United States President Barack Obama has nominated US ambassador to Sri Lanka Robert O Blake, who has also served as the Deputy Chief of US Mission in New Delhi, as the Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs. If approved by the US Senate, Blake would replace Richard Boucher, who is currently Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs. However, the communique did not mention Central Asia being part of Blake's portfolio.
He, however, did not name any particular religion
The State Dinner for Hu, the first for a Chinese leader in 13 years, was held at State Dining Room, unlike the huge tent that was pitched on the White House lawns for the State Dinner of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in November 2009 to accommodate about 400 guests.
It is rare that two-term president has an approval rating of 56 per cent towards the end of his presidency. It is also the highest for Obama since he was re-elected in 2012.
Nearly six months after he nominated Dr Islam A 'Isi' Siddiqui to be the chief agricultural negotiator at the office of the US Trade Representative, US President Barack Obama -- fed up with what the White House called 'obstructionist' policies by Senate Republicans in not confirming Siddiqui and several others -- appointed Siddiqui and 14 others as soon as the Senate adjourned for the Easter vacation-recess.
Breaking with the tradition of congratulating teams at the White House, President Barack Obama took the NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers with him to a community service project at a Boys and Girls Club on Monday.
'I told President Obama, "Mr President, do you realise that the person who is likely to become the prime minister of India in two weeks, does not have a visa, and you are talking about having great relations between India and the USA, how are you going to do it?".'' 'His answer was that this is not right and that he'll have somebody from the White House and the State Department reach out to me.'
United States President Barack Obama issued a proclamation ordering that the flag of the US shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and ground, at all military posts and overseas diplomatic missions as a mark of respect for the victims of the shooting.
The issue was raised by the visiting CII's CEO Mission led by Bharati enterprise chairman Sunil Bharati Mittal, who among others met Lawrence Summers, Director of the National Economic Council, at the White House on Wednesday. During the meeting, the delegation comprising top Indian CEOs brought to the notice the concerns about the recent developments in the US with regard to H-1B work visa programme and certain provisions in the stimulus bill.
Three more US Secret Service agents have resigned over the sex scandal in Columbia, as President Barack Obama was given a briefing on the issue that has become an embarrassment for the White House and for the elite security agency.
The meeting between United States President Barack Obama and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping later this week will be dominated by talks on cyber security, North Korea and Asia Pacific region along with bilateral relations, White House officials have said.
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