United States

US Navy Secretary ousted after infighting with top Pentagon leaders

A White House official said Trump and Hegseth agreed new leadership was needed over the Navy

'Inappropriate, in poor taste': MEA on Trump's 'hell-hole' post for India

After the post sparked outrage, Christopher Elms, spokesperson for the US Embassy in New Delhi, said Trump had spoken warmly of India and called it a great nation

Trump 'gold card' visa granted to only one person so far, says Lutnick

The president has promoted the Gold Card visa program as a critical way of attracting talent to the US. Visa recipients pay $1 million to receive US residency

'Flood US with illegal aliens': Trump targets Indian, Chinese migrants

The letter posted by Trump on Truth Social, argued that birthright citizenship allows people to "flood America with illegal aliens to change the demographics forever"

FIEO asks exporters to engage with US buyers for tariff refund share

Apex exporters' body FIEO on Wednesday said it has asked its members to engage with US buyers to seek a share of the refunded tariffs, with the United States initiating the process of refunding reciprocal tariffs from April 20. FIEO President S C Ralhan said that there is no legal right of Indian exporters on those refunds, as only the US businesses are getting the refunds. "But if an Indian exporter has a good relationship with his or her US buyer, she may get some share," he said. In its report, think tank Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said that the engagement with the US buyers will be important as the refunded payments go only to US importers, and exporters have no legal right to claim them. Indian exporters have no direct legal route to claim refunds. Another industry official from the leather sector said that the businesses will discuss the matter with the US importers. "We are talking to our buyers on this," a leather sector exporter said. The US tariffs, impose

Iran urges UN to press US to release seized commercial vessel Touska

Iran's ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeed Iravani raised 'urgent concern' over the 'deliberate' targeting of Iranian commercial ships

US sanctions target Iranian weapons and UAV procurement networks

The action was announced by the US Department of the Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control, which said those designated are based in Iran, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates

West Asia crisis: Trump says he does not want to extend ceasefire with Iran

With uncertainty still surrounding the possibility of last-minute diplomatic efforts, Trump indicated that military action could resume if an agreement is not reached soon

US starts tariff refunds; Indian exporters need to engage with buyers: GTRI

The US has initiated the process of refunding reciprocal tariffs from April 20, and Indian exporters should proactively engage with American buyers to seek a share of the refunded duties, think tank GTRI said on Tuesday. The Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) said that the engagement will be important as the refunded payments go only to US importers, and exporters have no legal right to claim them. Indian exporters will have no direct legal route to claim refunds, it said. The US tariffs, imposed from April 2, 2025, affected export of many Indian products, it said, adding that the total refund is about USD 166 billion, with roughly USD 12 billion linked to goods from India. To get refunds, US importers must file detailed claims online with shipment data, tariff lines and proof of payment. The reciprocal tariff regime began at 10 per cent on April 2, 2025 and was rapidly escalated. Rates for India rose to 25 per cent by Aug. 7, 2025 and to 50 per cent by August 28, remaining a

UK PM Starmer apologises for Mandelson's posting amid calls to resign

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday said that he would have withdrawn the appointment of Peter Mandelson as the UK's Ambassador to the US if he had known Mandelson had not passed security checks. Starmer made the remarks while addressing the House of Commons to present the timeline of his decision to appoint Mandelson as envoy to the US despite his scandalous links with American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. An embattled Starmer, fighting for his job, was forced to defend the move after it emerged that Mandelson had been given the green light for the diplomatic post despite failing the mandatory security vetting. While the Opposition has questioned his judgment and accused him of misleading Parliament, the Prime Minister has insisted that he was never made aware of the failed UK Security Vetting (UKSV). "If I had known before he took up his post that UKSV recommendation was that developed vetting clearance should be denied, I would not have gone ahead with the appointment

Trump says Israel did not push US into Iran war, cites nuclear threat

Trump said Israel did not influence his decision to go to war with Iran, attributing the move instead to his long-held stance against Tehran acquiring nuclear weapons

India seeks preferential market access in US for domestic goods: Goyal

A team of Indian officials, currently in Washington for talks on the first phase of the bilateral trade agreement, will discuss aspects related to preferential market access for domestic goods in the US, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Monday. "We have almost finalised the free trade agreement, the first tranche of the bilateral trade agreement with them. "We are trying to work out what would be the mechanism by which India can get a preferential market access in the US market compared to our competitors," he told reporters here. The Indian team, he said, will discuss these aspects while they are in Washington. About a dozen officers from India are in Washington for three-day trade talks with the US authorities. As the tariff landscape has changed in the US, both sides may like to relook at the framework of the agreement, the text of which was released on February 7. Following the US Supreme Court's decision against the sweeping tariffs imposed by President Do

Oil prices rise nearly 5% on fears of US-Iran ceasefire collapse

Tehran also said it would not participate in a second round of negotiations that the US had hoped to start before the two-week ceasefire expires this week

No decision yet for next round of negotiations with US, says Iran

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei on Monday said Tehran did not have plans yet to attend any talks with the United States. He did not rule out Iran attending talks. Authorities in Islamabad had been making preparations for another round that could potentially happen there this week. "So far, while I am here, we have no plans for the next round of negotiations and no decision has been made in this regard," Baghaei said during a news conference.

Iran launches drones at US warships after attack on its commercial vessel

Iran also claimed that US forces stationed in the Sea of Oman were forced to retreat after firing at an Iranian merchant vessel

West Asia war: Iran rules out sending negotiating delegation to Pakistan

The report further added that no decision "as long as there is a naval blockade"

US backs rare earths project in South Africa despite diplomatic clash

Two enormous sandlike dunes at an old chemical processing plant in South Africa are at the centre of an exploratory US-backed project to extract highly sought-after rare earth elements from industrial mining waste. The Phalaborwa Rare Earths Project has US support through a USD 50 million equity investment by the government's International Development Finance Corporation and is part of accelerated US efforts to reduce reliance on economic rival China for the minerals crucial for making electronic devices, robotics, defence systems, electric vehicles and other high-tech products. Countries have identified dozens of minerals, including copper, cobalt, lithium and nickel, as critical because they are essential for new technologies. The 17 rare earth elements are a subset of them. President Donald Trump has made expanding US access to critical minerals, including rare earth elements, a central policy to counter China. The Trump administration said this year it will deploy nearly USD 12

Iran reviewing US proposals, says Hormuz curbs to stay till war ends

Iran on saturday said that it is reviewing new proposals put forward by the US. Iran's Supreme National Security Council said in a statement that Pakistan's army chief Asim Munir, serving as an intermediary, presented the proposals to Iran when he recently visited Tehran, and they were still under review. It was not revealed what was in the proposals. The council said Iran has yet to respond, but further talks would require the US to abandon "excessive demands and adjust its requests to the realities on the ground." It also said that Iran will maintain full control over traffic through the Strait of Hormuz until "the war fully ends and lasting peace is achieved in the region," adding that it would collect detailed information on passing vessels, issue transit certificates and impose tolls. The council added that it considered the US naval blockade a violation of the ceasefire, and there would be no reopening of the Strait of Hormuz until that was lifted. Meanwhile, US President D

Trump signs bill extending controversial surveillance powers until Apr 30

President Donald Trump on Saturday signed a bill extending a controversial surveillance program until April 30, a short-term renewal that sets up another showdown in Congress. The bill was approved by the Senate on Friday in a last-minute scramble to prevent the authority from expiring within a matter of days. Trump and Republican leaders have pushed for its renewal, calling it a matter of national security. Critics are concerned about its impact on civil liberties. At the centre of the debate is Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which permits the CIA, National Security Agency, FBI and other agencies to collect and analyse vast amounts of overseas communications without a warrant. In doing so, they can incidentally sweep up communications involving Americans who interact with foreign targets. Extending the programme has become a recurring fight. Trump and GOP leaders have been pushing for a clean 18-month renewal, while the House Republicans on Thursday came

Indian vessels turn back as Iran gunboats fire on tanker in Hormuz: Report

Two Indian vessels have had to reverse course in the Strait of Hormuz following reports of gunfire from Iran's Revolutionary Guard, a vessel-tracker said. TankerTrackers.com said the vessels include an Indian-flagged super tanker, carrying 2 million barrels of Iraqi oil. Earlier, the British military said two gunboats from Iran's Revolutionary Guard opened fire on a tanker transiting the Strait of Hormuz after Iran said it had reimposed restrictions on the vital waterway. The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centre said the tanker and crew were reported safe, without identifying the vessel or its destination. Iran said earlier it was reimposing restrictions on the strait in response to a US blockade on Iranian shipping and ports. Iran has prevented vessels from crossing throughout the seven-week-long war, except for ones it authorises.