Page 26 - Latest Updates on Donald Trump

'If you break the law…': US embassy toughens tone amid H-1B backlog

Advisory issued as visa backlogs and immigration scrutiny intensify

CIA rejects Russia's claim of Ukraine targeting Putin's residence

Moscow alleged Kyiv targeted Putin's residence, a claim he raised with Donald Trump during a phone call. The CIA later briefed Trump that such an attack was unlikely to have occurred

US sanctions 4 Venezuelan oil firms, 4 more tankers in Maduro crackdown

The U.S. on Wednesday imposed sanctions on four firms operating in Venezuela's oil sector and designated four additional oil tankers, which the U.S. accuses of being part of a shadow fleet serving Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro's government, as blocked property. The action is part of the Trump administration's monthslong pressure campaign on Maduro. U.S. forces also have seized two oil tankers off Venezuela's coast, are pursuing another and have conducted a series of deadly strikes on alleged drug-smuggling boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean. A set of strikes announced Wednesday increased the death toll from the attacks to at least 110 people since early September. And in a new escalation marking the first known direct operation on Venezuelan soil, the CIA carried out a drone strike last week at a docking area believed to have been used by drug cartels. The latest sanctions from the Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control target ships called Nord

Department of Justice is reviewing over 5.2 mn documents related to Epstein

The Department of Justice has expanded its review of documents related to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to 5.2 million as it also increases the number of attorneys trying to comply with a law mandating release of the files, according to a person briefed on a letter sent to U.S. Attorneys. The figure is the latest estimate in the expanding review of case files on Epstein and his longtime girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell that has run more than a week past a deadline set in law by Congress. The Justice Department has more than 400 attorneys assigned to the review, but does not expect to release more documents until Jan. 20 or 21, according to the person briefed on the letter who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss it. The expanding scope of the disclosure and the additional legal firepower committed to it showed how the Epstein file investigation will continue to occupy significant attention in Congress and the White House, almost ..

US military strikes 3 suspected drug-smuggling boats, killing three at sea

The U.S. military said Wednesday it struck three more boats that were allegedly smuggling drugs, killing three people while others jumped overboard and may have survived. The statement by U.S. Southern Command, which oversees South America, did not reveal where the attacks occurred. Previous attacks have been in the Caribbean Sea and in the eastern Pacific Ocean. A video posted by Southern Command on social media shows the boats traveling in a close formation, which is unusual, and the military said they were in a convoy along known narco-trafficking routes and had transferred narcotics between the three vessels prior to the strikes. The military did not provide evidence to back up the claim. The military said three people were killed when the first boat was struck, while people in the other two boats jumped overboard and distanced themselves from the vessels before they were attacked. Southern Command said it immediately notified the U.S. Coast Guard to activate search and rescue .

China joins US in claiming role in India-Pakistan conflict mediation

The remarks were made by China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi at a foreign policy symposium, echoing US President Donald Trump's claims of mediating the recent India-Pakistan military standoff

Mali, Burkina Faso impose retaliatory travel ban on US national

Mali and Burkina Faso said late Tuesday they would ban U.S. citizens from entering their countries in retaliation for U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to ban Malian and Burkinabe citizens from entering the United States. The announcements, made in separate statements by the foreign ministers of the two West African countries, marked the latest twist in the frosty relationship between West African military governments and the U.S. On Dec. 16, Trump expanded earlier travel restrictions to 20 more countries, including Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger, which are run by juntas and have formed a breakaway association from the regional bloc, the Economic Community of West African States. In accordance with the principle of reciprocity, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation informs the national and international community that, with immediate effect, the Government of the Republic of Mali will apply the same conditions and requirements to US nationals as those ...

Trump admin freezes child care funds to Minnesota over fraud schemes

President Donald Trump's administration announced on Tuesday that it's freezing child care funds to Minnesota after a series of fraud schemes in recent years. Acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Jim O'Neill announced on the social platform X that the step is in response to blatant fraud that appears to be rampant in Minnesota and across the country. We have turned off the money spigot and we are finding the fraud, he said. O'Neill said all payments through the Administration for Children and Families, an agency within the U.S. Health and Human Services Department, will require justification and a receipt or photo evidence before money is sent. They have also launched a fraud-reporting hotline and email address, he said. The announcement comes after years of investigation that began with the $300 million scheme at the nonprofit Feeding Our Future, for which 57 defendants in Minnesota have been convicted. Prosecutors said the organization was at the cent

Trump's covert Venezuela strike raises new questions on next steps

The attack is likely to inject additional energy into heated discussions in US Congress about the strategy toward Venezuela, and the debate about how far Trump can go without seeking authorisation

Pentagon announces $8.6 billion Boeing contract for F-15 jets for Israel

The Pentagon said the contract involved foreign military sales to Israel. The U.S. has long been by far the largest arms supplier to its closest Middle East ally

Who is Ranjit 'Ricky' Gill, Trump official awarded for India-Pak ceasefire?

Ranjit Gill, a senior NSC official and special assistant to Donald Trump, received a Distinguished Action Award amid US claims of brokering an India-Pakistan ceasefire denied by New Delhi

Trump repeats claim of ending India-Pak clashes during talks with Netanyahu

US President Donald Trump has repeated his claim of resolving the India-Pakistan conflict during his bilateral meeting with visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. As Trump began his bilateral meeting with Netanyahu and his delegation at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida Monday, he said that he had solved eight wars so far in the first year of his second term in the White House. He said he stopped the war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, threatening the countries with tariffs, as well as other conflicts, but is not given credit for it. He then repeated his claim that he stopped the fighting between India and Pakistan. Settled eight wars, but we don't know the countries. Azerbaijan... It's good when you can say it...And (Russian President Vladimir) Putin actually said to me, I cannot believe you settled that war because I've been trying for 10 years'. And I literally settled it in one day," Trump said. "Trade. They do trade. I said, We're going to cut you off from trade.

China ramps up live-fire drills near Taiwan; Trump says 'not concerned'

Donald Trump said he was not concerned about China's military drills near Taiwan, adding that he did not believe Chinese President Xi Jinping intended to attack Taiwan

Trump might still fire Jerome Powell as decision to pick Fed chair nears

Trump did not specify who is his leading chair candidate and said an announcement would be made in "January sometime"

Fight over Trump's $100,000 H-1B visa fee heads to US appeals court

The H-1B visa program is a cornerstone of employment-based immigration, allowing companies in the US to hire college-educated foreign workers for specialized occupations

US pledges $2 bn for UN aid as Trump warns agencies must 'adapt or die'

The United States on Monday announced a USD 2 billion pledge for U.N. humanitarian aid as President Donald Trump's administration slashes U.S. foreign assistance and warns United Nations agencies they must adapt, shrink or die in a time of new financial realities. The money is a small fraction of what the U.S. has contributed in the past but reflects what the administration believes is still a generous amount that will maintain America's status as the world's largest humanitarian donor. This new model will better share the burden of U.N. humanitarian work with other developed countries and will require the U.N. to cut bloat, remove duplication, and commit to powerful new impact, accountability and oversight mechanisms, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on social media. The pledge creates an umbrella fund from which money will be doled out to agencies and priorities, a key part of U.S. demands for drastic changes across the U.N. that have alarmed many humanitarian workers and led t

Netanyahu announces Israel Peace Prize for Trump after Florida talks

The announcement was made by Netanyahu during a joint press briefing with Trump after their bilateral talks at Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida on Monday

Trump indicates US 'hit' Venezuelan facility linked to alleged drug vessels

President Donald Trump has indicated that the US has hit a facility in South America as he wages a pressure campaign on Venezuela, but the US offered no other details. Trump made the comments in what seemed to be an impromptu radio interview Friday. The president, who called radio host John Catsimatidis during a program on WABC radio, was discussing US strikes on alleged drug-carrying boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean, which have killed at least 105 people in 29 known strikes since early September. I don't know if you read or saw, they have a big plant or a big facility where they send the, you know, where the ships come from," Trump said. "Two nights ago, we knocked that out. So, we hit them very hard. Trump did not offer any additional details in the interview, including what kind of attack may have occurred. The Pentagon on Monday referred questions to the White House, which did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. Defence Secretary Pete Hegs

Trump warns Iran against reviving nuclear programme amid Netanyahu's visit

President Donald Trump warned Iran against reconstituting its nuclear program as he welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to his home in Florida for wide-ranging talks. The warning comes after Trump has insisted that Tehran's nuclear capabilities were completely and fully obliterated by U.S. strikes on key nuclear enrichment sites in June. But Israeli officials have been quoted in local media expressing concern about Iran rebuilding its supply of long-range missiles capable of striking Israel. Now I hear that Iran is trying to build up again, Trump told reporters as he welcomed Netanyahu to his Mar-a-Lago estate. And if they are, we're going to have to knock them down. We'll knock them down. We'll knock the hell out of them. But hopefully that's not happening. Iran has insisted that it is no longer enriching uranium at any site in the country, trying to signal to the West that it remains open to potential negotiations over its atomic program. But Netanyahu was expected

One of America's most successful experiments is coming to a shuddering halt

Since US immigration laws opened in 1965, Indian Americans have emerged as one of the country's most successful migrant groups, excelling in income, education and high-paying professions