All posts tagged: foreign

Unions, Advocacy Groups Sue to Overturn US Visa Rule for Foreign Students, Journalists

Unions, Advocacy Groups Sue to Overturn US Visa Rule for Foreign Students, Journalists

Published by Sam Flores

WASHINGTON, Aug 18 (Reuters) – A coalition of ⁠unions ⁠and advocacy groups sued ⁠the federal government on Tuesday seeking to block a rule ​that would limit how long foreign students and journalists can remain in the U.S. without ‌applying for extensions. The new rule from ‌President Donald Trump’s Department of Homeland Security creates a fixed time period for ⁠F visas ⁠for international students, J visas that allow visitors on cultural exchange ​programs to work in the U.S., and I visas for members of the media. Those visas are currently available for the duration of the program or employment in the U.S. Under ​the new regulations, set to take effect on September 15, the student and ⁠exchange ⁠visa periods would be no ⁠longer than ​four years. The visa for journalists, which currently can last years, would be up ​to 240 days or, ⁠in the case of Chinese nationals, 90 days. In the lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, the groups said the changes would be “catastrophic” for universities, …

The Incoherence of Trump’s Past Week of Foreign Policy

The Incoherence of Trump’s Past Week of Foreign Policy

Published by Daniella Wilson

This is an edition of The Atlantic Daily, a newsletter that guides you through the biggest stories of the day, helps you discover new ideas, and recommends the best in culture. Sign up for it here. A memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States, reached in June and intended to provide breathing room to end the conflict between the two countries, expired today. The agreement will be little missed: A cease-fire had effectively ended within about three weeks of its signing, and the MOU had failed to produce fruitful negotiations or a real opening of the Strait of Hormuz. The president’s actions in the days leading up to the deadline demonstrate that his approach to the world, always contingent and improvisational, has lost its last shred of coherence. The White House cannot agree on the goals of the Iran war, much less on how to achieve them. The president is clashing with long-standing allies, in conflict with his vice president on the aims of the war, and publicly at odds with uniformed commanders …

The decent way for countries to engage with the Taliban | Foreign policy

The decent way for countries to engage with the Taliban | Foreign policy

Published by Jenni Sidey

You report concerns over increased diplomatic contact with Afghanistan and the Taliban (15 August). If nations wish to establish contact with the country and improve human rights, especially for women, may I suggest that they only use women to negotiate and to staff diplomatic bases. They might also insist on only dealing with women. If the Taliban desire legitimacy let them have it on decent terms.Martin CooperBromley, London To help us talk about the weather (How can we talk about this extreme weather now that it’s a battleground in the culture wars?, 14 August), my friend Nic Ford and I have coined the term apranxiety – a portmanteau of apricity (the warmth of the sun in winter) and anxiety. We are hoping it becomes common parlance.Rachel PapworthBrighton, East Sussex I am perhaps more fortunate than Sue Christian (Letters, 13 August) in that a weed I struggled to eliminate has flourished in the present climatic conditions. Soapwort’s pink flowers have popped up everywhere and are a delight to see.Jim GrindleFormby, Merseyside Oh that Thomas Paine had …

Ex-Senior Minister of State Lee Yi Shyan, WP MPs spar over party’s stance on foreign firms

Ex-Senior Minister of State Lee Yi Shyan, WP MPs spar over party’s stance on foreign firms

Published by Sam Flores

Mr Lee also took aim at what he called the WP’s “political opportunism”. “Too often, the WP formula seems to be this: when a government policy is popular, demand more of it; when it is unpopular, oppose it while playing down the consequences of the alternatives it offers,” he said. He cited foreign worker numbers, the Build-to-Order (BTO) flats programme and the Goods and Services Tax (GST) as examples. On foreign worker numbers, Mr Lee said that when this became a major concern around 2011, the government tightened its policies, and the WP responded by calling for greater flexibility to meet industry manpower needs. But amid the wider debate over population policy that followed, the party changed course and called for essentially zero growth in the foreign workforce, he said. On housing, Mr Lee said that when there were concerns about an oversupply of flats and falling HDB resale prices, the government reduced its BTO building programme, and the WP went further, arguing in 2019 that even fewer flats should be built. But as demand …

State Department Revokes Over 175,000 Visas Of Foreign Nationals Accused Of Crimes

State Department Revokes Over 175,000 Visas Of Foreign Nationals Accused Of Crimes

Published by Jenni Sidey

Via American Greatness, President Donald Trump’s State Department has revoked more than 175,000 visas held by foreign nationals accused of crimes since the start of last year, officials said this week, marking one of the administration’s most sweeping efforts yet to remove dangerous individuals from the country. State Department officials said the majority of revocations targeted foreign nationals accused of assault, drunk driving, theft, drug crimes, fraud, immigration violations and threats to national security. A significant share of the revoked visas also involved allegations of child abuse, sexual assault, embezzlement and reckless driving. Among the cases cited by officials, one foreign national lost his visa after being charged with rape and sexual battery of a victim who is mentally disabled. Another had a visa revoked following charges of felony kidnapping, human trafficking and sexual exploitation of a minor. Other cases included a foreign national arrested for disorderly conduct, resisting arrest with violence, drunk driving and domestic violence, as well as individuals charged with sodomy of a child, aggravated sexual battery, and possession of more than a dozen …

New visa rules limit foreign journalists to 240-day stays in the US

New visa rules limit foreign journalists to 240-day stays in the US

Published by Sam Flores

An image of the US Capitol building. Picture: Shutterstock/Lucky-photographer UK journalists working in the US could face a new 240-day limit on their right to be in the countr under new visa rules for foreign journalists which come into force on 15 September. It is possible to apply for a visa extension up to six months before a visa expires, but Press Gazette understand there are year-long delays in getting this claims processed. Under the current I-visa regulations, foreign journalists apply for a “duration of status” visa which means that once they have entered the US, they are allowed to remain for as long as it takes for them to complete the assignment described in their application.  Foreign media representatives can also currently apply for a five-year I-visa (during which time they can leave and return to the country). The new I-visa rules mean journalists entering the US on an I-visa must depart 240 days after their first entry or submit a request for extension with the US Citizenship & Immigration Services. Visa renewal will cost $420 each time, compared to the current $185 visa application fee. …

Trump foreign licensing income surged to .5 million

Trump foreign licensing income surged to $59.5 million

Published by Sam Flores

President Donald Trump at an official arrival ceremony at Qasr al Watan, or Palace of the Nation, in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, May 15, 2025. Win Mcnamee | Getty Images President Donald Trump’s foreign real-estate licensing business boomed during his first year back in office, generating $59.5 million in 2025 as international developers paid a premium to brand luxury towers, golf courses and coastal resorts with the Trump name. Foreign licensing revenue, including for the use of the Trump name on properties around the world, rose 71% from 2024. The sum was nearly 10 times higher than in 2023, according to a CNBC analysis of Trump’s annual financial disclosure — fueled by the Trump Organization’s reversal of the company’s first-term pledge to pursue “no new foreign deals whatsoever.” The Trump Organization’s second-term ethics policy bars new material transactions with foreign governments but allows deals with private foreign companies Four Trump-affiliated licensing LLCs not listed in his 2024 disclosure generated $20.25 million in 2025, accounting for 82% of the increase. Five other licensing LLCs that …

German Foreign Ministry Says Gaza Plan Could Lead Towards Disarmament of Hamas

German Foreign Ministry Says Gaza Plan Could Lead Towards Disarmament of Hamas

Published by Sam Flores

FRANKFURT, Aug ⁠10 (Reuters) – ⁠The German ⁠government regards U.S. ​President Donald Trump’s ‌latest Gaza plan ‌as ⁠an ⁠opportunity to make progress towards the ​disarmament of Hamas, a ​German foreign ministry spokesperson ⁠said on ⁠Monday. Asked in ⁠a regular ​news conference about Israeli ​Prime ⁠Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rejection of the ⁠plan, the spokesperson also said some ⁠disagreement was to be expected. “With such a complex undertaking, it was perfectly clear there would ⁠be many, many unanswered questions,” he said. (Reporting by Ludwig ​Burger, Editing by ​Friederike Heine) Copyright 2026 Thomson Reuters. Photos You Should See: August 2026 Source link

Singapore-registered firm used fake employees and recruitment methods mirroring foreign intelligence playbook

Singapore-registered firm used fake employees and recruitment methods mirroring foreign intelligence playbook

Published by Sam Flores

CNA also identified four online personas claiming to be employees of, or affiliated with, Infoassa. None had an independent online presence outside of Infoassa literature and self-reported LinkedIn profiles.  One persona named James Scoot was flagged by Dr Hayton for claiming, in a now-deactivated LinkedIn profile, to have worked for the government affairs consulting firm Vriens & Partners and the Institute of Southeast Asian Studies think-tank. Checks with both organisations confirmed that no such individual had ever been employed there.  Deepfake testing of the profile picture attached to Scoot’s page, along with that of the only other Infoassa persona with a profile picture, further flagged them as likely to be fake or AI-generated. Experts told CNA that the apparent unsophistication of such efforts is rarely of concern to the operators behind them.  “It’s a low-cost, set-and-forget kind of system that is easily discardable,” said Associate Professor Dylan Loh from Nanyang Technological University’s (NTU) Public Policy and Global Affairs programme, who added that AI has made it easier to create such front organisations en masse. “There …

What is the Trump Administration doing with foreign aid money?

What is the Trump Administration doing with foreign aid money?

Published by Sam Flores

Since he returned to office, President Donald Trump’s administration has upended foreign aid. It’s labeled well-established, long-running programs as “not aligned with American interests” and slashed their budgets.  Still, the billions of taxpayer dollars Congress has allocated for foreign aid programs must be spent; lawmakers have insisted the government continue to fund humanitarian aid, global health and pro-democracy causes around the world. With most of the old programs now gone, however, we wanted to know: What is the Trump administration doing with that money now? Recently, we published our investigation that found one answer to that question in a little-known bureau of the State Department that has dramatically transformed under Trump. For decades, the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, known as DRL, has supported  human rights in some of the most oppressive countries in the world. Now, our reporting found,  it’s planning to direct funds to controversial groups supporting right-wing causes in Europe and elsewhere.  Our full story lays out some of the groups the government has considered funding, which include a British …