Page 5 - Trump Inauguration 2025

Netanyahu hopes to meet Trump in US as soon as next week, say officials

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is hoping to meet with President Donald Trump in Washington as early as next week, according to two US officials familiar with preliminary planning for the trip. Should the trip come together in that timeframe, Netanyahu could be the first foreign leader to meet with Trump at the White House since his inauguration last week. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the planning remains tentative, said details could be arranged when Trump's special Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, travels to Israel this week for talks with Netanyahu and other Israeli officials. The White House had no immediate comment on the plans, which were first reported by Axios. Netanyahu's spokesman, Omer Dostri, said Monday on the social platform X that the Israeli leader has not yet received an official invitation to the White House. An Israeli official, however, said Netanyahu is expected to go to the White House in February but did not have a dat

US CDC ordered to stop working with WHO immediately, to wait for orders

US public health officials have been told to stop working with the World Health Organisation, effective immediately. A US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention official, John Nkengasong, sent a memo to senior leaders at the agency on Sunday night telling them that all agency staff who work with the WHO must immediately stop their collaborations and await further guidance. Experts said the sudden stoppage was a surprise and would set back work on investigating and trying to stop outbreaks of Marburg virus and mpox in Africa, as well as brewing threats from around the world. It also comes as health authorities around the world are monitoring bird flu outbreaks among US livestock. The Associated Press viewed a copy of Nkengasong's memo, which said the stop-work policy applied to all CDC staff engaging with WHO through technical working groups, coordinating centres, advisory boards, cooperative agreements or other means in person or virtual. It also says CDC staff are not allowed

New updates: PM Modi speaks to US president Donald Trump over phone

Latest news updates: Catch all the major news updates from around the world

Top Trump officials visit Chicago to see start of immigration crackdown

Top Trump administration officials, including border czar Tom Homan and the acting deputy attorney general, visited Chicago on Sunday to witness the start of ramped-up immigration enforcementin the nation's third-largest city as federal agencies touted arrests around the country. Few details of the operation were immediately made public, including the number of arrests. But the sheer number of federal agencies involved showed President Donald Trump's willingness to use federal law enforcement beyond the Department of Homeland Security to carry out his long-promised mass deportations. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said it made 956 arrests nationwide on Sunday and 286 on Saturday. While some of the operations may not have been unusual, ICE averaged 311 daily arrests in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30. Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove said he observed immigration agents from the DHS along with agents from the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of ...

Intel sharing by US, allies saved lives, but Trump could test those ties

As Russia moved closer to invading Ukraine nearly three years ago, the United States and its allies took the extraordinary step of declassifying and sharing intelligence to expose Moscow's plans. Information flew across the Atlantic from US spy agencies to NATO and Western partners showing that Russia was poised to launch the biggest attack on a European country since World War II. It was designed to muster support for Kyiv, and on the strength of the US warning, some nations sent weapons to Ukraine, which moved some equipment out of the range of Russian strikes. Now, officials are bracing for a potentially changed security landscape under President Donald Trump. He has criticized America's allies and lambasted its intelligence agencies. He's been accused of disregarding secrecy rules and hoarding classified documents. Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's pick for director of national intelligence, has parroted Russian propaganda while his nominee to lead the FBI, Kash Patel, has promised change

Trump celebrating greatness puts spotlight on less-known panel of experts

Within hours of taking office, President Donald Trump outlined in one of his many executive orders a mission to celebrate American greatness and to recognize those who have made contributions throughout history. He jumpstarted the effort by ordering the name of North America's tallest peak to be changed from Denali back to Mount McKinley in honour of the nation's 25th president, William McKinley. He also called on the US Interior Department to work with Alaska Natives and others to adopt names for other landmarks that would honour their history and culture. The US Board on Geographic Names will play a role. The little known panel made up of officials from several federal agencies has been in existence since 1890. How did the board get its start? As more settlers and prospectors headed west following the American Civil War, it became apparent the federal government needed some kind of consistency for referencing landmarks on maps and in official documents. In comes President Benjam

Now hiring: Musk's govt efficiency dept sets up site to recruit full-time

The site appeared to go live on Sunday afternoon, days after President Donald Trump took office and signed an executive order officially creating the organisation

US officials visit gurudwaras in New York, sparking Sikh community outrage

The Trump administration's decision to revoke protections for sensitive areas has drawn criticism from Sikh organisations, who see it as a threat to their faith's sanctity

US to pass sanctions against those not cooperating on deportation: Speaker

The US Congress is ready to pass sanctions on countries which refuse to cooperate with the Trump administration's order on deportation of undocumented immigrants, House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson has warned. Soon after taking over, the Trump administration started massive mass deportation. Raids are being reported from across the country. Colombia and all nations should be on notice - Congress is fully prepared to pass sanctions and other measures against those that do not fully cooperate or follow through on requirements to accept their citizens who are illegally in the United States, Johnson said. "President Trump is putting America first, just like he said he would. And Congress will implement policies that reinforce his agenda, he said. Johnson came out in support of Trump's decision to impose tariffs on Colombia after its President Gustavo Petro turned away two US military aircraft full of detained Colombian migrants. The White House later on Sunday night that ..

New wealth in making: Trump's billionaires take the great leap forward

Trump said Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman can "round out" the $600 billion he had promised in additional investments and trade with the US in the coming four years to- $1 trillion

Trump's second week tests his hold over Congress for agenda, cabinet picks

Facing him this week are talks to shape his tax and immigration bills and getting more cabinet nominees confirmed in the Senate

Trump's Gaza refugee idea falls flat with Jordan and confounds Senate ally

President Donald Trump's push to have Egypt and Jordan take in large numbers of Palestinian refugees from besieged Gaza fell flat with the Amman government and perplexed a congressional ally. Trump nonetheless planned to discuss the idea more on Sunday with Egypt's leader. Fighting that broke out in the territory after ruling Hamas attacked Israel in October 2023 is paused due to a fragile ceasefire, but much of Gaza's population has been left largely homeless by an Israeli military campaign. Trump told reporters Saturday aboard Air Force One that moving about a 1.5 million people away from Gaza might mean that "we just clean out that whole thing. Trump relayed what he told Jordan's King Abdullah when the two held a call earlier Saturday: I said to him, I'd love for you to take on more because I'm looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now, and it's a mess.' The president said he would make a similar appeal to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi during their conversation while .

US halts sanctions on Colombia after it agrees to 'all terms' of Trump

Trump had imposed a 25 per cent import tariff on Colombia after the country refused to accept two deportation flights from the United States seeking 'dignified treatment' of its nationals

Trump leans into his pledge to eliminate taxes on tips at a Las Vegas rally

President Donald Trump came to Las Vegas on Saturday to crow about his campaign promise to eliminate taxes on tips, signalling to allies in Congress the importance of the policy but stopping well short of offering details for making the slogan a reality. Instead, Trump spent most of his 40 minutes speaking to roughly 1,000 supporters in a casino ballroom lauding his November election victory, mocking former President Joe Biden's administration and touting his torrent of executive actions since taking office Monday. But I have to be honest with you, I'm really here for a different reason, I'm here to say thank you," Trump told the crowd at Circa Resort and Casino. The victory lap, Trump's first swing-state rally since taking office, came after he won Nevada's six electoral votes in November, becoming the first Republican since George W. Bush in 2004 to carry the state. It was part of Trump's sweep of all seven of the most competitive states that gave him a healthy electoral majority

Families of hostages appeal to Trump to pressure Netanyahu to end war

Families of hostages who remain in captivity in Gaza are appealing to US President Donald Trump to pressure Israel's prime minister into ending the war and bringing their loved-ones home. Under the deal, about one third of the hostages are to be released during the six-week first phase. The release of the remaining hostages, along with an end to the war, are to be negotiated during a second phase. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has signalled readiness to return to the war after the first phase is complete, and hard-liners in his coalition have threatened to bring down the government if he does not resume the war. Hostage families gathered Saturday and appealed to Trump to make sure that Netanyahu ends the war. The radicals in the coalition are threatening to bring down the government and demand the renewal of the war, said Einav Zangauker, whose son Matan is a hostage and not scheduled to be released during the first phase. She urged Trump to demand that Netanyahu implement the

Democratic states weigh support for immigrants as Trump admin cracks down

As President Donald Trump tightens the nation's immigration policies, lawmakers in Democratic-led states are proposing new measures that could erect legal obstacles for federal immigration officials and help immigrants lacking legal status avoid deportation. The resistance efforts in California, New York and other states are a counterpoint to the many Republican-led states advancing measures to aid Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration, highlighting a national divide. In just his first week in office, Trump's administration has halted refugee arrivals; fast-tracked deportations; sent military troops to the southern border; lifted longtime rules restricting immigration enforcement near schools, churches and hospitals; attempted to end birthright citizenship; and ordered federal prosecutors to investigate state or local officials who they believe are interfering with his crackdown on illegal immigration. Hundreds of bills on immigration already have been introduced in states and mo

Marco Rubio stresses 'America First' in call with China's FM Wang Yi

Rubio emphasized to Wang that the new US administration would pursue a relationship with China that 'advances US interests and puts the American people first'

Senate heads to approve Kristi Noem as Trump's homeland security secretary

The Senate is heading towards a vote on confirming South Dakota Gov Kristi Noem as homeland security secretary, placing her at the head of a sprawling agency that will be essential to both national security and President Donald Trump's plans to squash illegal immigration. Republicans were determined to barrel through on Noem's confirmation, threatening to keep the Senate working through the weekend to install Trump's national security Cabinet officials. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth won confirmation Friday night, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio and CIA Director John Ratcliffe were already in place. Noem, a Trump ally who is in her second term as South Dakota governor, received some support from Democrats on the Senate Homeland Security Committee when it voted 13-2 to advance her nomination earlier this week. Republicans, who already hold the votes necessary to confirm her, have also expressed confidence in her determination to lead border security and immigration ...

Trump pumps coal as answer to AI power needs but boost may be short-lived

President Donald Trump's promise to go all in on fossil fuels includes praise for coal, a reliable but polluting energy source that's long been in decline. Trump this week suggested coal can help meet surging electricity demand from manufacturing and the massive data centres needed for artificial intelligence. Nothing can destroy coal. Not the weather, not a bomb nothing," Trump told the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, by video link Thursday. And we have more coal than anybody. Yet energy experts say any bump for coal under Trump is likely to be temporary since natural gas is cheaper and there's a durable market for renewable energy no matter who holds the White House. It's kind of been shown over the last three administrations even the president of the United States can't change markets, the trend for coal," said University of Wyoming economics professor Rob Godby. "It might lead to a reprieve." Here's a look at the outlook for coal during Trump's second term: WILL

Trump proposes 'getting rid of FEMA' while visiting North Carolina

President Donald Trump said he was considering getting rid of the Federal Emergency Management Agency during a trip to disaster zones Friday, offering the latest sign of how he is weighing sweeping changes to the nation's central organization for responding to disasters. Instead of having federal financial assistance flow through FEMA, the Republican president said Washington could provide money directly to the states. He made the comments while visiting North Carolina, which is still recovering months after Hurricane Helene, on the first trip of his second term. FEMA has been a very big disappointment," the Republican president said. It's very bureaucratic. And it's very slow." Trump said Michael Whatley, a North Carolina native and chair of the Republican National Committee, would help coordinate recovery efforts in the state, where frustrations over the federal response have lingered. Although Whatley does not hold an official government position, Trump said he would be very much