Obama to contribute 5% of his salary to US Treasury

WASHINGTON: At a time when US is facing economic strain and automatic budgetary cuts is in place, US President Barack Obama will return five per cent of his salary amounting to USD 20,000 to the Department of Treasury.

The salary of the US President is USD 400,000 per annum (over Rs 2 crore) and in a show of solidarity he will return USD 20,000 (over Rs 10 lakh).

"Obama instructed his staff he wanted to do this when the sequester took effect," White House press secretary Jay Carney said yesterday.

Three Indian brothers get US award for combating violence against women

WASHINGTON: Three brothers from India have received the prestigious Vital Voices Global Leadership Award from US vice president Joe Biden for their humanitarian working to end violence against women.

The three, Ravi, Rishi and Nishi Kant, who started the nongovernmental organization Shakti Vahini to fight injustice against women in 2001, received a "Solidarity Award" for their work at the annual Kennedy Centre event on Tuesday.

Obama arrives in Israel amid low expectations

TEL AVIV: US President Barack Obama arrived in Israel on Wednesday without any new peace initiative to offer disillusioned Palestinians and facing deep Israeli doubts over his pledge to prevent a nuclear-armed Iran.

Making his first official visit here as president, Obama hopes to use the trip to reset his often fraught relations with both the Israelis and Palestinians in a choreographed three-day stay that is high on symbolism but low on expectations.