Donald Trump

'Groundless accusations': China rejects Trump's election meddling claims

China on Friday said it has never interfered in US elections and has no interest in doing so, urging Washington to stop making what it described as "groundless accusations" after President Donald Trump accused Beijing of meddling in the 2020 election. In an address to the nation Thursday, Trump again raised doubts about the US elections results in 2020 and accused China of interfering in them. "The relevant allegations by the US are entirely fabricated and aimed at vilifying China," said China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian. "We have no interest in interfering in US elections and have never done so." In a daily briefing in Beijing, Lin called on the US to stop making groundless accusations against China. Asked whether this might affect the expected visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping to the U.S. in September, the spokesperson replied: "As I just said, we urge the US to stop making an issue of China in its elections and do something conducive to China-US relations." Tru

Trump says US election system is 'broken' and vulnerable to compromise

Trump cited newly declassified intelligence reports to allege vulnerabilities in US election infrastructure, renewing claims about election fraud and calling for sweeping voting reforms

Trump accuses China of interfering in 2020 US elections, threatening truce

President Donald Trump accused China of interfering in the 2020 US election and stealing voter data, reviving claims that US intelligence agencies have previously debunked

Trump's media firm plans paid high-speed access to Truth Social posts

President Donald Trump's media company is planning to charge for special high-speed access to Truth Social posts, including possibly his own affecting national security and financial markets. The move announced Thursday would allow Wall Street trading firms and other institutions to get news from Truth Social contributors in milliseconds so they could profit off subsequent moves in stocks, bonds and interest rates. Called Truth PSI, it would mimic paid access at other platforms with one key difference: The most popular Truth Social poster is the president himself and, as the biggest shareholder of the public traded parent company, would directly benefit. "He's selling expedited, privileged access to information about what he is doing as president," said Kathleen Clark of Washington University School of Law and an expert in government conflicts of interest rules. "It's yet more brazen corruption, an improper exploitation of government power to enrich himself." The Trump family compan

Trump's teleprompter operator on unpaid leave over possible insider trading

President Donald Trump's teleprompter operator is on unpaid leave after reports that he used his inside knowledge to make bets about the president's speeches on the online prediction market Kalshi, the White House said Thursday. The firm's enforcement chief said Kalshi contacted federal regulators about bets allegedly made about what the president would say in public addresses. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president is aware of the situation, which she described as "unfortunate" and "a disgrace." "The White House has extremely strict ethical guidelines with respect to issues like this," Leavitt told reporters, saying the aide is on unpaid leave. ABC News reported Thursday that Gabriel Perez, who has been operating Trump's teleprompter since 2016, used his inside knowledge to win more than USD 100,000 betting on what the president would say in big speeches, including the State of the Union address earlier this year. Robert Denault, Kalshi's lawyer and head

Iran tells Houthis to close Red Sea gateway if US targets power network

Iran has asked Yemen's Houthis to prepare to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait if the US attacks its power infrastructure, threatening another major global oil route

An unreasonable Bill: Tariffs on Russian oil importers make no sense

A proposed US Bill targeting buyers of Russian oil could disrupt India's energy security and trade, even as West Asia tensions threaten global oil supplies

China, Xi seen more favourably than US, Trump in many nations: Survey

The world has largely viewed the US more favourably than China for years, but those opinions have flipped in Beijing's favour this year, according to a new poll by the Pew Research Center, a remarkable shift driven in part by tensions between the Trump administration and US allies. More people have favourable views of China than the US in 25 out of the 36 countries and territories that were surveyed, including Canada and Mexico. The poll was conducted from February to May, a period when the United States and Israel launched a war against Iran. In only six countries do people still see the US more positively than China, according to the findings released Wednesday. Views in 22 out of the 36 countries and territories also are more favourable of Chinese leader Xi Jinping than US President Donald Trump, including in Canada, Mexico and major European powers including France, Germany and the UK However, people in many of the countries have low confidence in both men. It marks the first t

US Mint begins producing $1 Trump coin that will be available in fall

The US Mint has begun producing a new USD 1 coin bearing President Donald Trump's face that will be released in the fall, the Treasury Department said Wednesday. The final design for the commemorative coin to help celebrate America's 250th birthday was approved earlier this year by the US Commission of Fine Arts, whose members were appointed by Trump. But the finished product unveiled Wednesday differs from that version in a few aspects, including that it is not made of gold but rather has a gold finish. The coin is intended "to honour the enduring legacy of liberty and a lasting symbol of patriotism," Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a post on X. "Featuring President Trump, it celebrates the strength of American values, and the promise of a nation dedicated to preserving freedom for all." Trump, a Republican, has a penchant for putting his name and likeness in the historical record, following his renaming of the US Institute of Peace, the Kennedy Center performing arts ven

More than half of House Democrats vote to cut Israel aid in growing split

More than half the House Democrats have voted to strip USD 3.3 billion in US aid from Israel, the most substantial signal yet that once rock-solid bipartisan support for the country is disintegrating in the aftermath of its war in Gaza that has killed thousands of Palestinians. Wednesday's vote tally, 104-314, was not enough to attach the amendment to a broader national security spending bill, but stands as a stark accounting of the shifting attitudes that are dividing the Democratic Party and the nation over Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's war strategy, now approaching its third year. The House's Democratic leadership split over the issue in what was largely seen as a test vote ahead of the US midterm elections that will determine control of Congress. More than 100 Democrats voted for the amendment to strip the foreign military aid money, and almost as many voted against. Most Republicans voted to preserve the Israel aid. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who ...

NYT files motion to quash DOJ subpoenas over Air Force One coverage

The New York Times has filed a motion to quash subpoenas that the Justice Department served on journalists who reported on security concerns involving the new, Qatari-gifted Air Force One, teeing up a significant court fight over press freedom and the government's ability to force reporters to identify sources. "As we set out in our motion, these subpoenas are brought in bad faith to punish The Times for its coverage. They violate the constitutional rights of The Times and its journalists. We are going to court to defend our journalists' rights to report freely on the administration and to provide the public with stories that matter," David McCraw, the newspaper's senior vice president and deputy general counsel, said in a statement on Wednesday. The filing was made under seal in the Southern District of New York, where the journalists were summoned in subpoenas delivered last Friday to testify before a federal grand jury. The subpoenas, some of which were delivered to reporters at

Fed's Warsh says he has repeatedly told Donald Trump he is independent

Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh said President Donald Trump has not tried to influence monetary policy and reaffirmed his commitment to the central bank's independence

India at risk of 100% US tariff for purchases of Russian crude oil

A revised bipartisan US Senate bill proposes a 100 per cent tariff on imports from the five largest buyers of Russian oil and gas, including India, while allowing presidential waivers

US military to leave Iraq by end of September, ending 23-year presence

The US military will leave Iraq by the end of September, American and Iraqi officials have said, following a 23-year presence that started with the 2003 invasion against Saddam Hussein and ended with much smaller operations against the Islamic State group. President Donald Trump, standing alongside Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi at the White House on Tuesday, said "we don't think we need the military there anymore" and noted Iraq's growing relationships with oil companies. "The relationship is a whole big relationship where we don't need the military," Trump said. "We're there to help them. We're there to protect them if need be. But we don't think that's going to be necessary." Speaking through an interpreter, al-Zaidi said "US forces will be out of Iraq" by Sept. 30, "while US companies will be inside Iraq." The Pentagon said in a subsequent statement that it was reaffirming a 2024 agreement with Iraq to end its mission against IS fighters. Many of the US troops still serving

Trump threatens to strike Iran power plants, bridges next week if no deal

Trump said US would target Iran's power plants and bridges next week unless Tehran resumes negotiations

US cuts India tariff threat from 500% to 100% under Russia sanctions bill

The revised US Senate bill cuts tariffs on buyers of Russian oil-India, China, Slovakia, Hungary and Azerbaijan-from 500% to 100%, while expanding sanctions on Russia

In Iran, Trump has encountered an opponent he cannot easily dominate

The president is accustomed to forcing other countries to bend to his will, but he is struggling to come up with a strategy to extract Iranian concessions as the cease-fire he brokered collapses

Trump admin orders ICE to suspend most vehicle stops after deadly shootings

Trump administration officials have told Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to suspend most vehicle stops after two deadly shootings in little over a week, according to a person familiar with the matter. The order came a day after an ICE officer shot and killed a Colombian man in Maine, renewing criticism of the agency's tactics during enforcement operations. The suspension is not absolute and there's room for exceptions when executing a criminal warrant or working with partner agencies, according to a person who spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive law enforcement operations. The Department of Homeland Security said an ICE officer, "fearing for public safety," shot and killed the man Monday in the city of Biddeford while officers were watching the home of someone they believed was in the U.S. illegally and had a final order of removal from the country. Hundreds of people protested in Maine on Tuesday over the killing of a Colombian man by an ...

Trump steps back from proposal for Hormuz fees in favour of Gulf deals

Donald Trump abandoned plans to impose a 20 per cent fee on shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, saying he would instead seek trade and investment deals with Gulf states

US-Iran tensions flare up again: Is peace slipping away?

Just weeks after the US and Iran signed a ceasefire, fresh military strikes have pushed the agreement to the brink. The biggest flashpoint is the Strait of Hormuz,