Page 155 - Donald Trump

Trump admin tells embassies to limit criticism of foreign elections

The State Department is pulling back from commenting on or criticising elections overseas unless there is a clear and compelling US foreign policy interest in doing so. In new guidance issued Thursday to all US embassies and consulates abroad, the department said that those outposts should refrain from issuing statements that invoke any particular ideology and that what they may say must be in line with President Donald Trump's stated position that the US will respect the sovereignty of all foreign nations. "Consistent with the administration's emphasis on national sovereignty, the department will comment publicly on elections only when there is a clear and compelling US foreign policy interest to do so," according to the cable, a copy of which was shared with The Associated Press. The department has for decades issued statements highly critical of or questioning the legitimacy of certain elections, notably in authoritarian countries. That is changing as the Trump administration has

India should negotiate trade deal with US on its own terms: EAC-PM chief

India should negotiate a trade agreement with the US on its own terms, keeping in view the national interest, Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (EAC-PM) Chairman S Mahendra Dev has said. Dev expressed hope that India will have an advantage over other countries on tariffs once the Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) are signed, and it would boost exports. "The overall approach of India is negotiating trade agreements with countries on its own terms and keeping in view the national interests. The negotiations are going on and the ultimate decision depends on the mutual interests of both countries," he told PTI. US President Donald Trump has said the proposed trade deal with India would be on the lines of what America has finalised with Indonesia on Tuesday. Under the US-Indonesia trade pact, the Southeast Asian nation will provide complete access to its market to US products, while Indonesian goods would attract a 19 per cent duty in America. In addition, Indonesia has commit

US warns Indian visa holders — One crime could cost you everything | US Visa | India-US relations

A warning from the US Embassy in India has put visa holders on alert: crimes like theft or assault in the US could get your visa revoked and bar you from ever returning. Here's what the new advisory m

Tablighi Jamaat case, TCS bench policy, Perplexity AI, Trump's funding cut bill. #newsin1min

The Delhi High Court today quashed charges against 70 people accused of providing shelter to attendees of Tablighi Jamaat in their homes or mosques during the Covid-19 outbreak in 2020.

Cane sugar vs corn syrup: Why Coca-Cola formulas differ across borders

Donald Trump's push for real cane sugar in US Coca-Cola highlights long-standing economic, health and political divides over HFCS vs cane sugar, from Midwest corn to Florida cane

Thailand to cut tariffs on 90% of US goods to avoid Trump trade levy

Thailand is one of the Southeast Asian countries racing to finalize terms with the US

Trump's push to reclaim $9 bn in foreign aid, media funds gets Senate nod

President Donald Trump's request to cancel about USD 9 billion in foreign aid and public broadcasting spending is nearing passage in the Senate, an action that would have a tiny impact on the nation's rising debt but could have major ramifications for future spending fights in Congress. Spending bills generally need bipartisan support to advance in the Senate. But the legislation before the Senate gives Republicans the opportunity to undo some of the previously approved spending without Democratic support. The measure contains Trump's efforts to target the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and roll back some of the humanitarian and economic assistance the US provides internationally. The Trump administration is promising more rescission packages to come if the first effort is successful. Democrats say doing so upends a legislative process that typically requires lawmakers from both parties to work together to fund the nation's priorities. The move to claw back a sliver of federal

Decoded: What are Epstein files and why is Trump admin not releasing them?

US President Donald Trump slammed his supporters as weaklings for believing Democratic "bullshit" on Jeffrey Epstein, saying he no longer wants their support. Here's a decoded on the Epstein files

Daunted by trade war, US firms in China report record-low investment plans

American companies in China are reporting record-low new investment plans for this year and declining confidence in their profitability, with uncertainty in US-China relations and President Donald Trump's tariffs their top concerns, according to a new survey. The companies are also challenged by China's slowing economy, where weak domestic demand and overcapacity in local industries are eroding profitability for the Americans. Businesses in China are less profitable now than they were years ago, but risks, including reputational risk, regulatory risk, and political risk, are increasing, said Sean Stein, the president of the US-China Business Council, a Washington-based group that represents American companies doing business in China, including major multinationals. The survey, conducted between March and May and drawing from 130 member companies, was released Wednesday. It came as the two countries clash over tariffs and non-tariff measures, including export controls on critical ...

State dept layoffs affect Trump priorities like intelligence, energy, China

One employee coordinated intelligence activities. Another worked to leverage US energy interests abroad. And a third was an expert on strategic competition with China. They are just some of the more than 1,300 State Department employees fired last week, eliminating hundreds of years of institutional knowledge and experience. The move has stunned America's diplomatic workforce, not only as their careers abruptly end but as they wonder who if anyone will fill in on what they call critical work to keep the US safe and competitive on the world stage. Many of the positions and offices abolished Friday under Secretary of State Marco Rubio's dramatic reorganisation plan overlap with priorities President Donald Trump has laid out for his second term, such as combating visa fraud and countering China. Other cuts could have wide impact on everyday life, including processing Americans' passport applications. Trump administration officials have defended the mass dismissals, saying they are .

Japan racks up trade deficit amid threat from Donald Trump's tariffs

Japan sank into a trade deficit of 2.2 trillion yen ($15 billion) for the first six month of this year, according to government data released Thursday, as exports were hit by President Donald Trump's tariffs. In June, Japan's exports slipped 0.5% from a year earlier after its shipments of vehicles and other products were slapped with a 25% tariff. Trump has postponed implementing that higher import duty until Aug. 1, to allow time for negotiations but so far no deal has been reached. Exports in June totaled nearly 9.2 trillion yen ($62 billion), in the second straight month of declines. Imports in June rose 0.2% to 9 trillion yen ($61 billion), the Finance Ministry said. That left a trade surplus of 153 billion yen (just over $1 billion). The trade deficit in May was 637.6 billion yen, or $4.4 billion. Japan's exports to the United States fell 11% in June, with auto exports plunging 25%. Shipments to China decreased by nearly 5%. Exports to Mexico, a major auto assembly hub for Nort

Nationwide protests planned against Trump's immigration move, Medicaid cuts

Protests and events against President Donald Trump's controversial policies that include mass deportations and cuts to Medicaid and other safety nets for poor people are planned Thursday at more than 1,600 locations around the country. The Good Trouble Lives On national day of action honours the late congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis. Protests are expected to be held along streets, at court houses and other public spaces. Organisers are calling for them to be peaceful. We are navigating one of the most terrifying moments in our nation's history, Public Citizen co-president Lisa Gilbert said during an online news conference Tuesday. We are all grappling with a rise of authoritarianism and lawlessness within our administration ... as the rights, freedoms and expectations of our very democracy are being challenged. Public Citizen is a nonprofit with a stated mission of taking on corporate power. It is a member of a coalition of groups behind Thursday's protests. Major ...

Theft, assault in US may lead to visa cancellation, entry ban: US Embassy

The US Embassy warns that crimes like theft or assault can lead to visa loss and re-entry ban; over 142,000 people were deported from the US between January 20 and April 29

Trump likely to impose 10-15% tariff rates for more than 150 countries

In an interview with Real America's Voice on Wednesday, Trump said that his administration has not yet decided on the rate yet, adding that it would probably be 10 or 15 per cent

China may start imposing death penalty for fentanyl trafficking: Trump

Trump said that the tariffs imposed on China are a penalty to make up for the losses incurred by the US due to the alleged trafficking of the drug

Trump admin pulls $4 bn federal funding for California bullet train project

The Trump administration has revoked federal funding for California's high-speed rail project, intensifying uncertainty about how the state will make good on its long-delayed promise of building a bullet train to shuttle riders between San Francisco and Los Angeles. The US Transportation Department announced it was pulling back USD 4 billion in funding for the project, weeks after signalling it would do so. Overall, a little less than a quarter of the project's funding has come from the federal government. The rest has come from the state, mainly through a voter-approved bond and money from its cap-and-trade programme. President Donald Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy both have slammed the project as a "train to nowhere". "The Railroad we were promised still does not exist, and never will," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "This project was Severely Overpriced, Overregulated, and NEVER DELIVERED." The loss marks the latest blow to California by the Trump administration, wh

Trump says Coca-Cola agreed to use real cane sugar after his suggestion

Notably, Donald Trump's affinity for Coke is a longstanding one

Justice dept fires Maurene Comey, prosecutor on Diddy, Epstein cases

The Justice Department has fired Maurene Comey, the daughter of former FBI director James Comey and a prosecutor in the federal cases against Sean "Diddy" Combs and Jeffrey Epstein, two people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press. There was no specific reason given for her firing from the US attorney's office in the Southern District of New York, according to one of the people who spoke to the AP on Wednesday on the condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters. Her termination comes shortly after she prosecuted Combs, who was acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering charges. The rapper was convicted of lesser prostitution-related offences. The Justice Department recently appeared to acknowledge the existence of an investigation into James Comey, though the basis for that inquiry is unclear. He was abruptly fired by Trump during his first administration in 2017.

Trump hosts Gulf leaders as Israel-Syria violence clouds peace efforts

President Donald Trump is hosting a pair of Arab Gulf leaders at the White House on Wednesday as violence between Israel and Syria renewed doubts about his pledge to impose peace in the Middle East. Trump held a meeting in the Oval Office with Bahrain's crown prince and was set to have dinner with Qatar's prime minister. The Republican president has lavished attention on the Gulf, a wealthy region where members of his family have extensive business relationships. He has already visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on the first foreign policy trip of his second term. With little progress to share on the region's most intractable problems, including the war in Gaza, Trump was more focused Wednesday on promoting diplomatic ties as a vehicle for economic growth. Anything they needed, we helped them, Trump said in the Oval Office while meeting with Bahrain Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa. And anything we needed, they helped us. Meeting with Bahrain's crown

Trump tariffs may cost South Africa 100,000 jobs: Central bank chief

Kganyago told local radio station 702 that the impact of the 30 per cent tariff, which Africa's biggest economy faces from August 1, could cause significant damage to specific industries