Before the conflict began, inflation was at 2.4%, but the closure of the strait of Hormuz has affected energy prices
US inflation jumped to an annual rate of 4.2% in May, the third consecutive monthly increase since the start of the Iran war and a three-year high, as Americans continue to face steep oil prices.
Prices have increased sharply over the past several months, rising at an annual rate of 3.3% in March before going up to 3.8% in April. In February, before the conflict began, inflation was at 2.4%.
US launches strikes in retaliation for downing of US army helicopter, while White House source says deal could still be close
The future of peace talks in the Middle East have been thrown into question after Iran’s foreign ministry said it needed to “reassess” its participation, while Donald Trump said Iran would have to “pay the price” after the two countries traded fire overnight, drawing neighbouring states back into an on-and-off war that has consumed the region since late February.
The US launched strikes against Iran in the early hours of Wednesday morning in retaliation for what it said was Iran’s downing of a US army helicopter near the strait of Hormuz. Iran then launched a wave of retaliatory airstrikes claiming hits on US bases in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.
President Trump late Tuesday shared a clip from the series “The West Wing” dismissing the concept of a “proportional response” after the U.S. launched a new round of strikes on Iran in retaliation for an attack on an Apache helicopter. The president first shared on Truth Social the statement issued by U.S. Central Command (Centcom)…
President Trump late Tuesday shared a clip from the series “The West Wing” dismissing the concept of a “proportional response” after the U.S. launched a new round of strikes on Iran in retaliation for an attack on an Apache helicopter. The president first shared on Truth Social the statement issued by U.S. Central Command (Centcom)…
Republicans who are waiting on a funding request for the Iran military conflict say they want clearer answers from the Pentagon on the scope, objectives and price tag of the operation before rallying behind such a measure in a difficult election year. The military campaign, now past its 100-day mark, had cost roughly $29 billion…
Republicans who are waiting on a funding request for the Iran military conflict say they want clearer answers from the Pentagon on the scope, objectives and price tag of the operation before rallying behind such a measure in a difficult election year. The military campaign, now past its 100-day mark, had cost roughly $29 billion…
If the US genuinely wants a deal it will have to engage with Iranian demands on sanctions relief, says Danny Citrinowicz, the former head of the Iran branch of Israeli military intelligence.
Today’s exchange of strikes shows how easily both Iran and the US can slide towards another round of escalation, says Citrinowicz, who is now a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council.
If Washington is unwilling to accept that reality, it should recognize the likely alternative: continued confrontations with Iran that could eventually spiral beyond anyone’s control and lead to military conflict under less favorable conditions.
Even a limited military campaign designed to weaken Iran would not fundamentally alter Tehran’s negotiating position. It has not happened in the past, and there is little reason to believe it would happen now. Iran emerges from the latest exchange of blows convinced that it can absorb pressure and respond to attacks.”
Legal and moral responsibility of all countries in the region (especially those located along the southern shores of the Persian Gulf) to prevent the US military and Israel from using their territory or facilities to plan, organise, execute, or support hostile actions against Iran.
Exclusive: poll across 15 countries finds ‘deep mistrust’, with majority doubting US would come to their aid in an attack
European confidence in an American “security guarantee” has hit a historic low, a survey suggests, with only one in 10 people across 15 countries seeing the US as an ally and majorities in all doubting it would come to their aid if they were attacked.
The survey, published on Wednesday by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) thinktank before critical G7 and Nato summits in France and Turkey over the coming weeks, revealed “deep European distrust in the US”, the authors said.
Albanese says Australia still impacted by Middle East conflict ‘each and every day’
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is now on the ABC News Breakfast couch. He said Australia remains concerned about the economic impact of the turmoil in the Middle East.
Our job now is to demonstrate that we are a genuine and credible alternative to this terrible Labor government.
He’s a great supporter of the party, he’s a great supporter of Angus Taylor, I think this is a great opportunity. The Liberal party has always been what John Howard called the broad church: we like having different opinions.
We listen to everybody’s views, and we represent them.
Pressure is growing on President Trump to back down from his controversial move to appoint Bill Pulte to lead the intelligence community in order to safeguard another priority— renewing America’s warrantless spy powers. A growing number of Democrats have threatened to not renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) — even on…
Pressure is growing on President Trump to back down from his controversial move to appoint Bill Pulte to lead the intelligence community in order to safeguard another priority— renewing America’s warrantless spy powers. A growing number of Democrats have threatened to not renew Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) — even on…
A federal judge ruled on Monday that the $100,000 fee Trump imposed on H-1B visa applications was unlawful, striking down one of the administration’s key immigration measures targeting skilled foreign workers.
U.S. District Judge Leo Sorokin of Boston found the payment was a tax, not a penalty, and that the president lacked authority to impose it without congressional approval. His 42-page ruling also barred the State Department and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services from enforcing the requirement.
Sorokin, appointed by former President Barack Obama, applied reasoning from a February Supreme Court decision that struck down Trump’s tariffs issued under emergency authority. He concluded that immigration law, like the emergency statute in that case, does not permit the president to levy taxes.
Inside Trump’s case for the $100,000 H-1B visa fee
The H-1B program allows U.S. companies to hire foreign workers for specialized roles. Applicants must hold at least a bachelor’s degree. Visas are approved for three years with a possible three-year extension.
Each year, the program makes 65,000 visa slots available, along with a separate pool of 20,000 set aside for applicants holding advanced degrees.
Trump's $100,000 H-1B visa fee has been blocked by a judge.
Judge Leo Sorokin ruled the new fee for highly skilled foreign workers is unlawful and that it amounts to an unauthorised tax. pic.twitter.com/v1J9Np5qyV
Employers typically paid $2,000 to $5,000 in fees before the order. Economists say the program helps American companies stay competitive and creates domestic jobs.
Trump announced the $100,000 H-1B visa requirement in September, saying the program had been misused to replace American workers with cheaper foreign labor.
The fee did not apply to foreign nationals already in the country on student visas, who represent a significant portion of new applicants.
The requirement saw little uptake. USCIS recorded only 85 payments as of Feb. 15, according to a March court filing.
Attorneys General celebrate as administration vows to appeal
Twenty Democratic attorneys general filed the lawsuit in December. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who led the group, said that the ruling protects the country’s ability to attract skilled workers, on which the economy depends.
New York Attorney General Letitia James said that it blocked what she called an unlawful effort to undermine the program and the jobs it supports.
The administration defended the policy as a lawful use of presidential authority over immigration. White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said that the ruling would be appealed, adding that the president has the authority to restrict the entry of foreign nationals deemed harmful to American interests.
Justice Department spokeswoman Natalie Baldassarre said that the department would continue holding companies accountable for misusing the program.
At least three lawsuits have targeted the fee. A federal judge in Washington ruled in December in favor of the administration in a separate case brought by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which is appealing that outcome.
The administration has also called for stricter applicant screening and put forward a revised selection process designed to give priority to foreign workers with higher qualifications and better pay.
Hunter Biden has burst back onto the political scene with a social media spree marked by crude responses to Republican critics and self-deprecating humor about his troubled personal life. As the son of former President Biden, his return to the public eye has quickly drawn the attention of hundreds of thousands of followers on the…
Hunter Biden has burst back onto the political scene with a social media spree marked by crude responses to Republican critics and self-deprecating humor about his troubled personal life. As the son of former President Biden, his return to the public eye has quickly drawn the attention of hundreds of thousands of followers on the…
The US has launched strikes against Iran after Donald Trump blamed Tehran for downing a US army helicopter near the strait of Hormuz, imperilling a shaky ceasefire that was announced by the two countries in April.
The attacks triggered a wave of retaliatory strikes from Iran on Wednesday morning, with Tehran saying it had targeted Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan.
Two senior Republican senators on Tuesday agreed Congress is unlikely to pass a third reconciliation bill, cautioning against relying on the possibility for defense funding. During a hearing Tuesday morning about next year’s budget for the Air Force, Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) questioned Air Force Secretary Troy E. Meink about a low…
Two senior Republican senators on Tuesday agreed Congress is unlikely to pass a third reconciliation bill, cautioning against relying on the possibility for defense funding. During a hearing Tuesday morning about next year’s budget for the Air Force, Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Susan Collins (R-Maine) questioned Air Force Secretary Troy E. Meink about a low…
An unmanned U.S. Navy surface vessel rescued the U.S. Army AH-64 Apache crew late Monday that went down near the Strait of Hormuz. The two crew members, who were in the waters close to the coast of Oman, were located and picked up by a Saronic Corsair, which is part of the Navy’s artificial intelligence and drone…
An unmanned U.S. Navy surface vessel rescued the U.S. Army AH-64 Apache crew late Monday that went down near the Strait of Hormuz. The two crew members, who were in the waters close to the coast of Oman, were located and picked up by a Saronic Corsair, which is part of the Navy’s artificial intelligence and drone…
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