All stories by Lalit K Jha
Trump acquitted by US Senate in 2nd impeachment trial
Rediff.com14 Feb 2021Following four days of the impeachment trial, the 100-member Senate voted to impeach Trump by 57-43 votes, 10 votes short of the two-thirds majority needed for conviction.
Democrats urge Republicans not to acquit Trump again
Rediff.com12 Feb 2021United States House Democrats leading the prosecution of former president Donald Trump at his Senate impeachment trial have concluded their arguments, urging Republican Senators to not to acquit him for the second time if they don't want to set a "new, terrible standard" for presidential misconduct.
No change in US' policy on J-K: Biden administration
Rediff.com12 Feb 2021According to a 2019 Congressional Research Service report of August 2019, a longstanding goal of US policy in South Asia has been to prevent the India-Pakistan conflict from escalating to interstate war.
New twist to H-1B visas for Indians
Rediff.com11 Feb 2021An influential immigration advocacy group representing Indian-Americans on Thursday urged the Biden administration not to issue the most sought-after H-1B work visa to any individual born in India, till the time the discriminatory country-cap on green cards or permanent legal residency is removed. The current per-country cap on issuing of green cards in the US has resulted in Indian professionals, mostly from the IT sector, having to wait for decades for their legal permanent residency. Issuing new H-1B visas to more Indians would add to this agonising painful wait for green cards, Immigration Voice said in a statement.
In first call with Xi, Biden conveys concerns over China's unfair trade practices
Rediff.com11 Feb 2021This was the first phone call between the two leaders after Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States on January 20.
US Senate begins impeachment trial against Trump
Rediff.com11 Feb 2021Led by Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin, a battery of his party colleagues from the House of Representatives alleged that Trump incited his supporters for violence on January 6 as they stormed the Capitol Hill wherein Congressmen and Senators were performing their constitutional duty of counting and certification of the November 3rd presidential election results.
The Indian American conundrum: Liberal in US, conservative in India
Rediff.com10 Feb 2021Indian-Americans have relatively more conservative views of policies in India while on issues affecting the US, the diaspora has a more liberal take, according to a survey of the political attitudes of the influential community in this country.
Biden Admin 'welcomes India's emergence as leading global power'
Rediff.com10 Feb 2021Describing India as one of the most important partners of the United States in the Indo-Pacific region, the Biden Administration on Tuesday said that it welcomes India's emergence as a leading global power and its role as a net security provider in the region.
US closely monitoring situation along Sino-India border: Official
Rediff.com10 Feb 2021The United States is closely monitoring the situation along the India-China border, a senior official said on Tuesday and expressed concerns over Beijing's pattern of ongoing attempts to intimidate its neighbours.
6 Republican Senators join Dems in support of Trump's impeachment
Rediff.com10 Feb 2021Six Republican Senators joined their Democratic colleagues in the United States Senate on Tuesday to vote that the impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump is constitutional.
Indian-American comedians extend support to Munawar Faruqui
Rediff.com9 Feb 2021In their comments, the Indian-American stand-up comedians said the arrest of Faruqui was incredibly unjust and against the freedom of expression.
Biden, Modi commit towards greater Indo-US ties: White House
Rediff.com9 Feb 2021Biden and Modi committed that the US and India will work closely together to win the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, renew their partnership on climate change, rebuild the global economy in a way that benefits the people of both countries, and stand together against the scourge of global terrorism, the White House said in a readout of the call.
US seeks immediate restoration of democratically elected govt in Myanmar
Rediff.com9 Feb 2021The United States has demanded the immediate and full restoration of the democratically elected government in Myanmar and said that America stands with the elected representatives of the Asian nation.
Ensure democracy's norms maintained: US Caucus to India
Rediff.com8 Feb 2021During the meeting, the leadership of the India Caucus, which is the largest country-specific caucus in the House of Representatives, condemned the violence on January 26 in Delhi.
Allow peaceful protest by farmers: US Congress's India Panel
Rediff.com6 Feb 2021The leadership of the powerful Congressional India Caucus has urged the Indian government to ensure that the norms of democracy are maintained.
Kamala Harris' glass portrait unveiled in her honour
Rediff.com5 Feb 2021The one-of-a-kind broken glass medium used by the artist Simon Berger to create the portrait uniquely embodies Harris' glass-shattering achievement.
H-1B visas: Biden administration says lottery system to continue till Dec 31
Rediff.com5 Feb 2021The Biden administration has announced that it is delaying the H-1B policy of the previous Trump administration on allocation of the popular foreign work visas by continuing with the lottery system until December 31, 2021, to give the immigration agency more time to develop, test and implement the modifications to the registration system. On January 7, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced to do away with the traditional lottery system in deciding the successful applicants for the H-1B visas. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.
26/11 plotter Tahawwur Rana opposes extradition to India
Rediff.com5 Feb 2021Rana's extradition is barred under Article 6 of the United States-India extradition treaty with India because he has previously been acquitted of the offences for which extradition is sought, and under Article 9 of the Treaty because the government has not established a probable cause to believe that Rana committed the alleged offences, his attorneys argued.
US will repair its alliances and engage with world again: Biden
Rediff.com5 Feb 2021In his maiden address to the employees of the State Department, the US president said he has come to the building to send a clear message to the world: America is back. America is back. Diplomacy is back.
US calls for dialogue to resolve farmer protests
Rediff.com5 Feb 2021Recognising that peaceful protests are a hallmark of a thriving democracy, the United States has said that it encourages dialogue between the protesting farmers and the Indian government to resolve their differences.