U.S. strikes Iran after drone attack on cargo ship near Strait of Hormuz
Washington and Tehran accuse each other of breaching last week’s ceasefire as tensions rise around the key shipping route....
President Donald Trump is preparing a new travel ban that could block entry for people from Afghanistan and Pakistan as early as next week. The move is part of an intensified immigration crackdown.
A new travel ban under President Trump could prevent Afghans and Pakistanis from entering the U.S. as early as next week, according to sources familiar with the matter. The policy follows a security review aimed at identifying countries with vetting risks.
Afghanistan is expected to be on the list for a full travel suspension, while Pakistan is also likely to be included, sources said. Other countries may be affected, but details remain unclear.
The ban mirrors Trump's first-term restrictions on travel from several Muslim-majority countries, a policy upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018 but later repealed by President Joe Biden in 2021.
The move could impact tens of thousands of Afghans who were cleared for U.S. resettlement due to Taliban threats. Many hold Special Immigrant Visas for assisting U.S. forces during the 20-year war. The State Department is reportedly seeking exemptions for these visa holders, but approval remains uncertain.
Trump's order, issued on January 20, mandates stricter security screening for all foreign nationals. It directs officials to submit a list of countries requiring full or partial travel suspensions by March 12.
The policy has raised concerns among refugee advocates. Shawn VanDiver, head of #AfghanEvac, warned that Afghans with valid visas should travel immediately if possible, as the restriction could be imposed within days.
Since January 20, an estimated 200,000 Afghans with U.S. visa approvals or pending applications have been stranded worldwide, including 20,000 in Pakistan. Many face uncertainty as Trump also imposed a 90-day freeze on refugee admissions and funding for relocation programs.
The Trump administration has not yet officially confirmed the ban, and U.S. agencies have not responded to requests for comment.
An earthquake of magnitude 6.9 struck Japan's northeast coast on Thursday, but no tsunami warning was issued, no injuries were immediately reported and no irregularities were found at nuclear facilities, the authorities said.
As Western Europe battles a deadly heatwave that has shattered temperature records, disrupted transport and power supplies, and forced the closure of schools and cultural landmarks, attention is turning to whether El Niño is playing a role in the extreme conditions.
The U.S. Senate rejected a resolution on Wednesday that would have directed President Donald Trump to remove U.S. forces from hostilities against Iran unless Congress formally authorised military action.
The Kremlin has denied a Wall Street Journal report claiming Moscow is pressuring Belarus to support an expanded Russian military campaign in Ukraine.
Tens of thousands of people are still unaccounted for after two powerful earthquakes struck Venezuela. At least 589 people have been confirmed dead and hundreds are believed to be trapped under rubble, as emergency crews and international rescue teams race to respond.
Washington and Tehran accuse each other of breaching last week’s ceasefire as tensions rise around the key shipping route.
Rescue teams and residents in Venezuela are continuing to search for survivors after twin earthquakes killed more than 900 people and left thousands injured.
Burkina Faso has severed diplomatic relations with France, widening a years-long rupture with its former colonial ruler and marking the latest diplomatic break between France and military-led governments in the Sahel.
Sweden discriminated against vulnerable European Union migrants, many of them from the Roma community, by denying them equal access to healthcare, the European Committee of Social Rights has ruled.
U.S. President Donald Trump has threatened to impose 100% tariffs on imports from any country that adopts a digital services tax. The move escalated tensions with trading partners over levies that Washington argues unfairly target American technology companies.
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