BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping said Thursday that China&rsquo;s development could go &ldquo;hand-in-hand&rdquo; with US President Donald Trump&rsquo;s &ldquo;make America great again&rdquo; agenda, as both leaders met in Beijing for talks covering trade,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/usisrael-war-on-iran-day-76" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Iran</a>&nbsp;and broader global issues. &ldquo;Achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again can totally go hand in hand, help each other succeed, and advance the well-being of the whole world,&rdquo; Xi said at a banquet after the talks. US President Donald Trump said discussions with Xi were &ldquo;extremely positive and productive&rdquo; during remarks at the Great Hall of the People. &ldquo;We had extremely positive and productive conversations and meetings today with the Chinese delegation earlier,&rdquo; Trump said, calling the banquet &ldquo;another cherished opportunity to discuss among friends.&rdquo; Trump also said he had extended an invitation for Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan to visit the White House on September 24. &ldquo;It is my honor to extend an invitation to you, Madam Peng, to visit us at the White House this September 24, and we look forward to it,&rdquo; he said. The White House said both leaders agreed that the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/oil-soars-as-trump-rejects-irans-terms" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Strait of Hormuz</a>&nbsp;&ldquo;must remain open&rdquo; to ensure the uninterrupted flow of global energy supplies. Trump said the two countries would have &ldquo;a fantastic future together,&rdquo; while Xi said China and the United States &ldquo;should be partners and not rivals.&rdquo; Xi was received with a formal red-carpet welcome at the Great Hall of the People, including military honors, a gun salute and schoolchildren chanting &ldquo;Welcome!&rdquo; The visit marks the first by a US president to China in nearly a decade, taking place amid continuing tensions over trade, technology and global security. Xi said stable ties between the two countries are important for the world, adding: &ldquo;Cooperation benefits both sides, while confrontation harms both.&rdquo; He also told visiting US business executives that China would continue to expand its openness to international companies. &ldquo;China&rsquo;s doors to the outside world will open wider and wider... American companies will enjoy even brighter prospects in China,&rdquo; he said, according to Chinese state media. Among US business leaders accompanying Trump were Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Musk described the meetings as &ldquo;wonderful,&rdquo; while Huang said the two leaders &ldquo;were incredible.&rdquo; Iran was a key issue in the discussions after tensions in the Middle East delayed Trump&rsquo;s visit earlier this year. Trump said he expected a &ldquo;long talk&rdquo; with Xi on Iran, which exports most of its sanctioned oil to China, but added: &ldquo;I don&rsquo;t think we need any help with Iran&rdquo; from Beijing. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Washington hoped China would take &ldquo;a more active role&rdquo; in the Persian Gulf region. <a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/chinese-us-delegations-meet-for-trade-talks-in-paris-state-media" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Trade and tariffs</a>&nbsp;also featured prominently, with Trump seeking agreements on agriculture, aircraft and other sectors. Before the visit, Trump said he would push for greater Chinese market access for US companies. Both sides were also expected to discuss extending a one-year&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/china-urges-us-to-cancel-unilateral-tariffs-after-supreme-court-ruling" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">tariff</a>&nbsp;truce agreed in South Korea last October after tariffs between the two countries rose above 100%. China&rsquo;s restrictions on rare-earth exports and growing competition in artificial intelligence were also part of the agenda. Trump was also scheduled to visit Beijing&rsquo;s historic Temple of Heaven as both governments sought to manage a tense but economically significant relationship.

A man films a news program about the meeting between US President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping, on a giant screen outside a shopping mall in Beijing on May 14, 2026. (AFP)

Americas

China

Talks between the Chinese and US presidents in Beijing focused on trade and Iran, with both sides expressing optimism about future cooperation and stability in bilateral relations.

Xi says China progress compatible with making America great again

Web Desk

ISLAMABAD: United States President Donald Trump will appear on a new limited-edition US passport being issued to mark the country&rsquo;s 250th anniversary next July, the White House said on Wednesday.&nbsp;The commemorative passports are part of wider celebrations planned for the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence, with events scheduled across the country.&nbsp;Images released by the White House and the Department of State show Trump&rsquo;s portrait included in the passport design alongside elements of the Declaration of Independence and the American flag. The design also carries the president&rsquo;s signature in gold. Another page features an illustration of the Founding Fathers signing the Declaration of Independence.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 1167px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-1&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=2049249271946391799&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fdashboard%2F&sessionId=57aa8c83d905caa0ac2d80ff10531f7f3d7fdd25&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="2049249271946391799"></iframe></div></div>State Department spokesperson Tommy Piggott, as cited by Al-Jazeera, said the special passports would be released in limited numbers and made available to US citizens applying through the Washington Passport Agency. Distribution is expected to begin this summer and continue while supplies last. Current US passports already contain images linked to American history, including the Battle of Fort McHenry, the Apollo 11 Moon Landing, and symbols such as the Statue of Liberty.&nbsp;The passport redesign follows other efforts by Trump and his administration to place his name, image, or signature on national projects and institutions. This year&rsquo;s national park passes, for example, include Trump&rsquo;s image alongside George Washington, departing from the program&rsquo;s traditional focus on natural landscapes.&nbsp;The United States Mint has also released draft designs for a one-dollar coin featuring Trump&rsquo;s profile as part of the anniversary celebrations. Proposed imagery includes his portrait with the words &ldquo;Liberty&rdquo; and &ldquo;In God We Trust,&rdquo; while the reverse side shows him raising a clenched fist before an American flag with the phrase &ldquo;FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT,&rdquo; referencing a slogan he used after a 2024 assassination attempt during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.<div class="fr-embed"><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display: flex; max-width: 550px; width: 100%; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="true" style="position: static; visibility: visible; width: 550px; height: 858px; display: block; flex-grow: 1;" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&embedId=twitter-widget-0&features=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%3D%3D&frame=false&hideCard=false&hideThread=false&id=1974156375891804229&lang=en&origin=https%3A%2F%2Fmain.d1wrm1qseko1cp.amplifyapp.com%2Fdashboard%2F&sessionId=57aa8c83d905caa0ac2d80ff10531f7f3d7fdd25&theme=light&widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&width=550px" data-tweet-id="1974156375891804229"></iframe></div></div>Trump has also sought to rename New York&rsquo;s Penn Station after himself, though the idea has failed to gain support.&nbsp;His name was also added to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington last year after a controversial vote by board members, marking the first time a major national institution was renamed after a sitting US president.

The redesigned US passport now prominently displays an image and signature of President Donald Trump. (Photo: Screengrab from X/The White House)

Trump to feature on limited-edition US passport for America’s 250th anniversary

ISLAMABAD: The United States is considering a second round of negotiations with Iran in Pakistan, with the White House expressing optimism about a potential agreement and praising Islamabad&rsquo;s central role in mediating the process.&nbsp;White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said discussions were ongoing about further engagement, noting that talks &ldquo;would very likely be in the same place as they were last time,&rdquo; referring to Islamabad.&nbsp;&ldquo;Those discussions are being had&hellip; and we feel good about the prospects of a deal,&rdquo; she told reporters.&nbsp;The remarks come after an initial round of more than 20 hours of negotiations in Islamabad, brokered through Pakistan&rsquo;s diplomatic efforts following a fragile two-week ceasefire that paused weeks of conflict. While US Vice President JD Vance said no agreement was reached, both Washington and Tehran signaled that diplomacy would continue, with Iranian officials stressing that progress depends on &ldquo;seriousness and good faith.&rdquo;&nbsp;Leavitt underscored Pakistan&rsquo;s role as the sole channel for mediation, describing Islamabad as &ldquo;the only mediator in this negotiation.&rdquo;&nbsp;&ldquo;The Pakistanis have been incredible mediators throughout this process&hellip; and we really appreciate their friendship and their efforts to bring this deal to a close,&rdquo; she said.&nbsp;She added that while discussions remain ongoing, no formal request has been made to extend the ceasefire, emphasizing that negotiations are still in progress.

White House says a second round of US-Iran talks is being discussed in Islamabad, expressing optimism about a deal and praising Pakistan’s mediation, as diplomacy continues following initial negotiations held after a fragile ceasefire.

US eyes second Iran talks in Islamabad, praises Pakistan mediation

ISLAMABAD: The White House posted two cryptic, unexplained videos on its official social media accounts late on Wednesday, then deleted one without offering any public explanation, prompting a wave of online speculation.&nbsp; People and The Independent reported that the clips appeared on the White House&rsquo;s X and Instagram accounts on the night of March 25.&nbsp;The deleted clip was described as a short phone-style video with the words &ldquo;sound on&rdquo; over the footage. According to People and the New York Post, an unidentified woman could be heard saying, &ldquo;It&rsquo;s launching soon, right?&rdquo; and the clip was later removed.&nbsp; The New York Post said it was posted at about 9:15 p.m. ET and taken down roughly 90 minutes later.&nbsp; A second clip remained online longer.&nbsp; The Independent and the New York Post said it featured a dark or static-like screen, a phone notification sound and a brief image of an American flag.&nbsp; There was no official caption that explained the purpose of the video.&nbsp; The White House did not provide a formal explanation in the reporting reviewed here.&nbsp; People said a White House spokesperson responded only with the remark, &ldquo;I wonder what&rsquo;s launching soon!&rdquo;, a comment that suggested the posts may have been intentional but did not clarify what they referred to.&nbsp;That ambiguity fueled speculation online.&nbsp; The Daily Beast reported that the deleted post triggered conspiracy theories and guesses ranging from a social-media error to a planned teaser, while the New York Post said users floated theories tied to hacking, military signaling, and other possible announcements.&nbsp; None of those explanations was confirmed by the White House. So far, the only firmly established facts are that the White House posted two cryptic clips, deleted one of them, left the other online for longer, and has still not publicly explained what was &ldquo;launching soon.&rdquo;

The White House posted two cryptic messages in video form on its official social media accounts, deleted one, left the other online longer, and offered no clear explanation, fueling online speculation about whether the posts were intentional or mistaken.

Cryptic messages on White House accounts trigger speculation

DAVOS: US President Donald Trump arrives in Davos for a showdown with European leaders on Wednesday as his bid to seize Greenland threatens to tear the transatlantic alliance apart.&nbsp;Trump mocked the Europeans a day before heading to the World Economic Forum, where he will be the star of a dark, self-made drama over the fate of the autonomous Danish territory.&nbsp;But leaders gathered at the Swiss ski resort have closed ranks against Trump&#39;s aggressive stance, with French President Emmanuel Macron vowing to stand up against &quot;bullies&quot; and the EU promising an &quot;unflinching&quot; response.&nbsp;Asked how far he was prepared to go to<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/eu-leaders-take-stage-in-davos-as-trump-rocks-global-order" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">acquire Greenland</a>&nbsp;from Denmark, a fellow NATO member, Trump told reporters: &quot;You&#39;ll find out.&quot;&nbsp;Later, as he left the White House, the president admitted he had &quot;no idea&quot; how the trip to Davos would pan out.&nbsp;It got off to an inauspicious start when a &quot;minor electrical issue&quot; forced his presidential jet to turn back shortly after takeoff, and Trump and his entourage had to switch to another plane.&nbsp;Trump&#39;s eagerly awaited speech at the annual gathering of the world&#39;s economic and political elite, which he is attending for the first time in six years, is scheduled for 2:30 pm (1330 GMT).&nbsp;But as the biggest rift opens between Washington and Europe in decades over his Greenland ambitions, Trump said he would have a number of meetings on the issue at Davos. &lsquo;Downward spiral&rsquo;Trump insists mineral-rich Greenland is vital for US and NATO security against Russia and China as a melting Arctic opens up and the superpowers jostle for strategic advancement.&nbsp;He has turned up the pressure by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-also-has-a-lot-to-lose-from-threatened-tariffs-french-minister" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">threatening tariffs</a>&nbsp;of up to 25% on eight European countries for backing Denmark, prompting Europe to threaten countermeasures against the United States.&nbsp;Trump dismissed European threats to fire a trade &quot;bazooka&quot; at the United States.&nbsp;&quot;Anything they do with us...all I have to do is meet it, and it&#39;s going to go ricocheting backwards,&quot; he said in an interview with News Nation.&nbsp;&quot;But we&#39;re not looking into that. We&#39;ll probably be able to work something out, possibly even during the next few days,&quot; he added.&nbsp;At Davos on Tuesday, Macron, in sunglasses because of a burst blood vessel, warned against US attempts to &quot;subordinate Europe&quot;, and blasted Trump&#39;s tariff threats as &quot;unacceptable.&quot;&nbsp;Macron was the subject of Trump&#39;s mockery as he publicly revealed a text message from the French leader proposing a G7 summit in Paris on Thursday, on Greenland, as well as on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/macron-says-kyiv-allies-to-meet-in-paris-early-january" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ukraine</a>.&nbsp;Trump later said he would not join any such meeting, while Macron clarified to AFP that no gathering was scheduled.&nbsp;European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, meanwhile, warned that Trump risked plunging US ties with the European Union into a &quot;downward spiral&quot;.&nbsp;And Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who has sought to reduce his own country&#39;s dependence on Washington since Trump called for it to become the 51st US state, won a standing ovation at Davos for his stance.&nbsp;&quot;Canada stands firmly with Greenland and Denmark,&quot; Carney said.&nbsp;In his Davos speech, the White House said Trump wanted to focus on the US economy amid a cost-of-living crisis that threatens his Republicans in the 2026 midterms.&nbsp;But the US president&#39;s extraordinary assertion of US power on the world stage one year into his second term, means Greenland will form the backdrop to the address.&nbsp;&#39;End of NATO&#39;Greenland&#39;s prime minister said on Tuesday his tiny population of 57,000 must be prepared for military force.&nbsp;Lithuania&#39;s President Gitanas Nauseda told AFP at Davos that any such move by the United States against a fellow ally &quot;would be the end of NATO.&quot;&nbsp;Trump said he had done &quot;more for NATO than anyone&quot; and questioned whether allies would help the United States &mdash; even though Denmark was among those who did after the September 11, 2001 attacks.&nbsp;On Thursday, meanwhile, Trump is set to formally announce the first charter of his so-called &quot;Board of Peace,&quot; a body for resolving international conflicts with a $1 billion price tag for permanent membership.&nbsp;The board was originally conceived to oversee the rebuilding of Gaza, but a draft of the charter seen by AFP does not appear to limit its role to the occupied Palestinian territory.

Insists mineral-rich Greenland is vital for US and NATO security against Russia and China as a melting Arctic opens up and the superpowers jostle for strategic advancement.

Trump arrives in Davos amid Greenland tensions

ISLAMABAD: White House trade adviser Peter Navarro raised questions over Americans paying for artificial intelligence services used in India in a recent interview with former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, Indian media reported. Speaking on the program &ldquo;Real America&rsquo;s Voice,&rdquo; US President Donald Trump&rsquo;s trade advisor Navarro said it was unfair for Americans to subsidize technology infrastructure that serves large overseas user bases. &ldquo;Why are Americans paying for AI in India? ChatGPT operates on US soil and uses American electricity, servicing large users of ChatGPT in India &hellip; and elsewhere around the world,&rdquo; Navarro said during the interview. His remarks focused on the location of data centers and energy use in the United States, arguing that domestic resources were supporting global demand without sufficient benefit returning to American consumers. Navarro also raised concerns about foreign purchases of US agricultural land. He claimed overseas buyers were paying prices far above market value, which he warned could fuel higher food costs in the United States. He said such trends, if left unchecked, could add pressure to food inflation and undermine domestic agricultural interests. The comments come amid broader trade tensions between Washington and New Delhi, particularly over energy and tariff policies. Russian oilAccording to AFP, India increased its purchases of discounted Russian crude oil following Russia&rsquo;s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, after Moscow faced sweeping Western sanctions, including restrictions on oil sales.&nbsp; US officials, including Navarro, have criticized the move, with the trade adviser previously referring to it as &ldquo;Modi&rsquo;s war,&rdquo; AFP reported.&nbsp; <p style='box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-family: Roboto, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 2;' id="isPasted">In October last year, Trump said that Modi had assured him India would stop buying Russian oil, describing it as a &ldquo;big step&rdquo; to increase pressure on Moscow. Indian officials later claimed that assertion, saying no such assurance or conversation had taken place.<p style='box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px solid; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; font-family: Roboto, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 2;' id="isPasted"> Earlier this month, US President Donald Trump said Monday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was eager to &ldquo;please&rdquo; him, while renewing a warning that Washington could further raise tariffs on India over its continued purchases of Russian oil if New Delhi does not &ldquo;help&rdquo; address the issue.

White House senior counselor for trade and manufacturing Peter Navarro attends the annual 9/11 Commemoration Ceremony at the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum on September 11, 2025 in New York City (Getty Images via AFP)

India

Peter Navarro raises questions over Americans paying for artificial intelligence services used in India in a recent interview with former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon.

White House adviser questions why Americans bear cost of AI used in India

WASHINGTON: US and Russian officials are meeting in Miami this weekend for new talks on President Donald Trump&#39;s plan for ending the Ukraine war, a White House official told AFP Wednesday.&nbsp;The talks come after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed progress during two days of meetings in Berlin between Kyiv and Trump&#39;s envoys, while warning that Moscow was preparing for a &quot;new year of war.&quot;&nbsp;Trump&#39;s roving envoy, Steve Witkoff, and son-in-law Jared Kushner are expected to take part on the US side, while Putin&#39;s economic envoy, Kirill Dmitriev, is set to be in the Russian delegation, Politico reported.&nbsp;The White House official did not give details of the US and Russian teams.&nbsp;There has been a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/trump-says-ukraine-deal-close-europe-proposes-peace-force" target="_blank" style="color:#0073e6;" rel="noopener noreferrer">flurry of international diplomacy</a>&nbsp;in recent weeks to end the four-year war, with Witkoff and Kushner having met Putin in the Kremlin in November and the Ukrainians and European leaders in Berlin.&nbsp;But large differences remain all around.&nbsp;Ukraine and the United States say there has been progress on&nbsp;future security&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pakistantv.com/article/us-offers-natolike-security-to-ukraine-expects-russia-to-accept" target="_blank">guarantees for Kyiv</a>, but they disagree on which&nbsp;territory Ukraine would have to cede.&nbsp;Putin, meanwhile, said on Wednesday that Moscow would &quot;certainly&quot; achieve its objectives in the war, including seizing the territories it claims are its own.

Europe

The talks come after Ukrainian president hailed progress during two days of meetings in Berlin between Kyiv and Trump's envoys, while warning that Moscow was preparing for a 'new year of war.'

US, Russia to hold talks on Ukraine in Miami this weekend: White House

ISLAMABAD: Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said Riyadh wants to join the Abraham Accords but only with a &ldquo;clear path of two-state solution,&rdquo; placing the Israeli-Palestinian issue at the forefront of his White House meeting with US President Donald Trump. Speaking alongside Trump in the Oval Office, the crown prince said, &ldquo;We want to be part of the Abraham Accords. But we want also to be sure that we secure a clear path of two-state solution.&rdquo; He added, &ldquo;We&rsquo;re going to work on that, to be sure that we can prepare the right situation as soon as possible.&rdquo; Trump said he had pressed the prince to pursue normalization with Israel as part of the regional agreements launched during his first term. The renewed diplomatic push came during a lavish welcome for the Saudi leader, whom Trump greeted with cannon fire, a horseback parade, and a military flypast featuring F-35 jets that he said the United States would &ldquo;soon sell to Riyadh.&rdquo; Inside the Oval Office, Trump praised the crown prince as an &ldquo;incredible&rdquo; partner, while bin Salman announced a dramatic expansion of Saudi investments in the United States. &ldquo;We can announce that we are going to increase that $600 billion to almost $1 trillion for investment,&rdquo; the prince said. Trump, grinning, asked him to confirm the figure. The crown prince responded: &ldquo;Definitely.&rdquo; The show of warmth reflects Trump&rsquo;s efforts to strengthen ties with the Gulf kingdom as he seeks to transform the Gaza ceasefire into a broader regional peace process. Saudi crown prince&rsquo;s insistence on securing a two-state framework, however, places the Palestinian question at the center of any future Saudi&ndash;Israeli normalization efforts.

In a meeting with US President Donald Trump, the Saudi crown prince says Israel normalization requires a clear two-state path, while also announcing plans to boost Saudi investment to nearly $1 trillion.

Saudi crown prince says two-state solution key to Israel normalization talks

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Sunday he backed lawmakers&#39; efforts to release more files related to sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, despite previous opposition to the measure. &quot;House Republicans should vote to release the Epstein files, because we have nothing to hide,&quot; Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. <div class="fr-embed"><iframe src="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/115562626931599548/embed" class="truthsocial-embed" style="max-width: 100%; border: 0;" width="600" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen">&nbsp;</iframe></div> The 79-year-old Republican has accused Democrats of pushing an &quot;Epstein hoax&quot; after emails emerged in which the disgraced financier suggested Trump &quot;knew about the girls.&quot; Some critics have accused Trump of trying to conceal details about his own alleged wrongdoing -- something the president denies -- by looking to block the vote. The issue has divided his typically loyal Republican party and driven a rift between Trump and some of his closest allies within his Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement. Over the weekend, Trump withdrew his endorsement for Congresswoman and MAGA stalwart Marjorie Taylor Greene&#39;s 2026 re-election bid. Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson has said he would hold a vote this week on a bid to force the Justice Department to release the remaining files relating to the Epstein probe. &quot;Some &#39;members&#39; of the Republican Party are being &#39;used,&#39; and we can&#39;t let that happen,&quot; Trump said in his post, in reference to lawmakers who backed a call by Democrats to release the files. Justice Department probe&nbsp;After the longest-ever US government shutdown ended last week, lawmakers in the US House of Representatives released a trove of emails obtained from Epstein&#39;s estate. In one, Epstein wrote that Trump &quot;spent hours&quot; with one of the victims at his house, and another referred to the president as &quot;dirty.&quot; Democrats on the House Oversight Committee said the messages &quot;raise serious questions about Donald Trump and his knowledge of Epstein&#39;s horrific crimes.&quot; After the email trove&#39;s release, Trump demanded Attorney General Pam Bondi and the FBI investigate links between Epstein and ex-president Bill Clinton, a Democrat, along with former Harvard president Larry Summers, who served as Clinton&#39;s treasury secretary. The order for a probe comes even though the FBI and Justice Department said in a memo in July that they had not uncovered evidence that would justify an investigation of uncharged third parties. With the help of Ghislaine Maxwell, who acted as a recruiter, Epstein brought underage girls to his residences -- notably in New York and Florida -- where they were sexually abused. Before Epstein died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial in a pedophile trafficking case, he had been required to register as a sex offender in Florida after pleading guilty in 2008 to solicitation of prostitution, including from a minor. Trump&#39;s conspiracy-minded supporters have been obsessed with the Epstein case for years and have been furious since the FBI and Justice Department said on July 7 that Epstein had killed himself while in jail, did not blackmail any prominent figures and did not keep a &quot;client list.&quot;

Trump reverses stance, backing House vote to release Jeffrey Epstein files, amid party divisions and past allegations. He urges investigations into Clinton and Summers, denying wrongdoing, following emails linking him to Epstein’s victims.

In reversal, Trump supports House vote to release Epstein files

Reuters

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump&#39;s administration on Wednesday froze $26 billion for Democratic-leaning states, following through on a threat to use the government shutdown to target Democratic priorities.&nbsp;The targeted programs included $18 billion for transit projects in New York, home to Congress&#39;s top two Democrats, and $8 billion for green-energy projects in 16 Democratic-run states, including California and Illinois.&nbsp;Vice President JD Vance, meanwhile, warned that the administration might extend its purge of federal workers if the shutdown lasts more than a few days.&nbsp;The moves made clear that Trump would carry out his threat to take advantage of the shutdown to punish his political opponents and extend his control over the $7 trillion federal budget, established by the US Constitution as the domain of Congress.&nbsp;&quot;Billions of dollars can be saved,&quot; he wrote on Truth Social late on Wednesday.&nbsp;The government shutdown, the 15th since 1981, suspended scientific research, financial oversight, environmental cleanup efforts and a wide range of other activities.&nbsp;Approximately 750,000 federal workers were ordered not to work, while others, such as troops and Border Patrol agents, began working without pay. The Department of Veterans Affairs said it would provide burials at national cemeteries but would not erect headstones or mow the grass.&nbsp;Vance said at a White House briefing that the administration would be forced to resort to layoffs if the shutdown lasts more than a few days, adding to the 300,000 who will be pushed out by December. Previous shutdowns have not resulted in permanent layoffs.&nbsp;The US Patent and Trademark Office said it would lay off 1% of its 14,000 employees, according to an internal letter seen by Reuters.&nbsp;Schumer alleges shutdown &lsquo;blackmail&rsquo;Hakeem Jeffries, the top Democrat in the House of Representatives, said the funding freeze for subway and harbor projects in his home of New York would throw thousands out of work.&nbsp;Top Senate Democrat Chuck Schumer, also from New York, said Trump was targeting regular Americans for partisan aims.&nbsp;&quot;He is using the American people as pawns, threatening pain on the country as blackmail,&quot; Schumer said.&nbsp;Republican Senator Thom Tillis said he was concerned that the freezing of infrastructure funds for New York could make it harder for Congress to exit the shutdown.&nbsp;&quot;They need to be really careful with that, because they can create a toxic environment here,&quot; Tillis said. &quot;So hopefully they&#39;re working with the leader, and the leader with them, on not creating more work to get us out of this posture.&quot;&nbsp;Republican Senate Leader John Thune dismissed concerns that the spending freeze amounted to hostage-taking.&nbsp;&quot;Well, vote to open up the government, and that issue goes away, right? I mean, it&#39;s pretty straightforward,&quot; he said at a press conference.&nbsp;Jeffries said he had not had any contact with the White House since a meeting with Trump earlier in the week.&nbsp;&quot;We haven&#39;t heard from the White House since the White House meeting on Monday,&quot; he said in a CNN interview. &quot;Clearly, they wanted to shut the government down.&quot;&nbsp;Different day, different vote, same resultsMeanwhile, the Senate again rejected efforts to keep the government functioning as both a Republican proposal that would fund the government through November 21 and a Democratic vote that would pair funding with additional health benefits failed in floor votes.&nbsp;Trump&#39;s Republicans hold a 53-47 Senate majority, but they need the support of at least seven of Schumer&#39;s Democrats to meet the chamber&#39;s 60-vote threshold for spending bills.&nbsp;At issue on the government funding front is $1.7 trillion for agency operations, which amounts to roughly one-quarter of annual spending. Much of the remainder goes to health and retirement programs and interest payments on the growing $37.5 trillion debt.&nbsp;A bipartisan group of senators huddled on the floor during the vote, trying to find a path forward.&nbsp;&quot;I want to see that a deal is a deal, and I would like to see the Republicans make a commitment to work with us on health care,&quot; said Senator Tim Kaine, a Virginia Democrat who represents many federal workers near the nation&#39;s capital. &quot;But I&#39;ve never said that has to be all I&#39;s dotted and T&#39;s crossed because that could be complicated.&quot;&nbsp;Democrats are also seeking guarantees that Trump will not be able to ignore spending bills he signs into law, as he has repeatedly done since returning to office.&nbsp;Both sides sought to pin the blame on the other, looking for an advantage ahead of the 2026 midterm elections that will determine control of Congress.&nbsp;Democrats said Republicans were responsible for the disruption, as they control the levers of power in Washington.&nbsp;Republicans said Democrats were surrendering to partisan pressures to oppose Trump, even though they have routinely backed spending bills in the past. They also repeated a false claim that the Democratic proposal would extend health coverage to people who are in the country illegally.&nbsp;According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, the Democratic plan would only restore coverage to certain categories of immigrants who are in the country legally, such as asylum seekers and people on work visas.&nbsp;Several government agencies posted notices on their websites blaming the &quot;radical left&quot; for the shutdown - a possible violation of a law known as the Hatch Act meant to insulate nuts-and-bolts government services from partisan politics.&nbsp;The longest US government shutdown, which stretched over 35 days in 2018-2019 during Trump&#39;s first term, ended in part after flight delays caused by air traffic controllers calling in sick.

government shutdown 2025, federal govt shutdown, US Congress

The targeted programs include $18 billion for transit projects in New York, home to Congress's top two Democrats, and $8 billion for green-energy projects in 16 Democratic-run states, including California and Illinois.

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