By  ANTHONY IZAGUIRRE

NEW YORK (AP) — New York City’s public schools will temporarily ban elementary and middle school students from using generative artificial intelligence tools during the upcoming school year, Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Wednesday.

The one-year moratorium — part of a broader assessment of how children in the nation’s largest school system interact with the technology — will apply to “all software that uses student-facing generative AI” for students through eighth grade, the mayor’s office said. It described the policy as the most expansive prohibition in the country.

At the same time, the city will establish twice-yearly AI literacy classes for all public high school students. It will also launch pilot programs allowing some high school students to use a handful of AI platforms under an educator’s supervision. Companion chatbots will be prohibited across all grades, officials said.

The approach comes as students, parents and schools across the country attempt to navigate the use of AI tools in the classroom and elsewhere. Schools are working to teach children how to incorporate the technology while preventing them from relying too heavily on it or using it to cheat.

“Each day when our children come to school, we teach them to ask questions, to challenge assumptions, to interrogate the premise, to ask why. When it comes to AI in our schools, we hold an obligation to do the same,” Mamdani, a Democrat, said at a news conference.

The Los Angeles school district, where students returned to classrooms in mid-August, is temporarily blocking access to generative AI tools on student devices across all grades.

The Los Angeles Unified School District said Wednesday that the ban will remain in place across the country’s second-largest school district as officials develop a student AI policy during the school year.

In June, LAUSD became the first major school district to eliminate the use of school-issued devices for its youngest students as part of a sweeping screen time policy. The policy banned devices before second grade, set screen time limits for all grades and blocked YouTube and other social media sites during the school day.

In New York, the city will also recommend screen time limits for students, suggesting a daily cap of 30 minutes for students in grades three through five and 45 minutes for those in grades six through eight. Teachers will be allowed to use AI for instructional planning and operational tasks.

At least 37 states have official AI guidance that schools can use as a blueprint, though there is no single definition of AI literacy or consensus on how it should be taught. New York state last year approved a ban on students’ use of cellphones in schools.

Source: AP

By Kevin Breuninger

President Donald Trump on Wednesday floated renaming the Strait of Hormuz — the central point of contention in the ongoing war against Iran that the U.S. and Israel started — after himself.

The proposal via a Truth Social post came less than a week after Trump, who is locked in an intensifying feud with Canada, signed an executive order to change the name of Lake Ontario to "Lake America."

"Now that we have it under U.S.A. control, should we change the name Hormuz Strait to TRUMP STRAIT???" Trump wrote in the post Wednesday morning.

"Like America itself, it would be 'hotter' than ever before! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP," he wrote.

It was not immediately clear how the president would attempt to implement a name change for the strait, which is not near the U.S.

The order renaming Lake Ontario directed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and his department to update the Geographic Names Information System with the new name. Canada rejected the change, though Google and Apple have recently updated their maps.

Early in his second presidential term, Trump also declared he was renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, a change also rejected by Mexico and other international counterparts. The U.S. borders Lake Ontario and the Gulf of Mexico, both of which have had their names for centuries.

A map shows the Strait of Hormuz on a computer screen on March 3, 2026.Nurphoto | Getty Images

It was also not immediately clear if Trump was serious about the latest plan to try to change the name of an international geographical feature.

Asked at the White House on Wednesday afternoon if he really intended to rename the strait, Trump suggested he did not.

"No, no ... it was just thrown out there," Trump said.

Trump and his administration have repeatedly insisted that Iran has lost control over the strait, which carried one-fifth of the world's oil trade before the war began in late February.

But transits through the waterway remain far below prewar levels, and ship trackers say they have dropped further in recent days, as military strikes in the region have resumed following a weekslong hiatus.

Source: CNBC

Erin Piacenti, 32, was vice-president of business selection and conflicts at Bank of America 

By Daniel Bates

A Bank of America vice-president was named as the victim of a stabbing attack in New York’s Times Square on Monday.

Erin Piacenti, 32, was killed when a knife-wielding woman, Pamela Cisneros, went on an apparently random stabbing attack.

She also stabbed a man, who survived, before she was shot dead by police in front of a crowd of onlookers.

The stabbing happened on Monday afternoon in Times Square as hundreds of tourists looked on.

Ms Piacenti was vice-president of business selection and conflicts at Bank of America in Manhattan.

According to social media posts reported by the New York Post, she had celebrated her second wedding anniversary on Aug 10, three weeks before she was killed.

Ms Piacenti was a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and Fordham Law School and had previously worked at Morgan Stanley, an investment bank.

In a statement, Bank of America said: “We are shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic loss of our colleague.

“She was a valued teammate who will be greatly ⁠missed. Our hearts go out to her family and all of her loved ones.”

The stabbing happened on Monday afternoon in Times Square as hundreds of tourists looked on in horror and ran for cover as the drama unfolded.

The two knives recovered at the scene of the fatal stabbing.

According to police, Cisneros, who was known to have a history of mental health issues, stabbed Ms Piacenti and a man in the apparently random attack.

Jessica Tisch, the NYPD commissioner, said at a press conference that the officers engaged the woman in dialogue for four minutes and gave her numerous commands to drop the knives, which she refused.

Jessica Tisch, the NYPD commissioner, next to Zohran Mamdani, the New York mayor, at the the press conference following the stabbing.

“During the encounter, she told the officers: ‘I’m not dropping anything. I would rather kill both of you’,” Ms Tisch said.

Videos of the incident showed Cisneros raising the knives and charging at officers, who shot her.

Police had tried to use tasers to subdue her, but she pulled them off and continued to make threats, Ms Tisch said.

The shooting occurred just outside One Times Square, the building where the annual New Year’s Eve ball-drop celebration is hosted.

Ms Tisch said: “This was an extraordinarily dangerous situation unfolding in the heart of Times Square, the crossroads of the world. At any given moment, there are thousands of New Yorkers, commuters, tourists, families, workers, moving through these streets.”

During the press conference, Zohran Mamdani, the New York mayor, said: “Our thoughts, not only for those of us who are here right now, but of the entire city, are with the families of both of these victims.

“We know those families’ lives have been shattered by what took place today, and we will continue to hold them close as the hours and days and weeks continue from this moment.”

Source: Telegraph UK

President Donald Trump posted a graphic on Truth Social declaring himself "The Greatest" president in American history, placing his name in a standalone category above every one of his predecessors while sorting several former Democratic presidents into a "Failures" tier alongside his post on Thursday.

The chart divides presidents into six tiers, ranging from "The Greatest" down to "Failures," with Trump alone occupying the top category. Directly beneath him, in the "Great" tier, sit Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson. A "Near Great" tier includes Theodore Roosevelt, Grover Cleveland, John Adams and James Polk.

At the bottom of the chart, Trump's "Failures" tier lists Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Ulysses S. Grant, Warren Harding and Jimmy Carter. An "Average" category includes Bill Clinton, John Quincy Adams, James Monroe, Rutherford Hayes, James Madison, Martin Van Buren, William Taft, Chester Arthur, William McKinley, Andrew Johnson, Herbert Hoover and Benjamin Harrison, while John Tyler, Calvin Coolidge, Millard Fillmore, Zachary Taylor, James Buchanan and Franklin Pierce make up a "Below Average" tier.

The graphic appears to be a modified version of a ranking first published by LIFE magazine in 1948, based on a survey historian Arthur Schlesinger Sr. conducted among 55 experts in American history at the time.

Trump's version largely preserves the original tiers and their occupants but inserts his own name at the top and adds Biden, Obama and Carter to the "Failures" category, a group that did not exist in that form in the 1948 survey, which could not have included any of the three given the era it covered.

The chart also leaves out nearly a dozen presidents entirely, including Ronald Reagan, both Presidents Bush, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson and Harry Truman, whose omission from the original 1948 survey reflected the fact that he was still in office at the time it was conducted. William Henry Harrison and James Garfield, both of whom died shortly after taking office, are similarly absent.

Trump shared the ranking alongside a CNN clip highlighting polling that showed strong support for him among Republican voters. The post drew swift commentary from several media outlets, with some noting the irony of a president whose approval ratings have hovered in the mid-30s placing himself above Lincoln and Washington, and others pointing out that Trump has previously offered more favourable assessments of some of the excluded presidents, at one point describing Reagan as "high quality" and Lyndon Johnson as a "tough cookie" in separate remarks.

The post adds to a pattern of Trump using tiered rankings and comparative graphics on Truth Social to promote his standing while drawing contrasts with political rivals, a format he has used repeatedly through his second term.

The White House had not issued a follow-up statement elaborating on the criteria behind the rankings as of the time of this report.

By Busola Aro

US President Donald Trump says the United States has secured majority control of more than 65 billion barrels of proven oil reserves in Venezuela, describing the move as the “biggest oil deal in world history”.

The US president announced the deal in a post on Truth Social on Friday.

“At my direction, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, working closely with Highly Respected Interim President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, and, through a partnership with private business, have secured majority U.S. control of more than 65 BILLION BARRELS of proven Oil Reserves in Venezuela, at no cost to the American Taxpayer,” Trump wrote.

He said the transaction would more than double US’ oil reserves, increase the country’s oil supply and “substantially lower Gas Prices for all Americans, long into the future”.

Trump also said the agreement would strengthen relations between the US and Venezuela.

Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuela’s interim president, confirmed the agreement, saying it would have a “significant impact” on the country’s economic recovery.

According to Rodriguez, the deal involves the development of 17 strategic oil fields with a proven potential of 65 billion barrels.

She said the arrangement is expected to attract more than $100 billion in investment and generate more than $209 billion in tax revenue for Venezuela.

On his part, Marco Rubio, US secretary of state, described the agreement as a “huge win” for both countries.

“This deal is a huge win for both the American and Venezuelan people,” Rubio said.

“It demonstrates how President Trump’s bold foreign policy is driving America First wins: securing stable reserves and low-cost oil in our Hemisphere and lowering gas prices here at home.”

Rubio said the deal would also bring nearly $100 billion in private investment to Venezuela, support thousands of jobs and help rebuild the country’s economy.

Venezuela has the world’s largest proven oil reserves, estimated at about 303 billion barrels.

However, years of underinvestment and deterioration of oil infrastructure have significantly constrained the country’s production capacity.

The agreement comes as the Trump administration seeks to increase oil supplies and bring down fuel prices in the US amid disruptions in global energy markets.

The deal marks a major shift in US-Venezuela relations after years of tension between the two countries.

Source: TheCable

By Boluwatife Enome

The United States and Russia are intensifying competition for a larger share of India’s energy market, as the world’s third-largest energy consumer becomes increasingly important to both countries amid shifting global oil and gas supplies.

India is the world’s third-largest crude oil importer, fourth-largest LNG buyer and second-largest LPG importer, making it a key market for major energy producers and exporters.

Russia remains India’s largest crude supplier, while the United States has strengthened its position in India’s LPG and LNG markets and is seeking to expand its share of the country’s crude imports.

Moscow wants New Delhi to maintain its purchases of Russian crude despite growing pressure from Washington, while the US has encouraged India to replace Russian barrels with oil from Venezuela.

Experts, however, say replacing Russian crude at a time when supplies from the Middle East are constrained would be challenging for India, even as the country increases its purchases of Venezuelan oil.

“If U.S. and Venezuelan crude are combined, the Americas are becoming more important to India’s crude basket,” Sumit Ritolia, lead research analyst at market intelligence firm Kpler, told CNBC.

Ritolia said Indian refiners could not simply replace Russian or Middle Eastern crude with US supplies because US crude is relatively light, while several Indian refineries are configured to process medium and heavier grades.

He said heavier Venezuelan crude helps address that challenge.

Kpler data showed that India’s Venezuelan crude imports increased from zero in March to 383,000 barrels per day in August so far. Combined with US crude imports, the two sources accounted for about 11% of India’s crude imports during the period.

Russia continues to hold a dominant position in India’s crude market.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Monday that “Russia is expanding its exports to India and is ready to continue doing so,” signalling Moscow’s intention to maintain its growing energy relationship with New Delhi.

Kpler data showed that Russian crude accounted for more than 50% of India’s oil imports in June and July, and nearly 43% in August so far.

India’s latest trade data also showed that Russian exports to the country rose by nearly 60% between April and July compared with the same period last year.

However, Russia’s dominance in crude has been accompanied by a growing US presence in other segments of India’s energy market.

The US has become India’s largest supplier of LPG, which is widely used as a cooking fuel, as well as LNG, which serves industrial needs.

Kpler data showed that more than 70% of India’s LPG imports and nearly one-third of its LNG supplies came from the US in July.

US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor said at an event in New Delhi on Saturday that American energy supplies to India had been “unmatched”, adding that US LPG and LNG supplies had increased by more than 60% from a year earlier.

The shift has partly been driven by disruptions to traditional Middle Eastern supply routes.

“The Middle East — particularly Qatar, the UAE and Saudi Arabia — traditionally dominated India’s LPG imports due to its logistical advantage,” said Pankaj Srivastava, senior vice president of commodity markets-oil at Rystad Energy.

“The Iran war has scuttled that advantage.”

According to Srivastava, the US has emerged as a leading supplier since the conflict began, supported by bilateral energy agreements, higher US production and constraints on Middle Eastern supply.

The US is also seeking a larger share of India’s crude market through a combination of tariff threats and trade incentives.

Washington imposed a 25% tariff on Indian imports in August last year as a penalty for India’s purchases of Russian oil, before revoking the measure in February this year.

US President Donald Trump later said Washington had agreed to reduce tariffs on India to 18% after New Delhi had “agreed to stop buying Russian Oil, and to buy much more from the United States and, potentially, Venezuela.”

India, however, has not endorsed the details outlined by Trump and has maintained that energy security remains the primary consideration guiding its oil purchases.

The pressure could intensify again, with a Russia sanctions bill proposing tariffs of up to 100% on countries purchasing Russian energy supplies expected to move to the US House of Representatives for final approval in September.

The previous 25% tariffs coincided with a decline in India’s imports from Russia. Government data showed that imports from Moscow fell by more than 13% in the financial year ending March 2026, while US exports to India increased by nearly 16%.

During a meeting with India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar earlier this week, Putin acknowledged a decline in bilateral trade last year but said trade “this year it has been steadily rising.”

India’s purchases of Russian crude also declined gradually after the US tariffs took effect last August, reaching 1.06 million barrels per day in February, the lowest level in more than three years, according to Kpler data.

Despite the possibility of tougher US sanctions, analysts do not expect India to immediately reduce its Russian oil purchases because global crude supplies remain constrained.

“We do not expect Russian imports to ease currently,” Ritolia said, adding that “replacing Russian barrels is technically feasible, but economically and politically fraught.”

The intensifying US-Russia competition underscores India’s growing importance in the global energy market, with New Delhi balancing energy security, refining requirements, trade relations and geopolitical pressures as it diversifies its sources of crude, LNG and LPG.

Source: Arise News

President Donald Trump announced Thursday that he is renaming Lake Ontario — a large body of water shared by the United States and Canada — “Lake America.”

Trump signed an order in the White House in a move that comes amid a spiraling trade war between the world’s largest economy and its northern neighbor.

“We’re going to be changing the name of Lake Ontario effective immediately to Lake America,” the 80-year-old Republican told reporters in the Oval Office.

“The Canadian officials have treated us very badly. They’re nasty people.”

The name change — which Canada is unlikely to accept — mirrors Trump’s changing of the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America in January 2025.

“The lake change, Lake of America, was something I’ve been thinking about for a long time, actually. As you know, we took something called the Gulf of Mexico, we changed it, and now it’s very routinely the

Gulf of America,” Trump said.

“So, if you think about it, we have a Gulf and we have a lake. Now all we need is an ocean. So, maybe we’ll have to change the name of the Atlantic and/or the Pacific. Maybe we’ll change them both.”

Source: Vanguard

A Russian military lieutenant colonel was killed in a car explosion in St. Petersburg, the local news outlet Fontanka reported Thursday.

The blast occurred around 10 a.m. local time near a supermarket in the Shushary neighborhood. The officer’s wife was also in the car and badly injured, Fontanka reported.

Investigators later confirmed the death of one person and hospitalization of another but described the incident only as a “vehicle fire,” not an explosion. They added that a criminal probe was underway.

Russia has accused Ukraine of carrying out several assassinations of military officers since the full-scale invasion. Ukrainian sources have claimed responsibility for some of the attacks while denying involvement in others.

There was no immediate comment from officials in Kyiv in response to Thursday’s reported blast.

This is a breaking news story.

Source:The Moscow Times

By Eriza RubyJeana

US President Donald Trump says “something may come out of” CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s unannounced visit to Moscow, amid speculation over talks with Russian intelligence officials.

Ratcliffe travelled to the Russian capital on Tuesday aboard a military aircraft and left several hours later. Neither the CIA nor the Pentagon has publicly explained the purpose of the visit.

Speaking on Wednesday, Trump described the meeting as “semi-routine” but said the US wanted to see an end to Russia’s war in Ukraine.

“I hate to disappoint people, but a lot of the rumours surrounding the visit were not accurate,” Trump said during a conversation with conservative talk show host Glenn Beck.

The US president did not provide details about what Ratcliffe discussed in Moscow but suggested the talks could have wider implications. “It’s premature to say” how much the meeting could contribute to repairing US-Russian relations.”

The Kremlin confirmed that Ratcliffe had held contacts with Russian intelligence services but said he had not met President Vladimir Putin.

“There were contacts with the intelligence services,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

“There were no meetings with the president of Russia. That’s all I can say on the subject. Naturally, President Putin is briefed immediately about everything.”

Peskov declined to disclose the subject of the talks when questioned by journalists. “I have nothing to add to what I’ve already said on the subject.”

Peskov described contact between the two countries’ intelligence agencies as positive, saying such communication often continues even during periods of severe tension.

The visit has prompted speculation in Washington, Kyiv and Moscow because of its unusual nature and timing.

A senior Ukrainian official said that Washington had informed Kyiv before Ratcliffe’s trip that a senior US delegation would travel to Moscow and asked Ukraine to suspend strikes until the delegation had departed.

Analysts said that Ratcliffe’s visit may have been intended to deliver a direct warning to Moscow over what Western governments describe as Russia’s unconventional warfare campaign against NATO countries.

However, Russia experts said it remained unclear whether Moscow would respond to such a warning.

Ratcliffe’s trip is his first known visit to Russia since Trump began his second presidential term.

Despite the wider deterioration in relations caused by the war in Ukraine, Washington and Moscow have maintained direct channels of communication on intelligence and security matters.

The last known visit by a CIA director to Moscow came in November 2021, when William Burns travelled to Russia to warn the Kremlin against launching an invasion of Ukraine.

Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine several months later in February 2022.

Relations between Washington and Moscow have remained deeply strained since then, while Russia has faced extensive international sanctions and diplomatic isolation.

Ratcliffe’s visit also comes amid heightened concerns over Russian activity involving NATO members, including reported drone and military aircraft incidents involving Poland, Romania and Latvia.

Trump met Putin at a summit in Alaska last year, but the meeting failed to produce a breakthrough in efforts to end the war. Subsequent US-led peace talks between Russia and Ukraine have also stalled.

John Foreman, a former British military attaché to Moscow, said the circumstances surrounding Ratcliffe’s visit suggested that the trip was significant. “The Americans don’t normally send such a high-ranking official to Moscow unannounced at short notice unless something is up.”

Source:Arise News

By Mathew Chima

Meta has agreed to an $18 billion settlement with 52 US attorneys general over claims that its platforms harmed children.

The lawsuit was instituted by 29 US states, the BBC reported.

Speaking on the agreement in a statement on Wednesday, the social media firm said the deal would lead to stricter measures to protect Facebook and Instagram users.

The measures, according to the tech company, include stricter limits on teenagers’ screen time, overnight access, school-hour notifications, and new parental controls.

While still subject to judicial approval, Meta said the measures would automatically apply to users under 18 years in “participating United States and territories”.

C.J. Mahoney, Meta’s chief legal officer, said the agreement would establish new rules for teenagers’ use of social media.

“I’m pleased to announce that Meta has reached an agreement with a bipartisan group of state attorneys general from around the country on a new set of rules governing teens’ use of social media,” Mahoney was quoted as saying.

Meta said teenagers will only be able to turn off the limit with parental permission.

The company said it will also block teens from accessing its apps between midnight and 6 am, while notifications will be muted by default from 8 am to 3 pm during school hours.

“Our new Time Limit commitments, Night Mode features and usage limits during school hours set the right path forward for our whole industry, but this framework will only work if all our peers join us,” Mahoney said.

According to the statement, teenagers will receive prompts after every 15 minutes of continuous screen time and when their total daily usage reaches 60 and 90 minutes.

Meta also said the agreement includes a payment of approximately $18 billion, which will be distributed in annual instalments over 10 years.

Under the arrangement, participating states are expected to receive about 70 percent, or approximately $12.7 billion, of the allocated payment over the decade.

The organisation noted that the remaining $5.3 billion will be released only after TikTok and YouTube meet specified conditions.

Meta said it expects to record approximately $10 billion in legal expenses in the third quarter (Q3) of 2026 as a result of the agreement.

The company said the charge was not included in the expense range provided during its second-quarter (Q2) earnings call.

The agreement will also establish an independent social media research foundation to support research into teen wellbeing.

Meta said it would share consented user data with the foundation, while an independent auditor will review its compliance with the agreement annually for five years.

The company said most of the provisions will remain in place for 10 years.

META CALLS ON TIKTOK, YOUTUBE TO JOIN TEEN SAFETY DEAL

Meta also called on TikTok and YouTube to adopt the same measures, arguing that teenagers move between multiple social media platforms.

Mahoney said broader industry participation was necessary for the measures to be effective.

“Because teens move fluidly across dozens of apps, we need an industry-wide solution,” he said.

“We therefore call on our industry peers, TikTok and YouTube, to implement this new framework, right away.”

Meta said the agreement would be strengthened if TikTok and YouTube joined, noting that the daily limit would then fall to one hour per app, while the overnight block would be extended from 10 pm to 7 am.

Meta said the initial five-year commitments for its time limit and night mode measures would also be extended to 10 years.

The company said the agreement will also allow teens to choose a non-algorithmic feed, turn off autoplay and hide the number of likes and reactions on posts by default.

Source: TheCable

by Claire Mom

The US State Department is reportedly preparing to revoke B1 and B2 visas of up to 200,000 foreigners who have applied for or are currently seeking asylum in the country.

Citing State Department documents and two US officials, the Associated Press reported that the federal agency will target B1 and B2 visas (business and tourism visas) issued between 2016 and 2026.

The action will be taken in coordination with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and if implemented, would be the largest single mass revocation of visas in US history.

“We are coordinating with DHS to identify and revoke the non-immigrant visas of foreigners who have come to the United States claiming to be short-term visitors, but then file for asylum to stay here permanently,” Tommy Pigot, State Department spokesperson, said.

Though Pigot did not confirm the number of visas that might be revoked, he said, “the process will be ongoing, the number of revocations remains dynamic and will be done on a rolling basis.”

The US officials noted that the revocations would not necessarily result in immediate deportation. However, most people with asylum cases currently pending would be recategorised but would lose their status as business or tourism travellers, according to the officials.

B1 visas are generally issued for business trips, and B2 visas are generally issued for tourism, family visits or medical care.

The AP report said it was not immediately clear from the documents or the officials how many of these visa holders are seeking or have sought asylum in the US and would be affected by the revocations.

Current applicants for B1 and B2 visas are asked to affirm that they will not apply for asylum in the US and prove that they intend to return to their home countries.

Earlier this year, the US State Department said it had revoked more than 100,000 visas since President Donald Trump returned to the White House in January 2025.

Source: TheCable

By Claire Mom

Foreign employers may have to pay an additional $103,265 fee to sponsor workers under the US H-1B visa programme, according to a new proposal by the department of homeland security (DHS).

In ​a ​notice posted ‌in ⁠the federal register ​on ​Monday, the proposed charge would apply to H-1B applications that fall under the annual quota of 65,000 regular visas, plus 20,000 for applicants with advanced degrees from US institutions.

The fee would be payable when the petition is filed and would come on top of existing H-1B application fees and other applicable charges.

If approved, the new charge would significantly increase the cost for employers seeking to hire skilled foreign workers through the programme.

The proposal comes after a federal district court in June struck down an earlier $100,000 H-1B fee introduced by the Donald Trump administration.

H-1B visas, which currently cost employers around $1,500 in administrative fees, are valid for three to six years.

“If you’re going to train somebody, you’re going to train one of the recent graduates from one of the great universities across our land.  Train Americans. Stop bringing in people to take our jobs,” Howard Lutnick, US commerce secretary, said last year when the policy was introduced.

The H-1B visa programme has been a flashpoint between President Trump and the US technology industry, which relies heavily on foreign workers, including Nigerians.

Government figures show that roughly two-thirds of H-1B jobs are computer-related. The visa is also used to hire engineers, educators and healthcare workers.

The new policy proposal marks the latest attempt by the US president to curb legal immigration.

Source: TheCable

By : Priscilla Iwedike

…US president warns Republicans they will ‘lose everything’ if Democrats take control of Congress

US President Donald Trump has warned his voter base that he expects he will be impeached if the Republicans lose control of Congress in November’s midterm elections.

Speaking at a rally in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Trump urged Republicans to turn out, saying they would “lose everything” if Democrats took control of Congress.

“I’m going to be impeached. They’re going to impeach me. They have no idea why,” Trump said.

Trump is the only US president to have been impeached twice, although he was acquitted by the Senate on both occasions.

Trump said a Democratic victory would threaten his administration’s policies, including tax cuts and immigration measures.

“If we lose, you’re going to lose your border, you’re going to lose your tax cuts, you’re going to lose everything that we’ve done,” he told supporters.

He also claimed taxes would rise, wages would fall and businesses would leave the US under a Democratic-controlled Congress.

US Democrats are widely expected to make gains in the House of Representatives in November, while control of the Senate is considered more competitive.

Trump was campaigning in South Carolina for Darline Graham, who was appointed to the Senate in July following the death of her brother, Republican senator Lindsey Graham.

He urged his supporters to treat the midterms as if he were personally on the ballot, saying his political influence was at stake.

“What I really want you to do is pretend, please, that I’m on the ballot. Just come and vote,” Trump said.

Source: Guardian

By AriseNews

US Military Casualties Include 18 Deaths As Trump Prepares Sanctions, Blockade And Trade Pressure To Force Tehran Into An Agreement.

American military casualties in the war with Iran have risen to 774, including 18 deaths, according to the latest figures from the Pentagon’s casualty reporting system.

The Defense Casualty Analysis System showed that 756 US service members have sustained injuries since the war began on February 28. The figures are now divided into two reporting periods, reflecting the changing diplomatic and military circumstances of the conflict.

The first period, designated Operation Epic Fury, accounts for 14 deaths and 417 wounded personnel.

Seven of the deaths in that category were classified as hostile deaths, including service members killed in action or those who subsequently died from their wounds.

The remaining seven deaths were attributed to accidents or undetermined causes, with the US Air Force and Navy accounting for a significant proportion of the fatalities.

A second category, titled Overseas Operations, records casualties from July 7, following the effective collapse of the memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran and one day before Trump formally declared the ceasefire “over”.

That period has recorded four hostile deaths, all involving US Army personnel, and 341 wounded service members.

The US Army has suffered the highest number of casualties across the two reporting periods, recording 11 deaths and 589 injuries.

US Shifts to Economic War

The casualty figures came as the Trump administration prepared to intensify economic pressure on Tehran after months of direct military confrontation.

The United States is expected to target Iran’s economy and countries that continue to trade with Tehran, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expected to unveil details of the new measures.

The strategy is expected to combine additional sanctions, a naval blockade and pressure on countries buying Iranian commodities, particularly oil.

China, India, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates could face pressure because of their economic relationships with Iran. China is expected to be a particular focus because it remains the main buyer of Iranian oil.

The administration’s objective is to force Tehran to accept an agreement on Washington’s terms without relying exclusively on continued large-scale military operations.

However, analysts have warned that the strategy could produce the opposite result by encouraging Iran to retaliate militarily rather than capitulate.

Source: Arise News