United States

January 21, 2025 9:31 AM

US will now recognise only two genders, male and female: Donald Trump

In a major announcement just after being sworn in as the 47th US President, Donald Trump declared that it will be the official policy of the United States to recognise only two genders - male and female. Trump said his administration will work to make a "merit-based" and "colourblind society." The move is part of Trump's plans to change the US government's policies on gender and diversity, especially targeting Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DEI) programmes. Several US companies, including ...

January 21, 2025 9:04 AM

Donald Trump signs executive order to withdraw US from Paris Climate Accord

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Treaty -- just as he did in his first term. It's among a slew of executive actions he signed in front of thousands of supporters at Capitol One Arena. However, the Trump administration's move against the 2015 Paris accord in 2017 was reversed by Joe Biden on his first day in office in 2021. Paris Agreement is an international agreement to combat climate change, and nearly 200 countries have...

January 16, 2025 9:26 AM

Biden warns US faces oligarchy as Trump looms over legacy

President Joe Biden capped a half-century political career on Wednesday with a final Oval Office speech as he hopes to seal a legacy overshadowed by Democrats' failure to stop Donald Trump from returning to the White House. Biden opened his speech with a familiar message - asking Americans to join together - but quickly warned about a dangerous concentration of wealth in the United States. "Our system of separation of powers, checks and balances may not be perfect, but it has maintained our de...

January 9, 2025 9:18 AM

Greenland independence is possible but joining the US unlikely, Denmark says

Greenland may become independent if its residents want, but is unlikely to become a U.S. state, Denmark's foreign minister said on Wednesday after U.S. President-elect Donald Trump refused to rule out force to take control of the Arctic island. Greenland's leader met with the Danish king in Copenhagen on Wednesday, a day after Trump's remarks thrust the fate of the mineral-rich and strategically important island, which is under Danish rule, to the top of world headlines. Trump, who takes offic...

January 3, 2025 2:33 PM

Worst President in US history: Trump slams Biden over ‘Open Border Policy’

United States President-elect Donald Trump on Friday launched a fiery attack on outgoing President Joe Biden, calling him "the worst President in the history of the United States" while criticizing his administration's Open Border Policy. In a series of posts on social media platform X, Trump described the current state of the country as a "disaster" and "a laughing stock" on the world stage, blaming President Biden for the decline in national security, safety, and leadership. Trump's scathing...

January 1, 2025 9:17 AM

Zelenskiy says US will be alongside Ukraine’s efforts to stop Russia

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said late on Tuesday that no one would give peace to his country as a gift, but he believed the United States would stand alongside Kyiv as it fights to stop Russia's 34-month invasion. Zelenskiy, in a slick 21-minute New Year video greeting to his compatriots, also said only a strong Ukraine could secure peace and earn worldwide respect. "We know that peace will not be given to us as a gift, but we will do everything to stop Russia and end the war, some...

December 2, 2024 10:04 AM

U.S. President Biden pardons his son Hunter

U.S. President Joe Biden said on Sunday he had pardoned his son, Hunter Biden, a reversal after pledging to stay out of legal proceedings against the younger Biden who pleaded guilty to tax violations and was convicted on firearms-related charges. "Today, I signed a pardon for my son Hunter. From the day I took office, I said I would not interfere with the Justice Department's decision-making, and I kept my word even as I have watched my son being selectively, and unfairly, prosecuted," the pre...

November 27, 2024 11:24 PM

Israel-Hezbollah truce holds, Israel sets south Lebanon curfew

A ceasefire between Israel and Lebanese armed group Hezbollah held on Wednesday after the two sides struck a deal brokered by the U.S. and France, but Israel warned local residents not to return to the border area yet or approach its troops. The agreement, a rare diplomatic feat in a region racked by conflict for months, ended the deadliest confrontation betweenIsrael and the Iran-backed militant group in years, but Israel is still fighting its other arch foe, the Palestinian militant group Ham...

November 17, 2024 1:37 PM

Australia, Japan, US reaffirm commitment to support India’s maritime surveillance in Indo-Pacific

Australia, Japan, and the United States on Sunday reaffirmed their commitment to support India’s maritime surveillance efforts in the Indo-Pacific region while recognising the importance of closer collaboration in the field. Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles, Japanese Defence Minister Nakatani Gen, and US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin III convened the fourteenth Trilateral Defence Ministers’ Meeting (TDMM) on Sunday in Darwin, Australia. “We commit ...

November 12, 2024 9:07 AM

US President-elect Trump selects Florida rep Waltz as national security adviser: Sources

US President-elect Donald Trump has selected Florida representative Mike Waltz as his national security adviser, Reuters reported, citing sources on Monday. Waltz, a former Army Green Beret and a prominent critic of China, has criticized their activity in the Asia-Pacific. He also voiced the need for the United States to be ready for a potential conflict in the region. He will be responsible for briefing Trump on key national security issues and coordinating with different agencies, Reuters repo...