Washington DC

19 Oct 2020; MEMO: The US State Department and the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) on Sunday condemned the attack and burning of the headquarters of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad.

New York, Oct 19 (PTI) Describing President Donald Trump as India's "good friend", a group of Indian-Americans have urged the community members across the country to support and vote for the Republican leader in the November 3 elections.

Al Mason, co-chair of the Trump Victory Indian American Finance Committee, on Sunday said the Indian-American community has emerged as a force to reckon with for the first time in the history of the US presidential election.

Washington, Oct 18 (PTI) The upcoming US elections on November 3 could very well see the expansion of the so called Samosa Caucus, a termed coined by Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi for informal grouping of Indian-American lawmakers, according to the latest Congressional polls coming from states.

The "Samosa caucus" comprises of five Indian-American lawmakers, including four members of the House of Representatives and Senator and Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris.

17 Oct 2020; AA: The US Department of Defense said Friday it is "aware" of reports that Turkey recently tested an advanced Russian air defense system, saying if the reports are true it "strongly condemns the test."

"We have been clear: an operational S-400 system is not consistent with Turkey’s commitments as a U.S. and NATO Ally," spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said in a statement, calling the system "a barrier to progress elsewhere in the bilateral relationship."

Washington, Oct 17 (AP/PTI) The US and Russia on Friday rejected each other's proposals for potentially salvaging the last remaining legal constraint on their strategic nuclear forces.

President Vladimir Putin called for an unconditional extension of the soon-to-expire New START treaty, and the White House called that a non-starter. Adding an edginess to the diplomatic clash, President Donald Trump's national security adviser, Robert O'Brien, suggested the Russians rethink their stance before a costly arms race ensues.

Washington, Oct 16 (PTI) US President Donald Trump has blamed countries like China, Russia and India for adding to the global air pollution and asserted that his country has the best environmental numbers.

Speaking to his cheering supporters at an elections rally in the key battleground State of North Carolina on Thursday, Trump said the US under his administration has achieved energy independence while protecting its pristine environment.

Washington, Oct 15 (PTI) India's priorities should be to protect the most vulnerable people, well targeted support and protecting small and medium sized enterprises so that they do not collapse as the country battles the COVID-19 pandemic, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund Kristalina Georgieva has said.

Speaking at a news conference here during the ongoing annual meeting of the IMF and the World Bank, Georgieva said on Wednesday that focusing on protecting people and on the health of the population remain a priority for India.

Washington, Oct 15 (AP/PTI) Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden raised USD 383 million for his election effort in September, a record-breaking sum that eclipses the unprecedented fundraising from the previous month.

The haul, announced Wednesday night, leaves him with USD 432 million in the bank just weeks before the November 3 election.

He raised the money in conjunction with the Democratic National Committee.

14 Oct 2020; MEMO: Washington called on Iraqi factions to surrender their weapons to the government in Baghdad, following the Hezbollah Brigade’s announcement that it would suspend attacks on US forces in the country.

The US Department of State told Al Jazeera that America urged all armed parties in Iraq to act responsibly and surrender their weapons to the government, adding that the actions of “Iraqi militias” jeopardises the government’s attempts to attract international investment.

14 Oct 2020; MEMO: The US Federal Bureau of Investigation said on Tuesday it has reached no firm conclusion about what caused the August 4 explosion in the port of Beirut that killed nearly 200 people and caused billions of dollars in damage.

Other US and European government agencies closely following the investigations into the explosion strongly believe that the blast was accidental.