Page 5 - Trump Administration

US forces stop oil tanker off Venezuela coast as Trump ramps up pressure

US forces on Saturday stopped an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela for the second time in less than two weeks as President Donald Trump continues to ramp up pressure on Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro. The pre-dawn operation comes days after Trump announced a blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers coming in and out of the South American country and follows the December 10 seizure by American forces of an oil tanker off Venezuela's coast. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed that the US Coast Guard with help from the Defense Department stopped the oil tanker that was last docked in Venezuela. She also posted on social media an unclassified video of a US helicopter landing personnel on a vessel called Centuries. A crude oil tanker flying under the flag of Panama operates under the name and was recently spotted near the Venezuelan coast, according to MarineTraffic, a project that tracks the movement of vessels around the globe using publicly available data. It was n

16 files disappear from DOJ webpage on documents linked to Jeffrey Epstein

At least 16 files disappeared from the Justice Department's public webpage for documents related to Jeffrey Epstein including a photograph showing President Donald Trump less than a day after they were posted, with no explanation from the government and no notice to the public. The missing files, which were available Friday and no longer accessible by Saturday, included images of paintings depicting nude women, and one showing a series of photographs along a credenza and in drawers. In that image, inside a drawer among other photos, was a photograph of Trump, alongside Epstein, Melania Trump and Epstein's longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell.

Lines from Lolita, Bill Gates, Chomsky: What new Epstein photos show

House Democrats released 68 photos from Jeffrey Epstein's estate showing Bill Gates, Noam Chomsky, passports and Lolita excerpts, ahead of a wider Trump-era file release deadline

Justice Department faces deadline to release files on Epstein investigation

The Justice Department faces a Friday deadline to release its files on Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender and wealthy financier known for his connections to some of the world's most influential people, including Donald Trump, who as president had tried to keep the files sealed. The records could contain the most detailed look yet at nearly two decades worth of government investigations into Epstein's sexual abuse of young women and underage girls. Their release has long been demanded by a public hungry to learn whether any of Epstein's rich and powerful associates knew about or participated in the abuse. Epstein's accusers have also long sought answers about why federal authorities shut down their initial investigation into the allegations in 2008. Bowing to political pressure from fellow Republicans, Trump on November 19 signed a bill giving the Justice Department 30 days to release most of its files and communications related to Epstein, including information about the ..

US military strikes on alleged drug boats kill 5 in eastern Pacific

The US military said Thursday that it had conducted two more strikes against boats it said were smuggling drugs in the eastern Pacific Ocean, killing five people. US Southern Command posted on social media, Intelligence confirmed that the vessels were transiting along known narco-trafficking routes in the Eastern Pacific and were engaged in narco-trafficking operations, though it did not provide evidence. It posted videos of each boat speeding through water before being struck by an explosion. The military said three people in one vessel and two in the other were killed. The attacks brought the total number of known boat strikes to 28 while at least 104 people have been killed, according to numbers announced by the Trump administration. President Donald 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

Trump's handpicked board votes to rename Washington performing arts centre

President Donald Trump's handpicked board voted Thursday to rename Washington's leading performing arts centre as the Trump-Kennedy Center, the White House said. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the vote on social media, saying it was because of the unbelievable work President Trump has done over the last year in saving the building. Not only from the standpoint of its reconstruction, but also financially, and its reputation. Trump, a Republican, often refers to the John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts, which is named for a Democratic predecessor, as the Trump Kennedy Centre. Asked on Dec. 7 as he walked the red carpet for the Kennedy Centre Honors program whether he would rename the venue after himself, Trump said such a decision would be up to the board. Earlier this month, Trump talked about a big event on Friday at the Trump Kennedy Centre before saying, excuse me, at the Kennedy Centre, as his audience laughed. He was referring to the FIFA World Cup soccer

Trump signs executive order to reclassify marijuana as less dangerous drug

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Thursday that would reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug and open new avenues for medical research, a major shift in federal drug policy that inches closer to what many states have done. The switch would move marijuana away from its current classification as a Schedule I drug, alongside heroin and LSD. Cannabis would instead be a Schedule III substance, like ketamine and some anabolic steroids. Reclassification by the Drug Enforcement Administration would not make it legal for recreational use by adults nationwide, but it could change how the drug is regulated and reduce a hefty tax burden on the cannabis industry. Similarly, the Justice Department under Trump's Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, proposed reclassifying marijuana to a Schedule III substance. Unlike Biden, Trump did not have open encouragement from across his party for the move. Some Republicans have spoken out in opposition to any changes and urged Trump to ..

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