Bibhu Prasad Routray explains why the US is supporting Japan's resolve to release 'treated' radioactive waste water into the Pacific Ocean. And what role China plays in the US decision.
Terming Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari's scheduled visit to India as "very constructive", the United States has said it does not want any new strains in Indo-Pak ties over the $ 10 million bounty offered by it for Lashkar-e-Tayyiba founder Hafiz Saeed.
The United States has made it clear that a $10 million bounty on Hafiz Saeed was primarily due to his key role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks and said it wants to bring to book the Lashkar-e-Tayiba founder who has been brazenly flouting the justice system.
The United States is in conversation with these 12 countries on ways and means to avoid the American sanctions against them.
Ahead of the proposed August 16 fast against corruption by social activist Anna Hazare, United States has hoped that New Delhi would exercise democratic restraint in the way it deals with peaceful protest.
The State Department remarks came as the World Bank started the process to select its new head, who would replace it current President, Robert Zoellick.
If Pakistan decides not to take action against the Haqqani network, the United States would carefully consider how to proceed ahead, a top US official said on Tuesday.
Last week, education ministers of four Indian States -- Punjab, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Jammu and Kashmir -- visited several US cities to have a first hand experience of the community colleges in Washington.
"We made a goof up and we fixed it and we're now back in compliance with our own cartographical policy," State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland told media persons at her daily news conference.
The Obama administration on Thursday said it announced a bounty of $ 10 million on Hafiz Saeed to bring him to justice as it was convinced that the Lashkar-e-Tayyiba founder had played a key role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
Struggling to restore its flagging ties with Pakistan in the aftermath of the deadly strike by the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, the Obama administration has said it has not cut any civilian aid to the country, noting the move in this regard was part of a defence bill in the Congress. "Well, first of all, just to clarify what has and hasn't happened here in our understanding. We have not cut $700 million in aid to Pakistan," State Department spokesperson said.
India on Friday reacted sharply to the United States State Department's remarks on Anna Hazare, who plans to launch hunger strike against corruption next week, saying the utterances are "needless".
Pak is taking some positive steps...but a lot more needs to be done, says the State Department Spokesperson.
"We have taken the map down off the website. It did contain some inaccuracies which were associated with the boundaries of some geographic features," State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said at her daily news conference.
On Tuesday night, Iran launched over a dozen ballistic missiles targeting at least two bases where US military and coalition forces' are stationed in Iraq to 'avenge the killing' of General Qasem Soleimani.
The letter, written by the Indian ambassador to the United States Nirupama Rao to the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in which she expressed her concern about the Indian students affected by the "sham" Tri-Valley University is being reviewed and would be replied soon, an official spokesperson has said.
The visit of the Pakistani Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar to Kabul was good and well timed, the United States has said even as it awaited the details of the trip from the two countries.
United States would consider giving India further access to David Headley, who has pleaded guilty in the Mumbai terrorist attacks case, for questioning by its investigating agencies once New Delhi makes such a request, the state department has said.
Struggling hard to restore its ties with Pakistan in the aftermath of NATO air strike last month, the Obama administration on Tuesday said that it has not cut any civilian aid to Pakistan, noting that this is an on-going move in the Congress right now.
Last month, President Trump offered to be the "mediator" between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue when he met Prime Minister Imran Khan for the first time at the White House.
The trust some people in India had that the Biden-Harris administration would be friendly to India has been eroded already, observes Ambassador T P Sreenivasan.
The United States has sympathised with Krittika Biswas, daughter of an Indian diplomat who has sued New York City for illegally detaining her, but insisted that she did not enjoy any diplomatic immunity.
President Trump, in a move that could have implications on India's energy security, on Monday decided not to grant sanctions exemptions to any oil customers of Iran, further squeezing Tehran's top export commodity.
We urge all of our allies and partners to forgo transactions with Russia that would trigger sanctions under CAATSA, the US said.
"We believe that US' long-term interests are best served by supporting Pakistan's efforts to combat violent extremism and build a more stable, tolerant, democratic society," a State Department spokesperson while responding to reports that the Pakistan Army attacked suspected militant hideouts close to the Af-Pak border.
Pakistan on Friday freed Saeed, the Lashkar-e-Tayiba founder, who immediately launched his anti-India rhetoric and vowed to mobilise people for the "cause of Kashmir".
The United States has asked China to clarify details of its agreement with Pakistan to supply two nuclear power plants to the latter.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has told Pakistan that it must take action against terrorist groups and dismantle their safe havens on its soil.
Concerned over a Pakistani court directing authorities not to restrict movements of A Q Khan, the US has insisted that the disgraced nuclear scientist remains a "proliferation risk' and said it had made its views clear to Islamabad.
Showing no signs of yielding to India's demand, the United States on Saturday said that Devyani Khobragade's transfer to India's Permanent Mission at the United Nations will not give her diplomatic immunity retroactively and the visa fraud case against her would remain.
Admitting to differences in interpretation of law, the United States on Friday said India had not acceded to demands for providing details of the inquiry into allegations made by diplomat Devyani Khobragade's domestic maid or make her available for discussing charges.
Expressing concern over the release of A Q Khan from house arrest, the United States told Pakistan that the disgraced nuclear scientist continues to be a "serious threat" to proliferation of nuclear weapons technology. US Special Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke, who is currently on a visit to Islamabad, certainly raised the issue pertaining to A Q Khan, State Department spokesperson Robert Wood said on Wednesday.
On her first overseas trip as the top US diplomat, Secretary of State Hillary R Clinton would embark on a week-long visit to China, Japan, South Korea and Indonesia later in February.
The United States has hoped its National Security Agency surveillance on the Bharatiya Janata Party, revelation of which has highly been objected by New Delhi, would not have an adverse impact on the bilateral relationship between the two countries.
The US hopes that the differences will be resolved peacefully, officials said in Washington.
Terming as a 'very positive step' the response by Pakistan to the Mumbai attack evidence dossier provided by India, the United States on Thursday said it shows that Islamabad is serious in bringing the perpetrators of the terror strikes to justice. "We have asked Pakistan, and India has asked Pakistan, to cooperate fully in trying to bring to justice those who are responsible for the Mumbai attacks. So this would certainly be a very positive step," said a spokesperson.
Describing Iran as an 'important regional player', the new Obama administration has said it has 'a great deal of respect' for the country and is looking for the 'most appropriate framework' for engaging Tehran over its controversial nuclear programme.
US Secretary of State John Kerry has had "two conversations" over the "last two days" with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on this issue, even as India explores a range of diplomatic options to isolate Islamabad.
Refusing to comment on an emissary being sent to Pakistan to confront concerns about the Inter Services Intelligence working with militants, the Bush administration on Thursday said the United States was working with Islamabad in its fight against terror."I have no comment on that story," White House press secretary Dana Perino said, adding that she was not in a position to comment on how Pakistan was faring on the war on terror."We will continue to work with them," she said.
'When the decision was announced, the possibilities of cross border infiltration and terrorism, we know that there would be incitement to violence. We have simply taken preventive steps'
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