India-EU trade pact triggers alarm bells in Washington

IANS | January 29, 2026 7:33 AM

Washington, Jan 29 (IANS) Washington reacted with unease after India and the European Union sealed a landmark free trade agreement, with influential lawmakers, top administration officials, and policy experts warning that America risks being sidelined.

US Senators clash over DHS funding as Republican warn of govt shutdown

IANS | January 29, 2026 7:26 AM

Washington, Jan 29 (IANS) A bitter fight over funding for the Department of Homeland Security escalated in the US Senate, with Republicans warning of a possible government shutdown and Democrats demanding changes to rein in immigration enforcement agencies after recent fatal incidents.

Trump touts tech boom, market highs as firms back new accounts

IANS | January 29, 2026 6:48 AM

Washington, Jan 29 (IANS) US President Donald Trump has claimed a surge in investment, record stock market gains, and strong backing from major technology, finance, and consumer companies, as he argued the United States is entering an unprecedented economic expansion.

Rubio says Venezuela was China’s oil base in US backyard

IANS | January 29, 2026 6:34 AM

Washington, Jan 29 (IANS) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has told lawmakers that Venezuela under Nicolas Maduro had become a strategic base for China, Russia, and Iran in the Western Hemisphere, warning that Beijing had been receiving Venezuelan oil at deep discounts while expanding its influence close to the United States.

Chinese President Xi Jinping's top military command consumed by paranoia: Report

IANS | January 28, 2026 9:30 PM

Washington, Jan 28 (IANS) As China prepares for the 'Two Sessions' in March, the country’s biggest annual political event, new appointments are expected with key positions to be filled by Chinese President Xi Jinping’s handpicked loyalists. However, new appointments cannot hide the fact that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) aim is to become a world-class military in the coming years and will encounter immediate challenges, a report said on Wednesday.