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Biden condemns Russian missile strikes across Ukraine

Pic credits Instagram

The President added that the US and it allies will “continue to impose costs on Russia for its aggression, hold Putin and Russia accountable for its atrocities and war crimes…reports Asian Lite News

US President Joe Biden said that that Washington “strongly condemns” Russian missile strikes across Ukraine, including at the centre of Kiev, adding that they once again demonstrated the “utter brutality of Putins illegal war on the Ukrainian people”.

In a statement issued by the White House on Monday, Biden said: “These attacks killed and injured civilians and destroyed targets with no military purpose… These attacks only further reinforce our commitment to stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes.”

The President added that the US and it allies will “continue to impose costs on Russia for its aggression, hold Putin and Russia accountable for its atrocities and war crimes, and provide the support necessary for Ukrainian forces to defend their country and their freedom”.

“We again call on Russia to end this unprovoked aggression immediately and remove its troops from Ukraine,” Biden was quoted as saying in the statement.

The President’s statement came just hours after multiple missile strikes targeted Ukrainian cities, including the capital which was hit for the very first time since the war broke out on February 24.

Russian missile strikes in Ukraine.(photo:instagram)

According to Ukrainian officials, 83 missiles were launched of which more than 43 were shot down.

At least 14 people were killed and scores more were injured, the BBC quoted the officials as saying.

Several regions were left without electricity and water after missiles hit energy infrastructure.

Residents in Kiev said Russia appeared to be targeting civilian areas which were busy with Monday morning commuters, including the children’s playground, university and the popular Taras Shevchenko park.

Responding to the Monday’s strikes, Russian President Vladimir Putin said they were in retaliation for the October 8 explosion on a key bridge linking Russia to Crimea.

Biden was one of many foreign leaders to speak with his Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenksy during which the American President “pledged to continue providing Ukraine with the support needed to defend itself, including advanced air defence systems”, according to the White House.

The US President also “underscored his ongoing engagement with allies and partners to continue imposing costs on Russia, holding Russia accountable for its war crimes and atrocities, and providing Ukraine with security, economic, and humanitarian assistance”.

Later in the day, Zelensky said in a video address to the nation: “Restoration work is currently underway across the country. We will restore all objects that were damaged by today’s attack by Russian terrorists. It’s only a matter of time.

“Out of 84 Russian missiles launched against Ukraine, 43 were shot down. Out of 24 Russian drones, 13 were shot down.

“The danger is still there. But we are fighting… Ukraine cannot be intimidated. We united even more instead. Ukraine cannot be stopped. We are convinced even more that terrorists must be neutralised.

“Now the occupiers are not capable of opposing us on the battlefield already, that is why they resort to this terror. Well, we’ll make the battlefield even more excruciating for the enemy. And we will restore everything that was destroyed.

Also condemning the missile strikes, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply shocked” and described the attacks as “another unacceptable escalation of the war” for which civilians were paying the highest price.

The European Union said a war crime had been committed, while European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Russia stood for terror and brutality.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at the opening ceremony of the Army-2022 International Military-Technical Forum and the International Army Games 2022 in Moscow Region, Russia on Aug. 15, 2022. (Kremlin press release/IANS)

“Strikes a response to Kiev’s terrorism”

Russian President Vladimir Putin has warned that any further Ukrainian “terrorist” assaults on Russian soil will be met with a significant military response. He was speaking after a wave of missiles struck Ukraine on Monday morning, the media reported.

Putin confirmed that Russian troops carried out “massive strikes with long-range precision weapons on Ukrainian objects of energy, and military control and communications”. The response came two days after an explosion damaged the strategic Crimean Bridge, for which officials in Kiev claimed responsibility, RT reported.

“If there are further attempts to conduct terrorist attacks on our soil, Russia will respond firmly and on a scale corresponding to the threats created against Russia,” Putin added, RT reported.

Earlier in the day, multiple regions of Ukraine came under missile strikes, with at least 11 key infrastructure facilities damaged, according to Ukrainian Prime Minister Denis Shmygal. Putin stated that Russia was retaliating for a number of attempts to strike Russian infrastructure that have been attributed to Kiev.

Among other things, Ukraine has damaged high-voltage power lines that transmit electricity generated by the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant, tried to sabotage the TurkStream natural gas pipeline, and was behind Saturday’s explosion that damaged the Crimean Bridge, Putin stated.

“The Kiev regime has been using terrorist methods for a very long time,” the Russian president said, citing targeted assassinations of public figures, the indiscriminate shelling of Donbass cities and of the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant as examples of such actions.

“De facto, the Kiev regime has put itself on par with international terrorist groups, the most odious of them. Leaving such crimes without a response has become impossible,” he stressed, before confirming that Russia had attacked Ukrainian infrastructure, RT reported.

In addition to blaming Ukraine for the series of attacks on Russian infrastructure, Putin mentioned the disabling of the Nord Stream undersea pipelines. He said that Russia was being barred by European nations from investigating the sabotage and reiterated that “we all know well the ultimate beneficiary of that crime”.

ALSO READ: UN to take up Russian annexations in Ukraine

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N-risk highest since Cuban Missile Crisis, says Biden   

President compares threat now with the Cuban Missile Crisis, which brought world to brink of catastrophe in 1962…reports Asian Lite News

President Joe Biden has warned the risk of nuclear “armageddon” is at its highest since the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, as Moscow talks openly of the possibility of using tactical nuclear weapons in its invasion of Ukraine.

Speaking to party donors, Biden said Russian President Vladimir Putin was “not joking when he talks about potential use of tactical nuclear weapons or biological or chemical weapons, because his military is, you might say, significantly underperforming.”

And he challenged Russian nuclear doctrine, warning that the use of a lower-yield tactical weapon could quickly spiral out of control.

“I don’t think there’s any such thing as the ability to easily (use) a tactical nuclear weapon and not end up with Armageddon,” Biden added.

“We have not faced the prospect of Armageddon since Kennedy and the Cuban Missile Crisis.”

The 13-day crisis in 1962, when the US discovered the then Soviet Union had deployed nuclear missiles to Cuba, is thought to be the closest the world has ever come to nuclear annihilation.

Disaster was averted thanks to deft diplomacy.

US officials have been warning for months of the prospect that Moscow could use weapons of mass destruction in Ukraine as it faces a series of strategic setbacks on the battlefield and Ukraine retakes more of its lands in the south and east of the country.

Biden’s remarks are the starkest yet made by anyone in the US government about the nuclear stakes, but the president also stressed officials were trying to “figure out” how Putin might be able to extricate himself from the situation.

“Where does he find a way out?” Biden asked. “Where does he find himself in a position that he does not only lose face, but lose significant power within Russia?”

Putin has repeatedly alluded to using his country’s vast nuclear arsenal, including last month when he announced the annexation of four areas of Ukraine that Russia does not fully control.

“We will defend our land with all the powers and means at our disposal,” he said.

The annexations followed hastily-organised referendums in the four areas that Ukraine and its allies condemned as a “sham” and illegal.

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres described the plan as a “dangerous escalation“.

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier on Thursday that Putin understood that the “world will never forgive” a Russian nuclear strike.

“He understands that after the use of nuclear weapons he would be unable any more to preserve, so to speak, his life, and I’m confident of that,” Zelenskyy said.

Intelligence agencies believe that Putin has come to see defeat in Ukraine as an existential threat to his regime, which he associates with an existential threat to Russia, potentially justifying, according to his worldview, the use of nuclear weapons.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks at the opening ceremony of the Army-2022 International Military-Technical Forum and the International Army Games 2022 in Moscow Region, Russia on Aug. 15, 2022. (Kremlin press release/IANS)

Putin urges measures to cushion sanctions

Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has demanded economic measures in response to Western sanctions, which are expected to intensify.

“It is important to understand that the sanctions pressure on Russia will only increase,” Putin said at a government meeting on Thursday via video link.

“In this regard, it is necessary to plan flexible, effective actions for both short and medium terms and consistently implement them,” the President said.

Putin asked the government and the central bank to ensure a sustainable recovery of macroeconomic indicators.

Export-oriented sectors remain under pressure, primarily those targeting European countries, and it takes time for Russian exporters to switch to other markets, he noted.

Meanwhile, Putin pointed out some positive trends, as industrial production had returned to the level of the previous year.

Worst-hit industries, such as the automotive industry and metallurgy, are gradually recovering and agriculture also shows good dynamics, he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.(photo: https://www.instagram.com/zelenskiy_official/)

Russia will lose, says Zelensky

Virtually addressing the first meeting of a new political club of nations, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said for Russia to lose its ongoing war against Kiev, “we must implement our peace formula”.

On Thursday, leaders from the European Union (EU), the UK, Turkey, Norway and the Balkans met at the first European Political Community in Prague, during which they discussed energy, migration and security, with a particular focus on the war in Ukraine.

Congratulating on the formation of the Community, the President said that due to this initiative, “we have received not just another format of cooperation in Europe, but an extremely powerful opportunity to restore peace in Europe”, according to a statement issued by Zelensky’s office.

“We are now in a strong position to direct all possible powers of Europe to end the war and guarantee long-term peace, for Ukraine, for Europe, for the world.

“Ukraine never wanted this war. Ukraine did nothing to provoke it. Ukraine has always been a leader in peaceful settlement,” Zelensky stressed.

The Ukrainian leader accused Russia of making “attempts on people in various European countries”, as well as “sabotage in Europe — against warehouses with weapons, against factories, and now against gas pipelines”.

“Russia intimidates and blackmails for the world to stop helping those it kills. It uses everything from the food crisis to radiation blackmail, from destabilising energy markets to nuclear blackmail. All in order to break the unity of allies and partners, to intimidate nations, to make millions of people afraid and on the basis of this fear, to give in,” the statement quoted the President as saying.

ALSO READ: ‘UAE top Arab destination for Russian investments’

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US unveils plan to end obesity, hunger by 2030

The White House in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua/IANS)

Because Congress is unlikely to fund major federal dietary programs, Biden finds his hands largely tied…reports Asian Lite news

US President Joe Biden is hosting the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health to catalyse action for the millions of Americans struggling with food insecurity and diet-related diseases like diabetes, obesity, and hypertension.

The Conference will lay out a transformational vision for ending hunger and reducing diet-related disease by 2030 – all while closing disparities among the communities that are impacted most.

The White House has announced billions of dollars in pledges from major corporations — including the likes of fast food behemoth Burger King — to craft a national strategy on ending the twin US challenges of hunger and obesity, Agence France-Presse reported.

Because Congress is unlikely to fund major federal dietary programs, Biden finds his hands largely tied. However, officials said he was using the power of the presidency to get major companies involved and that the response has been strong.

Officials briefing reporters said that $8 billion in public and private sector commitments already made include pledges from more than 100 organizations, ranging from hospitals to tech companies and food industry players, it was reported.

At least $2.5 billion will be invested in start-up companies that are pioneering solutions to hunger and food insecurity. Over $4 billion will be dedicated toward philanthropy that improves access to nutritious food, promotes healthy choices, and increases physical activity, the White House said in statement.

GE, the multinational energy, aerospace, and healthcare company, and food industry innovation specialists Food Systems for the Future are set to launch a $2.5 billion private investor coalition over the next three years.

The National Restaurant Association will expand a project aimed at getting children to eat healthier food at 45,000 more outlets, including at chains like Burger King.

IT and communications giant Cisco will contribute $500 million over five years for healthier meals and food production in areas where it does business, it was reported.

ALSO READ: Russia claims victory in Ukraine referendums

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US to provide $457.5 mn civilian aid for Ukraine

President Joe Biden.(photo:Instagram)

In a statement, Blinken said the aid is designed to help Ukrainian law enforcement and criminal justice agencies…reports Asian Lite News

The US will provide $457.5 million in in civilian security assistance for Ukraine, Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Monday. He said that a portion of the aid will be used to support the government’s investigation of atrocities.

In a statement, Blinken said the aid is designed to help Ukrainian law enforcement and criminal justice agencies.

“A portion of this new assistance will also continue U.S. support for the Ukrainian government’s efforts to document, investigate, and prosecute atrocities perpetrated by Russia’s forces, drawing on our long-standing relationship with Ukrainian criminal justice agencies including the Ukrainian Office of the Prosecutor General and the NPU’s war crimes unit,” Blinken said.

“Since mid-December 2021, the US has now committed more than $645 million in assistance that has provided a tangible, positive impact on our Ukrainian law enforcement and criminal justice partners, including the National Police of Ukraine (NPU) and State Border Guard Service,” the state department said in statement.

ALSO READ: At SCO, Xi and Modi differed over their views on Ukraine

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Biden to host Macron at White House

joe biden and emmanuel macron.(PHOTO:https://twitter.com/POTUS)

The French President will be accompanied by his wife, First Lady Brigitte Macron…reports Asian Lite News

The White House announced that President Joe Biden will host his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron for a state visit on December 1.

This will be the first state visit of the Biden-Harris administration since it took office in January 2021, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement on Monday.

“It will underscore the deep and enduring relationship between the US and France, our oldest ally, that is founded on our shared democratic values, economic ties, and defence and security cooperation,” she was quoted as saying.

The leaders will also discuss “our continued close partnership on shared global challenges and areas of bilateral interest”.

The French President will be accompanied by his wife, First Lady Brigitte Macron.

This is Emmanuel Macron’s second state visit to the US after he was re-elected as President in April.

In 2018, he was also the first world leader to be invited for a state dinner by former President Donald Trump.

ALSO READ-Macron calls for independent foreign policy

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US backs India’s UNSC bid

Washington has long expressed backing for India’s quest for a permanent seat through different administrations….reports Arul Louis

President Joe Biden on Wednesday reiterated the US’ commitment to India getting a permanent seat on the Security Council to ensure it remains credible.

Addressing the high-level meeting of the General Assembly, he said: “The United States supports increasing the number of both permanent and non-permanent representatives on the Council. This includes permanent seats for those nations we have long supported.”

“The United States is committed to this vital work,” he declared.

Washington has long expressed backing for India’s quest for a permanent seat through different administrations.

It also backs permanent seats for Japan and Germany.

“I also believe the time has come for this institution to become more inclusive, so they can better respond to the needs of today’s world,” Biden said.

He said that the US backs “permanent seats for countries in Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.

In order “to ensure the council remains credible and effective”, he said, the US also supports increasing the number of both permanent and non-permanent representatives of the Council”.

No clear front-runners have emerged from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean for permanent seats, although Brazil, the largest country in South America, has staked its claim.

Of regional priorities, Biden spoke of the role of the Quad, made up of India, the US, Japan and Australia.

“In every region, we pursued new constructive ways to work with partners to advance shared interests”, he said and mentioned “elevating the Quad and Indo-Pacific.”

Biden bats for UNSC reforms

Earlier on Wednesday, President Joe Biden in his address at the UN General Assembly reiterated his commitment to reforming the UN Security Council.

Biden said he believes the time has come for the institution to become more inclusive so that it can better respond to the needs of today’s world.

Members of the UN Security Council, including the United States, should consistently uphold and defend the United Nations Charter and refrain from the use of veto, except in rare and extraordinary situations, to ensure that the Council remains credible and effective, he said.

“That is also why the United States supports increasing the number of both permanent and non-permanent representatives of the Council. This includes permanent seats for those nations we’ve long supported,” Biden said.

Big boost for India

President Biden’s support provides a big boost to New Delhi’s push for the reform of the powerful UN organ as India has been at the forefront of efforts at the United Nations to push for an urgent long-pending reform of the Security Council, emphasising that it rightly deserves a place at the UN high table as a permanent member.

India in June last year had asserted that the Inter-Governmental Negotiations (IGN) on UN Security Council reforms can no longer be used as a smokescreen, as the General Assembly decided to roll over the IGN work to the next UNGA session and agreed to include an amendment proposed by the G4 nations of Brazil, Germany, India and Japan.

At present, the UNSC comprises five permanent members and 10 non-permanent member countries which are elected for a two-year term by the General Assembly of the United Nations.

The five permanent members are Russia, the UK, China, France and the United States and these countries can veto any substantive resolution. There has been growing demand to increase the number of permanent members to reflect the contemporary global reality.

Push for entry to NSG

During the first in-person meeting with Modi in September last year, President Biden had reaffirmed US support for India’s entry to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). The NSG is a 48-member grouping which regulates global nuclear commerce.

Ever since India applied for the membership of the NSG in May 2016, China has been insisting that only those countries which have signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) should be allowed to enter the organisation.

India and Pakistan are not signatories of the NPT. After India’s application, Pakistan too has applied for the NSG membership in 2016.

China maintains that there would be no discussion on India’s entry into the NSG before reaching a specific plan on non-NPT members’ participation in the elite grouping, as it declined to give a timeline to reach a consensus among member states on this issue.

ALSO READ: US does not seek cold war with China: Biden

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Biden, Raisi to speak at UNGA; Zelensky to address virtually

Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be attending the gathering….report Asian Lite News

Day two of the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly brings leaders of two of the world’s most-watched nations — US President Joe Biden and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.

But the biggest draw Wednesday will likely be the only leader to be seen and heard but not actually there in the flesh: Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskky, whose nation is at war with Russia, the Associated Press reported.

Last week, the members of the General Assembly to allow Zelensky to deliver a pre-recorded address because of his continuing need to deal with Russia’s invasion, making an exception to its requirement that all leaders speak in person.

However, Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be attending the gathering.

Biden’s address on Wednesday is expected to have a heavy focus on the war in Ukraine, where the country’s troops in recent weeks have retaken control of large stretches of territory near Kharkiv that were seized by Russian forces earlier in the nearly seven-month-old war, it was reported.

Iran’s president has said he has no plans to meet with Biden on the sidelines of the UN event. Raisi called his first-ever appearance at the United Nations as Iran’s leader an opportunity to explain to the world about alleged “malice” that unspecified nations and world powers have toward Iran but he did not elaborate, the report added.

Military mobilisation in Russia

 Russian President Vladimir Putin announced a partial military mobilisation during an address to the nation on Wednesday, adding that the Defence Ministry had recommended drawing military reservists into active service as the country faces a protracted conflict in Kiev and the separatist Donbas region in eastern Ukraine.

The measure is sensible and necessary under the circumstances that Russia is fighting “the entire Western military machine” in Ukraine, RT news quoted the President as saying.

He has already signed an order for the call-up to start immediately.

The move will see the armed forces draw on military reservists only, and those who have completed national service, Putin said.

He promised that they would be provided with additional training, along with all the benefits due to people involved in active duty, RT reported.

Some senior officials in NATO states have even suggested that using tactical nuclear weapons against Russian troops would be justified, according to Putin.

The Russian leader stressed that Moscow would not hesitate to retaliate to such an attack with its own nuclear weapons, RT reported.

Defence Minister Sergey Shoigu revealed some details about the mobilization in a separate statement on Wednesday.

He said his Ministry wanted to call to arms some 300,000 reservists, or just over 1 per cent of Russia’s full mobilisation potential.

Putin has accused Kiev of backing away from peace talks with Moscow, which he said it had done on the instructions of its Western allies.



Instead, the Ukrainian government has doubled down on military action, he was quoted as saying

“After certain compromises were reached (with Moscow), Kiev received a de facto direct order to derail all agreements. More weapons were pumped into Ukraine. The Kiev regime deployed more gangs of international mercenaries and nationalists, military units trained to NATO standards and under de facto command of Western advisers,” Putin said.

Russian forces sent to Ukraine in February have secured a large portion of territory claimed by the “Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics”, as well as parts of Ukraine, he said, adding that the resulting frontline stretches over 1,000 km, RT reported.

He warned the US and its allies against ramping up pressure on Moscow. Western nations are openly pursuing a military defeat of Russia, seeking to push the country into insignificance and to loot its natural wealth, he stated.

ALSO READ: Russia ready to supply petrol to Pakistan on deferred payments

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Biden to attend Queen’s funeral

Biden and his wife, First Lady Jill Biden, offered their condolences on the Queen’s demise in a lengthy statement issued on Thursday…reports Ashe O

US President Joe Biden will be prominent among several high-profile heads of state who are likely to attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, the White House confirmed on Friday.

Biden is not the only major figure who may be expected to attend the funeral of the Queen.

Foreign heads of state and government, including other European monarchs, presidents and prime ministers, are almost certain to join the mourners in the United Kingdom.

The 96-year-old queen died at her home in Balmoral, Scotland, on Thursday as close family members rushed to be with her, including her grandson Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge.

Biden and his wife, First Lady Jill Biden, offered their condolences on the Queen’s demise in a lengthy statement issued on Thursday.

“Queen Elizabeth II was a stateswoman of unmatched dignity and constancy who deepened the bedrock Alliance between the United Kingdom and the United States. She helped make our relationship special,” the Bidens said.

“We send our deepest condolences to the Royal Family, who are not only mourning their Queen, but their dear mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. Her legacy will loom large in the pages of British history, and in the story of our world,” the statement went on.

The late Queen’s son, now King Charles III, has declared a period of royal mourning that will last until seven days after his mother’s funeral. Details of the funeral are expected to be announced soon. Operation London Birdge has already been set in motion, and a set of elaborate protocols will be observed until the Queen’s funeral, seven days hence.

Biden also issued an order on Thursday that flags at the White House and other federal government buildings should fly at half-staff until the Queen’s funeral, according to media reports.

The Bidens had met Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle in June 2021, just a few months after Joe Biden became the President. It was his first foreign trip as commander-in-chief.

Buckingham Palace issued a statement on Friday about the procedures for royal mourning and explained what the public can expect in the coming days.

“Following the death of Her Majesty the Queen, it is His Majesty the King’s wish that a period of royal mourning be observed from now until seven days after the Queen’s funeral. The date of the funeral will be confirmed in due course,” the statement said.

The new king is travelling from Balmoral to London on Friday where he will meet the recently appointed Prime Minister Liz Truss. On Saturday morning, Charles III will be formally proclaimed king after the traditional accession council.

“The proclamation will be read by Garter King of Arms, accompanied by the Earl Marshal, other Officers of Arms and the Serjeants at Arms. This is the first public reading of the Proclamation,” the Buckingham Palace said in a statement.

Other public proclamations will follow in London and elsewhere.

ALSO READ-When Queen visited Jallianwala Bagh in 1997

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Biden cancels $3.9 b in student loan debt

Biden is expected to announce by the end of August whether he will more broadly cancel student loan debt for the 43 million federal student loan borrowers…reports Asian Lite News

The Department of Education said Tuesday that it will cancel $3.9 billion in student loan debt for 208,000 students who attended the now-defunct for-profit ITT Technical Institute — bringing the total amount of loan discharges approved under President Joe Biden to nearly $32 billion.

Some former ITT Tech students were already eligible for debt cancellation, but now the department will automatically cancel all remaining federal student loan debt that borrowers took on to attend the school from January 1, 2005, through its closure in September 2016.

ITT Tech shut down shortly after the government pulled the plug on its federal funding because it had failed to show it was in compliance with certain accreditation standards. At the time, the school was the subject of several state and federal probes over its recruitment tactics, lending practices and job placement figures.

“It is time for student borrowers to stop shouldering the burden from ITT’s years of lies and false promises,” said Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona in a statement Tuesday.

“The evidence shows that for years, ITT’s leaders intentionally misled students about the quality of their programs in order to profit off federal student loan programs, with no regard for the hardship this would cause,” he added.

Former ITT Tech students with federal student loans are eligible for the cancellation even if they have not previously applied for relief under the Department of Education’s borrower defense to repayment program, which offers cancellation to those who can show they have been defrauded or misled by their colleges.

There may be some former ITT Tech students with outstanding debt who are not eligible because they attended the school prior to January 2005.

It’s unclear how quickly borrowers will be notified about whether their debt will be canceled. The Department of Education first needs to notify a borrower’s student loan servicer before the cancellation is processed.

On a call with reporters Tuesday, department officials would not give an exact timeline for ITT Tech students. But some former Corinthian College students, who were granted debt relief in June, have already seen their debt canceled, said Federal Student Aid Chief Richard Cordray.

He added that eligible ITT Tech borrowers will not have to pay anything more on their loans even if the pandemic-related pause on payments expires before they receive full cancellation. The federal loans borrowed to attend ITT Tech will remain in forbearance.

The Department of Education also announced Tuesday that it has formally notified DeVry University that it is required to pay millions of dollars for previously approved student debt cancellations for about 1,800 of its students. DeVry University is still operating and the government wants to recoup the cost of the student loan discharges from the institution. It is difficult for the government to get money back from colleges like ITT Tech that have already shut their doors, Cordray said.

Biden is expected to announce by the end of August whether he will more broadly cancel student loan debt for the 43 million federal student loan borrowers.

Key Democratic lawmakers, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, have been calling on Biden to cancel $50,000 per borrower. But Biden has consistently pushed back on canceling that much and has suggested he would support wiping away $10,000 per borrower, in line with a pledge he made on the campaign trail in 2020.

Until now, Biden has taken a more targeted approach to student debt relief. His administration has authorized the cancellation of nearly $32 billion so far — more than any other administration — largely for borrowers who were defrauded by their for-profit colleges and for permanently disabled borrowers.

He has also temporarily expanded the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program that forgives the debt of government and nonprofit workers after 10 years of payments, and made changes to the income-driven repayment plans, bringing millions of borrowers closer to forgiveness.

Biden has also extended the pandemic-related pause on federal student loan payments several times. Borrower balances have effectively been frozen for more than two years, with no payments required on most federal student loans since March 2020 — when the coronavirus pandemic sent many Americans into lockdown. During this time, interest stopped accumulating and collections on defaulted debt have been on hold.

The pause is set to expire on August 31, but Biden has yet to decide whether he will extend it again.

Americans’ attitudes toward student debt relief are sharply divided along partisan and generational lines.

A majority of Democrats in a May CNN poll (56%) — and an even wider majority of self-described liberals (69%) — say the government is doing too little on student loan debt, while only a third of Republicans and self-described conservatives alike say the same.

ALSO READ: Biden signs law to tackle climate change, inflation

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Biden says future is ‘Made in America’

Late last month, the US Senate and the House cleared the $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act to strengthen science and technology innovation in semiconductors, manufacturing and other technologies….reports Asian Lite News

US President Joe Biden on Tuesday signed the historic $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act into law that includes $52 billion to boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing.

The CHIPS and Science Act is the Biden administration’s bet to incentivise chipmakers to reverse course and build fabs in the US and cut the dependence on China.

“Today, I sign into law the CHIPS and Science Act. It’s a once-in-a-generation law that invests in America by supercharging our efforts to make semiconductors here at home,” Biden said in a tweet.

“Today represents a more secure economy, jobs, and a stronger future for our nation. America is delivering,” he said, adding that the future of the microchip industry is going to be ‘Made in America’.

Late last month, the US Senate and the House cleared the $280 billion CHIPS and Science Act to strengthen science and technology innovation in semiconductors, manufacturing and other technologies.

“The American people may not know it, but semiconductors are integral to their everyday experiences. They are microchips that are used in automobiles, consumer electronics, and washing machines,” Democrat Representative Frank Pallone Jr had in a statement.

The bill also creates a 25 per cent tax credit for semiconductor manufacturing, earmarks $1.5 billion for technology development for US firms dependent on foreign telecommunications, according to Forbes.

Meanwhile, South Korea is reviewing its possible participation in the US-led semiconductor alliance from the perspective of national interest and has no intent to build an exclusive grouping against China.

Industry Minister Lee Chang-yang made the remarks on Monday, amid concerns that South Korea’s possible joining of the “Chip 4” could cause friction with China, its largest trading partner, if it develops into an exclusive grouping against Beijing.

The Chip 4 is an envisioned alliance of semiconductor powerhouses tentatively involving the US, South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, widely considered a grouping against China and aimed at countering Beijing’s influence in global supply chains.

ALSO READ: Biden ratifies Finland, Sweden NATO membership bids