The US military carried out air strikes against dozens of Islamic State targets in Syria on Friday in retaliation for an attack that killed American personnel, US officials said. The strikes followed a pledge by Donald Trump to respond forcefully after a suspected Islamic State fighter attacked US forces in central Syria last weekend. A US official, speaking anonymously, said the operation was a large-scale response targeting sites across central…

Earlier this month, the Trump administration ordered USCIS to pause all immigration petitions from nationals of countries listed under the travel ban first announced in June.

The Trump administration has announced a major package of arms sales to Taiwan worth more than $10bn, including medium-range missiles, artillery systems and drones, prompting a sharp response from China. The US state department confirmed the sales late on Wednesday, during a nationally televised address by President Donald Trump. Trump made little reference to foreign policy and did not mention China or Taiwan. Relations between Washington and Beijing have fluctuated…

Hundreds of Gen Z protesters have been arbitrarily detained in Morocco amid allegations of beatings and mistreatment, drawing condemnation from human rights groups as the country prepares to host the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday. The arrests followed a wave of youth-led protests in late September and early October over underfunded healthcare and education. The demonstrations, dubbed “Gen Z 212” after Morocco’s international dialling code, were the largest the…

China is set to impose a value-added tax on condoms and other contraceptives for the first time in more than 30 years, as part of efforts to modernise its tax system and encourage higher birth rates. From 1 January, condoms and contraceptives will be subject to a 13% VAT rate. The products have been exempt since China introduced a nationwide VAT system in 1993. The change was included in a…

Belgian politicians and senior finance executives have been targeted in a campaign of intimidation linked to Russian intelligence, aimed at persuading Belgium to block the use of €185bn in frozen Russian assets for Ukraine, according to European intelligence agencies. Security officials told the Guardian that key figures at Euroclear, the Brussels-based financial services group holding most of Russia’s frozen central bank assets, as well as senior Belgian political leaders, had…

Brigitte Macron is facing a legal complaint after being filmed calling feminist protesters at a Paris theatre show “stupid bitches”. More than 300 women, 343 in total, have filed a complaint against the French first lady for public insult. The number is a deliberate reference to a landmark moment in French feminist history. The remarks were caught on video last week backstage at the Folies Bergère theatre in Paris. Macron…

Donald Trump has signed a new proclamation further restricting the entry of foreign nationals into the United States, the White House said on Tuesday. The move expands existing travel restrictions, imposing full entry bans on nationals from five additional countries: Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, South Sudan and Syria. Full restrictions were also placed on individuals holding travel documents issued by the Palestinian Authority. The new measures build on an earlier…

Loureiro, 47, was found with multiple gunshot wounds on Monday night after police responded to a call at the property.

Donald Trump has ordered what he described as “a total and complete” blockade of all sanctioned oil tankers entering or leaving Venezuela, sharply escalating pressure on the country’s president, Nicolás Maduro. The announcement comes amid an intensifying campaign by the Trump administration against the Venezuelan government, including an expanded US military presence in the region and a series of strikes on vessels near Venezuelan waters. In recent months, US forces…

President Donald Trump has announced a sweeping expansion of US travel restrictions, imposing new visa limitations on Nigeria and 14 other countries, as part of what the White House describes as a renewed effort to strengthen border security and protect national interests. According to a report obtained by New Daily Prime, Trump on Tuesday signed a proclamation extending and tightening entry restrictions on nationals from countries deemed to have persistent…

California governor Gavin Newsom has appointed two senior scientists who recently left the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) following disputes with the Trump administration to key state roles. Dr Susan Monarez, the former CDC director, will take on a leading role in California’s new public health initiative, the Public Health Network Innovation Exchange (PHNIX). Monarez was dismissed by the Trump administration in August, less than a month…