US | DD News

August 9, 2024 1:09 PM

US, Qatar and Egypt push urgent talks with Israel and Hamas on Aug 15

Leaders of the United States, Egypt and Qatar on Thursday called on Israel and Hamas to meet for negotiations on Aug. 15 in order to finalize a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal. The three countries, which have been trying to mediate a deal, said in a joint statement the talks could take place in either Doha or Cairo. "A framework agreement is now on the table with only the details of implementation left to conclude," they said. "There is no further time to waste nor excuses from any par...

August 8, 2024 2:40 PM

California, Nevada among U.S. states moving to ban ‘slavery’ in prisons

A growing number of U.S. states are seeking to close what critics call a loophole in the 13th Amendment which abolished slavery but still effectively legalizes involuntary servitude as punishment for convicts. The constitutional amendment, passed in 1865, abolished slavery except as punishment for crimes. Voters in California and Nevada will have a chance to weigh in during November's elections on whether to extend the ban to prisoners - following more than half a dozen other states that are p...

July 30, 2024 2:42 PM

Don’t bomb Beirut: U.S. leads push to rein in Israel’s response

The United States is leading a diplomatic dash to deter Israel from striking Lebanon's capital Beirut or major civil infrastructure in response to a deadly rocket attack on the Golan Heights, five people with knowledge of the drive said. Washington is racing to avert a full-blown war between Israel and the Iranian-backed Lebanese movement Hezbollah after the attack on the Israeli-occupied Golan killed 12 youths at the weekend, according to the five people who include Lebanese and Iranian offici...

July 30, 2024 1:12 PM

Biden proposes term limits, code of conduct to rein in ‘extreme’ Supreme Court

President Joe Biden on Monday proposed sweeping changes to the U.S. Supreme Court that he said were needed to rein in a conservative-led court that was being weaponized to undermine established civil rights principles and protections. Biden said he would work with Congress to enact a series of reforms, including term limits and a binding code of conduct, but immediate opposition voiced by Republicans in Congress means the proposals have little chance of enactment. "We need these reforms to res...

July 27, 2024 3:20 PM

Blinken criticises China’s ‘escalating actions’ at sea ahead of Wang meeting

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, shortly before meeting his Chinese counterpart on Saturday, urged Southeast Asian countries to help address challenges including Beijing's "escalating and unlawful actions" in the South China Sea. Blinken also called the civil war in Myanmar "heartbreaking" and stressed to foreign ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) the need to work together to tackle issues like the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, North Korea's missile programm...

September 16, 2024 6:00 PM

US urges India to use its relationship with Russia, tell Putin to end his illegal war in Ukraine

Amid the ongoing conflict between Moscow and Kyiv, the US has urged India to "utilize" its longstanding relationship with Russia and tell President Vladimir Putin to end his "illegal war" in Ukraine. The spokesperson of the US State Department, Matthew Miller, in a press briefing on Monday not only noted the strong Delhi-Moscow ties but also urged India to tell Putin to respect the UN Charter. "So India has a longstanding relationship with Russia. I think that's well-known. And we have - speaki...

July 12, 2024 10:07 AM

US, South Korea sign nuclear guideline strategy to deter and respond to North Korea

The U.S. commitment to deterrence against North Korea is backed by the full range of U.S. capabilities, including nuclear, U.S. President Joe Biden told South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in a meeting on Thursday on the sidelines of a NATO summit. The two leaders also authorised a guideline on establishing an integrated system of extended deterrence for the Korean peninsula to counter nuclear and military threats from North Korea, Yoon's office said. The guideline formalises the deployment o...

July 10, 2024 10:12 AM

White House warns Iran against meddling in Gaza protests in US

The White House on Tuesday accused Tehran of trying to take advantage of Gaza-related protests in the U.S. and described such behavior as unacceptable, following a warning by the top U.S. intelligence official that Iran was trying to stoke discord in American society. The warning, issued earlier on Tuesday by Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, said actors tied to Iran's government had posed as activists online, sought to encourage protests regarding Gaza and even provided demonstra...

September 16, 2024 6:06 PM

US urges India and allies to support efforts in Ukraine peace

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, the White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre urged New Delhi to support international efforts for a peaceful resolution in the war-torn country, leveraging its longstanding relationship with Moscow to encourage President Putin to end the war. Further speaking about the war, she emphasized that it is crucial for all allies, including India, to support efforts towards a peaceful resolution in Ukraine. Further, t...

June 27, 2024 9:20 AM

US passes resolution seeking probe into Pak elections, Islamabad terms it ‘incomplete understanding’

The US House of Representatives passed a bipartisan resolution on Wednesday, in support of democracy and human rights in Pakistan and called for a "thorough and independent investigation" into interference claims in Pakistan's 2024 elections. The resolution passed with 85 per cent of House members participating and 98 per cent voting in its favour, urged US President Joe Biden to collaborate with Pakistan in "upholding democracy, human rights, and the rule of law". The resolution, HR 901, titl...