He has to deal with an imploding economy, an electorate seething with discontent, rogue states which possess nuclear weapons and an oil spill that is turning into an ecological nightmare. But United States President Barack Obama recently found himself fighting to control yet another errant element -- Bo the beloved White House dog.
Over 250 people participated in a rally to support 82-year-old California resident Surat Singh Khalsa, who has been on a hunger strike in India demanding the release of political prisoners. Ritu Jha/Rediff.com reports from California.
The Indian American Leadership Initiative, founded by political activist Varun Nikore a decade ago to promote Indian-American participation in the mainstream political process and to support the community's candidates at the local, state and national levels, formally launched its political action committee on Capitol Hill in September-end.
If the US Congress (legislature) clears, under its Foreign Military Sale (FMS) procedure, an Indian requirement of 177 145M 155mm lightweight towed howitzers, India will become owners of the lightest 'shoot-and-scoot' gun in the world, Andrew Gallagher, president BAE Systems India, told Business Standard.
The Indian IT companies, which account for a large number of H-1B applications, are likely to face the additional financial burden because of this proposed increase in H-1B filing fees.
They have also urged the Obama administration to review its decision in this regard.
Tiger Woods has ruled himself out of next week's US Open because of injury, he announced on Tuesday.
The Salahi couple, Tareq and Michaele, infuriated United States lawmakers as they refused to answer any of their questions and invoked their right to remain silent in their forced appearance before a Congressional committee. The celebrity-hounding couple from Virginia was subpoenaed by the House Committee on Homeland Security on Wednesday and was questioned on the circumstances of their attending the White House State Dinner for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on November 24.
According to the latest figures released by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services, just 29,700 people had applied for H-1B visas till August 13.
Once installed, the LAIRCAM system increases crew-warning time, decreases false alarm rates and automatically counters advanced intermediate range missile systems.
Pakistan has approximately 60 nuclear warheads in its arsenal, although the figure could be higher, according to a report by the Congressional Research Service.The report states that Pakistan "continues to produce fissile material for weapons and appears to be augmenting its weapons production facilities, as well as deploying additional delivery vehicles -- steps that will enable both quantitative and qualitative improvements in Islamabad's nuclear arsenal."
Running a criminal syndicate of 5,000 members with strategic alliance in connivance with the Inter Services Intelligence, Lashkar-e-Tayiba and Al Qaeda, the Karachi-headquartered D-Company is an example of the 'criminal-terrorism' fusion model and poses a threat to United States' security interests in South Asia, a Congressional report has stated.
India is most open to dialogue on the Doha round and trade negotiations among all major emerging markets, a top Obama Administration official has told the US lawmakers.
He also accused US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi of being very rigid and doing bad politics.
Observing that Al Qaeda and its affiliates are still committed to striking the United States, a top American intelligence official has told US lawmakers that lone-wolf and homegrown extremist now poses an equally serious threat to the country.
With India requesting for higher-level training from the United States in the wake of the 26/11 Mumbai attacks, the Obama administration has asked the Congress to double its anti-terrorism budget to India to $ 4.5 million for the fiscal 2011.
Outgoing Navy chief Admiral Sureesh Mehta on Monday alleged that Pakistan's attempt to modify the Harpoon missile posed a danger to India's interests. As per media reports, the Barack Obama administration has lodged a protest with the Pakistan government for illegally modifying United States-made missiles to expand its ability to hit land-based targets. Mehta said that US authorities are constantly being told that their aid to Pakistan is not used for self-defence.
Pakistan has 'categorically' rejected allegations that it has illegally modified US missiles to enhance its land strike capability.
As with the last 37 years, this year too the India Day Parade in New York saw thousands of Indian Americans throng Manhattan's Madison Avenue to celebrate India's Independence Day. For the thousands of Indians who turned up, it was a once in a year chance to showcase their country's rich cultural diversity.
American Congressman Ed Royce, a ranking Republican on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and the senior-most minority member on the Subcommittee on Terrorism and Nonproliferation, who was part of the Congressional leadership that met with Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh during his recent visit to Washington, is disappointed that the United States-India civilian nuclear deal wasn't completed to make it the signature highlight of the Obama-Singh summit.
In 2003, Jindal, a Republican, ran and won from the 1st District after the incumbent Congressman David Vitter vacated the seat to run for the Senate. Sangisetty, an attorney, is running from the nearby 3rd District in the surrounding area of New Orleans, as the Democratic incumbent Charlie Melancon is leaving to challenge Senator Vitter in the Senate race.
Only he, with his tremendous political capital and personal stature, can pull it off, observes B S Raghavan, the veteran civil servant.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his over four-hour visit to the US Capitol established a personal rapport with top lawmakers and seems to have won over his critics.
Trump announcing his decision said it was Pelosi's "prerogative" to suggest a later date.
The rise of BRIC countries represents a fundamental shift in global economy and the developing world needs a legitimate seat at the table so that shared challenges are better addressed, a powerful US Senator has said.
'Every single American act to weaken Syrian forces would only tilt the military balance in favour of ISIS whom Trump pledges to vanquish from the face of the earth,' says Ambassador M K Bhadrakumar.
Concerned over reports regarding the misuse of aid being provided to Pakistan, the United States is planning to set up a separate office for auditors in the country to keep a tab on the financial assistance programmes under the Kerry-Lugar bill and the Coalition Support Fund.
Describing Pakistan as "the most threatening place," an influential US lawmaker has said that the Taliban and the Al Qaeda-infested Af-Pak region poses greater danger to the world than Yemen, another hotbed of terrorists.
Noting that Pakistan remains the geographic crossroads for terrorism and weapons of mass destruction, the report said that the "increasingly bold attacks on well guarded military, police and UN targets indicate that the Taliban, Al Qaeda and other militant groups within Pakistan are a growing threat.The current trends, if left unchecked, will increase the odds that Al Qaeda will successfully develop and use a biological weapon or a nuclear device against the United States.
Indian American Ro Khanna, the Democrat who ran for the Congressional seat from California's 17th District has secured enough votes in the primary election held on June 3 to challenge seven terms incumbent Mike Honda in the general election scheduled for November.
The decade-long quest by community activist Dr Shailendra Kumar of Maryland to convince the US Postal Service to issue a stamp commemorating Diwali as it has other religious festivals, has gotten a boost with Congressman Frank Pallone introducing legislation urging the Postal Service to do just that, particularly now that President Barack Obama himself lit the White House diya in observing Diwali.
Pakistan is continuing support to the Taliban and the Haqqani network as part of its backup plan to secure their western border in case the United States leaves Afghanistan, a top US intelligence official has said.
The nuclear arms race between India and Pakistan has figured during a Congressional hearing on the New START treaty between the United States and Russia.For the past two days, during hearings on the New START treaty held by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, lawmakers wanted to know from top US officials and experts about other nuclear weapon countries like India and Pakistan and how it can motivate the two countries to reduce their nuclear stockpile.
US President Barack Obama is expected to sign into law on Wednesday, the Kerry-Lugar bill for US $ 7.5 billion aid to Pakistan after two powerful Congressional committees issue an "explanatory statement" addressing concerns of its opponents, mainly the Pakistan Army.
The report states that while the national government sometimes spoke out against incidents of violence, local political leaders often did not, and at times made public remarks that individuals could interpret as condoning violence.
"We know that Pakistan matters not just because it is the location for the Afghanistan Taliban leadership; it is also important in its own right. It's the base for Al Qaeda, it is a nuclear weapons state with the long-term risk of radicalisation," Miliband said in his testimony before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, which had convened a special hearing on Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Nine years after their mysterious disappearance following the toppling of the Taliban in Afghanistan, the US still believes the two top Al Qaeda leaders Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri are in hiding in northwestern Pakistan.
The three Mi-35 Indian multi-role helicopters donated to Afghanistan have made a big difference in the offensive against militants in the war-torn country, the outgoing commander of US forces in Afghanistan has said.
Al Qaeda is trying to seek nuclear secrets from Pakistan and it remains as dangerous as ever, Special United States Representative for Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke said on Wednesday. "Al Qaeda is still there in the region, ever dangerous and publicly asking people to attack the US and publicly asking nuclear engineers to give them nuclear secrets from Pakistan," Holbrooke said during a reception hosted by the Congressional Caucus.
The Indo-US relations on Monday came up for review as an American Congressional delegation led by Senator Judd Gregg met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
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