&w=3840&q=100)
Donald Trump orders two US nuclear submarines positioned near Russia
"I have ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions, just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that," Trump said in a social media post that called Medvedev's statements highly provocative.
He said he ordered the submarines moved "just in case these foolish and inflammatory statements are more than just that. Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances." Trump and Medvedev, who is deputy chairman of Russia's Security Council, traded taunts in recent days after Trump on Tuesday said Russia had "10 days from today" to agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine or be hit, along with its oil buyers, with tariffs.
Moscow, which has set out its own terms for peace in Ukraine, has shown no sign that it will comply with Trump's deadline.
Medvedev on Monday accused Trump of engaging in a "game of ultimatums" and reminded him that Russia possessed Soviet-era nuclear strike capabilities of last resort after Trump told Medvedev to "watch his words."
Medvedev has emerged as one of the Kremlin's most outspoken anti-Western hawks since Russia sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine in 2022. Kremlin critics deride him as an irresponsible loose cannon, though some Western diplomats say his statements illustrate the thinking in senior Kremlin policy-making circles.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
7 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
New US visa rule to include $15,000 bond: What it means, who's affected
The United States will soon begin requiring some foreign nationals to pay visa bonds of up to $15,000 as part of a pilot program aimed at reducing visa overstays, the State Department announced on Monday. A new US visa rule will require some tourist visa applicants to post bonds of up to $15,000 to discourage overstays. The move is part of US President Donald Trump's continued push to tighten immigration controls since returning to office in January. The 12-month program, which starts August 20, will apply to certain applicants for B-1 business and B-2 tourist visas from countries deemed high-risk for visa overstays, reported news agency AFP. What is the new US Visa program? According to a US state department notice set to be published in the Federal Register on Tuesday, 'consular officers may require covered nonimmigrant visa applicants to post a bond of up to $15,000 as a condition of visa issuance.' The minimum bond amount is $5,000, and the money will be returned if the traveler adheres to visa terms. Those who remain in the US beyond the permitted duration will forfeit the full bond. The program also restricts entry and exit to a list of pre-selected airports in the United States for those required to pay the bond. Who all will be affected? The country's state department said the measure targets nationals from countries with "high visa overstay rates" as identified in a 2023 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) report. Additionally, applicants from countries 'where screening and vetting information is deemed deficient' or where citizenship can be acquired by investment without a residency requirement may also be required to post a bond. 'Countries will be identified based on high overstay rates, screening and vetting deficiencies, concerns regarding acquisition of citizenship by investment without a residency requirement, and foreign policy considerations,' a State Department spokesperson said in response to an AFP query. However, neither the spokesperson nor the notice listed the countries that will be immediately affected. According to DHS and US Customs and Border Protection data cited by news agency Reuters, nations such as Chad, Eritrea, Haiti, Myanmar, Yemen, Burundi, Djibouti and Togo have shown high overstay rates. How will it work? The bonds are intended as a financial deterrent. If visa holders leave the country on time, the amount will be refunded in full. If they overstay, the money will be retained by the government. The pilot will apply only to B-1 and B-2 visa applicants and will require them to travel in and out of designated airports. The state department said it cannot estimate how many people will be affected, but a spokesperson noted the criteria and country list may be updated over time. What is the Trump administeration saying? "The pilot reinforces the Trump administration's commitment to enforcing US immigration laws and safeguarding US national security," a state department spokesperson said. The notice describes the program as 'a key pillar of the Trump Administration's foreign policy to protect the United States from the clear national security threat posed by visa overstays.' A similar pilot was introduced in November 2020 during Trump's first term but was never fully implemented due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on global travel. New program may have narrow effect The US Travel Association estimated the scope of the program to be relatively narrow, likely affecting only about 2,000 applicants from countries with low travel volume, according to Reuters. However, the group raised concerns that the new requirement could hurt inbound tourism. "If implemented, the US will have one of, if not the highest, visitor visa fees in the world," the association said. The association also pointed to signs of waning international interest in US travel, noting that transatlantic airfares had dropped to pre-pandemic levels, and that travel from Canada and Mexico had declined by 20% year-on-year. (With AFP, Reuters inputs)
Hans India
9 minutes ago
- Hans India
Junior assistant in ACB net
Vijayawada: Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials on Monday laid a trap and nabbed a junior assistant working in irrigation drainage department for accepting a bribe of Rs 30,000 from a contractor for doing a favour. The contractor did the irrigation drainage works in Gudivada region and was waiting for the release of Rs 2 lakh related to the contract works. But the junior assistant Garikapati Srinivasa Rao demanded Rs 30,000 bribe and was caught red handed while accepting it at the Executive Engineer office in Gudivada on Monday. According to ACB, Srinivasa Rao took the money and was later arrested by the ACB officials. Contractor Raja had taken up the contract works and executed and later submitted the bills for the release of money. Junior assistant Srinivasa Rao said he has to get details from Vijayawada office and demanded Rs 30,000 from the contractor. Contractor Turaka Raja met the ACB officials in Vijayawada and informed them about Srinivasa Rao. On Monday the ACB officials laid the trap and caught Srinivasa Rao and produced him in the ACB special court in Vijayawada. The ACB has urged the people to lodge complaints with the ACB office and call the toll-free number 94404 40057 on corruption in the government departments. The ACB said people can also send emails to [email protected].
Hans India
9 minutes ago
- Hans India
Russia plays down Trump's N-rhetoric
Moscow: Russia said on Monday that everyone should be "very, very careful" about nuclear rhetoric, responding to a statement by US President Donald Trump that he had ordered a repositioning of US nuclear submarines. In its first public reaction to Trump's comments, the Kremlin played down their significance and said it was not looking to get into a public argument with him. Trump said on Friday that he had ordered two nuclear submarines to be moved to "the appropriate regions" in response to remarks from former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev about the risk of war between the nuclear-armed adversaries. But Trump did not say whether they were nuclear-powered or nuclear-armed submarines. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said American submarines were on combat duty anyway and dismissed the idea that there had been an escalation. "Very complex, very sensitive issues are being discussed, which, of course, many perceive very emotionally," Peskov said - though he added that everyone should be "very cautious" with nuclear rhetoric. US envoy Steve Witkoff is due to visit Russia on Wednesday, according to Russian media. Medvedev - who in recent years has espoused increasingly extreme rhetoric online - had accused Trump of "playing the ultimatum game" with Russia after the US President set a new deadline for Vladimir Putin to end the war with Ukraine. Medvedev did not react to Trump's response and has not been active on X since sending the offending post. Relations between the US and Russia improved significantly after Trump took office in January - although in recent months the US President has signalled he suspects Putin may not be truly committed to ending the war in Ukraine, which began when Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
