Page 20 - United States

Khamenei calls Trump 'criminal' as Iran protest death toll crosses 3,000

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday branded US President Donald Trump a criminal for supporting protesters in Iran, and blamed demonstrators for causing thousands of deaths. In a speech broadcast by state television, Khamenei said the protests had left several thousand people dead the first indication from an Iranian leader of the extent of the casualties from the wave of protests that began December 28 and led to a bloody crackdown. In this revolt, the US president made remarks in person, encouraged seditious people to go ahead and said: 'We do support you, we do support you militarily'," said Khamenei, who has final say on all state matters. He reiterated an accusation that the US seeks domination over Iran's economic and political resources. We do consider the US president a criminal, because of casualties and damages, because of accusations against the Iranian nation, he said. He described the protesters as foot soldiers of the United States and said they

China cuts US debt holdings to 17-year low, shifts reserves to gold

China has reduced its US Treasury holdings to a 17-year low as part of the continued diversification of its forex reserves towards gold and overseas equity investments amid unsettling ties with Washington. China's holdings of US treasuries fell to USD 682.6 billion in November last year, down from USD 688.7 billion in October, the lowest since 2008, according to data released by the US Department of the Treasury on Thursday. Beijing's move to trim its US holdings came as the foreign ownership of the US debt hit a record high, with Japan and the UK scaling up their holdings, according to the data. Japan's holdings rose by USD 2.6 billion to USD 1.2 trillion, while the UK's pool rose by USD 10.6 billion to USD 888.5 billion. China holds the world's largest forex reserves totalling USD 3.3579 trillion at the end of December 2025, according to the official media reports here. Observers say the reduction of US holdings by China is part of its continued efforts to adjust its strategic .

ChatGPT to test ads for US users as OpenAI broadens revenue model

ChatGPT will begin testing advertisements for users in the United States in the coming weeks, as OpenAI looks to add a new revenue stream alongside its existing subscription offerings

US to close Qatar camp that housed Afghans who fled their country in 2021

The decision marks the latest move by President Donald Trump's administration targeting Afghans who migrated to the US or are seeking to do so, part of a broader immigration crackdown

European troops arrive in Greenland amid Trump's push to acquire island

Greenland and Denmark say the island is not for sale, that threats of force are reckless and security concerns should be resolved among allies

US seizes tanker linked to Venezuela ahead of US Prez's meet with Machado

The seizure marks the sixth vessel targeted in recent weeks that was either carrying Venezuelan oil or had done so in the past

Oil slides over 4% as Trump signals US response to Iran is on hold

Oil has pushed higher in the new year as turmoil in OPEC's fourth-largest producer, along with upheaval in Venezuela, added geopolitical risk to prices

Trump warns of invoking Insurrection Act as Minnesota protests grow

The 1807 law allows the president to use regular military troops on US soil for domestic law enforcement. It was last invoked during the 1992 riots in Los Angeles

US imposes sanctions on Iranian officials accused of protest crackdown

The US is imposing new sanctions on Iranian officials accused of repressing protests against Iran's theocratic government. The Treasury Department on Thursday targeted the secretary of the Supreme Council for National Security for allegedly calling for violence against protesters. The sanctions also affect 18 people and companies involved in a shadow banking network linked to Iranian financial institutions. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says the US supports the Iranian people's call for freedom and justice. The sanctions block access to US assets and business, but they are mostly symbolic as many targets lack US funds.

US net migration turns negative in 2025 as new arrivals sharply fall

The United States recorded negative net migration in 2025 for the first time in at least half a century, driven mainly by a sharp decline in new arrivals following the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, according to a report. The Brookings Institution in a report released on Tuesday estimates net migration ranged from a loss of about 295,000 people to near zero for the year. While the administration stepped up removals, the report said the decline was largely due to fewer entries rather than deportations alone. The slowdown reflects tighter visa approvals and longer processing times affecting students and skilled professionals from countries, including India, the largest source of international students and a major contributor to the US technology workforce. The trend could weigh on hiring in sectors such as technology, healthcare and higher education, the report said. Though a high degree of policy uncertainty remains, continued negative net migration for 2026 is also

US pauses immigrant visa processing for nationals from 75 countries

The freeze will remain active until the US can ensure that new immigrants will not extract wealth from the American people

Greenland to be largest US land acquisition, if Trump has his way

Trump has based his fixation on Greenland, which has been part of the Danish Kingdom for over 300 years, on reasons of "national security"

US pulls some staff from military bases amid Iran's threat of strikes

The US has started pulling some personnel from its military bases in West Asia as tensions with Iran grow and diplomatic contacts between both nations collapse, sparking fears of a wider conflict

Trump says 'anything less' than US control of Greenland is 'unacceptable'

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that American control of the island was necessary to counter the influence of Russia and China

Oil rises for fifth day on Iran supply fears amid US attack threats

Tehran warned US allies in the Middle East it would strike US bases on their soil if Washington attacked Iran. Some personnel were advised to leave a US military base in Qatar

Palak paneer row ends in $200,000 payout for Indian PhD students in US

This is the story of two Indian students studying in the US who won a $200,000 settlement after facing discrimination over the "smell" of palak paneer

Iran warns neighbours of strikes on US bases if Washington intervenes

The three diplomats told Reuters that some personnel had been advised to leave the US military's Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar by Wednesday evening

Greenland rules out joining US, backs union with Denmark amid tensions

Nielsen's remarks come ahead of a high-stakes meeting of Danish and Greenlandic foreign ministers with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and US Vice President JD Vance in Washington on Wednesday

US designates 3 Muslim Brotherhood brances as foreign terrorist groups

President Donald Trump's administration has made good on its pledge to label three Middle Eastern branches of the Muslim Brotherhood as terrorist organisations, imposing sanctions on them and their members in a decision that could have implications for US relationships with allies Qatar and Turkiye. The Treasury and State departments announced the actions Tuesday against the Lebanese, Jordanian and Egyptian chapters of the Muslim Brotherhood, which they said pose a risk to the United States and American interests. The State Department designated the Lebanese branch a foreign terrorist organisation, the most severe of the labels, which makes it a criminal offense to provide material support to the group. The Jordanian and Egyptian branches were listed by Treasury as specially designated global terrorists for providing support to Hamas. These designations reflect the opening actions of an ongoing, sustained effort to thwart Muslim Brotherhood chapters' violence and destabilisation ..