US military sends 200 Marines to support immigration enforcement in Florida
Their jobs will focus on paperwork, organising supplies, and other support tasks. "Service members participating in this mission will perform strictly non-law enforcement duties within ICE facilities. Their roles will focus on administrative and logistical tasks, and they are specifically prohibited from direct contact with individuals in ICE custody or involvement in any aspect of the custody chain," the command said.
This move comes as the first group of immigration detainees arrived at a new detention centre in Florida's Everglades. The centre has been named "Alligator Alcatraz" by President Donald Trump and other officials because of its remote location and strict security.NEW DETENTION CENTRE IN FLORIDAThe new facility can initially house roughly 3,000 detainees and is situated on land close to a training airport. Built in just eight days, it is heavily guarded by about 400 security personnel, 28,000 feet of barbed wire, and more than 200 cameras.This centre will receive immigrants who are apprehended by Florida police under the federal 287(g) program. Under this ICE program, local officers can question and detain immigrants for potential deportation.The Pentagon authorised the deployment of up to 700 military personnel to assist with ICE operations in Florida, Louisiana, and Texas last month. Earlier in June, President Trump dispatched 700 Marines to Los Angeles to support immigration officers conducting raids to apprehend US citizens.- EndsMust Watch
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First Post
17 minutes ago
- First Post
Brics bigger than G7: Expansion boosts global clout but Trump, China pose challenge
Brics has expanded from initial four to eleven members and has sought a greater say in the world's affairs in recent years, but the group has faced a challenge to its relevance from US President Donald Trump's direct threats and attempts by China to turn the group into an anti-West bloc to take on the United States. read more Over the past two decades, Brics has evolved from a forum of four emerging economies to a group of 11 nations that its supporters say is ushering true multilateralism in the world. Critics, however, say that the bloc is just a Chinese tool to unseat the United States to become the world's foremost superpower. The idea of Brics emerged in 2001 when then-Goldman Sachs Chief Economist Jim O'Neill argued that Brazil, Russia, India, and China had the potential to reshape the global economic landscape by 2050 due to their large populations, rapid economic growth, rising global influence, and rapid upward social mobility. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In 2006, the four countries came together to form Bric — South Africa joined in 2010. With the expansion in 2024, the group has 11 members. Brics has positioned itself as a non-Western alternative for supporting economic growth and cooperation. Even though the group's influence has risen, challenges have also risen and the group now finds itself as a critical juncture. Brics is bigger than G7 but faces tough challenges In 2015, Brics launched New Development Bank (NDB) to fund infrastructure and development projects in developing countries. With initiatives like the NDB and the Russia-led grain exchange, and collaboration in other areas of emerging technologies and economies, Brics has positioned itself as an alternative to Western-dominated financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank. But, even as Brics continues to attract new members, the group is far from replacing IMF or World Bank and stares at formidable challenges — both internally and externally. Internally, the very purpose of Brics is under question as China has sought to become the leader of the group and turn it into an anti-Western bloc. Russia has supported China to the hilt in this quest. The two countries are already part of an anti-Western alliance also comprising Iran and North Korea (the so-called CRINK bloc) and want to make Brics an extension of that bloc — while the CRINK bloc clashes with the West militarily, Brics takes on the West economically. Externally, Brics has faced strong opposition from US President Donald Trump, who has dubbed any move by the group to dethrone the US Dollar as a red line. He has threatened Brics members with 100 per cent tariffs if they move towards a Brics currency or dedollarisation. With such challenges that put the very basis of the group in question, Brics stands as a unique blend of opportunities, aspirations, and challenges, and India as a founding member and a competitor of China has its own share of challenges. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A non-Western group or an anti-Western group? India has gone to great lengths to explain to the West that Brics is not an anti-Western group and that it supplements Western institutions like the IMF and World Bank and does not seek to replace them. But China and Russia continue to push the group as an anti-Western bloc. Brics is definitely a China-dominated group as China is the largest economy and contributes to 40 per cent of the bloc's gross domestic product. Moreover, NBD is headquartered in Shanghai even as five initial members —Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa— are equal shareholders of the bank. The presence of ironclad partners Russia and China (and Iran as well) in Brics further adds to the anti-Western impression of the bloc. However, India's presence in the group and, more importantly, its status as a founding member counterbalances the China-Russia influence. India has so far prevented the bloc from turning into an anti-Western bloc. In March, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar dismissed fears of Brics trying to replace the US Dollar. Instead, India considers the strength of the US Dollar essential for global stability, said Jaishankar. 'I don't think there's any policy on our part to replace the dollar. As I said, at the end of the day, the dollar as the reserve currency is the source of international economic stability. And right now, what we want in the world is more economic stability, not less,' said Jaishankar. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD India has also used its status as an equal shareholder at NDB to prevent the bank from turning into an extension of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). As China is not just working to dethrone the United States, but is also looking forward to suppress India's rise, India's continued presence and assertion of its role as a founding member in Brics is a must. Anushka Saxena, a China researcher at the Takshashila Institution, previously told Firstpost that India's involvement in Brics and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) is a must to ensure these institutions work for stated purposes and not become China's tools. 'In Brics, India's priorities lie in making sure that principled guidelines are laid out to set benchmarks for membership, in creating space for consensus-building against the possibility of China's influence-peddling, and in attempting to retain the image and brand value of Brics as a community of developing market economies demanding more voice in global governance,' she said Saxena. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Similarly, in the SCO, India's role as a disruptor is vital. If China and Russia continue to propagate the idea that these groupings are anti-West, India's presence becomes necessary to maintain the balance and act as a bridge with the West,' Saxena further said.
Time of India
18 minutes ago
- Time of India
US-Iran deal on cards? Donald Trump meets Saudi defence minister; Tehran sets terms for dialogue
Saudi defence minister Prince Khalid bin Salman (left) (Image: X) and US President Donald Trump (right) (Image: AP) US President Donald Trump met Saudi defence minister Prince Khalid bin Salman at the White House on Thursday to discuss de-escalation efforts with Iran, according to Fox News. Prince Khalid, who is the younger brother of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman , also held talks with White House envoy Steve Witkoff and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth . The meeting took place ahead of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 's Monday meeting with Trump at the White House. Focus on de-escalation and peace: The meeting is crucial for Saudi Arabia as it wants to ease tensions in the region after the recent 12-day war between Israel and Iran. Talks also reportedly covered broader issues of ending the war in Gaza, negotiating the release of remaining hostages and working toward Middle East peace. The Trump administration wants to push for a historic peace deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel in the coming months. Fox news quoting their sources suggested that the meeting was not only about normalizing ties of Saudi Arabia with Israel but also about necessary steps required to reach it. The meeting comes just days after Trump said other countries have expressed interest in joining the Abraham Accords. The recent Middle East conflict dubbed the '12-Day War' saw Israel and the US target Iran's nuclear sites. Strengthening the Abraham Accords: The Abraham Accords, signed at the White House in September 2020 during Trump's first term are a set of agreements that aimed to normalize relations between United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo US special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff said on June 25 that expanding the accords is one of the president's 'key objectives' and predicted 'big announcements' about new countries joining soon. Last week, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt named Syria as one of the nations Trump is eager to bring into the accords, noting their historic meeting in Saudi Arabia earlier this year during the US President's visit to the Middle East. Saudi-Iran dialogue: The Saudi defence minister spoke on the phone with Iran's Chief of the General Staff, Major General Abdolrahim Mousavi on June 29. 'We discussed developments in the region and the efforts being made to maintain security and stability,' Bin Salman wrote on X. . Witkoff is also planning to meet Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araghchi in Oslo next week to restart nuclear talks, according to Axios. The Iranian foreign ministry said Araghchi spoke on the phone Thursday with Norwegian foreign minister Espen Eide to discuss efforts to ease regional tensions. Trump on Iran talks: Speaking to local media on Thursday, Trump said Iran wants to initiate talks with the US and 'it is time that they do.' He added that the US does not want to hurt Iran. 'I know they want to meet and if it is necessary I will do it,' Trump said. Iran's conditions for talks: In an email interview with ANI, Iran's Ambassador to India, Iraj Elahi, said any negotiations with the US are meaningless unless Washington offers a 'credible guarantee' to prevent future acts of aggression by Israel and the US. 'As for negotiations with the United States, considering their betrayal of diplomacy and complicity with the Zionist regime in launching illegal attacks on Iran, while a diplomatic process was still ongoing, there will be no meaning or value in any talks unless a credible guarantee is provided to prevent the recurrence of such acts of aggression,' he said. Elahi was referring to two major military operations last month. On June 13, Israel launched 'Operation Rising Lion,' carrying out widespread airstrikes on Iranian soil that targeted nuclear sites at Natanz and Fordow and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) command bases. Several senior IRGC commanders and nuclear scientists were reportedly killed. This was followed by US strikes on June 21–22 under 'Operation Midnight Hammer,' which also targeted Iranian nuclear infrastructure. Iran has strongly condemned both operations as blatant violations of international law and the UN Charter.
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Business Standard
31 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Trump, disappointed by call with Putin, to speak with Zelenskyy on Friday
US President Donald Trump said early on Friday he came away disappointed from a telephone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin because it does not appear the latter is looking to stop Russia's war against Ukraine. US attempts to end Russia's war in Ukraine through diplomacy have largely stalled, and Trump has faced growing calls - including from some Republicans - to increase pressure on Putin to negotiate in earnest. After speaking to Putin on Thursday, Trump plans to speak to Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Friday, he said in remarks to reporters on his return to Washington from a trip to Iowa. "I'm just saying I don't think he's looking to stop, and that's too bad." The two leaders did not discuss a recent pause in some US weapons shipments to Kyiv during the nearly hour-long conversation, a summary provided by Putin aide Yuri Ushakov showed. Within hours of their concluding the call, an apparent Russian drone attack sparked a fire in an apartment building in a northern suburb of Kyiv, Ukrainian officials said, indicating little change in the trajectory of the conflict. In Kyiv itself, Reuters witnesses reported explosions and sustained heavy machine-gun fire as air defense units battled drones over the capital, while Russian shelling killed five people in the east. "I didn't make any progress with him at all," Trump told reporters on Thursday. Zelenskyy told reporters in Denmark earlier in the day that he hopes to speak to Trump as soon as Friday about the pause in some weapons shipments first disclosed this week. Speaking to reporters as he left Washington for Iowa, Trump said "we haven't" completely paused the flow of weapons but blamed his predecessor, Joe Biden, for sending so many weapons that it risked weakening US defenses. "We're giving weapons, but we've given so many weapons. But we are giving weapons," he said. "And we're working with them and trying to help them, but we haven't (completely stopped). You know, Biden emptied out our whole country giving them weapons, and we have to make sure that we have enough for ourselves." The diplomatic back-and-forth comes as low stockpiles have prompted the US to paused shipments of certain critical weapons to Ukraine, sources told Reuters earlier, just as it faces a Russian summer offensive and growing attacks on civilian targets. Putin, for his part, has continued to assert he will stop his invasion only if the conflict's "root causes" have been tackled, making use of Russian shorthand for the issue of NATO enlargement and Western support for Ukraine, including the rejection of any notion of Ukraine joining the NATO alliance. Russian leaders are also angling to establish greater control over political decisions made in Kyiv and other Eastern European capitals, NATO leaders have said. The pause in US weapons shipments caught Ukraine off-guard and has generated widespread confusion about Trump's current views on the conflict, after saying just last week he would try to free up a Patriot missile defense system for use by Kyiv. Ukrainian leaders called in the acting US envoy to Kyiv on Wednesday to underline the importance of military aid from Washington, and caution that the pause in its weapons shipments would weaken Ukraine's ability to defend itself against Russia. The Pentagon's move has meant a cut in deliveries of the Patriot defense missiles that Ukraine relies on to destroy fast-moving ballistic missiles, Reuters reported on Wednesday. Ushakov, the Kremlin aide, said that while Russia was open to continuing to speak with the US, any peace negotiations needed to happen between Moscow and Kyiv. That comment comes amid some signs that Moscow is trying to avoid a three-way format for possible peace talks. The Russians asked American diplomats to leave the room during such a meeting in Istanbul in early June, Ukrainian officials have said.
