The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in Washington DC on January 17, 2025 by Indian Ambassador Vinay Kwatra and Acting U.S. Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) Kristie Canegallo, the MEA said.
| Photo Credit: ANI

India and the U.S. have inked an agreement to enhance cooperation in cybercrime investigations, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

The signing of the pact comes days before the Biden administration hands over charge to the Trump administration.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed in Washington DC on Friday (January 17, 2025) by Indian Ambassador Vinay Kwatra and Acting U.S. Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) Kristie Canegallo, the MEA said.

It said the agreement allows the respective agencies of the two countries to step up the level of cooperation and training with respect to the use of cyber threat intelligence and digital forensics in criminal investigations.

From India, the Indian Cybercrime Coordination Centre (I4C) of the Home Ministry is responsible for the execution of the MoU.

On the U.S. side, the DHS and its constituent agencies U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations Cyber Crimes Center are tasked with implementing the pact.

In a move that could potentially delay President-elect Donald Trump’s plans to crack down on immigration, the Biden administration has extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for over 900,000 immigrants from Venezuela, El Salvador, Ukraine, and Sudan. This decision, announced just days before Trump’s inauguration, grants these individuals a deportation reprieve and access to work permits for an additional 18 months.

The move is seen as a strategic effort to safeguard the rights of vulnerable immigrants, who have been living and working in the US under TPS. By extending the program, the Biden administration is effectively putting in place a temporary barrier against any potential attempts by the Trump administration to dismantle or significantly alter the program.

TPS has become a contentious issue, with Republicans arguing that it has been granted too liberally to too many foreigners, and acts as a draw to migrants to come to the US illegally. However, the program has been expanded aggressively under Biden, with over 1 million people from 17 countries currently living in the US under TPS.

The extension of TPS for Venezuelans, in particular, is significant, given the country’s ongoing humanitarian crisis. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) cited the “inhumane” government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who was sworn in for a third term on Friday, as justification for the extension.

Countries affected by the TPS extension:

– Venezuela: Over 600,000 Venezuelans will benefit from the extension, which is based on the “humanitarian emergency” the country continues to face due to political and economic crises under the Maduro regime.
– El Salvador: More than 230,000 Salvadorans are protected under the program, which was first extended to the country in 2001 after a series of earthquakes.
– Ukraine: Approximately 100,000 people from Ukraine will benefit from the extension, which is based on the ongoing conflict in the region.
– Sudan: 1,900 individuals from Sudan will also benefit from the extension.

The TPS program was established under President George H.W. Bush as part of the Immigration Act of 1990. It is intended to provide foreigners already in the US with protections from deportation amid political strife, natural disasters, or armed conflict in their home countries.
 

Washington:

A US appeals court on Tuesday ruled the Federal Communications Commission did not have the legal authority to reinstate landmark net neutrality rules.

A three-judge panel of the Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said the FCC lacked authority to reinstate the rules initially implemented in 2015 by the agency under Democratic former President Barack Obama but then repealed by the commission in 2017 under Republican former President Donald Trump.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

‘As the world braces for Trump 2.0, South Asia will not be immune to the broader structural shifts’
| Photo Credit: AP

In January 2025, Donald Trump will be sworn-in as the 47th President of the United States of America. Mr. Trump’s re-election, and subsequent return to office, have triggered curiosity and “nervousness” in many countries. However, in South Asia, he is likely to offer a distinct continuity. His ideology and foreign policy goals will continue to push for increased cooperation, collaboration, and consultation with India in South Asia even as his leadership style, decision-making nature, and management of great power politics will provide new opportunities and challenges.

Factors in U.S.-India ties

India and the United States have enjoyed an upward trajectory in their relationship since the beginning of the millennium. Acknowledging its leadership in the region, the U.S. even labelled India as a net-security provider in 2009. The Biden administration (2021-24) has emulated a similar outlook. With China’s increasing aggressiveness and assertiveness, India and the U.S. have strengthened their engagements and cooperation in South Asia. Through its Indo-Pacific strategy, the U.S. wants to supplement India’s regional leadership to counter China and maintain the values-based order. Its cooperation with India on the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) projects in Nepal and helping Sri Lanka out of its economic crisis, indicate this growing cooperation. Besides, Mr. Biden’s passive relations with Pakistan after withdrawing from Afghanistan helped India and the U.S. foster a mutual vision for the region.

The relationship has not been free of dissonance and divergences. New Delhi’s primary objective of cooperating with the U.S. is to push back against China and offer alternative development partnerships. However, the Biden administration has selectively scrutinised some countries on democracy and human rights under the pretext of upholding a values-based order and pushing back China. While India supported the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh and pragmatically engaged with Myanmar’s junta, the U.S. pressured both regimes, including imposing targeted sanctions. This pressure nudged them closer to China. Similarly, sanctioning Indian firms for collaborating with Russia and accusations of corruption against the Adani Group has faltered two Indian projects in Sri Lanka, leaving India to face the brunt and consequences of the decisions.

There could be less irritants

However, Mr. Trump’s return is likely to assuage these irritants. As in his first term, Mr. Trump has continued to hint at burden sharing, reciprocity, nationalism, and competing against China in his foreign policy. If Mr. Trump walks the talk, he will prioritise pushing back against China while giving less importance to human rights, democracy, and nation-building. He would also want India to take the lead in the region while the U.S. would supplement the same. This would leave less space for divergences and enhance collaborative policies between both countries. Another potential irritant between both countries was concerning their policies on Afghanistan and Pakistan. During his first term, Mr. Trump punished and cooperated with Pakistan and urged India to take an active role in finding a sustainable solution in Afghanistan. With the U.S.’s withdrawal from Afghanistan and Pakistan’s little strategic importance, this issue is of little dissonance now.

During his first term, Mr. Trump promoted capacity building, development assistance, defence agreements, and cooperation with the South Asian countries. This nature of assistance would continue, given his ambitions to counter China and supplement India. Mr. Trump’s little focus on democracy, nation-building, and human rights (like in his first term) would also benefit Sri Lanka, where a new government is still looking for economic assistance and exploring a lasting solution to the Tamil issue.

This approach could benefit Myanmar and the Taliban too, although it is unclear to what extent Washington would like to engage them. However, Bangladesh, which is undergoing a political transition under the new regime, will face challenges and a potential reduction in assistance.

China and the region

Mr. Trump’s confrontational approach to China will also put South Asian countries under more pressure. Given his erratic decisions, Washington will likely be less tolerant of South Asian countries’ agency and consistent playing of one great power against the other. Besides, the region’s consistent politicisation and ambiguity over investments, defence cooperation, and agreements will likely invite more pressure from the U.S. to seek reciprocity. However, his promise of bringing peace between Russia and Ukraine and resolving the crisis in West Asia (if successful) will help weakened South Asian economies to overcome their food and fuel inflationary pressures.

As the world braces for Trump 2.0, South Asia will not be immune to the broader structural shifts. Yet, the region is likely to see more continuity. With India and the U.S. likely to increase their cooperation in South Asia and bridge their divergences, Mr. Trump’s ideology, leadership style, and management of great power politics will have opportunities and challenges for the region. How South Asian countries will cope with the new administration, even as they balance China and India, is yet to be seen.

Harsh V. Pant is Vice-President for Studies and Foreign Policy at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF). Aditya Gowdara Shivamurthy is an Associate Fellow, Neighbourhood Studies, Observer Research Foundation

Washington:

The Biden administration has moved to forgive about $4.7 billion in US loans to Ukraine, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Wednesday, as outgoing officials seek to do what they can before leaving office to bolster Ukraine in its war against Russia.

A funding bill passed by the US Congress in April included just over $9.4 billion of forgivable loans for economic and budgetary support to Ukraine’s government, half of which the president could cancel after November 15. The bill appropriated a total of $61 billion to help Ukraine fight the full-scale invasion Moscow launched in February 2022.

“We have taken the step that was outlined in the law to cancel those loans,” Miller told a press briefing, adding that the step was taken in recent days.

Congress could still block the move, Miller said.

The Senate is due to vote later on Wednesday on a motion of disapproval of loan forgiveness for Ukraine put forward by Republican Senator Rand Paul, a frequent critic of US support for Ukraine. The majority of senators from both parties support aid to Ukraine.

President Joe Biden has ordered officials to rush as much aid to Ukraine as possible before he leaves office on Jan. 20 amid concerns President-elect Donald Trump could limit US support.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Washington:

The Biden administration will not renew a temporary humanitarian entry program for hundreds of thousands of migrants with US sponsors who arrived in recent years, the US Department of Homeland Security said on Friday (October 4).

Some 530,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela have entered the US by air since October 2022 and received two-year grants under the “parole” program that will begin to expire in the coming weeks.

However, many of those migrants could remain in the country under other programs.

The parole program allows migrants with existing US sponsors to enter the country for humanitarian reasons or if their entry is deemed a significant public benefit. It will continue to accept new applications from those abroad.

US President Joe Biden’s administration launched the parole program as a way to provide migrants avenues to enter legally and decrease illegal crossings at the US-Mexico border. Record numbers of migrants were caught crossing illegally during Biden’s presidency but crossings have plummeted in recent months as Biden rolled out new border restrictions.

Immigration is a top voter issue in the Nov. 5 election that will pit Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris against Republican Donald Trump, who has criticized the parole program.

The decision not to renew the parole program for the four nationalities follows the plan outlined by DHS when the program was launched, spokesperson Naree Ketudat said in a statement.

Migrants without permission to remain in US “will need to depart the United States prior to the expiration of their authorized parole period or may be placed in removal proceedings,” Ketudat said.

Other parole programs for Ukrainians and Afghans have been extended.

Most of the four nationalities allowed entry under the so-called CHNV parole program have avenues to stay in the US.

Many Cubans are eligible for permanent residence and eventual citizenship under the 1966 Cuban Adjustment Act.

Most Haitians and Venezuelans in the US are eligible for Temporary Protected Status, which grants them deportation relief and work permits.

All four nationalities could apply for asylum.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Progress in defence partnerships, critical emerging technologies and economic prosperity can be achieved when an “ambitious India” works with an “ambitious America” during Modi 3.0, U.S. envoy Eric Garcetti has said.

Congratulating Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP and the ruling NDA coalition for their successful election, Mr. Garcetti said in Modi 3.0 is a time to turn dreams of the bilateral relationship into reality.

“I think in Modi 3.0, it’s a time for us to take our dreams and to really make them reality,” Mr. Garcetti said in the interview with PTI, the first by a senior Biden Administration official after the recent general elections in India in which after which Prime Minister Modi was voted to power for a historic third consecutive term.

“Whether it’s the work that we’re doing together on our defence partnership, whether it’s our critical emerging technologies, or whether it’s the work that we’re doing to build economic prosperity, I think those three things in Modi 3.0, we can look forward to seeing an ambitious India working with an ambitious America to achieve,” Mr. Garcetti said.

“I think 3.0 is all about how we make the U.S. and India, again, this relationship that can do good not only for our people but in the world, that can show the world that democracies are better than dictatorships, that a free and open Indo-Pacific is something that is a benefit to every human being,” he said.

Mr. Garcetti, who recently completed one year as the United States envoy to India, said that during Prime Minister Modi’s second term, “we saw a state visit, the visit of the President during G20, and over 150 agreements reached on everything from the seabed to the stars”. “Whether it’s in space, whether it’s in health, whether it’s in defence, whether it’s in trade, we resolved past conflicts and really moved forward with our ambitions in the future,” the 53-year-old former Mayor of Los Angeles city, said.

Mr. Garcetti, a close confidant of President Joe Biden is currently in Washington DC to attend the Select USA Summit, in which India has the largest delegation.

He will also address the U.S.-India Aviation Summit, the first in seven years.

Responding to a question on the Indian elections, he said, “First of all, what an impressive election to see a country of 1.4 billion people exercise their right to vote, to see the logistics, the security, the work that was done to ensure the largest democratic election in the world was awesome to see.” “Second, elections are all about people exercising their fundamental rights. It was wonderful for us to see that. We are the two largest democracies in the world,” he said.

Congratulating Prime Minister Modi, the BJP, and the coalition for their successful election, he said, “It certainly is a group of leaders that we know well, that we respect well, and we work with incredibly well.” “We can’t wait to get back to business. But I assure people, even in the midst of an election, the U.S.-India relationship didn’t take a pause and didn’t miss a beat,” he said.

“We continued that critical work, even in the height of the Indian election, as I know it will continue in the height of ours,” he said in response to a question.

Describing his ambassadorship as the best job in the world, he said he feels like the luckiest guy on the face of the earth.

“Personally, I have loved the warmth that Indians have received me with. I love my interactions with my Indian counterparts,” he said.

Underscoring that he has tried to promote two things, Mr. Garcetti said, “One is that this is a bigger relationship than just us. Whether we work together in Africa, Pacific Island countries, Southeast Asia, in the multilateral space, in delivering the best G20 ever, that when India and the U.S. are aligned, we’re an unstoppable force.” Secondly, Mr. Garcetti asserted that this is more than about governments to governments.

“What I have felt is not just my amazing interactions with the Prime Minister, with the Minister of External Affairs and other members of the cabinet, it’s been local people in small villages, in remote states, in places off the tourist map where I really have seen the soul of India alive and breathing and its ambitions,” he said.

He said his fundamental impression of India as a diverse democracy full of the “most generous, welcoming people anywhere on the face of the earth” hasn’t changed.

“It’s a place that is always in a constant state of flux, that is the crossroad of the past and the future together. What has changed is seeing on the ground what’s being actually built,” he said.

“When I arrived in India when I was just 14 years old, you know, it was an underdeveloped country that was struggling with infrastructure, could barely get the power there, and wasn’t connected to the international economy,” he said.

“It was a proud, independent nation, but it wasn’t yet prosperous. And what I can see now is that vision of prosperity for everyone, “ he said.

“I also see the empowerment of people who are the most creative, entrepreneurial, and also caring people that I’ve ever met, who want to help their fellow Indians do better,” he added.

“I also see the breakdown of kind of the insular look of India having to survive on its own, it’s now able to project itself into the world, whether it’s protecting the oceans, as we’ve seen in the West Indian Ocean recently, its piracy, whether it’s in development and health, manufacturing the world’s vaccines,” he said.

“Those are the sorts of things that, to me, inspire me that the India of tomorrow is different in its capacity, but it fundamentally hasn’t changed in its soul,” Mr. Garcetti said.

U.S. President Joe Biden.
| Photo Credit: REUTERS

The Biden administration has told key lawmakers it would send more than $1 billion in additional arms and ammunition to Israel, three congressional aides said on May 15. But it was not immediately known how soon the weapons would be delivered.

It’s the first arms shipment to Israel to be revealed since the administration put another arms transfer, consisting of 3,500 bombs of up to 2,000 pounds each, on hold this month. The Biden administration, citing concern for civilian casualties in Gaza, has said it paused that bomb transfer to keep Israel from using those particular munitions in its offensive in the crowded southern Gaza city of Rafah.

The package disclosed on May 15 includes about $700 million for tank ammunition, $500 million in tactical vehicles and $60 million in mortar rounds, the congressional aides said. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss an arms transfer that has not yet been made public.

There was no immediate indication of when the arms would be sent. Two congressional aides said the shipment is not part of the long-delayed foreign aid package that Congress passed and Biden signed last month. It wasn’t known if the shipment was the latest tranche from an existing arms sale or something new.

The Biden administration has come under criticism from both sides of the political spectrum over its military support for Israel’s now seven-month-old war against Hamas in Gaza — at a time when Biden is battling for reelection against former President Donald Trump.

Some of Mr. Biden’s fellow Democrats have pushed him to limit transfers of offensive weapons to Israel to pressure the U.S. ally to do more to protect Palestinian civilians. Protests on college campuses around the U.S. have driven home the message this spring.

Republican lawmakers have seized on the administration’s pause on the bomb transfers, saying any lessening of U.S. support for Israel — its closest ally in the Middle East — weakens that country as it fights Hamas and other Iran-backed groups. In the House, they are planning to advance a bill this week to mandate the delivery of offensive weaponry for Israel.

Despite the one-time suspension of a bomb shipment, Mr. Biden and administration officials have made clear they will continue other weapons deliveries and overall military support to Israel, which is the largest recipient of U.S. military aid.

Mr. Biden will see to it that “Israel has all of the military means it needs to defend itself against all of its enemies, including Hamas,” national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters on May 13. “For him, this is very straightforward: He’s going to continue to provide Israel with all of the capabilities it needs, but he does not want certain categories of American weapons used in a particular type of operation in a particular place. And again, he has been clear and consistent with that.”

The Wall Street Journal first reported the plans for the $1 billion weapons package to Israel.

In response to House Republicans’ plan to move forward with a bill to mandate the delivery of offensive weapons for Israel, the White House said on May 14 that Mr. Biden would veto the bill if it were to pass Congress.

The bill has practically no chance in the Democratic-controlled Senate. But House Democrats are somewhat divided on the issue, and roughly two dozen have signed onto a letter to the Biden administration saying they were “deeply concerned about the message” sent by pausing the bomb shipment.

One of the letter’s signers, New York Rep. Ritchie Torres, said he would likely vote for the bill, despite the White House’s opposition.

“I have a general rule of supporting pro-Israel legislation unless it includes a poison pill — like cuts to domestic policy,” he said.

In addition to the written veto threat, the White House has been in touch with various lawmakers and congressional aides about the legislation, according to an administration official.

“We strongly, strongly oppose attempts to constrain the President’s ability to deploy U.S. security assistance consistent with U.S. foreign policy and national security objectives,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said this week, adding that the administration plans to spend “every last cent” appropriated by Congress in the national security supplemental package that was signed into law by Mr. Biden last month.

Washington:

The grouping of India, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and the US continues to be a priority for the Biden administration and is not on the back-burner due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, the White House has said.

The I2U2 grouping remains critically important and President Joe Biden is “deeply committed to making sure that we continue” with the grouping, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters at the White House here on Wednesday.

Asked if the grouping is now on the back-burner or no longer active because of the Israel-Hamas conflict, the official said, “No, not at all, still a priority”.

“The I2U2 remains critically important and the president is deeply committed to making sure that we continue with the I2U2, obviously with our partnership among our four countries and beyond through innovative, inclusive and science-based solutions to advance… let’s not forget, enhance food and energy security space operations and other ventures, advancing projects on water conservation, waste management and other areas,” Jean-Pierre said.

So, there is a strong future for the I2U2 and “we’re looking forward to continuing that partnership” and it has not taken on the back-burner, the White House official said. “It certainly continues to be a priority,” Jean-Pierre said.

The I2U2’s first summit was held on July 14, 2022, to establish the group.

This grouping identifies bankable projects and initiatives to tackle some of the biggest challenges confronting the world, with particular focus on joint investments and new initiatives in water, energy, transportation, space, health, food security, and technology.

It also aims to mobilise private sector capital and expertise to achieve a variety of goals, including modernising infrastructure, advancing low carbon development pathways, and improving public health.

I2U2 partnership projects and initiatives are not limited in geographic scope – the group will explore opportunities anywhere it can make a positive impact, the State Department said. 

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Washington:

A US Senator has introduced a resolution in the Senate, urging the Biden administration to engage with India to “reverse” its policies that allegedly discriminate on the basis of religion and push for an end to violence against peaceful protesters in the country.

“Religious freedom is a fundamental human right, and when any country infringes on it, the United States must stand up and speak out,” Senator Tammy Baldwin said in a statement after introducing the resolution this week.

“I am calling on the United States to continue pushing the government of India to reverse course on the systematic religious and political persecution that is endangering and disenfranchising innocent civilians,” he said.

India has previously trashed “motivated” and “biased” reports by the US State Department on religious freedom that criticised the country for alleged attacks on minorities.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said in May this year such reports continue to be based on “misinformation and flawed understanding”.

The resolution urges the government to engage with the Indian government to end the persecution of, and violence against, religious minorities and human rights defenders in India, and work to reverse government policies that discriminate against Muslims and Christians on the basis of faith.

It also calls for an end to the demolition of homes, businesses, and places of worship belonging to Muslims and Christians.

Welcoming the resolution, Rasheed Ahmed, Executive Director of the Indian American Muslim Council, said rising social conflict and democratic backslide in India will weaken and not strengthen India’s relevance as a global bulwark against anti-democratic forces.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)