TheNewsGuru

Tag: U.S.

  • U.S. to limit visa duration for students, journalists

    U.S. to limit visa duration for students, journalists

    The U.S. government plans to shorten the validity period of visas for international students and journalists, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced.

    Under the proposed rule, F visas, which allow foreign students to study in the U.S., would be capped at a maximum duration of four years.

    Currently, students are granted visas for the full length of their academic programs, which can exceed five years for doctoral degrees.

    For foreign media professionals, visa validity would be limited to 240 days, with a possible extension of another 240 days.

    However, journalists’ visas would not be allowed to exceed the duration of their assignments.

    Any extensions would require applications through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), triggering additional security checks.

    In the past, journalists from countries like Germany have received visas valid for up to five years.

    “For too long, past administrations have allowed foreign students and other visa holders to remain in the U.S. virtually indefinitely,” the DHS stated, adding that this practice poses security risks and financial burdens, and may disadvantage U.S. citizens.

    The proposed changes aimed to prevent visa abuse and allow for better oversight.

    However, the proposal drew immediate criticism from the U.S. higher education community.

    Miriam Feldblum, president and CEO of the Presidents’ Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, warned the new rules would impose unnecessary burdens on students and institutions.

    “The rule would force international students and scholars to regularly submit additional applications, disrupting their studies and straining university operations,” Feldblum said.

    She added that the uncertainty could deter international talent from choosing the U.S. for their education and research.

  • ICC rejects new U.S. sanctions against 4 personnel

    ICC rejects new U.S. sanctions against 4 personnel

    The International Criminal Court (ICC) has strongly rejected new sanctions announced by the United States on Wednesday targeting four of its personnel, marking a renewed escalation related to investigations involving U.S. and Israeli officials.

    The sanctions are directed at judges Kimberly Prost of Canada and Nicolas Guillou of France, as well as two deputy prosecutors: Nazhat Shameem Khan of Fiji and Mame Mandiaye Niang of Senegal.

    These measures follow earlier sanctions against four other judges and the ICC Prosecutor.

    The United Nations emphasised the ICC’s crucial role in international criminal justice and expressed concern over the imposition of further sanctions.

    “The decision imposes severe impediments on the functioning of the Office of the Prosecutor and respect for all situations currently before the Court,” UN Spokesman Stéphane Dujarric told journalists in New York.

    “Judicial independence is a fundamental principle that must be respected, and these types of measures undermine the foundation of international justice.”

    In a press statement announcing the new sanctions, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio described the ICC as “a national security threat that has been an instrument for lawfare against the United States and our close ally Israel.”

    The UN-backed court condemned the sanctions as “a flagrant attack against the independence of an impartial judicial institution.”

    They further stated that the sanctions “constitute an affront against the Court’s States Parties, the rules-based international order, and, above all, millions of innocent victims across the world.”

    The ICC investigates the gravest crimes of concern to the international community: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression.

    It was established under the 1998 Rome Statute treaty, which came into force in 2002.

    Neither the United States nor Israel are among the 125 States Parties to the treaty.

    In November 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, along with a former Hamas commander.

    The warrants are connected to the conflict in Gaza and cite allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

    The Court is also probing alleged war crimes committed in Afghanistan by all sides during years of conflict, including the U.S., following the allied invasion in May 2003.

    The ICC reiterated that it “stands firmly behind its personnel and victims of unimaginable atrocities.”

    It added that it “will continue fulfilling its mandates, undeterred, in strict accordance with its legal framework as adopted by the States Parties and without regard to any restriction, pressure, or threat.”

    The Court called upon “States Parties and all those who share the values of humanity and the rule of law to provide firm and consistent support to the Court and its work, carried out in the sole interest of victims of international crimes.”

  • Brazil: US climbing the tree beyond its leaves – By Owei Lakemfa

    Brazil: US climbing the tree beyond its leaves – By Owei Lakemfa

    The regime in the United States, US, led by Mr Donald John Trump has in the past seven months, introduced  many alien relations into international relations. But when many thought it cannot get worse, the American regime is taking  decisions that do not appear to be the product of a sound thought process.

    Perhaps the main instrument of  Trump’s alienating foreign relations policy is the weaponisation of tariffs. This was wielded like the Sword of Damocles cutting all sides, including foes like China and allies such as  Canada.

    In fact, the regime insists that the latter should be its 51st state, and Trump calls the Canadian Prime Minister, a Governor. But the use of tariffs had mainly been projected as an economic weapon except for some cases such as imposing a 50 per cent tariff on India for buying cheap oil from Russia. That act itself is strange because both countries are sovereign and can decide on trade between  themselves.

    These acts, including the regime’s desire to take over Greenland, ordering Panama to delink China from its Panama Canal  business, sending migrant detainees to a third country, and advocating the forceful removal of Palestinians from their ancestral homes, and turning Gaza into an estate owned by Israel and the US, are weird.

    But nothing prepared me for a tariff assault on another country not because  it benefits Americans or the state, but  for personal reasons!

    Monsieur Trump  on August 6, 2025, increased the tariffs on Brazil from 10 to 50 per cent primarily because  his personal friend, former President  Jair Messias  Bolsonaro, is on trial and the Brazilian government would not obey Trump’s orders that the trial be discontinued.

    Bolsonaro, a pathetic duplicate of Trump, also known as the ‘Trump of the Tropics’, had, in a Trump-like action, been accused of trying to overthrow the Brazilian government in 2023 after he lost his re-election bid.

    Bolsonaro had been quite confident he would win the election. He was the incumbent President, a former military officer and had been a Brazilian congressman for 27 years.

    In contrast, Lula had little formal education, was a metal worker and a trade unionist. He had been a two-term President before he was convicted in 2017 for money laundering and corruption. He spent 580 days in prison. Freed in 2018, he was again convicted in February 2019.

    However, he fought on to the Supreme Court which, in 2021, nullified both convictions for being politically motivated, and based on bias. The Court further ruled that the plethora of similar cases against him be discontinued. With this, he was free to challenge President Bolsonaro in the October 2022 presidential election.

    While the latter assumed the election would be a walk over, many Brazilian voters were conscious of the fact that Bolsanaro had caused them lots of pain, including the deforestation of the Amazon.  But far more devastating, he caused  many deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic. Bolsanaro had declared that COVID-19 was a scam and nothing more than a “little  flu”.

    He said there should be neither social distancing nor lockdown. As the infections grew and people died, the then Brazilian President held mass rallies and discouraged vaccination. Mainly as a result of what became known as the ‘Bolsonaro Effect”  between February 2020 and April 2024, 38,795,966 Brazilians were infected by COVID-19, and tragically, 712, 032 died of the disease.

    However, when the maverick lost the elections, he would not concede defeat. Rather, he allegedly organised his supporters to overthrow the new government.  The Bolsanaro supporters seized public buildings, highways, the Police Headquarters and other public places.

    Apart from these, prosecutors are charging Bolsonaro with organising a coup in which the Supreme Court justices were to be arrested, a state of siege declared with intent to make the military seize power and organise new elections. It is for these reasons he and, 33 others are standing trial.

    But Trump would have none of this. He insists that his friend should not face trial, adding that he had faced a similar trial himself for the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol in Washington, DC.

    In a letter to Lula, Trump said the punitive 50 per cent tariff is being imposed “due in part to Brazil’s insidious attacks on Free Elections, and the fundamental Free Speech Rights of Americans.”

    He added: “Please understand that the 50 per cent number is far less than what is needed to have the Level Playing Field we must have with your Country …And it is necessary to have this to rectify the grave injustices of the current regime.”

    Trump added: “The way that Brazil has treated former President Bolsonaro, a Highly Respected Leader throughout the World during his term, including by the United States, is an international disgrace…This trial should not be taking place.  It is a Witch Hunt that should end IMMEDIATELY!”

    In many cases, when Trump slaps countries or organisations with high tariffs, the victims like, the 27-nation European Union, EU, crawl to him for “negotiations”. Some even bribe Trump so he does not get angry with them. That was the case of little Qatar giving Trump a $400 million Boeing 747-8 stretch model  jumbo. The aircraft is more than 18 feet longer than his official Air Force One jet.

    But, in this case, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, better known as Lula, rather than pacify Trump, literally told him to go to hell. Ruling out any meeting with the American President, Lula said: “The day my intuition says Trump is ready to talk, I won’t hesitate to call him. But today, my intuition says he doesn’t want to talk. And I won’t humiliate myself.”

    In a chat with the media on August 6, 2025, Lula added: “What Trump did with Zelenskiy was humiliation. That’s not normal. What Trump did with Ramaphosa was humiliation. One President can’t be humiliating another. I respect everyone and I demand respect.”

    On the specific trial of Bolsonaro, Luna ruled out any concession to Trump, saying the Brazilian Supreme Court “does not care what Trump says and it should not”.

    Recalling the American-backed 1964 military coup in Brazil which ousted democratically elected President Joao Goulart with some 500 Brazilians killed or disappeared, and thousands detained after the coup, Lula told the Trump regime: “We had already pardoned the U.S. intervention in the 1964 coup. But this now is not a small intervention. It’s the President of the United States thinking he can dictate rules for a sovereign country like Brazil. It’s unacceptable.”

    In basing economic tariffs on parochial sentiments and seeking to punish 212 million Brazilians because of one man, the regime in Washington is seeking to climb the tree beyond its leaves; it might find itself tumbling down.

  • FG urges U.S. to engage Nigerians on reviews of visa rules

    FG urges U.S. to engage Nigerians on reviews of visa rules

    The Federal Government on Friday urged the U.S. to directly and adequately engage Nigerians anytime there is a review of its visa laws, rules, and regulations to enhance better understanding and compliance.

    The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, made the call when the U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Richard Mills paid him a courtesy visit in Abuja.

    Idris called on the envoy to ensure constant engagement with Nigerians on any new changes considering that Nigerians travel to almost all parts of the world, inluding the U.S.

    Idris recalled that Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA) had put out information cautioning Nigerians against the misuse of the U.S. visa.

    “And because, we, Nigerians travel a lot, it is good that information is shared with us, because these travels are done for tourism, education, businesses, medicals, and so on.

    “U.S. is a country where a lot of Nigerians travel to. This shows that the two countries share a lot, and we need to keep such relationship because it has positive impact on the two countries.

    “There have been some changes announced by the U.S. Mission. This is to ensure efficiency and effective service delivery. The Ambassador told me that the changes were not punitive.

    “We, therefore, call on the United States to engage Nigerians directly, to let them know about any change. Also, my Ministry will continue to partner with the U.S. to ensure proper dissemination of information to our people,” Idris said.

    Responding, Mills affirmed that the U.S. values the relationship it has with Nigeria and will not take it for granted.

    According to him, U.S. visa rules play an important role in keeping the ties between the two countries strong whether in business, education, tourism or cultural exchange.

    “However, the U.S. considers it essential that visas are appropriately used in conformity with U.S. regulations and laws.

    “We welcome Nigerian visitors to the United States, just as Nigerians welcome Amercans here.

    “I am sure that both governments want visitors to respect our national laws and regulations.

    “We are very thankful that we were able to engage with the Nigerian government to make the point that visa compliance is not just a legal obligation but a cornerstone of mutual trust and respect for the two nations.

    “So, the misuse of visas, inaccurate or dishonest application procedure, and overstaying could sometimes undermine the trust between countries and cause serious consequences for those who misuse their visas.

    “That is why both governments want to make sure we send out the  message about visa laws and how to respect and honour them.

    “The minister and I, reaffirm and share a commitment to getting the message to the Nigerian people so that they can understand the importance of complying with U.S. visa processes.

    He said it is very important always provide truthful information in the course of visa processing.

    “By doing that, we will strengthen the bond between our countries and we will ensure that opportunities to travel for business and cultural exchange remain available for all of us,” he added.

  • U.S. to revoke visa of students who dodge classes

    U.S. to revoke visa of students who dodge classes

    The U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria,  Mr Richard Mills, says students who skip classes without informing the school authority will get his or her visa revoked.

    Mills said this when he visited the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris,  on Friday in Abuja.

    According to him, the primary responsibility of obtaining a student visa is not to violate its terms.

    “Don’t stay beyond the amount of time you were admitted when you arrived in the United States. If you overstayed, it could result in deportation and a lifetime ban on future travel to the U.S.

    “It is also important to understand that when you come to the Visa Window to apply for a visa, you have to be as accurate as possible about the reason for your travel.

    ”How will you fund your travel in the U.S. and what are the requirements in your life that will make you come back to Nigeria.

    “Is not a piece of paper that guarantees your admittance into the US, it is your understanding of how to fund your travel and reason for you as a Nigerian Citizen to come back home,” he said.

    Mills said the U.S. wants to  ensure sanity by ensuring that the few that break laws don’t do that in the future as visas can be revoked and the holder deported if they break our laws.

    “Student Visa holders should know that they need to remain in the programme that underlines their visas; if you skip classes or leave your programme of study without informing the school, the student visa could be revoked,” Mills stressed.

    He said that the goal is to ensure that travels into Nigeria and the U.S. continue, and would be done in a safe and secure way for both countries to continue.

    Speaking, Idris said the partnership between Nigeria and the U.S. was boosting the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu in many ways.

    He said Nigeria will continue to have close collaboration and engagement with the U.S. for the benefit of the two nations.

    ”At the Ministry of Information and National Orientation, we will continue to engage with all our partners including the U.S. to help foster better understanding, like the new visa laws.

    “We will also continue to engage with our other international partners, so that they can understand what the Nigerian Government is doing to inform Nigerians for better understanding,” he said.

  • U.S. envoy Witkoff meets Putin for three hours – Kremlin

    U.S. envoy Witkoff meets Putin for three hours – Kremlin

    Russian President Vladimir Putin held a roughly three-hour meeting in Moscow with U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff, the Russian state news agency TASS reported, citing the Kremlin.

    No details of Wednesday’s meeting were initially disclosed.

    Kremlin photos showed that Putin’s foreign policy adviser, Yuri Ushakov, also took part in the talks.

    In July, US President Donald Trump gave Moscow a 50-day deadline to end the war in Ukraine.

    The timeline was then shortened to this Friday.

    Trump has threatened a new wave of sanctions if Russia fails to comply, including on countries that purchase Russian oil and gas, like India.

  • China rejects politically-motivated U.S. economic claims

    China rejects politically-motivated U.S. economic claims

    Recent remarks by U.S. officials accusing China of flooding global markets with exports and calling for a “rebalancing” of its economy are nothing new.

    The arguments had been recycled for years, rooted more in political posturing than sound economic reasoning.

    Such claims ignored the significant transformations taking place as China advanced toward high-quality and sustainable economic development.

    The notion of “rebalancing” is, in essence, a reflection of Cold War-era thinking, zero-sum logic that sought to frame economic discourse in adversarial terms.

    In reality, domestic consumption had become the main driver of China’s economic growth.

    In the first half of 2025, internal demand contributed 68.8 per cent to GDP growth, with consumption alone accounting for more than half.

    This marks a notable shift from previous years.

    In 2024, consumption contributed 44.5 per cent to GDP growth, surpassing both net exports 30.3 per cent and investment 25.2 per cent to become the primary engine of expansion.

    Meanwhile, China’s trade structure continued to upgrade. In the first half of 2025, total goods trade rose by 6.1 per cent year-on-year.

    General trade, which featured longer value chains and higher value-added goods, accounted for 65 per cent of total imports and exports.

    Mechanical and electrical products made up about 60 per cent of China’s exports, including strong growth in high-tech sectors like electric vehicles, industrial robots, and integrated circuits.

    “In spite of global uncertainties and a sluggish global recovery, China remains a key destination for foreign investment.

    “More than 30,000 new foreign-invested enterprises were established in China in the first half of 2025, an 11.7 per cent increase year-on-year.

    “Notably, investment is shifting toward high-tech sectors, with major inflows into e-commerce services, pharmaceutical manufacturing, aerospace, and medical equipment.”

    Blaming China for America’s trade imbalance oversimplifies the issue and misrepresented global trade dynamics.

    Many of the goods exported from China to the U.S. are produced using components imported from third countries, or are manufactured by American companies operating in China.

    These products are counted as Chinese exports, but the profits often return to U.S. firms.

    In fact, American multinationals frequently earn more abroad than at home, benefiting significantly from globalisation.

    Yet traditional trade statistics fail to capture this reality, overstating the U.S. trade deficit and masking who truly benefits, mostly wealthy shareholders, not average Americans.

    It is deeply ironic that U.S. officials decry others’ economic imbalances while overlooking the severe structural imbalances at home, challenges that not only threaten the American public but also pose risks to the global economy.

    One such imbalance is the U.S. model of “high consumption, low savings.” Personal savings rates have declined for decades, and today’s households are burdened by rising living costs and growing debt.

    Public finances fare no better: the U.S. posted a 1.8 trillion dollars deficit in fiscal 2024 and a 1.3 trillion dollars shortfall in the first half of fiscal 2025, levels rarely seen outside of crisis periods.

    America’s debt-fueled growth model has only deepened these issues.

    Since the 1980s, when the U.S. shifted from being a net creditor to a net debtor, national debt has exploded, from 3.2 trillion dollars in 1990 to nearly 37 trillion dollars today.

    Alarmingly, interest payments on this debt now exceed annual defense spending.

    Perhaps the most telling structural issue is the financialisation of the U.S. economy. Since the 1970s, the U.S. has steadily deindustrialised, pivoting from manufacturing toward finance.

    Loosely regulated markets had fueled the expansion of virtual capital, while the real economy, especially manufacturing, had been hollowed out.

    This had undermined long-term competitiveness and worsened trade imbalances.

    In this context, accusations that China’s economy was “unbalanced” rang hollow.

    They reflected a political narrative rather than an economic reality. Time and again, these claims have failed the test of facts.

    History will show that vilifying others cannot stop China’s progress. Rhetoric cannot obscure truth forever.

  • Immigration cautions Nigerians against misusing U. S. visas

    Immigration cautions Nigerians against misusing U. S. visas

    The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has issued an advisory urging Nigerians to use their U.S. visas responsibly and in strict compliance with the stated purpose of their application.

    This follows concerns raised by the U.S. Government over the misuse of visas by some Nigerian citizens.

    In a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja, the Service Public Relations Officer,(SPR0), Akinsola Akinlabi, said Nigerians holding U.S. visas must adhere to the terms and conditions under which the visas were granted.

    “The Nigeria Immigration Service wishes to inform the general public of concerns raised by the United States Government regarding the misuse of U.S. visas by Nigerians.

    “All visa holders are advised to strictly adhere to the purpose stated in their visa applications

    “U.S. authorities conduct security screening beyond the initial point of entry into the country. Any breach of immigration or other laws can lead to visa revocation or deportation.

    “Breach of visa conditions, including overstaying, may attract severe penalties, including removal from the U.S. and permanent ineligibility for future travel,” he said.

    According to him, the U.S. remains committed to maintaining a secure and transparent visa process and expects all visa holders to comply fully with its immigration regulations.

    He also advised Nigerian students in the U.S. to remain in active study programmes and refrain from unauthorised withdrawal or absenteeism.

    He noted that such actions could result in visa cancellation and the loss of future eligibility for U.S. travel.

    The NIS warned that the U.S. consular officers reserve the right to deny tourist visas to applicants suspected of intending to travel for the purpose of giving birth, in a bid to secure U.S. citizenship for their children.

    “The NIS will continue to collaborate with the U.S. Mission in Abuja to ensure Nigeria is not included in any expanded visa restrictions,” he said.

    “We are calling on all Nigerian citizens to comply with U.S. visa rules as such conduct is essential to safeguarding legitimate travel opportunities.

  • NOA cautions Nigerians on U.S. visa use

    NOA cautions Nigerians on U.S. visa use

    The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has advised Nigerians travelling abroad, especially to the U.S., to act responsibly in using their visas.

    NOA Director-General, Malam Lanre Issa-Onilu, gave the advice in a statement issued by the agency’s Director of Communications and Media, Mr Bala Musa, on Thursday in Abuja.

    Issa-Onilu urged Nigerians to refrain from misusing U.S. visas and avoid engaging in activities beyond the purpose or classification of their travel documents.

    He said visa security vetting does not end at the point of entry into the United States and that monitoring continues after arrival.

    “U.S. authorities constantly monitor visa holders. Visas can be revoked, and individuals deported, for breaking immigration rules or any U.S. law,” he stated.

    He reminded Nigerians travelling to the U.S. to declare all excess cash above permitted limits and avoid packing contraband items in their luggage.

    The NOA boss warned that overstaying or violating visa conditions could lead to deportation or a lifetime ban from entering the U.S.

    “Such actions could also affect chances for other Nigerians with genuine reasons for travel,” he added.

    Issa-Onilu advised Nigerian students in the U.S. to take timely steps to regularise their visa status before expiry.

    He further noted that Nigerians applying for tourist visas to give birth in the U.S. for citizenship purposes would likely face rejection.

    “The United States applies strict screening to prevent security threats while supporting lawful travel under a fair and transparent visa process,” he said.

  • Mass evacuations in U.S, Japan as major earthquake triggers widespread tsunami warning

    Mass evacuations in U.S, Japan as major earthquake triggers widespread tsunami warning

    A powerful 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck Russia’s Kamchatka Peninsula early Wednesday, triggering widespread tsunami warnings across the Pacific region, including Japan, Hawaii, Alaska, and parts of the US West Coast.

    The US Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the quake occurred off the Far East coast of Russia, sending fears of tsunami waves as high as 13 feet (4 metres) crashing into the Kamchatka shoreline. The tremor was shallow, making it particularly dangerous and capable of generating destructive waves.

    According to Mint, authorities in multiple countries, including Russia, Japan, and the United States, have begun evacuating coastal residents. People have been urged to move to higher ground amid concerns about aftershocks and additional waves.

    Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov described it as “the strongest earthquake in decades,” confirming damage to infrastructure, including a kindergarten, though no casualties have been reported so far.

    In Severo-Kurilsk, a remote town near Kamchatka, residents were evacuated as a precaution. The Sakhalin Governor, Valery Limarenko, confirmed damage and emergency response measures in place.