Biden Congratulates Turkey's Erdogan On His Win, Talks About Sweden's NATO Bid

WWASHINGTON, May 30: US President Joe Biden said that in a call on Monday Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan repeated Ankara's desire to buy F-16 fighter jets from the United States, while Biden responded that Washington was keen to see Ankara drop its objection to Sweden's joining NATO.

The exchange took place when Biden called Erdogan to congratulate him on his victory in Turkey's presidential election on Sunday.

"I spoke to Erdogan. I congratulated Erdogan. He still wants to work out something on the F-16s. I told him we wanted to deal with Sweden, so let's get that done. And so we'll be back in touch with one another," Biden told reporters before departing the White House for Delaware.

"We're going to talk more about it next week," he added.

Bids for NATO membership must be approved by all NATO members. Both Turkey and Hungary have yet to approve Sweden's bid.

Turkey has sought to buy $20 billion worth of F-16s and nearly 80 modernization kits from the United States, but the sale has been stalled due to objections from the U.S. Congress over Ankara's problematic human rights record and Syria policy, even though the Biden administration has repeatedly said it supports the sale.

A much smaller $259 million package including avionics software upgrades for Turkey's current fleet of F-16 fighter aircraft was cleared by U.S. Congress earlier this year, days after Turkey ratified Finland's NATO accession.

The Biden administration has repeatedly rejected any assertion of any "quid pro quo" between the sale and the NATO enlargement, although Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in January said the U.S. side made it clear that an approval of NATO bids would be viewed positively by the Congress.

A bipartisan group of senators in a February letter to Biden said Turkey's failure to ratify the accession protocols for Sweden and Finland, which was still waiting at the time, would "call into question this pending sale", referring to the F-16s.

A source familiar with the discussions said the United States had previously told Turkey that it would be hard to get Congress to approve the F-16 deal if Ankara doesn't green light Sweden.

Sweden and Finland applied for NATO membership last year, ditching long-held policies of military non-alignment following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Turkey ratified Finland's NATO accession in late March, but has continued to object to Sweden, saying Stockholm harbors members of militant groups it considers to be terrorists. Hungary has also not yet approved Sweden's bid.

Seeing Sweden join NATO by mid-July when the alliance is due to hold a leaders summit in Lithuania is among the top priorities for Washington

The Turkish Presidency in a brief statement on the call between Biden and Erdogan said the two leaders agreed to deepen cooperation on all aspects of their bilateral ties, whose importance they said has grown even more in the face of regional and global challenges.

Biden, McCarthy strike deal to avert US debt default

WASHINGTON, May 28: Averting a possible global economic crisis, US President Joe Biden and House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy have struck a deal on suspending America’s debt ceiling for two years along side spending cuts in the federal budget, the White House announced on Saturday.

The House and the Senate will need to pass the agreed-upon legislation to ensure that the US doesn’t default on its obligations. While the legislation is expected to pass, it will encounter challenges from the Republican extreme-Right, which had demanded greater spending cuts, and Democratic progressives, who had warned against spending cuts.

Both the President and Speaker, however, projected the deal as a win to convince their constituents that it meets the priorities of their respective parties.

In a statement, Biden said that McCarthy and he had reached an agreement in principle. “This agreement is good news for the American people, because it prevents what could have been a catastrophic default and would have led to an economic recession, retirement accounts devastated, and millions of jobs lost.”

The president also said that the deal reduced spending while protecting critical programmes for working people, growing the economy for everyone, and key priorities and legislative accomplishments pushed by Democrats.

McCarthy said that the deal, without increasing taxes, would result in “historic reductions in spending, consequential reforms that will lift people out of poverty into the work force, rein in government overreach”.

Biden spoke to McCarthy for 90 minutes on the phone on Saturday to finalise the deal and smoothen over the differences. While the text of the deal isn’t public yet, and the legislation is still being finalised, American media outlets reported the broad contours of the agreement.

Non-defence spending would be maintained at the 2023 levels till next year and would increase by 1% in 2025. The White House has agreed to cut $10 billion in funding for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) it had secured to go after tax cheats, give up the unspent funding meant for Covid-19 pandemic relief package, impose work requirements for certain segments of the population on government assistance, and maintain the same level of taxes on the wealthy and tax corporations.

Republicans have agreed on maintaining proposed spending for Medicare, social security, clean energy, student loan debt waivers, education funding for low income students, care for military veterans, child care grants, cancer research, among other Democratic priorities. The two sides also agreed to streamline permission for energy programmes, both in the case of fossil fuel and renewable infrastructure including transmission lines.

The House is expected to vote on the deal on Wednesday, after which it will go to the Senate. The Congress will have to expedite its approval to be able to meet the June 5 deadline.

The debt ceiling is a rather unique feature of the American political economy. Besides authorising spending, the US Congress also authorises the extent to which the executive can borrow to spend. This limit has increased over the years, but was currently pegged at $31.4 trillion.

The US hit its debt limit on January 19 this year, and the Treasury Department since then has been relying on extraordinary measures. Treasury secretary Janet Yellen had warned that the US was likely to default on its obligations if a deal wasn’t struck by June 5.

Republicans, who have a majority in the House, had insisted on major spending cuts, including in welfare programmes and Biden’s signature legislations. The White House had initially insisted that the US Congress had a duty to raise the debt ceiling unconditionally but eventually agreed to negotiate on spending cuts in the budget, in return for a suspension of the ceiling.

In the past few weeks, both sides had stepped up negotiations as the deadline loomed, with Biden postponing his trip to Australia and Papua New Guinea to return home from Japan to be available for negotiations.

Teen Arrested For Trying To Kill Joe Biden Had Nazi Flag In Crashed Truck

WASHINGTON, May 23: A man who crashed a U-Haul truck containing a Nazi flag near the White House has been arrested and charged with trying to kill or harm the president, police said Tuesday.

The driver apparently drove deliberately into bollards outside Lafayette Park just before 10:00 pm (0200 GMT) on Monday, the US Park Police said, adding that no one was injured.

TV images showed a red and black swastika banner that had been found during a police search of the truck.

The driver of the vehicle was identified as Sai Varshith Kandula, 19, of Chesterfield, Missouri, the Park Police said in a statement Tuesday.

It said he was charged with "assault with a dangerous weapon, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, threatening to kill/kidnap/ inflict harm on a president, vice president, or family member, destruction of federal property, and trespassing."

A local Fox affiliate reported that some guests in a nearby hotel said they were told to evacuate after the crash.

A journalist with the station posted video from the scene showing a robot searching the cargo area of the truck.

Govt Rejects US Report Criticising India On Religious Freedom

NEW DELHI, May 16: India on Tuesday trashed as "motivated" and "biased" a report by the US State Department on religious freedom that criticised the country for alleged attacks on minorities.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said such reports continue to be based on "misinformation and flawed understanding".

The annual report listed alleged attacks on religious minorities in India and expressed concerns over such incidents.

"We are aware of the release of the US State Department 2022 Report on International Religious Freedom. Regrettably, such reports continue to be based on misinformation and flawed understanding," Bagchi said.

"Motivated and biased commentary by some US officials only serves to undermine further the credibility of these reports," he said.

Bagchi was responding to media queries on the report.

"We value our partnership with the US and will continue to have frank exchanges on issues of concern to us," he said.

The report that documents the status of religious freedom in countries across the world was released on Monday.

A senior US official said far too many governments, including Russia, India, China and Saudi Arabia, continue to freely target faith community members.

"Far too many governments continue to freely target faith community members within their borders," Rashad Hussain, Ambassador at Large, Office of International Religious Freedom, told reporters at a news conference in Washington soon after the report was released by Secretary of State Anthony Blinken.

The report provides a fact-based, comprehensive view of the state of religious freedom in nearly 200 countries and territories around the world, Blinken said.

Fixing Visas Is Top Priority: New US Envoy to India Eric Garcetti

NEW DELHI, May 11: Reducing the wait time for US visas for Indians is not the "10th or 11th priority" but the "number one priority", said the new US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti.

Garcetti takes charges at a time when Prime Minister Narendra Modi has started preparations to fly to the US on a state visit on June 22. US President Joe Biden is also expected to visit India later this year to attend the G20 summit in Delhi.

"I am very excited to be the ambassador here not only when Prime Minister Modi will come to the US but President Biden will be able to come here as well. That's historic. I am not sure if this has happened before, both leaders visiting each other's country in a gap of just months," Garcetti said.

On a question whether he would be looking into the issue of long wait time for US visa, Garcetti said, "Absolutely, and the President said, 'Eric, go fix this'. It's not just a 10th or 11th priority. It's the number one priority for me."

"I think visas touch Indians more directly than anything else that America does. And it's a good problem to have. More and more Indians want to come to the United States, to study, as tourists... We are committed to solving this problem," the US Ambassador said.

"Already, wait times (for visa) are down 60 per cent since the beginning of the year. In January, February and March, we processed a record number of visas. Last year the largest source of student visas came from India than any other country. Hold on, in the next few weeks, when our leaders meet, you will get many announcements. And even before that we are prepared for the student visa season and already the wait time is getting shorter and shorter. We want more Indians to continue to come to America," Garcetti said.

The US is on track to issue more than a million visas to Indians this year, a top official had said in April. The US is also prioritising H-1B and L visas, the most sought-after by information technology professionals from India, Donald Lu, the Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, had said in April.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.

Garcetti, while talking about India's G20 presidency amid the war in Ukraine, said that India's G20 presidency is "impressive" as "India is a bridge between the past and the future, between east, west, north, south".

"We stand with India on those aspirations to make sure G20 is not just about the war in Ukraine. We won't stop speaking out strongly about an unprovoked invasion by Russia. I am sure Indians understand how important borders and sovereignty are. At the same time we know there are relationships that have been there for decades," he said.

The US Ambassador denied India and the America are coming closer due to the China factor.

"I think we really like each other. India and the US are natural friends. It's not transactional; it's relational. It's not just an affinity for each other; we do have mutual interests. It's not going to be defined by other factors, whether China or anything else," he said.

Modi To Visit US On June 22, Biden To Host State Dinner: White House

NEW DELHI, May 10: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will go to the US on a state visit on June 22 following an invitation from President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, the government said in a statement today. The US President and the First Lady will also host Modi to a state dinner.

"The visit will underscore the growing importance of the strategic partnership between India and the United States as the two nations collaborate across numerous sectors. The leaders will have the opportunity to review strong bilateral cooperation in various areas of mutual interest, including technology, trade, industry... and deepening people-to-people connections," the government said.

Modi's state visit is a sign of the deepening US-India relationship as the Biden administration advances policies and initiatives for a free and open Indo-Pacific to counter what it sees as a growing threat posed by China.

Both India and the US are working to shore up support against China's growing assertiveness.

Modi visited Biden at the White House in 2021, but as part of the Quad summit bringing together the US, Australia, Japan and India, and not a full state visit.

The US and India last month announced an Initiative on critical and emerging technology, a plan to share advanced defence and computing technology, including the joint production of General Electric jet engines.

The two leaders will "explore ways to strengthen India-US collaboration in pluri-lateral and multilateral fora, including in the G20. They would reflect on their shared vision for a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific and discuss opportunities to expand and consolidate the Quad engagement," the government said today.

In a statement, the White House said the upcoming visit "will affirm the deep and close partnership between the United States and India and the warm bonds of family and friendship that link Americans and Indians together."

"The visit will strengthen our two countries' shared commitment to a free, open, prosperous, and secure Indo-Pacific and our shared resolve to elevate our strategic technology partnership, including in defence, clean energy, and space," the White House said.

First-Graders Allegedly Force Girl To Perform Sex Act In US School

NEW YORK, May 10: Parents are protesting against a school in the US after first-graders allegedly coerced their 6-year-old classmate into performing a sex act as they recorded it, even though a teacher was there, according to Fox News.

The news outlet further stated that parents and community members are angered by the situation at the school, and the number of people gathered to protest against the school is growing.

Family members of the girl involved are also planning another protest in the evening, as this unexpected news has shocked the locals.

"A 6-year-old was exposed to things that even adults would have a hard time overcoming. This is trauma at its worst, and it has a trickle-down effect because it affects everyone around them," one of the protesting parents said.

The alleged incident happened at Plainview South Elementary on April 19, and it only came to light when a parent spread the word on social media, the Plainview Herald reported.

The authorities first acknowledged the assault a week later, following a public outcry.

An older cousin of the 6-year-old girl who was assaulted said she noticed a shift in the young girl's behaviour after the traumatic event.

"She's in distress; she's like, 'My stomach hurts. I just want to lay down,'" the cousin told KCBD. "You can tell something's wrong with her. So they said, 'What's going on? What happened?'

According to The New York Post, the young girl told her family that a boy had exposed himself to her while in the lunch line at school. She later mentioned that a week before that incident, she was pulled under a desk and forced to perform a sex act on a male student.

US Announces $1.2 Billion Aid To Ukraine For Air Defence, Ammunition

WASHINGTON, May 9: The United States on Tuesday announced a new $1.2 billion security assistance package for Ukraine to boost the country's air defences and provide it with additional artillery ammunition.

Ukraine is readying for a highly anticipated spring offensive against invading Russian troops, but the latest assistance will not immediately arrive on the battlefield as it must still be procured from the defence industry or partners.

This avoids depleting US stocks but means the assistance will take longer to reach Kyiv than equipment drawn directly from existing American military inventories.

The package underscores the continued US commitment to Ukraine "by committing critical near-term capabilities, such as air defence systems and munitions, while also building the capacity of Ukraine's armed forces to defend its territory and deter Russian aggression over the long term," the Defense Department said in a statement.

It features unspecified air defence systems and munitions as well as equipment to integrate Western systems with Ukraine's existing gear, which is mainly of Soviet vintage.

Ukraine's air defences have played a key role in countering Russia's invasion, preventing Moscow's forces from gaining control of the skies and helping shield the country against missile and drone attacks.

Secret US documents from late February that were allegedly leaked online by a junior member of the Air National Guard detailed looming munitions shortages for Soviet systems that make up a significant chunk of Ukrainian medium and high-range protection.

Kyiv's international supporters have worked to bolster its existing defences with a mix of cutting-edge systems such as Patriot and NASAMS, as well as older equipment.

The package also includes ammunition for counter-drone systems meant to counter the threat of Iranian-made uncrewed aircraft that Russia has used for strikes in Ukraine, as well as 155 mm rounds -- a key type of artillery ammunition for Ukraine's forces.

It will also provide commercial satellite imagery services as well as support for training and maintenance.

The latest assistance brings total US military aid to Ukraine since Russia invaded the country in February 2022 to more than $36 billion.

The United States has spearheaded the push for international support for Ukraine, quickly forging an international coalition to back Kyiv after Russia invaded in February 2022 and coordinating aid from dozens of countries.

Kyiv has pushed for some items that its international supporters have been reluctant to provide, including Patriot air defence systems and advanced heavy tanks -- which were eventually delivered -- and others such as Western fighter aircraft, which have not been pledged so far.

27-Year-Old Indian Woman Among 9 Killed In Mass Shooting At US Mall

HOUSTON, May 8: A 27-year-old Indian woman, who was working in the US as a project engineer, was among nine people killed when a gunman opened fire at a crowded mall in Dallas in Texas, authorities said on Monday.

Aishwarya Thatikonda, of McKinney, was shopping with a friend when they were shot by gunman Mauricio Garcia at the Allen Premium Outlets in Dallas, the New York Post newspaper reported.

The shooting started around 3:30 pm on Saturday as throngs of shoppers filled the outdoor mall. The shooting killed at least eight people before Mauricio Garcia, a 33-year-old gunman, was shot dead by a police officer.

Aishwarya, daughter of a district judge in Ranga Reddy district court in India, worked as a project engineer at Perfect General Contractors LLC.

A family representative confirmed to the WFAA television station that Thatikonda was also among the dead from the senseless gun violence.

Aishwarya had spoken to her family members before the incident on Saturday, and when they called her back after learning about the shooting they did not get any response, according to the judge's friend.

"The family got the information about (her death) on Sunday. They are in shock. They have been told that efforts were being made to send her body by Wednesday," the judge's friend said.

She was an engineer living and working in Texas while her family was in India. Her friend, who was not identified, was injured but is currently in stable condition at the hospital, the paper said.

Thatikonda's family is planning to bring her body back to India, it added.

She did her civil engineering from a college in Hyderabad in India and completed her masters in the US after which she had been working there for more than two years.

A Dallas home linked to Garcia's parents was searched by police Saturday night after the massacre, and officials also scoured a motel where the shooter had booked an extended stay, law-enforcement sources told local outlet WFAA-TV.

In a statement about the shooting, the mall said, "We are horrified by the senseless tragedy at Allen Premium Outlets and are outraged by the violence that continues to plague our country.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and others affected by this heinous act. We are thankful for the Allen Police Officer's heroic actions and for the support of all the first responders." So far there have been at least 198 mass shootings in the United States in 2023, according to the gun violence archive.

Saturday's tragedy occurred just a couple of weeks before the first anniversary of the Uvalle, Texas School massacre when 19 children and two adults were killed by a gunman at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022.

It comes just days after a gunman became enraged during a visit to an Atlanta medical facility, allegedly shooting dead at least one person with a handgun and injuring four others before he was caught hours later.

Saturday's incident is the second-deadliest shooting of the year in the country, after the Monterey Park, California, massacre in which a gunman killed 11 people in a ballroom on January 21.