Page 12 - Trump Administration

US unveils $10 billion arms package for Taiwan in major defence deal

The Trump administration has announced a massive package of arms sales to Taiwan valued at more than USD 10 billion, including medium-range missiles, howitzers and drones, a move that is sure to infuriate China. The State Department announced the sales late Wednesday during a nationally televised address by President Donald Trump, who made scant mention of foreign policy issues and did not speak to trade or other issues with China. The eight arms sales agreements cover 82 high-mobility artillery rocket systems, or HIMARS, and 420 Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS similar to what the US had been providing Ukraine during the Biden administration to defend itself from Russia worth more than USD 4 billion. The sales also include 60 self-propelled howitzer systems and related equipment, also worth more than USD 4 billion, and drones valued at more than USD 1 billion. Other sales in the package include military software valued at more than USD 1 billion, Javelin and TOW missiles

US military strike on alleged drug boat kills 4 in eastern Pacific

The US military said Wednesday that it attacked a boat accused of smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing four people on the same day the House rejected efforts to limit President Donald Trump's power to use military force against drug cartels. US Southern Command stated on social media that the vessel was operated by narco-terrorists along a known trafficking route. The military didn't provide evidence behind the allegations but posted a video of a boat moving through water before there was an explosion. The attack brought the total number of known boat strikes to 26 while at least 99 people have been killed, according to numbers announced by the Trump administration. Trump has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States and asserted the US is engaged in an armed conflict with drug cartels. The administration is facing increasing scrutiny from lawmakers over the boat strike campaign. The first attack in early ...

Trump demands Venezuela return seized US oil assets, defends blockade call

President Donald Trump demanded Wednesday that Venezuela return assets that it seized from US oil companies years ago, justifying anew his announcement of a blockade against oil tankers travelling to or from the South American country that face American sanctions. Trump cited the lost US investments in Venezuela when asked about his newest tactic in a monthslong pressure campaign against leader Nicols Maduro, suggesting his administration's moves to confront leaders in Caracas are at least somewhat motivated by disputes over oil investments, along with accusations of drug trafficking. Some sanctioned tankers already are diverting away from Venezuela. "We're not going to be letting anybody going through who shouldn't be going through, Trump told reporters of his call for a blockade. You remember they took all of our energy rights. They took all of our oil not that long ago. And we want it back. They took it they illegally took it. US oil companies dominated Venezuela's petroleum ...

Trump orders total blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers in Venezuela

Trump said he was also designating the regime of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro as a "foreign terrorist organisation

Cost of proposed White House ballroom may now reach $400 mn, says Trump

The White House has said it's being financed by private donations, but has not publicly specified them - raising questions about which people or companies might fund it to curry favour with Trump

Trump expands travel ban to 5 more countries, including Syria, South Sudan

The Trump administration is expanding its travel ban to include five more countries and impose new limits on others. This move Tuesday is part of ongoing efforts to tighten US entry standards for travel and immigration. The decision follows the arrest of an Afghan national suspect in the shooting of two National Guard troops over Thanksgiving weekend. In June, President Donald Trump announced that citizens of 12 countries would be banned from visiting the United States and those from seven others would face restrictions. The decision resurrected a hallmark policy of his first term. At the time the ban included Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen and heightened restrictions on visitors from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. On Tuesday, the Republican administration announced it was expanding the list of countries whose citizens are banned from entering the US to

Trump vows retaliation after ISIS gunman kills 3 Americans in Syria

Speaking at the White House, the president described the victims as 'three great patriots' and characterised the incident as an assault on both Washington and Damascus

US sanctions Maduro's nephews as pressure campaign against Venezuela grows

The US imposed sanctions on three nephews of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, among others, on Thursday as President Donald Trump looks to inflict further pressure on the South American nation. The new sanctions on Franqui Flores, Carlos Flores and Efrain Campo come a day after Trump announced that the US had seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. Also included in the sanctions are Panamanian businessman Ramon Carretero Napolitano, six firms and six Venezuela-flagged ships accused of transporting Venezuelan oil. The Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control published the list of sanctions on Thursday. The sanctions are meant to deny them access to any property or financial assets held in the US, and the penalties are intended to prevent US companies and citizens from doing business with them. Banks and financial institutions that violate that restriction expose themselves to sanctions or enforcement actions. This is not the first time Maduro's family has been involv

Trump warns Russia-Ukraine conflict can end up in third world war

The US has been pursuing a peace agreement aimed at achieving a resolution between Russia and Ukraine through continuous engagement with both sides

Khamenei slams US for 'expansionism' after Venezuela tanker seizure

Following Washington's escalating pressure campaign against Venezuela and its government, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Thursday took a sharp swipe at the United States, accusing it of pursuing "territorial expansionism" in parts of Latin America while speaking about global resistance to foreign pressure.In a post on X, Khamenei wrote "withstanding enemy pressures is Resistance," adding that such pressure may take different forms, including expansionist goals or attempts to influence cultural and social identity."Withstanding enemy pressures is Resistance. The goal of such pressure may be territorial expansionism - like what the US is now doing in some Latin American countries - or it may involve cultural & religious matters, or pressure to change people's lifestyles & their identities," Khamenei stated in his post.The remarks by Iran's supreme leader were in reference to Washington's increased pressure tactics over South America, particularly Venezuela ..

With Trump watching, Coca-Cola makes clear its new CEO is American

The mention of Braun's citizenship was unusual for a US-based company, and raised the question of whether it was done for geopolitical reasons

Trump signs order seeking to limit state-level AI regulation via lawsuits

Trump said the measure was necessary to bolster the emerging technology and counter a patchwork of state-level rules the industry worries will hamper its growth

House votes to nullify Trump order, restore rights for federal workers

Nearly two dozen House Republicans joined Democrats Thursday to pass a bill that would restore collective bargaining rights for hundreds of thousands of federal employees, an attempt to overturn an executive order that President Donald Trump issued earlier this year. The measure passed 231-195 after reaching the floor through a bipartisan maneuver that bypassed GOP leadership a so-called "discharge" tactic that is being used with growing frequency as Republicans seethe over dysfunction in the chamber. The bill still needs Senate approval to become law, but 20 Republicans sided with Democrats in a rare break from the president. The executive order that Trump issued in March aimed to end collective bargaining for employees of agencies with national security missions across the federal government. He said he had the authority to revoke the rights under a 1978 law. "Reinstating these rights is not a concession, it is a commitment. A commitment to treat federal workers with dignity, to

Trump 'extremely frustrated' over delays in Russia-Ukraine peace deal: WH

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated the President was tired of meetings that achieve nothing and wanted results, not words, as the US acts as the primary mediator

Strict English rules hit US truckers as Trump steps up his crackdown

Bloomberg report shows rising enforcement, industry fears and licence uncertainty

Without affirmative action, US elite colleges turn to economic diversity

Some of the country's most prestigious colleges are enrolling record numbers of low-income students a growing admissions priority in the absence of affirmative action. America's top campuses remain crowded with wealth, but some universities have accelerated efforts to reach a wider swath of the country, recruiting more in urban and rural areas and offering free tuition for students whose families are not among the highest earners. The strategy could lead to friction with the federal government. The Trump administration, which has pulled funding from elite colleges over a range of grievances, has suggested it's illegal to target needier students. College leaders believe they're on solid legal ground. At Princeton University, this year's freshman class has more low-income students than ever. One in four are eligible for federal Pell grants, which are scholarships reserved for students with the most significant financial need. That's a leap from two decades ago, when fewer than 1 in 1

Trump plans include major US investment in Russia, restoring oil to Europe

US companies would invest in Russian strategic sectors such as rare-earth extraction and oil drilling in the Arctic, while Russian energy flows to Western Europe and the world would be restored

More than 30 sanctioned ships in Venezuela at risk after US tanker seizure

The US action, as Trump ratchets up pressure on the government of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, has put many vessel owners, operators and shipping agencies on alert

A 'shame' students have to return to India, China after graduating: Trump

US President Donald Trump has said it is a shame that students from countries such as India and China have to go back to their home countries after graduating from top American universities as he touted that the 'Trump Gold Card' will enable companies to hire and retain such talent in the country. Trump on Wednesday announced the launch of the one million dollar 'Trump Gold Card' that will be a visa programme offering pathway for immigrants to US citizenship. The Trump Gold Card is a visa based upon an individual's ability to provide a substantial benefit to the United States. "It is a gift of getting somebody great coming into our country, because we think these will be some tremendous people that wouldn't be allowed to stay. They graduate from college, you have to go back to India, they have to go back to China, they have to go back to France. They have to go back to where ever they came from. Very hard to stay. It's a shame. It's ridiculous thing. We're taking care of that, Trump

Have clear idea of next Fed chair, will review contenders, says Trump

Trump has said he will soon announce his choice for Fed chair, but that he might wait until early 2026 to publicly reveal the name