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Trump adds seven countries, including Syria, to full travel ban list

The White House cited visa overstay rates for Syria in its justification for the ban.

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U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday expanded a list of countries subject to a full travel ban, prohibiting citizens from an additional seven countries, including Syria, from entering the United States.

The White House said in a statement that Trump signed a proclamation “expanding and strengthening entry restrictions on nationals from countries with demonstrated, persistent, and severe deficiencies in screening, vetting, and information-sharing to protect the Nation from national security and public safety threats.”

Tuesday’s move banned citizens from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan, Syria and those holding Palestinian Authority-issued travel documents. The action also imposes a full ban on Laos and Sierra Leone, which had previously only been subject to partial restrictions.

The White House said the expanded ban goes into effect on January 1.

The action comes despite Trump’s vow to do everything he could to make Syria successful after landmark talks in November with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, a former al Qaeda commander who until recently was sanctioned by Washington as a foreign terrorist.

Trump has backed Sharaa, whose visit capped a stunning year for the rebel-turned-ruler who toppled longtime autocratic leader Bashar al-Assad and has since traveled the world trying to depict himself as a moderate leader who wants to unify his war-ravaged nation and end its decades of international isolation.

But in a post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, Trump vowed “very serious retaliation” after the U.S. military said two U.S. Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed in Syria by a suspected Islamic State attacker who targeted a convoy of American and Syrian forces before being shot dead. He described the incident in remarks to reporters as a “terrible” attack.

The White House cited visa overstay rates for Syria in its justification for the ban.

“Syria is emerging from a protracted period of civil unrest and internal strife. While the country is working to address its security challenges in close coordination with the United States, Syria still lacks an adequate central authority for issuing passports or civil documents and does not have appropriate screening and vetting measures,” the White House said.

Trump signed a proclamation in June banning the citizens of 12 countries from entering the United States and restricting those from seven others, saying it was needed to protect against “foreign terrorists” and other security threats. The bans apply to both immigrants and non-immigrants, such as tourists, students and business travelers.

The travel ban remains on those twelve countries, the White House said.

Trump also added partial restrictions and entry limitations on an additional 15 countries, including Nigeria, which is under scrutiny from Trump, who in early November threatened military action over the treatment of Christians in the country.

Nigeria says claims that Christians face persecution misrepresent a complex security situation and do not take into account efforts to safeguard religious freedom.

Since returning to office in January, Trump has aggressively prioritized immigration enforcement, sending federal agents to major U.S. cities and turning away asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border.

The expansion of the countries subject to entry restrictions marks a further escalation of immigration measures the administration has taken since the shooting of two National Guard members in Washington, D.C., last month.

Investigators say the shooting was carried out by an Afghan national who entered the U.S. in 2021 through a resettlement program under which Trump administration officials have argued there was insufficient vetting.

Days after the shooting, Trump vowed to “permanently pause” migration from all “Third World Countries,” although he did not identify any by name or define the term.

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Trump rejects latest Iranian proposal to end war, US official says

According to officials familiar with the discussions, Iran’s latest plan would delay talks over its nuclear program until after the fighting ends and maritime disputes in the Gulf are resolved.

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U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly dissatisfied with Iran’s latest proposal aimed at ending the two-month conflict between the two countries, according to a U.S. official, raising fresh doubts over prospects for a ceasefire.

The renewed diplomatic setback comes as the war continues to disrupt global energy markets, drive inflation concerns and deepen regional instability.

According to officials familiar with the discussions, Iran’s latest plan would delay talks over its nuclear program until after the fighting ends and maritime disputes in the Gulf are resolved.

That approach is believed to have angered Trump, whose administration insists that any agreement must address Iran’s nuclear activities from the outset.

A U.S. official briefed on a Monday meeting between Trump and senior advisers said the president was unhappy with the proposal because it postponed one of Washington’s core demands.

White House spokeswoman Olivia Wales declined to discuss negotiations publicly, saying the United States “will not negotiate through the press” and had already made its red lines clear.

Iranian officials say their proposal envisions a phased process beginning with an immediate end to U.S. and Israeli military operations, followed by guarantees against renewed attacks.

The next stage would address the U.S. naval blockade and the future of the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important oil shipping lanes.

Only after those issues are settled would broader negotiations begin on Tehran’s nuclear program, including Iran’s demand for recognition of its right to enrich uranium for civilian purposes.

Iran has long maintained that its nuclear activities are peaceful.

Diplomatic Efforts Continue

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has recently travelled to Pakistan, Oman and Russia in an effort to build support for negotiations.

During a visit to Moscow, Araqchi met President Vladimir Putin, who reportedly offered diplomatic backing.

Planned peace talks in Islamabad were also dealt a blow after Trump cancelled a proposed visit by special envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner.

With no clear breakthrough in sight, oil prices rose again in Asian trading on Tuesday as traders focused on continued disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Ship-tracking data indicated that maritime traffic through the chokepoint has dropped sharply since the conflict began, with several tankers reportedly turned back in recent days.

Before the war, more than 120 vessels passed through the strait daily. Analysts say that number has fallen dramatically, increasing pressure on global energy supplies.

Trump is also facing growing domestic pressure to end the war, particularly as economic concerns mount and public support weakens.

Iranian officials say Washington has failed to meet its military objectives, while the White House insists pressure will continue until U.S. demands are met.

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Turkey’s Erdogan offers support to Trump in call after White House dinner shooting

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Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan offered ​his support for ‌U.S. President Donald Trump in a phone ​call following a shooting ​at the White House ⁠Correspondents’ Association dinner, ​the Turkish presidency said ​late on Sunday.

“Erdogan said he saw the incident ​as a heinous ​act against democracy and press ‌freedom,” ⁠the presidency said in a statement on X, Reuters reported.

Earlier, Erdogan ​had condemned ​the ⁠incident in a separate statement ​on X, saying ​he ⁠was happy that Trump and first ⁠lady ​Melania Trump ​were unharmed.

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Trump safe after shooting at White House correspondents dinner, suspect in custody

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President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were rushed out of the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner by Secret Service agents on Saturday night after ​a man armed with a shotgun tried to breach security, officials said.

The armed man fired at a Secret ‌Service agent, an FBI official told Reuters. The agent was hit in an area covered by protective gear and not harmed, the official said.

All federal officials, including Trump, were safe. About an hour after Trump was rushed from the event, he posted on Truth Social that a “shooter had been apprehended.”

“Quite ​an evening in D.C. Secret Service and Law Enforcement did a fantastic job,” Trump added.

‘GET DOWN, GET DOWN!’

Shortly afterwards, ​he posted, “The First Lady, plus the Vice President, and all Cabinet members, are in perfect condition.” He ⁠said he would be holding a White House press conference on Saturday night.

Anthony Guglielmi, a Secret Service spokesman, said the service ​was investigating a shooting near the main screening area at the entrance to the event.

After the sound of shots, dinner attendees immediately ​stopped talking and people started screaming “Get down, get down!” Many of the 2,600 attendees took cover while waiters fled to the front of the dining hall.

Security agents pushed cabinet officials to the ground, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.

Other security ​personnel in combat fatigues stormed the stage and evacuated Trump and his wife. Some security personnel took up position on the stage, ​pointing their rifles into the ballroom. Cabinet members were then evacuated from the venue one by one.

Trump and the first lady bent down behind ‌the dais ⁠before being hustled out by Secret Service officers. Trump stayed backstage about one hour, a source told Reuters. “We are staying,” he was overheard saying, the source said.

The event eventually was canceled for the evening. Trump posted on social media that he hoped it could be rescheduled in 30 days.

Saturday was the first time Trump has attended the correspondents’ dinner as president.

He was the subject of two ​assassination attempts in 2024, after ​he left the White House ⁠in 2021 and while he was campaigning for reelection.

The most serious occurred while Trump was campaigning at an outdoor rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024. Trump was shot and wounded in his ​upper ear by a 20-year-old gunman. The gunman was shot dead by security personnel.

Just over two ​months after the ⁠Butler shooting, Secret Service agents spotted a man wielding a gun and hiding in bushes at the Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, while Trump was on the course. It was deemed an assassination attempt and the suspect was sentenced to life in ⁠prison in ​February.

The site of Saturday’s dinner, the Washington Hilton, was the scene of an ​attempt on the life of President Ronald Reagan, who was shot and wounded by a would-be assassin outside the hotel in 1981.

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