US-Korea Currency Talks Fuel Bets Trump Is Open to Weaker Dollar
The dollar fell after a person familiar with the matter said the US and South Korean governments discussed currency policies this month, fanning speculation President Donald Trump's administration is open to a weaker greenback and will make exchange rates a feature of upcoming trade talks.
The won gained the most against the dollar after the person said South Korea's deputy finance minister Choi Ji-young and Robert Kaproth, the US Treasury's assistant secretary for international finance, had talked about currency policies at a May 5 meeting in Milan and will continue to do so. The person asked not to be named as they weren't authorized to speak publicly.
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Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Most GOP lawmakers plan to skip Trump's big parade
President Donald Trump is celebrating the Army's 250th anniversary — and his own 79th birthday — with a massive, multimillion-dollar military parade Saturday in Washington. But one group of otherwise devoted Trump allies largely won't be there to celebrate: congressional Republicans. Among the 50 GOP lawmakers surveyed by POLITICO, only seven said they planned to stay in Washington this weekend for the festivities. Those begging off include members of the Republican leadership in both chambers. The chairs of the House and Senate Armed Services committees, the top congressional officials overseeing the military, are skipping Trump's pageantry, which includes a flyover of vintage and contemporary warplanes. Instead, they'll attend a different air show — the annual defense industry confab in Paris. Among those attending will be some of Trump's most devoted House supporters, such as Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia. 'Yes, of course,' she said Tuesday. 'I'm going to be there for the 250th anniversary of the Army.' MAGA stalwarts Byron Donalds of Florida, Elise Stefanik of New York and Cory Mills of Florida also said they would attend, along with Reps. Rich McCormick of Georgia, John McGuire of Virginia and Lisa McClain of Michigan. But many more said they would beg off — choosing, as most members do, to stay away from Washington for the weekend. Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Majority Whip John Barrasso are skipping, as is House Majority Leader Steve Scalise. Sen. Tommy Tuberville said he'll be back in Alabama campaigning for governor. Oklahoma Sen. Markwayne Mullin said it's his anniversary, and 'I choose to be married.' Rep. Tim Burchett of Tennessee said the event conflicts with his daughter's 18th birthday. West Virginia Sen. Jim Justice said he's a no but added that doesn't 'mean that I'm against it.' 'It's great celebrating President Trump's birthday, and I think it's great celebrating the military,' Justice told reporters Tuesday. 'We haven't done that in a long time.' Among those skipping are several military veterans and members of the two Armed Services panels. South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, a former Air Force reservist, said Tuesday he's not planning to attend, though he left open the possibility. Other senators who have served in the military and are planning to sit out the celebration include Sens. Todd Young of Indiana, Rick Scott of Florida and Tim Sheehy of Montana. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Brian Mast of Florida, another veteran, said Tuesday he's unsure whether he'll attend. Other prominent House Republicans are also skipping. House Freedom Caucus Chair Andy Harris said he won't attend, though his home is less than a two-hour drive from D.C. House Appropriations Chair Tom Cole said he's heading home. 'It's celebrating the birthday of the Army and I think it's a good thing to do,' Cole said. 'I just didn't get to go home last week and I'd like to get to go this week.' Asked if he was attending, Senate Armed Services Chair Roger Wicker of Mississippi said, 'I'll be at the air show' — an apparent reference to next week's Paris Air Show, where defense contractors peddle their latest wares. House Armed Services Chair Mike Rogers of Alabama confirmed that's where he'll be. Speaker Mike Johnson's office did not respond to a request for comment on his plans. The White House is shrugging off the absences. An official granted anonymity to describe plans for the event said senior military leaders and at least 15 Cabinet members, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins, are expected to attend. 'President Trump looks forward to a historic crowd at the Army Birthday Parade, where he will be joined by top military leaders, administration officials, congressional representatives, and most importantly, thousands of patriotic Americans to celebrate 250 years of honor, courage, and sacrifice by our United States military,' White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement. Many Hill Republicans have shrugged off the parade's hefty price tag. But a few have raised concerns. Army Secretary Dan Driscoll said in an Army budget hearing last week that the costs could range from $25 million to $40 million. He said he could not provide an exact estimate because the Army could not predict how much damage its tanks would do to the District's streets, potentially necessitating costly repairs. 'I don't want to take anything away from celebrating the anniversary of our armed forces if it helps with recruiting and patriotism,' Rep. Dan Newhouse of Washington said in a brief interview. 'But it depends on what that number is. If it's $100 million, it causes one to pause.' Military leaders have defended the parade as a vital recruiting tool. But Democrats have railed against the administration for prioritizing pageantry over service members and their families. The parade, set to run along the north side of the National Mall, begins near the Pentagon — in the Virginia district represented by Democratic Rep. Don Beyer, who sees the event as a waste of money. 'Like his deployment of the military in L.A., it's a shocking waste of money at a time they are closing Social Security offices 'to save money,'' Beyer said in a statement. 'They're shutting down our regional transportation including the airport for this, and people I hear from in the military don't even want it, the whole thing is just to boost Trump's fragile ego.' Trump warned Tuesday that protesters who show up to the Saturday parade will be met with 'very big force.' Demonstrations to counter the parade are planned for other cities. Beyer said Trump's threat only added to 'the trappings of authoritarianism' the parade already carried. Roughly 6,600 troops are expected in Washington. The Army plans to roll 25 M1 Abrams main battle tanks and 150 vehicles down Constitution Avenue. A World War II-vintage B-25 bomber and P-1 fighter will join the parade, along with Vietnam-era Huey helicopters. Soldiers marching in the parade will wear uniforms from every conflict the U.S. has fought, from the Revolutionary War to the present day. Jordain Carney, Ben Jacobs and Meredith Lee Hill contributed to this report. CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misstated how many of the 50 surveyed members said they would not attend the parade. It is seven.
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
British citizens among 9,000 immigrants to be sent to Guantanamo
At least 9,000 undocumented immigrants, including British citizens, are to be sent to Guantanamo Bay detention camp, according to reports in the US. The first transfers are due to start within days, as the Trump administration ramps up its campaign to deport illegal immigrants. In January, Donald Trump announced plans to house 30,000 migrants in the notorious camp on Cuba, which was previously used as a military prison to house combatants captured during George W Bush's 'war on terror' following the September 11 attacks on the US. According to documents seen by Politico, the plan is to hold the migrants at the camp for a short period before deporting them back to their home country. Guantanamo currently holds roughly 500 people. This move represents a further toughening of the administration's immigration policy, which has seen masked snatch squads lifting suspected illegal immigrants off the streets. The official reason for detaining migrants at Guantanamo is to free up space in migrant detention centres in the US itself, especially with the White House setting a target of 3,000 arrests a day. However, critics say the administration believes using Guantanamo will serve as a deterrent for new illegal immigrants and encourage those already in the country to self-deport. An estimated 800 Europeans are on the list of potential Guantanamo detainees, with the Washington Post saying they include British and French citizens. It is a move which has reportedly alarmed European diplomats, given that they have previously co-operated in the repatriation of their own citizens. 'The message is to shock and horrify people, to upset people,' one State Department official told Politico. In Washington, a court is considering a plea to outlaw the use of Guantanamo to house migrants, with the American Civil Liberties Union claiming they are being held in dire conditions in a rodent-infested camp, where detainees are denied a weekly change of clothing and adequate food. In its writ, the ACLU accused the administration of using Guantanamo 'to frighten immigrants, deter future migration, induce self-deportation, and coerce people in detention to give up claims against removal and accept deportation elsewhere'. This was denied by the US Justice Department, which told the court that Guantanamo is being used as a temporary staging post. Previously, nine British citizens were held at Guantanamo, of which five were repatriated in March 2004. A further nine who had residency status in the UK, but not citizenship, were also held at the camp. The State Department confirmed that 'illegal aliens' were being sent to Guantanamo as a temporary measure, but declined to comment on discussions with individual foreign governments regarding their citizens. The Telegraph also approached the Department of Homeland Security for comment. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Trump warns protesters at weekend military parade will face ‘big force'
President Donald Trump on Tuesday warned protesters to stay away from his controversial military parade planned for Saturday in Washington D.C. — or face 'very big force.' As he defends his crackdown on immigration protests in Los Angeles, Trump said authorities wouldn't hesitate to flex their muscles if protesters seek to disrupt the parade that marks the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary, which falls on his own 79th birthday. 'For those people that want to protest, they're going to be met with very big force,' Trump told reporters at a White House appearance. Trump said he hasn't received any credible reports of plans to derail the parade. 'I haven't even heard about a protest,' he said. 'But (these are) people that hate our country.' Army officials have estimated around 200,000 people will attend the pomp-filled evening military parade in the nation's capital. 'We're preparing for an enormous turnout,' said Matt McCool of the Secret Service's Washington Field office. Security plans include erecting more than 18 miles of 'anti-scale fencing' would be erected, installing 175 metal detectors along the parade route and flying 'multiple drones' over Washington D.C. Reagan National Airport will be closed. The military parade has been designated a National Special Security Event, a status akin to presidential inaugurations or state funerals, events that draw large crowds as well as the potential for mass protests. The Army birthday celebration had already been planned for months. But this spring, Trump announced his intention to transform the event that coincides with his birthday into a massive military parade complete with 60-ton M1 Abrams battle tanks and Paladin self-propelled howitzers rolling through the city streets. Critics say the parade amounts to a wasteful display of personal loyalty to Trump and is designed to enhance his image as a strongman. Some protests were already expected, including a mass march to the White House. With the immigration-related clashes roiling Los Angeles, officials say they are shifting to higher alert for Saturday. 'We're paying attention, obviously, to what is happening there. We'll be ready,' McCool said. 'We have a robust plan for civil disobedience.' ________
