United States News & Trends

Live updates on the Israel-Hamas ceasefire: US President Donald Trump was greeted at Ben-Gurion International Airport by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara, President Isaac Herzog, and his wife Michal. All 20 of the Israeli hostages who are still alive have been released by Hamas to Red Cross officials in Gaza. When Israeli news channels declared that the hostages were in the Red Cross's custody, their relatives and friends erupted in jubilant applause. The transfers are being viewed by tens of thousands of Israelis at public screenings around the nation, with a significant event taking place in Tel Aviv. Reuters, JERUSALEM/CAIRO/DUBAI, October 13 U.S. President Donald Trump, who assisted in mediating the truce, declared Monday "a great day" as Hamas turned over all 20 remaining prisoners to Israel, marking a significant step toward putting an end to two years of brutal conflict in Gaza. Following the arrival of the first seven captives earlier Monday, the Israeli military said that it had received the remaining 13 hostages. The announcement caused thousands of people waiting in Tel Aviv's Hostage Square to shout, embrace, and cry.  

Trump's New Tariffs: On Friday, President Donald Trump of the United States declared a new series of punitive tariffs, stating that the US will enact 100% duties on imported branded pharmaceuticals, 25% tariffs on heavy-duty trucks, and 50% tariffs on kitchen cabinets as of October 1.“As of October 1, 2025, we will implement a 100% tariff on any branded or patented pharmaceutical product, unless a company is constructing its pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in the U.S.,” the U.S. President stated in a Truth Social post. Trump stated that the new 100% tariff on all branded or patented pharmaceutical products will be imposed on all imports unless the company has commenced construction of a manufacturing facility in the U.S. The barrage has overshadowed global growth and immobilized business decision-making worldwide, with the Federal Reserve, opens new tab stating that it is also adding to the rise in consumer prices in America. Trump's recent statements on Truth Social did not clarify whether the new levies would be in addition to existing national tariffs. However, trade agreements recently reached with Japan, the EU, and the UK contain clauses that set a maximum limit on tariffs for certain items, such as pharmaceuticals. Tokyo stated that it was still assessing the potential effects of the new measures, which Canberra described as "unfair" and "unjustified."Trump also fulfilled a promise to "bring back" the American furniture industry by announcing a 50% tariff on imported kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities, as well as a 30% tariff on upholstered furniture. All new duties will come into effect starting October 1. Trump stated, "The reason for this is the large-scale 'FLOODING' of these products into the United States by other outside countries."Trump stated that the new 100% tariff on all branded or patented pharmaceutical products will be imposed on all imports unless the company has commenced construction of a manufacturing facility in the U.S. The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, an industry association, stated that companies "keep announcing hundreds of billions in new investments in the U.S. Tariffs jeopardize those plans. During the Trump administration, a dozen investigations were launched to examine the national security implications of importing wind turbines, airplanes, semiconductors, polysilicon, copper, timber and lumber, and critical minerals. These investigations aimed to establish the groundwork for new tariffs.  

For exclusive content and analysis on the actions of billionaires, businesses, and markets, follow Bloomberg India on WhatsApp. Register here. A source knowledgeable about the situation revealed that Indian officials plan to request US trade negotiators this week to facilitate access for thousands of skilled workers, following President Donald Trump’s sudden announcement regarding H-1B visa restrictions.According to the individual, who requested anonymity due to the confidential nature of the negotiations, Indian negotiators headed by Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal will bring up the matter of allowing skilled professionals like IT workers to move freely during their ongoing trade discussions in Washington. Until now, trade negotiations have focused on facilitating access for goods exclusively. However, due to Trump’s recent intensified immigration restrictions, New Delhi has been compelled to broaden the scope of these negotiations to encompass services sectors like IT. Services constitute over 50% of India’s gross domestic product, indicating a significant skew toward this sector in the economy.An email requesting comments went unanswered by India’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry.Trump’s decision to impose a $100,000 charge on new H-1B applications for skilled workers will have a disproportionate impact on Indians, as they constitute two-thirds of the visa recipients. The action jeopardizes the country’s tech services sector, valued at $280 billion, endangering numerous jobs.  

"India is coming to the table. Prime Minister Narendra Modi sent out a very conciliatory, nice, constructive tweet, and President Trump responded to that. We will see how this works," Peter Navarro told CNBC in an interview on Sunday (local time)."India will be joining the table.They have extremely high tariffs on the trading side. Their non-tariff obstacles are extremely high. As with any other nation that engages in such behavior, we had to deal with that," Navarro added."There's also this issue of India buying Russian oil, which it never did," he continued. You know this. It didn't do that prior to 2022.Trump's advisor asserted, "They exploit us through unfair trade, and many workers suffer." "The Russians use that money to purchase weapons, and they use that money to purchase Russian oil."Trump's advisor asserted, "They exploit us through unfair trade, and many workers suffer." "The Russians use that money to purchase weapons, and they use that money to purchase Russian oil."The comments are made as US lead negotiator Brendan Lynch prepares to travel to India late Monday evening for a full day of talks on Tuesday, September 16, to talk about the proposed bilateral trade agreement between the US and India.Navarro had previously stated that trade talks with the US "won't end well" for Delhi until India "comes around" at some time.Howard Lutnick, the secretary of commerce, claimed on Sunday that despite boasting of 1.4 billion people, India will not purchase a single grain of American corn. Additionally, Lutnick cautioned that New Delhi will have a "tough time" doing business with the US until it lowers its tariffs.  

The mother of Donald Trump is from Tong, a little Scottish town of 500 people that was formerly under Viking rule. The Heinz family originated in Kallstadt, a Bavarian hamlet with a population of 1,200, where his grandpa was born. England and Ireland are where Joe Biden's forefathers originated. Even Native Americans, who have lived in America for a far longer time than anyone else, are immigrants. The allure of the nation is such that 160 million adults worldwide state that, given the opportunity, they would also relocate there. That's a lot more than the majority of Americans are willing to let in.The fundamental problem that may cost President Biden the election is this mismatch. Riding "border chaos," Mr. Trump won the Republican nomination in 2016 and went on to win the presidency. He ran his campaign at the time on the false pretense that a record number of people were crossing the border illegally. Although it wasn't true back then, it is now.As the US and Texas governments are at odds, Joe Biden begs for emergency powers to close the overflowing border. In the midst of the US-Texas government crisis, President Joe Biden made a passionate plea to lawmakers on Friday to move forward with a contentious plan to address the extraordinary spike in illegal border crossings. According to him, these border security improvements are the "toughest and fairest set of reforms our country has ever had."Even after months of negotiations between the White House and a bipartisan group of senators, the proposal, which would have tied $61.4 billion in aid to Ukraine with tighter border security measures, is unlikely to pass the Senate due to significant opposition from a number of congressional Republicans.In a message published on X (formerly Twitter), Biden, 81, acknowledged how bad the border situation was. He declared, "It's long past time to fix it."  

One of India's largest trading partners, the US is anticipated to generate $200 billion in revenue this year. However, there are still important problems with bilateral trade.At the 14th Ministerial-level meeting of the India-United States Trade Policy Forum (TPF), which was co-chaired by both delegates in New Delhi on Friday, US Trade Representative (USTR) Katherine Tai brought up the issue. In response, India's Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, vehemently defended New Delhi's import restrictions on laptops, tablets, and servers. According to the joint statement, Goyal also requested that Tai abolish the import prohibition on shrimp that are wild fished at the meeting.Goyal also restated New Delhi’s longtime demand about being reinstated in Washington’s Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) program, which gives duty-free access for some imports from low and middle-income nations. Before the former Donald Trump administration excluded India from the GSP program in 2019, it was one of the program's largest beneficiaries.During the TPF, Goyal also outlined the "challenges" that Indian business investors had in obtaining a US visa and asked Tai to expedite the visa application process. According to the joint statement, the Indian minister also brought attention to problems experienced by Indian experts whose credentials are not accepted in the US labor market.He mentioned that the pharmaceutical industry in the US was India's largest export destination and that the country's exports had increased 6.7% annually over the previous five years.Multiple authorizations may be applied for by importers, and if granted, they will remain in effect until September 30, 2024. Authorizations will be granted for any quantity of shipments for imports through September of the following year. Regarding the scenario that would follow September 2024, the official stated: "We are keeping an eye on imports and analyzing the data." Thus, subsequent actions will be based on whatever information that data may yield. On November 1, 2023, the first day of the new system's implementation, the government approved 110 out of the 111 applications, including those from Apple, Dell, and Lenovo. major applications sought approval for the importation of major IT hardware products, which are estimated to be valued about USD 10 billion. "More imports than were previously authorized annually have already been approved by the administration. Therefore, before making a choice, it is necessary to ascertain which companies are involved and what kind of goods are on the way," the official continued. Along with encouraging home production of these products, India has launched a number of initiatives, including a production linked incentive (PLI) program for the large-scale manufacturing of electronics. The comments take on relevance as the US brought up India's new import rules for laptops and tablets during the Trade Policy Forum (TPF) meeting on January 12 and requested that New Delhi make sure that the industry's trade is not restricted by the country's present online system or related policies.    

Airstrikes against the Houthis in Yemen's capital Sanaa were carried out by the US, UK, and allies in response to the militants' continuous attacks on ships in the Red Sea since November.On Thursday and Friday, US and coalition forces in northern Yemen attacked more than 60 positions spread among 16 Houthi areas. The targets included the capital city of Sanaa, the northwest Houthi stronghold of Saada, and the Houthi Red Sea port of Hudaydah in the Dhamar province. The bombing occurs when Israel has been attacking Gaza, Palestine, and then Lebanon since October 7 with US support. Thousands of lives have been lost as a result, and there have also been injuries and displacement.A new chapter has now begun with the US and its allies attacking Yemen's capital, Sanaa. This has sparked a new conflict that is wreaking even more havoc and misery.To get his opinion on the events, Sputnik India spoke with political and foreign policy analyst Muhammad Taimur Fahad Khan.He went on, "This could result in a worsening of the situation in Yemen and the Middle East as a whole. A further degree of complexity is introduced by Iran's engagement in the region and its resistance to the United States and its allies. Concern Across the Globe Over Another Unsettling History He contended that the incident on Thursday night represents a serious threat to the international world as well as the Middle East.This could lead to widespread unrest and instability that affects areas far outside of the actual battle zone. Dr. Tughral Yamin, an expert at the Institute of Policy Studies in Islamabad, was also interviewed by Sputnik India.The operation was referred to as a “follow-on action” after the US and the UK launched a flurry of land and naval attacks against Houthi military positions throughout Yemen in an effort to prevent the group from attacking military and commercial vessels in the Red Sea.Mohammed al-Attab of Al Jazeera reported from the capital of Yemen, saying, "I heard these explosions and many people talked on social media that they had heard powerful explosions in the capital, Sanaa. " The Houthis' deputy communications secretary, Nasreddin Amer, told Al Jazeera that there were no injuries or damage from the US strike that occurred overnight.Amer declared that there were no casualties, material losses, or human losses and that the Houthis would return with a "strong and effective response." Mohammed Abdulsalam, a spokesman for the Houthis, told the Reuters news agency that the US strike would not stop them from attacking vessels that are connected to Israel.  

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By making significant investments in the nation's artificial intelligence infrastructure, the Stargate project aims to elevate the United States to the top of the global artificial intelligence rankings. It is supported by big firms including MGX, Oracle, OpenAI, and SoftBank. The effort builds smart data centers and sets up mechanisms to support AI across several industries.The initiative has invested the first $100 billion USD to begin the infrastructure construction. Additionally, it claims to help reindustrialize the US economy and generate hundreds of thousands of new employment. In order to maintain America's and its allies' position as technology leaders, Stargate is also intended to strengthen national security and provide a strategic edge in artificial intelligence.Elon Musk has criticized the Stargate AI venture for its lofty objectives and questioned its financial viability, expressing skepticism about SoftBank's capacity to fund such a massive undertaking.Sam Altman responded by supporting the project and pointing out that construction has already begun on the first development site. He emphasized how it may improve national security, develop AI technologies, and grow the American economy. Musk and Altman's argument is representative of the continuous discussions in the tech sector, where executives frequently have divergent opinions about the direction and goals of AI.  

"The Vision Pro, Apple's first mixed reality headset, will go on sale in the US in February, the company said on Tuesday. On January 19, preorders for the headset will go live. The headset will be available at all US Apple Store locations as well as through the company's web store. The Apple Vision Pro was announced in June last year at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2023. The headset supports both augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) technologies and runs on the visionOS operating system. On February 2, the company officially announced on its newsroom website that the Apple Vision Pro would go on sale in the United States. The US Apple Store online and at all of its physical locations will both sell it. At the company's retail locations, customers can register to test the headset out for themselves. The gadget will go up for preorder on January 19 at 5:00 am PST (6.30 pm IST).With 256GB of storage, the Apple Vision Pro starts at $3,499, or approximately Rs. 2,90,000. A Solo Knit Band and a Dual Loop Band are included with the device. A polishing cloth, a battery, a USB Type-C cable, a Light Seal, and two Light Seal Cushions are also included in the package. "ZEISS Optical Inserts are available as readers that magnetically attach to Vision Pro or with a prescription for people who need vision correction. According to Apple, readers will run you $99, or about Rs. 8,000, while prescription lenses will set you back $149, or about Rs. 12,000, for them. For nations other than the US, the Apple Vision Pro's release date and price have not yet been disclosed. The company first entered the spatial computing space with the release of the Apple Vision Pro, which was unveiled at last year's WWDC event in June. It has two high-resolution micro-OLED displays and is powered by visionOS. With an R1 chip to handle input from 12 cameras, 5 sensors, and 6 microphones, it runs on Apple's M2 chips. With its three-dimensional user interface, the headset

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit announced on Thursday that Apple will once more be prohibited from selling watches equipped with blood oxygen sensors.   Apple's attempt to overturn an ITC ban on the company selling the impacted watches in the US was not addressed by the court order issued on Wednesday. However, while that appeal is pending, it lifted an injunction that had prevented the ban from going into effect. An intellectual property dispute with the medical device company Masimo is the reason for the ban. In October, the International Trade Commission found that Apple’s blood oxygen sensors had infringed on Masimo’s intellectual property.During Wednesday afternoon trading, Apple shares saw a slight decline.   Apple is not allowed to import the aforementioned devices, which include the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2. Retailers who still have the impacted watches in stock may continue to sell them, but Apple decided in December to temporarily remove them from both its online and physical stores.  Earlier this week, court filings suggested that Apple had received approval from U.S. Customs for a modified version of its Apple Watches that lack the blood oxygen feature and therefore no longer infringe on Masimo’s intellectual property. It could open a path for a modified Apple Watch to return to U.S. store shelves. An Apple representative earlier this week declined to comment on the Customs decision.After turning down a partnership, Masimo had claimed that Apple had stolen some of its top executives and replicated its technology.   Last month, Masimo CEO Joe Kiani told CNBC that his company is willing to reach a settlement with Apple. If Apple must continue to keep its latest smartwatches from U.S. stores, it could complicate repairs at Apple stores, which often swap broken devices with replacements. Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the denial.

Hong Kong: In response to increasing competitive pressure in the largest smartphone market in the world, Apple is offering unusual discounts on its iPhones in China, slashing retail prices by as much as 500 yuan ($70). On Monday, the US tech giant's Chinese website displayed a 5% price reduction on select iPhone models. The time-limited promotion, branded as a Lunar New Year event, will last from January 18 through January 21 in a lead-up to the holiday in mid-February. In China, sales of Apple's most recent iPhone 15 series of phones have been significantly lower than those of earlier models.Local competitors like Xiaomi and Huawei Technologies provide competitive models, and according to sources, some businesses and government agencies have been restricting employees' use of Apple devices, which is similar to the US government's ban on Chinese apps due to security concerns. According to a client note from Jefferies analysts, Chinese iPhone sales fell 30% in the first week of 2024 compared to the same period the previous year. Sales had already decreased 3% for the entire year of 2023. Analysts predict that this year will see more competition. For years, Apple has not lowered the cost of its most recent iPhone models. The cuts come after it surprised the market by not raising prices for the iPhone 15 series at its September launch.

The smartwatch industry was dominated for a long time by a small number of powerful companies that were able to set their own prices and continue to defraud consumers. However, a new tech startup is upending the $45 billion smartwatch market. Even the biggest tech geeks agree that CrossFit Watch has figured out a way to offer a far superior product at a fraction of the cost.With the CrossFit Watch, you can get the advantages of a hands-free headset, digital watch, fitness band, and health monitor all in one. It is pleasant to wear around the wrist. Superior to a few of the high-end smartwatches I own from other major tech brands. strenuous exercise and outdoor activities? No worries, even if you try to scratch or break the tempered touchscreen glass or the hardened aluminum shell, it won't break. The CrossFit Watch, in my opinion, is the smartwatch of the future.