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Washington, Nov 11 (IANS) US prosecutors have charged three men with terrorism-related offences over an alleged Iran-backed campaign of attacks in Europe and planned violence in the United States, including a thwarted plot against a British airbase hosting American military personnel.

The Justice Department said on Tuesday (local time) that an eight-count superseding indictment named Mohammad Baqer Saad Dawood al-Saadi, a dual Iranian-Iraqi citizen, Iranian national Mohsen Mohajeri and Iraqi national Mohammad Ali al-Hassani.

The men are accused of supporting Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Kata'ib Hizballah, both designated foreign terrorist organisations by the United States. Prosecutors linked the network to nearly 20 attacks and attempted attacks.

The most recent alleged target was RAF Fairford in the United Kingdom, which housed US aircraft and service personnel at the time of the attempted attack in September.

According to the indictment, al-Hassani organised the plot from abroad with help from associates in Britain. Mohajeri was also in Iran at the time, while al-Saadi was already being held in federal custody in New York on earlier terrorism charges.

Prosecutors alleged that al-Saadi used telephone conversations with relatives in Iraq to send coded messages to his associates despite being behind bars.

Federal prosecutors said the preparations began in August. Associates allegedly conducted surveillance of the airbase, obtained vans and fuel barrels, researched chemical accelerants and acquired metal objects that could be used as shrapnel.

The vans were fitted with markings to make them appear to belong to fuel delivery and swimming pool supply businesses, according to prosecutors.

On September 26, three vans headed towards RAF Fairford. At least two encountered a security roadblock and could not proceed along their intended route. British authorities recovered three vans and arrested their occupants early the next morning.

Attorney General Todd Blanche warned that plots against military installations housing American personnel would attract prosecution.

"Anyone who plans a terrorist plot on a military base housing American service members will be prosecuted by the United States government," Blanche said.

The indictment outlines an alleged series of attacks on Jewish communities in Europe. Prosecutors say the men operated through a group called Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiya, or HAYI, described as a front for Iran-aligned terrorist organisations.

The group claimed responsibility for 18 attacks in Europe during the spring, seven of them in Britain. The incidents included arson, explosive attacks and a near-fatal stabbing of two Jewish men in London, one of whom held British and American citizenship.

Investigators further alleged that the defendants directed some attacks remotely, including through live video calls.

Al-Saadi was arrested abroad in May and transferred to US custody.

The charges include conspiracies to provide material support to designated terrorist organisations, terrorism financing and a conspiracy to bomb a public place.

--IANS

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Washington, Nov 11 (IANS) Senior US lawmakers from both parties are pressing for tighter controls on the export of advanced American artificial intelligence chips to China, warning that allegations involving Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang have heightened national security concerns.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on Tuesday (local time) urged Congress to move quickly on three bipartisan bills designed to restrict China's access to American technology. His call followed a joint statement by Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren and Republican Senator Jim Banks demanding stronger export controls.

The renewed push comes as lawmakers consider including restrictions on advanced semiconductor technology in the annual defence policy legislation.

Schumer called for passage of the AI OVERWATCH Act, the MATCH Act and the Chip Security Act, arguing that Washington must prevent sensitive American technology from reaching potential adversaries.

He also demanded an immediate briefing for the Senate and House intelligence committees on alleged Chinese efforts to obtain information from Nvidia and other American AI companies.

"We need a full accounting for Trump's failure to address foreign espionage in the American tech industry," Schumer said in remarks on the Senate floor.

Schumer accused President Donald Trump of failing to adequately confront intelligence concerns.

Warren and Banks, both members of the Senate Banking Committee, said they had urged the Commerce Department in March to reconsider Nvidia's export licences to China and conduct a comprehensive national security review.

They alleged that Nvidia had subsequently received approvals to export hundreds of thousands of advanced AI chips to China, including to companies with reported connections to the Chinese military.

The lawmakers said the latest allegations reinforced the need for stricter safeguards against the possible military use of American technology.

"The Commerce Department should complement these efforts with immediate action to close export control loopholes," Warren and Banks said in their joint statement.

Their appeal followed reports that Huang had been targeted by a suspected Chinese intelligence operation involving a personal relationship.

Nvidia's board announced an independent investigation on November 8 to examine whether its chief executive had been the target of foreign intelligence activity.

The company said a committee of independent directors, assisted by outside legal counsel, would oversee the investigation.

China rejected the allegations. Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun described the accusations as groundless and an attempt to smear Beijing.

Trump has publicly defended Huang, saying the Nvidia chief had told him he did not know the woman involved was suspected of espionage. The President said he believed Huang's explanation.

The allegations remain under investigation, and no finding has established that Huang knowingly assisted Chinese intelligence or that company secrets were compromised.

--IANS

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Washington, Nov 11 (IANS) India and the United States are strengthening cooperation to track drug-trafficking networks and prevent chemicals used to manufacture synthetic narcotics from entering illegal supply chains, the White House said in a readout of bilateral talks.

Officials identified closer intelligence sharing, coordinated law enforcement operations and safeguards for pharmaceutical supply chains as priorities at the second India-US Drug Policy Executive Working Group meeting, held in New Delhi on November 2-3.

The statement, issued by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), said both governments also discussed emerging trafficking threats and measures to reduce drug demand.

India's delegation was led by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) Director General Anurag Garg. Debbie Seguin, acting deputy director of ONDCP, headed the American team.

Cooperation is "vital to disrupting transnational drug trafficking networks and preventing the diversion of synthetic drugs and chemical precursors into global markets," said ONDCP Director Sara Carter.

US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said the two countries were moving beyond pledges to practical cooperation.

"India and the United States aren't just talking about cooperation; we are delivering real operational results -- choking off illicit precursor chemicals, securing commercial supply chains, and dismantling the cartels that exploit them," he said.

Garg highlighted India's Vision Roadmap 2026-2029, which emphasises investigations into entire criminal networks rather than individual drug seizures. It calls for targeting financiers, suppliers, facilitators and transport networks, alongside financial investigations, prevention and rehabilitation.

The delegations discussed Operation MedMax and Operation WIPE, two Indian enforcement initiatives, as well as a voluntary code of conduct intended to stop chemicals used to make synthetic drugs from being diverted from legitimate commerce.

Operation MedMax, carried out in July 2025 using intelligence jointly developed by the NCB and US Drug Enforcement Administration, uncovered a syndicate selling regulated medicines internationally.

According to the NCB, the syndicate operated across Asia, North America, Europe and Australia. The investigation began with the seizure of 3.7 kg of tramadol tablets in India. Investigators said the network used an online business-to-business platform, digital payments and international intermediaries to distribute drugs without legitimate documentation.

Operation WIPE, launched in April, targets online listings of drugs controlled under India's narcotics law. The NCB said it identified 122 instances involving 62 substances, including fentanyl.

The operation monitors publicly accessible websites for offers of regulated drugs. The agency said it had also shared lists of controlled substances with platforms to help them identify and remove illegal listings.

The two sides agreed to exchange more best practices on targeted enforcement. The White House said sustained contact and timely intelligence exchanges would be important as traffickers adapted their methods.

The meeting followed the group's inaugural session in Washington on January 20-21.

--IANS

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Washington, Nov 11 (IANS) Two newly elected Indian-American lawmakers have secured hard-fought victories in US Congressional races and are preparing to enter the House of Representatives, a development Congresswoman Grace Meng says reflects the community's growing place in American political life.

In an exclusive interview with IANS, the New York Democrat welcomed the election of Pia Dandiya and Dr Amish Shah, saying their victories came after difficult contests in which Republicans had invested heavily.

Meng said she had been in contact with both candidates throughout their campaigns and had met them in Washington as they attended orientation for incoming members of Congress.

"There was a lot of money put against them," she said, referring to Republican campaign efforts.

"Not only did they win historic races," she said, adding that "they flipped seats from the Republican Party to the Democrats."

Her comments underlined the significance she attached to the candidates' success beyond their individual victories. Both will arrive on Capitol Hill as members of a new Congress in which Democrats expect to hold the majority.

Meng said the candidates had faced difficult races, rather than straightforward contests, and highlighted both their personal accomplishments and the challenges of securing a place in Congress.

Describing their credentials, she said "they are accomplished people in their own right" and noted that they were now entering Congress.

The Congresswoman said she had followed their campaigns closely and remained in contact with them as they moved towards taking office.

"I saw them again this morning," she said, recalling her meeting with the incoming lawmakers in Washington.

She compared the orientation process to the start of a new school, as newly elected representatives learn their way around Congress and prepare for the responsibilities ahead.

Meng said the newcomers were settling in well.

The victories, she suggested, were part of a broader change in the visibility and participation of Indian Americans in the United States.

"But it just shows that the Indian American community is becoming more and more a part of the fabric of our American society," she said.

Meng said elected representatives from the community would work on a broad range of national issues, rather than issues affecting Indian Americans alone.

Her remarks placed the two newcomers in a wider picture of political participation, from campaigns and legislative work to representation at the highest levels of government.

She pointed to the political prominence of former Vice President Kamala Harris, whose mother was from India, as an example of Indian-American participation in senior public office.

"Indian Americans have made great strides," she said.

Asked what Democratic control of Congress could mean for the community, Meng expressed hope that lawmakers would find common ground and help Indian Americans feel included.

The Congresswoman did not outline an agenda for either new representative. Instead, she emphasised that both had earned their places through demanding contests and would now join colleagues working on legislation across a range of subjects.

The two incoming representatives won different kinds of contests on November 3. Shah, a physician and former Arizona state legislator, defeated Republican Jay Feely in Arizona's 1st Congressional District, a seat previously held by Republican David Schweikert, who did not seek re-election.

Dandiya, a former school principal, defeated Republican Casey Askar in Florida's 22nd Congressional District.

--IANS

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Washington, Nov 11 (IANS) The US House of Representatives has blocked an immediate vote to impeach Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, sending eight articles accusing him of misconduct over the Iran war and other military operations to a committee in a narrow 211-204 vote.

The procedural decision gave Hegseth a reprieve after Republican Congressman Thomas Massie forced the chamber to confront the allegations. It did not clear Hegseth of wrongdoing or settle any of the charges.

According to the House clerk, 210 Republicans and independent Kevin Kiley of California voted to refer the resolution to the Judiciary Committee. Massie was the only Republican to oppose the move, joining 203 Democrats.

Eighteen lawmakers did not vote, including 11 Democrats and seven Republicans. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was among those absent. The motion passed by seven votes.

All six Indian-American House members -- Ami Bera, Pramila Jayapal, Ro Khanna, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Suhas Subramanyam and Shri Thanedar -- voted against referral, according to the official roll call. That meant each supported allowing the impeachment effort to proceed rather than sending it to committee.

Massie's resolution accused Hegseth of continuing military operations against Iran without congressional authority. It also accused the Secretary of War of disregarding rules intended to protect civilians and ordering unlawful strikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats. Other articles concerned actions involving Venezuela and Yemen and alleged retaliation against Senator Mark Kelly.

Massie brought the measure as a privileged resolution, forcing the House to take procedural action rather than leaving it indefinitely pending. Before the vote, he warned that referral to committee would effectively end the impeachment campaign for this Congress.

The allegations have not been adjudicated. Hegseth rejected them at a Pentagon briefing earlier Tuesday.

"None of these are high crimes or misdemeanours," he said. "They're partisan policy disagreements from people who want to politicise our military."

The Trump administration urged Congressmen to support referral.

A formal White House policy statement described the impeachment push as politically motivated and argued that the president had constitutional authority to order military operations.

Vice President J.D. Vance defended Hegseth, writing on X: "Has Pete Hegseth committed impeachable crimes? The question is absurd, and the answer is: obviously not."

President Donald Trump celebrated the outcome on Truth Social, declaring the effort had "miserably FAILED!" and describing the vote as the "EXONERATION of a Great American Patriot." But the House took no vote on the substance of the impeachment articles.

Massie expressed disappointment after the vote. "I wasn't surprised, but I was disappointed," he told reporters. He said he would next seek a vote on a war powers resolution concerning Iran.

House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries signalled that the matter could return. "This is not the end of it. It's just the beginning," he said.

Democratic Whip Katherine Clark accused Republicans of protecting Hegseth rather than American service personnel. Krishnamoorthi had urged wavering Republicans to break ranks, while Thanedar and Jayapal separately called for Hegseth's impeachment.

The referral places the resolution before the Judiciary Committee, which is not required to act. With the current Congress ending on January 3, the move makes a substantive impeachment vote this session unlikely.

Democrats, who won control of both chambers in the November 3 midterms, could initiate a new effort when Congress convenes.

Under the US Constitution, impeachment requires a simple majority in the House. Conviction and removal require a two-thirds vote of senators present.

Two Cabinet secretaries have previously been impeached -- William Belknap in 1876 and Alejandro Mayorkas in 2024 -- but neither was removed by the Senate.

--IANS

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Jerusalem, Nov 11 (IANS) Israel has blamed Hamas for the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza and said reconstruction could not begin until the group disarmed, a day after US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace criticised Israel for delays in allowing humanitarian supplies into the war-devastated enclave.

In a statement posted on X on Tuesday (local time), Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said Israel had facilitated the entry of more than 91,000 tents and over 8,200 trucks carrying winter supplies, including blankets, clothing and tarpaulins.

"Hamas alone is responsible for the suffering of the people of Gaza," the statement said, adding that the group's refusal to disarm remained the main obstacle to reconstruction.

As of November 8, humanitarian partners had received appeals for aid from more than 26,000 households whose shelters or belongings were damaged. More than 6,000 family shelters were reportedly destroyed and 17,400 damaged, and more than 3,900 households currently have no shelter at all, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

The Board of Peace said Monday that Israel's response to the winter emergency remained "insufficient" and called for the immediate entry of essential shelter, sanitation and drainage equipment.

It said Israeli delays had aggravated a foreseeable humanitarian crisis, while also urging Hamas to disarm and relinquish power, according to Xinhua news agency.

The Board of Peace, chaired by Trump, was formally established in January 2026, following an October 2025 ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to oversee the implementation of Trump's peace plan, including Gaza's transitional governance and reconstruction.

The OCHA said about 1.4 million Palestinians, or 65 per cent of Gaza's population, were living in tents or makeshift shelters. It warned that humanitarian shelter stocks inside Gaza were virtually exhausted, while more than 150,000 tents remained outside the territory awaiting entry.

--IANS

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Tehran/Paris, Nov 11 (IANS) The Iranian Foreign Ministry has rejected France's "baseless and malicious" accusation of Iran's involvement in a cyberattack targeting refrigeration systems at hundreds of French supermarkets in October.

In a statement issued on Tuesday (local time), the ministry strongly condemned the "threadbare" policy of hurling accusations against Iran.

The ministry said the latest accusation was a continuation of previous claims aimed at diverting public attention from France's "destructive policies" toward Iran and the West Asia region, calling it an "irresponsible and silly action" aiming to tarnish Iran's image and disrupt its relations with other countries.

It stressed that Iran would not hesitate to take "necessary and appropriate" measures to protect its national interests and security in the face of "illegal foreign activities."

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot on Monday said Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps was responsible for the cyberattack targeting refrigeration systems, reports Xinhua news agency.

Speaking to reporters in Paris after a meeting of Group of Seven foreign ministers, Barrot said France had summoned the Iranian ambassador to Paris to lodge a "strong protest" over the attack.

Meanwhile, amid this, the Italian Interior Ministry on Tuesday announced that Italy will strengthen cybersecurity coordination, information sharing and investment in system protection following recent cyberattacks affecting several European countries.

The steps were agreed at a meeting of the National Committee for Public Order and Security, chaired by Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi.

Participants examined the resilience of Italy's systems, continuity of services and methods used in the recent attacks, according to a ministry statement.

As investigations continued, the committee identified a common intent behind the examined incidents: to cause instability and spread alarms that later proved unfounded, and damage the reputation of targeted institutions.

The meeting also assessed cybersecurity threats and considered further measures to protect public administrations, critical infrastructure, businesses and citizens.

Agreed steps included closer coordination of ongoing intelligence and investigative work among police, intelligence services and cybersecurity bodies, greater information sharing with public and private operators, and investment to strengthen system protection and response capabilities.

--IANS

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Kyiv, Nov 11 (IANS) Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that the first day of the two-day trilateral talks between Ukraine, the United States, and Russia in Abu Dhabi had been "constructive and quite substantive."

In a statement posted on X after speaking with Ukraine's negotiating team on Tuesday (local time), Zelensky said the discussions focused on humanitarian issues, including the release of prisoners, as well as security guarantees for Ukraine. The need for de-escalation measures was also discussed, he added.

Zelensky said he had given Ukraine's negotiating team clear instructions for further discussions on Wednesday, as well as for broader meetings in the coming days with US presidential envoys and European representatives, reports Xinhua news agency.

Earlier on Tuesday, delegations from Russia, the United States and Ukraine met in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, for their first trilateral talks since February.

Ahead of the trilateral talks, the Ukrainian team met with representatives of Britain, France, Germany and Italy, as well as officials from NATO and the European Commission.

The meeting was also attended by US special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner.

Meanwhile, attacks continue across Russia and Ukraine. Five civilians, including a passenger on a bus, were killed in Ukrainian strikes in the Lugansk region over the past 24 hours, local leader Leonid Pasechnik said on Tuesday.

"It's been a difficult day for our republic: five people were killed, and four more were injured," Pasechnik said on social media platform Telegram.

Separately, three employees of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant have been killed in Ukrainian attacks over the past two weeks, Russian Foreign Ministry's Ambassador-at-Large Rodion Miroshnik told reporters the same day.

--IANS

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Washington, Nov 11 (IANS) US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that economic pressure on Iran had become so severe that President Donald Trump saw no immediate need for major combat operations, while warning that Washington remained ready to respond militarily if Tehran escalated.

Rubio told reporters after a G-7 meeting that the combination of a blockade and sanctions was squeezing Iran's oil earnings. He rejected suggestions that the absence of new major strikes amounted to a stalemate, arguing that the economic damage would deepen over time.

"What I'm saying to you is that the economic campaign is so devastating that right now there really is no need for major combat operations."

Rubio said he had conveyed that assessment to US partners. Discussions at the meeting focused principally on the Middle East and Ukraine, with representatives from Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Egypt and South Korea also participating.

Asked about the possibility of Iranian attacks on civilian infrastructure, he warned: "I mean, if they -- if they do that, then they'll pay a terrible price."

Rubio said Iran was approaching the exhaustion of oil supplies already at sea. Those shipments, he said, had passed through during a temporary ceasefire arrangement when the blockade was suspended.

"Once that dries up, almost all of their oil revenue will dry up."

He said Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US intelligence agencies were working to close routes used to evade sanctions. Reduced income, he argued, would constrain Iran's ability to finance its nuclear programme, armed partners and other activities.

The transcript provided no independent figures to substantiate his assessment of the economic damage.

Rubio maintained that Washington remained open to negotiations. Qatar and other countries were continuing mediation efforts, he said, adding that the Qatari prime minister had met Trump in Washington the previous day.

But he described Iran's negotiating conditions as unrealistic. He said Washington would reject demands for reparations and cash payments, while maintaining that Iran could have a civilian nuclear energy programme like other countries.

"You know, if there's a deal to be done, it -- the President will be the first one to be in favour of it, but it's not going to be a stupid deal."

Challenged about the economic consequences for Gulf countries, Rubio disputed the suggestion that their economies were being devastated. He said oil shipments were continuing despite Iranian drone attacks on commercial vessels.

On some nights, he said, flows were reaching 80 to 85 per cent of pre-conflict levels. He attributed the remaining shortfall to the interruption of Iranian exports.

Rubio urged other countries to help protect shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. He acknowledged that he had received no response when he raised the issue with G7 counterparts, though he said such commitments would probably require decisions by heads of government.

He also rejected linking Lebanon's future to negotiations with Tehran. Washington was mediating directly between Lebanon and Israel, he said, and was working on a system to verify compliance with arrangements involving Israeli withdrawals and deployments by the Lebanese armed forces.

--IANS

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Abuja, Nov 11 (IANS) The National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC-India) and the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria (NHRC-Nigeria) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Abuja on Tuesday, the High Commission of India in Abuja said.

“A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the National Human Rights Commission of India (NHRC-India) and the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria (NHRC-Nigeria) was signed today in Abuja, marking an important milestone in India–Nigeria relations,” the High Commission posted on X.

Earlier on Tuesday, NHRC Chairman Justice V Ramasubramanian met Nigeria’s Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Prince Lateef Olasunkanmi Fagbemi, exploring avenues for strengthening cooperation between the two countries in the fields of human rights, access to justice and the rule of law.

“The meeting provided an opportunity to exchange views on matters of mutual interest and explore avenues for strengthening cooperation between India and Nigeria in the fields of human rights, access to justice and the rule of law,” the High Commission of India in Nigeria had said.

The NHRC delegation, led by Justice Ramasubramanian, arrived in Abuja on Monday.

“High Commissioner Abhishek Singh welcomed a high-level delegation from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India, led by Hon’ble Justice V. Ramasubramanian, Chairman, upon their arrival at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja,” the High Commission had posted on X.

Last month, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh represented the Government of India as Chief Guest at Nigeria’s 66th Independence Day celebrations, noting that the two countries share longstanding historical ties and a robust Strategic Partnership.

“India and Nigeria share longstanding historical ties and a robust Strategic Partnership. We remain committed to further deepening our bilateral cooperation for the mutual benefit of our peoples,” he had said.

In September, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Vice President Kashim Shettima of Nigeria on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi.

“The discussion focused on key areas including trade and investment, defence and security, energy partnership, agriculture, health, and digital technologies. They reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening the India-Nigeria Strategic Partnership,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had stated.

--IANS

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