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Tag: USA

  • BREAKING! Finally , Iran accepts US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire deal with Israel

    BREAKING! Finally , Iran accepts US President Donald Trump’s ceasefire deal with Israel

    Foreign Affairs Minister of Iran, Abbas Araghchi, has hinted at a possible ceasefire with Israel, which was earlier announced by US President Donald Trump.

    Araghchi had posted earlier that there was no agreement on a ceasefire, warning that Israel must first stop hostilities with Iran.

    However, in what looks like a backtrack from earlier posts on social media, Araghchi thanked Iran’s Armed Forces for defending ‘our dear country’ by “responding to any attack by the enemy until the very last minute, at 4 am”, hinting at a likely end to missile attacks on Israel.

    Recall that Trump had said the ceasefire would take effect at 4 am local time in Iran and 6 am in Israel.

    “The military operations of our powerful Armed Forces to punish Israel for its aggression continued until the very last minute, at 4 am.”

    Together with all Iranians, I thank our brave Armed Forces who remain ready to defend our dear country until their last drop of blood, and who…

    — Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) June 24, 2025

    However, Israel has refused to make any comment on this fresh development.

  • REVENGE! Chad halts U.S. visa issuance in response to Trump-Era travel ban

    REVENGE! Chad halts U.S. visa issuance in response to Trump-Era travel ban

    In a diplomatic move, Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Déby has announced the suspension of visa issuance to citizens of the United States, citing reciprocity in response to a U.S. travel ban that primarily targets African and other developing nations.

    The announcement, made on Thursday via Facebook, is a direct response to travel restrictions originally introduced under former U.S. President Donald Trump, which placed Chad and several other countries on a restricted travel list.

    “I have instructed the government to act based on the principle of reciprocity and suspend the issuance of visas to U.S. citizens,” President Déby declared. “Chad does not have planes to offer or billions of dollars to give, but Chad has its dignity and pride.”

    Backdrop: Travel Ban Impacting Multiple African Nations

    The U.S. travel ban, which first drew widespread international criticism when implemented in 2020, targets 12 countries, seven of which are in Africa. These include:

    Chad

    Nigeria

    Sudan

    Somalia

    Libya

    Eritrea

    Equatorial Guinea

    The restrictions were justified by the Trump administration as necessary for national security and immigration control, but they have since been described by critics as discriminatory and counterproductive to global cooperation.

    Other nations affected by the broader travel and visa restrictions include Afghanistan, Iran, Myanmar, Yemen, and Haiti.

    Additionally, citizens of Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan, and Venezuela also face varying levels of visa limitations under U.S. immigration policies.

    AU Reacts, Urges Respectful Engagement

    The African Union (AU) has voiced deep concern over the enduring effects of the U.S. travel ban, warning of long-term damage to diplomatic and economic relations between Africa and the United States.

    In an official statement, the AU urged Washington to reconsider its approach, advocating for greater consultation and mutual respect:

    “We call on the U.S. government to adopt a more consultative and inclusive strategy when it comes to international mobility and migration policies,” the AU stated. “Diplomatic engagement and mutual respect must remain at the heart of foreign relations.”

    Chad Asserts Sovereignty Amid Global Tensions

    President Déby’s decision to enforce reciprocal travel restrictions signals a growing determination among African leaders to stand firm against what they perceive as unilateral and unfair international policies.

    Observers view the move as both symbolic and political, aimed at asserting Chad’s national dignity and resisting what Déby referred to as “global double standards” in migration and diplomatic engagements.

    Though there has been no formal response from the U.S. State Department as of press time, the development marks a sharp escalation in diplomatic tensions between Chad and the United States.

  • Trouble looming for Nigeria’s FX inflows over American Lawmakers proposed US tax on remittances

    Trouble looming for Nigeria’s FX inflows over American Lawmakers proposed US tax on remittances

    Lawmakers in the United States are weighing new legislation that could have far-reaching implications for emerging markets, particularly those that rely heavily on remittance inflows to bolster foreign exchange reserves and support currency stability.

    The proposed bill aims to impose a 5% tax on all remittances sent from US residents to recipients abroad, as part of efforts to improve fiscal revenues. We note that if passed, the legislation would require senders to pay the tax at the point of transfer, thereby increasing the cost of cross-border remittance transactions. Under the proposed framework, the 5% tax burden would fall on the sender in the US. However, there is a provision in the bill that allows verified US citizens to claim the remitted amount as a tax credit, potentially offsetting the financial impact for that group.

    For Nigeria, the implications are particularly concerning, given the critical role remittances play in supporting the current account balance.

    In 2024, remittance inflows reached a five-year high of US$23.8bn, equivalent to approximately 12.7% of GDP, and accounted for about 17% of the growth in the current account. We highlight that these inflows have been crucial in easing external financing pressures, supporting the stability of the local currency, and enhancing the disposable income of Nigerian households amid a challenging macroeconomic environment. Given that the US is reported to be one of the largest sources of remittances to Nigeria, any increase in the cost of sending funds could dampen overall inflows and adversely impact the many households that depend on remittances to sustain their livelihoods. Our baseline projections indicate that remittance inflows could rise by 6.2% year-on-year (YoY) to reach US$25.3bn, 13.4% of GDP, in 2025. However, the introduction of the proposed levy may dampen this momentum, potentially resulting in slightly lower inflows than anticipated.

    Beyond the direct financial burden, the proposed tax may unintentionally encourage the growth of informal or black-market remittance channels. Migrants abroad ineligible for tax credits may seek alternative and unregulated methods to send money home. This could undermine financial transparency, reduce the traceability of cross-border flows, and complicate the government’s efforts to harness remittances for national development.

  • Oil prices climb to nearly $66 following US-China tariff truce

    Oil prices climb to nearly $66 following US-China tariff truce

    Oil prices surged on Monday, reaching $65.99 per barrel, after the United States and China agreed to temporarily ease tariffs, fueling optimism that the trade dispute between the world’s top two crude consumers may be nearing resolution.

    According to Reuters, Brent crude futures rose by $2.08, or 3.25%, to $65.99 a barrel. Similarly, US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures increased by $2.05, or 3.36%, to $63.07.

    The rally came after both nations announced a 90-day pause on further tariff actions following negotiations in Geneva over the weekend. As part of the agreement, tariffs will be reduced by over 100 percentage points, returning to a baseline rate of 10%.

    Prior to this development, crude prices had fallen to $60, creating fiscal pressure for oil-dependent nations. Market analysts suggest that a reduction in trade tensions between the two economic powerhouses could stabilize global demand and support oil prices.

    Ole Hansen, a market analyst at Saxo Bank, noted that easing trade frictions would reduce the risk of a prolonged economic downturn, which has weighed heavily on the oil market.

    The Geneva discussions marked the first high-level, in-person meeting between US and Chinese economic officials since President Donald Trump resumed office and reinstated aggressive trade measures.

    Improved dialogue between the two nations could restore trade flows and bolster global oil demand. “This is a positive step, and certainly better than a breakdown in talks,” said Callum Macpherson, head of commodities at Investec. “It’s no surprise that oil markets are reacting positively.”

    Last week, both crude benchmarks recorded gains of over 4%, buoyed by a US trade agreement with the UK that further boosted investor sentiment and eased concerns about widespread economic fallout from American tariff policies.

    Earlier in April, the US-China trade war had dragged oil prices to their lowest levels in four years.

  • Human rights attacks fueled by Trump’s second term, says Amnesty

    Human rights attacks fueled by Trump’s second term, says Amnesty

    The global system of law and human rights is under threat from a “multiplicity of assaults” which have accelerated since US President Donald Trump’s return to power, Amnesty International said Tuesday in its annual report.

    “Unprecedented forces are hunting down the ideals of human rights for all, seeking to destroy an international system forged in the blood and grief of World War Two and its Holocaust,” said the rights group’s Secretary General Agnes Callamard.

    The lives of millions of people had been “devastated” in 2024 as a result of conflicts and abuses committed in the Middle East, Sudan, Ukraine and Afghanistan where women’s freedoms continue to be curtailed.

    The report singled out some of the world’s biggest powers such as the US, Russia and China for “undermining” the achievements of international law, as well as the fight against poverty and discrimination.

    While these “reckless and punishing offensives” had been underway for several years, according to Amnesty, Trump had served as a “super-accelerator” of those trends.

    The new administration has frozen US international aid and reduced its funding to several UN organisations.

    The start of Trump’s second term had been marked by a “multiplicity of assaults — against human rights accountability, against international law, and against the UN”, Callamard said, calling for “concerted resistance”.

    “While international justice mechanisms have taken important steps towards accountability in some cases, powerful governments have repeatedly blocked attempts to take meaningful action to end atrocities,” Amnesty said.

    In particular, it took aim at countries that had challenged decisions by the International Court of Justice in The Hague against Israel, following a complaint of “genocide” against the Palestinians in Gaza filed by South Africa.

    Others, like Hungary, were criticised for refusing to enforce arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court against several Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

    The year would be remembered for how “Israel’s military occupation grew ever more brazen and deadly” and how “the USA, Germany and a handful of other European states supported Israel”, the report added.

    Amnesty accused Israel of committing a “live-streamed genocide” against Palestinians in Gaza by forcibly displacing most of the population and deliberately creating a humanitarian catastrophe.

    It said Israel had acted with “specific intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza, thus committing genocide”. Israel has repeatedly denied such charges.

    The war in Gaza began on October 7, 2023 with an unprecedented attack on Israel by Hamas militants from Gaza resulting in the deaths of 1,218 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP report based on official Israeli data.

    Hamas also kidnapped 251 people, 58 of whom remain in the hands of the Islamist group, although the Israeli military says 34 are dead.

    In response, Israel has vowed to destroy Hamas and is conducting a military offensive that has left more than 52,000 dead, mostly civilians, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.

    In December, Amnesty condemned the ongoing “genocide” in Gaza, an accusation since echoed by other NGOs such as HRW and Doctors Without Borders, but strongly rejected by Israel.

    Amnesty also highlighted the suffering in Sudan from famine and a conflict between the regular army and the RSF paramilitaries.

    The conflict had led to the “largest forced displacement crisis in the world” today, uprooting some 12 million people but had been met with “near-complete global indifference”, Amnesty said.

    On another front, the rights body said violence and discrimination against women had “soared” in 2024, both in conflicts, such as in Sudan, and in Afghanistan.

    Women in the south Asian country are subject to draconian legislation restricting their freedoms under the Taliban.

    Finally, the report highlighted an “urgent need” for governments to do more to regulate AI technologies to safeguard human rights.

    It warned also that a growing number of governments were abusing spyware and other surveillance tools against opponents.

  • US Embassy releases fresh visa interview requirements for Nigerians

    US Embassy releases fresh visa interview requirements for Nigerians

    The United States mission has announced changes to its visa interview requirements for Nigerian travellers.

    According to a statement on the mission’s site on Friday, the new requirements take effect on April 22.

    Based on the release, visa applicants in Abuja and Lagos must take along a DS-160 visa application form with a confirmation/barcode number that begins with “AA” followed by two zeroes.

    The US mission said the code must match the one used to schedule their appointment online.

    It warned that the failure to verify the alignment will result in denial of entry into the consular section or the visa interview, the mission warned.

    “At least two weeks before your interview, please double-check that the barcode number on your DS-160 form matches the one you used to schedule your appointment,” the mission added.

    “You cannot reuse a DS-160 from a previous application. If your DS-160 barcode is incorrect, you must log into your AVITS account at least 10 days before your appointment to create a support ticket requesting correction of your barcode number.”

    The mission also advised applicants to ensure that their appointment is made at the location chosen during the DS-160 application process. The revisions are part of the efforts of the consulate to ensure a smoother “visa processing”.

    Starting January 1, all visa applicants were mandated to visit the Consulate General in Lagos twice as part of the application process.

    See the full statement below:

    April 11, 2025

    New Requirement for Visa Interviews: Starting April 22, 2025, all visa applicants in Abuja and Lagos must bring a DS-160 visa application form with a confirmation/barcode number (starting with AA and followed by 00 – two zeroes) that matches the one used to make their appointment online. You also must make your appointment in the location you selected when filling out your DS-160.

    Matching Barcode Numbers: If the confirmation/barcode number on your DS-160 form does not match the one you used to book your appointment, you will not be allowed to enter the Consular Section or attend your visa interview.

    Double-Check Your Information: At least two weeks before your interview, please double-check that the barcode number on your DS-160 form matches the one you used to schedule your appointment. You cannot reuse a DS-160 from a previous application.

    Correcting DS-160 Barcode: If your DS-160 barcode is incorrect, you must log into your AVITS account at at least 10 days before your appointment to create a support ticket requesting correction of your barcode number.

    Rescheduling Appointments: If you are turned away from your appointment because your barcode numbers do not match, once you correct the problem, you will need to book a new appointment to proceed with your visa application. You may book a new appointment by logging into your AVITS account at If your visa fee has expired, you may have to pay a new fee before booking.

    Contact Us for Help: If you have any questions or need help, please contact the visa call center for assistance.

    +234 2013438900 or +1 734 418 2395 (from the U.S.)
    nigeria@usvisaappt.com; or through the ChatBot and Click-To-Talk features embedded on the AVITS website.

  • US revokes former president ,Nobel Peace Prize winner Oscar Arias visa

    US revokes former president ,Nobel Peace Prize winner Oscar Arias visa

    A former president of Costa Rica, Oscar Arias, says his US visa has been revoked.

    Arias, a Nobel laureate, said he was informed of the decision weeks after he had publicly criticised Donald Trump, comparing the behaviour of the US president to that of a Roman emperor.

    The 84-year-old, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in brokering an end to conflicts in Central America, said US authorities had given no explanation.

    Arias hinted, however, that it may be due to his rapprochement with China during the time he was president from 2006 to 2010.

    Speaking at a news conference in the Costa Rican capital, San José, Arias said he had “no idea” what the reason for the cancellation was.

    He said he had received a “terse” email “of a few lines” from the US government informing him of the decision.

    He added that he thought that it was not President Trump but the US State Department, which had taken the decision.

    While he said it would be conjecture on his part to speculate about the reason behind the visa revocation, he did point out that “I established diplomatic relations with China.

    “That, of course, is known throughout the world,” he told journalists of his 2007 decision to cut ties with Taiwan and establish them with China instead.

    The Trump administration has sought to oppose China’s influence in the Western hemisphere and has accused a number of Central American governments of cosying up to the Chinese government and Chinese companies.

    However, it has been supportive of the current Costa Rican President, Rodrigo Chaves, praising his decision to exclude Chinese firms from participating in the development of 5G in Costa Rica.

    But this perceived closeness between President Chaves and the US was criticised by Arias, who wrote a post on social media in February saying that “it has never been easy for a small country to disagree with the US government, less so when its president behaves like a Roman emperor, telling the rest of the world what to do”.

    He added that “during my governments, Costa Rica never received orders from Washington as if we were a banana republic.”

    Arias is not the only Costa Rican to have had his US visa revoked. Three members of the country’s national assembly who opposed President Chaves’s decree to exclude Chinese companies from participating in the development of 5G have also had theirs cancelled. [BBC]

  • Angry Trump moves to reject visa applications of Nigerians, others critical of U.S. on social media

    Angry Trump moves to reject visa applications of Nigerians, others critical of U.S. on social media

    U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has directed U.S. embassies around the world to scrutinise social media posts of visa applicants for content critical of the United States and Israel before approving their applications.

    This move followed the executive order signed by President Donald Trump after he returned to the White House, granting the Department of State the go-ahead to revoke visas of international students and other temporary visa holders suspected to have engaged in anti-American activities.

    In the instructions cable sent to U.S. diplomatic missions around the world on March 25, Mr Rubio directed that starting immediately, consular officers must refer certain student and exchange visitor visa applicants to the “fraud prevention unit” for a “mandatory social media check,” the New York Times reported, citing two government officials.

    The fraud prevention unit of an embassy or consulate’s section for consular affairs, which issues the visas, helps screen applicants.

    The Times reported that the cable also described broad parameters visa officers must use in determining whether to grant or deny visa applications, including scrutinising posts of student and exchange applicants who were granted visas between October 7, 2023, and August 31, 2024, for potential cancellations.

    Mr Rubio stated in the cable that applicants can be denied a visa if their behaviour or actions show they bear “a hostile attitude toward U.S. citizens or U.S. culture (including government, institutions, or founding principles).”

    Since January, Mr Rubio has revoked more than 300 visas, many of them belonging to students, for participating in activities deemed critical of Israel over the ongoing war in Gaza, with critics accusing the Trump administration of having no regard for the Constitution.

  • Appeal Court dumps Trump’s request to reinstate birthright citizenship ban

    Appeal Court dumps Trump’s request to reinstate birthright citizenship ban

    An appeal court upheld an order on Wednesday blocking President Donald Trump from ending birthright citizenship for children whose parents are in the United States illegally.

    The emergency request was filed by the Justice Department in an attempt to clear the path for Trump’s executive order, which has been blocked by judges in lower district courts since it was issued in January.

    Trump’s order attempts to redefine the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution, which decrees that anyone born on US soil is a citizen.

    Among the most controversial of Trump’s executive orders, it claims the right does not apply to the children of anyone other than permanent residents and citizens.

    The request was denied by a panel of three judges from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, who were nominated by Trump and former presidents Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush.

    “Here, the Government has not shown that it is entitled to immediate relief,” judge Danielle Forrest, who was appointed by Trump in 2019, said in the ruling.

    She said the “sole basis” for seeking the emergency request was that the district court had “stymied the implementation of an Executive Branch policy… nationwide for almost three weeks.”

    She said “deciding important substantive issues on one week’s notice turns our usual decision-making process on its head” and that the circumstances did not “dictate that we must.”

    Trump’s executive order was due to come into effect by February 19 but was first blocked temporarily by a federal judge in January and the timeframe has since been extended.

    His orders have faced growing pushback from the courts, with about a dozen injunctions issued so far from among some 40 lawsuits.

  • January 20: USA day of salvation’s the day of uncertainty – By Owei Lakemfa

    January 20: USA day of salvation’s the day of uncertainty – By Owei Lakemfa

    The United States of America, USA is to present to the world next  Monday, January 20, 2025, its two faces. It will mark the Martin Luther King Jnr, MLK Day. The federal holiday which would be holding for the 39th year, is the American face of non-violence, civil and human rights. It is a day that propagates the basic philosophy and principles of equality, justice, and peace which MLK symbolized.

    Ironically, it will also be the day its  new,  President Donald Trump whose philosophy stands in sharp contrast to MLK, would be sworn in for a second time.  Where the latter stood for non-violence, Trump is  inclined to violence. He also  has no care for civil or human rights including those of women. Where MLK is for peace, Trump is a leading advocate of furthering the USA war economy. Where the former  is rational  and predictable, the latter  can be irrational and unpredictable.

    In some cases, the fear of Trump may  be  the beginning of wisdom. For instance, Israel and Palestine, after fifteen months war with nearly 47,000 killed, have suddenly reached a peace deal. It is one in which both sides will  release political prisoners or prisoners of war, POW. Israel would pull back to Gaza’s perimeters and allow humanitarian aid flow into Palestine.  This is a task, out-going President Joe Biden  has been most reluctant to undertake. Rather, he concentrated on pouring  more weapons  into Israel and  seemed comfortable being  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s unofficial spokesman. When there were cries about  Palestinian children being wiped out by the Israeli military, Biden’s response was that the numbers of those killed were exaggerated.

    Biden may have a hand in the latest peace deal, but Trump has been taking credit.  He boasted about the Wednesday Peace Agreement: “The EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signalled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies.”

    He has made a similar boast on the Russo-Ukrainian War.  The recent intensification of that conflict might be attempts by both sides to gain more territory before Trump is sworn in.  Russia, before the war, had pushed for peace deals under the MINSK I &II Agreements, and continues to call for a negotiated settlement.

    Ukraine on the other hand, after rejecting   the  MINSK Agreements, has been pushing for an outright military victory over Russia. Save for countries like Hungary and Germany that are not convinced victory would come on the battlefield, the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, NATO supporters of Ukraine  have, like motivational speakers, convinced Zelensky that he can militarily defeat Russia. But Trump does not have such beliefs and with him in the White House, neither Ukraine nor NATO can be sure of the maverick’s position.

    Trump in the campaigns and shortly after his electoral victory had promised to negotiate the Ukrainian War with Russian President Vladmir Putin, end Ukraine’s ambition to join NATO  and impose a 10-20 per-cent tariff on America’s $1.3 trillion trade with Europe.  He  also threatened to impose similar tariff on China, BRICS Members and on America’s neigbours; Mexico and Canada.

    It is not only foreigners  warning  about a renewed Trump Presidency. Even Biden, whose under-performance and lack of principles, handed Trump  victory at the November 2024 polls over Vice President Kamala Harris, is also wailing.

    In his Wednesday, January 15 Farewell Speech in the White House, he warned of a developing oligarchy and   the dangerous concentration of power in the hands of a very few ultra-wealthy people. This was an obvious reference to Trump and his close friends like  Ellon Musk and paypall co-founder, Ken Howery.  Biden lamented: “Today, an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence that literally threatens our entire democracy, our basic rights and freedoms, and a fair shot for everyone to get ahead.”

    Also, in a little veiled reference to Trump who in his ‘alternative facts’  makes no distinction between the truth and falsehood, Biden cried: “Americans are being buried under an avalanche of misinformation and disinformation, enabling the abuse of power. The free press is crumbling, editors are disappearing. Social media is giving up on fact checking. The truth is smothered by lies told for power and for profit. We must hold the social platforms accountable to protect our children, our families and our very democracy from the abuse of power.”

    But  Trumpism  may be  much more dangerous than Old Biden portrays.  Trump imagines himself a Superman, a neo- Tarzanist  swinging across the world; a cowboy with a badge, plucking down people. He sees himself as the world policeman beating everyone into line.  Trump  is a sword threatening to cut both ways,  sparing neither his assumed Chinese foes nor Western European allies, not even neigbours across the borders in Mexico and  Canada. As for us in the underdeveloped world, we are nothing more than a “shithole”

    More dangerously, he wants to extend the frontiers of the US to new colonies. For instance, on Sunday, January 12, 2025 he indicated that the USA  wants to take over  Greenland. He wrote: “For purposes of National Security and Freedom throughout the World, the United States of America feels that the ownership and control of Greenland is an absolute necessity.”

    He was more direct on the Panama Canal which he threatened to seize because he claims that the fees being charged by the Panamanian Government for ships passing through it were too high. Referring to the  USA control over the canal until 1977,  Trump said he would demand that the: “Panama Canal be returned to us, in full, quickly and without question” When Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino responded that: “Every square meter of the Panama Canal and its adjacent area belong to PANAMA, and will continue to be.” Trump retorted: “We’ll see about that.”  He then  posted a photo of the American flag  over the canal with the caption: “Welcome to the United States Canal!”

    He may also,  with the assistance of allies like  Elon Musk, want to colonise the  outer space.

    Trump is like a reflated ego making a second grand entrance on the world stage. He first came as a phenomenon; his second appearance might be no more than a caricature. What is roaring like a lion and rumbling in the  jungle? Is it the same Trump that four years ago was trampling on grass and uprooting trees like a frightened     elephant? The next few years would reveal if we are dealing with the same being or one that has undergone some transformation or transmutation. Whatever it is, even this, shall come to pass.