Washington

UN urges Washington to keep doors open to asylum seekers after DC attack

The comments mark a further escalation of migration measures Trump has ordered since the shooting on Wednesday that investigators say was carried out by an Afghan national who entered the Us in 2021

Afghan immigrant drove across US to ambush Guard troops near White House

An Afghan national who worked with the CIA in his native country and immigrated to the US in 2021 drove from Washington state to shoot two West Virginia National Guard members deployed in Washington, DC, just blocks from the White House, US officials said Thursday. The suspect had worked in a special CIA-backed Afghan Army unit before emigrating from Afghanistan, according to a cousin who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals. Jeanine Pirro, the US attorney for the District of Columbia, declined to provide a motive for Wednesday afternoon's brazen act of violence, which comes as the presence of troops in the nation's capital and other cities around the country has become a political flashpoint. Pirro identified the guard members at a news conference as Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Staff Sgt Andrew Wolfe, 24. Both remained hospitalised in critical condition. Pirro said that the suspect, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, launched an ambush-style att

US adds 500 more National Guard troops in Washington after 2 members shot

Two West Virginia National Guard members who deployed to the nation's capital were shot Wednesday just blocks from the White House in a brazen act of violence that the mayor described as a targeted attack. FBI Director Kash Patel and Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said the Guard members were hospitalised in critical condition. The presence of the National Guard in the nation's capital has been a flashpoint issue for months, fuelling a court fight and a broader public policy debate about the Trump administration's use of the military to combat what officials cast as an out-of-control crime problem. Jeffrey Carroll, an executive assistant DC police chief, said investigators had no information on a motive. He said the assailant "came around the corner" and immediately started firing at the troops, citing video reviewed by investigators. "This was a targeted shooting," Bowser said. West Virginia Gov Patrick Morrisey initially said the troops had died, but later walked back the stateme

Emergency declared in Washington to maintain fuel supply at Seattle airport

Washington state's governor declared an emergency on Wednesday to ensure enough jet fuel gets to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport after a leak shut down a major fuel pipeline. The order temporarily waives and suspends state regulations limiting the number of hours commercial vehicle operators can drive when transporting jet fuel, Gov. Bob Ferguson's office said in a news release. The proclamation ensures safe-driving measures are in place, the release said. The Olympic Pipeline was shut down on Nov. 11 because of a leak north of Seattle, between the cities of Everett and Snohomish. Operators notified the state of the leak and were working with state and federal agencies to contain, clean and repair it, the governor's office said. There was no estimate for when the pipeline would resume delivering fuel normally. But if it doesn't start back up by Saturday, the governor's office said airport operations would be significantly affected." The office did not share details on what that

Washington's struggling economy takes another economic hit from shutdown

With the combination of the longest government shutdown, the mass firings of government workers and a fresh cut in federal food aid, the Capital Area Food Bank in Washington is bracing for the swell of people who will need its help before the holiday season. The food bank, which serves 400 pantries and aid organisations in the District of Columbia, northern Virginia and two Maryland counties, is providing 8 million more meals than it had prepared to this budget year a nearly 20% increase. The city is being hit especially hard," said Radha Muthiah, the group's CEO and president, "because of the sequence of events that has occurred over the course of this year". The nation's capital has been battered by a series of decisions by the Trump administration, from the layoffs of federal workers to the ongoing law enforcement intervention into the district. The added blow of the shutdown, which has furloughed workers and paused money for food assistance, is only deepening the economic ...

US expects support from India, others amid China tensions: Treasury Secy

Scott Bessent's remarks come days after US President Donald Trump announced plans to impose an additional 100 per cent tariffs on China, starting November 1

US government shutdown looms as lawmankers' talks fail to reach deal

The Republican-controlled Senate is expected to vote on a temporary spending bill that has failed once already, with no sign that a second vote will bring success

160-mile march for democracy arrives in Washington from Philadelphia

Over the span of 14 days, nearly 200 people marched from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C., in defense of democracy. From children to the elderly, members of the We Are America march arrived in the nation's capital on a warm and sunny Friday afternoon, tired but joyous, where they were greeted with hugs and cheers from supporters and members of Congress. The mission of their sprawling walk was to unite a movement strong enough to hold America's leaders accountable in the face of mass firings at government agencies, the federal takeover of the District of Columbia's law enforcement and myriad disagreements with actions made by the Trump administration and the president himself. Marchers from across the country gathered in Philadelphia, then trekked through Newark, Delaware; Wilmington, Delaware; Baltimore and beyond. Along the way they were housed in churches, where they slept in pews, or at people's homes. One night the group camped outdoors. Founding member Maggie Bohara said the .

Larry Ellison: Billionaire Trump ally who will soon reshape US news media

Ellison's Hollywood and Big Media push could outsize Bezos' Washington Post and Benioff's Time buys, which were viewed as costly hobbies rather than transformative media power plays

India is one of US' top relationships in the world today: Marco Rubio

India is one of the top relationships the US has in the world today, and Washington is in a period of extraordinary transition in that relationship with Delhi, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Thursday. Introducing US ambassador-designate to India Sergio Gor at his confirmation hearing in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Rubio said he has known Gor for a very long time and "who is the nominee to India, which is, I would say, one of the top relationships the US has in the world today, in terms of the future, what the world is going to look like." Last month, President Donald Trump said that he is promoting Gor, Director of Presidential Personnel, to be the next US Ambassador to India and Special Envoy for South and Central Asian Affairs. When confirmed, 38-year-old Gor will be the youngest American ambassador to India. Rubio said that in the 21st Century, the story is going to be written in the Indo-Pacific. In fact, it's so important that we've actually changed the

Trump dines out in Washington DC, declares city 'safe zone' amid crackdown

Accompanied by JD Vance, Donald Trump visits Joe's Seafood as National Guard patrols the city; nearly 2,200 arrests are reported, while protests and standoffs continue against his actions

Washington officials sue Trump over National Guard deployment in US capital

The city contends that the mobilization of more than 2,200 troops since mid-August violates US laws meant to bar the military from carrying out domestic law enforcement activities

Trump extends influence over Washington by taking Union Station from Amtrak

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Wednesday that his department is taking management of Union Station, the main transportation hub in Washington, away from Amtrak, in another example of how the federal government is exerting its power over the nation's capital. Duffy made the announcement in a statement before he was to join Amtrak President Roger Harris at Union Station for the launch of the NextGen Acela, the rail service's new high-speed train. The secretary said Union Station, located within walking distance of the US Capitol, had fallen into disrepair when it should be a point of pride for the city. By reclaiming station management, we will help make this city safe and beautiful at a fraction of the cost, Duffy said. Duffy's words echoed President Donald Trump, who said last week that he wants $2 billion from Congress to beautify Washington as part of his crackdown on the city. The Republican president has sent thousands of National Guard troops and federal law ...

Some guard units deployed in Washington now carry firearms: Pentagon

Some National Guard units patrolling the nation's capital at the direction of President Donald Trump have started carrying firearms, an escalation of his military deployment that makes good on a directive issued late last week by his defense secretary. A Defense Department official who was not authorized to speak publicly said some units on certain missions would be armed some with handguns and others with rifles. The spokesperson said that all units with firearms have been trained and are operating under strict rules for use of force. An Associated Press photographer on Sunday saw members of the South Carolina National Guard outside Union Station with holstered handguns. The development in Trump's extraordinary effort to override the law enforcement authority of state and local governments comes as he is considering expanding the deployments to other Democratic-led cities, including Baltimore, Chicago and New York. THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP's earlier story follows ...

Russian attacks kill 10 in Ukraine, hours before Zelenskyy's WH visit

Ukrainian officials pointed to the attacks as a further sign that Russia had no intention of halting hostilities

Zelenskyy-Trump White House talks: What to know about Ukraine peace plan

Ukrainian president to meet Donald Trump in Washington after US president signalled support for Russia's demands at Alaska summit; European leaders expected to join

Trump admin partially retreats from a takeover of Washington's police

Federal troops are patrolling the National Mall and neighborhoods across Washington while President Donald Trump's administration exerts extraordinary power over law enforcement in the nation's capital. But the administration backed down from an attempt to take over the city's police department by installing its own emergency police commissioner after a federal judge indicated she would rule against it. The partial retreat interrupted one aspect of the most sweeping uses of federal authority over a local government in modern times. How it will play out and whether the federal government will use this experience as a potential blueprint for dealing with other cities remains up in the air. Here's what to know about the situation and what might come next: Why is Trump taking over the police in DC? The Republican president this week announced he's taking control over Washington's police department and activating National Guard troops to reduce crime, an escalation of his aggressive ...

DC residents protest as WH says federal agents will be on patrol 24/7

Residents in one Washington DC neighborhood lined up Wednesday to protest the increased police presence after the White House said the number of National Guard troops in the nation's capital would ramp up and federal officers would be the streets around the clock. After law enforcement set up a vehicle checkpoint along the busy 14th Street Northwest corridor, hecklers shouted, Go home, fascists and Get off our streets. Some protesters stood at the intersection before the checkpoint and urged drivers to turn away from it. The action intensified a few days after President Donald Trump's unprecedented announcement that his administration would take over the city's police department for at least a month. The city's Democratic mayor walked a political tightrope, referring to the takeover as an authoritarian push at one point and later framing the infusion of officers as boost to public safety, though one with few specific barometers for success. The Republican president has said crime i

Trump's DC police takeover echoes historic racist urban crime narratives

President Donald Trump has taken control of the District of Columbia's law enforcement and ordered National Guard troops to deploy onto the streets of the nation's capital, arguing the extraordinary moves are in response to an urgent public safety crisis. Even as district officials questioned the claims underlying his emergency declaration, the president promised a "historic action to rescue our nation's capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor and worse." His rhetoric echoed that used by conservative politicians going back decades who have denounced American cities, especially those with majority non-white populations or led by progressive politicians, as lawless or crime-ridden and in need of outside intervention. This is liberation day in D.C., and we're going to take our capital back, Trump promised Monday. Trump's action echoes uncomfortable historical chapters But for many residents, the prospect of federal troops surging into the district's neighbourhoods represent

South Korean President Lee to meet Trump in Washington on August 25

South Korea's new President Lee Jae Myung will travel to Washington later this month to meet with US President Donald Trump, Lee's office said Tuesday, for talks on trade and defence cooperation in the face of nuclear-armed North Korea and other threats. Their August 25 summit will follow a July trade deal in which Washington agreed to cut its reciprocal tariff on South Korea to 15 per cent from the initially proposed 25 per cent and to apply the same reduced rate to South Korean cars, the country's top export to the United States. South Korea also agreed to purchase USD 100 billion in US energy and invest USD 350 billion in the country, and the leaders could use their meeting to discuss expanding cooperation in key industries such as semiconductors, batteries and shipbuilding, Lee's spokesperson Kang Yu-jung said. The meeting also comes amid concerns in Seoul that the Trump administration could shake up the decades-old alliance by demanding higher payments for the US troop presence