Some 200,000 Salvadoran immigrants allowed to live and work in the United States since 2001 will lose their right to remain in the country in 2019, officials said on Monday, marking the Trump administration's latest move to tighten immigration enforcement. The United States will end the Salvadorans' temporary protected status (TPS) on Sept. 9, 2019, giving them 18 months to leave or seek lawful residency, and for El Salvador to prepare for their return, administration officials said. The status was granted in the wake of two devastating 2001 earthquakes in El Salvador that left hundreds of thousands in the country homeless. The decision to end TPS for Salvadorans is part of the administration's broader push to tighten immigration laws and expel those living in the United States illegally. The move was heavily criticized by immigrant advocates who said it ignored violence in El Salvador and gave the Salvadorans few options but to leave the United States or remain illegally. The Trump … [Read more...] about U.S. moves toward expelling 200,000 Salvadorans
U s aid to foreign countries
U.S. warns China against provocations once court rules on sea claims
A senior State Department official voiced skepticism at China's claim that dozens of countries backed its position in a case the Philippines has brought against Beijing and vowed that Washington would uphold U.S. defense commitments. Colin Willett, deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asia, said Washington had "a lot of options" to respond to any such Chinese moves in a region she said was vital to U.S. interests. She also made clear that with a ruling expected possibly within weeks, the United States was working to rally sometimes wavering allies and partners in the region to ensure a unified front. How Washington handles the aftermath of the ruling is widely seen as a test of U.S. credibility in a region where it has been the dominant security presence since World War Two but is now struggling to contain an increasingly assertive China. "We, the United States, do have very clear national interests in the area," Willett told Reuters. "We have an interest in upholding our … [Read more...] about U.S. warns China against provocations once court rules on sea claims
US supplies $1mn in aid to storm-struck Vietnam
The U.S. Embassy in Hanoi on Friday announced over US$1 million in emergency assistance and longer-term disaster risk reduction support to Vietnam to help the country respond to the impacts of Typhoon Damrey and future disasters.U.S. Ambassador to Vietnam Daniel J. Kritenbrink made the announcement on behalf of the U.S. government, a press release the same day read.Typhoon Damrey made landfall in south-central Vietnam last week, packing winds of up to 135 kilometers per hour.It hit 50 kilometers south of Nha Trang City, Khanh Hoa Province, and became one of the worst storms to strike Vietnam’s central coast in years.The typhoon brought torrential rains to the central provinces, flooding large areas, isolating many communes and killing at least 106 people.“With a grant of $250,000 in disaster relief funds, USAID will provide sanitation, health-related, and commodity relief items to the areas of Vietnam most affected by Typhoon Damrey,” Ambassador Kritenbrink was quoted … [Read more...] about US supplies $1mn in aid to storm-struck Vietnam
U.S. military options in Syria remain challenging
The Obama administration is promising to step up assistance to Syrian rebels after concluding Damascus used chemical weapons against opponents of President Bashar al-Assad, but the military options facing the United States are no easier than before.President Barack Obama has been slow to move toward military assistance for Syria's opposition in the past and is likely to continue to move judiciously, looking to work with allies in any intervention in the country's civil war."Thankfully the president is being cautious about his military options. This is not a place where America can go it alone," said David Solimini, a vice president at the Truman National Security Project think tank.The Obama administration's possible military choices range from limited one-off missile strikes from ships - one of the less-complicated scenarios - to bolder operations like carving out no-fly safe zones.White House officials on Thursday played down the prospects of a no-fly zone, citing the open-ended … [Read more...] about U.S. military options in Syria remain challenging
World powers pledge $15 billion in aid to Afghanistan
World powers raised $15 billion for Afghanistan on Wednesday to fund the country over the next four years, while the European Union said it won support to revive a stalled peace process after almost 40 years of conflict. With the government in Kabul facing a resurgent Taliban 15 years after U.S. forces helped oust the militants, more than 70 governments in Brussels led by the United States and the European Union promised more financial support for a country that governments see as strategic to global security. Wakil Koshar, AFP | Internally displaced Afghan children stands beside his makeshift home in a refugee camp in the capital Kabul on June 20, 2016. “The war for the future is being fought in Asia. We must stand our ground in Afghanistan,” India’s deputy foreign minister, M.J. Akbar, told the donor conference, which raised more than the $13 billion the United States initially expected. “India does not believe in an exit option,” he … [Read more...] about World powers pledge $15 billion in aid to Afghanistan
Shiite cleric urges Iraqis to defend country
Iraq's Shiite clerical leadership Friday called on all Iraqis to defend their country from Sunni militants who have seized large swaths of territory, and a U.N. official expressed "extreme alarm" at reprisal killings in the offensive, citing reports of hundreds of dead and wounded. This image posted on a militant news Twitter account on Thursday, June 12, 2014 shows militants from the al-Qaida-inspired Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) people raising their flag at the entrance of an army base in Ninevah Province. Iraq. U.S. President Barack Obama said he is weighing options for countering the insurgency, but warned Iraqi leaders that he would not take military action unless they moved to address the country's political divisions.Fighters from the al-Qaida-inspired Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant made fresh gains, driving government forces at least temporarily from … [Read more...] about Shiite cleric urges Iraqis to defend country
U.S. embassies attacked in Yemen, Egypt after Libya envoy killed
Demonstrators attacked the U.S. embassies in Yemen and Egypt on Thursday in protest at a film they consider blasphemous to Islam, and the United States sent warships toward Libya, where the U.S. ambassador was killed in related violence this week. Protesters break the windows of the U.S. embassy in Sanaa September 13, 2012. REUTERS/Khaled Abdullah In Libya, authorities said they had made four arrests in the investigation into the attack that killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans in Benghazi on Tuesday. U.S. President Barack Obama, facing a new foreign policy crisis less than two months before seeking re-election, has vowed to bring to justice those responsible for the Benghazi attack, which U.S. officials said may have been planned in advance - possibly by an al Qaeda-linked group. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Washington had nothing to do with the crudely made film posted on the Internet, which she called "disgusting and … [Read more...] about U.S. embassies attacked in Yemen, Egypt after Libya envoy killed
Australia extends aid to Vietnamese bomb victims
>> USD30 million for dealing with AO/Dioxin consequences>> Vietnam and U.S. reach agreement to cleanup Dioxin in Danang>> Findings point new path for dealing with Vietnam War\'s poisonous legacyThe Australian government will give AUD4 million (USD4.21 million) for victims of wartime land ordinance in Vietnam and Laos. Kevin Rudd at Ho Chi Minh City Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Centre Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd announced the four-year aid package on April 13 during his visit to Ho Chi Minh City Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Centre.Rudd said that the funding will be handed over to beneficiaries via the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).The promised funding will bring Australia’s total aid to Vietnam and countries afflicted by the war, via ICRC, to over AUD5 million (around USD5.27 million) since 2006, according to Rudd.He noted that such assistance has helped … [Read more...] about Australia extends aid to Vietnamese bomb victims
Joint statement for enhancing VN-U.S. comprehensive partnership
PM Nguyen Xuan Phuc and U.S. President Donald Trump at a meeting in White House, May 31, 2017 Following is the full text of the joint statement.The President of the United States of America Donald J. Trump hosted the PM of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the White House today to chart an agenda for United States-Viet Nam relations, building on the positive momentum of the Comprehensive Partnership between the two countries.The two sides pledged to continue high-level contacts and exchanges of delegations, including through regular dialogue between the U.S. Secretary of State and Viet Nam’s Minister for Foreign Affairs to discuss measures to enhance the bilateral Comprehensive Partnership. They also committed to strengthen existing dialogue mechanisms, including party-to-party ties. President Trump expressed his support for Viet Nam in successfully hosting APEC 2017 and noted that he looks forward to visiting Viet … [Read more...] about Joint statement for enhancing VN-U.S. comprehensive partnership
VN-U.S. Comprehensive Partnership relations promoted
Illustration photo Viet Nam-U.S. relations have gained a number of positive achievements over recent years. Since the two nations established the Comprehensive Partnership, the two sides have achieved success in all fields, including bilateral and multi-lateral cooperation.High-level delegation exchanges within the recent two years included General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s official visit to the U.S. and the signing ceremony of the Joint Declaration on Vision of the Viet Nam-US Relationship, former State President Truong Tan Sang’s participation at the United Nations Summit for the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda in New York in September 2015 and former PM Nguyen Tan Dung’s visit to the U.S. to join the ASEAN-U.S. Summit in February 2016.In term of economics, the U.S. became the largest importer of Viet Nam. The two-way trade turnover increased 20% annually, … [Read more...] about VN-U.S. Comprehensive Partnership relations promoted