America | DD News

August 26, 2026 11:55 AM

Explainer: What are H-1B visas for skilled workers and what changes loom?

U.S. employers seeking to hire skilled foreign workers can use the federal government's H-1B visa program for a fee, allowing tech and other professionals from abroad to work in the United States for a few years. U.S. President Donald Trump, who has pursued a broad immigration crackdown since taking office last year, has lambasted the program and wants to permanently raise the fee from between $2,000 and $5,000 to more than $100,000. Despite criticism that some companies use the visas to hire ...

August 26, 2026 10:51 AM

Canada slaps retaliatory tariffs on US goods worth $20 billion as trade war intensifies

Canada hit back on Tuesday with retaliatory tariffs on about $20 billion worth of U.S. annual imports and rolled out aid for businesses and workers, matching Washington's latest duties dollar-for-dollar. The counter-tariffs on U.S. goods take effect on September 8 and impose duties of 15%, 25% and 50% across around 700 products imported from south of the border, a government statement said. U.S. President Donald Trump's new 50% tariffs on $20 billion of Canadian imports took effect on Saturday...

August 26, 2026 10:47 AM

U.S. military officer who called for Trump impeachment faces three charges

A U.S. military service member who called for President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance to be impeached is facing charges under the military justice system, his lawyer and the Air Force said on Tuesday. The active-duty officer, Major Jason Watson, denounced Trump and Vance last month for actions including going to war with Iran without congressional authorization, according to a video of the protest event posted online. In ⁠the video, the U.S. Capitol Police can be seen detain...

August 26, 2026 10:43 AM

Trump sends Saudi nuclear deal to US Congress but says Riyadh must recognize Israel

President Donald Trump has sent Congress a proposed agreement with Saudi Arabia on civil nuclear energy while insisting the pact will only go into effect if the kingdom normalizes relations with Israel, a U.S. administration official told Reuters on Tuesday. The agreement, which was reached in July and would allow U.S. companies to export civilian nuclear technology to the kingdom, was sent to Congress on Monday, according to the U.S. official, who declined to be identified. The Saudi embassy ...

August 26, 2026 5:30 PM

Trump administration issues pause on immigrant visa appointments for applicants worldwide

President Donald Trump's administration has issued a pause on immigrant visa appointments for applicants around the world during an ongoing immigration crackdown by the U.S. government in the Republican leader's second term in the White House. A U.S. State Department spokesperson said on Tuesday that it launched a global training initiative at all U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide and that appointments for visa services will be adjusted to accommodate the training. Trump has pursued an a...

August 26, 2026 10:36 AM

US military says it struck vessel in the Caribbean, killing four

The U.S. military said on Tuesday four people were killed in a strike on a vessel in the Caribbean, the latest in a series of attacks that Washington says target "narco-terrorists" ⁠but human rights groups condemn as extrajudicial killings. FURTHER DETAILS: "Confirmed intelligence revealed the vessel's active involvement in narco-trafficking. The operation killed four narco-terrorists," the U.S. Southern Command said on X. It did not identify the individuals or provide details o...

August 26, 2026 10:32 AM

US spy chief visits Russia for meetings, media reports

U.S. CIA Director John Ratcliffe traveled to Moscow on Tuesday for meetings with Russian officials, U.S. media outlets reported, citing unnamed sources. The trip would be the first known visit to the Russian capital by a U.S. spy chief since Ratcliffe's predecessor, William Burns, held talks with Vladimir Putin in November 2021. About three months after that meeting, the Russian president launched Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. CBS News and Axios reported the visit by Ratcliffe, U.S. President ...

August 26, 2026 5:16 PM

Iran and Oman plan for temporary Hormuz corridor as impasse with US persists

Iran has held new talks with neighbouring Oman on management of the Strait of Hormuz, blockaded over nearly six months of conflict, with Oman's foreign minister saying he was hopeful a temporary corridor through the waterway could be announced soon. Iran and Oman have held on-and-off talks for weeks about controlling traffic through the strait, which handled one-fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments before the war began in February. Most shipping has since been shut down, as ...

August 26, 2026 8:41 AM

Iran vows to resist widened US sanctions, says Washington seeks talks

Iran denounced on Tuesday expanded U.S. sanctions aimed at isolating its economy as an act of "gross lawlessness", expressing confidence that many countries wouldnot join the pressure campaign. Almost six months into a conflict the U.S. has struggled to resolve, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent unveiled the measures on Monday but stopped short of the most punishing options. While he said countries that continued trading with Iran risked being forced out of the dollar-based financial system, he...

August 26, 2026 8:38 AM

Trump says Strait of Hormuz has been demined, warns Iran not to plant more

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that all mines had been detonated or removed from international waters of the Strait of Hormuz and that Iran has been told that any ship or boat placing new mines will be destroyed. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the United States, through its Space Force, was watching "every square inch" of the Strait, a key waterway in the global energy supply chain. "There is a Zero Tolerance policy on mine placement in full force and effect," Trump said. ...