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TimesLIVE
9 minutes ago
- TimesLIVE
White House plans increase in law enforcement as Trump eyes DC takeover
President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he may use the National Guard to police the streets of Washington, D.C., and a White House official said federal law enforcement would increase its presence in the city this week. The threat — and the move to follow through on it — is the latest step by Trump and his administration towards taking over running the city that serves as the seat of the US government. 'We have a capital that's very unsafe,' Trump told reporters at the White House. 'We have to run D.C. This has to be the best-run place in the country.' A White House official told Reuters that operational details about the increased federal presence were still being finalised. CNN reported that officers from the FBI, National Guard and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement as well as agents from the department of homeland security would be involved starting on Thursday. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said in a statement that the city had been 'plagued by petty and violent crime for far too long' and Trump was committed to making it safe. Trump, who has threatened a federal takeover of the city multiple times, escalated those threats after a young staffer who was part of Elon Musk's department of government efficiency was assaulted over the weekend. Musk, the billionaire former adviser to Trump who once spearheaded the DOGE effort, said the man was beaten and received a concussion. 'It is time to federalise DC,' he wrote. Asked if he was considering taking over the D.C. police, Trump responded affirmatively. 'We just almost lost a young man, beautiful handsome guy that got the hell knocked out of him,' Trump said. The president posted a picture of the victim, Edward Coristine, known by the nickname 'Big Balls', on social media, with blood on his face, arms, torso and legs. 'We're going to beautify the city. We're going to make it beautiful. And what a shame, the rate of crime, the rate of muggings, killings and everything else. We're not going to let it. And that includes bringing in the National Guard, maybe very quickly, too,' Trump said. A spokesperson for D.C. mayor Muriel Bowser declined to comment. Violent crime in the first seven months of 2025 was down by 26% in D.C. compared to last year while overall crime was down about 7%, according to records on the police department's website. Overall crime was down 15% in 2024, compared to 2023. Trump has long complained about crime in the city. He signed an executive order in March aimed at increasing law enforcement in Washington. The District of Columbia was established in 1790 with land from neighbouring Virginia and Maryland. Congress has control of its budget, but resident voters elect a mayor and city council, under a law known as the Home Rule Act. For Trump to take over the city, Congress likely would have to pass a law revoking that act, which Trump would have to sign. The president said on Wednesday that lawyers were already looking at overturning the Home Rule Act.
eNCA
12 hours ago
- eNCA
Trump hikes India levy as tariff deadline approaches
WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump on Wednesday ordered steeper tariffs on Indian goods over New Delhi's continued purchase of Russian oil, opening a new front in his trade wars just hours before another wave of duties takes effect. Trump's additional 25-percent tariff on Indian goods, set to come into place in three weeks, stacks atop a separate 25-percent duty entering into force Thursday. This takes the level to 50 percent for many products. Trump's order also threatens potential penalties on other countries for "directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil," a key source of revenue for Moscow's war in Ukraine. But exemptions remain for goods targeted under sector-specific duties such as steel and aluminum, and categories that could be hit later, like pharmaceuticals and semiconductors. Smartphones are also among this list of exempted products for now, notably shielding Apple from a major hit as the US tech titan shifts production from China to India. India's foreign ministry condemned Trump's tariff announcement Wednesday, calling the move "unfair, unjustified and unreasonable." The ministry had previously said that India began importing from Russia as traditional supplies were diverted to Europe after the outbreak of the conflict. It noted that Washington at that time had "actively encouraged such imports by India for strengthening global energy market stability." But Trump recently ramped up pressure on India over its purchases of Russian oil, threatening new tariffs as part of a campaign to force Moscow into ending its devastating invasion of Ukraine. India's national security adviser was in Moscow on Wednesday, media in New Delhi reported, coinciding with a visit by US envoy Steve Witkoff. The latest 25-percent additional tariff is notably lower than a 100-percent level Trump floated last month when he told Russia to end its war in Ukraine within 50 days or face massive new economic sanctions. The Republican said at the time that these would be "secondary tariffs" targeting Russia's remaining trade partners, seeking to impede Moscow's ability to survive already sweeping Western sanctions. - Tariff turmoil - Trump's latest salvo targeting India came after he separately took aim at Brazil over the trial of his right-wing ally, former president Jair Bolsonaro -- who is accused of planning a coup. On Wednesday, US tariffs on various Brazilian goods surged from 10 percent to 50 percent, although broad exemptions including for orange juice and civil aircraft are expected to soften the blow. Come Thursday, a new wave of tariffs on imports from dozens of other economies, ranging from the European Union to Taiwan, is set to kick in. These updated "reciprocal" tariffs, meant to address trade practices Washington deems unfair, go as high as 41 percent for countries like Syria. Other major US trading partners face varying increases from a current 10-percent level, starting at 15 percent for economies like the EU, Japan and South Korea. Countries not targeted by these "reciprocal" tariff hikes continue facing a 10-percent US levy Trump imposed in April. Trump's plans have sparked a rush to avert the steeper duties, with Switzerland's President Karin Keller-Sutter hurrying to Washington this week ahead of the Thursday deadline. Though she secured a meeting with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, it was unclear if she would meet Trump or any top economic officials. Her Alpine country faces a 39-percent duty on many of its exports, and while its key pharmaceutical sector has been spared for now, Trump has said a potential separate tariff could eventually rise to 250 percent. Some of Trump's sweeping tariffs face legal challenges over his use of emergency economic powers, with the cases likely to ultimately reach the Supreme Court. By Beiyi Seow
IOL News
12 hours ago
- IOL News
Siyabonga Mabena returns: Young stars ready to support Mamelodi Sundowns' title quest
Siyabonga Mabena and the other youngsters are not expected to carry Mamelodi Sundowns this season, though they must strive to succeed with every passing game. Mabena made his long-awaited return to competitive football in the MTN8 quarter-final against Richards Bay last Sunday, following a lengthy injury layoff. The 18-year-old made his return count as he put the final nail in the coffin, helping Sundowns thrash Bay 4–0 to reach the semi-final, where they'll face Orlando Pirates. Mabena's comeback has fuelled belief among some Masandawana supporters that he will finally fulfil his potential this season and come of age. After all, his injury not only saw him miss the U20 AFCON — which Amajita won — but also ruled him out of the prestigious FIFA Club World Cup in the US last month. Kutlwano Letlhaku, 19, meanwhile, featured in both tournaments, paving the way for other young players at the club. Sundowns coach Miguel Cardoso, however, stated that the youngsters are not expected to carry the team on their shoulders, as they are still undergoing gradual development. 'We started working with these youngsters last year, but Mabena was injured,' said Cardoso during the launch of the Betway Premiership this week. 'Letlhaku has been with us. 'That's the way we've been doing things — following procedures that we believe are right for developing youngsters, and teaching them the tools they need at a professional level. 'These are things they didn't have at Diski or youth level in order to succeed. As the level rises, they need to develop additional skills too. 'We are trying to upgrade them, but obviously there's been great work done by the coaches who worked with them before. 'The challenges are much bigger now. From time to time, we shouldn't expect them to carry the responsibility of a team like Sundowns, though we do expect them to succeed.'
