Explore Business Standard
US Embassy
The US embassy in Israel has issued a security alert urging its employees and their family members to avoid using public transport across the country for two weeks. Following the February 20 explosions on public buses, and out of an abundance of caution, the US Embassy is temporarily prohibiting US government employees and their family members from using public buses and the light rail across Israel for 14 days," the US mission said in a statement. The US Embassy reminds the US citizens of the continued need for caution and increased personal security awareness since attacks often take place without any warning," it further said. The security environment is complex and can change quickly," the alert notification stressed. The US mission asked its citizens to take into account the alert when planning their activities in Israel. The Embassy will continue to review the security situation and will provide additional information as needed," it stated. On Thursday, three explosions occ
Haiti's international airport shut down on Monday after gangs opened fire at a commercial flight landing in Port-Au-Prince, prompting some airlines to temporarily suspend operations as the country swore in a new interim prime minister who promised to restore peace. The Spirit Airlines flight headed from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to Port-Au-Prince was just hundreds of feet from landing in Haiti's capital when gangs shot at the plane striking a flight attendant, who suffered minor injuries, according to the airline, the U.S Embassy and flight tracking data. The flight was diverted and landed in the Dominican Republic. Photos and videos obtained by The Associated Press show bullet holes dotting the interior of a plane. The shooting appeared to be part of what the U.S Embassy called gang-led efforts to block travel to and from Port-au-Prince which may include armed violence, and disruptions to roads, ports, and airports. Spirit, JetBlue and American Airlines said Monday they were ...
After issuing a record 1,40,000 student visas last year, the US consular team in India is all geared up to meet the expected rise in number of applications from Indian students in 2024, with a senior official at the embassy here saying that the projected total number this year will be "similar or in excess" in comparison to last year. The US Mission in India on Thursday held its eighth annual Student Visa Day countrywide with consular officers from New Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Mumbai interviewing Indian student visa applicants. At the US Embassy in Delhi, a long queue of students was seen since morning. American universities attract a large number of Indian students, and last year, the US consular team in India issued over 1,40,000 student visas -- higher than for any other country setting a record for the third year in a row. Syed Mujtaba Andrabi, acting Consul General at US Embassy in New Delhi, in an interaction with PTI at the embassy, said, "by the end of the da
Hundreds of protesters clashed Wednesday with Lebanese security forces in a Beirut suburb near the US Embassy during demonstrations in support of both Gaza's civilian residents and the militant group Hamas in its war with Israel. The protest in the Aukar neighbourhood came as US President Joe Biden made a show of solidarity with Israel during his visit there Wednesday, a day after an explosion at a Gaza Strip hospital killed hundreds of people and prompted mass protests. Biden offered his assessment that the explosion was not the result of a strike by the Israeli military. The Palestinian group Hamas, which rules Gaza, and many Arab countries accuse Israel of striking the hospital, while the Israeli military claims it was a misfired rocket from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group in Gaza. Demonstrators holding Palestinian flags and the flags of various Palestinian factions took down a security wall and cut a barbed wire barrier on a winding road that leads to the U.S. Embassy outsid
An unknown gunman opened fire outside the US embassy in Beirut late Wednesday night. Embassy spokesperson Jake Nelson said in a statement that "small arms fire was reported in the vicinity of the entrance" of the sprawling and heavily fortified compound in the suburb of Awkar. "There were no injuries, and our facility is safe," he said. "We are in close contact with host country law enforcement authorities." Earlier this year marked the 40th anniversary of a deadly bombing attack on the US embassy in Beirut on April 18. US officials blame the attack, which killed 63 people, on the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Following that attack, the embassy was moved from central Beirut to the Christian suburb of Awkar, north of the capital. Another bomb attack struck the new location on September 20. 1984. In recent years, there have been no reported attacks on the embassy.
Shortly after presenting his credentials to President Droupadi Murmu, US Ambassador Eric Garcetti on Thursday said he would focus on raising the bilateral partnership to "new heights" with both sides working together on "defining issues" of the time. The US embassy in India was without an ambassador since January 2021 after then envoy Kenneth Juster's resignation following a change of guard at the White House. "It was an honour to present my credentials to the president and it is an honour to be back in India at such an exciting and historic time in the US-India relationship," Garcetti said. "I look forward to working with the Indian people to raise our partnership to new heights," he added. Separately, in a tweet, the ambassador said he is excited about working towards deepening the US-India ties. "Thank you to the Government of India for your close and fruitful partnership with the United States. I'm excited to deepen #USIndia ties as we work together on defining issues of our .
People seeking renewal of US visa can now submit their applications through dropbox, the US Embassy has said while clarifying that such requests would not be entertained through email. According to John Ballard, the consular chief at the US Consulate General in Mumbai, the US embassy and consulates in India have prepared to receive a record number of visas from Indian students in 2023. The US embassy adjudicated over 1,25,000 student visas in 2022. "It was the most students that we have ever adjudicated here in India and we expect in 2023, we will have even more Indian students that will be coming into apply for visas," Ballard told PTI.
With an aim to cut delays in visa processing in India, the US has launched new initiatives, including scheduling special interviews for first time applicants and increasing strength of consular staff. As part of the multi-pronged approach to cut the visa backlog, the US embassy in Delhi and the consulates in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad conducted "special Saturday interview days" on January 21. "On January 21, the US mission in India launched the first in a series of special Saturday interview days, as part of a larger effort to reduce wait times for first-time visa applicants," the US embassy said on Sunday. "The United States Embassy in New Delhi and Consulates in Mumbai, Chennai, Kolkata and Hyderabad all opened consular operations on Saturday to accommodate applicants who require in-person visa interviews," it said in a statement. The mission will continue to open "additional slots" for appointments to take place on select Saturdays in the coming months. "These ...
Spanish officials say a suspicious envelope has been discovered at the US Embassy in Madrid and placed under police control. The finding on Thursday came as police reported a wave of explosive packages being sent in Spain's capital, including one that ignited at the Ukrainian Embassy. Police said other explosive devices concealed in postal packages were sent over the past two days to Spain's Defence Ministry, a European Union satellite centre in Spain and an arms factory that makes grenades sent to Ukraine. The Spanish Interior Ministry said police detonated the envelope detected at the US Embassy. There were no reports of injuries. Authorities also said that a similar explosive device was dispatched by regular post to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on November 24, but was disposed of by bomb squad experts. The latest discoveries raise to five the number of explosive devices that were sent by post around the country over the past few days. The Russian embassy in Madrid on .
: The Biden administration has appointed senior foreign service officer Elizabeth Jones the Charg d'Affaires ad interim at the US Embassy in New Delhi, an official announcement said. Jones, who was the coordinator for Afghan relocation efforts recently, will depart to New Delhi soon, the State Department said in an announcement on Monday. Jones has earlier served as the Assistant Secretary of State for Europe and Eurasia, acting Assistant Secretary of State for the Near East and Ambassador to Kazakhstan. She carries the highest foreign service rank of Career Ambassador. In India, Ambassador Jones will join our Embassy and Consulate interagency teams in advancing and expanding the partnership between our governments and people, a partnership that Secretary Blinken has called one of the most consequential in the world, the Department of State said.
The United States has issued a record of 82,000 student visas to Indians in 2022, highest than any country, the US Embassy in India has said. "We are happy to see so many students were able to receive visas and reach their universities after the delays caused in previous years by the COVID-19 pandemic.We issued over 82,000 student visas this summer alone, more than in any previous year. "This shows that the United States remains for most Indian families the most sought-after country for higher education," Patricia Lacina, Charge d'affaires of US Embassy in India said. "It also highlights the important contributions Indian students make to both our countries as they build life-long connections with American peers to maintain and grow international partnerships, working collectively to address current and future global challenges," Lacina added. Indian students comprise nearly 20 per cent of all international students studying in the United States, with the Open Doors report in 2021