March 15, 2025 12:37 PM

Measles cases surge in the US, with over 300 reported in 2025

The United States has recorded 301 confirmed measles cases so far this year, according to the latest data released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The outbreak has spread across 15 jurisdictions, with 50 individuals requiring hospitalization and two fatalities reported. Texas has been the hardest hit, accounting for 259 of the confirmed cases since January. Health officials in the state have raised concerns over the rapid spread, with 34 patients ne...

March 11, 2025 9:20 AM

Saudi Arabia to host talks between US and Ukraine to address conflict with Russia

Saudi Arabia is set to host high-level talks on Tuesday, bringing together the United States and Ukraine to discuss the ongoing conflict with Russia. The talks, scheduled to take place in Jeddah, come after a heated exchange during President Volodymyr Zelensky’s visit to the White House on February 28, 2025, which strained relations between the two nations. While Riyadh may seem like an unconventional venue for such critical discussions, Saudi Arabia, under the leadership of Crown Prince Moha...

March 6, 2025 9:05 PM

US weekly jobless claims fall more than expected

The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits fell more than expected last week, suggesting that the labor market remained stable in February, though turbulence lies ahead from tariffs on imports and deep government spending cuts. Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 21,000 to a seasonally adjusted 221,000 for the week ended March 1, the Labor Department said on Thursday. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast 235,000 claims for the latest week. ...

March 5, 2025 11:11 AM

Trump says Ukraine willing to negotiate, Russia ‘ready for peace’

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he received a letter from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy in which the Ukrainian leader expressed willingness to come to the negotiating table over the Russia-Ukraine war. "Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer. Nobody wants peace more than the Ukrainians," Trump said in an address to Congress on Tuesday while quoting from the letter. Trump also said he had been in "serious discuss...

February 27, 2025 9:18 AM

Trump to impose 25 percent tariffs on EU, claims bloc was ‘formed to screw US’

US President Donald Trump has said that his administration has made a decision to impose 25 per cent tariffs on products from the European Union (EU), including cars and claimed that the EU -- a 27-country bloc -- was "formed to screw the US". "We have made a decision. We'll be announcing it very soon, and it'll be 25 per cent generally speaking, and that'll be on cars and all other things," Trump told reporters on Wednesday at a White House Cabinet meeting. The EU is the US's third largest tr...

February 25, 2025 8:53 AM

India abstains on resolutions on Ukraine amendments; US breaks with allies

India abstained from voting on several resolutions and amendments related to Ukraine at the United Nations General Assembly, where the United States broke ranks with its Western allies and sided with Russia on certain issues, reflecting the evolving global alignments under President Donald Trump. Marking the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Western nations successfully passed two resolutions naming Moscow as the aggressor. However, in an unusual turn of events, the US joined...

February 20, 2025 2:44 PM

US grants for two key Nepal infrastructure projects suspended after Trump order

Two major infrastructure projects in Nepal funded by the United States have been put on hold after President Donald Trump suspended all foreign development assistance, a government official said on Thursday, making their future uncertain. Trump ordered a 90-day pause in foreign development assistance on the day he returned to the White House, pending assessments of efficiency and consistency with U.S. foreign policy. The Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), a U.S. government aid agency, agr...

February 14, 2025 3:21 PM

India, US bilateral trade focuses on high-growth sectors like chips, electronics

Despite ongoing challenges, such as tariffs and protectionist policies, India and the US have set an ambitious goal of achieving $500 billion in bilateral trade, with a focus on high-growth sectors like semiconductors, electronics, and critical technologies, industry experts said on Friday. The India-US bilateral engagement, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s meeting with US President Donald Trump, reaffirmed a shared vision of the relationship as pivotal to global stability and prosper...

February 14, 2025 1:26 PM

India, US to sign 10-year defence partnership framework, review arms transfer rules

India and the US are set to begin discussions on a new 10-year defence framework that will run from 2025 to 2035, with finalization expected later this year. The "US-India Major Defence Partnership in the 21st Century" aims to strengthen defence ties and streamline procurement between the two nations, according to a joint statement following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington, DC. Once signed, the agreement will facilitate easier purchase of def...

February 14, 2025 11:41 AM

US targets diversity, equity, inclusion at United Nations

The United States has warned U.N. organizations UNICEF and UN Women against any focus on diversity, equity, inclusion and gender ideology as a U.N. food official sought to avoid Washington's ire by advising some staff to tone down language. Since returning to power on January 20, U.S. President Donald Trump as focused on eliminating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices and any promotion of "gender ideology" in the federal government, and has encouraged the private sector to follow s...