Category: USA News
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White House awaits Modi
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Not long ago, Narendra Modi was not welcome in the US. But the US is now pulling out all stops to woo him when he comes calling at the White House as India’s prime minister at the end of this month. President Barack Obama will host a dinner for him Sep 29 before bilateral talks…
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Kerry calls for global coalition against ISIS
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US Secretary of State John Kerry Saturday said a global coalition was essential to defeat Sunni militant group Islamic State (IS). Kerry also stressed that a concerted effort must be made to choke off financing for the militant group and prevent foreign jihadis from joining its ranks in Iraq and Syria. “An international coalition is…
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Bharara targets Dinesh D’Souza
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Bharara wants Indian-American Obama critic jailed for 16 months…writes Arun Kumar Indian-American prosecutor Preet Bharara wants Indian-American conservative commentator and author Dinesh D’Souza who made a highly critical 2012 documentary of President Barack Obama, jailed for 16 months for campaign finance violations. Bharara, US attorney for Manhattan made the recommendation to US District Judge Richard Berman opposing…
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NASA’s spacecraft set for December flight
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NASA’s Orion spacecraft – built to take humans farther than they have ever gone before – is now ready for fueling. The Orion crew module, stacked atop its service module, moved out of the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida Thursday. Orion was transported to the payload hazardous…
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CIA triples estimate of ISIS strength
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A day after President Barack Obama vowed to strike the Islamic State (IS) terrorists “wherever they exist” to “degrade and ultimately destroy” the militant group, a CIA assessment increased its strength over three times to 31,500. CNN cited a CIA spokesman as saying Thursday that the Sunni terror group that calls itself the Islamic State…
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Obama vows to hit Islamic State
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Nearly six years after he entered the White House with a promise to end America’s decade of wars, President Barack Obama has reversed course with a vow to strike the Islamic State terrorists “wherever they exist”. In a nationally televised address from the White House, a sombre looking Obama Wednesday night outlined a “steady, relentless”…
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US public support attacks against ISIS
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The beheading of two US journalists by militants of the Islamic State (IS) Sunni extremists organisation has caused an about-turn in the opinion of the American public that now largely supports the attacks on extremists in Iraq and Syria, according to a survey by The Washington Post and ABC News. About 71 percent of the…
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US awaits Modi
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President Barack Obama looks forward to welcoming Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 29-30, the White House announced, saying their talks will “expand and deepen the US-India strategic partnership.” “The two leaders will discuss a range of issues of mutual interest in order to expand and deepen the US-India strategic partnership,” White House Press…
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Kissinger raps Obama policy
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Dr Henry Kissinger, the former US secretary of state, challenged Presient Barack Obama’s foreign policy especially on Iraq and Syria, The Sunday Times reported. The veteran statesman has urged President Obama to “launch an all-out attack” on the terrorist group Isis in Syria and Iraq, warning that Americans have become “bystanders” in the Middle East.…
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WHY THE BROWN IS THE NEW BLACK?
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Daily Dose by Bikram Vohra Back in 2006, Joe Biden, then a Senate candidate ran into trouble for a remark that “you cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent.” Gaffe-prone Biden got away by explaining that it wasn’t a racial slur but “was meant as a…
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Diet quality gap in the US
Diet quality gap between rich and poor widens in US Led by reduction in the consumption of trans fats, the quality of diet in the US has shown modest improvement in the last decade, but the gap in overall diet quality between the rich and the poor has widened, says a study. “The study provides…
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White House in crisis mode
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As the beheading of a second American journalist by the Islamic State (IS) terror group sent shock waves through the nation, US President Barack Obama authorised 350 additional troops be deployed to Iraq The additional troops were being sent to protect American diplomatic facilities and personnel in Baghdad at the request of the US Department…
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ISIS beheads second US journalist
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Days after the beheading of American photojournalist James Foley, Sunni militant group Islamic State (IS) has posted a video showing the beheading of another kidnapped American journalist Steven Sotloff, CNN reported. Titled “A second message to America”, the video also threatens the life of British captive David Haines. Sotloff speaks to the camera before he…
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NRI researcher at Stanford wins award
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Himanshu Asnani, 27, an Indian-born mathematics researcher at Stanford University Electrical Engineering School in the US, is the winner of the Marconi Society Paul Baran young scholar award for 2014. “The prestigious award will be presented to Asnani at our annual event Oct 2 at the National Academies of Sciences in Washington,” Society’s young scholar…
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Ugly race question: Is brown the new black?
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Back in 2006, Joe Biden, then a Senate candidate ran into trouble for a remark that “you cannot go to a 7-Eleven or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent.”Gaffe-prone Biden got away by explaining that it wasn’t a racial slur but “was meant as a compliment” for the “vibrant Indian-American community”…
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US race rift concerns UN
Racial discrimination in US cause of concern: UN panel The United Nations’ Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) said that racial and ethnic discrimination in the US remain a major cause of concern. In its concluding observation on the periodic report of the US on its implementation of the Convention on the Elimination…
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GALLERY: Quake in the US
A trailer’s base slopes after an earthquake in Napa, the U.S., Aug. 24, 2014. An earthquake with preliminary magnitude of 6.0 that hit northern California’s Napa area early Sunday morning has left at least 89 injured, a number of buildings damaged and thousands without power, leading to a state of emergency in the area
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Teaching Ghalib to Americans
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Arun Kumar says India-born author Gopi Chand Narang gives a taste of Ghalib to Americans An India-born former World Bank staff member turned poet and novelist has penned a new English translation of famous Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib’s works to meaningfully engage American readers. Gopi Chand Narang, leading literary critic and former President of Sahitya Akademi,…
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SPECIAL REPORT: I-Day in New York
The Indian-American community, wearing bright and colourful clothes, celebrated India’s 68th Independence Day with a parade dancing down Manhattan’s Madison Avenue. One of the main fashionable avcnues of New York was a sea of Indian colours, complete with floats, drums and, of course, a lot of saris. “It’s a way of saluting those who lost…
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Protests intensify in US
Demonstrations over the killing of an unarmed black teenager have intensified in the US city of Ferguson in Missouri state, media reports said. Police Wednesday fired teargas and rubber bullets to disperse hundreds of protestors gathered at the centre of Ferguson to demonstrate against the shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown by a city policeman, The…
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Modi Denied an address in US Congress?
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Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not be addressing the US Congress when he comes calling September end for a summit with President Barack Obama. The experts are debating whether this decision is aimed at showing Modi that the US is not very enthusiastic about easily forgeting its past troubled relations with him.With lawmakers keen to…
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Attack exposes racial divide in US
Three days of protests, rioting and looting in a small US town sparked by the police killing of an unarmed black teenager has put the spotlight on the persistent racial divide in America. Ferguson, a predominantly African-American city of some 21,000 people northwest of St. Louis, Missouri, in midwestern US, has been turned into a…
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PICS: Trump in Mumbai
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American Businessman Donald J Trump during a press conference regarding `Trump Tower` in Mumbai
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Beloved Robin Williams Leaves Us
Well-known actor Robin Williams was found dead on Monday. The apparent cause of death was suicide by asphyxiation, authorities said. According to his publicist, Williams, 63, had been battling severe depression and spent time in rehab as recently as July. Police said that Williams was found unconscious around noon in his home in Tiburon, California,…
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US-Africa ties get $30 bn boost
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Commitments worth over $30 billion were announced at the first US-Africa summit to boost economic ties between the world’s largest economy and the continent, the White House said. President Barack Obama announced $7 billion in new financing to promote US exports to and investments in Africa under the Doing Business in Africa (DBIA) Campaign at…
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PICS – Times Square Bus Collision
Two sightseeing buses collided headon at Times Square. The collided double-decker sightseeing buses are seen at Times Square, New York City, the United States. Two sightseeing buses crashed at the tourist-dense site on Tuesday, injuring 14 people were injured, three of them critically, according to the latest report
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Delhi boy wins top award
Delhi student Arjit Kansal named Microsoft PowerPoint 2010 world champ Sixteen-year old Delhi student Arjit Kansal has been named the 2014 Microsoft Office Specialist World Champion in Microsoft PowerPoint 2010, it was announced here Monday. Certiport, a Pearson VUE business and a test delivery solution provider for the global workforce and academic markets, announced the award.…
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Obama honours Mumbaikar Neha
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Quaid Najmi reports on a differently-abled Mumbai girl’s memorable dinner at White House For differently-abled Mumbaikar Neha P. Naik, her “dinner date” with the Obamas in the White House was like “a dream come true” and she will always cherish memories of the humbleness and courtesy of the US president and the grace of the…
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US to aid Gujarat clean energy
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The US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA)said it has signed an agreement with state-run Gujarat Energy Transmission Corp (GETCO) to support the integration of renewable energy like wind and solar power with its transmission system. “This technical assistance will allow GETCO to analyze its power system through modelling and statistical techniques, and to develop strategies…
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Kerry invites Modi to Washington
US Secretary of State John Kerry discussed bilateral issues with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a prelude to the summit meeting between US President Barack Obama and Modi in Washington in September. Kerry’s 40-minute long meeting with Modi at the Prime Minister’s House, 7, Race Course Road, comes a day after he met External Affairs…
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PICS: Kerry grilled over snooping
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Snooping by US unacceptable, Sushma Swaraj tells Kerry Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj Thursday said she raised the issue of US agencies allegedly snooping the BJP with visiting US Secretary of State John Kerry and conveyed to him the public anger in India about it. “This act on part of the US is completely unacceptable…
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Clowns gather in Guatemala
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Over 200 professional clowns gathered in Guatemala earlier this week from across the Americas for a meet which allowed them to exchange insights about their trade. Mario Solarzano, the union’s founder, who performs under the name Remachito, said he and his colleagues get together “to learn new tools for our shows”. He said such an…
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US House okays lawsuit against Obama
The US House approved a lawsuit against President Barack Obama over alleged abuse of executive power. The 225-201 vote fell along party lines, with five Republicans voting against the measure while no Democrats supported it. Last Thursday, the House Rules Committee approved at 7-4 vote a resolution allowing the full House to vote on authorizing the…
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NEWS REVIEW-Indo-US relations
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Evan A. Feigenbaum, vice chairman of the Paulson Institute at the University of Chicago, says Kerry’s India visit is a start and the forthcoming Modi visit to US is pivotal for Indo-US relations John Kerry visits India Wednesday as a raft of crises consume American diplomacy. By contrast, US-India relations are at a moment of opportunity, but the US…
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US keen to support Modi’s vision
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Stressing that the US and India have the potential to become indispensable partners in the 21st century, Secretary of State John Kerry said Washington wants to support the Narendra Modi government’s vision of “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” (Together with all, Development for all). Kerry, who arrives in India this week for talks with the Modi…
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US closes embassy in Libya
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The United States closed its embassy in Libya and evacuated the staffers to neighbouring Tunisia amid security concerns in the restive north African country, the State Department said Saturday. “Due to the ongoing violence resulting from clashes between Libyan militias in the immediate vicinity of the US Embassy in Tripoli, we have temporarily relocated all…
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US lawmaker gets Indians wrong
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In an extremely awkward incident, a newly elected member of the US House of Representatives mistook two senior Indian American officials of the Barack Obama administration to be from India and asked them questions about “your country” and “your government”. “I’m familiar with your country; I love your country,” freshman Republican Curt Clawson told Nisha…
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Kerry to visit India July 30
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US Secretary of State John Kerry will visit India July 30-Aug 1, the external affairs ministry said Thursday. “External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will host US Secretary of State John Kerry in New Delhi from July 30 to Aug 1. Sushma Swaraj and Kerry will co-chair the fifth India-US Strategic Dialogue July 31,” a ministry…
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King Khan to tour in the US
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Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan is ready to shake a leg with his fans in the US after a gap of 10 years. Along with his “Happy New Year” co-stars Deepika Padukone, Abhishek Bachchan and Boman Irani, he will thrill the audience with SLAM! THE TOUR starting Sep 19. He will also be joined by filmmaker…
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Obama affirms strong ties with Britain
US President Barack Obama and Ed Miliband, leader of the British opposition Labour Party, Monday affirmed the strong ties that bind the US and Britain, the White House said in a statement. The president made the affirmation while joining his National Security Advisor Susan Rice’s meeting with Miliband, Xinhua quoted the statement as saying. Miliband…
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Obama very concerned over Gaza
US President Barack Obama Sunday called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, expressing his “serious concern” about growing number of casualties in the Gaza crisis, a White House statement said. Obama and Netanyahu spoke Sunday morning over phone, their second call in three days to discuss the situation in Gaza, Xinhua reported. Obama reiterated the US’…
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Kerry to travel to Egypt
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US Secretary of State John Kerry will travel to Egypt Monday to meet officials on the situation in Gaza, the State Department said Sunday. Kerry is working to support Egypt’s initiative to pursue a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas militants, Xinhua quoted State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki as saying in a statement. The Gaza Strip…
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NASA celebrates its first moon landing
On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on the moon. Forty-five years later, NASA will celebrate Monday the giant leap by honouring Armstrong, who died in 2012, with a renaming ceremony of the historic operations and checkout building at Cape Canaveral in Florida,…
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Morocco’s Sahara plan gets the nod
US President Barack Obama has extended support to Morocco’s autonomy plan for the Sahara in line with the policy adopted by the last three US administrations. This “explicit support” is a recognition by Washington of Morocco’s King Mohammed VI’s regional leadership and stabilising force in Africa, according to Peter Pham, director of the Africa Centre…
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Hillary seeks action on Russia
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US President Barack Obama speaks to Russian President Vladimir Putin in related to the Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 which killed 298 people onboard. More details are awaited.The tele conversation when Hillary Clinton, the former US secretary of state, seeking more action against Russia. “The world is watching,” Obama said during a speech in Delaware. “The…
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US widens sanctions on Russia
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The US Wednesday escalated sanctions against Russia over the Ukraine crisis, targeting firms in the financial, energy, and arms sectors of Russia. The US also slapped sanctions on individuals it accused of undermining Ukraine’s sovereignty or misappropriating Ukrainian property, Xinhua quoted the Treasury Department as saying in a statement. The sanctions prohibit American citizens…
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Modi government excites US
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Highlighting the critical role that a strong India will play in shaping the Asian landscape, the US hopes to have a “strong and collaborative partnership” with the new Modi government. “Successive administrations have made the strategic bet that a rising India is in the US interest,” US point person for South Asia Nisha Desai Biswal…
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Bobby Jindal still mulling 2016 run
Louisiana’s Indian-American Governor Bobby Jindal will not make a decision about a White House run in 2016 until after November as he tries to make his Republican Party “stop being the stupid party. “We’ve said it’s something we’re thinking about, praying about. It’s something we’re considering. But we won’t make a decision until certainly after…
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Obama for stronger ties with india
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US Deputy Secretary of State William Burns, who called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday, conveyed to him US President Barack Obama’s desire to strengthen economic relations with India, and handed him Obama’s letter inviting him to visit Washington in September. The Prime Minister’s Office said Obama reiterated his invitation to Modi to visit Washington…
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US for more sanctions against Russia
The Obama administration Wednesday threatened to slap additional sanctions against Russia “very soon”, should Moscow fail to “change course” in eastern Ukraine. “We’re ready to impose more costs, including targeted sector- specific sanctions, very soon if Russia does not decisively change course and break its support for separatists,” Xinhua quoted Victoria Nuland, assistant secretary of…