The White House on Saturday highlighted fresh momentum behind its immigration agenda, tying employment-related restrictions to its broader "America First" policy framework. In a post on X, the White House wrote, "AMERICA FIRST." It added, "President Trump is cracking down on work permits and tightening the vetting process." In line with this approach, the US government has rolled out enhanced screening requirements for H-1B visa applicants and their H-4 dependents, introducing mandatory social media checks from December 15. Under the new guidelines, applicants must change their social media accounts to a "public" setting so officials can review online activity as part of the visa assessment process. In an order issued Wednesday, the US State Department said, "To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for H-1B and their dependents (H-4), F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas are instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to 'public'." The department reiterated that obtaining a visa to enter the United States is "a privilege and not a right", noting, "Every visa adjudication is a national security decision." It said consular officers would rely on all available information to determine admissibility and assess security risks. It further noted that the United States "must be vigilant" to ensure that visa applicants do not intend to cause harm. The announcement has sparked concern among Indian nationals, who represent one of the largest groups of H-1B workers in the United States. The policy shift follows other immigration-related steps under President Donald Trump's administration, including efforts to address alleged misuse of the H-1B programme frequently utilised by US technology companies. Earlier in September, Trump issued a proclamation titled Restriction on Entry of Certain Nonimmigrant Workers, levying a one-time fee of USD 100,000 on new H-1B visa applications -- a move likely to affect Indian professionals seeking employment in the US. In another development, Washington has temporarily halted the processing of Green Card, citizenship and other immigration applications for nationals belonging to 19 "countries of concern" after a shooting incident involving an Afghan citizen. A US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) memorandum issued Tuesday directs officials to "place on hold" all asylum claims pending further review. The action was taken after a shooting in Washington DC that resulted in the death of US Army Specialist Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and left US Air Force Staff Sgt Andrew Wolfe, 24, critically injured. The suspect, identified as 29-year-old Lakanwal, reportedly arrived in the United States through Operation Allies Welcome, a programme set up for Afghan nationals following the 2021 Taliban takeover. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
07 December,2025 11:18 AM IST | Washington | ANIPresident Donald Trump on Saturday presented the 2025 Kennedy Centre honourees with their medals during a ceremony in the Oval Office, hailing the slate of artists he was deeply involved in choosing as "perhaps the most accomplished and renowned class" ever assembled. This year's recipients are actor Sylvester Stallone, singers Gloria Gaynor and George Strait, the rock band Kiss and actor-singer Michael Crawford. Trump said they are a group of "incredible people" who represent the "very best in American arts and culture" and that, "I know most of them and I've been a fan of all of them." "This is a group of icons whose work and accomplishments have inspired, uplifted and unified millions and millions of Americans,¿ said a tuxedo-clad Trump. "This is perhaps the most accomplished and renowned class of Kennedy Centre Honourees ever assembled." Trump's takeover of the Kennedy Centre Trump ignored the Kennedy Centre and its premier awards program during his first term as president. But the Republican has instituted a series of changes since returning to office in January, most notably ousting its board of trustees and replacing them with GOP supporters who voted him in as chairman of the board. Trump also has criticized the centre's programming and its physical appearance, and has vowed to overhaul both. The president placed around each honouree's neck a new medal that was designed, created and donated by jeweller Tiffany and Co., according to the Kennedy Centre and Trump. It's a gold disc etched on one side with the Kennedy Centre's image and rainbow colours. The honouree's name appears on the reverse side with the date of the ceremony. The medallion hangs from a navy blue ribbon and replaces a large rainbow ribbon decorated with three gold plates that rested on the honouree's shoulders and chest and had been used since the first honours program in 1978. Trump honours the honourees Strait, wearing a cowboy hat, was first to receive his medal. When the country singer started to take off the hat, Trump said, "If you want to leave it on, you can. I think we can get it through." But Strait took it off. The president said Crawford was a "great star of Broadway" for his lead role in the long-running "Phantom of the Opera". Of Gaynor, he said, "We have the disco queen, and she was indeed, and nobody did it like Gloria Gaynor". Trump was effusive about his friend Stallone, calling him a "wonderful" and "spectacular" person and "one of the true, great movie stars" and "one of the great legends." Kiss is an "incredible rock band", he said. Songs by honourees Gaynor and Kiss played in the Rose Garden just outside the Oval Office as members of the White House press corps waited nearby for Trump to begin the ceremony. The president president said in August that he was "about 98 per cent involved" in choosing the 2025 honourees when he personally announced them at the Kennedy Centre, the first slate chosen under his leadership. The honourees traditionally had been announced by press release. It was unclear how they were chosen. Before Trump, it fell to a bipartisan selection committee. "These are among the greatest artists, actors and performers of their generation. The greatest that we've seen," Trump said. "We can hardly imagine the country music phenomena without its king of country, or American disco without its first lady, or Broadway without its phantom ¿ and that was a phantom, let me tell you ¿ or rock and roll without its hottest band in the world, and that's what they are, or Hollywood without one of its greatest visionaries." "Each of you has made an indelible mark on American life and together you have defined entire genres and set new standards for the performing arts," Trump said. Trump was also attending an annual State Department dinner for the honourees on Saturday. In years past, the honourees received their medallions there but Trump moved the ceremony to the White House. Trump to host the Kennedy Centre Honours Meanwhile, the glitzy Kennedy Centre Honours programme and its series of tribute speeches and performances for each recipient is set to be taped on Sunday at the performing arts centre for broadcast later in December on CBS and Paramount+. Trump is to attend the program for the first time as president, accompanied by his wife, first lady Melania Trump. The president said in August that he had agreed to host the show, and he seemed to confirm on Saturday that he would do so, predicting that the broadcast would garner its highest ratings ever as a result. Presidents traditionally attend the program and sit with the honourees in the audience. None has ever served as host. He said he looked forward to Sunday's celebration. "It's going to be something that I believe, and I'm going to make a prediction: this will be the highest-rated show that they've ever done and they've gotten some pretty good ratings, but there's nothing like what's going to happen tomorrow night," Trump said. The president also swiped at late-night TV show host Jimmy Kimmel, whose programme was briefly suspended earlier this year by ABC following criticism of his comments related to the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in September. Kimmel and Trump are sharp critics of each other, with the president regularly deriding Kimmel's talent as a host. Kimmel has hosted the Primetime Emmy Awards and the Academy Award multiple times. Trump said he should be able to outdo Kimmel. "I've watched some of the people that host. Jimmy Kimmel was horrible," Trump said. "If I can't beat out Jimmy Kimmel in terms of talent, then I don't think I should be president." This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
07 December,2025 11:07 AM IST | Washington | APThe first lady of France, Brigitte Macron, met an old friend — a giant panda born in France. The first lady had first met the panda last year, at the end of her visit to China with French President Emmanuel Macron. During this visit, the panda, Yuan Meng, was living in a reserve in southwest China. She chose his name when he was born in a French zoo in 2017. It means “accomplishment of a dream”. She marvelled at how big he had grown. “When they’re born, they’re like this,” she said, holding up two fingers a short distance apart. The panda roamed in his enclosure, feasting on bamboo, ignoring bystanders who called his name trying to elicit a reaction out of him. “They have a very independent character,” the first lady said. “They do only what they want.” Emmanuel Macron’s state visit to China included meetings with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and other officials, discussing Russia’s war in Ukraine, trade ties and other issues. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
07 December,2025 08:17 AM IST | China | AgenciesQatar’s prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Saturday said the Gaza ceasefire has reached a “critical moment” as its first phase, which took effect on October 10, winds down. “What we have just done is a pause,” he told the Doha Forum, an international conference in the Qatari capital. “We cannot consider it a ceasefire yet. A ceasefire cannot be completed unless there is a full withdrawal of Israeli forces, there is stability back in Gaza, people can go in and out, which is not the case today,” he said. While the ceasefire halted the heavy fighting of the two-year war, Gaza health officials say that over 360 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire since the truce took effect in October. In new violence, two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike northwest of Gaza City, Shifa Hospital said. Israel’s army said it wasn’t aware of an airstrike in that location. However, it said that Israeli soldiers on Saturday killed three militants who crossed the “yellow line” into the Israeli-controlled northern part of Gaza and “posed an immediate threat.” Since the ceasefire, the Israeli army says it has carried out a number of attacks on Palestinians crossing the ceasefire lines. The next phase, which includes the deployment of an international security force in Gaza, formation of a new technocratic government for the territory, disarmament of Hamas and an eventual withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, has not yet begun. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
07 December,2025 08:14 AM IST | Doha | AgenciesThe Social Security Administration (SSA) will be forced to scale back field visits in the first half of next year. Field offices have long been community-based branches that serve as the public face of the SSA, which provide in-person help for people applying for retirement and disability benefits, getting Social Security cards and other important services. In an operating plan shared with media houses by the SSA, it outlines a proposed target of 50 per cent fewer field office visitors in fiscal year 2026 compared to fiscal year 2025, or no more than 15 million field office visits by members of the public. Agency field offices saw more than 31.6 million field office visits from SSA recipients from October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025, according to the agency document. A Social Security spokesperson who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preview the administration’s plans for the agency said field offices will remain a front-line service to the roughly 75 million Americans who receive monthly payments. However, the spokesperson noted, more Americans are choosing to manage their benefits online or over the phone. At least 7000 SSA workers have been laid off this year. In October, Democracy Forward, a legal group challenging the Trump administration’s policies, filed a lawsuit to compel SSA to release public records about service disruptions. Barton Mackey, a Social Security spokesperson, said “field offices are, and will always remain, our front-line, providing in-person services to the approximately 75 million Americans who receive monthly payments and more than 330 million Americans with Social Security numbers, which the Commissioner has reiterated countless times since his confirmation.” “The Social Security Administration under President Trump’s leadership is serving more Americans than ever before at quicker speeds, and meeting customers where they want to be served,” Mackey said. “Through technology improvements and modernisation, more Americans are choosing to easily and quickly manage their benefits online or over the phone.” This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
07 December,2025 08:11 AM IST | Washington | AgenciesFormer Pentagon official Michael Rubin said that Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to India is seen as US President Trump's "gross incompetence" by the majority of the US people, who dislike Trump, which he claimed is around 65 per cent according to recent polls. "It is being perceived in two different ways. If you're Donald Trump, it's being perceived through the lens of "I told you so" that this embrace of India towards Russia is affirming what Donald Trump wants his spin to be. Because Donald Trump isn't going to admit that he is the one at fault. If you're the 65 % of Americans who dislike Donald Trump, according to the recent polls, then what we are seeing now is the result of Donald Trump's gross incompetence," he said. Michael Rubin further said that the US is being "hypocritical" by "lecturing" India on its purchase of discounted oil from Russia, as Washington itself is involved in trade with Moscow, and justified New Delhi's position to prioritise its needs. Michael Rubin's harsh criticism of the US came when asked about Russian President Vladimir Putin's comment during his New Delhi visit that Moscow is "ready to continue uninterrupted shipments of fuel for the growing Indian economy". The Former Pentagon official noted that India is soon to become the world's third-largest economy and has its own energy needs, criticising the US's imposition of an additional 50 per cent tariff on Indian imports in August due to its purchase of Russian oil, which Washington claims fuels Moscow's war efforts in Ukraine. Speaking with ANI, Michael Rubin said, "What Americans don't understand is that Indians elected Prime Minister Modi to represent Indian interests. India is the most populous country. It's soon going to become the World's third-largest economy, and for that, it needs energy. The US is being hypocritical because we purchase from Russia. We purchase goods and materials for which we don't have alternative markets. We are being hypocritical when we lecture India," "At the same time, if we do not want India to purchase Russian fuel, what are we going to do to provide fuel to India at a cheaper price and in the quantities India needs? If we don't have an answer for that, our best approach is simply to shut up because India needs to take care of Indian security first," he added. Russian President, during his two-day visit, declared that Moscow will remain a steady, uninterrupted supplier for the country's fast-growing economy. "Russia is a reliable supply of oil, gas, coal and everything that is required for the development of India's energy. We are ready to continue uninterrupted shipments of fuel for the fast-growing Indian economy," Putin said, while addressing joint press address with Prime Minister Narendra Modi He further stated that US citizens are "flabbergasted" over Trump's actions that have reversed US-India ties, questioning whether it was "Pakistan's flattery or bribery." "A lot of us are still flabbergasted at how Donald Trump has reversed US-India ties. Many people question what motivates Donald Trump. Perhaps it was the flattery of the Pakistanis. More likely, it was bribery on the part of the Pakistanis or their backers in Turkey and Qatar towards Donald Trump...This is one disastrous bribe that is going to saddle America with a strategic deficit for decades to come," he said. President Putin concluded his visit to Delhi on Friday night. External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar accompanied him to the airport to see him off. During his two-day visit, Putin co-hosted the India-Russia Annual Summit with PM Modi. Both leaders agreed to deepen cooperation in building stable and efficient transport corridors. They also agreed to take the India-Russia economic partnership to "new heights" by 2030. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 December,2025 06:11 PM IST | Washington DC | ANIThe number of people killed in a deadly shooting incident in Pretoria on Saturday has risen to 11, the South African Police Service (SAPS) has confirmed. The incident took place at Saulsville Hostel in Atteridgeville, west of Pretoria, early Saturday. "25 shot, 11 confirmed dead, 14 survivors and all are in hospital. The South African Police Service has launched a manhunt for three unknown suspects. Three minors are among those deceased which include 3 and 12 year-old boys, 16-year-old female. The rest of those deceased are adults. The incident happened at an illegal shebeen," read a statement issued by the SAPS. According the local media, the incident occurred just after 4:15 am, but police were only alerted around 6 am. "We immediately mobilised our resources, including forensic and ballistics experts, who were already at the scene. Our detectives and the Serious and Violent Crime Unit are piecing together information on what may have led to this shooting," the country's leading media outlet Independent Online (IOL) quoted SAPS national spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe as saying. Citing Mathe's statement, the IOL reported that at least three unknown gunmen entered the hostel, where a group of people were drinking, and began shooting randomly. The SAPS spokesperson also highlighted the massive challenges being posed by illegal and unlicensed liquor premises. "Between April and September this year, we shut down 11,975 unlicensed liquor outlets nationwide and arrested more than 18,676 people found selling liquor illegally," the official was quoted as saying by the IOL. Last month, seven men were killed in a mass shooting in Cape Town, Western Cape Province of South Africa. The incident occurred on Road R53 in Philippi East, a suburb in Cape Town's Cape Flats area, where seven men aged between 20 and 30 were fatally shot in what authorities described as a "senseless act of violence." After Jo'burg, Cape Town has also seen a surge in gun violence and gang-related killings in recent months, prompting warnings from civil society that the Western Cape Province, of which Cape Town is the capital city, is facing a full-blown crisis. In September, mounting gun violence in Cape Town, which had claimed at least a dozen lives across the metropolis in over one week, prompted the local government to shut down selected minibus taxi routes for 30 days, Xinhua news agency had reported. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 December,2025 04:53 PM IST | Johannesburg | IANSUS Supreme Court agreed to examine the constitutionality of President Donald Trump's executive order seeking to end birthright citizenship, reopening a debate widely considered settled since the late 19th century, CNN reported. By taking up the appeal, the top court has moved beyond the procedural questions it addressed earlier this year--when it sided with Trump on technical grounds related to how lower courts handled the challenges and will now directly consider the policy's legality. Cecillia Wang, National Legal Director of the American Civil Liberties Union, welcomed the development, saying the organisation looks forward to the Supreme Court "putting this issue to rest once and for all." "The federal courts have unanimously held that President Trump's executive order is contrary to the Constitution, a Supreme Court decision from 1898, and a law enacted by Congress," she said. The Trump administration's arguments--long viewed as fringe interpretations even among some conservative legal scholars--are expected to draw intense public scrutiny as the court's term progresses. The case marks another test of the court's readiness to evaluate an aggressive legal position advanced by the White House. A ruling in Trump's favour could overturn a fundamental principle of US constitutional and immigration law, potentially affecting how American parents document the citizenship of newborns. The court is set to hear the matter next year and will likely deliver its verdict by the end of June. CNN Supreme Court analyst and Georgetown University Law Center professor Steve Vladeck criticised the administration's stance, calling its attempt to restrict birthright citizenship by executive order "wrong.""Whether because it violates the relevant statutes; the Fourteenth Amendment itself; or the Supreme Court's authoritative 1898 interpretation of that constitutional provision, the bottom line is the same," he said. The 1898 ruling in US v. Wong Kim Ark established that individuals born on US soil are citizens, barring a few narrow exceptions. The Trump administration, however, argued before the Supreme Court that this precedent has been misread for over a century. In its filings, the administration asserted that the understanding of the citizenship clause "was mistaken" and had "destructive consequences." Ending birthright citizenship has been a central element of Trump's immigration platform. Solicitor General D. John Sauer told the court that the Fourteenth Amendment's citizenship clause was intended to cover formerly enslaved individuals and their descendants, "not the children of temporary visitors or illegal aliens." Earlier this year, the Supreme Court issued a key ruling related to Trump's policy, though that case focused on a procedural question concerning the scope of lower courts' authority to block presidential actions. In a 6-3 decision, the court curtailed but did not entirely remove the ability of lower courts to halt such policies. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 December,2025 10:52 AM IST | Washington DC | ANIClaiming "no strategic logic" for the United States embracing Islamabad, former Pentagon official Michael Rubin said Pakistan should be designated as a "state sponsor of terrorism." He also objected to Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir's visit to White House in June and said Munir "should be arrested rather than honoured" if he comes to the US "There is no strategic logic for the United States embracing Pakistan. It should not be a major non-NATO ally. It should be designated a state sponsor of terrorism, period. If Asim Munir comes to the United States, he should be arrested rather than honoured," he said. Michael Rubin further said that the US need to offer a "vocal apology" to India for their actions, such as the imposition of additional 50 per cent tariffs on Indian imports in August due to its purchase of Russian oil. He added that even though US President Trump "doesn't like to apologise," the interest of the US surmounts "one man's ego." "What we need is quiet diplomacy behind the scenes, and perhaps, at some point, a more vocal apology from the United States for the way we have treated India over the past year...President Donald Trump doesn't like to apologise, but the interests of the United States, world democracies are much more important than one man's ego, no matter how inflated it is," he said. Trade tensions have surfaced, with the US imposing 50 per cent tariffs on Indian exports compared to 19 per cent for Pakistan, as well as signing agreements with Islamabad on mineral mining and oil exploration. Pakistan had welcomed Trump's claims, even nominated him for a Nobel Peace Prize. In May, following India's Operation Sindoor, which targeted nine terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), which came in retaliation to Pakistan's sponsored terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam on April 22 that killed 26 people in the name of religion, both countries had agreed to halt the full-scale military action, after the Pakistan Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) called their Indian counterpart for cessation of hostilities. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 December,2025 10:48 AM IST | Washington DC | ANIResearchers at the University of East London (UEL) have found an extraordinary new purpose for discarded seashells. Once processed into a fine powder, shells can replace up to a third of the cement in concrete, offering a highly scalable method to reduce carbon output. Cement, the binding agent in concrete, accounts for roughly 7 per cent of global carbon emissions. It is everywhere, its carbon footprint enormous. UEL’s study found that ground scallop shells — which typically end up in landfills or waste streams — can be substituted for cement, delivering a 36 per cent reduction in carbon emissions for the material. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 December,2025 10:45 AM IST | London | AgenciesThe US Southern Command announced that it conducted another strike against a small boat in the eastern Pacific Ocean. This was the 22nd strike the US military carried out against boats in the Caribbean Sea and eastern Pacific Ocean that the Trump administration claimed were trafficking drugs. There were four casualties in the strike, bringing the death toll of the campaign to at least 87 people. The strike was conducted the same day Admiral Frank Bradley appeared for a series of closed-door classified briefings at the US Capitol as lawmakers began an investigation into the very first strike carried out by the military on September 2. The sessions came after a report that Bradley ordered a follow-on attack that killed the survivors to comply with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s demands. Bradley told lawmakers there was no “kill them all” order from Hegseth. Legal experts have said killing survivors of a strike at sea could be a violation of the laws of military warfare. 87No. of people killed since US strikes began This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
06 December,2025 10:43 AM IST | Washington | AgenciesADVERTISEMENT
