United Nations, Jan 28 (IANS) United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called for renewed approach to multilateralism and international cooperation through a new peacebuilding appeal. “An approach that goes beyond crisis response and boosts long-term investments in prevention and peacebuilding, hand-in-hand with our efforts to deliver the Sustainable Developments Goals,” the UN chief […]

United Nations, Jan 27 (IANS) United Nations special coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Tor Wennesland, on Tuesday told the Security Council that the world body stands ready to support the Palestinian elections scheduled for later this year. In his first briefing to the Council, the senior Norwegian diplomat said the elections will be […]

Washington, Jan 27 (IANS) US President Joe Biden and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Tuesday discussed arms control and other issues during their first phone conversation, said the White House. The White House said in a statement that Biden and Putin discussed both countries’ willingness to extend the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New […]

By Nikhila NatarajanNew York, Jan 27 (IANS) “Withdrawn”. A single word on a thick bureaucratic file on the seventh day of the Biden administration delivered a huge win for spouses of workers on H1B visas in the US who spent the last four years worried sick that their work authorisations would be killed off. The […]

By Nikhila NatarajanNew York, Jan 27 (IANS) “Withdrawn”. A single word on a thick bureaucratic file on the seventh day of the Biden administration delivered a huge win for spouses of workers on H1B visas in the US who spent the last four years worried sick that their work authorisations would be killed off. This […]

By Arul LouisNew York, Jan 27 (IANS) Anthony Blinken has been confirmed as the Secretary of State to steer US diplomacy in a new direction of greater engagement with international organisations and recasting ties with allies. President Joe Biden’s nominee received the Senate confirmation on Tuesday with 78 votes to 22, the dissenters being Republicans […]

By Nikhila NatarajanNew York, Jan 27 (IANS) US states wringing their hands at empty cupboards left by the Trump administration will be getting a 17 per cent boost in Covid-19 vaccine supply next week. Latest figures updated on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website Tuesday show that the Biden government plans to […]

Washington, Jan 26 (IANS) The US Senate on Tuesday confirmed Antony Blinken as President Joe Biden’s Secretary of State. Blinken, who was National Security Adviser to Biden when he was Vice President to President Barack Obama, got 78 votes for and 22 against. He also had served in the Obama administration as the Deputy Secretary […]

By Arul LouisUnited Nations, Jan 26 (IANS) President Joe Biden appointed two Indian Americans, Sohini Chatterjee and Aditi Gorur, to the leadership team of the US mission to the UN on Tuesday. The mission said that the appointments “reflect President Biden and Vice President (Kamala) Harris’s commitment to building a talented, experienced, and diverse administration […]

Washington, Jan 26 (IANS) Former White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders has announced her candidacy for the post of Arkansas state Governor in 2022. In an almost eight-minute announcement video released on Monday, Sanders said: “With the radical left now in control of Washington, your governor is your last line of defense. In fact, […]

Washington, Jan 26 (IANS) The US Senate Foreign Relations Committee has voted to approve President Joe Biden’s nominee for Secretary of State, Antony Blinken. On Monday, the panel approved Blinken’s nomination by a vote of 15-3, sending it to the full Senate for a final confirmation, reports Xinhua news agency. Three Republican Senators — Ted […]

Washington, Jan 26 (IANS) More than 5,000 National Guard troops will remain in Washington, D.C. through mid-March amid security concerns, acting Secretary of the Army John Whitley said. “There are several upcoming events, we don’t know what they are, over the next several weeks, and they’re concerned that there could be situations where there are […]

United Nations, Jan 26 (IANS) Preliminary reports have revealed that tropical cyclone Eloise has left at least six people dead, 12 injured and affected more than 176,000 people in Central Mozambique, according to the UN. Eloise made landfall on January 23, bringing heavy rainfall and flooding to the Beira City, the same area which was […]

Madrid, Jan 26 (IANS) Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez told the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) first virtual Davos Forum that he intends to improve employment prospects in his country. On Monday, Sanchez participated via video conference in one of the forum’s round table events, reports Xinhua news agency. He said the high level of youth […]

By Arul LouisNew York, Jan 26 (IANS) A team from the US House of Representatives ceremoniously walked across the Capitol, along the path of the mayhem that rocked Congress on January 6, to the Senate chamber and presented the chargesheet accusing former President Donald Trump of inciting the deadly riots. On Monday, Representative Jamie Raskin, […]

Washington, Jan 26 (IANS) The US House of Representatives has delivered an impeachment article against fDonald Trump to the Senate, charging the former president with inciting insurrection leading to the deadly January 6 Capitol riot. On Monday, nine House Democrats, appointed by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as impeachment managers who will serve as prosecutors in […]

Washington, Jan 26 (IANS) The US Senate on Monday voted to approve President Joe Biden’s nomination of former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen to be the next US Treasury Secretary, making her the first woman to hold the job. Yellen, a 74-year-old economist, will also be the first person to have served as treasury secretary, […]

Frankfurt, Jan 26 (IANS) Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central Bank (ECB), said on Monday that 2021 could be a year of recovery, but that would most likely be accompanied by a “very high level of uncertainty” before achieving the transition to a “new economy”. Joining an online panel discussion during the World Economic […]

Washington, Jan 26 (IANS) US President Joe Biden on Monday signed an executive order seeking to repeal his predecessor Donald Trump’s ban on most transgender people serving in the military. The executive order “sets the policy that all Americans who are qualified to serve in the Armed Forces of the United States should be able […]

New York, Jan 26 (IANS) After reports of a confrontation between their troops along the border in the Sikkim region, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hopes that India and China can reduce tensions through dialogue, according to his Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric. “We hope that through dialogue tension can be dialled down,” he said on Monday replying […]

United Nations, Jan 25 (IANS) United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday urged donor countries and banks to significantly increase the volume and predictability of their finance for climate change adaptation and resilience. “Donor countries and multilateral, regional and national development banks need to significantly increase the volume and predictability of their finance for adaptation […]

Washington, Jan 25 (IANS) US President Joe Biden’s administration will on Monday impose a ban on most non-American citizens from entering the country if they had recently travelled to South Africa, where a new Covid-19 strain has been detected. According to US media reports on Sunday, Biden is also expected to reinstate broader restrictions that […]

Miami, Jan 25 (IANS) A banner with with the words, “Trump worst President ever” was reportedly flown by a plane near the former US leader’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, according to a media report. A Twitter user uploaded a video on Sunday in which the banner can be seen trailing behind a plane, the New […]

United Nations, Jan 25 (IANS) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for efforts to promote education for all. In a video message to mark the International Day of Education on Sunday, Guterres paid tribute to the resilience of students, teachers and families in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, which, at its peak, forced almost […]

The Hague, Jan 25 (IANS) Some 3,600 people were fined and 25 others arrested for violating a curfew imposed in the Netherlands due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to police. In an effort to stem the spread of the virus, people are not allowed outside their homes between 9 p.m. and 4.30 a.m. without a […]

By Nikhila NatarajanNew York, Jan 25 (IANS) A lawyer who helped clear Indian American Republican politician Nikki Haley of ethics charges nearly a decade ago is the man in charge of defending Donald Trump in his upcoming Senate impeachment trial. With talk of a possible Nikki Haley – Kamala Harris contest in 2024 already swirling, […]

By Nikhila NatarajanNew York, Jan 25 (IANS) Impeachment politics is moving fast. America’s political pundits are all over the map on whether US Vice President Kamala Harris should, should not or could preside over the impeachment trial of former US president Donald Trump who is currently in Florida, licking his wounds and lawyering up. The […]

Madrid, Jan 24 (IANS) General Miguel Angel Villarroya, Spain’s Chief of Defence Staff, has resigned after it was claimed on that he and other high-ranking military officers had received a first dose of the anti-coronavirus vaccine in breach of protocol. Villarroya presented his resignation to Defence Minister Margarita Robles in a letter sent on Saturday, […]

Washington, Jan 23 (IANS) White House economic adviser Brian Deese said that the US risks falling into a “very serious economic hole” without decisive action, urging Congress to approve more Covid-19 relief as soon as possible. “It’s pretty clear we’re at a precarious moment for the virus and the economy,” Deese, who serves as director […]

Caracas, Jan 23 (IANS) Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has kicked off the 2021 judicial year, highlighting the power and resistance of the country’s Supreme Court of Justice (TSJ) in the face of foreign aggressions. “Venezuela has a powerful judicial system,” better than any other republican period, Xinhua news agency quoted the President as saying at […]

Washington, Jan 23 (IANS) The White House said that the administation of US President Joe Biden would review the country’s agreement with the Taliban, which was signed in February 2020. In a statement on Friday, the White House said that National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan had conveyed the decision to his Afghan counterpart Hamdullah Mohib […]

Sao Paulo, Jan 23 (IANS) The Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, the epicentre of the Covid-19 pandemic, announced a return to the strictest phase of quarantine starting on Monday, with the closure of bars, restaurants and non-essential businesses during nights and weekends due to the increase in cases. Addressing a press conference on Friday, Governor […]

Washington, Jan 23 (IANS) American airplane giant Boeing has announced that the company is setting a target to advance the long-term sustainability of commercial aviation, committing that its commercial airplanes will be capable and certified to fly on 100 per cent sustainable aviation fuels by 2030. Boeing has previously conducted successful test flights replacing petroleum […]

United Nations, Jan 23 (IANS) The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said that it was supporting governments in southern Africa to prepare for and respond to tropical cyclone Eloise, which is expected to bring with it heavy rainfall, storm surge and flooding. The cyclone is expected to make landfall near Beira […]

Washington, Jan 23 (IANS) US President Joe Biden has signed two executive orders, one to expand food assistance to low-income Americans, and the other to raise minimum wage to $15 for federal employees. “We need to tackle the growing hunger crisis in American,” Xinhua news agency quoted Biden as saying before signing the orders on […]

By Arul LouisNew York, Jan 23 (IANS) The second impeachment trial of former US President Donald Trump will begin in the second week of February, although the process for it will start next week when the document with the charges will be received by the Senate and the Senators will be sworn in as jurors. […]

Washington, Jan 23 (IANS) The US Senate Finance Committee on Friday unanimously approved President Joe Biden’s nomination of former Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen to be the next US Treasury Secretary. The Senate panel approved Yellen’s nomination by a vote of 26-0, sending it to the full Senate for final confirmation, the Xinhua news agency […]

Washington, Jan 23 (IANS) US Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer said on Friday that the House will deliver the impeachment article against former President Donald Trump to the upper chamber on Monday, January 25, triggering preparations for a trial that could start as early as next week. “Make no mistake, a trial will be held […]

By Arul LouisNew York, Jan 22 (IANS) The United States Senate on Friday confirmed a former Army general, Austin Lloyd to become the Defence Secretary, making him the first African American to hold the job. He received the overwhelming support of both parties, overcoming reservations about a retired general becoming the Defence Secretary within the […]

By Arul LouisNew York, Jan 22 (IANS) The next phase of the second impeachment of former President Donald Trump is set to be launched next week when the Senate receives the charges against him from the House of Representatives accusing him of instigating the January 6 storming of the Capitol by his supporters, Democratic Party’s […]

Washington, Jan 22 (IANS) Retired US Army general Lloyd Austin was on Friday confirmed as Secretary of Defence in the Joe Biden administration. Austin received 93 votes in the Senate, while two votes went against him. The second Biden pick to be confirmed after Avril Haines who becomes the first woman to be Director of […]

United Nations, Jan 22 (IANS) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday welcomed the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, commonly known as the Nuclear Weapon Ban Treaty’s coming into force. “I am pleased to recognize today’s entry into force of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, the first multilateral nuclear disarmament treaty […]

By Nikhila NatarajanNew York, Jan 22 (IANS) Dr. Anthony Fauci is back. After months of being sidelined and attacked by Donald Trump, America’s top infectious diseases expert returned to the White House briefing room and declared that the US could return to “a degree of normality” by the Fall if the Covid-19 vaccination campaign goes […]

New York, Jan 22 (IANS) US President Joe Biden’s nominee for defence secretary, Lloyd Austin, has said that he would continue to build on the “strong defence cooperation” with India and ensure that the militaries of the two countries can collaborate on shared interests. In written answers to questions from the Senate Armed Forces Committee, […]

Washington, Jan 21 (IANS) With the Democrats wresting control of the Senate, the US upper house’s President pro tempore, who presides over the proceedings in the absence of the Vice President, has a unique qualification. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the longest continuously serving Democrat Senator currently, has not only been a lifetime fan of Batman, […]

By Arul LouisNew York, Jan 21 (IANS) The expected right extremist attacks on the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris did not materialise in the nation’s capital Washington, but leftist groups rioted in Washington state on the west coast and elsewhere turning their ire now on the Democrats. The protests happened […]

Washington, Jan 21 (IANS) The US Senate has voted to confirm Avril Haines as Director of National Intelligence (DNI) within hours of President Joe Biden’s swearing in as the new President. On Wednesday, the Senate confirmed Haines by a vote of 84-10, making her the first member of Biden’s cabinet to be installed by the […]

New York, Jan 21 (IANS) A New York Army National Guard helicopter crashed while on a routine training mission, state Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a statement on Thursday. “Tonight we are devastated by the crash of a New York Army National Guard helicopter in the town of Mendon that killed three of New York’s […]

Madrid, Jan 21 (IANS) Three people were killed and several others injured after a large explosion destroyed a building in the centre of Madrid, according to authorities. Addressing reporters, the Spanish capital’s Mayor Jose Luis Martinez-Almeida said that an 85-year-old woman and man died in the blast, which occurred at Toledo Street close to the […]

The Hague, Jan 21 (IANS) The caretaker government of the Netherlands has decided to ban flights from the UK, South Africa and the whole of South America and also planned to introduce a night-time curfew to curb the spread of Covid-19, outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte announced. “This is a critical moment for national security […]

Washington, Jan 21 (IANS) The Democratic Party has taken control of the US Senate after Vice President Kamala Harris swore in three party Senators as new members of the upper chamber. Stepping onto the Senate floor for the first time as Vice President, which also makes her the President of the Senate, Harris on Wednesday […]

By Arul LouisNew York, Jan 21 (IANS) Getting to work soon after the inauguration festivities, President Joe Biden has signed orders for the US to rejoin the Paris Climate Accord and the World Health Organization (WHO) in the first set of actions to undo the policies of his predecessor Donald Trump. He signed 17 executive […]

Washington, Jan 21 (IANS) US President Joe Biden has reversed the US process of withdrawing from the World Health Organization (WHO). Hours after being sworn in as the 46th president of the United States, Biden on Wednesday signed an executive order ceasing a withdrawal process that his predecessor Donald Trump initiated last year, Xinhua news […]

United Nations, Jan 21 (IANS) UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has welcomed the announcement of the new US administration to re-enter the Paris Agreement on climate change. “I warmly welcome President (Joe) Biden’s steps to re-enter the Paris Agreement on climate change and join the growing coalition of governments, cities, states, businesses and people taking ambitious […]

By Arul LouisNew York, Jan 21 (IANS) President Joe Biden as appointed Dev Jagadesan as the acting head of the US International Development Finance Corporation (USIDFC), the White House has announced. With all the senior political appointees in key positions leaving office after Donald Trump’s term ended on Wednesday, Biden made interim appointments pending the […]

By Arul LouisNew York, Jan 21 (IANS) Three women tried unsuccessfully to break the glass ceiling to reach the top positions of the US, one as president and two as vice presidents, and finally Kamala Harris has managed to smash it. Hillary Clinton ran for president in 2016 but was defeated by Donald Trump on […]

New York, Jan 21 (IANS) Below is the full text of US President Joe Biden’s inaugural address after he was sworn in as the country’s 46th president. Chief Justice Roberts, Vice President Harris, Speaker Pelosi, Leader Schumer, Leader McConnell, Vice President Pence, distinguished guests, and my fellow Americans, This is America’s day. This is democracy’s […]

By Arul LouisNew York, Jan 21 (IANS) Kamala Devi Harris made history at the stroke of noon on Wednesday becoming the first vice president of Indian descent and Joseph Robinette Biden made a call for unity as he became president of a nation in the throes of a devastating Covid-19 pandemic and the “raging fire” […]

By Nikhila NatarajanNew York, Jan 20 (IANS) A few minutes before noon on Wednesday, Joe Biden became the 46th President of the United States, declaring that “democracy has prevailed” and urging Americans to “lower the temperaturea as he came to power in a deeply divided country riven by multiple crises. At age 78, Biden is […]

By Nikhila NatarajanNew York, Jan 20 (IANS) Moments before 11.45 a.m. on Wednesday on a gorgeous winter morning, Kamala Harris was sworn in as the US’ first woman, first Indian and Black American Vice President. She is now the highest-ranking woman ever to serve in American government. Harris has shattered the barrier that has kept […]

Washington, Jan 20 (IANS) US President Donald Trump, who is breaking with a century-old tradition by skipping the inauguration of his successor, Joe Biden, left the White House for the last time early on Wednesday morning. Accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, the outgoing President, whose term ends at 12 noon (US time), flew from […]

By Arul LouisNew York, Jan 20 (IANS) Anthony Blinken, who is President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee to be the secretary of state has indicated that the US would continue to back India against challenges to its sovereignty from China and work with it in the fight against terrorism. Speaking at the confirmation hearings before the Senate […]

New York, Jan 20 (IANS) US President Trump on Wednesday granted clemency to more than 100 people in one of his final acts as commander-in-chief, including his former Chief Strategist Stephen Bannon. Trump announced a wave of pardons and commutations shortly after midnight on Wednesday. Bannon, rapper Lil Wayne, GOP fundraiser Elliot Broidy and former […]

By Nikhila NatarajanNew York, Jan 19 (IANS) A Black woman’s Bible has featured in every single big moment of Kamala Harris’ political career up till now. She laid her left hand upon it as she took the oath of office to be Attorney General of California, and it was there when she swore to defend […]

By Nikhila NatarajanNew York, Jan 19 (IANS) Day One of Joe Biden’s presidency will kick off with a rash of executive orders. Covid-19 will overshadow everything else for the first 100 days but subsumed within will be efforts to push forward quick fixes on immigration, healthcare and a battered economy. First up, on January 20, […]

By Arul LouisNew York, Jan 19 (IANS) The first Indian recorded to have reached the shores of the US is a man from Madras (now Chennai), the area from where the family of Shyamala Gopalan, mother of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, hails. From the time of his long journey on a sailing ship in 1790 […]

United Nations, Jan 19 (IANS) The UN Security Council (UNSC) has strongly condemned last week’s attack against a peacekeeping mission in Mali, which killed one personnel from Egypt. In a statement on Monday, the members of the Security Council expressed their deepest condolences and sympathy to the family of the victim, as well as to […]

Washington, Jan 19 (IANS) Ahead of her inauguration as the 49th Vice President of the US on Wednesday, Kamala Harris has formally resigned from the Senate. After she takes over as Vice President, Harris will preside over the upper chamber of Congress, Xinhua news agency. “Thus, as I leave the United States Senate, this is […]

Ottawa, Jan 19 (IANS) The Canadian government has decided to allow the globally grounded Boeing 737 MAX aircraft fleet to fly again in the country’s airspace starting from Wednesday, the Transport Ministry announced in a statement. In the statement issued on Monday, the Ministry said it has completed its nearly two-year review of the aircraft […]

Washington, Jan 19 (IANS) With just one day left for Joe Biden to be inaugurated as the 46th President of the US, outgoing First Lady Melania Trump bode farewell to the nation, asking every American to “always choose love over hatred, peace over violence, and others before yourself”. She made the remarks in a six […]

By Nikhila NatarajanNew York, Jan 19 (IANS) At noon on January 20, 2021, almost a full year after the first coronavirus case was reported in the US, Covid-19 will no longer be Donald Trump’s problem to solve. It will be incoming US president Joe Biden’s. The pandemic’s winter surge is raging, pushing the total death […]

By Arul LouisNew York, Jan 19 (IANS) The Capitol area of Washington hunkering down under a pall of fear was put in a lockdown on Monday when a fire broke out in a camp of homeless people near the site of Wednesday’s inauguration of Joe Biden as president and Kamala Harris as vice president. A […]

By Nikhila NatarajanNew York, Jan 18 (IANS) When Kamala Harris takes oath as America’s Vice President, it will be a moment without equal in the country’s history. Harris will be the first Indian and Black American, first woman and first woman of colour to ever win election to America’s highest political office. Her journey was […]

San Francisco, Jan 18 (IANS) Robert Dorsey, an San Francisco Bay Area-based chef who is catering the dinner on US President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ Inauguration Day, has incorporated the latter’s favourite dish as part of the entree. Dorsey is serving Harris’ favourite dish, the seafood gumbo, which is a soup that […]

By Nikhila NatarajanNew York, Jan 18 (IANS) Kamala Devi Harris, Vivek Murthy, Gautam Raghavan, Mala Adiga, Vinay Reddy, Bharat Ramamurti, Neera Tanden, Celine Gounder, Atul Gawande are some of the Indian names that are blooming more now than at any other time in the innermost circles of the White House and that too within weeks […]

Washington, Jan 18 (IANS) Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser on Sunday expressed concern about possible attacks on the city’s residential area as President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration approached. “I’m not only concerned about other state capitols. I’m also concerned about other parts of Washington, DC,” Bowser said during an appearance on NBC News’ Meet the Press, […]

By Arul LouisNew York, Jan 17 (IANS) US President-elect Joe Biden has announced a masterplan for his first 10 days in office to “un-Trump” the country and focus on the battle against Covid-19, the economy and immigration. His Chief of Staff Ron Klain sent a memo to the senior staff giving details of the plan […]

Washington, Jan 16 (IANS) Aftab Pureval, an Indian-American Democrat, has announced his candidature for the Mayor of the US city of Cincinnati in Ohio state. Taking to Twitter on Thursday, Pureval said: “It’s been a challenging week after a very difficult year. Our country is at a critical moment, and our city is too. And […]

Washington, Jan 16 (IANS) The United States designated three Iranian entities over conventional arms proliferation, doubling down its maximum pressure campaign against Tehran. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in a statement on Friday announced sanctions against Iran’s Marine Industries Organization (MIO), Aerospace Industries Organization (AIO), and the Iran Aviation Industries Organization (IAIO), Xinhua news agency […]

New York, Jan 16 (IANS) Sameera Fazili, who traces her family’s roots to Kashmir, is among the latest wave of Indian American nominees to be named to US president Joe Biden’s A-team. Fazili has been appointed as Deputy Director, National Economic Council. Days before the new administration takes over, Fazili’s profile made it to the […]

The Hague, Jan 16 (IANS) The Dutch government of Prime Minister Mark Rutte offered its resignation as a result of the so-called child benefits scandal, in which parents were wrongly accused of fraud. The decision was made during Friday’s cabinet meeting. On Thursday evening, all parties in the coalition government — VVD (rightist liberals), CDA […]

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 […]