WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump provoked a fresh political crisis Friday, threating to veto an already approved budget and shut down the federal government.
The US leader was to address the media at the White House after he appeared to reverse his support for the $1.3 trillion spending bill, amid unfavorable television coverage.
Trump’s administration had categorically said he supported the deal brokered by the Republican controlled Congress and passed in a dead-of-night vote, claiming it as victory before the 71-year-old’s change of heart.
Many lawmakers have already left Washington for two weeks recess, so a renegotiation is unlikely.
“I am considering a VETO of the Omnibus Spending Bill,” Trump tweeted, suggesting the deal did not do enough to help 800,000 immigrants holding a de facto amnesty, which he rescinded.
Trump has repeatedly tried to blame the looming end of the “DACA” program on Democrats. The Obama-era plan protects migrants brought illegally to America as children from deportation.
The president also vented that the spending bill did not fully fund his signature campaign promise to build “the BORDER WALL, which” he said “is desperately needed for our National Defense.”
If the president does not sign the budget before midnight Friday, hundreds of thousands of civil servants will be put on forced leave, national parks from the Grand Canyon to Yellowstone will close and non-essential services will stop.
Trump’s threat came hours after a host on conservative channel Fox News pilloried the deal as a Washington “swamp budget.”
The tweet caps yet another week of high drama at a White House that seems to lurch from crisis to crisis.
This week the former reality TV star replaced his national security adviser, launched a new trade fight with China, and needled investigators probing Russia election meddling.
At the same time Trump faces an almost unprecedented number of scandals from a defamation lawsuit, to allegations of two extramarital affairs.
The spending package provided $1.6 billion for border security and construction or repair of nearly 100 miles (160 kilometers) of border fencing, but that was far less than Trump had been seeking.
It also set aside the issue of the so-called “Dreamers,” who are in legal limbo following the Trump administration’s repeal of DACA.
The program expired on March 5, but the issue is being fought in the courts. Attempts at a legislative fix collapsed in a previous round of negotiations to avert a government shutdown.
In a Congress riven by partisan feuding, passage early Friday of the massive bill to fund the US government through September was considered a rare achievement.
The centerpiece was a big increase in US defense spending to $700 billion dollars, up $61 billion, and a 10 percent hike in domestic spending, which would rise to $591 billion.
“This bill is so important on many fronts, from school safety and troop funding, to opioids and veterans care,” press secretary Sarah Sanders said Thursday.
Trump’s budget director Mick Mulvaney went one step further: “Let’s cut right to the chase. Is the president going to sign the bill? The answer is yes. Why? Because it funds his priorities.”
Five times since October, lawmakers have had to pass stopgap funding legislation to keep the government’s lights on. Twice this year the government was allowed to slip into shutdown.
A third lapse would be deeply embarrassing for a Republican-controlled Congress facing midterm elections in November.
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal said Trump “needs to drop his wildly reckless veto threats” and sign the bill now.
“Americans deserve leadership from the White House, not more self-inflicted chaos.”
Some conservative Republicans welcomed the move, saying the process was flawed from the start.
Trump tweets threat to shut down US government
Trump tweets threat to shut down US government
Gaza rescuer risks life to save victim of Israel strike
In a video that has since gone viral on social media, civil defense member Shaghnobi can be seen desperately trying to pull a wounded man out from under a mound of rubble after a strike on a school on Thursday.
As he was working, a fresh evacuation order was issued by the Israeli military, warning of another strike on the same site, a school sheltering displaced people from across the territory.
“The scene was terrifying” as people fled the building, Shaghnobi told AFP, referring to the Dar Al-Arqam school which Gaza’s civil defense said served as a shelter for Palestinians displaced by the war.
“I became anxious, and the injured person grew even more distressed,” he said.
“I tried to calm him down, telling him, ‘I will stay with you until your last breath. We will die together if we must.’“
Shaghnobi said he dug with his bare hands through the debris to reach the wounded man’s leg which was pinned under concrete.
“He kept calling out: ‘Why did you come back, man? Leave me to die. Get out.’“
Shaghnobi said at one point the pair were the only people left in the building as Israeli reconnaissance drones flew overhead.
“I kept trying to pull him out, but I couldn’t. I said to myself: ‘This is the moment we die.’“
It was then that one of Shaghnobi’s colleagues rushed over, warning that they had just 10 minutes to save anyone still alive before another strike hit.
Together they pulled with all their strength until the man’s leg was freed.
“In that moment, my eyes welled up with tears, my body shaking from exhaustion,” he said.
While initially hesitant, Shaghnobi’s other colleagues arrived to help carry the wounded man to safety.
Gaza’s civil defense agency said at least 31 people, including children, were killed in last Thursday’s strike on the school in the Al-Tuffah neighborhood, northeast of Gaza City.
Since the Gaza war began after Hamas’s October 2023 attack on Israel, tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians have sought refuge in schools and other facilities in a bid to escape the deadly violence.
Most of Gaza’s 2.4 million people have been displaced at least once since the war started.
On Wednesday, a strike on a residential block in Gaza City that housed many displaced people killed at least 23 people and wounded more than 60, according to Gaza’s civil defense agency.
The Israeli military said it had targeted a “senior Hamas terrorist” in the attack.
BYD comes on board to ‘electrify’ Pakistan Super League’s 10th edition
- BYD Pakistan is partnering with 10th edition of Pakistan’s premier PSL cricket league as an official mobility partner
- BYD Pakistan has partnered with Mega Motor Company to enter and expand the electric vehicle market in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD: BYD Pakistan, the operations of the Chinese New Energy Vehicle (NEV) manufacturer BYD, has joined hands with the 10th edition of Pakistan’s premier PSL cricket league as an official mobility partner, a press release said this week.
This year’s season of PSL will take place across four cities in Pakistan from April 11 to May 18.
“This electrifying partnership unites the nation’s most thrilling sporting event and the high-tech global NEV leader in the automotive industry — highlighting a shared commitment to innovation, excellence, and sustainability,” a joint press release said.
“As part of the sponsorship, BYD’s latest NEVs will be showcased during various matches across the country, offering cricket enthusiasts an opportunity to witness cutting-edge automotive technology.”
BYD Pakistan has partnered with Mega Motor Company (MMC), a subsidiary of Hub Power Company (HUBCO), to enter and expand the electric vehicle market in Pakistan.
Speaking at the signing ceremony of the BYD and PSL agreement, Mega Motor Company’s GM Marketing, Syed Haider Mujtaba, said partnering with HBL PSL X gave the firm the opportunity to connect with millions of cricket fans while showcasing BYD’s new EVs.
“This collaboration reflects our commitment to promoting sustainable mobility and eco-friendly transportation solutions in Pakistan,” he added.
The Pakistan Super League, also known as HBL PSL for sponsorship reasons, is a professional Twenty20 cricket league in Pakistan organized by the Pakistan Cricket Board.
Founded by the PCB in 2015, the league features six city-based franchise teams. The current champions are Islamabad United.
Lebanon nears approval of banking secrecy law, finance minister confirms
KUWAIT CITY: Lebanon’s Finance Minister Yassine Jaber told Reuters that he expected a banking secrecy law to be passed in parliament within days.
Speaking to reporters in Kuwait, where he is attending meetings of Arab financial institutions, Jaber said: “My expectation is that it will pass—if not tomorrow, then the day after... it will definitely be approved.”
Jaber also criticized certain Lebanese officials for using banking secrecy laws as a pretext to withhold information, particularly pointing to former Central Bank Gov. Riad Salameh.
He clarified that the law has already been approved by the government and is not entirely new, emphasizing that banking secrecy was largely lifted in 2022. The current objective is to amend a single clause to provide the Banking Control Commission with broader access to account information.
Additionally, Jaber revealed that Lebanon is in negotiations with the World Bank for several loans, including one to create a fund for rebuilding infrastructure in affected areas. He highlighted that the World Bank has allocated $250 million as initial capital for the fund.
He further explained that the only condition set by the World Bank is “reform.”
“Reform, reform – that’s our program. These aren’t harsh conditions; we need them,” he added.
Jaber stressed that small depositors, those with balances under $100,000, make up 84 percent of all depositors in Lebanon, totaling around $20 billion.
He confirmed that the government is working on a plan to address the depositor issue, stating: “Naturally, it will start with small depositors.”
When asked about potential Gulf aid, Jaber replied: “The Gulf states have supported Lebanon, and today they are advising us to address our situation.”
He concluded: “In past years, our performance wasn’t good and we need to focus on improving it.”
Saudi Arabia’s HR ministry’s vitural labor services reduce office visits by 93% in 23 months
- The initiative has improved government efficiency, provided easier access to services, and sped up transaction processing
RIYADH: The virtual branch launched by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Development has reduced visits to labor offices by 93 percent over 23 months, with monthly users dropping from 60,000 to 3,000.
It has enabled a shift in service delivery, allowing individuals and establishments to complete transactions electronically without visiting traditional branches, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday.
The initiative has improved government efficiency, provided easier access to services, and sped up transaction processing, the SPA added.
This reduction highlights the ministry’s success in developing digital solutions that meet beneficiaries’ needs with flexibility and efficiency, streamlining procedures and saving time.
Through the Qiwa platform, the virtual branch offers a range of digital services, such as issuing professional and temporary visas, renewing work permits, transferring labor services, and inquiring about employment contracts.
It also allows users to submit labor complaints online and book advisory appointments with ministry representatives, ensuring clarity and efficiency in procedures, the SPA reported.
Pakistan says US companies seek to invest in country’s untapped minerals sector
- Senior US official Eric Meyer conveyed that interest directly to Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif during ongoing Islamabad visit
- Meyer is in Pakistan to attend an international summit aimed at attracting foreign investment in country’s mining sector
ISLAMABAD: US companies are seeking to invest in Pakistan’s largely untapped minerals sector that boasts one of the world’s largest copper and gold deposits, the Pakistani government said Wednesday.
Eric Meyer, Senior Bureau Official for the State Department’s Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, conveyed that interest directly to Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif during meeting in Islamabad, according to a government statement.
The meeting came a day after Meyer attended the Pakistan Minerals Investment Forum, an international summit aimed at attracting foreign investment in the country’s mining sector. Apart from gold and copper, Pakistan is also rich in lithium used to make batteries, as well as other minerals.
The summit has drawn participation from major international companies, including Canada-based Barrick Gold, as well as government officials from the United States, Saudi Arabia, China, Turkiye, the United Kingdom, Azerbaijan, and other nations.
Pakistan’s massive copper and gold deposits are located in Reko Diq, a district in restive Balochistan, which has witnessed a surge in attacks by Baloch separatists in recent years. Pakistan’s powerful army chief Gen. Asim Munir had told foreign companies and investors at the summit that the military would ensure their security.
The statement said Meyer “acknowledged the potential of Pakistan’s mineral sector,” adding that American companies are interested in exploring investment opportunities.
He reaffirmed Washington’s interest in expanding bilateral cooperation, including in such sectors as trade, investment, and counterterrorism, the statement said. Sharif said Pakistan’s minerals sector offered “immense opportunities” and encouraged US companies to take advantage of the investment potential.
Sharif expressed Islamabad’s desire to strengthen ties with the Trump administration. Meyer’s visit marks the first by a Trump administration official since the US imposed a 29 percent tariff on Pakistani exports as part of his trade war.
Sharif’s office said in a statement later Wednesday that the Pakistani prime minister will dispatch a high-level delegation to Washington to negotiate with Trump administration officials over the tariffs issue and to discuss how to enhance bilateral trade.
