Ex-FBI informant charged with lying about Joe Biden and his son
1 www.indoustribune.com
Friday, 16 February, 2024
VOL: 01 • ISSUE: 15
IndoUS Tribune Newsdesk
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he U.S. special counsel leading a criminal probe into President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, said a former FBI informant was charged with lying about the pair’s alleged involvement in business dealings with Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings. In a statement on Thursday, Special Counsel David Weiss, said a federal grand jury had indicted Alexander Smirnov, 43, on charges of making a “false statement” and “creating a false and fictitious record” in relation to an FBI probe. Smirnov faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison if convicted. Burisma and Hunter Biden’s role at the company have been heavily scrutinized, following unproven claims from Republican former President Donald Trump and others that Democrat Joe Biden improperly tried to help his son’s business interests in Ukraine. The White House has denied the claims.
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16 FEBRUARY 2024
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Concerns mount over rising violence against Indians in US, White House says ‘working very hard’ to address the issue IndoUS Tribune Newsdesk
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sserting that there is no excuse for violence based on race or gender, the White House has said that the US is working very hard to thwart and disrupt attacks on Indians as well as Indian-origin students. A series of attacks beginning this year has put the focus back on the security and safety of the Indian students across the country which has witnessed more than four deaths from the community. “There’s no excuse for violence, certainly based on race or gender or religion or any other factor. That’s just unacceptable here in the United States,” John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House, said on Thursday. Allaying the fears of parents in India as well as in the US, Kirby said President Joe Biden and his administration are working “very hard”
to address the situation.
they’ll be held properly accountable,” Kirby said in response to a question.
“The President and this administration have been working very, very hard to make sure we’re doing everything we can to work with state and local authorities to try to thwart and disrupt those kinds of attacks and make it clear to anybody who might consider them that
Kirby’s statement comes amid numerous reports of attacks on and deaths of Indianorigin students in different parts of America since January 2024.
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PM After ‘positive’ discussion, Centre-farmers to Celebrating Modi’s visit, Burj hold fourth round of meeting on February 18 Khalifa lit up with Indian Tricolor
IndoUS Tribune Newsdesk
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ven as protesting farmers from Punjab continued to camp near different locations on the inter-state boundaries with Haryana on Thursday, another round of meetings between farmer representatives and Union Ministers would be now held on February 18, after ‘positive’ discussions were held between Centre-farmers in the meeting concluded on the intervening night of Thursday-Friday. The Kisan Mazdoor Morcha and the Sanyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) — the two umbrella bodies of around 200 farmers’ and farm laborer unions — had given the call for the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march as they planned to lay siege to the national capital to press for fulfillment of their demands. The third round of meetings in which according to Union ministers and farmer leaders a ‘positive’ discussion ended late at night in Chandigarh. Union Ministers Arjun Munda, Piyush Goyal and Nityanand Rai and farmer leaders Jagjit Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher were among those who participated in the meeting. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also attended the meeting. After the first two meetings remained inconclusive, this was the third meeting between the farmer leaders and the Centre. After the meeting, in which deliberation over farmers’ demands, including giving a legal guarantee to the Minimum Support
Price (MSP) was held, Union Minister Arjun Munda said the meeting between the government and farmers was held in a very cordial manner in which positive deliberation took place. “Taking cognizance of the issues that were highlighted by the farmers it has been decided to convene next meeting on February 18. Together, we will find a solution peacefully,” he said. On their third day of protest, farmers in huge numbers continued to camp at other inter-state boundaries with Haryana including Shambu-Ambala and KhanauriJind and there were no reports of a clash between the police personnel and farmers. Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal
said “...Elaborate discussions were held surrounding MSP, loan waiver, etc, which were positive. Now, another round of meeting has been fixed for Sunday (Feb 18),” he said. Farmers would continue camp at boundaries with Haryana till the next meeting. Earlier, addressing a press conference at the Shambhu border, Sarwan Singh Pandher showed tear gas shells, alleging paramilitary personnel deputed by Harayna were using force against farmers, injuring many farmers. Mr. Pandher said smoke cell air bursts and smoke cell ground bursts were being used against farmers.
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heathed in the hues of the Indian Tricolor, Dubai’s iconic Burj Khalifa was lit up with the words ‘Guest of Honor – Republic of India’ ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s keynote address at the 2024 World Governments Summit held in the emirate on Wednesday. Modi was on a two-day visit to the UAE, his seventh in ten years, to deepen bilateral relations and inaugurate the BAPS Mandir, the first Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi. The Burj Khalifa was last lit up with the Indian Tricolor on India’s 77th Independence Day on August 15, 2023 with the national anthem ‘Jana Gana Mana’ playing in the background.