Page 3 - Donald Trump Administration

US troops must prepare to fight around the Moon: Trump's top military aide

American troops need to prepare for combat not only in Earth's orbit but around the moon, President Donald Trump's top military adviser said Wednesday, looking ahead to a new frontier in warfare after the US revealed for the first time that it has deployed weapons in space. Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told service members and industry figures at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference outside Washington that the US military should adapt now so it "is prepared to fight, endure and win ... from the seabed to cislunar space." Space Force, the newest military service, which was created by Trump in 2019, is preparing to fight in space and around the moon because "humanity is advancing deeper into space - the Space Force's job is to help be prepared to defend US interests," Lt. Gen. Gregory Gagnon, head of the force's Combat Forces Command, told reporters separately. The announcement that the US military is ready to fight in the area between high Earth orbit and the

Trump calls for US interest rates at 1% or lower after Fed rate hike

The US president renewed his push for cheaper credit after the Federal Reserve raised its benchmark rate by 25 basis points to a 3.75-4% target range

Trump admin to send powerful bombs to Israel in $2.8 billion weapons sale

The Trump administration is planning to deliver powerful 2,000-pound bombs to Israel as part of an upcoming arms deal, weapons that prompted such concerns about the possibility of mass casualties in Gaza that the Biden administration paused their delivery two years ago. The USD 2.8 billion package includes 40,000 of the bombs, made up of 20,000 Mk84s and 20,000 BLU-117s, according to two US officials and a person familiar with the plan who spoke Tuesday on condition of anonymity to discuss the package, which is not yet final. Congress has been informally notified about the pending deal, most of which is to be paid for with foreign military financing - in which US taxpayer dollars are given to Israel to turn around and buy the weapons from the United States. The proposed sale is just the latest in a series of Trump administration steps to improve Israeli's military capacity. The conflict in Gaza has left tens of thousands of Palestinians dead and has decimated the enclave. The US ...

Tech CEOs call for AI regulation but Trump, Congress are not rushing to act

The technology industry's increasingly urgent warnings about the potential harm of artificial intelligence are slamming into political intransigence in Washington, offering a fresh test of the federal government's willingness and ability to confront what may become a defining issue of the era. President Donald Trump is leading the opposition to recent calls by tech leaders seeking greater government oversight, including Anthropic's Dario Amodei, OpenAI's Sam Altman and xAI's Elon Musk. The president dismissed efforts to limit the technology on Monday as a "conspiracy." Other leading Republicans including Vice President JD Vance have expressed caution. House Speaker Mike Johnson has largely deferred to the White House. Democrats, meanwhile, are pressing for a more robust response, convening in private on Tuesday in the House to discuss AI. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., is hosting his colleagues for a briefing with experts on Wednesday. Top candidates on the ballot this year such as Sen

US confirms it has weapons in space as China, Russia expand military reach

US Air Force secretary Troy Meink has said that the weapons can defend US forces against hostile actions in space, but declined to disclose their type or capabilities

US judge blocks Trump's new visa rules for foreign students, journalists

A US federal judge has temporarily blocked a Trump administration new rule that would impose stricter limits on how long foreign students and journalists can study or work in America. The decision by the Massachusetts district judge on Monday will bring some relief to international students, including many from India and has came one day before it was to come into effect. The judge ruled that the new policy would probably cause "catastrophic" damage to the US economy and higher-education system, rejecting the government's claims that it was needed to protect the country. Judge F Dennis Saylor IV also rejected the government contention that the relief being granted be limited to the plaintiffs and not the entire country. The preliminary injunction halts the implementation of the new rule while the case is heard in court. Plaintiffs represent almost 600 public and private institutions. But there are more than 5,000 higher-education institutions in the United States, the judge ...

Sick conspiracy against AI, data centres: Trump calls AI risks a 'hoax'

President Donald Trump on Monday lashed out against concerns about rogue artificial intelligence, claiming that any efforts to limit the technology are part of a "SICK conspiracy." "AI taking over the World, destroying Humanity, and all other things bad, is a HOAX," Trump posted on social media, later suggesting that those calling for guardrails on the technology had also warned about climate change, which he also called a hoax. The president was pushing back against calls by tech leaders such as Anthropic's Dario Amodei, OpenAI's Sam Altman and SpaceXAI's Elon Musk to have greater government oversight of AI. The rapidly evolving technology has become a source of controversy after a series of hacks in recent months that showed AI agents can conspire to deceive humans. Many tech leaders generally say their goal is to develop the technology in ways that promote safety, address legal liability, feed economic growth, advance science and preserve national security. But they have also ...

Carney pitches Canada to global investors as Trump tries to pull investment

US President Donald Trump wants factories and investment moving south to the United States. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is betting he can make billions flow north. About 300 CEOs and senior executives from some of the world's biggest investment firms will descend on the Four Seasons in Yorkville, a tony Toronto enclave of high-end restaurants and designer boutiques, for Carney's Canada Investment Summit this week. The investors collectively manage more than $120 trillion in assets, underscoring the scale of capital Carney hopes to tap as Canada tries to attract billions in new investment and reduce its economic dependence on the United States. "Canada is about so much more than being next to the United States," Carney said. "We have what the world wants." Carney pointed to Canada's vast energy and critical-mineral resources, its highly educated workforce and trade agreements that give businesses based in Canada access to roughly 1.5 billion consumers around the world. He s

As fears of AI catastrophe magnify, Washington stirs, but mostly slumbers

President Trump has been at the forefront of the "what-me-worry?" crowd, refusing to engage on how to balance the risks and rewards of AI

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