Top World News

A sweeping defeat of Trump's immigration policies will likely end up in the Supreme Court, a legal expert flagged.Last week, a federal judge in Rhode Island struck down four Trump policies that froze immigration benefits for nationals from 39 countries, attorney Rachel Cohen said on Legal AF. Cohen is now expecting that challenge to land in the Supreme Court."I would be shocked if it didn't go all the way up to the Supreme Court," Cohen said, referring to the case Dorcas International Institute of Rhode Island v. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The administration entered final judgment earlier this week and has already filed a notice of appeal, Cohen added.The Trump administration violated the Administrative Procedure Act and the Immigration and Nationality Act with policies that froze asylum decisions, green cards, work permits, and naturalization for people from countries on Trump's travel-ban list, according to Cohen's description of a ruling by Chief Judge John McConnell."It actually is, I would say, one of the most sweeping kind of rebukes to the Trump administration when it comes to its attempts to target legal immigrants that we have seen thus far," Cohen said. "Trump has been attacking legal immigrants left and right by changing policies as much as possible."Cohen also flagged a deeper problem with Trump's policies, grinding the important immigration process to a halt."If you're not even processing any of these applications, basically all that that arm of the government is doing is terrorizing people on the streets, snatching them up," Cohen said, referring to the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees USCIS and ICE. She also noted that congressional Republicans moved to increase the ICE budget by $70 billion over the next three years.

The Reflecting Pool's new murky, green color is leaving onlookers disgusted and angry after a costly renovation."The Reflecting Pool is VERY green and VERY disgusting," posted Brianne Chapman, who runs the left-wing political X account Anarc-y princess. "Even on the worst days, I never saw it look this bad before."Algae has left the Reflecting Pool tinged green, and workers are struggling to keep it clean despite a multi-million dollar renovation, according to recent reports. People are starting to notice as Trump prepares to celebrate his birthday and America's 250th anniversary."What a disaster," agreed MeidasTouch, a political news site, on X."Good to see the Reflecting Pool back to its normal color," joked Shane Harris, a staff writer for The Atlantic."Reflecting Pool today is looking...a little green," commented attorney and Democratic influencer Matt Rein.Ron Filipkowski, the editor-in-chief of MeidasTouch, wrote, "Hard to believe this is from a guy who inherited $413 million from his father only to declare bankruptcy 6 times before convincing an NBC producer to bail him out by creating a fictional show that he was a successful businessman."

Conservative CNN pundit Scott Jennings embarrassingly lost his attempt to defend Trump as his name came off the Kennedy Center."Are we upset that the president of the United States took an interest in the Kennedy Center?" Jennings asked while on a CNN roundtable."A lot of people are upset about that, yes," CNN host Abby Phillip responded. "Why?" Jennings followed up before taking a shot at Trump opponents. "They've never been able to stand the fact that Donald Trump won the White House the first time, and especially the second time."Phillip quickly countered Jennings' argument by pointing out why people are really upset about Trump's attempted renaming."How about Congress established the Kennedy Center as a memorial for John F. Kennedy, and that it is illegal for him to slap his name on it?" Phillip said. "That is why people are upset about it."Jennings tried to hold up his argument, though."But here's the deal, he took an interest in this," Jennings said, referring to Trump."What about the laws, Scott?" Phillip asked."What about it?" Jennings shot back.Phillip laughed as soon as Jennings said that, but he kept on going."Who cares?" he insisted. "These haters stand out on the street screeching about a name.""Wow, haters," journalist Cari Champion reacted. "Unbelievable."

Trump's announcement of killing the leader of a Venezuelan gang carries a "chilling" detail, according to a legal expert.According to Trump, the U.S. military launched a "swift and lethal" strike against the leader of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang that was a hot topic during the 2024 presidential election. Ryan Goodman, a chaired professor at NYU and editor-in-chief of Just Security, called out the details in Trump's Truth Social post announcing the strike.Goodman was alarmed in particular by a line of Trump's post calling the gang a "foreign army." "If they're this 'army,' what's the limiting principle for stopping that use of state lethal force?" Goodman asked. "More significant and chilling is how far you have to read down this Trump post to learn the individual was not extrajudicially killed inside the U.S."Additionally, he said the Justice Department's position on the Alien Enemies Act seemed to "fall completely apart," when the president said the strike was coordinated "closely with our friends in Venezuela, with whom we are working very well."Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act against Tren de Aragua in March 2025, claiming the gang acts as an arm of the Nicolás Maduro government. The designation, his administration claimed, allowed him to deport Venezuelan migrants without ordinary due process. A declassified U.S. intelligence assessment contradicted Trump's claim that Tren de Aragua operates under Maduro's control."DOJ position - and statute - requires TdA to be acting on behalf of Venezuelan government," Goodman noted.

Government urged to reconsider proposal for 1,100 Afghans, currently stranded in Qatar, who worked with US forcesDozens of US lawmakers urged the Trump administration on Thursday to roll back any plans to ship to unsafe third countries Afghan nationals who worked with US forces during the war in their homeland.In a letter seen by Reuters, more than 80 House of Representatives members, including at least three Republicans as well as Democrats, appealed to secretary of state, Marco Rubio, to reconsider plans for 1,100 Afghans who have been stranded in Qatar awaiting relocation. Continue reading...

Washington claims vessel was violating its blockade of Iranian ports and failed to comply with instructionsThe Indian government has voiced a “strong protest” after three Indian seafarers were killed in US military strikes against oil tankers travelling through the strait of Hormuz.US Central Command confirmed that its aircraft had fired two Hellfire missiles at the engine room of the MT Settebello as it sailed through the Gulf of Oman on Wednesday. Continue reading...

Fatima Jabbe-Bio kept tenancy in Southwark despite living for much of year at presidential lodge in FreetownA social housing flat rented by Sierra Leone’s first lady has been seized by a London council.Southwark council confirmed it had repossessed the two-bedroom home in Walworth previously occupied by Fatima Jabbe-Bio, whose tenancy was reported by the Times last year. Continue reading...

Asked Thursday about bombing Iran's civilian water supply on Fox News, Donald Trump launched into a minutes-long rant about rigged elections instead.Brian Kilmeade, the Fox News host who fielded Trump's call-in, had framed the water strike in approving terms — describing the U.S. campaign as an "Anaconda" strategy squeezing Iran into submission. But when he pointed out that American strikes had hit a water facility serving a population already running out of water, Trump changed the subject.The strike Kilmeade referenced had, the night before, knocked out drinking water for roughly 20,000 residents in the southern Iranian town of Sirik — during a heat wave pushing temperatures above 113 degrees. Weapons experts told CNN the munitions appeared to be US-made GBU-39 precision-guided bombs. The New York Times reported the strike may constitute a war crime; the Geneva Conventions explicitly protect drinking water installations from attack.Trump had other priorities."'In 2020, I got more votes than anybody in history, Republican Party,'" he told Kilmeade. "'And we got more votes, but the election was rigged.'"From there, Trump pivoted to the California governor's race, where his endorsed candidate, Steve Hilton, had just secured a spot on the November ballot against Democrat Xavier Becerra. Trump claimed he personally forced California officials to "approve" Hilton after going "on a tear" about election fraud — a claim with no factual basis. PolitiFact rated Trump's broader assertion that California's ballot-counting pace proved cheating as "Pants on Fire." Hilton advanced because he got enough votes under the state's standard counting procedures."'But — but Iran!" Kilmeade interjected, but Trump kept going."'It's a rigged election. Okay,'" Trump said.Kilmeade muttered he shouldn't have brought up the election at all. Trump, apparently satisfied, finally relented."'Let's get back to Iran,'" he said. "'Much simpler. It's a much simpler situation.'"Whether bombing a civilian water supply in 113-degree heat qualifies as simpler is a question international law experts are now actively debating.