Trump claims US held direct nuclear talks with Iran
President Donald Trump has announced that the United States has begun direct negotiations with Iran over its nuclear programme, after Tehran had earlier dismissed Washington’s calls for the talks. “We’re having direct talks with Iran, and they’ve started. It’ll go on Saturday. We have a very big meeting, and we’ll see what can happen,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday, alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “And I think everybody agrees that doing a deal would be preferable,” he added, without providing further details. Trump also warned that Iran would be in “great danger” if diplomatic efforts to curb its nuclear ambitions failed, adding that Tehran “can’t have nuclear weapons”. Earlier this month, Trump told NBC News: “If they [Iran] don’t make a deal, there will be bombing”. He added that the bombing would be “the likes of which they have never seen before.” Trump’s announcement of direct talks with Tehran would not be to Netanyahu’s “liking”, as the Israeli leader has long wanted to simply bomb Iran, said Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeera’s senior political analyst. Advertisement “Trump has wanted a deal for a long time,” Bishara said. However, “Netanyahu certainly thinks Iran’s defences have been weakened by last year’s Israeli air strikes on Iran. And he sees this as a great opportunity, with US support, for Israel to finish off Iran.” “In reality, Trump doesn’t want to enter a war with Iran while he is in the midst of trade wars with the rest of the world,” Bishara added. ‘Meaningless talks’ Over the weekend Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Abbas Araghchi described the prospect of direct negotiations with the US on Tehran’s nuclear programme as “meaningless”. Araghchi’s remarks came after Trump said last month in a letter to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that he hoped there would be a negotiation between the countries. Tehran, which maintains that it is not seeking a nuclear weapon, has so far rejected Washington’s overtures, but has said it is open to indirect diplomacy – a stance repeated by Araghchi in Sunday’s statement. In 2018, during his first presidency, Trump withdrew the US from the 2015 nuclear agreement between Iran and world powers, which had placed strict curbs on Tehran’s nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. Iran says its nuclear activities are solely for civilian purposes. Israel, the US’s top ally in the region, is widely believed to have an undeclared nuclear arsenal. Netanyahu calls for Palestinians to leave Gaza Speaking next to Netanyahu, who has been issued an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes in Gaza, Trump suggested that the war in Gaza could soon come to an end. Advertisement “I’d like to see the war stop, and I think the war will stop at some point that won’t be in the too-distant future,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. However, he did not provide specifics on how or when a ceasefire might be reached. Netanyahu claimed that Israel was working on a new agreement following January’s temporary ceasefire, which he broke unilaterally in March before unleashing more bombing on Gaza and killing hundreds more Palestinians. “We’re committed to getting all the hostages out, but also eliminating the evil tyranny of Hamas in Gaza and enabling the people of Gaza to freely make a choice to go wherever they want,” he said. The Israeli leader also said he had discussed with Trump what he called the US president’s “bold vision” for Gaza, referring to a controversial proposal for US control over the enclave. The plan, widely condemned as a blueprint for ethnic cleansing, has drawn sharp criticism internationally. Luciano Zaccara, assistant professor in Gulf politics at Qatar University, said that the comments did not reveal any change in policy towards Gaza. “Both share the belief that fewer people in Gaza is better – for the United States and Israel,” Zaccara told Al Jazeera. The word “ceasefire” barely came up in the media conference, said Zaccara, adding that “Trump’s main focus was business, trade deficits, and corporate deals, including with Israel. He was not paying much attention to Gaza as a whole, except when discussing expelling Palestinians from their land”. Advertisement Turning to Syria, Trump positioned himself as a potential mediator between Israel and Turkiye, despite tensions between Netanyahu and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “Any problem that you have with Turkey, I think we can solve, as long as you are reasonable,” Trump told Netanyahu. “I have a very, very good relationship with Turkey and with their leader, and I think we’ll be able to work it out. So I hope that’s not going to be a problem. I don’t think it will be a problem,” added Trump. Trump, who described Erdogan as “very smart”, praised Turkiye’s role in Syria, referring to the overthrow of leader Bashar al-Assad’s regime in December. “Nobody has done in 2,000 years what Turkey has done in Syria,” he said. Israel, which has carried out extensive air strikes against Syrian military targets, remains wary of Turkiye’s growing influence in Syria. Israeli officials fear that a permanent Turkish military presence in Syria could limit their operational freedom to attack Syria. Adblock test (Why?)
Hundreds mourn Palestinian-American teen killed by Israeli forces
[unable to retrieve full-text content] Footage shows the moment 14-year-old Palestinian teen Omar Mohammad Rabea was allegedly fatally shot by Israeli forces.
Trump: US having direct talks with Iran on nuclear program
NewsFeed “A very big meeting.” President Trump says the US is holding direct talks with Iran on its nuclear program. He says they will have “a very big meeting” on Saturday but declined to say where or who would attend. Published On 7 Apr 20257 Apr 2025 Adblock test (Why?)
Delhi Metro: DMRC to run 3-coach metro on 8-km stretch, to reduce travel time by…; check stations, route
The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) will soon launch a three-coach metro line that is designed to run on a short route. This metro route will cover only eight kilometres and is part of the DMRC’s phase four metro expansion
DOGE cuts $51M from US African Development Foundation, including $229K to market shea butter
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) announced $51 million in cuts from the U.S. African Development Foundation, which included hundreds of thousands of dollars for marketing shea butter and pineapple juice, as well as mango drying facilities. DOGE made the announcement on X, highlighting several initiatives the money was put toward. For instance, $229,296 was used to market 100% organic shea butter in Burkina Faso; $246,217 was spent on mango drying facilities in the Ivory Coast; and $239,738 was spent on marketing pineapple juice in Benin. The department also said $99,566 was spent to increase yogurt production in Uganda; $84,059 was spent on a business incubator for spa and wellness entrepreneurs in Nigeria; $50,000 was spent to train farmers how to grow dragon fruit in Senegal; and $48,406 was spent on a WhatsApp marketing chatbot in Kenya. DOGE HELPS COAST GUARD SAVE NEARLY $33M BY ELIMINATING ‘INEFFECTIVE IT PROGRAM’ DOGE, led by Elon Musk, is a temporary organization within the White House created via executive order earlier this year. President Donald Trump tasked the organization with optimizing the federal government, streamlining operations and slashing spending and gave the agency 18 months to do it. DOGE SLASHES BILLIONS MORE IN EXPENSES FOR PROGRAMS LIKE PERUVIAN CLIMATE CHANGE AND GENDER EQUITY IN MEXICO Late last month, DOGE shared that it had terminated 113 contracts valued at $4.7 billion, including a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) consulting contract valued at $145,000 for Peru climate change activities. DOGE SLASHES NEARLY $1M FOR ALPACA FARMING IN PERU, OTHER QUESTIONABLE GRANTS IN LATEST WASTEFUL SPENDING CUT The funding that was canceled also included $10 million for “gender equity in the Mexican workplace,” $12.2 million for “worker empowerment in South America” and $6.25 million for “improving respect for workers’ rights in agricultural supply chains” in the countries of Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. The department has canceled numerous diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at federal agencies, consulting contracts, leases for underused federal buildings and duplicate agencies and programs. As of Monday, DOGE claims on its site that it has saved Americans $140 billion, or about $870 per taxpayer.
Trump-backed bills on activist judges, non-citizen voting heading for House-wide votes
Two key bills backed by President Donald Trump are set to get a vote this week after advancing through the House Rules Committee on Monday evening. The No Rogue Rulings Act (NORRA Act) by Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., would limit district court judges’ ability to issue orders blocking Trump policies nationwide. The Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act by Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, is aimed at requiring proof of citizenship in the voting registration process. The former legislation is a response to Trump’s ongoing standoff with judges paralyzing his agenda, while the latter is a bill that the president and his allies have long pushed for. Issa’s bill is slated to get a vote on Tuesday afternoon, while Roy’s is expected on the House floor Thursday morning. HOUSE FREEDOM CAUCUS CHAIR URGES JOHNSON TO CHANGE COURSE ON SENATE VERSION OF TRUMP BUDGET BILL That’s provided they pass a procedural hurdle known as a “rule vote.” A simple majority of House lawmakers is needed to pass a “rule” to allow for debate and eventual House-wide votes on legislation. The House Rules Committee, the final gatekeeper before most legislation reaches the entire chamber, advanced a “rule” combining Issa and Roy’s bills with two financial regulatory measures that are also due for a vote this week if the rule passes. Both pieces of legislation were slated to get House votes last week, but a showdown over an unrelated measure on proxy voting for new parents in Congress wound up paralyzing the chamber floor on Tuesday afternoon, less than 24 hours after the House’s first votes of the week. “The Committee on Rules made efforts to protect this body from a take-it-or-leave-it, all-or-nothing proposal to impose proxy voting, which, while limited, would take us down the slippery slope and return us to the rampant abuse of unlimited proxy voting for members on both sides of the aisle that we witnessed when the Democrats imposed the practice during the COVID era, yet the body felt otherwise,” House Rules Committee Chair Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., said at the outset of Monday’s meeting. Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., the top Democrat on the committee, said during his opening statement, “A supposedly pro-family party worked to block a simple, commonsense policy that supports working moms in Congress. It was a move that was unprecedented, and thankfully, a majority of members in our chamber pushed back.” SENATE GOP PUSHES TRUMP BUDGET FRAMEWORK THROUGH AFTER MARATHON VOTE SERIES “When he lost the vote, Speaker Johnson sent everyone home, blaming the few Republicans who had the guts to take a stand for family values,” McGovern said. With the matter resolved, both the rule vote and both measures themselves are expected to pass with little drama. It’s likely a different matter in the Senate, however, where both bills would need help from at least some Democrats to meet the body’s 60-vote threshold for advancement.
DOGE helps State Department eliminate Biden admin’s DEI performance evaluation requirement
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and the State Department called out practices under the Biden administration that required diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts to account for 20% of performance evaluations for foreign service officers. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the reforms of the Biden administration’s DEI policies “important and historic.” “Now our incredible Foreign Service Officers will be evaluated on true merit, not on arbitrary immutable characteristics,” he wrote on X. Rubio shared a post from DOGE, which noted that under the policy, diplomats were assessed on whether they avoided “gendered adjectives” or “faint praise.” US NAVAL ACADEMY ENDS AFFIRMATIVE ACTION IN ADMISSIONS: ‘IMPLEMENTING ALL DIRECTIVES’ The department shared PowerPoint slides providing examples of phrases to avoid. One of the slides gave descriptive phrases that can unintentionally influence a reader. It then gave examples of gendered adjectives like, “Dr. Sarah Gray is a caring compassionate physician” vs. “Dr. Joel Gray has been very successful with his patients.” Faint praise was also discouraged. One example the slide provided was, “S/he worked hard on projects that s/he was assigned” or “S/he has never had temper tantrums.” JASMINE CROCKETT SETS OFF SOCIAL MEDIA AFTER TOUTING BEING BLACK AS QUALIFICATION FOR PUBLIC DEFENDER JOB The slides discouraged using first names for women or minorities and titles for men, as well. Additionally, as DOGE pointed out in its post, the slides asked local organizations to promote diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility (DEIA) programs, training and lectures as well as annual DEIA awards ceremonies. The foreign service officers were also encouraged to set race and gender quotas on embassy speaking panels and other diplomatic events. TRUMP’S DOGE TARGETS BLUE STATES WITH MASSIVE CUTS IN ‘DIVISIVE’ DEI CONTRACTS “Working with DOGE, [Secretary Rubio] has ended this discrimination and restored merit to the foreign service,” DOGE wrote. The elimination of the DEIA requirement on performance evaluations for foreign service officers comes a week after the Trump administration slashed $15 million from the Institute of Museum and Library Services in the form of DEI grants to align with DOGE and President Donald Trump’s executive orders aimed at eliminating DEI from the federal government. The grants include $6.7 million to the California State Library to enhance equitable library programs and $4 million to the Washington State Library for diverse staff development and incarcerated support. TRUMP LABOR DEPARTMENT SECURES EYE-POPPING SUM TO RETURN TO TAXPAYERS AMID DOGE PUSH A $1.5M DEI grant to the Connecticut State Library system to “integrate social justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion” into their daily operations is also being cut along with $700,000 for a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit to study “post-pandemic DEI practices” in American children’s museums that would formulate “enhanced equity-focused strategies.” Trump’s DOGE efforts have saved the American taxpayer $140 billion, according to its website, which represents about $870 saved per taxpayer. The Trump administration says it has slashed hundreds of millions of dollars in DEI contracts, including at least $100 million at the Department of Education. Fox News Digital’s Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
Trump plans to have annual physical exam later this week: ‘Never felt better’
President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he plans to undergo a physical examination on Friday, marking his first annual physical in his second administration. Trump announced the plans in a Truth Social post, noting that the exam would take place at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Trump was treated for COVID-19 at the same hospital in 2020. “I am pleased to report that my long scheduled Annual Physical Examination will be done at Walter Reed Army Medical Center on Friday of this week,” the Republican wrote. “I have never felt better, but nevertheless, these things must be done!” Trump’s stamina and physical health have been a center of attention since his July 13 assassination attempt, which he miraculously survived. At the time, Dr. Marc Siegel noted that Trump showed an “adroitness.” TRUMP ANNOUNCES PLAN TO CHOP DOWN MAGNOLIA TREE PURPORTEDLY PLANTED BY ANDREW JACKSON: ‘MUST COME TO AN END’ “I’ve been talking to emergency room doctors, vascular surgeons and trauma surgeons all over the country this morning, and nobody can remember a case like this,” he said. Months later, in November, Florida neurosurgeon Dr. Brett Osborn told Fox News Digital that Trump remained in good health. “The fact that he attended 120 events in seven months, often multiple rallies in a single day in different states, is proof-positive that Trump has a tremendous amount of stamina, mentally and physically,” Osborn noted. TRUMP ADMIN REVIEWING BILLIONS IN GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS, GRANTS FOR HARVARD AMID ANTISEMITISM ALLEGATIONS But Democrats have disputed Trump’s health in the past, and members of the medical community have demanded Trump release his medical records. In an open letter from Oct. 13, over 230 doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals asked for a record release. “On August 20, Donald Trump said he would ‘very gladly’ release his medical records. In the 55 days since, he has yet to do so,” reads the letter, signed largely by supporters of former Vice President Kamala Harris. “With no recent disclosure of health information from Donald Trump, we are left to extrapolate from public appearances.” “And on that front, Trump is falling concerningly short of any standard of fitness for office and displaying alarming characteristics of declining acuity,” the petition claimed. Fox News Digital’s Melissa Rudy and Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.
Republican Rep. John James announces run for governor: ‘Make Michigan great again’
Another leader and military veteran has thrown his name into the growing list of candidates in Michigan’s governor’s race to replace term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. On Monday, Republican Rep. John James, a Trump ally, announced he was launching his bid for governor, becoming the latest GOP candidate to jump in the primary. “I’m running for Governor of the great state of Michigan,” James shared in a statement on X. “This decision comes after deep reflection, prayer, and a conversation with my wife and children.” James now joins the state’s Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt as the latest major Republican to jump into the gubernatorial primary, the Hill reported. Meanwhile, the candidates in the race for the Democratic primary include Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson, while Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is running as an independent. RISING STAR DEM CRITICAL OF SCHUMER’S LEADERSHIP LAUNCHES 2026 BID IN KEY SENATE BATTLEGROUND “Faith and Family. God and Country. Service Before Self. Michigan First,” James posted in the announcement. James stated that “our state has suffered long enough” and says they are being held back by a “lack of strong, competent leadership.” “For the past seven years, Michigan has been dominated by radical, out-of-touch policies that have hurt our families, our communities, and our economy,” James explained in his reasons for running for governor. James said that the state has lost over 300,000 manufacturing jobs since the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which he equated to nearly a third of their industrial base, saying “that’s unacceptable.” “It’s time to get Michigan’s government out of fantastyland and back to common sense,” James wrote. “President Trump and I have been in each other’s corner through thick and thin for eight years-no reason that will end now. He’s doing his part to Make America Great Again, and I’ll do mine to bring prosperity and sanity back to Michigan,” James pledged. REPUBLICAN TUDOR DIXON PRAISES TRUMP AS SHE EYES 2026 RUN FOR GOVERNOR OR SENATE IN KEY BATTLEGROUND James was first elected to Congress in 2022, becoming Michigan’s first Black Republican member of Congress, and represents the state’s 10th Congressional District. James would also become the first Black governor of Michigan if elected. TRUMP WHITE HOUSE RIPS AUTO STATE GOVERNOR WHO ATTACKED PRESIDENT’S TARIFF PLANS: ‘DEADLY STATUS QUO’ He ran unsuccessfully for the Senate twice before, losing to Democrat Debbie Stabenow in 2018 and to Democratic Sen. Gary Peters in 2020. “Make Michigan Great Again,” James wrote in a previous post on X, sharing a video from Rapid Response 47 about Flint, MI. James served eight years of active duty military service as a Ranger-qualified aviation officer, according to his biography on the district’s website. National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Zach Bannon said that James’ announcement is good news for Republicans for continued growth in Congress. “Republicans are well-positioned to hold Michigan’s 10th congressional district as we retain and grow our majority in Congress. Michiganders rejected the out of touch Democrats’ radical agenda in 2024, and they’ll do it again in 2026,” Bannon shared in a statement. Bannon noted that both President Trump and Rep. James won Michigan’s 10th district by over 6% in 2024.
Supreme Court grants Trump request to lift stay halting Venezuelan deportations
The Supreme Court on Monday granted President Donald Trump’s request to vacate a lower court’s ruling barring the administration from using a 1798 wartime immigration law to immediately deport Venezuelan nationals – including alleged members of the Tren de Aragua gang – from the U.S., marking a significant victory for the administration as it advances key immigration priorities. Justices on the high court ruled 5-4 to grant the administration’s request to lift the stay, in a temporary victory for Trump and his allies. At issue was the Alien Enemies Act, or the immigration law passed by Congress in 1789 to immediately remove certain migrants from U.S. soil. Prior to Trump’s second White House term, it had been invoked just three times in U.S. history: During the War of 1812, during World War I, and most recently, World War II. Lawyers for the Trump administration had urged the court to vacate the lower court ruling, arguing in a Supreme Court filing that the lower court orders “rebuffed” their immigration agenda, including their ability “to protect the Nation against foreign terrorist organizations and risk debilitating effects for delicate foreign negotiations.” JUDGE BOASBERG POISED TO HOLD TRUMP ADMIN IN CONTEMPT, TAKES DOWN NAMES OF DHS OFFICIALS: ‘PRETTY SKETCHY’ The ruling follows a temporary order from U.S. District Judge James Boasberg last month blocking the administration’s use of the 1798 law for 14 days while he considered the case on its merits – a pause upheld by a federal appeals court in a 2–1 decision. “Nazis got better treatment” than some of the migrants deported under the law, Judge Patricia Millett, an Obama appointee, remarked during the appellate hearing. Both Boasberg and the appellate panel sharply questioned the administration over Trump’s proclamation invoking the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan nationals – and over the three planes that removed hundreds of migrants to El Salvador the very next day. At least 261 migrants were deported that day, including more than 100 Venezuelans removed “solely on the basis” of the 1798 statute. The deportation flights reportedly landed around the same time Boasberg issued his temporary halt, raising questions about whether administration officials knowingly defied the order. Boasberg had issued a bench ruling requiring any flights that had already taken off to return “immediately.” That did not happen. APPEALS COURT BLOCKS TRUMP ADMIN’S DEPORTATION FLIGHTS IN ALIEN ENEMIES ACT IMMIGRATION SUIT Boasberg said on April 3 that he was weighing whether to hold certain Trump administration officials in contempt of court for refusing to provide information, even after the court issued repeated requests regarding the deportation flights and the number of individuals sent to El Salvador. Government lawyers cited national security concerns as the reason for refusing to comply with the court’s request for information. But during the April 3 hearing, Deputy Assistant Attorney General Drew Ensign told Boasberg the flight information likely wasn’t classified — prompting the judge to question why the administration had declined to provide it on more than four occasions, including under a court-imposed deadline. “Pretty sketchy,” Boasberg mused in court. WHO IS JAMES BOASBERG, THE US JUDGE AT THE CENTER OF TRUMP’S DEPORTATION EFFORTS? Boasberg also pressed the government to disclose the names, locations, and agencies of individuals involved in the removals, as well as any internal conversations with officials who may have been monitoring the court proceedings. The hearing marked the latest in a flurry of legal battles over the Trump administration’s use of the Alien Enemies Act. It followed Boasberg’s order requiring officials to explain why they failed to comply with his directive to return the deportation flights – and whether they knowingly defied the court. The Supreme Court ruling may not mark the end of Trump’s push to invoke the Alien Enemies Act. Boasberg is still weighing potential contempt charges against administration officials. As of this writing, a preliminary injunction hearing is set for April 8.