Palm Beach, United States:

The United States military on Saturday conducted air strikes on Islamic State group targets in Somalia, President Donald Trump announced.

“This morning I ordered precision Military air strikes on the Senior ISIS Attack Planner and other terrorists he recruited and led in Somalia,” Trump said on Truth Social.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the strikes targeted IS-Somalia operatives in the Golis mountains in the semi-autonomous Puntland region. “Our initial assessment is that multiple operatives were killed in the airstrikes and no civilians were harmed,” Hegseth said in a statement.

Local commanders confirmed the strikes to AFP.

“We don’t know so far the number of the casualties, but we believe the missiles precisely hit the targets,” Mohamed Ali, a military commander in Bossaso area, told AFP by phone.

“We believe there are casualties of the terrorist leaders, including the foreigners who the Puntland forces were chasing in the last few days,” he said. 

Abdirahman Adan, another member of the army in a nearby area, said they heard “five loud explosions” and saw smoke over the targeted area. 

Puntland has not commented officially about the airstrike so far.

Hegseth said the strikes further degrade “ISIS’s ability to plot and conduct terrorist attacks threatening US citizens, our partners, and innocent civilians and sends a clear signal that the United States always stands ready to find and eliminate terrorists who threaten the United States and our allies.”

Islamic State has a relatively small presence in Somalia compared to the Al-Qaeda-linked Al-Shabaab, but experts have warned of growing activity.

“The message to ISIS and all others who would attack Americans is that ‘WE WILL FIND YOU, AND WE WILL KILL YOU!'” Trump said in his post.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Washington:

US President Donald Trump has brought on board three Indian-Americans for key roles in his second term. Ricky Gill will take on responsibilities concerning South and Central Asia at the National Security Council (NSC) as the Senior Director. Saurabh Sharma has been appointed to the Presidential Personnel Office, focusing on staffing and appointments.

Former journalist Kush Desai steps in as Deputy Press Secretary for a role in the White House’s communications strategy.

Here’s a closer look at these appointees:

Ricky Gill

Ricky Gill, an expert in international relations, has returned to the National Security Council (NSC), where he previously served as Director for Russia and European Energy Security during Trump’s first term. In addition to his work at the NSC, he served as a Senior Advisor in the State Department’s Bureau of Overseas Buildings Operations.

After leaving the administration, Mr Gill led Gill Capital Group as Principal and General Counsel and acted as an adviser on European and Asian energy for TC Energy, the company behind the Keystone XL Pipeline. This project, partially greenlit by Trump, was halted by Joe Biden.

Born in Lodi, New Jersey, Mr Gill holds a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs and a law degree from the University of California, Berkeley.

Saurabh Sharma

Bengaluru-born Saurabh Sharma most recently served as the President of American Moment, a conservative organisation focused on personnel development, according to Politico.

He graduated with a degree in Biochemistry from the University of Texas at Austin in 2019. The same year, during Donald Trump’s first term, Mr Sharma was among 10 student activists invited to the White House as the President signed an executive order addressing free speech on college campuses.

Kush Desai

Kush Desai, an experienced communicator, has held several key roles in Republican campaigns and organisations. Most recently, he was Deputy Communications Director for the 2024 Republican National Convention. Before this, he served as Communications Director for the Republican Party of Iowa.

Mr Desai was also the Deputy Battleground States and Pennsylvania Communications Director at the Republican National Committee. In this position, he was instrumental in shaping the party’s messaging in critical battleground states, including the ever-important Pennsylvania.

U.S. President Donald Trump.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Indian-American lawmakers have opposed the executive order by U.S. President Donald Trump on changes in birthright citizenship, a move likely to hit not only illegal immigrants from around the world but also students and professionals from India.

On Monday (January 20, 2025,) in the opening hours of his second term as President, Mr. Trump signed an order declaring that future children born to undocumented immigrants would no longer be treated as citizens. The order would extend even to the children of some mothers in the country legally but temporarily, such as foreign students or tourists.

Mr. Trump’s executive order asserts that the children of such non-citizens are not “subject to the jurisdiction” of the United States and thus are not covered by the 14^th Amendment’s longstanding constitutional guarantee.

Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna said changes in birthright citizenship as done through the executive order would impact newborn babies of not only illegal and undocumented immigrants but also those staying in this country legally, such as on H-1B visas.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows the U.S. companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries such as India and China.

“Trump’s order removes birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. not just to undocumented parents but to ‘lawful’ immigrants who are temporarily on a student visa, H1B/H2B visa, or business visa. So much for the pretence that the Republicans are for legal immigration,” Mr. Khanna said.

Indians are the main beneficiaries of the H-1B visas, which bring in the best of the talent and brains from across the world. Highly skilled professionals from India walk away with the overwhelming number of H-1B visas — which is Congressional mandate — 6,50,000 every year and another 20,000 for those who received higher education from the U.S.

“No matter what Donald Trump says or does, birthright citizenship has and will be the law of the land. I will fight to protect it at all costs,” Indian American Congressman Shri Thanedar said.

Indian American Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal described it as unconstitutional. “Plain and simple this is unconstitutional and cannot be done with the stroke of a pen. If enacted, it would make a mockery of our country’s laws and the precedents set in the Constitution,” she said.

A coalition of immigration rights groups has challenged this in court and said this is unconstitutional.

‘I like both sides of argument on H-1B’, says Donald Trump

As per the executive order, the U.S. would not give automatic citizenship to newborn babies after February 19, 2025, if one of the parents is not a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident.

Also, attorneys general from 22 states sued President Trump in two federal district courts on Tuesday (January 21, 2025) to block the executive order that refuses to recognise the U.S.-born children of unauthorised immigrants as citizens, the New York Times reported.

Eighteen states and two cities, San Francisco and Washington DC, challenged the order in the Federal District Court in Massachusetts, arguing that birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment is “automatic” and that neither the President nor Congress has the constitutional authority to revise it. Four other states filed a second lawsuit in the Western District of Washington.

The states request immediate relief to prevent the President’s Order from taking effect through both a Temporary Restraining Order and a Preliminary Injunction. “President Trump’s attempt to unilaterally end birthright citizenship is a flagrant violation of our Constitution,” said New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin.

“The President’s executive order attempting to rescind birthright citizenship is blatantly unconstitutional and quite frankly, un-American,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta.

Ajay Bhutoria, Biden White House Commissioner and Deputy National Finance Chair for the Democratic Party, in a statement, said, the 14th Amendment is not up for negotiation.

“This executive order is not only unconstitutional but also undermines the values of equality and justice that define America,” he said. Mr. Bhutoria urged the South Asian and broader immigrant communities to stand united against policies that threaten the fundamental principles of the Constitution.

“We must work together to ensure that these divisive and unconstitutional actions do not succeed,” he said.

Donald Trump has invited a number of tech titans to attend the inauguration, joining more traditional guests such as his cabinet nominees. Billionaires Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg will attend as will Shou Chew, the head of Chinese social media giant TikTok, according to US media.

Trump has courted closer ties with the tech moguls, and his campaign benefited from disinformation spread on social media platforms such as TikTok, Musk’s X and Zuckerberg’s Facebook and Instagram.

Outgoing president Joe Biden will attend the ceremony — despite Trump’s refusal to appear at Biden’s swearing-in when he beat Trump in 2020. All living former presidents — Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama — will also attend, as will their wives, except for Michelle Obama.

Heads of state are not traditionally invited, but Trump has sent invitations to a handful of foreign leaders, including some who share his right-wing politics.  Far-right Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni will attend, her office confirmed Saturday.

Hungary’s Viktor Orban, Argentine President Javier Milei and China’s Xi Jinping have also been invited, but not all will attend. Xi sent Vice President Han Zheng in his place, who met Sunday with J.D. Vance, the transition office said. 

US President Joe Biden on Monday (Nov 25) pardoned two white-plumed turkeys, Peach and Blossom, in his final participation in the annual reprieve event before he vacates the White House for President-elect Donald Trump. The Democrat joked about the fate of the two birds who have been named after the Delaware state flower, the peach blossom, which symbolises resilience. Speaking in front of a crowd of around 2,500 people, gathered in the South Lawn, Mr Biden expressed contentment as his half-a-century career in the power corridors of Washington neared the end.

“This event marks the official start of the holiday season here in Washington. It’s also my last time to speak here as your president during this season and give thanks and gratitude. So let me say to you – it’s been the honour of my life, I am forever thankful,” Mr Biden said.

The two turkeys, who gobbled in the background as Mr Biden delivered the speech, were brought from a farm in the southern Minnesota city of Northfield, run by John Zimmerman, the president of the National Turkey Federation, which has gifted Thanksgiving turkeys to US presidents since the Harry Truman administration.

Why are the turkeys pardoned?

The tradition of pardoning the turkeys reportedly began during the Civil War when president Abraham Lincoln’s son, Tad, requested him to spare a turkey named “Jack” from their holiday and he obliged. Lincoln’s 1863 clemency to the turkey, recorded in an 1865 dispatch by reporter Noah Brooks led to the start of the tradition, according to the White House.

However, the true beginning of what has evolved into the current tradition of turkey pardoning dates back to the Truman presidency in 1947. The official tradition began in 1989 at the White House when then-president George H.W. Bush offered the first official presidential pardon.

“Let me assure you, and this fine tom turkey, that he will not end up on anyone’s dinner table, not this guy, he’s granted a presidential pardon as of right now — and allow him to live out his days on a children’s farm not far from here,” said Mr Bush in his speech back then.

Also Read | Explained: What Is Thanksgiving And Why It Is Celebrated

How many turkeys are pardoned by the president?

The president pardons one or two turkeys each year. Akin to this year, Mr Biden pardoned two turkeys, Liberty and Bell, in 2023.

What happens to the pardoned turkeys?

After being granted the reprieve, the fortunate turkeys are sent to farms to live a life full of food and relaxation. This year, Peach and Blossom are expected to retreat at Farmamerica, an agricultural interactive centre in Minnesota, as per the National Turkey Federation.

Washington:

US President-elect Donald Trump tapped Pam Bondi, a staunch ally who helped defend the ex-leader against impeachment, as US attorney general on Thursday following firebrand Matt Gaetz’s withdrawal from the running.

Gaetz’s retreat amid sexual misconduct allegations signaled limits to Trump’s power, even as the president-elect prepares to retake the White House with his Republican Party also in control of both chambers of Congress.

The nomination of Bondi, a former Florida attorney general who served as a surrogate during the 2024 campaign and pushed to de-legitimize vote counting in swing state Pennsylvania in 2020, could be seen as a useful tool for Trump in his attempt to settle personal grievances.

“For too long, the partisan Department of Justice has been weaponized against me and other Republicans — Not anymore,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social network in announcing Bondi’s nomination.

Bondi, 59, was a member of Trump’s legal team during his first Senate impeachment trial, in which he was alleged to have pressured Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, using aid as leverage, to hand over political dirt on Biden.

“Pam will refocus the DOJ to its intended purpose of fighting Crime, and Making America Safe Again,” Trump wrote, adding that she is “smart and tough, and is an AMERICA FIRST Fighter.”

Trump has made several eye-catching selections for top roles, including Fox News host Pete Hegseth as defense secretary, vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as health secretary and billionaire Elon Musk to head a government cost-cutting unit.

The exit of Gaetz, 42, was the first setback for Trump and Vice-president elect JD Vance in placing key allies in top positions, but his confirmation by the Senate was widely seen as doomed due to lack of support from fellow Republicans.

Ethics probe

A congressional panel has been investigating alleged illegal activity by Gaetz, including sexual contact with a 17-year-old girl — which he denies — as well as drug use and misappropriating campaign funds.

“I had excellent meetings with Senators yesterday,” Gaetz said on X.

“While the momentum was strong, it is clear that my confirmation was unfairly becoming a distraction to the critical work of the Trump/Vance Transition.”

Gaetz was first elected to the House of Representatives in 2016 and won reelection recently, but he resigned as a congressman shortly after Trump picked him to be attorney general.

“Matt has a wonderful future, and I look forward to watching all of the great things he will do,” Trump said in response to his withdrawal.

The ethics probe into Gaetz, a deeply polarizing Florida congressman, was effectively ended after he resigned from the House.

Gaetz is known as a political disruptor who earned the enmity of some House colleagues, including by engineering the ouster of fellow Republican Kevin McCarthy as speaker last year.

The latest transition upheaval ahead of Trump’s inauguration on January 20 came as new lurid details emerged about defense secretary nominee Hegseth.

He was investigated for sexual assault after a complaint from an unnamed woman at a 2017 conference in California.

The New York Times reported details from the police investigation, which was closed without Hegseth being charged.

The married woman told officers that her memory of the episode was hazy and thought her drink might have been spiked, while Hegseth said the encounter was consensual.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Donald Trump names Interior-designee Doug Burgum to head new White House council on energy
| Photo Credit: AP

President-elect Donald Trump announced Friday (November 15, 2024) that North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, his choice to head the Interior Department, will also lead a newly created National Energy Council that will seek to establish U.S. “energy dominance” around the world.

“Mr. Burgum, in his new role, will oversee a panel that crosses all executive branch agencies involved in energy permitting, production, generation, distribution, regulation and transportation,” Mr. Trump said in a statement. As chairman of the National Energy Council, Mr. Burgum will have a seat on the National Security Council, Mr. Trump said.

“This Council will oversee the path to U.S. ENERGY DOMINANCE by cutting red tape, enhancing private sector investments across all sectors of the Economy, and by focusing on INNOVATION over longstanding, but totally unnecessary, regulation,” Mr. Trump wrote.

The Republican president-elect accused the “radical left” of engaging in a war on American energy, in the name of fighting climate change. His policy of energy dominance, which he also espoused during his first term, will allow the U.S. to sell oil, gas and other forms of energy to European allies, making the world safer, Mr. Trump said.

Mr. Trump’s policies, if adopted, would represent a near-complete reversal from actions pursued by Democratic President Joe Biden, who has made fighting climate change a top priority and has pushed for more electric vehicles and stricter regulation of carbon pollution from coal-fired power plants.

Mr. Trump has pledged to rescind unspent funds in Mr. Biden’s landmark climate and health care bill and stop offshore wind development when he returns to the White House in January.

Mr. Trump, who has called oil “liquid gold,” said oil and natural gas, along with minerals such as lithium and copper, should be exploited to the maximum extent possible. “We will “DRILL BABY DRILL,” expand ALL forms of Energy production to grow our Economy, and create good-paying jobs,” Mr. Trump wrote.

Mr. Burgum, 68, was elected North Dakota governor in 2016, his first campaign for elected office. A former software executive, he led Great Plains Software, which Microsoft acquired for $1.1 billion in 2001. Mr. Burgum has also led other companies in real estate development and venture capital.

Mr. Burgum, a Republican, has taken a pro-business style as governor of a state where agriculture and oil are the main industries. He’s pushed income tax cuts, reduced regulations, and changes to animal agriculture laws and higher education governance. Mr. Burgum also emphasized a “data-driven” approach to governing, advocated for a Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library in the state and prioritized engagement with tribal nations.

He ran for president in 2023, but dropped out after his bid failed to resonate. He later endorsed Mr. Trump.

Industry groups welcomed Mr. Burgum to the new administration and said Mr. Trump’s creation of an energy council signaled renewed emphasis on spurring domestic production and streamlining regulations.

Mr. Burgum’s “deep understanding of American energy resources and public lands positions him to tackle critical issues such as enhancing energy affordability … and strengthening the U.S. in the global energy marketplace,” said Erik Milito, president of the National Ocean Industries Association, which promotes offshore drilling. Milito is a former vice president of the American Petroleum Institute, the industry’s top lobbying group.

David Seabrook, president of The Wilderness Society, called Mr. Burgum “a longtime friend to fossil fuel interests” who played a role in an April event at Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort where Mr. Trump reportedly asked industry leaders and lobbyists to donate $1 billion to his campaign, with the expectation that he would curtail environmental regulations if re-elected.

“The first Trump administration treated (public lands) like they’re meant to be dug up, drilled or sold off for profit,” Seabrook said. “Gov. Burgum’s long track record of pushing for unchecked fossil fuel development sends a loud signal about which path they will take this time around.”

Earlier Friday (November 15, 2024), Mr. Trump announced that Steven Cheung would serve as his White House communications director and Sergio Gor will run the personnel office. Both are longtime advisers.

Donald Trump, who is set to return to the White House after his victory over Kamala Harris in the November 5 US presidential elections, has appointed anti-vaccine activist Robert F Kennedy Jr as his secretary of the health department. “Kennedy will restore these agencies to the traditions of gold standard scientific research, and beacons of transparency, to end the chronic disease epidemic, and to Make America Great and Healthy Again!” Trump said.

Moving quickly since his election last week, Trump has begun rolling out his administration – some of whom include a TV news anchor at the helm of the Pentagon.

The 78-year-old leader has secured all seven swing states, including Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Nevada.

President-elect Donald Trump says he will nominate anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. File
| Photo Credit: AP

President-elect Donald Trump says he will nominate anti-vaccine activist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, putting him in charge of a massive agency that oversees everything from drug, vaccine and food safety to medical research and the social safety net programs Medicare and Medicaid.

“For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health,” Mr. Trump said in a post on his Truth Social site announcing the appointment. Mr. Kennedy, he said, would “Make America Great and Healthy Again!”

Mr. Kennedy, a former Democrat who ran as an independent in this year’s presidential race, abandoned his bid after striking a deal to give Mr. Trump his endorsement with a promise to have a role in health policy in the administration.

He and Mr. Trump have since become good friends, with Mr. Kennedy frequently receiving loud applause at Mr. Trump’s rallies.

The expected appointment was first reported by Politico Thursday (November 14, 2024).

A longtime vaccine sceptic, Mr. Kennedy is an attorney who has built a loyal following over several decades of people who admire his lawsuits against major pesticide and pharmaceutical companies. He has pushed for tighter regulations around the ingredients in foods.

With the Mr. Trump campaign, he worked to shore up support among young mothers in particular, with his message of making food healthier in the U.S., promising to model regulations imposed in Europe. In a nod to Mr. Trump’s original campaign slogan, he named the effort “Make America Healthy Again.”

It remains unclear how that will square with Mr. Trump’s history of deregulation of big industries, including food. Mr. Trump pushed for fewer inspections of the meat industry, for example.

Mr. Kennedy’s stance on vaccines has also made him a controversial figure among Democrats and some Republicans, raising questions about his ability to get confirmed, even in a GOP-controlled Senate. Mr. Kennedy has espoused misinformation about the safety of vaccines, including pushing a totally discredited theory that childhood vaccines cause autism.

He also has said he would recommend removing fluoride from drinking water. The addition of the material has been cited as leading to improved dental health.

HHS has more than 80,000 employees across the country. It houses the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Medicare and Medicaid programs and the National Institutes of Health.

Mr. Kennedy’s anti-vaccine nonprofit group, Children’s Health Defense, currently has a lawsuit pending against a number of news organizations, among them The Associated Press, accusing them of violating antitrust laws by taking action to identify misinformation, including about COVID-19 and COVID-19 vaccines.

Mr. Kennedy took leave from the group when he announced his run for president but is listed as one of its attorneys in the lawsuit.

Donald Trump, who is set to return to the White House after his victory over Kamala Harris in the November 5 US presidential elections, has appointed former Democrat Tulsi Gabbard as his US Intelligence Chief. The 78-year-old leader has secured all seven swing states, including Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin, North Carolina, and Nevada.

On Wednesday evening (IST), Trump met President Joe Biden in the Oval Office of the White House where Biden welcomed Trump and congratulated him following his victory, saying that he looks forward to a smooth transition.”Congratulations, looking forward to having a, like we said, smooth transition — do everything we can to make sure you’re accommodated, and what you need. And we’re going to get a chance to talk about some of that today,” Biden said in the meeting with Trump.

Here are live updates on Donald Trump’s return to White House: