Donald Trump Administration

US judge rules Trump DHS plan for 50% Fema staffing cuts as unlawful

A federal judge has ruled that a plan by the Trump administration to slash staffing at the federal agency tasked with responding to disasters by 50 per cent was unlawful. The opinion issued late Friday marked a victory for labour groups who had sued the agency. The labour organisation had argued that plans by the Department of Homeland Security violated congressional protections that were designed to safeguard the independence of the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The issue of the FEMA staffing was part of a much larger lawsuit filed by the American Federation of Government Employees and other labour groups, pushing back on efforts by the Trump administration to slash the federal workforce. US District Judge Susan Illston wrote in her opinion that top Homeland Security officials late last year directed FEMA's leadership to submit a staffing plan that included a 50 per cent staffing cut even though the agency's own supervisors objected. "Frankly, the FEMA staffing plan number

Trump reiterates pre-poll promise of $5,000 'dividend' for every US adult

The US president said the proposed payment would be funded by economic gains and revenue, while pointing to past initiatives he said critics had wrongly predicted would fail

US Senators demand action against 3 India-based firms for data 'theft'

A bipartisan group of US Senators have written to the Trump administration seeking action against three India-based companies that allegedly hacked and stole data from thousands of Americans and US companies. Democratic Senators Ron Wyden and Sheldon Whitehouse, and Republican Pat Harrigan, have urged Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to take action against Sunkissed Organic Pvt Ltd, BellTrox Ltd, and CyberRoot Ltd, contending that they hacked and stole data from thousands of Americans and US companies. "Several India-based cyber-mercenary groups have spent more than 15 years conducting targeted espionage against US citizens, businesses and the lawyers representing them," Wyden, Harrigan and Whitehouse wrote to Lutnick. According to investigations by Reuters and The Citizen Lab, these companies conducted widespread hacking campaigns targeting private equity firms, pharmaceutical companies, and more than 1,000 attorneys across major US law firms to manipulate ongoing litigation, the

US pursues deportees abroad for hundreds of millions in unpaid fines

US Customs and Border Protection says it is trying to recover about $423 million in fines and fees from more than 66,300 people who have been removed from the US

Tetris maker distances itself from White House's wall-building game

The Tetris Company said it was not involved in the White House game 'Build the Wall', which uses blocks resembling Tetris pieces to depict migrants approaching the US border

Belgian PM takes swipe at Trump's 'arbitrary' tariffs during India visit

Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever criticised protectionism and shifting tariff policies, in an apparent reference to US President Donald Trump, during his India visit

Attacks on Iran likely to be short, says Trump; asserts Hormuz control

US President Donald Trump said renewed strikes on Iran would likely be short-lived as fresh fighting pushed up energy prices and revived concerns over a prolonged war

US secures G20 support for light-touch rules on AI, emerging tech

G20 nations unanimously endorsed non-binding US guidelines favouring a lighter-touch approach to AI and emerging technologies, marking a win for the Trump administration and Silicon Valley

US judge blocks Trump's latest bid to restrict birthright citizenship

A US judge ruled Trump's latest executive order restricting birthright citizenship is likely unlawful, blocking its implementation for now and setting up another legal battle over the policy

Trump says Venezuela 'not ready yet' for elections after Maduro ouster

US President Donald Trump said Venezuela needs more time before holding elections after the capture of Nicolas Maduro, while praising acting President Delcy Rodríguez for doing a "very good job"

US plans to get board veto, right of first refusal in Venezuela oil deal

The White House said the US will have first rights to buy 80% of the oil produced by a private operator in Venezuela and veto power over board appointments

US Supreme Court lets WH continue construction on Trump's $400 mn ballroom

A divided Supreme Court on Monday allowed the White House to continue construction on a USD 400 million ballroom project as lawsuits play out, a win for President Donald Trump as he flexes unprecedented executive power and remakes the capital in his image. The decision replaces a temporary order from Chief Justice John Roberts previously issued hours before a lower-court decision halting the work would have gone into effect. Roberts publicly dissented from the latest order, however, joining with the court's three liberal-leaning justices, who called the construction "likely unlawful." The majority did not decide the legality of the project, but found a preservation group likely did not have the legal right to challenge it. The lawsuit will return to lower courts, but documents say that key portions of the project could be complete within months - a quick timeline compared with a typical legal case. The Trump administration asked the justices to intervene after federal courts found

Trump has asked Apple to rename Lake Ontario as 'Lake America' on maps

US President Donald Trump has asked Apple to change the name of Lake Ontario to "Lake America" on its maps app, his administration's interior chief said Monday, days after signing an executive order over the body of water now in the spotlight amid his escalating trade war with Canada. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum told Fox's "Mornings with Maria" programme that Trump "reached out to Apple directly." He said he was confident the "Lake America" name could be seen on its platform soon. Apple did not immediately comment in response Monday. The body of water long known as Lake Ontario sits between the US state of New York and Canada's Ontario province. Just over the weekend, competitor Google Maps rolled out the new label for its US users - citing the recent order by Trump, and the company's already-established practice of using names assigned by the US Geographic Names Information System, also known as GNIS. "People using Maps in the US will see Lake America, those in Canada will ...

Google Maps changes Lake Ontario to 'Lake America' for US users

Google Maps now shows Lake Ontario as 'Lake America' for users in the US after the US Geographic Names Information System formally changed the lake's name

Canadian provincial leader calls Trump a 'bad person' amid trade talks

The premier of a Canadian province launched a blistering attack on US President Donald Trump on Thursday, calling him a "bad person" and "not to be trusted" and urging Canada to keep fighting rather than rush to make concessions in trade talks with Washington. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said Canada has leverage in the talks even as his province weighs restoring US alcohol sales at Prime Minister Mark Carney's urging to help secure a deal that would avert threatened 50 per cent US tariffs. "Everybody knows the American president by now, he's erratic, he's irresponsible, and he's not to be trusted. And this is the person that we were supposed to make a deal with, and we're going to make additional concessions for it. That's why I say you can't make a good deal with a bad person, because who's to say it's not going to be undone?" Kinew said. Dominic LeBlanc, the federal minister responsible for Canada-US trade, said Thursday the two countries were close to finalizing an agreement after

US national debt crosses record $40 trn, five months after it hit $39 trn

The national debt surpassed a record USD 40 trillion on Wednesday, a staggering milestone as defense costs, social programs like Social Security and Medicare and interest on the burgeoning deficit to make up an enormous share of federal spending. The milestone figure was recorded just five months after the US hit a record USD 39 trillion debt in March. It reached USD 38 trillion five months before that, in October. The unprecedented USD 40 trillion figure highlights competing administration priorities, from boosting the defense spending that the US relies on to carry out President Donald Trump's almost-6-month-old Iran war to lowering the cost of gas and groceries. Kush Desai, a White House spokesman, said the Trump administration "has been focused on slashing waste, fraud, and abuse in federal spending while accelerating economic growth to get America's debt-to-GDP ratio trending in the right direction." However, experts say the exploding debt and the latest record milestone is ..

Trump warns Iran of 'draconian' sanctions, claims Hormuz blockade holds

US President Donald Trump said Washington could impose further sanctions on Iran, while claiming the Strait of Hormuz remains open and the naval blockade has been 100% effective

Why Trump sanctioned ICC President Tomoko Akane and its senior lawyer

The US says the ICC exceeded its authority by targeting officials from countries that have not accepted its jurisdiction, but the sanctions are closely tied to the court's Gaza investigation

Trump dismisses concerns over USS Abraham Lincoln crew's long deployment

Families of sailors and Marines aboard the aircraft carrier have raised concerns over food shortages, contaminated water and poor living conditions as its West Asia deployment nears nine months

'Ties with US stronger than ever': Rubio greets India on Independence Day

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has greeted the people of India on its 80th Independence Day, asserting that the bilateral ties were stronger than ever due to the personal relationship between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a statement issued here on Friday, Rubio said the deep ties of friendship and family between the people of the two countries form the foundation of a partnership that is innovative, resilient and forward looking. "On behalf of the United States of America, I extend warm congratulations to the people of India on their Independence Day," Rubio said. "Thanks to the personal relationship between President Trump and Prime Minister Modi, the US-India relationship continues to grow and is stronger than ever," the US secretary of state said. Rubio said from defence and energy security to critical minerals, artificial intelligence, space cooperation, and commerce, US-India collaboration is making both nations, and the broader Indian Ocean .