The Trump administration has paused all US immigrant visa applications as the state department moves to tighten restrictions and limit access to applicants deemed potentially reliant on US assistance. The initiative was launched at all embassies and consulates in early August.
Applicants with scheduled interviews received emails canceling their appointments. Agency officials say the move ensures visa applicants will not end up relying on US public benefits. This week, the administration also announced plans to revoke visas from asylum seekers who initially entered the US for tourism or business, potentially affecting up to 200,000 people.
Legal challenges and criticism
Joanna Cuevas Ingram, a senior staff attorney at the National Immigration Law Center, said: “The court made clear that immigration laws cannot be used to justify discrimination.” In February, a federal judge overturned the president’s attempt to suspend the US refugee system entirely.
Meta trial: Instagram CEO testifies
Adam Mosseri, head of Instagram, became the first senior Meta executive to testify in a lawsuit brought by 29 US states. In a California court, he disputed allegations that the company hid negative information from the public.
Questioned about the Take a Break feature, designed to encourage teens to close Instagram after prolonged scrolling, Mosseri said: “We don’t publish every single stat. I’ve definitely said publicly that the opt-in rates are low. I don’t know if I’ve said numbers.” Only 1.8% of teens signed up for the feature. The lawsuit alleges Meta deliberately designed addictive products harming young people’s mental health. Meta denies all allegations, calling the states’ pursuit an “outlandish payout”.
Pakistan hospital fire kills newborns
At least 14 newborn babies died in a fire that broke out in the maternity ward of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, the largest state hospital in Islamabad. The blaze began early Wednesday and engulfed the ward. Dr Aneza Jalil, a hospital spokesperson, said 15 babies were on the ward and “one baby was saved by a doctor”. Women who had just given birth ran down several flights of stairs to evacuate. Investigators have not confirmed the cause.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif directed an immediate investigation, saying: “Such a situation involving children is irreparable. Those responsible should be identified and the strictest action should be taken.”
Kennedy Center demolition threat
The Trump administration warned in a court filing that the John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts could be demolished if a $250m renovation is not carried out. Lawyers for the president urged a federal judge to reject a legal challenge to Trump’s efforts to put his name on the center. The White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Trump has demolished the White House East Wing for a $600m ballroom and ordered a Lincoln Memorial reflecting pool renovation that resulted in algae blooms and a peeling liner. The Kennedy Center board voted to change signage to read “The John F Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Restored and Renovated by President Donald J Trump” and to name the grounds “President Donald J Trump Plaza”.
Other news and tributes
South Carolina voters chose Darline Graham as the Republican nominee for US Senate, beating five-term congressman Ralph Norman. An Ecuadorian mother and daughter were arrested by ICE agents at a hospital after a car crash. A polygamous sect leader received an additional 24 years for child abuse. The father of a US navy sailor on the USS Abraham Lincoln was released from immigration detention.
Dolly Parton, the country star, actor and philanthropist, has died aged 80, announced by her nephew Bryan Seaver on Instagram. Tributes have poured in, including an appreciation of her music, a gallery of her life, and a list of her best recordings.
In climate news, a heat dome is expected to bring dangerous temperatures to the US south-west, affecting more than 45 million people through early September, according to the National Weather Service. Animal rights campaigners are pushing for a ban on marmot hunting in France, saying the animals are “killed for fun”.
