Four killed in shooting at child's birthday party in California

STOCKTON, Nov 30: At least four people have been killed in a mass shooting at a child's birthday party in California.

Ten others were injured in the shooting at a restaurant on Saturday evening, in the state's northern city of Stockton.

Local police say the victims include both adults and children. The conditions of the injured have not been confirmed.

A suspect is still on the loose and police say they believe the shooting may have been "targeted".

California has some of the strictest firearm laws in the US, and has in recent years faced challenges to it.

In 2021, a federal judge overturned the state's ban on assault weapons, such as the AR-15 rifle.

The following year, the US Supreme Court expanded gun rights as it struck down a New York law restricting gun-carrying rights, jeopardising similar regulation in California.

Consider airspace around Venezuela closed: Trump

WASHINGTON, Nov 29: US President Donald Trump has said that the airspace around Venezuela should be considered closed.

"To all Airlines, Pilots, Drug Dealers, and Human Traffickers, please consider THE AIRSPACE ABOVE AND SURROUNDING VENEZUELA TO BE CLOSED IN ITS ENTIRETY," Trump said in a social media post.

The US does not legally have the authority to close another country's airspace, but Trump's post could lead to travel uncertainty and deter airlines from operating there.

The US has been building its military presence in the Caribbean, which officials say is to combat drug smuggling. Venezuela's President Nicolás Maduro has dismissed US claims of drug trafficking as an attempt to oust him.

Trump's comments come days after the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warned airlines of "heightened military activity in and around Venezuela".

On Wednesday Venezuela banned six major international airlines – Iberia, TAP Portugal, Gol, Latam, Avianca and Turkish Airlines – from landing there after they failed to meet a 48-hour deadline to resume flights.

The US has deployed the world's largest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald Ford, and about 15,000 troops to within striking distance of Venezuela.

It has insisted that the deployment – the largest by the US in the region since it invaded Panama in 1989 – is to combat drug trafficking.

On Thursday, Trump warned that US efforts to halt Venezuelan drug trafficking "by land" would begin "very soon".

US forces have carried out at least 21 strikes on boats they said were carrying drugs, killing more than 80 people. However, the US has not provided evidence that the boats carried drugs.

The Venezuelan government believes the aim of the US action is to depose Maduro, whose re-election last year was denounced by the Venezuelan opposition and many foreign nations as rigged.

The US has also designated Cartel de los Soles, or Cartel of the Suns – a group it alleges is headed by Maduro – as a foreign terrorist organisation.

Labelling an organisation as a terrorist group gives US law enforcement and military agencies broader powers to target and dismantle it.

Venezuela's foreign ministry has "categorically, firmly, and absolutely rejected" the designation.

Venezuela's interior and justice minister Diosdado Cabello, who is alleged to be one of the high-ranking members of the cartel, has long called it an "invention".

The US state department has insisted that the Cartel de los Soles not only exists, but that it has "corrupted Venezuela's military, intelligence, legislature, and judiciary".

National Guard member dies after shooting in Washington DC

WASHINGTON, Nov 28: One of the two members of the National Guard who were shot in Washington DC on Wednesday has died, US President Donald Trump said.

Sarah Beckstrom, 20, died from her injuries while the second National Guard member, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, "is fighting for his life", Trump said on Thursday evening.

Both were shot at close range near Farragut Square in downtown DC on Wednesday. Police have arrested one suspect in the shooting, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, a 29-year-old from Afghanistan.

On Friday, the US attorney for Washington DC announced the initial charges of assault against the suspect will be upgraded to "murder in the first degree".

"It is a premeditated murder. There was an ambush with a gun toward people who didn't know what was coming," Jeanine Pirro told Fox and Friends. "And that is the homicide, and that is the murder that we're looking at right now."

The two soldiers who were attacked had been deployed to the American capital as part of the Trump administration's efforts to crack down on what it sees as rampant crime in several US cities.

Trump confirmed Ms Beckstrom's death while on a Thanksgiving call with US service members.

"Sarah Beckstrom of West Virginia, one of the guardsmen that we're talking about, highly respected, young, magnificent person... She's just passed away. She's no longer with us," he said.

Trump later spoke to her parents, said a White House official.

The US president previously said the attack underlined a major national security threat.

The attack has prompted a range of announcements from the Trump administration aimed at curbing migration from Afghanistan and a number of other countries.

Officials said they would suspend processing all immigration requests from Afghans, and re-examine green cards issued to individuals who migrated to the US from 19 countries.

When asked which countries were on the list, the agency pointed to a June proclamation by the White House that included Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Iran, Somalia and Venezuela.

On Thursday, Trump went on to vow to "permanently pause migration" to the US from all "third world countries", without providing details of his plan or naming which countries might be affected.

Ms Beckstrom had enlisted on 26 June 2023 and was assigned to the 863rd Military Police Company, 111th Engineer Brigade of the West Virginia Army National Guard.

She had volunteered to work in Washington over the US holiday Thanksgiving, Attorney General Pam Bondi told Fox News following the shooting.

More than 2,000 troops have been guarding the nation's capital since August, when the president began deploying troops to cities to tackle what he called "out of control" crime.

2 US Guardsmen Critical After Shooting Near White House, Suspect In Custody

WASHINGTON, Nov 27: 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.

FBI Director Kash Patel and Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser said the Guard members were hospitalized in critical condition. Bowser said they were victims of a "targeted shooting."

Police said a lone suspect opened fire on two National Guard members from West Virginia on Wednesday afternoon, before being subdued by other National Guard nearby who had heard the gunfire.

President Donald Trump, who was in Florida at the time, said the alleged gunman was an Afghan national who entered the US in September 2021.

He vowed his administration would ensure the suspect "pays the steepest possible price" for "an act of evil, an act of hatred and an act of terror".

The Department of Homeland Security named the suspect in a press release as Rahmanullah Lakamal, "a criminal alien from Afghanistan". His immigration status was unclear.

Tens of thousands of Afghans entered the US under special immigration protections following the chaotic US withdrawal from that country in 2021 under former President Joe Biden.

"We must now re-examine every alien who has entered our country from Afghanistan under Biden," said Trump in a live address on Wednesday night.

US Citizenship and Immigration Services said it had halted processing of all Afghan immigration requests pending a review of vetting protocols.

A statement from Joint Task Force DC, which is co-ordinating the National Guard deployments to the nation's capital, said the attack took place at around 14:15 EST (17:15 GMT) on Wednesday near the Farragut Square Metro Station.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the president had asked him to send 500 more National Guard members to Washington DC, following the attack.

"This will only stiffen our resolve to ensure that we make Washington DC safe and beautiful," the Pentagon chief said.

There are currently nearly 2,200 National Guard troops in Washington DC.

The force includes contingents from the District of Columbia as well as Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, West Virginia, Georgia and Alabama.

They are a reservist force that can be activated to serve as military troops, but have limited power as they cannot enforce the law or make arrests.

The National Guard were deployed to Washington DC in August to tackle what Trump called "out of control" crime.

Trump bars South Africa from 2026 G20 summit, cuts aid

WASHINGTON, Nov 27: President Donald Trump on Wednesday said South Africa will be excluded from the 2026 G20 summit in Miami, accusing President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government of ignoring what he claims are “horrific human rights abuses” against white Afrikaners and other descendants of Dutch, French and German settlers.

Trump alleged that white farmers are being “killed” and having their land “randomly taken from them,” claims that Pretoria has repeatedly rejected as baseless.

He also argued that South Africa mishandled the United States’ role at this year’s G20 gathering, saying the government refused to hand over the G20 presidency to a senior US Embassy official during the closing ceremony in Johannesburg.

He said the incident, combined with his concerns about the treatment of white minority communities, led him to halt all US payments and subsidies to South Africa and block the country from receiving an invitation to the Miami summit.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote: “South Africa will NOT be receiving an invitation to the 2026 G20, which will be hosted in Miami, Florida. South Africa has shown they are not worthy of membership anywhere, and we are stopping all payments and subsidies to them immediately.”

Trump skipped the Johannesburg gathering entirely, reiterating that he refused to send a US delegation because of what he described as violent targeting of white Afrikaners. The summit — the first G20 ever held on African soil — proceeded without American participation, and the United States refused to sign the final declaration, citing objections to sections emphasising climate policies and the priorities of developing nations.

Despite boycotting the meeting, the US began its rotating G20 presidency on Monday, leaving the impact of Washington’s refusal to endorse the Johannesburg declaration unclear. Traditionally, the outgoing host hands over a symbolic wooden gavel to the next presiding nation, but with no senior American official present, the ceremonial transfer did not occur. South Africa said it would not present the gavel to what it considered a “junior” US representative.

President Cyril Ramaphosa called Trump’s statement regrettable, noting that the 2025 G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg was widely praised and reaffirmed the value of multilateralism. He said the G20 presidency was properly handed over to a US Embassy official and emphasised South Africa’s commitment to consensus and collaboration within the G20.

US says Ukraine has accepted peace deal framework, Zelensky says talks still ongoing

WASHINGTON, Nov 25: The United States has said that Ukraine has agreed to the terms of a potential peace deal aimed at ending Russia’s full-scale invasion, with only minor issues still needing to be resolved. According to US officials quoted by ABC News and CBS News, Kyiv had accepted the deal in principle, signalling possible progress in long-running efforts to bring the conflict to an end.

Speculation about a breakthrough grew after US President Donald Trump posted on social media on Monday that “big progress” was being made on a peace agreement for Ukraine. At the same time, US and Russian delegations are now holding talks in Abu Dhabi, following discussions in Geneva over the weekend that helped ease strong opposition from Kyiv and European allies to a previously proposed 28-point peace plan.

However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky struck a more cautious note, saying negotiations with Washington were still continuing and not finalised.

“Communication with the American side continues,” Zelensky said in a post on X after speaking with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on Tuesday. “I am grateful for all of America’s efforts and personally for President Trump’s efforts.”

Zelensky’s comments suggest that while progress has been made, Ukraine has not yet declared the deal complete. He has consistently stressed the need for any agreement to fully safeguard Ukraine’s sovereignty and security.

The latest round of diplomacy points to intense behind-the-scenes engagement involving the United States, Ukraine and Russia. The outcome of the Abu Dhabi talks is expected to play a crucial role in determining whether the tentative agreement moves towards formal adoption or undergoes further revisions.

ABC News has reported that the original 28-point peace plan presented by the United States to Ukraine in Geneva has now been reduced to 19 points. The revised version removes provisions related to amnesty for actions carried out during the war and no longer proposes limits on the future size of Ukraine’s military.

Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelenskyy said during a televised address on Monday night that the updated plan still requires further work and discussion.

Following the weekend talks, Russian officials said they had not been informed about the details of what was discussed in Geneva or about the changes made to the peace plan after the talks between US and Ukrainian representatives.

Ukraine Peace Plan 'Not Final Offer': Trump

WASHINGTON, Nov 23: US President Donald Trump said Saturday that his plan to end the war in Ukraine was not his final offer, and that "one way or the other," he hoped the fighting would stop.

When asked by reporters if his 28-point proposal -- which would see Ukraine cede territory, cut its army, and pledge to never join NATO -- was his "final offer to Ukraine," Trump replied: "No."

"We're trying to get it ended. One way or the other, we have to get it ended," he said.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has reacted coolly to the plan, saying he would propose "alternatives."

Russian leader Vladimir Putin said he was willing to discuss the plan's details but if Kyiv refused it, Moscow would push on with its offensive in Ukraine, launched in February 2022.

On Friday, Trump said that November 27 - when the United States celebrates Thanksgiving - was an "appropriate time" to set for Zelensky to agree a deal, but he indicated it could be flexible.

"He'll have to like it, and if he doesn't like it, then you know, they should just keep fighting," Trump told reporters. "At some point he's going to have to accept something."

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff are scheduled to arrive in Geneva on Sunday to discuss the plan, a US official told AFP. European officials are also expected in Switzerland.

Larry Summers resigns from OpenAI board after Epstein emails made public

NEW YORK, Nov 19: Former US treasury secretary Larry Summers is stepping down from the board at OpenAI, a week after a tranche of emails between him and late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was released.

Summers said in a statement to the BBC that he was "grateful for the opportunity to have served, excited about the potential of the company, and look forward to following their progress".

Summers, who was also once the president of Harvard University, said on Monday that he would be stepping back from public commitments over his ties to Epstein.

The recently released emails showed Summers communicated with Epstein until the day before Epstein's 2019 arrest for the alleged sex trafficking of minors.

In a statement, the artificial intelligence company said it respected Summers' decision to resign.

"We appreciate his many contributions and the perspective he brought to the Board," OpenAI said.

The news comes after both chambers of Congress agreed on Tuesday to pass a measure to require the US justice department to release its files on Epstein.

The measure will then head to the desk of US President Donald Trump for approval. He has said he plans to sign the bill, after reversing his position on the issue following pushback from his supporters.

A batch of Epstein-related emails released by the House Oversight Committee last week mentioned a number of high-profile figures in the financier's former circle, without indicating any legal wrongdoing by those figures.

The emails indicated that Summers and Epstein dined together frequently, with Epstein often trying to connect Summers to prominent global figures.

After the emails were shared with the public, Summers said he took "full responsibility for my misguided decision to continue communicating with Mr Epstein".

He added that he wanted "to rebuild trust and repair relationships with the people closest to me".

Summers held senior posts under two Democratic presidents; serving as treasury secretary under Bill Clinton, and as director of the National Economic Council under Barack Obama.

He led Harvard from 2001 to 2006 and remains a professor there. When announcing his step-down from public commitments earlier on Monday, he said he would continue his teaching commitments.

Following Summers' announcement on Monday, the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank in Washington where Summers was a senior fellow, confirmed that Summers was no longer affiliated with the organisation.

Summers joined the board of OpenAI, which makes ChatGPT, in 2023 - following a failed attempt to oust its chief executive Sam Altman.

Trump 'okay' to back sanctions on Russia's trading partners. India on list

WASHINGTON, Nov 17: As the Ukraine war rages on, US President Donald Trump has stated he would be open to backing a bill that will sanction Russia's trading partners.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, the Republican leader stated a legislation will be put forth by his party which would make it tough for any country to do business with Moscow.

As per Trump, Russia's trading partners are responsible for fuelling the war against Ukraine, especially consumers of Russian energy.

“The Republicans are putting in legislation that is very tough sanctioning, etcetera, on any country doing business with Russia,” Trump told reporters before leaving Florida.

This list includes India and China, which have already been under major scrutiny by the US President for their trade with Russia. He has in the past listed India and China as “primary funders” of Russia's war in Ukraine.

While China has not been penalised despite threats, Trump has imposed a 25 per cent “penalty” tariff on India for "fuelling the war in Ukraine", taking the total tariffs on the country to 50 per cent in August.

While New Delhi and Beijing are more or less confirmed names on the list, Trump told reporters he may contemplate adding Iran to the list.

As Trump contemplates adding more sanctions and tariffs, the US President on Friday removed tariffs on over 20 food products, including beef, as consumer concerns mount over rising grocery prices. This removal brings relief for India as Indian exporters of tea, coffee, spices and cashew nuts were hit harder after the president doubled tariffs, as opposed to exporters from EU and Vietnam.

Meanwhile, India and Russia continue to increase their trade. On Sunday, both nations moved their resolve to achieve $100 billion bilateral trade by 2030 and reviewed next steps for the India-Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) free trade agreement in goods.

“The discussions built upon the outcomes of the India-Russia Working Group on Trade and Economic Cooperation, with a continued focus on diversification, strengthening resilient supply chains, ensuring regulatory predictability and promoting balanced growth in the partnership,” said the statement from the commerce ministry.

As per a report by Bloomberg, the bill, if passed, will allow Trump to impose tariffs up to 500 per cent on imports from countries that buy Russian energy products and are not supporting Ukraine.

Earlier on, Trump was hesitant to support this bill, as he made efforts with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to make peace and come to a ceasefire agreement with Ukraine.

However, as these talks failed, Trump is now contemplating this massive sanction bill to try and bring Russia closer to a peace deal.

US cuts tariffs on over 250 food products

WASHINGTON, Nov 16: The United States has announced an exemption to a wide variety of agricultural and processed-food items from reciprocal tariffs to ease domestic inflation, a move likely to benefit India's exports, which had been hit by President Donald Trump's April tariff announcement.

Trump announced, in an executive order, that the US government was scrapping tariffs on coffee, tea, tropical fruits, nuts, spices and several other commodities.

The White House administration released a revised list — Annexure II — of goods exempted from country-specific reciprocal tariffs imposed in August this year. The order, which became effective from November 13, comes amid mounting pressure on Trump administration to combat rising consumer prices.

The exemptions covering 254 products, including 229 agricultural items, account for around $1 billion of India's exports to the US.

The US removing reciprocal tariffs from over 200 food products is seen as a positive signal for the Indian agro exporters, which is set to create new demand after months of lull following April tariff announcement.

While Trump had imposed less than 20 per cent tariffs on European Union and Vietnam, the 50 per cent tariffs on India, the highest for any country trading with the US, hurt crucial sectors, including agriculture and other food products.

The Indian exports to the US fell around 12 per cent in September compared to last year at $5.43 billion after the 50 per cent tariffs announcement.

Several Indian exports, including tea, coffee, spices and cashew nuts, were hit the hardest. However, after months of dip, the development is likely to trigger a resumption of exports from India.

India exports most of the spices except Thyme to the US, which is worth $358 million and several tea and coffee products worth over $82 million.

Ajay Sahai, director general of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations, has said that the exemption announcement is set to benefit at least $2.5 billion of exports.

India exports most of the spices except Thyme to the US, which is worth $358 million and several tea and coffee products worth over $82 million. The Indian market is a significant source of cashew exports, spices, and tea.

According to a Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) report, the Indian exports to the US are concentrated in a handful of high-value spices and niche products.

These include pepper, capsicum, ginger-turmeric-curry spices, cumin seed categories, cardamom, tea, cocoa beans, cinnamon, cloves, and fruit products.

The report said that India has a negligible presence in several exempted lines, including tomatoes, citrus fruits, melons, bananas, most fresh fruits, and fruit juices.

Trump signs spending bill to end longest shutdown in US history

WASHINGTON, Nov 13: President Donald Trump has signed a spending bill to reopen the government and end the longest shutdown in US history.

He signed the short-term budget into law just hours after the House of Representatives voted 222-209 to approve it on Wednesday night, and two days after the Senate narrowly approved the same package.

In the Oval Office, Trump said the government would now "resume normal operations" after "people were hurt so badly" from the 43-day shutdown.

Many government services have been suspended since October, and around 1.4 million federal employees have been on unpaid leave or working without pay. Food aid has also been left in limbo and air travel has been disrupted nationwide.

Government services are expected to reopen in the coming days, while disruptions to air travel will likely ease ahead of the looming Thanksgiving holiday. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) had reduced air traffic because of staff shortages owing to the shutdown.

That had direct impacts on members of Congress attempting to reach the nation’s capital on Wednesday for the House vote.

Derrick Van Orden, a Wisconsin Republican, rode his motorcycle nearly 1,000 miles (1,609km) across the country to cast his vote in the House before it was sent to the president's desk.

The bill only provides funding to keep the government open until 30 January, when lawmakers will once again need to find a way to fund the government.

Before he signed it into law, Trump repeatedly cast blame for the shutdown on the Democratic Party. "They did it purely for political reasons," he said.

"When we come up to midterms and other things, don't forget what they've done to our country," he added.

Senate Democrats were able to trigger the shutdown despite being a minority in the chamber, because Republicans were still seven short of the 60-vote threshold required to pass a funding bill.

They initially refused to support the bill, demanding that Republicans agree to extend health insurance subsidies for low-income Americans that are set to expire at the end of the year.

Republicans maintained that a healthcare discussion could come after the government was reopened.

But on Sunday, a group of eight Senate Democrats broke from the party and helped pass the spending package. They voted for it in exchange for a promise of a vote on those healthcare subsidies in December.

It led to fury within the Democratic Party, and public criticism from figures such as House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and California Governor Gavin Newsom.

US sanctions against entities, individuals linked to India, other nations for ‘supporting’ Iran’s ballistic missile

WASHINGTON, Nov 1: The United States on Wednesday announced sanctions against 32 firms and individuals based in six countries, including India, for allegedly supporting Iran's ballistic missile and drone production.

The US Department of State, in a statement, said that the fresh action was in support of the United Nations reinstating an arms embargo and other sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme in September this year.

Without mentioning the names or any details of the firms and individuals sanctioned, the US administration said it was imposing sanctions on firms and individuals for operating "multiple procurement networks supporting Iran’s ballistic missile and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) production, including on behalf of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)."

Apart from India, the sanctions have been imposed against entities and individuals based in China, Hong Kong, the UAE and Turkey.

"Today’s action supports the September 27 reimposition of United Nations sanctions and restrictive measures on Iran in response to Iran’s “significant non-performance” of its nuclear commitments. These UN sanctions directly address the threats posed by Iran’s nuclear, ballistic missile, conventional arms, and destabilizing activities," the US government statement said.

“This action is also in furtherance of President Trump’s National Security Presidential Memorandum-2 to counter Iran’s aggressive development of missiles and other asymmetric and conventional weapons capabilities and deny the IRGC access to assets and resources that sustain their destabilizing activities,” the statement added.

Last month, eight Indian nationals and several India-based firms were sanctioned by the US for allegedly facilitating Iranian energy trade. The State Department imposed sanctions on approximately 40 entities, individuals and vessels to "deny the Iranian regime funds it uses to conduct its malign activity."

In similar such sanctions this July, the US announced sanctions against at least six Indian firms for alleged trade of Iranian petroleum or petrochemical products. Apart from targeting the Indian firms, the US Department of State imposed sanctions against over two dozens based in Turkey, the UAE, China, and Indonesia.

‘How many wives,’ asks Trump to Syrian president Ahmed al-Sharaa

WASHINGTON, Nov 12: US President Donald Trump hosted Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House on Monday and gifted him a bottle of his 'Victory' perfume at the Oval Office.

Trump first opened a cologne bottle, proceeded to spray it on himself and then on al-Sharaa. "It's the best fragrance," he said and then sprayed some more perfume on another staff member of the Syrian president.

Trump handed the perfume bottle to al-Sharaa and told him that the other one is for his wife. He then asked the Syrian president in a joking tone, "How many wives? One?" to which al-Sharaa responded with a smile and a nod, "One."

The two presidents shared a giggle as Trump patted al-Sharaa's arm after his 'one' wife response. He then said, "You never know right."

Al-Sharaa's trip to Washington marked the first visit to the White House by a Syrian head of state since the Middle Eastern country secured independence from France in 1946. The visit also comes after the US lifted the sanctions imposed on Syria during Bashar Assad's regime.

Al-Sharaa had led the rebel forces that toppled the government led by the then Syrian president Bashar Assad in December 2024 and was named the country's interim leader in January 2025.

Donald Trump also welcomed Syria into the US-led global coalition to fight against the Islamic State (IS) group.

Monday's meeting between al-Sharaa and Trump lasted for about two hours.

During al-Sharaa's visit, Syria formally confirmed that it would join the global coalition against the IS group, becoming its 90th member, according to a senior US administration official.

Additionally, Washington will also allow Syria to resume its operations at its embassy in the state, enabling the two countries to better coordinate on counterterrorism, security and economic issues.

The Syrian foreign ministry issued a statement on the meeting and described it as "friendly and constructive", adding that Trump "affirmed the readiness of the United States to provide the support that the Syrian leadership needs to ensure the success of the reconstruction and development process".

In an interview on Fox News, al-Sharaa said he and the US President talked about future investment opportunities in Syria, "so that Syria is no longer looked at as a security threat".

'It is now looked at as a geopolitical ally. And it's a place where the United States can have great investments, especially extracting gas".

Meanwhile, Trump told reporters that Washington will "do everything we can to make Syria successful because that's a part of the Middle East".

Speaking about al-Sharaa, Trump said, "I have confidence that he will be able to do the job".

Later in a post on Truth Social, Trump said that he plans to meet and speak with al-Sharaa again.

"It was an Honor to spend time with Ahmed Hussein al-Sharaa, the new President of Syria, where we discussed all the intricacies of PEACE in the Middle East, of which he is a major advocate. I look forward to meeting and speaking again. Everyone is talking about the Great Miracle that is taking place in the Middle East. Having a stable and successful Syria is very important to all countries in the Region," his post read.

Al-Sharaa, who once had ties to al-Qaida and had a $10 million US bounty on his head, first met President Trump in May in Saudi Arabia. At the time, Trump described the Syrian leader as a "young, attractive guy. Tough guy. Strong past, very strong past. Fighter."

Trump Says US 'Getting Close' To Reaching A 'Fair Trade Deal' With India

WASHINGTON, Nov 11: US President Donald Trump said on Monday the United States was getting close to reaching a deal with India that would expand economic and security ties between the two countries, boost US energy exports and promote investments in key US sectors.

"We're getting a fair deal, just a fair trade deal," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office at the swearing-in of his envoy to India, Sergio Gor. "We're making a deal with India, much different deal than we had in the past."

Trump repeated his optimism that a deal was near, saying, "We're getting close."

US Senate passes bill to end longest ever government shutdown

WASHINGTON, Nov 11: The United States is moving closer to ending its record-breaking government shutdown after the Senate took a critical step forward to end its five-week impasse.

The Senate on Monday night approved a spending package by a vote of 60 to 40 to fund the US government through January 30, and reinstate pay for hundreds of thousands of federal workers.

The spending bill next moves to the House of Representatives for approval and then on to President Donald Trump for a sign-off before the shutdown can finally end.

House Speaker Mike Johnson has said he would like to pass it as soon as Wednesday and send it on to Trump to sign into law.

The vote in the Senate follows negotiations this weekend that saw seven Democrats and one Independent agree to vote in favour of the updated spending package to end the shutdown, which enters its 42nd day on Tuesday.

Also included in the deal are three-year funding appropriations for the Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration, military construction projects, veterans affairs and congressional operations.

The bill does not, however, resolve one of the most central issues in the shutdown – extending healthcare subsidies. Senate Republicans have agreed to vote on the issue as a separate measure in December.

US legislators have been under growing pressure to end the government shutdown, which enters its forty-second day on Tuesday, as their constituents feel the impact of funding lapses for programmes like food stamps.

Hundreds of thousands of federal employees have been furloughed or required to work without pay since the shutdown began on October 1, while Trump has separately threatened to use the shutdown as a pretext to slash the federal workforce.

Voters have also felt the impact of the shutdown at airports across the US after the Federal Aviation Administration last week announced a 10 percent cut in air traffic due to absences from air traffic controllers.

Trump hosts Syria’s al-Sharaa at White House as US extends sanctions relief

WASHINGTON, Nov 11: United States President Donald Trump has held talks with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa at the White House, as the Department of the Treasury announced suspending sanctions against Damascus for a further six months.

The meeting on Monday capped a stunning year for al-Sharaa, a 43-year-old former al-Qaeda commander who toppled the longtime hardline leader of Syria, Bashar al-Assad, last December.

Al-Sharaa, who wants to unify his war-ravaged nation and end its decades of international isolation, was the first ever Syrian leader to visit the White House since the country’s independence in 1946.

The Syrian presidency said al-Sharaa and Trump held talks “focusing on bilateral relations between Syria and the United States, ways to strengthen and develop them, and a number of regional and international issues of common interest”.

For his part, Trump heaped praise on al-Sharaa after the meeting.

“He comes from a very tough place, and he’s a tough guy. I like him,” Trump said of the Syrian president.

“We’ll do everything we can to make Syria successful, because that’s part of the Middle East. We have peace now in the Middle East – the first time that anyone can remember that ever happening.”

But Trump also gave a nod to al-Sharaa’s controversial past. “We’ve all had rough pasts,” he said.

Al-Sharaa later told Fox News that his association with al-Qaeda was a matter of the past and was not discussed during his meeting with Trump. Syria is now seen as a geopolitical ally of Washington and not a threat, he added.

Ex-CIA officer claims US ignored warnings on Pak's nuclear program: ‘Had intelligence about it’

NEW YORK, Nov 7: Former United States intelligence officer Richard Barlow has claimed that America had knowledge of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program, adding that it was deliberately ignored despite repeated warnings.

In an interview with a news agency, Barlow said that the US had downplayed the proliferation of nuclear weapons in Pakistan in the 1980s, on account of Pakistan's cooperation on supplying covert military aid to the Afghan mujahideen during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

“We had quite a bit of intelligence about Pakistan's nuclear program. Then the Directorate of Intelligence, which is primarily analytical. And we had huge quantities of intelligence about cons networks and the PAC networks," Barlow said.

He added that despite the knowledge, “nobody was taking action in our government.” Barlow said that his entire chain of command in the directorate of intelligence was “very concerned that a country like Pakistan obtaining nuclear weapons could pose a very serious threat to US and Western international security.”

However, Barlow said that the US directorate of operations was then in the middle of the first Afghan war, and was fighting the Soviets alongside the Mujahideen.

“They wouldn't take action against the Pakistani networks. They just weren't interested,” Barlow alleged.

Barlow said that a memo by former US national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski had prioritised the Afghan war over the proliferation of nuclear weapons in Pakistan.

Brzezinski served as the NS in the administration of former US president Jimmy Carter, who was the head of state from 1977 to 1981.

"Zbigniew Brzezinski is the one who really started this mess, you know, in my opinion. He wrote a very famous memo back around 1980," said Barlow.

According to Barlow, the memo stated that the US “cannot let our proliferation policy dictate our foreign policy.”

“The Cold Warriors were in charge. Fighting the Soviets was the number one priority. They were completely clueless as to the threat of Islamism that a country like Pakistan obtaining nuclear weapons could pose,” Barlow said, adding that everything was looked upon through the “Cold War Soviet lens”.

Barlow asserted that there had been no intelligence failure, adding that this was a “policy issue.” The former CIA officer further alleged that between 1986-87, “most of” the intelligence officials believed that Pakistan had manufactured all the parts of a nuclear weapon.

He added that despite these clear violations, the White House and State Department had found legal loopholes to continue aid to Pakistan. “The lawyers were looking for every way around this,” he added.

In the context of its nuclear proliferation program, Barlow recalled an undercover operation against Pakistani agent Arshad Pervez in 1987. He claimed that Pervez had attempted to buy 25 tons of maraging steel, critical for uranium enrichment, from a company in America.

Barlow said this operation, run jointly by the CIA and US Customs, was compromised after senior US State Department officials had allegedly tipped off Pakistan.

“He (Pervez) was being run by a retired Pakistani general named Inam ul Haq and he was supposed to show up in Pennsylvania at the steel company. But some people in the State Department had tipped off the Pakistani government to this arrest warrant,” Barlow alleged.

'8 Planes Shot Down': Trump Updates Key Figure In India-Pak Peace Claim

WASHINGTON, Nov 6: US President Donald Trump has repeated his claim of brokering peace between India and Pakistan, revising his count of fighter jets downed during the combat from seven to eight. The two nuclear-armed nations "made peace" in May only after he threatened to cancel their trade deals, he said, reiterating his wild claim at the America Business Forum in Miami yesterday.

The India-Pakistan episode was among the eight conflicts that the President claimed to have stopped since taking office, besides Kosovo-Serbia and Congo-Rwanda, as he tried again to portray himself as a global peacemaker.

"I was in the midst of a trade deal with India and Pakistan, and then I read on the front page of a certain newspaper...I heard they were going to war. Seven planes were shot down, and the eighth was badly wounded. Eight planes were shot down essentially. I said, this is war, and they are going at it. They are two nuclear nations. I said, 'I'm not going to make any trade deals with you guys unless you agree to peace,'" said Trump.

The President claimed Delhi and Islamabad opposed such a threat and said their conflict had nothing to do with trade deals

"The two nations said 'No way. This has nothing to do...' I said, 'It has everything to do. You are nuclear powers. I'm not trading with you. We're not making any deals with you if you're at war with each other'," he said, adding that he got a call the next day that the two countries had made peace. "I said, 'Thank you. Let's do trade'. Isn't that great? Without tariffs, that would have never happened," said Trump as the crowd cheered for him.

Mamdani Says Ready To Work With Trump On Inflation, Living Costs

NEW YORK, Nov 6: New York mayoral election winner Democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani said Wednesday that he was ready to engage with his arch-critic President Donald Trump on the issue of cost of living.

The Muslim-American lawmaker, whose rapid ascent from rank outsider to mayor-elect has stunned observers, joked at a briefing that the "White House hasn't reached out to congratulate me."

"I continue to be interested in having a conversation with President Trump on the ways in which we can work together to serve New Yorkers," he said suggesting "delivering on his campaign promises around cost of living" as one.

Mamdani, like Trump, put the high cost of living, impact of inflation and elevated grocery expenses at the heart of his campaign which triumphed over former governor Andrew Cuomo's platform.

"I think the lesson for the president is that it's not enough to diagnose the crisis in working class Americans lives. You have to deliver on addressing that crisis."

Mamdani called out Trump for his own campaign promises to address the soaring cost of groceries, but seeking to suspend food assistance while in office under the government shutdown.

After winning on promises to make city bus travel free, control rents and offer free childcare, Mamdani said "what scares Republicans across the country is the fact that we will actually deliver on this agenda."

Mamdani on Wednesday introduced the five women who will co-chair his transition.

Among them is Lina Khan, chair of the Federal Trade Commission under Joe Biden, and Maria Torres-Springer, who resigned her post as deputy mayor under outgoing mayor Eric Adams due to his engagement with Trump.

NYC mayoral election: Mamdani declares victory, Cuomo concedes

NEW YORK, Nov 5: Zohran Mamdani has won the closely-watched mayoral election in New York City, defeating independent Andrew Cuomo.

Mamdani, who calls himself a democratic socialist, will become the city’s first Muslim mayor.

As Zohran Mamdani delivered his acceptance speech on Tuesday night before cheering supporters, he was flanked by his parents — father Mahmood Mamdani and mother Mira Nair.

Mahmood Mamdani, 79, was born in Mumbai, India, but grew up in Uganda, where his son Zohran was also born. A veteran anthropologist, Mahmood is a professor at Columbia University and continues to maintain links with universities in Uganda.

Nair, 68, is a celebrated filmmaker who has delivered multiple crossover hits touching on India’s evolution into a modern society and the identity struggles of its vast diaspora. Her best-known films include the Denzel Washington-starrer Mississippi Masala and the 2001 classic, Monsoon Wedding.

Mississippi Masala was set against the backdrop of the expulsion of South Asians from Uganda under Idi Amin, an exodus in which her husband was also caught up, in 1972. Monsoon Wedding explored child sexual abuse within traditional Indian families, a subject that was largely taboo at the time.

The Democratic wins in the Virginia and New Jersey gubernatorial races are a very important victory for the party.

Abigail Spanberger is making history in Virginia.

She’s going to be the very first female governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia. Now, she was expected to win because she had a much better financed race and she was ahead in the polls.

Democrats are now going to see if they can gain more support in the state’s House of Delegates. If they are able to do so, that will send a message to Republicans that this could be the direction that voters will go in the midterms next year when members of Congress are up for re-election.

New Jersey is also very interesting.

The polls showed that this was going to be a close race between Mikie Sherrill and Jack Ciattarelli, a conservative radio host who had the full-throated backing of President Trump. But the vote showed it really wasn’t.

So members of Congress are going to go through how different people voted and how many people voted to see what it means for them in the coming midterms.

What are Mamdani’s key policies?

Freeze rent: Mamdani says he will immediately freeze the rent in rent-stabilised housing, which he says is home to more than two million people in New York.

Fast, free buses: Mamdani says he will permanently eliminate the fare on every city bus and make them faster, including by rapidly building priority lanes.

Free childcare: Mamdani says he will implement free childcare for every New Yorker aged six weeks to five years and bring up wages for childcare workers.

City-owned grocery stores: Mamdani says he will create a network of city-owned grocery stores that are focused on keeping food prices low.

Taxes on wealthiest New Yorkers: Mamdani says he will pay for his policies by raising the corporate tax rate to 11.5 percent and by imposing a flat 2 percent tax on those earning above $1m annually.

'Pakistan Is Testing Nukes, US Also Needs To': Trump On Need For Nuclear Order

WASHINGTON, Nov 3: Pakistan is among the countries that are actively testing nuclear weapons, according to US President Donald Trump. The Republican leader's remarks came amid buzz of the US resuming the testing of its nuclear weapons.

Trump noted the move was necessary as several nations, including Russia, China, North Korea, and Pakistan, are conducting nuclear tests, and it's also 'appropriate that the US also does it'.

"Russia's testing and China's testing, but they don't talk about it. We're an open society. We're different. We talk about it. We have to talk about it because otherwise you people are going to report. They don't have reporters that are going to be writing about it," Trump said while talking to CBS News.

"We're going to test because they test and others test. And certainly North Korea's been testing. Pakistan's been testing," he added.

Trump claimed the US does not "necessarily know" where these "powerful" nations that are testing nuclear weapons are but asserted the testing is being done.

"They-- they test way under-- underground where people don't know exactly what's happening with the test. You feel a little bit of a vibration. They test and we don't test. We have to test," he said.

Trump made these remarks when he was asked about his decision of "detonating nuclear weapons" after more than 30 years following Russia's recent trials of advanced nuclear-capable systems, including a Poseidon underwater drone.

"You have to see how they work. The reason I'm saying testing is because Russia announced that they were going to be doing a test. If you notice, North Korea is testing constantly. Other countries are testing. We're the only country that doesn't test. And I don't want to be the only country that doesn't test," Trump stated during the interview.

Trump also claimed that the US possesses "more nuclear weapons than any other country," adding that he had discussed denuclearization with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

"We have enough nuclear weapons to blow up the world 150 times," Trump said. "Russia has a lot of nuclear weapons, and China will have a lot. They have some. They have quite a bit."

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright has clarified that the testing will not involve nuclear explosions at this time. This was the first clarity from the Trump administration since the president took to social media last week to say he had "instructed the Department of War to start testing our nuclear weapons on an equal basis."

"I think the tests we're talking about right now are system tests. These are not nuclear explosions. These are what we call non-critical explosions," Wright said in an interview with Fox News.

The Energy Secretary, whose agency is responsible for testing, added that the planned testing involves "all the other parts of a nuclear weapon to make sure they deliver the appropriate geometry and they set up the nuclear explosion."

He added that the tests will be carried out on new systems to help ensure replacement nuclear weapons are better than previous ones.

Trump Warns Xi Jinping Of ‘Consequences’ Over Any Move Against Taiwan

WASHINGTON, Nov 2: US President Donald Trump has claimed that Chinese leader Xi Jinping is fully aware of the consequences of any military action against Taiwan, though he refused to specify whether the United States would intervene militarily.

In an excerpt from an interview with CBS News aired on Sunday, Trump said the topic of Taiwan “never even came up” during his meeting with Xi in South Korea on Thursday, their first face-to-face encounter in six years. When pressed on 60 Minutes about whether he would authorise US military action if China attacked Taiwan, Trump replied: “You’ll find out if it happens, and he understands the answer to that.”

Declining to elaborate further, Trump added, “I can’t give away my secrets. The other side knows.”

The president asserted that Xi and his inner circle had “openly said” they would not act against Taiwan while he was in office, “because they know the consequences.”

Beijing regards the self-governing island as part of its territory, while Washington, under its longstanding ‘One China’ policy, recognises only Beijing but supplies Taiwan with defensive arms.

The issue remains a major flashpoint in US–China relations, though Trump and Xi reportedly focused their latest discussions on easing trade tensions rather than territorial disputes.