Trump orders 'blockade' of sanctioned oil tankers leaving and entering Venezuela
U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered a "blockade" of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela on Tuesday (16 December), in Washing...
President Trump launched his presidency with sweeping executive orders, reversing Biden-era policies on immigration, energy, and diversity, while reinstating a hard-line agenda on border control, resource extraction, and trade.
On Monday, President Trump issued a series of executive orders, signaling a sharp shift from the policies of President Biden. These actions targeted key areas like immigration, the environment, and diversity, aiming to reverse many of Biden’s significant domestic policies while reinstating Trump-era priorities.
In an evening speech, Trump announced the revocation of nearly 80 Biden-era orders, including rebuilding the refugee program and ending the use of private prisons.
His agenda also seeks to expand resource extraction and restrict immigration, moves likely to face legal challenges. Below is an overview of Trump’s initial executive orders:
1. Federal Work Force
The federal workforce faced immediate changes, with a hiring freeze imposed except for military and enforcement roles. Trump reinstated “Schedule F,” a category of federal workers without typical job protections, halted the implementation of new regulations for review by his appointees, and ordered investigations into alleged government misconduct.
Security clearances were granted to White House staff without traditional vetting, and remote work policies for federal employees were terminated.
2. Immigration
Trump moved to bar asylum claims at the southern border and announced plans to end birthright citizenship for children of undocumented immigrants. The Refugee Admissions Program was suspended, and a border emergency was declared to unlock funds for enforcement and wall construction.
He also reinstated the policy requiring asylum seekers to remain in Mexico while awaiting case decisions and considered designating cartels as terrorist organizations.
3. Gender and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiatives
Diversity and gender policies saw a rollback, as Trump terminated federal Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion programs, legally recognized only two genders, and removed protections for transgender individuals in federal prisons.
4.Tariffs and Trade
Trump initiated investigations into trade practices, including flows of drugs and migrants. He directed reviews of the U.S.-China trade deal and the USMCA and explored creating an "External Revenue Service" to handle tariffs.
Additionally, he ordered an assessment of national security-related tariffs.
5. Energy and the Environment
Environmental and energy policies underwent significant shifts, with Trump withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris Agreement and declaring a national energy emergency.
He lifted Biden-era restrictions on offshore drilling, opened Alaska’s wilderness for resource extraction, and reversed regulations promoting electric vehicles.
Offshore wind farm leases were paused, and environmental justice programs aimed at protecting disadvantaged communities were eliminated.
6. TikTok ban
Regarding TikTok, Trump suspended its ban for 75 days while reviewing potential national security risks, aiming to find a resolution that preserves the platform for American users.
Other actions included withdrawing from the World Health Organization, renaming Mount Denali and the Gulf of Mexico, and ensuring states had sufficient lethal injection drugs for the death penalty.
Trump also launched a cost-cutting initiative led by Elon Musk and revoked security clearances for individuals who questioned the Hunter Biden laptop story.
At least 37 people have been killed in flash floods triggered by torrential rain in Morocco's Atlantic coastal province of Safi, Moroccan authorities said on Monday (15 December).
Fighting along the Thailand–Cambodia border has entered a fifth consecutive day, despite U.S. President Donald Trump claiming he had brokered a ceasefire between the two sides.
Authorities discovered the lifeless bodies of renowned filmmaker Rob Reiner, aged 78, and his wife, Michele Reiner, 68, in their upscale Brentwood home in Los Angeles on Sunday. The police investigation has labeled the incident an apparent homicide.
Schools across Cambodia and Thailand were forced to close on Monday (15 December) as border clashes between the two countries escalated, with the death toll reaching at least 40 and hundreds of thousands of people displaced, according to officials and local media.
U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy held two rounds of high-stakes talks in Berlin, Germany on 14-15 December. Ukraine’s chief negotiator, Rustem Umerov, posted on X that discussions with the U.S. envoy have been "constructive and productive".
U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered a "blockade" of all sanctioned oil tankers entering and leaving Venezuela on Tuesday (16 December), in Washington's latest move to increase pressure on Nicolas Maduro's government, targeting its main source of income.
Austria’s public broadcaster ORF, which is hosting the next Eurovision Song Contest, has said it will not block Palestinian flags in the audience or suppress crowd reactions during Israel’s performance.
The Trump administration has expanded its travel restrictions, now affecting a total of 39 countries.
Venezuela has formally accused the United States of “maritime piracy” after a Venezuelan oil shipment was seized in international waters, escalating diplomatic tensions between the two countries.
The Pentagon has released video showing U.S. military strikes on three vessels in the eastern Pacific that Washington says were involved in narcotics trafficking, operations that U.S. Southern Command said killed eight people on Monday (15 December).
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