Page 20 - Donald Trump

Iran rejects Trump's 48-hour ultimatum as 'helpless', 'unbalanced'

The rejection follows a period of heightened tensions after the US leader warned of severe military consequences if the Strait of Hormuz is not reopened

US judge halts Trump's push for race data in college admissions process

A federal judge on Friday halted efforts by the Trump administration to collect data that proves higher education institutions aren't considering race in admissions. The ruling from US District Court Judge F Dennis Saylor IV in Boston granting the preliminary injunction follows a lawsuit filed earlier this month by a coalition of 17 Democratic state attorneys general. It will only apply to public universities in plaintiffs The federal judge said the federal government likely has the authority to collect the data, but the demand was rolled out to universities in a "rushed and chaotic" manner. "The 120-day deadline imposed by the President led directly to the failure of NCES (National Centre for Education Statistics) to engage meaningfully with the institutions during the notice-and-comment process to address the multitude of problems presented by the new requirements," Saylor wrote. President Donald Trump ordered the data collection in August after he raised concerns that colleges a

Trump warns Iran to open Hormuz Strait or face 'hell' in 48 hours

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the deadline, set to expire on April 6, was nearing its end, reiterating his demand that Tehran either "make a deal" or ensure the strategic waterway remains open

US intelligence warns Iran unlikely to ease Strait of Hormuz chokehold soon

The finding suggests Tehran could continue to throttle the strait to keep energy prices high as a means of pressuring Trump to find a quick off-ramp to the war

Iran warns of 'crushing' strikes on US assets, regional host nations

Ebrahim Zolfaghari, the spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, released a statement threatening devastating strikes against American and Israeli assets

Trump declines to specify US response if missing airman harmed in Iran

The President declined to specify a course of action during a brief telephone interview on Friday

Nato chief Mark Rutte to meet Donald Trump as he mulls alliance exit

Rutte's itinerary also includes discussions with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth

Trump budget seeks 10% cut in discretionary spend, defence outlay $1.5 trn

The president's proposed budget changes need to be approved by the U.S. Congress, which requires bipartisan support, and the spending requests are often treated by lawmakers as suggestions

Trump admin makes George W Bush's look like a model of responsibility

The US' military planners seem to have failed to predict Tehran's response, including the bombing of US allies in the region and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz

US employment growth rebounded in March; unemployment rate falls to 4.3%

The labor market has been buffeted by uncertainty, starting with President Donald Trump's aggressive import tariffs

Drone company backed by Trump sons targets Gulf sales amid Iran war

A drone maker backed by President Donald Trump's two oldest sons is trying to sell to Gulf countries while they are under attack by Iran and dependent on the US military led by their father. The sales drive by Florida-based Powerus which announced a deal last month to bring aboard Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. positions the company to potentially benefit from a war that their father began. "These countries are under enormous pressure to buy from the sons of the president so he will do what they want," said Richard Painter, a former chief White House ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush. "This is going to be the first family of a president to make a lot of money off war - a war he didn't get the consent of Congress for." Powerus co-founder Brett Velicovich told The Associated Press that the company is making sales pitches that include drone demonstrations in several Gulf countries to show how its defensive drone interceptors could help them ward off Iranian attacks. "Ou

Trump immunity ruling brings focus on Indian-origin judge Amit Mehta

Indian-American judge Amit Mehta has come into focus after he ruled that US President Donald Trump's speech ahead of the violence that rocked the Capitol on January 6, 2021 was not subject to presidential immunity. Mehta, a federal judge of the US District Court of the District of Columbia, in 2022 rejected Trump's effort to dismiss three lawsuits accusing him of bearing responsibility for the January 6 attack on the US Capitol. Last August, Mehta had ruled that Google had broken anti-trust laws to maintain its dominance in online search. Born in Patan in Gujarat in 1971, Mehta was nominated as a judge to the US District Court for the District of Columbia in 2014 by then-President Barack Obama. Mehta came to the US as a one-year-old and went on to pursue his B.A. in Political Science and Economics from Georgetown University in 1993 and his JD from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1997. After law school, Mehta worked in a law firm in San Francisco before clerking for Sus

US tariffs on medicines decoded: Why Washington wants pharma production back

The US plans tariffs of up to 100 per cent on imported medicines to reduce foreign dependence and boost domestic manufacturing, a move that could reshape global pharmaceutical supply chains

West Asia war: Trump urges Iran deal before 'it's too late'; Brent at $109

The West Asia conflict continues to escalate as the US and Iran exchange warnings and global oil prices surge, with Brent crude rising to $109 a barrel. Here are the top updates at 10 am (IST)

How Trump boxed himself in on Iran war as goals remain out of reach

President Trump faces the possibility that at the end of his own two-to-three week window for wrapping up the war in Iran, nothing much will have changed

Trump imposes 100% tariff on patented drug imports; generics spared

The US has announced a 100 per cent tariff on patented pharma imports from countries like India without reshoring deals, aiming to boost local production, while generics have been exempted for now

Rival nations seize choke points to counter Trump's global strategy

From Iran to China, President Trump's global aggression has encouraged other countries to search for new ways to pressure the US economy

US allies working on plan B for Strait of Hormuz if Trump walks away

Virtual meeting of around 40 nations showed the coalition of countries deem it necessary to begin preparations for having to reopen the strait without the US

'Civilisation cannot be destroyed by bombing': Iran slams Trump's threat

Iranian Mission to the UN said US President Trump's threat reflects 'ignorance, not strength'

Trump's White House ballroom gets final nod days after judge halts work

US President Donald Trump's White House ballroom won final approval from a key agency on Thursday, despite a federal judge recently ordering a halt to construction unless Congress allows what would be the biggest structural change to the American landmark in more than 70 years. The 12-member National Capital Planning Commission, the agency tasked with approving construction on federal property in the Washington region, went ahead with the vote because US District Judge Richard Leon's ruling - which came two days earlier - affects construction activities but not the planning process, said the commission's Trump-appointed chair, Will Scharf. A vote of 8-1, with two commissioners voting present and one absent, allowed the plan to move forward. Despite the agency's approval, however, the judge's ruling and a legal fight over the ballroom could stall progress on a legacy project that Trump is racing to see completed before the end of his term in early 2029. It's among a series of changes