Israeli forces kill three Palestinian militants in the West Bank, police say
Israeli security forces killed three Palestinian militants in the occupied West Bank on Tuesday, a police spokesperson said....
The Trump administration may roll out a $1,000 fee to fast-track visa interviews, raising legal concerns from within the State Department.
The Trump administration is considering a $1,000 fee for tourists and other non-immigrant visa applicants seeking an expedited interview appointment though government lawyers have raised legal red flags over the plan, according to a U.S. official and an internal State Department memo.
Individuals entering the U.S. on tourist and other non-immigrant visas already pay a $185 processing fee. The new $1,000 option the U.S. is considering would be a premium service that allows some people to jump to the front of the line for visa interviews.
The program could arrive in pilot form as soon as December, the memo reviewed by Reuters said.
The proposed fee for visa appointments, which has not been previously reported, comes alongside President Donald Trump’s vision of a “gold card” that would sell U.S. citizenship for $5 million, granting faster access to those willing to pay.
But the State Department’s legal team said there was a “high risk” it would be rejected by the White House budget office or struck down in U.S. courts, the memo said. Setting a fee above the cost to provide the service "is contrary to settled Supreme Court precedent," the memo said.
A State Department spokesperson said the department does not comment on internal documents and communications.
"The department’s scheduling of non-immigrant visa interview appointments is dynamic and we are continually working to improve our operations worldwide," the spokesperson said.
Since taking office on Jan. 20, Trump has aggressively cracked down on immigration, including revoking some student visas and increasing scrutiny of all visa applicants.
The State Department issued 10.4 million non-immigrant visas in fiscal year 2023, including 5.9 million tourist visas, according to the agency’s most recent annual report, opens new tab.
International travel spending in the United States is expected to decline about 7% in 2025 as opposition to Trump’s policies and a strong dollar prompt foreign visitors to opt for other destinations, the World Travel and Tourism Council said in May.
At least 69 people have died and almost 150 injured following a powerful 6.9-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Cebu City in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, officials said, making it one of the country’s deadliest disasters this year.
A tsunami threat was issued in Chile after a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck the Drake Passage on Friday. The epicenter was located 135 miles south of Puerto Williams on the north coast of Navarino Island.
The war in Ukraine has reached a strategic impasse, and it seems that the conflict will not be solved by military means. This creates a path toward one of two alternatives: either a “frozen” phase that can last indefinitely or a quest for a durable political regulation.
A shooting in Nice, southeastern France, left two people dead and five injured on Friday, authorities said.
Snapchat will start charging users who store more than 5GB of photos and videos in its Memories feature, prompting backlash from long-time users.
Talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan in Istanbul to broker a long-term truce have ended without a resolution, two sources familiar with the matter said on Tuesday, a blow for peace in the region after deadly clashes this month.
A Brussels conference has called for the right of return for Western Azerbaijanis, citing international law and historic displacement.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for 28 October, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Lawyers for former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro on Monday filed an appeal to reduce his 27-year prison sentence for plotting a coup to remain in power after the 2022 presidential election.
Ukraine targeted Moscow with drone attacks for the second night in row, the Russian defence ministry and Moscow's mayor said on Tuesday.
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