Connect with us

Published

on

Donald Trump has banned people from 12 countries entering the US, in a move he said protects against “foreign terrorists” and other security threats.

Some countries are subject to a full travel ban, while others are under a partial ban – with the order allowing countries to be removed or added from the list.

The proclamation is due to come into effect just after midnight on 9 June local time.

The ban echoes one in 2017 that Mr Trump implemented in his first term in the White House. This banned citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries – Iraq, Syria, Iran, Sudan, Libya, Somalia and Yemen – from travelling to the US.

Here is everything you need to know.

Which countries are affected?

The proclamation bans nationals from the following countries to travel to the US:

• Afghanistan
• Myanmar
• Chad
• Republic of the Congo
• Equatorial Guinea
• Eritrea
• Haiti
• Iran
• Libya
• Somalia
• Sudan
• Yemen.

The following seven countries are affected by a partial ban:

• Burundi
• Cuba
• Laos
• Sierra Leone
• Togo
• Turkmenistan
• Venezuela.

Both bans will affect foreign nationals from the designated countries who are outside the US on 9 June or do not have a valid visa.

Visas issued before 9 June when the law comes into force will remain valid, the proclamation states.

Countries affected by Trump's travel ban and restrictions
Countries affected by Trump's travel ban and restrictions
Countries affected by Trump's travel ban and restrictions

How many people come to the US from these countries?

From October 2023-September 2024 (the fiscal year), the US handed out more than 60,000 permanent visas to the 12 countries on the permanent ban list, according to data from the US Department of State.

The highest by far was to people from Afghanistan – 39,055 – with the most going to nationals who are employed by or on behalf of the US government and their immediate family members.

Under the new proclamation, Afghan nationals who hold special immigrant visas – people who worked most closely with the US government during the two-decade war there – are exempt from the ban.

The figures below do not include people who were given temporary visas.

Are there any exemptions?

Mr Trump said on Thursday that policy was a “key part of preventing major foreign terror attacks on American soil”.

His new list notably leaves out Syria, after Mr Trump met its leader recently on a trip to the Middle East.

Athletes competing in the 2026 World Cup, 2028 Olympics and other major sporting events will also be exempt.

The ban also does not apply to the following individuals:

• Diplomats travelling on valid non-immigration visas
• Immediate family members who hold immigrant visas
• People who have been adopted
• Afghan nationals holding special immigrant visas
• People who hold immigrant visas for ethnic and religious minorities facing “persecution in Iran”
• Dual nationals who have citizenship in countries not included in the travel ban

Why has the ban been introduced?

The proclamation states that America must ensure people entering don’t have “hostile attitudes toward its citizens, culture, government, institutions, or founding principles” – and don’t support terror groups.

In a video posted to social media, Mr Trump said an attack in Colorado, in which eight were injured, had shown “the extreme dangers” of “foreign nationals who are not properly vetted, as well as those who come as temporary visitors and overstay their visas”.

The suspect in the attack is from Egypt, a country that is not on Mr Trump’s restricted list, but homeland security claimed he had overstayed a tourist visa.

The list was put together after the president asked homeland security officials and the director of national intelligence to compile a report on countries whose citizens could pose a threat.

The White House said some of the named countries had a “significant terrorist presence” and accused others of poor screening for dangerous individuals and not accepting deportees.

Critics, however, suggest the move is really designed to further cultivate hostility to immigrants in general, and that the president’s claim it is driven by security concerns is a lie.

What has the reaction been?

International aid groups and refugee resettlement organisations have condemned the new travel ban.

“This policy is not about national security – it is about sowing division and vilifying communities that are seeking safety and opportunity in the United States,” said Abby Maxman, president of Oxfam America.

The inclusion of Afghanistan has also angered some supporters, who have worked to resettle its people. Over a 12-month period to September 2024 there has been an estimated 14,000 arrivals from Afghanistan.

Travel ban protesters at Washington Dulles airport in 2017
Image:
Travel ban protesters at Washington Dulles airport in 2017. Pic: Reuters

Mr Trump suspended refugee resettlement on his first day in office.

Shawn VanDiver, president and board chairman of the organisation #AfghanEvac, labelled the proclamation a “moral disgrace”.

“To include Afghanistan – a nation whose people stood alongside American service members for 20 years – is a moral disgrace,” he said.

“It spits in the face of our allies, our veterans, and every value we claim to uphold.”

Meanwhile, the Iranian government offered no immediate reaction to being included on the list.

What happened in 2017?

Mr Trump’s first travel restrictions in 2017 were criticised by opponents and human rights groups as a “Muslim ban”.

It led to some chaotic scenes, including tourists, students and business travellers prevented from boarding planes – or being held at US airports when they landed.

Follow The World
Follow The World

Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday

Tap to follow

Mr Trump denied it was Islamophobic, despite calling for a ban on Muslims entering America in his first presidential campaign.

The ban faced legal challenges and was modified until the Supreme Court upheld a third version in June 2018, calling it “squarely within the scope of presidential authority”.

Continue Reading

US

At least 13 people confirmed dead and more than 20 missing from girls camp in Texas flooding

Published

on

By

At least 13 people confirmed dead and more than 20 missing from girls camp in Texas flooding

13 people have been killed in the US state of Texas after heavy rain caused flash flooding, according to local media reports.

Officials have also said more than 20 are missing from a girls’ camp in Texas.

As much as 10 inches (25 centimetres) of heavy rain fell in just a few hours overnight in central Kerr County, causing flash flooding of the Guadalupe River.

Judge Rob Kelly, the chief elected official in the county, confirmed fatalities from the flooding and dozens of water rescues so far.

A flood watch issued on Thursday afternoon estimated isolated amounts up to seven inches (17 centimetres) of rising water.

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly.

Please refresh the page for the latest version.

You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet via the Sky News app. You can also follow us on WhatsApp and subscribe to our YouTube channel to keep up with the latest news.

Continue Reading

US

Vladimir Putin tells Donald Trump he will not back down from goals in Ukraine, Kremlin says

Published

on

By

Vladimir Putin tells Donald Trump he will not back down from goals in Ukraine, Kremlin says

Vladimir Putin told Donald Trump he “will not back down” from Russia’s goals in Ukraine during a phone call today, the Kremlin has said.

The Russian president spoke to his US counterpart for almost an hour, and Mr Trump “again raised the issue of an early end to military action” in Ukraine, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters.

In response, Mr Putin said “Russia will not back down” from its aims there, which include “the elimination of the well-known root causes that led to the current state of affairs,” Mr Ushakov said.

The phrase “root causes” is shorthand for Moscow’s argument that it was compelled to invade Ukraine in order to prevent the country from joining NATO.

Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player

Trump and Putin’s latest call on Ukraine

Ukraine and its European allies say this is a pretext to justify what they call an imperial-style war, but Mr Trump has previously shown sympathy with Russia.

At the same time, Mr Putin told the US president that Russia is ready to continue negotiating, the aide said.

The Russian president said any prospective peace deal must see Ukraine give up its NATO bid and recognise his country’s territorial gains.

More on Donald Trump

Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskyy NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands June 25, 2025. Pic: Reuters
Image:
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, seen with Mr Trump in June, is pushing for Ukraine to join NATO. Pic: Reuters

He also briefed Mr Trump on agreements made last month, which saw Russia and Ukraine exchange prisoners of war and dead soldiers.

Specific dates for the third round of peace talks in Istanbul were not discussed – nor was the US decision to halt some shipments of critical weapons to Ukraine.

Mr Putin and Mr Trump’s call came after the Pentagon confirmed some weapons due to be sent to Ukraine have been held as it reviews military stockpiles.

The paused shipments include air defence missiles and precision-guided artillery, two people familiar with the situation have said.

Read more:
Putin threatens nuclear strike

Western brands on Russian shelves despite sanctions

Follow The World
Follow The World

Listen to The World with Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim every Wednesday

Tap to follow

The decision led to Ukraine calling in the acting US envoy to Kyiv on Wednesday to underline the importance of military aid from Washington.

Kyiv also cautioned that the move would weaken Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against intensifying Russian airstrikes and battlefield advances.

Mr Putin and Mr Trump’s phone call was the sixth they have publicly disclosed since the US president returned to the White House in January.

Continue Reading

US

Donald Trump’s ‘big beautiful’ tax cuts bill passes final hurdle in US Congress

Published

on

By

Donald Trump's 'big beautiful' tax cuts bill passes final hurdle in US Congress

Donald Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’ has been passed by the US congress, sending it to the president to sign into law.

The controversial tax breaks and spending cuts package cleared its final hurdle as the Republican-controlled House of Representatives narrowly approved the bill with a 218-214 vote.

The bill delivers tax breaks Mr Trump promised in his 2024 election campaign, cuts health and food safety programmes, and zeroes out dozens of green energy incentives.

According to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO), it will lower tax revenues by $4.5trn over 10 years and add $3.4trn to the US’s $36.2trn debt.

But despite concerns over the 869-page bill’s price tag – and its hit to healthcare programmes – Republicans largely lined up in support, with just two rebelling on the vote.

Speaker Mike Johnson congratulated following the signing of Trump's bill. Pic: Reuters
Image:
House Speaker Mike Johnson is congratulated following the vote. Pic: Reuters

Every Democrat in Congress voted against the bill, blasting it as a giveaway to the wealthy that will leave millions of Americans uninsured.

House Speaker Mike Johnson made the Republicans’ closing argument for the bill, telling Congress: “For everyday Americans, this means real, positive change that they can feel.”

More on Donald Trump

Earlier, the House’s Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries gave a record-breaking eight-hour and 44-minute speech against it.

“The focus of this bill, the justification for all of the cuts that will hurt everyday Americans, is to provide massive tax breaks for billionaires,” he said.

👉 Follow Trump100 on your podcast app 👈

The bill’s spending cuts largely target Medicaid, the health programme that covers 71 million Americans on low incomes.

It will tighten enrolment standards, institute a work requirement and clamp down on a funding mechanism used by states to boost federal payments.

The changes could leave nearly 12 million people without health insurance, according to the CBO.

On the other side of the ledger, it will stave off tax increases that were due to hit most Americans at the end of the year, when tax cuts from President Trump’s first term were due to expire.

It also sets up new tax breaks for overtime pay, seniors and tipped income.

Read more:
Why the bill sparked an ugly debate
Kremlin shares details of Putin-Trump call

The bill narrowly passed the US Senate on Tuesday after vice president JD Vance cast the deciding vote to break a 50-50 tie.

Mr Trump will sign it into law on Friday at 5pm local time (10pm in the UK), the White House said.

Continue Reading

Trending