The government is considering sending 'The Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2026' to a joint committee of both houses of Parliament for further examination, even as the Congress and some other opposition parties have demanded that it be withdrawn, sources said on Tuesday.
The United States House of Representatives on Friday postponed the formal vote on the approval legislation for the India-US civilian nuclear agreement, following a 40-minute debate.House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman, a known opponent of the deal, supported the Senate version of the Bill saying the deal is a positive step as it will bring India into the non-proliferation regime.Fellow Democrat Edward Markey demanded a recorded vote.
Gary Ackerman, New York Democrat, while acknowledging that he has been one of the strongest critics of President George Bush on his foreign policy, has said however, that in the case of India, Bush had got it "absolutely right."
The Congress party has criticized the government for not inviting Leader of the Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi to the banquet for Russian President Vladimir Putin, while also questioning Shashi Tharoor's decision to accept the invitation.
Gere accused China of 'cruelty, collective violence and persecution' of the Tibetan people, whom he said were repressed by a 'pervasive surveillance system.'
Passed by the House by 352 to 65 votes, the bill now heads to the US Senate for it to be sent to the White House for the President to sign it into law.
One bill provides $60.8 billion for Ukraine, with over 80 percent of it for helping Kyiv amid its ongoing war with Russia, including replenishing supplies of US made weapons and ammunition.
An influential US lawmaker, who heads the Congressional Committee that has jurisdiction over matters pertaining to the subcontinent, has warned that South Asia poses the greatest terrorist threat to the United States. Congressman Gary L Ackerman, New York Democrat, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia, declared, "South Asia is arguably the place from which America faces the greatest terrorist threat."
A four-term Congresswoman, 2020 presidential candidate and NYT bestselling author, Gabbard is a veteran with three deployments to war zones in the Middle East and Africa. She recently moved from being a Democrat to a Republican member.
The House Foreign Affairs Committee on Wednesday approved a legislation that would triple economic assistance to Pakistan to $1.5 billion a year, authored by its chairman Congressman Howard Berman, California Democrat, despite being vehemently opposed by the pro-Pakistan lobby and the Obama Administration.
Since the new policy was instituted August 4, more than 50 such incidents have been reported across the country.
The subcommittee, a key panel of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, has jurisdiction over United States policy towards all countries in the two regions, including important US allies Israel and India.
'As Prime Minister Modi said, our ties are no longer just another partnership. It is a far greater and closer relationship'
Convening a hearing titled US Policy Towards Pakistan, Ackerman slammed Islamabad for its continuing duplicity in helping the US in its global war on terror.
'The entire US ecosystem built over decades at the bases in the Gulf region, especially the UAE, costing trillions of dollars have been decimated, dealing a mortal blow to the US Central Command's war capability,' points out Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Led by Congresswoman Carolyn B Maloney from New York, lawmakers on Wednesday announced that a bill has been introduced in the House of Representatives to declare Diwali, festival of lights, a federal holiday.
Lantos was one of the critical law makers involved in the passage of the Henry Hyde Act of 2006 on the Indo-US nuclear deal. A strong supporter of India, he had made no bones of his displeasure on New Delhi's relations with Iran.
Waltz after being elected as the Co-Chair of India Caucus in January last year had said that India is the world's largest democracy and an important strategic partner for the United States.
India has secured international support in its fight against terrorism, with Russia, Japan, and the United Arab Emirates expressing solidarity and a commitment to working together to combat the threat. This follows a recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam, India, which claimed 26 lives. Multi-party parliamentary delegations from India briefed the leaderships of these countries on Operation Sindoor, India's response to the attack, and discussed ways to enhance cooperation in counter-terrorism and combating radicalism. These developments highlight the growing global consensus against terrorism and the importance of international collaboration to address this shared challenge.
Khanna, an attorney who is perhaps one of the most articulate spokesmen of Indian Americans in the Democratic Party, argued political mobilisation is the final step for the community.
"The resolution expresses our unwavering support in the wake of this brutal attack for Pakistan to be restored to a full democracy. The resolution also reaffirms the commitment of the United States to assist the people of Pakistan in combating terrorism, and promoting a free and democratic Pakistan," Ackerman said.
A host of United States lawmakers attended an event on Capitol Hill on Friday to hail India's election and the Bharatiya Janata Party's landslide victory, and to also invite Narendra Modi to Washington to discuss issues ranging from counter-terrorism to bilateral economic cooperation and investment.
Jaishankar said that the resolution on Kashmir introduced by Jayapal in the House is not a fair characterisation of the situation in J-K. And also said that he has no interest in meeting the Congresswoman.
They also asked Pak to take 'demonstrable action' against terrorist groups within its territory.
All-party parliamentary delegations on Monday met with the leaders of several countries and highlighted India's resolve to combat terrorism, which they stressed must be eradicated in the interests of all humanity.
Reflecting a new sense of bonhomie between India and the United States, top American lawmakers on Wednesday praised the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and underscored that the bilateral relationship has entered a new phase.
Trump, who lost the November 3 elections, would be succeeded by Joe Biden on January 20 as mandated by the Constitution.
Tharoor said that though India's case might not be at the top of the agenda for the US media, India can get its message across easily.
Three top US lawmakers have asked the Congressional leadership to invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi to address a joint session of the US Congress when he visits Washington at the invitation of President Barack Obama.
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said if 'you look at the totality of our ties and we will look at where we have strong economic synergies, where we have strong technology promptings, these are really based on the flow of talent.'
A decision on this could be taken before Christmas, which might not necessarily result in a formal announcement as that could be delayed till the next year, people familiar with her thinking process said.
The spell that Prime Minister Narendra Modi cast over US lawmakers nearly two months during his visit to the United States has still not worn off, as was manifest by the gushing nostalgia of the Modi magic by both Democratic and Republican party representatives at the Congressional Diwali celebration on Capitol Hill on Wednesday.
'The Democrats have stacked the deck against President Trump and the Republicans. They have leaked out everything,' Trump said in a series of tweet.
'Sullivan and Jaishankar welcomed the cooperation in recent weeks that resulted in deliveries of over USD 500 million in COVID-19 relief supplies from the US federal and state governments, US companies and private citizens across America for the people of India'
Puneet Talwar, one of the most respected Middle East policy specialists in administration and Congressional circles, has been nominated by United States President Barack Obama to a senior State Department position.
North Korea's foreign minister accused President Trump of declaring war against his country.
The Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are closely monitoring the events in Paris.
Calling India an important partner of the United States, US Representative Ed Royce and George Holding in their letter to House Speaker John Boehner have said that the United States has no more an important partner in South Asia than India.
The US move came after the Justice Department said that hackers working with the Chinese government targeted firms developing vaccines for the coronavirus and stole hundreds of millions of dollars worth of intellectual property and trade secrets from companies across the world.
Diplomatic and Congressional sources tell Rediff.com that for all intents and purposes, the F-16 sale is dead.
