Trump administration revokes more than 100,000 visas in first year back
FIRST ON FOX: The State Department revoked more than 100,000 foreign visas in 2025, more than twice that of 2024 in the final year of President Joe Biden’s administration. The figure is an all-time record, and follows on President Donald Trump’s day one executive order on foreign vetting. In 2024, the department revoked 40,000 visas. The majority of the revocations were for business and tourist travelers who overstayed their visas. But some 8,000 students and 2,500 specialized workers also lost their legal status. A department spokesperson said a majority of the students and workers who lost their visas had criminal encounters with law enforcement. TRUMP STATE DEPARTMENT ORDERS GLOBAL VISA CRACKDOWN UNDER REVIVED ‘PUBLIC CHARGE’ RULE Among specialized workers, half of the revocations were based on drunken driving arrests, 30% for assault, battery or confinement charges, and the remaining 20% were revoked for theft, child abuse, substance abuse and distribution, and fraud and embezzlement charges. Nearly 500 students lost visas for drug possession and distribution and hundreds of foreign workers lost visas because they were believed to be abusing children, according to a department spokesperson. In August 2025, the Trump administration announced it was reviewing all 55 million foreigners who have valid U.S. visas. State Department principal deputy spokesperson Tommy Piggott added that the administration would continue its aggressive enforcement posture through its new “continuous vetting center.” “The Trump administration will continue to put America first and protect our nation from foreign nationals who pose a risk to public safety or national security,” he said. The department also has enforced stricter standards for obtaining U.S. visas. In November 2025, Fox News Digital first reported the department would enforce a “public charge” rule, denying visas to applicants deemed likely to rely on public benefits. That included health reasons — putting older and overweight people under greater scrutiny — English competency, finances or other potential needs for long-term care.
Marco Rubio emerges as key Trump power player after Venezuela operation
Early in the second Trump administration, analysts openly wondered how long Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s relationship with President Donald Trump would last. Rubio, the son of Cuban immigrants, has long embraced a Cold War–inflected, hawkish approach to foreign policy that initially appeared at odds with Trump’s worldview. Trump had been deeply skeptical of U.S. involvement in Ukraine and surrounded himself with prominent anti-interventionist voices, including Vice President JD Vance and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Shortly after Trump won the election in 2024, Pete Hegseth, then set to become secretary of war, described himself as a “recovering neocon.” TRUMP’S VENEZUELA STRIKE SPARKS CONSTITUTIONAL CLASH AS MADURO IS HAULED INTO US But in 2026, Rubio sits at the apex of his career, emerging as one of the most influential figures in Washington. He holds two additional titles: national security advisor and head of the National Archives. The last person to serve as the nation’s chief diplomat and national security advisor was Henry Kissinger, widely seen as the architect of foreign policy during the Nixon administration. “He’s just really smart, really effective, and he’s succeeded at everything he’s done,” Matt Kroenig, a former Pentagon official and current vice president at the Atlantic Council think tank, told Fox News Digital. “He doesn’t see his job as containing Trump. He understands who the boss is and channels those instincts into constructive directions.” The man of many hats has pursued the fall of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro for nearly a decade. “I think that U.S. armed forces should only be used in cases of national security threats,” Rubio said in a 2018 interview with Univision. “I think there is a strong argument that can be made right now that Venezuela and Maduro’s regime have become a threat to the region and to the U.S.” On Jan. 3, Rubio got his wish, when special operators descended on Caracas, Venezuela, to snatch the dictator of 12 years and his wife from their bed. Maduro appeared to sense the danger early. In a message to Trump, he warned that Rubio “wants to stain your hands with blood — with South American, Caribbean, Venezuelan blood,” as the U.S. kicked off a campaign of airstrikes on drug traffickers in the Caribbean in September 2025. Trump likely didn’t need much convincing. “Trump was very focused on Venezuela in the first term,” Kroenig said. “I think he probably saw the outcome of the first term was not what he wanted.” Though Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodriguez, was recently sworn in, Trump has asserted that the U.S. will “run” Venezuela. VANCE SAYS CROCKETT ‘DOESN’T KNOW WHAT SHE’S TALKING ABOUT’ ON VENEZUELA MADURO OPERATION Less than a year ago, media outlets portrayed Rubio as crowded out of diplomatic negotiations, with envoys like Steve Witkoff running point on Iran, Gaza and Ukraine. Vanity Fair reported that Rubio was “frustrated” by being “sidelined” on foreign policy decisions, while The Atlantic ran a profile of Witkoff calling him “the real secretary of state.” Brian Hook, the architect of Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign on Iran during the first term, at one point appeared poised for a senior role after leading the 2024 State Department transition team. Instead, Trump ultimately dropped Hook, as he did former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. “Brian Hook from the Wilson Center for Scholars… YOU’RE FIRED!” Trump wrote on Truth Social in January 2025. That trajectory shifted months later when Trump launched airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Now, Rubio has become the most visible public face of the U.S. mission in Venezuela, appearing on television to clarify Trump’s remarks about the U.S. “running” the country. Rubio said Washington would rely on economic leverage and strategic tools — including sanctions enforcement and oil quarantines — to shape a transition. He also laid out a phased plan for stabilization and recovery centered on controlled oil sales, underscoring his role as the administration’s principal explainer after the capture of Maduro. Rubio’s visibility reflects the moment. Trump’s most consequential moves in recent months, from Venezuela to Iran, have unfolded abroad rather than around domestic initiatives like affordability and job creation. “The members of President Trump’s national security team who have always executed Venezuela policy, including Vice President Vance, Secretary Rubio, Secretary Hegseth, General Caine, Director Ratcliffe, and Deputy Chief of Staff Miller, will continue to execute Venezuela policy,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital. “Secretary Rubio has done a great job advancing President Trump’s foreign policy agenda as Secretary of State and National Security Advisor, as exemplified by this latest action arresting narcoterrorist Nicolas Maduro,” she went on. “He is a team player and everyone loves working with him in the West Wing.” Vance and Gabbard have been far less visible on foreign policy. RUBIO FIRES BACK AT ‘CONFUSED’ CBS HOST OVER QUESTIONING OF MADURO OPERATION’S SCOPE Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and other senior Trump advisors sat alongside the president at Mar-a-Lago as he monitored Operation Absolute Resolve, the mission to capture Maduro. Vance participated remotely by video from Ohio due to increased security concerns, according to a Vance spokesperson. Gabbard, who previously criticized U.S. military intervention in Venezuela, played no public role in the lead-up to the operation. Less than two days before it began, she posted a series of photos on X from Hawaii. In 2019, Gabbard wrote that the United States “must stay out of Venezuela.” After the operation, she praised its execution, writing: “President Trump promised the American people he would secure our borders, confront narcoterrorism, dangerous drug cartels, and drug traffickers. Kudos to our servicemen and women and intelligence operators for their flawless execution.” “It is unfair to focus on DNI Gabbard’s past views, given other Trump administration officials have also previously voiced disagreement on policy or even slammed the President directly,” an administration official told Fox News Digital, adding that Gabbard provided the president intelligence for the Venezuela operation. Vance, meanwhile, has focused much of his public messaging on
Republican senator vows to block Trump Fed nominee over Powell investigation
A Senate Republican again plans to act as a roadblock to President Donald Trump, this time against any potential replacement for Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., announced that he would block any future nominee to serve as chair of the Fed following the revelation that Powell was under criminal investigation for testimony he gave regarding the renovation at the Federal Reserve. “If there were any remaining doubt whether advisors within the Trump Administration are actively pushing to end the independence of the Federal Reserve, there should now be none,” Tillis said on X. “It is now the independence and credibility of the Department of Justice that are in question.” FEDERAL RESERVE CHAIR POWELL UNDER CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION OVER HQ RENOVATION “I will oppose the confirmation of any nominee for the Fed — including the upcoming Fed Chair vacancy — until this legal matter is fully resolved,” he continued. Tillis’ decision comes with weight — as a member of the Senate Banking Committee, he would get an immediate say on who does and doesn’t pass muster to be the next chair of the Federal Reserve. And that’s a reality that will likely soon play out, given that Powell’s term as chair expires in May, though he is still slated to stay on the central bank’s board of governors until 2028. It’s also not the first time he’s stood directly in the path of Trump. Tillis last week announced that he would be blocking all future Department of Homeland Security (DHS) nominees until DHS Secretary Kristi Noem appears before the Senate Judiciary Committee. A DHS spokesperson told Fox News Digital, “Secretary Noem testified on Capitol Hill less than a month ago and remains committed to transparency and continued engagement with Congress.” GOP SENATOR BLOCKS TRUMP DHS NOMINEES UNTIL NOEM TESTIFIES BEFORE SENATE “While the Department does not currently have any nominees pending before the Senate, we hope senators will refrain from holding President Trump’s appointments in a way that could compromise our national security,” they said. The lawmaker’s line in the sand came after the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia launched an investigation into Powell over testimony he gave before the Senate Banking Committee last June regarding the renovation of the central bank’s Washington headquarters. The probe is focused on whether Powell lied to lawmakers about the scope of the project. It comes after a year of tension between Powell and Trump, who has long sought to replace him atop the central bank. And notably, the renovation of the Federal Reserve’s building in the District is not on the taxpayer dime, but rather its own coffers. “This new threat is not about my testimony last June or about the renovation of the Federal Reserve buildings,” Powell said in a video statement. TRUMP BLASTS GOP WAR POWERS DEFECTORS, SAYS THEY ‘SHOULD NEVER BE ELECTED TO OFFICE AGAIN’ “The threat of criminal charges is a consequence of the Federal Reserve setting interest rates based on our best assessment of what will serve the public, rather than following the preferences of the President,” he continued. “This is about whether the Fed will be able to continue to set interest rates based on evidence and economic conditions, or whether instead monetary policy will be directed by political pressure or intimidation.” Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., the top ranking Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, similarly panned the criminal investigation into Powell and charged that Trump sought to “install another sock puppet to complete his corrupt takeover of America’s central bank.” “Trump is abusing the authorities of the Department of Justice like a wannabe dictator, so the Fed serves his interests, along with his billionaire friends,” Warren said in a statement. “This Committee and the Senate should not move forward with any Trump nominee for the Fed, including Fed Chair.” The Fed tweaked interest rates in December, dropping them by 0.25%, marking the third straight time the central bank slashed rates. Still, the cut was not enough for Trump, who demanded a sharper drop. In the aftermath, Trump said that he would seek a new Federal Reserve chair that would slash interest rates “by a lot.” “I’ll soon announce our next chairman of the Federal Reserve, someone who believes in lower interest rates, by a lot, and mortgage payments will be coming down even further,” Trump said.
Trump says US military considering ‘very strong options’ for Iran
DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY, US president says Washington is closely monitoring protests in Iran and considering possible military intervention. United States President Donald Trump has said that Washington is considering “strong options” in response to the protests in Iran, including possible military intervention. “We’re looking at it very seriously. The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options. We’ll make a determination,” he told reporters on board Air Force One late on Sunday. He said Iran’s leadership had called, seeking “to negotiate” after his threats of military action, and that a “meeting is being set up”. But he added that “we may have to act before a meeting”. Trump’s latest threat came as Iranian leaders issued a stark warning against military intervention, with Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf saying “In the case of an attack on Iran, the occupied territories [Israel] as well as all US bases and ships will be our legitimate target”. The protests began on December 28, when merchants at Tehran’s Grand Bazaar closed their shops over the Iranian rial’s plummeting value. The demonstrations quickly spread nationwide, with grievances evolving from economic concerns over soaring living costs to broader opposition against Iran’s clerical establishment, who have governed the country since the Islamic Revolution in 1979. According to Iranian state media, at least 109 security personnel have been killed during the unrest, and authorities have not confirmed the number of demonstrators who have lost their lives. But opposition activists based outside the country say the death toll is higher and includes hundreds of protesters. Advertisement A nationwide internet blackout has also persisted for more than 72 hours, according to monitoring groups. The unrest in Iran is unfolding as Trump pursues an assertive foreign policy, having abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, and discussing acquiring Greenland by purchase or force. Trump was scheduled to meet with senior advisers on Tuesday to discuss options for Iran, a US official told the Reuters news agency. The Wall Street Journal reported that options included military strikes, using secret cyberweapons, widening sanctions and providing online help to antigovernment sources. Trump said on Sunday that he plans to speak with billionaire Elon Musk about restoring internet in Iran. “He’s very good at that kind of thing, he’s got a very good company,” Trump told reporters in response to a question about whether he would engage with Musk’s SpaceX company, which offers a satellite internet service called Starlink that has been used in Iran. The US leader also spoke on his plans for Greenland and Venezuela. On Greenland, he called for the Danish Arctic territory to “make a deal”, and said “we are talking about acquiring it, not making a short term deal”. On Venezuela, Trump confirmed he would be meeting with Venezuelan opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado on Tuesday or Wednesday. Adblock test (Why?)
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,418
These are the key developments from day 1,418 of Russia’s war on Ukraine. By News Agencies Published On 12 Jan 202612 Jan 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Here is where things stand on Monday, January 12: Fighting Russia launched an air attack on Kyiv overnight on Monday, sparking a fire in one of the city’s districts, according to the Ukrainian military. Ukrainian air defence units were trying to repel the attack, said Tymur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv’s military administration. More than 1,000 apartment buildings in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, are still without heating three days after a devastating Russian attack, according to Ukrainian authorities. Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko said in a statement on Telegram that not a single day passed this week without Russian attacks on energy facilities and critical infrastructure, which have totalled at least 44. A Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian city of Voronezh killed a woman and wounded three other people on Sunday, the region’s governor, Alexander Gusev, said. The governor said that more than 10 apartment buildings, about 10 private houses, a secondary school and several administrative buildings were also damaged in the attack on Voronezh. Ukraine’s military said it had made “direct hits” on three drilling platforms in the Caspian Sea belonging to Russia’s Lukoil oil firm. The military said it hit the V Filanovsky, Yuri Korchagin and Valery Grayfer platforms. Russia’s Ministry of Defence claimed control of the village of Bilohirya in Ukraine’s southeastern Zaporizhia region, according to the TASS state news agency. The Ukrainian Ministry of Defence’s main intelligence directorate said that Russia deployed the new jet-powered “Geran-5” strike drone against Ukraine this month, for the first time. The Geran is a Russian variant of the Iranian-designed Shahed. The drone can carry a 90kg (200-pound) warhead and has a range of nearly 1,000km (620 miles). Military aid Advertisement The United Kingdom announced that it will develop a new deep-strike ballistic missile for Ukraine to support the country’s war efforts against invading Russian forces. Under the project, named Nightfall, the UK seeks to develop missiles that could carry a 200kg (440 lbs) warhead over a range of more than 500km (310 miles). Sweden said it will spend 15 billion Swedish crowns ($1.6bn) on air defence, aimed at primarily protecting civilians and civilian infrastructure, as the country continues to ramp up its forces in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The European Union’s defence commissioner, Andrius Kubilus, said the bloc should consider setting up a combined military force that could eventually replace US troops in Europe. Kubilus, a former Lithuanian prime minister, said such a force, numbering up to 100,000, would be a possible option to better protect Europe. Politics and diplomacy The head of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said it was now up to Russia to show it is interested in peace, after Kyiv and its allies agreed to implement a 20-point peace plan and security guarantees, which would take effect following a ceasefire. Von der Leyen said that, under the plan, Ukraine would rely first on its own armed forces, which she said were well-trained and battle-experienced. It would be the task of the Europeans to make sure the Ukrainian army is also well equipped, she said. Von der Leyen added that the second line of defence would be the so-called Coalition of the Willing – 35 states, including most EU countries as well as Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Turkiye. Adblock test (Why?)
Timothée Chalamet, Paul Thomas Anderson take honours at Gloden Globes
DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY, Chalamet picks up best actor award for his role in sport comedy-drama Marty Supreme. Published On 12 Jan 202612 Jan 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Hollywood actor Timothée Chalamet has nabbed his first Golden Globe at the 83rd edition of the annual awards ceremony. Chalamet, 30, picked up the award for best actor in a musical or comedy on Sunday in recognition of his role in the sport comedy-drama Marty Supreme. “My dad instilled in me a spirit of gratitude growing up: Always be grateful for what you have,” Chalamet said in his acceptance speech at The Beverly Hilton hotel in Beverly Hills, California. “It’s allowed me to leave this ceremony in the past empty-handed, my head held high, grateful just to be here. I’d be lying if I didn’t say those moments didn’t make this moment that much sweeter.” More to follow… Adblock test (Why?)
J-K: Suspected Pakistani drones spotted over border areas; search operation launched
The incident comes just days after security forces recovered an arms consignment — suspected to have been dropped by a drone that originated in Pakistan — on Friday night. The consignment was seized in Paloora village of Ghagwal near the IB in Samba district.
Good News for Uttar Pradesh residents: Delhi-Dehradun-Haridwar route to get boost with THIS new 6-lane highway, here’s all you need to know
The project includes the construction of around 20 new underpasses to eliminate traffic congestion at intersections. This will ensure that vehicles can move smoothly and safely on the highway without interruptions.
Delhi-NCR’s cold wave intesifies, temperature drops to 2.9°C, AQI remains in ‘poor’ category; IMD predicts…
According to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Delhi’s overall Air Quality Index (AQI) stood at 293, falling under the ‘poor’ category as of 7 am on Monday.
Trump says Greenland’s defense is ‘two dog sleds’ as he pushes for US acquisition of territory
President Donald Trump said the U.S. must acquire Greenland — not lease it — arguing the Arctic territory lacks defenses and warning that Russia or China would move in if Washington does not act, a move he said is critical to U.S. and NATO security. While speaking with reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night, Trump was asked about Greenland and whether the U.S. had made an offer to acquire the territory from Denmark. “I haven’t done that. Greenland should make the deal because Greenland does not want to see Russia or China take over,” he said. “Basically, their defense is two dog sleds. You know that? You know what their defense is? Two dog sleds. “In the meantime, you have Russian destroyers and submarines, and China destroyers and submarines all over the place,” Trump continued. “We’re not going to let that happen, and if it affects NATO, then it affects NATO. But, you know, they need us more than we need them, I will tell you that right now.” DENMARK SUMMONS US ENVOY OVER ALLEGED COVERT GREENLAND INTERFERENCE OPERATIONS The president was also clear that his administration is not talking about leasing Greenland short term, but only about acquiring the Danish territory. “If we don’t do it, Russia or China will, and that’s not going to happen when I’m president,” Trump said. The remarks followed renewed pushback from Greenland’s leadership, which rejected calls from Trump and members of his administration for the U.S. to take control of the island. TOP CANADIAN OFFICIALS TO VISIT GREENLAND AMID INTERNATIONAL FEARS AS TRUMP EYES NATO-LINKED TERRITORY Several Trump administration officials have echoed the president’s position, arguing that Greenland’s strategic location makes U.S. control a national security imperative. Greenland Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen and four party leaders said Friday night that the island has no interest in becoming part of the U.S. or Denmark, according to The Associated Press. Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory and longtime U.S. ally, has repeatedly dismissed Trump’s suggestions that the U.S. should acquire the island. NEW TRUMP ADMIN ENVOY SAYS US WON’T ‘CONQUER’ GREENLAND, EMPHASIZES TALKS WITH LOCALS AS DENMARK BALKS AT MOVE “We don’t want to be Americans, we don’t want to be Danes, we want to be Greenlanders,” the leaders said, adding that Greenland’s “future must be decided by the Greenlandic people.” The statement also criticized Washington’s rhetoric toward the island. “As Greenlandic party leaders, we would like to emphasize once again our wish that the United States’ contempt for our country ends,” it said. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen warned last week that Trump’s annexation comments could threaten NATO itself, saying any U.S. military action against a NATO ally would effectively end the alliance and the security framework that has existed since World War II. “If the U.S. chooses to attack another NATO country militarily, then everything stops,” Frederiksen told Danish broadcaster TV2. Nielsen underscored that position the same day, writing in a Facebook post that Greenland is “not an object of superpower rhetoric.” The Associated Press contributed to this report.