Event: The US Supreme Court

President Donald Trump speaks during a back to school event in the Rose Garden of the White House. File | Photo Credit: AP President ‌Donald Trump’s administration has issued a pause on visa ​appointments for applicants around the world during an ongoing ⁠immigration crackdown by the U.S. government in the Republican leader’s second term in the White House.A U.S. State Department spokesperson said on Tuesday (August 25, 2026) ‌that it launched a global training initiative at all U.S. embassies and consulates worldwide and that appointments for ‌visa services will be adjusted to accommodate the training.Mr. Trump ‌has ⁠pursued an aggressive deportation drive and immigration crackdown that ⁠includes revocations of visas and green cards and rejection of applications over a range of reasons like political opinions and pro-Palestinian protests against U.S. ally Israel’s ​assault on Gaza.He says the ‌crackdown aims to improve domestic security.The crackdown has faced some legal setbacks. A U.S. judge on Friday (August 21) struck down a Trump administration policy suspending the issuance of immigrant visas ‌to applicants from 75 countries, saying that the policy ​exceeded Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s statutory authority.The State Department did not specify details on the ⁠training and its timeline, beyond saying the training aimed to help consular officers screen out applicants deemed likely to become dependent on U.S. ‌public benefits and to ensure evaluation of visa applicants “comprehensively and consistently.”The pause on visa appointments was reported earlier by the Financial Times, which said immigrant visa applicants with scheduled interviews at U.S. embassies and consulates have received emails that their appointments were being rescheduled and that they would receive future notice ‌of a new date.Mr. Trump’s immigration crackdown has been widely condemned by ​human rights groups as being discriminatory and in violation of free speech and due process rights.Rights groups ⁠also say the…

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks next to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. File | Photo Credit: Reuters U.S. President Trump has submitted to Congress for review an agreement with Saudi Arabia aimed at bolstering the kingdom's civilian nuclear program, but continues to insist that it won't move forward if Saudi Arabia doesn't normalise relations with Israel, according to a Trump administration official.The classified document was submitted to Capitol Hill on Monday (August 24) as required by the Atomic Energy Act, according to the administration official, a congressional aide, and two others familiar with the matter. All four spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to comment publicly on the classified matter.The agreement was signed last month in Washington by U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright and his Saudi counterpart. But the next day, Trump announced he was requiring the Saudis to normalise relations with Israel through the Abraham Accords as part of the pact, raising doubts that the agreement would come to fruition.Neither the administration official nor the others familiar with the matter would comment on whether Mr. Trump's call for the Saudis to join the accords is detailed in the classified document submitted for the congressional review.Under law, Congress has 90 days while in session to review the agreement. Unless Congress passes a joint resolution rejecting the agreement during the review period, the agreement can take effect without a vote by either chamber.It is unusual for the entire contents of such agreements to be classified at such a high level. Previous civil nuclear pacts with other countries -- known as 123 agreements -- have been made public, although some of them have contained classified annexes that were not released.The Saudi Embassy in Washington did not have any immediate comment on the matter.But Mr. Trump's continued insistence on…

A U.S. federal judge on Tuesday (August 25, 2026) rejected a bid by Ghislaine Maxwell, a key accomplice of notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, to throw out her conviction on sex trafficking charges. | Photo Credit: AP A U.S. federal judge on Tuesday (August 25, 2026) rejected a bid by Ghislaine Maxwell, a key accomplice of notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, to throw out her conviction on sex trafficking charges.Maxwell, 64, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison and is the only person convicted of a crime in connection with Epstein, who died in a New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting his own trial.In his ruling, Judge Paul Engelmayer said that Maxwell's claims that her constitutional rights at trial and sentencing were violated "are all meritless and all or almost all are frivolous."Maxwell was convicted in 2021 of supplying underage girls to Epstein, whose ties to powerful business executives, politicians, celebrities and academics have fueled years of scrutiny and conspiracy theories.Under a new law passed last year, President Donald Trump's administration has released vast troves of investigative files relating to Epstein — drawing huge public attention to the case.High-profile figures including Britain's former prince Andrew have been publicly disgraced for their associations with Epstein.In February, Maxwell was subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee to discuss her relations with Epstein but refused to answer any questions. Her lawyer stated she would only speak if Mr. Trump granted her clemency.The U.S. Supreme Court last October declined to hear an appeal by Maxwell of her sex trafficking conviction.Mr. Trump, who also had a years-long relationship with Epstein, initially opposed releasing the so-called Epstein files, prompting accusations of a cover-up that dogged his first year back in office.The Republican has denied any link to Epstein's crimes. Published - August 25, 2026…

It's been a year since Israeli soldiers killed 22 Palestinians, including journalists and rescue workers, in a double strike on a hospital in Gaza. No one has been held accountable.Israeli officials said the target was a suspected Hamas camera on the roof of Nasser Hospital. Among those killed were Reuters cameraman Hussam al-Masri and Mariam Dagga, a visual journalist who worked for The Associated Press and other news organisations.Despite repeated requests by AP, the army hasn't provided details about the investigation or a timeline for when it could be completed. Rights groups say Israel rarely holds troops accountable for killing Palestinians, pointing to long investigations that rarely lead to prosecution.As global outrage over the August 25, 2025 strikes grew, the Israeli military said that in addition to taking out the camera, six of those killed were linked to Hamas, without providing evidence.But an Israeli soldier, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, now says the military could find no evidence linking the camera, which belonged to al-Masri, to Hamas. The soldier, who was privy to discussions surrounding the military's response, said none of the six was the intended target of the strikes.AP sent detailed questions to the military about the allegations, as well as other questions about the strikes. The military didn't address the questions but said the incident is being examined and findings will be transferred to the Military Advocate General's Corps to reach a verdict on whether to open a criminal investigation. It didn't provide a timeline.AP reported at the time that one of the six Israel said was linked to Hamas wasn't on the hospital's list of casualties and two others were medical or emergency personnel. That, along with the soldier's account, raises serious questions about Israel's rationale for the strikes.Why did troops fail to…

A ballot drop box outside a public library, ahead of the midterm primary election, in Boston, Massachusetts, on Aug. 20. | REUTERS The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday lifted one court order blocking President Donald Trump’s administration from implementing an executive order restricting the use of mail-in ballots ahead of the November midterm elections.But the fate of Trump’s order remains uncertain, as a separate injunction blocking a key part of the plan remains in place.Republicans are locked in a tight battle to retain control of Congress in the midterms. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever.By subscribing, you can help us get the story right. SUBSCRIBE NOW

The US Supreme Court gave President Donald Trump a temporary victory on Monday, lifting a lower court block on his executive order curbing the use of mail-in ballots.The Republican president signed an order in March seeking to restrict mail-in voting ahead of the November midterm elections but it was immediately met with multiple legal challenges.Democratic-led states sued the administration on grounds that under the US Constitution, states – and not the federal government – retain broad control over the administration of elections.A district court in Massachusetts blocked implementation of the executive order but the Supreme Court on Monday lifted the judge’s stay, allowing parts of Trump’s directive to go ahead for now.“The District Court lacked jurisdiction to bar the Government from trying to implement” the executive order, the Supreme Court majority said in an unsigned opinion.But the justices withheld final judgment on the merits of the case pending further litigation.A mail ballot drop box at a polling station. Donald Trump has blamed mail voting – without credible evidence – for his loss to Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. Photo: TNS