Trump | Pakistan

US President Donald Trump authorised the deployment of troops to Chicago after a federal agent shot an allegedly armed motorist there on Saturday. At the same time, a judge blocked the Republican leader’s attempt to send the military into Portland, another Democratic-run city. The escalating crisis across the country pits Trump’s increasingly militarised anti-crime and migration crackdown against opposition Democrats who accuse him of an authoritarian power grab. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement that “President Trump has authorised 300 national guardsmen to protect federal officers and assets” in Chicago. This comes after weeks of Republican threats to send troops to the Midwestern city over the wishes of local leaders. “President Trump will not turn a blind eye to the lawlessness plaguing American cities.” Illinois Senator Dick Durbin called the move a “shameful chapter in our nation’s history”, adding that the “president is not intent on fighting crime. He is intent on spreading f...

Pope Leo urged the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics on Sunday to care for immigrants, pressing ahead with a message of welcome for migrants days after criticising US President Donald Trump’s hard-line anti-immigration policies. Leo, the first US pope, told thousands of pilgrims celebrating Mass in St. Peter’s Square that immigrants should not be treated with “the coldness of indifference or the stigma of discrimination”. The pope, who did not single out any country for its treatment of migrants, called on Catholics to “open our arms and hearts to them, welcoming them as brothers and sisters, and being for them a presence of consolation and hope.” Pope talks of ‘new missionary age’ Leo had criticised the Trump administration’s immigration policies on September 30, questioning whether they were in line with the Catholic Church’s pro-life teachings, in comments that drew heated backlash from some prominent conservative Catholics. On Sunday, the pope said the global Church was experiencing “a new missionary age” in ...

A coalition of unions, employers and religious groups filed a lawsuit on Friday seeking to block US President Donald Trump’s bid to impose a $100,000 fee on new H-1B visas for highly-skilled foreign workers. The lawsuit filed in federal court in San Francisco is the first to challenge a proclamation Trump issued two weeks ago announcing the fee as the Republican president moves to further restrict immigration to the United States. Plaintiffs include the United Auto Workers union, the American Association of University Professors, a nurse recruitment agency and several religious organisations. They argued that Trump’s power to restrict the entry of certain foreign nationals does not allow him to override the law that created the H-1B visa programme. White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson in a statement said Trump’s administration engaged in lawful actions “discouraging companies from spamming the system and driving down American wages, while providing certainty to employers who need to bring the best talent f...

US President Donald Trump said early Saturday Israel must stop bombing Gaza immediately and that he believes Hamas is ready for peace after an earlier statement by the Palestinian resistance group. Hamas said it would agree to some of the terms in Trump’s plan to end the Gaza war, including releasing hostages, but avoided addressing more vexing issues like disarmament and said it would seek further negotiations. Soon after, Trump posted Hamas’ response to his Truth Social account. Trump had earlier not specified whether the terms would be subject to negotiation, as Hamas is seeking. Notably, the resistance group did not say if it would agree to disarm and demilitarise Gaza — something Israel and the US want but Hamas has rejected before. It also did not agree to an Israeli withdrawal in stages, as opposed to the immediate, full withdrawal the group demands. A senior Hamas official told Al Jazeera that the group would not disarm before Israel’s occupation of the besieged enclave ends, comments that underscored...

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said on Friday that the 20-point Gaza peace plan released by US President Donald Trump was “not ours” but insisted that there was no room for politicking on the matter. Speaking on the floor of the National Assembly, Dar referred to his earlier press briefing in Islamabad and said: “I made it clear that the 20 points that President Trump made public are not ours. Changes were made to our draft. I have the record.” However, he went on to say: “This is the end result, and there is no room for politicking.” Eight Muslim and Arab countries — Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt — had held a meeting with Trump on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly session, where the US president discussed his plan for ending the Israeli onslaught in Gaza. On Sept 29, US President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had met and, in a press conference after the meeting, announced the forme...

• Plan announced by White House differs from terms agreed between Trump and heads of Muslim countries • Distrust remains over proposed International Stabilisation Force • Hamas seeks changes to ‘disarmament’ clause DESPITE their misgivings with the ‘pro-Israel’ draft of US President Donald Trump’s plan to bring peace to war-ravaged Gaza, countries from the eight-member Muslim bloc may yet push for it to be accepted. Officials from Qatar and Pakis­tan have already implied — albeit diplomatically — that the plan announced by the White House was quite different from the one they signed up to in New York. But some countries — especially those in Gaza’s immediate neighbourhood — also believe they have secured key concessions, such as Trump’s refusal to recognise Israeli annexation of the West Bank and a US commitment that Palestinians will be allowed to remain in Gaza. Israel has also agreed, under the plan, not to permanently occupy the Gaza Strip. “Gaza’s reconstruction represents a major economic opportunity fo...

US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday unveiled a 20-point plan for Gaza. Subsequently, eight Arab or Muslim-majority nations — Jordan, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Pakistan, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Egypt — “welcomed the role of the American president and his sincere efforts aimed at ending the war in Gaza”. In Pakistan, the government’s so-called approval of the plan had drawn flak from politicians, journalists and activists alike, who termed the deal a “two-state surrender’’ with the scales weighing heavily in Israel’s favour. Subsequently, signs began appearing that not everyone was happy with the draft made public by the White House. On Tuesday, Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar seemingly distanced Pakistani decision-makers from the plan. He also made it clear in so many words that the US peace plan for Gaza would not be acceptable if the am­e­ndments — jointly pro­posed by eight Muslim co­u­n­tries — were not included. This came after Trump had previously...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif expressed on Sunday the hope for “encouraging” outcomes of US President Donald Trump’s meeting with Muslim leaders in Washington earlier this week where the American head of the state presented his plan to end Israel’s invasion of Gaza. “We fully participated in the meeting on Gaza, and God willing, its encouraging results will come out soon,” he said, flanked by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar while addressing overseas Pakistanis at the High Commission in London. According to state broadcaster Radio Pakistan, he also said that Pakistan was also part of Trump-led efforts to bring peace to Palestine and end oppression against the people of Gaza. The premier also expressed distress over the situation in Gaza, which has been subjected to Israeli onslaught since October 2023, and prayed that the cruelty and barbarity being witnessed there ends soon. Trump’s meeting with Muslim leaders on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York had brought together leaders fro...

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Thursday declaring that his plan to sell Chinese-owned TikTok’s US operations to US and global investors will address the national security requirements in a 2024 law. The new US company will be valued at around $14 billion, Vice President JD Vance said, putting a price tag on the popular short video app far below some analyst estimates. Trump on Thursday delayed until January 20 enforcement of the law that bans the app unless its Chinese owners sell it amid efforts to extract TikTok’s US assets from the global platform, line up American and other investors, and win approval from the Chinese government. The publication of the executive order shows Trump is making progress on the sale of TikTok’s US assets, but numerous details need to be fleshed out, including how the US entity would use TikTok’s most important asset, its recommendation algorithm. “There was some resistance on the Chinese side, but the fundamental thing that we wanted to accomplish is that w...

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and US President Donald Trump discussed regional security and cooperation along the lines of counter-terrorism, among other matters, as the two met for the first time at the Oval Office in Washington in the early hours of Friday morning, according to a press release from the PM Office. The premier was accompanied by the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir, while the US President was joined by US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, as per an earlier statement from the PM office. PM Shehbaz thanked Trump for “his public endorsement of Pakistan’s role in counterterrorism and stressed the need to further enhance cooperation in security and intelligence,” as the two discussed matters of regional security. The premier described Trump as a “man of peace”, lauding his “sincere” efforts in ending conflicts around the world. PM Shehbaz branded Trump’s style of leadership “bold, courageous and decisive,” and thanked the US president for his role in me...

US President Donald Trump hosted Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Field Marshal Asim Munir at the Oval Office in Washington, DC during the early hours of Friday morning. US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were also present, a statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) after the meeting said. It added that the meeting was held in a pleasant atmosphere. Photos released after the meeting showed both PM Shehbaz and Field Marshal Munir exchanging views with Trump. Trump was also all smiles as he flashed his signature thumbs up sign during a group photo. The meeting, which was closed to the press, was originally slated to begin at 4:30pm Washington time (1:30am PST) but was delayed by approximately 30 minutes as the US president spoke to reporters after signing executive orders. The meeting itself lasted approximately one hour and 20 minutes. Photos from the White House press pool before it began showed PM Shehbaz and Field Marshal Munir waiting pati...

United States President Donald Trump on Thursday urged Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan to stop buying Russian oil over the war in Ukraine, as Erdogan sought a long-awaited deal to buy US stealth fighter jets. As Erdogan visited the White House for the first time since 2019 during Trump’s first term, Trump called on him to use his influence with Russian President Vladimir Putin to end Moscow’s invasion. Trump said that he would discuss Ankara’s wish to buy high-tech F-35 aircraft and was ready to end sanctions on Turkey over its purchase of Russian air defence missiles. Nato ally Turkey was booted out of the flagship US stealth fighter programme during Trump’s first term after it defiantly bought Russia’s S-400 surface-to-air missile system. “I’d like to have him stop buying any oil from Russia while Russia continues this rampage,” Trump told reporters alongside Erdogan in the Oval Office. Trump said Erdogan was “very respected” by both Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and “could have ...

• PM Shehbaz, FM Dar join leaders from Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Turkiye and Indonesia for multilateral meeting • US president calls for immediate end to war, tells Muslim leaders ‘this is the group that can do it’ • Opposes recognition of Palestine statehood in UNGA speech; Rubio says permanent solution only possible through ‘negotiated settlement’ NEW YORK: After an antagonistic speech at the UN General Assembly, where he opposed a growing global push towards the recognition of a Palestinian state, US President Donald Trump met Muslim leaders, including Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, to present his plan to end Israel’s war on Gaza. The meeting, held on the sidelines of the 80th UNGA at United Nations Headquarters, brought together leaders from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Turkiye and Indonesia. Ahead of the meeting, in a televised interaction with Muslim leaders, Trump said: “We have to get the hostages back… This is the group that can do it, more than any other grou...

US President Donald Trump on Monday linked autism to childhood vaccine use and the taking of popular pain medication Tylenol by women when pregnant, elevating claims not backed by scientific evidence to the forefront of US health policy. In an extraordinary news conference at the White House, the Republican president delivered medical advice to pregnant women and parents of young children, repeatedly telling them not to use or administer the painkiller and suggesting that common vaccines not be taken together or so early in a child’s life. The advice from Trump, who acknowledged he is not a doctor, goes against that of medical societies, which cite data from numerous studies showing that acetaminophen, the active ingredient in Tylenol, plays a safe role in the well-being of pregnant women. View this post on Instagram “I want to say it like it is, don’t take Tylenol. Don’t take it,” Trump said. “Other things that we recommend, or certainly I do anyway, is … don’t let them pump your baby up with the largest pil...

United States President Donald Trump on Sunday said he would defend Poland and the Baltic states in case of an escalation from Russia, following Moscow’s incursion into Estonia’s airspace. Asked whether he would help defend the EU members if Russia intensifies hostilities, Trump told reporters: “Yeah, I would. I would.” Estonia has requested an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Monday following Friday’s incursion. Three Russian MiG-31 fighters violated Estonian airspace over the Gulf of Finland, triggering complaints of a dangerous new provocation from the European Union and Nato, but a denial from Moscow. Italian F-35 fighters attached to Nato’s air defence support mission in the Baltic states, along with Swedish and Finnish aircraft, were scrambled to intercept the Russian jets and warn them off. Asked whether he had been briefed on the situation in Estonia, Trump answered in the affirmative and added: “We don’t like it.” His statement came about two weeks after some 17 Russian drones violated...

US President Donald Trump on Friday ordered an annual $100,000 fee be added to H-1B skilled worker visas, creating potentially major repercussions for the tech industry where such permits are prolific. The new measure, which could likely face legal challenges, was announced alongside the introduction of a $1 million “gold card“ residency programme that Trump had previewed months earlier. “The main thing is, we’re going to have great people coming in, and they’re going to be paying,” Trump told reporters as he signed the orders in the Oval Office. Later, the White House issued a major clarification to the new visa policy, saying the $100,000 fee will be a “one-time” payment imposed on new applicants. “This is a one-time fee that applies only to the petition. It only applies to new visas, not renewals or current visa holders,” a White House official said on condition of anonymity. H-1B visas allow companies to sponsor foreign workers with specialised skills — such as scientists, engineers, and computer programm...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would meet US counterpart Donald Trump on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly next week as Russia intensified attacks across his country. Russia carried out one of its largest aerial attacks overnight, firing 40 missiles and some 580 drones at Ukraine in a barrage that killed at least three people and wounded dozens, Zelensky said on Saturday. Zelensky said he would hold “a meeting with the President of the United States”, adding he would discuss security guarantees for Ukraine and sanctions on Russia during the talks with Trump. Ukraine has insisted on Western-backed security guarantees to prevent future Russian attacks. Russian President Vladimir Putin has meanwhile warned that any Western troops in Ukraine would be unacceptable and legitimate targets. A US-led push for a quick end to the war has stalled and Russia effectively ruled out a meeting between Putin and Zelensky — something that Kyiv says is the only way towards peace. “We expect san...

LONDON: US President Donald Trump said on Thursday he had personally requested that London Mayor Sadiq Khan be excluded from the state banquet held by King Charles at Windsor Castle during his second state visit to the United Kingdom. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on his return flight to Washington, Trump branded Khan as “one of the worst mayors in the world”, accusing him of failing on crime and immigration. “I asked that he not be there. He wanted to be there, as I understand. I didn’t want him,” the president said. The mayor did not attend the banquet and was not expecting an invitation, according to British media. A source close to Sadiq Khan dismissed Mr Trump’s remarks, saying his “politics is one of fear and division”. He claimed London remains “a global success story” that attracts record numbers of Americans. Published in Dawn, September 20th, 2025

China on Friday strongly reacted to United States President Donald Trump’s plan to retake control of Afghanistan’s Bagram air base and said “hyping up tensions and creating confrontation” in the region runs counter to people’s aspirations. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said the country’s future should be decided by the Afghan people, according to state-run Global Times. “China respects Afghanistan’s independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity, and that the country’s future should be decided by the Afghan people,” he said. “Hyping up tensions and creating confrontation in the region runs counter to people’s aspirations,” Lin said, adding that China hopes all parties will play a constructive role in promoting regional peace and stability. On Thursday, Trump said that his administration is trying to secure the return of the Bagram air base from the Taliban, though specifics on the hitherto secretive negotiations remained scarce. Trump said part of his motivation for attempting to reacqu...

United States President Donald Trump hailed on Friday what he called progress with Chinese President Xi Jinping, including on selling blockbuster app TikTok, and said he would visit the Asian power, which offered a more cautious assessment of their talks. The leaders of the world’s two largest economies spoke by telephone for the second time since the return to the White House of Trump, who has tried to keep a lid on tensions despite his once virulent criticism of China. Trump told reporters ahead of the call that he hoped it would finalise a deal to take out of Chinese hands TikTok, the social media platform hugely popular with young Americans that the Republican mogul has turned to himself to garner support. Neither side reported a final agreement but Trump said the call was “very productive”. “We made progress on many very important issues, including trade, Fentanyl, the need to bring the war between Russia and Ukraine to an end, and the approval of the TikTok Deal,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platfor...