Washington, June 3 (IANS) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the United States has seen no evidence of China providing military assistance to Iran during the ongoing regional crisis, while urging Beijing to support international efforts aimed at restoring freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.Rubio’s said this during a House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing after lawmakers questioned him about China’s relationship with Iran and whether Beijing had provided support during…
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Washington, June 3 (IANS) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that the United States is intensifying efforts to counter China’s expanding influence across Latin America, arguing that decades of American neglect allowed Beijing to establish a significant presence in sectors ranging from ports and telecommunications to critical minerals and infrastructure.Testifying before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State and Related Programs, Rubio described China…
Washington, June 3 (IANS) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio described Cuba as both a failing state and a growing national security threat to the United States, accusing Havana of hosting Chinese and Russian intelligence operations while supporting anti-American activities across Latin America.Speaking before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State and Related Programs, Rubio said Cuba’s economic crisis and close ties with US adversaries have combined to cr…
Washington, June 3 (IANS) The United States must strengthen its fisheries, maritime infrastructure, shipbuilding capacity and workforce development to remain competitive in the rapidly expanding global blue economy, lawmakers and industry leaders told a Senate hearing.At a Congressional hearing on “The Blue Economy: Advancing American Fisheries, Maritime Industry, and Coastal Economies,” Sen. Dan Sullivan said America’s oceans, coasts and waterways are central to economic growth, food secu…
Washington, June 3 (IANS) The head of the US Forest Service warned lawmakers that large parts of the United States face elevated wildfire risks this year, even as the agency says it is entering the fire season with its strongest firefighting preparedness in years.Testifying before the Senate Agriculture Committee, Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz said the agency has expanded its firefighting workforce, increased hazardous fuel reduction efforts and strengthened coordination with other federal ag…
Washington, June 3 (IANS) Hundreds of foreign-trained doctors could be forced to leave the United States because of delays in processing J-1 visa waivers, worsening physician shortages in rural communities, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand has warned.In a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the New York Democrat said an administrative backlog at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is preventing qualified international medical graduates from taking up jobs…
Washington, June 3 (IANS) A senior US lawmaker has raised concerns over a Commerce Department decision allowing a foreign automaker with significant ties to China to continue selling and producing connected vehicles in the United States.This could expose sensitive data, undermine national security safeguards and create loopholes in restrictions aimed at keeping Chinese technology out of the American auto market, Representative Debbie Dingell, a Michigan Democrat, warned.In a letter to Commerce S…
Washington, June 3 (IANS) US President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation easing tariffs on a range of agricultural and industrial equipment while tightening incentives for manufacturers to use American-made steel, aluminium and copper, the White House said. The move adjusts existing Section 232 tariffs that the administration says are designed to protect national security and strengthen domestic metal industries.Under the proclamation, tariffs on agricultural equipment such as combines and …
Washington, June 3 (IANS) Pharmaceutical companies are increasingly investing in the United States as the Trump administration pushes to expand domestic drug manufacturing, Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Dr Mehmet Oz said on Tuesday.Speaking at a White House briefing, Oz said major drugmakers were already expanding operations in the United States and suggested the trend could accelerate as the administration pursues policies aimed at boosting innovation and reducing dependence on o…
Washington, June 2 (IANS) A new round of direct Israel-Lebanon talks has commenced here after U.S. President Donald Trump said he had secured commitments from Israel and Hezbollah aimed at easing regional tensions.Lebanese authorities have confirmed that Hezbollah has agreed to a U.S. proposal for a “mutual cessation of attacks” with Israel, according to a statement by the Lebanese presidency on Monday, citing the Lebanese embassy in Washington, Xinhua news agency reported.Lebanese authorities h…