US pitch on Greenland fuels debate on security, alliances

IANS | January 8, 2026 8:17 AM

Washington, Jan 8 (IANS) The Trump administration's comments on Greenland, framed by officials as a national security issue, set off a political debate in Washington over diplomacy, NATO alliances and US strategy in the Arctic.

Rubio outlines three-phase US plan for Venezuela, no early elections

IANS | January 8, 2026 7:24 AM

Washington, Jan 8 (IANS) The Trump administration has laid out a three-phase roadmap for Venezuela -- stabilisation, recovery, and transition -- signalling that US involvement will be prolonged, and that elections are not expected in the near term, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.

Trump proposes $1.5 trillion US military budget

IANS | January 8, 2026 7:16 AM

Washington, Jan 8 (IANS) US President Donald J. Trump has said he wants to raise the country's military budget to a whopping $1.5 trillion for fiscal year 2027, calling the increase necessary to keep the United States safe in what he described as dangerous times.

US ICE agent kills woman in Minneapolis, triggers political backlash

IANS | January 8, 2026 6:32 AM

Washington, Jan 8 (IANS) A US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent fatally shot a 37-year-old woman in south Minneapolis during a federal immigration operation, an incident that drew sharply conflicting accounts from federal authorities and local officials and ignited a political dispute over the Trump administration's enforcement tactics.

US tightens control of Venezuelan oil, sparks debate in Congress

IANS | January 8, 2026 6:18 AM

Washington, Jan 8 (IANS) The Trump administration is moving to tighten US control over Venezuela's oil exports through sanctions enforcement, a naval presence, and US-managed sales, according to top administration officials, even as lawmakers pressed the White House for clearer objectives and legal justification.