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1 week ago

Trump makes gaffe during press conference with Japan’s PM; revokes Biden’s security clearance: Live updates

President met with Japanese prime minister ahead of weekend trip to Super Bowl in New Orleans

Oliver O'Connell,Joe Sommerlad,Gustaf Kilander
Saturday 08 February 2025 03:51 GMT
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Trump says Musk will review education and military spending next

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Donald Trump has said that Elon Musk will be taking a look at spending in the military and on education, having taken a hatchet to USAID,

Thousands of employees of the agency were set to be purged at midnight on Friday, but a federal judge stepped in and ordered a temporary pause on plans to send them packing. Trump’s buyout offer to federal employees has also been temporarily blocked, in a separate hearing.

The president made the statement during a press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba at which the two leaders spoke of defense, trade, steel, and energy cooperation.

During remarks concerning Japanese interest in U.S. Steel, Trump mistakenly referred to “Nissan,” the carmaker, not Nippon Steel. Trump said the firm would look at investing in the American company rather than the planned merger, which he opposed.

In a post on his Truth Social platform on Friday, Trump said he was “immediately revoking Joe Biden’s Security Clearances and stopping his daily Intelligence Briefings.” Four years ago, Biden instructed U.S. intelligence officials to cease any briefings with Trump, pointing to the then-former president’s “erratic behavior” after the 2020 election.

1 week ago

Democratic lawmaker says she became ‘voluntarily sterile’ over Trump policies

A Michigan state legislator became “voluntarily sterile” to avoid navigating a pregnancy under President Donald Trump’s second term, she revealed.

Democratic state Rep. Laurie Pohutsky told a crowd in Lansing on Wednesday: “Just under two weeks ago, I underwent surgery to ensure that I would never have to navigate a pregnancy in Donald Trump’s America,” Pohutsky said. “I refuse to let my body be treated as currency by an administration that only sees value in my ability to procreate.”

Kelly Rissman has the story.

Democratic lawmaker says she became ‘voluntarily sterile’ over Trump policies

‘I refuse to let my body be treated as currency by an administration that only sees value in my ability to procreate,’ she told the crowd in Lansing

Oliver O'Connell7 February 2025 16:35
1 week ago

Federal health employees brace for layoffs as White House orders HHS to rank workers

Employees at the Department of Health and Human Services are bracing for layoffs across the vast public health agency, as Donald Trump’s administration instructs federal health officials to rank their essential workers and those who are deemed less essential.

Agencies like the Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could be forced to cut a certain percentage of employees under the directive, gutting critical public health agencies under the sprawling cabinet-level department.

Leaders were also asked to justify why certain employees should be retained.

Alex Woodward reports.

Federal health workers brace for layoffs as White House instructs HHS to rank workers

White House denies any executive orders related to the sweeping health agency are underway

Oliver O'Connell7 February 2025 16:25
1 week ago

COMMENT: A British Trump tribute act could snatch power in the UK – and wreak similar chaos

Alan Rusbridger writes:

The return of Trump has brought a slew of outrageous statements and a bold bid to reshape America. We may be shocked – but without a constitution to protect us, British politics is vulnerable to its own version of extremism.

Read on...

Could a Donald Trump tribute act sweep to power in the UK – and wreak similar chaos?

The return of Trump has brought a slew of outrageous statements and a bold bid to reshape America, writes Alan Rusbridger. We may be shocked – but without a constitution to protect us, British politics is vulnerable to its own version of extremism

Oliver O'Connell7 February 2025 16:10
1 week ago

Nearly 11,000 migrants deported to Mexico since Trump took office

Mexican troops patrol the U.S.-Mexico border near Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Advance units of soldiers deployed to the border under orders of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on Mexican goods
Mexican troops patrol the U.S.-Mexico border near Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. Advance units of soldiers deployed to the border under orders of Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened tariffs on Mexican goods (Getty Images)

Since January 20, when U.S. President Donald Trump assumed office, Mexico has taken in almost 11,000 deported migrants from the United States, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said on Friday.

She added that the figure included about 2,500 non-Mexicans.

Earlier this week, Sheinbaum struck a deal with Trump to pause the threatened tariffs on Mexican goods in exchange for deploying thousands of National Guard troops to the northern border with the United States to further reduce the flow of migrants heading to the U.S.

During her regular morning press conference, Sheinbaum stated that Mexico has also repatriated deported migrants to Honduras using both flights and ground transportation. She stressed that the repatriations were not forced.

“It's voluntary,” she told reporters. “We will accompany them so they can go to their home countries.”

Oliver O'Connell7 February 2025 15:55
1 week ago

January jobs report: Unemployment drops and wages rise - but hiring is lower than expected

The first job report of Donald Trump's second presidency suggested that he inherited a labor market that is solid but unspectacular - but experts have warned his policies could change that.

U.S. employers added just 143,000 jobs last month, but the jobless rate slipped to 4% to start 2025 and the government revised November and December payrolls higher. January job creation was down from 307,000 in December and 263,000 in November. Economists had expected about 170,000 new jobs in January.

Read on...

January jobs report: Unemployment drops and wages rise - but hiring falls

Donald Trump has inherited a solid labor market - but the future is cloudier

Here’s the White House spin from press secretary Karoline Leavitt:

“Today’s jobs report reveals the Biden economy was far worse than anyone thought, and underscores the necessity of President Trump’s pro-growth policies. During his first weeks in office, President Trump declared a national energy emergency to Make America Energy Dominant Again, pledged to cut ten regulations for every new regulatory action, and outlined a plan to deliver the largest tax cut in history for hardworking Americans. President Trump is delivering on his promise to restore our broken economy, revive small business optimism, create jobs, and ignite a new Golden Age for America.”

Oliver O'Connell7 February 2025 15:46
1 week ago

Iran’s supreme leader says proposed talks with U.S. ‘not intelligent, wise or honorable’

Iran’s supreme leader asserts that negotiations with America “are not intelligent, wise or honorable” following President Donald Trump’s proposal for nuclear talks with Tehran, the Associated Press reports.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also indicated that “there should be no negotiations with such a government,” but he refrained from explicitly ordering against engagement with Washington.

On Wednesday, Trump said he would like to establish a verified nuclear peace agreement with Iran. Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, said it would be straightforward.

“Verifying [our nuclear program] is an easy task, they have come and verified every time they wanted to do so and they can come verify a hundred more times,” Pezeshkian said during a televised meeting with foreign ambassadors in Tehran.

He also said that Iran is not seeking a nuclear weapon as the mass killing of innocent people is prohibited in the Islamic Republic's doctrine.

In 2018, during his previous term in office, Trump withdrew the U.S. from Tehran's 2015 nuclear pact with world powers and reinstated sanctions that have severely impacted the country's economy.

On Wednesday, a senior Iranian official told Reuters that Iran is ready to give the U.S. a chance to resolve disputes between the two countries.

With reporting from agencies

Oliver O'Connell7 February 2025 15:40
1 week ago

Bad news for turtles...

Oliver O'Connell7 February 2025 15:22
1 week ago

What will Trump and Japan's Ishiba discuss in first meeting?

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (R) waves before boarding an aircraft bound for the US at Haneda airport in Tokyo
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba (R) waves before boarding an aircraft bound for the US at Haneda airport in Tokyo (EPA)

According to a senior Trump administration official, President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will discuss training exercises and enhancing cooperation in defense technology and equipment, foreign investment, and energy, during their White House meeting today.

Additionally, they will address topics such as cybersecurity, space initiatives, and collaborative business ventures within the fields of artificial intelligence and semiconductors.

The same official said that the Trump administration continues to support trilateral efforts involving the U.S., Japan, and South Korea.

Ishiba is the second foreign leader to visit Trump after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this week.

With reporting from Reuters

Oliver O'Connell7 February 2025 15:20
1 week ago

Awkward Rubio clip resurfaces from 2016 Republican primaries

The future secretary of state rebuking the future president here for treating the Middle East as one big property venture.

At least one of them remains entirely consistent in their outlook.

Joe Sommerlad7 February 2025 15:10
1 week ago

Vance to visit France and Germany

The White House has announced that Vice President JD Vance will undertake his first international trip next week, leading the U.S. delegations to the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris, France, and the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany.

The vice president will deliver remarks at each event and will hold bilateral meetings with world leaders.

Oliver O'Connell7 February 2025 14:58

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