing with the issue of Syria’s chemical weapons. China notes that Syria has expressed on many occasions its strong willingness to cooperate with the Technical Secretariat of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), and the two parties have, […]

By Arul LouisUnited Nations, Jan 5 (IANS) India will be the voice against terrorism at the UN Security Council, but will also act a healer and a bridge-builder within the polarised body, according to India’s Permanent Representative T.S. Tirumurti. Outlining New Delhi’s “very ambitious agenda” for its two-year term, Tirumurti told IANS on Monday: “We […]

Washington, Jan 5 (IANS) Indian-American Republican Niraj Antani, who was elected to the Ohio state Senate from the 6th District, has been sworn in as a Senator, the media reported. Taking to Twitter on Monday, Antani, who served as a state Representative since January 2015, said: “Truly honoured to have been officially sworn-in as state […]

Mexico City, Jan 5 (IANS) Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has offered political asylum to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, after a UK court blocked the latter’s extradition to the US, citing concerns over his “mental health and “risk of suicide”. Addressing a press conference on Monday, the President said he will ask the Foreign […]

New York, Jan 5 (IANS) New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), the largest transit operator in the US, has been attempting to keep riders safe amid the Covid-19 pandemic by applying new technologies, a media report said. However, “some solutions are proving challenging as the science surrounding the virus shifts”, Xinhua news agency quoted The […]

United Nations, Jan 4 (IANS) India kicked off its two year tenure as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) with the country’s tricolour being installed at the indoor stakeout area during a special ceremony on a wintry afternoon at the United Nations headquarters in New York City on Monday. “This is […]

By Arul LouisNew York, Jan 4 (IANS) Speaker Nancy Pelosi has been re-elected by a narrow margin in a US House of Representatives with a diminished Democratic Party majority. While she was elected with 216 votes in a 435-member House on Sunday, the fate of the Senate hung in the balance with its future to […]

Washington, Jan 4 (IANS) The Pentagon said that US aircraft carrier USS Nimitz would remain in the Middle East waters due to “threats from Iran”, reversing a previous decision to order the warship to return home. “Due to the recent threats issued by Iranian leaders against President (Donald) Trump and other US government officials, I […]

Miami, Jan 4 (IANS) At least 12 people were injured in two separate shootings that took place in the US state of Florida’s Miami-Dade County, officials said. In the first shooting, two gunmen, who have not been identified yet, started shooting at people near a basketball court in Little River Park on Sunday, injuring eight […]

Washington, Jan 4 (IANS) US Senate Republicans were divided amid efforts to challenge the 2020 Electoral College results, which affirmed Democrat and former Vice President Joe Biden’s victory over sitting President Donald Trump. On Sunday, South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally, dismissied a plan by a group of his Republican colleagues to […]

Washington, Jan 4 (IANS) A pastor was killed and two others were injured during a shooting at a church in the US state of Texas, police said, adding the perpetrator was arrested and charged. The incident took place at around 9.20 a.m. on Sunday at the Starrville Methodist Church in Winona, about 360 km north […]

Buenos Aires, Jan 4 (IANS) Argentinean President Alberto Fernandez has expressed concern over the accelerating spike in the number of coronavirus cases across the country and urged citizens, especially young people, to follow preventive measures to curb the pandemic’s spread. “The vaccine will give us, as the months go by, immunity, but in the meantime, […]

Chicago, Jan 4 (IANS) Shootings and murders in the US city of Chicago increased by more than 50 per cent in 2020, official figures revealed. City officials attributed the rise in violence in 2020 to the prevailing coronavirus pandemic and the civil unrest that took place in the middle of the year against racism and […]

Washington, Jan 4 (IANS) Veteran Democratic Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi has been re-elected as Speaker of the US House of Representatives for a fourth time, but she has vowed that this will be her last term. On Sunday, Pelosi, 80, received support from 216 Democrats, with two of her colleagues voting for someone else and three […]

United Nations, Jan 4 (IANS) United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday expressed his “deep sadness” at the passing of legendary long-time UN official Brian Urquhart, who died Saturday at the age of 101. “I am deeply saddened at the passing of Sir Brian Urquhart, the legendary long-time United Nations official. I offer condolences to […]

San Francisco, Jan 3 (IANS) Nine people, including seven children, were killed in a severe head-on collision on Highway 33 in California, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) said Saturday. Ina statement on Saturday, CHP Central Division Cpt. Kevin Clays said the accident occurred at about 8 p.m. on January 1, when a Dodge travelling southbound […]

United Nations, Jan 3 (IANS) The UN Support Mission in Libya has announced the establishment of the Advisory Committee of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum (LPDF). “The committee’s mandate will be strictly time-bound and its main mission shall be to discuss outstanding issues related to the selection of a unified executive and to put forward […]

Ottawa, Jan 3 (IANS) Four people died when a helicopter crashed into a field in Alberta, Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said. In a statement on Saturday, the RCMP said that the private helicopter crashed into the field at about 8.50 p.m. on Friday, killing the four victims, who were a couple and […]

Washington, Jan 3 (IANS) Battered by an unabated spike in Covid-19 cases and deaths, local jails and state prison systems across the US have resorted to a drastic strategy to keep the virus at bay: shutting down completely and transferring their inmates elsewhere, a media report said. “From California to Missouri to Pennsylvania, state and […]

Washington, Jan 3 (IANS) A group of Republican senators have said that they will object to the certification of the 2020 US presidential election results later this week, but the move will not change President-elect Joe Biden’s victory against sitting President Donald Trump, according to media reports and poll pundits. However, Ted Cruz of Texas […]

Washington, Jan 3 (IANS) US hotel owners are bracing for a difficult 2021, as the sector continues to reel from a historic drop in bookings due to the raging coronavirus pandemic, a media report said. “The start of Covid-19 vaccinations in the US and Europe raised the prospect that people would start traveling again and […]

New York, Jan 3 (IANS) New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has promoted a collection of 42 pictures posted on social media by the Mayor’s Office under the title of “2020-NYC The Year In Photos”, at least 12 of which are about fighting the Covid-19 pandemic. “In 2020, our city faced some of the […]

Washington, Jan 2 (IANS) In a first during his four years in office, the US Congress voted to override President Donald Trump’s veto of a massive $740.5 billion defence policy bill. The Republican-led Senate voted 81 to 13 in a rare New Year’s Day session on Friday to join the Democrat-majority House of Representatives, in […]

Havana, Jan 2 (IANS) Cuba has introduced a monetary overhaul which will eliminate the dual currency system in place on the island nation since 1994, in hopes of improving the country’s economic performance amid the Covid-19 pandemic and the tightening of US sanctions. The reform, which came into effect on Friday, will also increase salaries, […]

New York, Jan 2 (IANS) There was a 97 per cent jump in the number of shootings and a nearly 45 per cent surge in murders, including 15 consecutive weeks of gunfire, as Covid-19 ravaged New York City in 2020, according to the latest statistics from the New York Police Department (NYPD). Official sources said […]

Washington, Jan 2 (IANS) The US Congress has overturned President Donald Trump’s veto of a defence spending bill — the first time this has happened in his presidency. The Republican-controlled Senate held a rare New Year’s Day session to debate the move, which had already been voted for by the House of Representatives. The $740 […]

By Arul LouisUnited Nations, Jan 1 (IANS) India became a non-permanent member of the Security Council on Friday taking a seat at the UN’s highest decision-making body at a time of changing reality even as it presses ahead with its quest for a permanent seat. As a member, India will be able to push its […]

Washington, Jan 1 (IANS) US Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has rejected again to hold a vote on a standalone bill to boost stimulus checks to $2,000 for individuals from $600, which had been approved by the Democrats-held House of Representatives. “Washington Democrats took President Trump’s suggestion and skewed it so the checks would benefit […]

Washington, Dec 31 (IANS) US President Donald Trump has cut short his trip to Florida, where he celebrated Christmas with his family, and will now return to Washington D.C. on Thursday, according to a media report. According to the President’s daily schedule released late Wednesday, Trump and First Lady Melania Trump “will be leaving Florida […]

Washington, Dec 31 (IANS) When Americans were asked to describe the year 2020 in a single word in a recent survey, nearly one in four of them said “awful”, “terrible”, or “horrible” as the US is still reeling under the raging Covid-19 pandemic. Released on Wednesday, the USA Today/Suffolk University poll of 1,000 registered voters […]

Washington, Dec 31 (IANS) Washington Governor Jay Inslee has announced a one-week extension of the “Stay Safe-Stay Healthy” order, along with the state-wide restrictions on in-person gatherings and business activities due to an unabated Covid-19 resurgence. The extension of the state-wide restrictions will expire on January 11, 2021, while no changes were made in the […]

Washington, Dec 31 (IANS) The US has announced sanctions against a Venezuelan judge and a prosecutor involved in the trial of six executives of US refiner Citgo last month. The Treasury Department said in a statement on Wednesday that it had designated Lorena Carolina Cornielles Ruiz, a judge in the Venezuelan Supreme Court who presided […]

New York, Dec 31 (IANS) The long-awaited expansion of Penn Station, a major city and interstate rail-transit hub in New York, into the James A. Farley Post Office Building will be completed by New Year’s Eve and trains will roll into the new Moynihan Train Hall starting January 1, according to New York State Governor […]

United Nations, Dec 31 (IANS) The joint UN-African Union mission in the Darfur region of Sudan (UNAMID) will officially end operations on Thursday, when the government of the African country will take over responsibility for the protection of civilians in the area. In a statement released on Wednesday, UNAMID confirmed the decision to close the […]

Chicago, Dec 31 (IANS) Morning commuters in Chicago experienced icy roads and slow traffic as the first major winter storm hit the third largest US city. The snow started to blanket Chicago on Tuesday afternoon and ended on early Wednesday, with lingering drizzle through 10 a.m. to noon, reports Xinhua news agency. “Some drizzle may […]

United Nations, Dec 31 (IANS) More than 10 million children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), northeast Nigeria, the Central Sahel, South Sudan and Yemen will suffer from acute malnutrition in 2021, the UN Children’s Fund (Unicef) said. All of these countries and regions are experiencing “dire humanitarian crises”, while also grappling with […]

Washington, Dec 31 (IANS) US President-elect Joe Biden announced additional nominations to fill the posts in the Department of Defence, days after he blamed current Pentagon officials for obstructing the presidential transition. On Wednesday, the Biden transition team announced on its website that Kathleen Hicks has been nominated for Deputy Secretary of Defence, and that […]

Washington, Dec 31 (IANS) The US military said that it had sent two strategic bombers to the Middle East as a “show of force” to deter attacks against American interests in the region. US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a statement on Wednesday that the deployment, which was executed by two B-52H strategic bombers, aimed […]