LiveNewsWatch

Category: US News

  • White House Accuses South Africa of Harassing US Staff

    White House Accuses South Africa of Harassing US Staff

    The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has initiated a sharp and critical assault on the South African government, accusing its officials of egregious harassment and doxxing of staff members who are involved in assisting white Afrikaners in their relocation efforts.

    On Thursday, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio made these serious allegations in a statement, a day following South Africa’s expulsion of seven Kenyan nationals. These individuals had entered the country with U.S. support in order to facilitate the processing of Afrikaner relocations.

    The South African government has stated that these individuals were in the country on tourist visas, which means they cannot work and raises questions about what they were doing.

    Rubio expressed serious concerns, saying that U.S. citizens had been briefly detained during the unrest, an action that Washington strongly condemns. He highlighted that some personal information about U.S. officials was leaked, which is a big problem and might put them in danger. Rubio said that if South Africa doesn’t punish the people who did this, it could hurt their relationship with the U.S.

    The South African government said that no U.S. officials were arrested during the raid. They also mentioned that hiring people in the U.S. without the right papers is a serious issue.

    South African President Denied Accusations

    For months, the Trump administration has pressured South African President Cyril Ramaphosa’s government. It has accused Ramaphosa’s administration of allowing the persecution of white Afrikaner farmers in a country dealing with complicated land ownership issues. These claims have mostly spread within far-right groups but are now getting more attention.

    Ramaphosa has strongly denied these accusations. Key elected officials, including leaders from the Afrikaner community, have called the allegations harmful misinformation. This was discussed at a lively gathering at the White House in May.

    The Trump administration has continued to facilitate the relocation of members of the Afrikaner community through the U.S. refugee program, even as it has drastically curtailed refugee admissions for nearly all other nationalities. This reduction has plummeted to a historic low of 7,500 for 2026, a move that various human rights organizations have fiercely criticized as blatant racism.

    Additionally, the Trump administration has escalated tensions by expelling South Africa’s ambassador to the U.S., boycotting the G20 summit held in Johannesburg, and excluding South Africa from participating in next year’s event in Miami, further straining diplomatic relations between the two nations.

  • Trump Media Plans to Merge with Nuclear Fusion Firm to Power AI

    Trump Media Plans to Merge with Nuclear Fusion Firm to Power AI

    President Donald Trump is entering the fusion power industry through a $6 billion merger of his social media company and TAE Technologies, which is backed by Google. This announcement comes just days after industry leaders asked the federal government for more funding.

    On Thursday, an all-stock deal was announced that invests in energy growth due to the rising demand from artificial intelligence (AI) data centers. This deal adds to the diverse business interests of the Trump family, which include cryptocurrency, real estate, and mobile services.

    As the technology industry needs more energy, there is renewed interest in nuclear power. This involves restarting closed reactors, expanding existing nuclear power plants, and planning new small modular reactors.

    Nuclear fusion is a clean and reliable energy source, but it has yet to develop a commercially operational reactor, despite many years of research.

    For over ten years, TAE Technologies has partnered with Google Research to explore fusion science. Its investors include Chevron and the Sumitomo Corporation of America. Founded in 1998, TAE also has a business for energy storage and another that develops targeted cancer treatments.

    When the merger is complete in mid-2026, shareholders from both companies will own about 50% of the new company. Trump Media and Technology Group will be the holding company for the Truth Social platform, TAE Power Solutions, and TAE Life Sciences.

    Major Political Support

    Trump Media’s shares rose nearly 33% in early trading, getting attention from retail investors on Stocktwits. However, the company’s stock has lost almost 70% of its value this year.

    Wedbush analyst Dan Ives noted that TAE is likely to receive significant support from President Trump.

    Since returning to the office this year, Trump’s family has been pursuing business ventures that benefit from his political influence. They’ve made billions in cryptocurrency as Trump supports digital financial assets.

    Companies and scientists have been trying for years to create fusion reactions. This process involves forcing light atoms together at extreme temperatures to release large amounts of energy, similar to how the sun works.

    There are major challenges to making fusion energy a reality. These include producing more energy from the reaction than is used to start it, and building plants that can handle the intense fusion reactions to provide power to the grid.

    This month, TAE CEO Michl Binderbauer and leaders from other fusion companies met with officials from the US Energy Department. This meeting followed the department’s decision to set up its first fusion office.

    Terms of The Agreement

    The company has raised over $1.3 billion in private funding and aims to develop and sell next-generation neutral beam systems for fusion and related applications in a more cost-effective way.

    Trump Media has agreed to provide up to $200 million in cash to TAE upon signing, with an additional $100 million available following the initial filing for registration. This deal has been approved by the boards of both companies.

    The two companies plan to begin construction on the world’s first utility-scale fusion power plant next year. Trump Media CEO Devin Nunes, a Republican congressman who resigned in 2021 to lead the company, stated on an investor call that they plan to “quickly seek approvals” once the deal closes, with site searches for the plant expected to begin by the end of 2026.

    Nunes did not offer further details during the brief eight-minute investor call. He will serve as co-CEO of the new company alongside Binderbauer. The combined entity will have a nine-member board that includes Nunes, Binderbauer, and Donald Trump Jr.

    Trump Media primarily generates revenue from advertising on the Truth Social platform but has consistently reported losses since its inception. In the third quarter ending September, the company experienced a decline in revenue and reported a loss of $54.8 million.

  • US Military Attacked Vessels in The Eastern Pacific, Killing 8

    US Military Attacked Vessels in The Eastern Pacific, Killing 8

    The United States says it killed eight people in recent attacks on ships in the eastern Pacific Ocean. This happened just days after the US military took control of a Venezuelan oil tanker, part of its ongoing military buildup in Latin America.

    The US Military Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) posted on social media that it carried out “lethal strikes” on three vessels in international waters on Monday. These strikes followed orders from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. SOUTHCOM reported that eight people were killed: three on the first vessel, two on the second, and three on the third. They claimed, without providing evidence, that those killed were involved in drug trafficking.

    Since September, at least 90 people have died in similar US attacks on many vessels in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea near Venezuela. Experts in international law have criticized these actions as extrajudicial killings by the US military.

     

    Role of Hegseth in the Attacks

     

    Some US lawmakers have questioned Hegseth about his role in the attacks, asking if he ordered a second strike on a boat that targeted two survivors from a previous attack who were clinging to debris in September. The Pentagon has also sent warships, submarines, drones, and fighter jets to the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, claiming these efforts are meant to combat drug smuggling in the area.

    Venezuela has stated that the attacks and the US military buildup aim to allow “external powers to rob Venezuela’s oil and gas wealth.” This was said even before US forces seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela last week. US President Donald Trump also said, “I assume we’re going to keep the oil.”

     

    US Military Attacked Vessels in The Eastern Pacific, Killing 8

     

    The US military will use airports in Trinidad and Tobago, which are close to Venezuela. This decision comes after recent attacks on ships in Latin America and an increase in the US military presence in the region.

    On Monday, Trinidad and Tobago announced it had allowed US military aircraft to use its airports “in the coming weeks.” The government said this would support “logistical” tasks, including resupplying and rotating personnel.

    Trinidad and Tobago has supported the US military buildup, unlike some leaders in Central and South America. Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar stated that she prefers strong action against drug traffickers, saying she would rather see them “blown to pieces” than let them harm her citizens.

    In response, Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro said on Monday that Venezuela would stop supplying gas to Trinidad and Tobago, according to state television channel Telesur.

  • Trump Asked Xi to Release Hong Kong Media Tycoon Jimmy Lai

    Trump Asked Xi to Release Hong Kong Media Tycoon Jimmy Lai

    U.S. President Donald Trump has appealed to Chinese President Xi Jinping to release Jimmy Lai, a Hong Kong media tycoon imprisoned for his pro-democracy views. Trump is worried about Lai’s health since he is 78 years old and was recently convicted.

    On Monday, Hong Kong’s High Court found Lai guilty on three charges related to a national security trial. Rights groups condemned this ruling, calling it a major setback for press freedom in Hong Kong.

    Prosecutors claimed that Lai conspired to get foreign governments to act against Hong Kong or China and published materials that stirred up distrust towards Chinese authorities. Lai pleaded not guilty and now faces a possible life sentence.

    “I talked to President Xi and asked him to consider releasing Jimmy Lai,” Trump told reporters. He did not say when he made this request. “He’s an older man, and he’s not well. I put that request out there, and we’ll see what happens,” Trump said.

    Trump met Xi in October in South Korea, where he likely brought up Lai’s case. After Trump’s comments, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the verdict showed that Beijing wants to silence dissent.

    Rubio pointed out that the conviction highlights China’s efforts to suppress freedom of speech and other basic rights.

    Lai started the now-closed pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily and has become a key target under Hong Kong’s national security law. “Reports say Mr. Lai’s health has worsened after spending over 1,800 days in prison,” Rubio stated. “We urge authorities to end this ordeal and release Mr. Lai for humanitarian reasons.”

     

     

    The United Kingdom also criticized Lai’s conviction, calling it politically motivated, and demanded his immediate release.

    Lai, a British citizen, has been detained since late 2020. His son, Sebastien, stated that the UK should increase pressure on Beijing. “It’s time to turn words into actions and make my father’s release a condition for better relations with China,” his son said at a news conference in London.

     

    Lai’s Daughter to Quit Politics After His Release from Jail

     

    Lai’s daughter, Claire, said that if her father were released from prison, he would stop being politically active. “He just wants to reunite with his family. He wants to serve our Lord and spend the rest of his days with his family,” she told the Associated Press in Washington.

    “My father is fundamentally not a man who breaks the law,” she added.

    Lai is a devout Catholic who has support in the U.S. from democracy advocates, press freedom groups, and Christian activists. This group is an important part of Trump’s political base.

    In 2021, Lai’s newspaper, Apple Daily, had to close because it reported critically on the government. This was a major change for the media in Hong Kong. Since then, news organizations have been less critical of China because they are afraid of being prosecuted in Hong Kong. As a result, Hong Kong’s global press freedom ranking has dropped to 140th out of 180 countries, according to the group RFA.

    “Even though we expected this verdict, when the news came out, it felt final,” said Edward Li, a former editor at Apple Daily who now lives in Taiwan. “Hong Kong no longer has Apple Daily, and it lacks a strong voice to criticize and monitor the government. This is why we feel the need to fill that role,” Li said.