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The US State Department will make permanent a visa bond program that could require applicants from 50 countries, mostly from Africa, to post bonds of up to $20,000 when seeking US visas, according to a federal notice posted online on Friday. The Federal Register notice applies to B1 and B2 visas, which are issued for business and tourism travel.“Consular officers may require covered nonimmigrant visa applicants to post a bond of up to $20,000 as a condition of visa issuance, as determined by the consular officers,” the notice said. “The 2025 visa bond pilot, which provided a framework for the Department of State, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Department of the Treasury to assess the feasibility of administering a visa bond program, has provided sufficient data to suggest that a visa bond program is an effective tool for enforcing compliance among bonded visa holders.” In the pilot program, consular officers could require bonds of $5,000, $10,000 or up to $15,000. The final rule eliminates the $5,000 option and raises the maximum bond to $20,000.The final rule goes into effect on August 3 when it is scheduled for publication in the Federal Register. In the list of 50 countries for whose citizens this program applies, 30 are from Africa.US officials say the policy is intended to reduce visa overstays. Immigration advocates argue it will deter legitimate travel to the US. Rights advocates say President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration crackdown violates free speech and due process, while creating an unsafe environment for ethnic minorities and encouraging racial profiling. Trump has defended the measures as necessary to bolster national security. While Trump says he wants to curb illegal immigration, his administration has made legal immigration more difficult, for example, by imposing new and expensive fees for applicants of certain visas and by enforcing social media vetting for applicants and immigrants already in the country. Source link
Irish Prime Minister Michael Martin announced that the European Union will hold emergency talks on Tuesday to discuss the migration crisis following the arrival of tens of thousands of irregular migrants into Spain through the Ceuta border enclave with Morocco.In a post on X, Martin said that Ireland, which currently holds the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, will convene a meeting of the EU Justice and Home Affairs Council next Tuesday to discuss the situation in Ceuta.Irish media reported that the ministers will examine developments in Ceuta and their implications amid growing European concerns over increasing flows of irregular migrants.”We remain in close contact with all member states and the institutions and continue to monitor the situation,” Martin said.The meeting comes after between 50,000 and 60,000 irregular migrants arrived in Ceuta from Morocco over the past few days. At least 67 people have died while attempting to reach the city.Spanish authorities announced previously that they brought the situation under control, noting that the vast majority of migrants who entered Ceuta irregularly have returned voluntarily to Morocco.The crisis has prompted several European countries to adopt exceptional measures, including tightening border controls with Spain, amid calls for a coordinated European response to address its consequences. Related Story Source link
The Ministry of Energy in Saudi Arabia announced on Sunday the successful operational and technical efforts in restoring full pumping capacity through the East-West pipeline, amounting to about 7 million barrels per day, and restoring the affected quantities of Manifa oil field production, amounting to about 300,000 barrels per day, within a short period of time.In a statement published by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the ministry said in addition to the statement issued on April 9 regarding the impact of some energy system facilities in the country as a result of the attacks, including the loss of about 700,000 barrels per day of pumping capacity through the East-West pipeline, the reduction in the production of the Manifa field by about 300,000 barrels per day, and the impact of the production of the Khurais field by about 300,000 barrels per day, the ministry announced the success of operational efforts and the recovery of the affected quantities.It added that with regard to the Khurais field, work is still underway to restore full production capacity, which will be announced upon completion.The Saudi Ministry of Energy pointed out that this rapid recovery reflects the high operational flexibility and efficiency of crisis management enjoyed by Saudi Aramco and the country’s energy system, which enhances the reliability and continuity of supplies to local and global markets, and supports the global economy. Source link
US Vice President J.D. Vance said that intensive negotiations with the Iranian delegation in Islamabad, which lasted around 21 hours, failed to produce an agreement, pointing to what he described as clear shortcomings in the course of the talks.Speaking to reporters from Islamabad, Vance said the Iranian side did not accept the conditions proposed by the United States, stressing that Washington required an unequivocal confirmation that Iran was not seeking to acquire nuclear weapons as a fundamental condition for any future understanding.He added that the United States had presented what he described as its final and best offer, expressing hope that the Iranian side would choose to engage positively.Vance confirmed that the negotiations did not result in an agreement, noting that the US delegation would return to Washington without reaching an understanding with the Iranian side, and with the lack of positive commitments regarding the nuclear issue.He said that the negotiations were conducted in good faith on the American side, but could not make tangible progress, adding that Iranian nuclear facilities had been destroyed, while Tehran had not pledged to halt its nuclear program.Vance also praised Pakistan’s efforts during the talks, describing them as remarkable in attempting to bridge differences between the parties involved.High-level peace talks between the United States and Iran had begun yesterday in Islamabad, with official delegations from both sides participating as part of diplomatic efforts aimed at reducing tensions and addressing contentious issues, foremost among them Iran’s nuclear file and regional security matters.Following an initial round of talks that lasted 15 hours amid disagreements over several issues, reports had indicated that the two sides would hold further discussions later today before the US vice president announced the failure to reach an agreement with Iran.These talks come after the United States and Iran announced a ceasefire agreement in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East since Feb. 28, in a move aimed at calming the situation and ensuring the stability of energy supplies through the Strait of Hormuz.A senior US delegation headed by Vice President JD Vance, along with US special envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, arrived in Islamabad to take part in the talks, while the Iranian delegation, led by Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and accompanied by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, arrived last night. Source link
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Energy announced the restoration of operational capacity at key energy facilities and the East-West pipeline following recent attacks, reinforcing supply stability. The ministry confirmed that full pumping capacity through the East-West pipeline—estimated at around seven million barrels per day—has been successfully restored within a short period. Production at the Manifa field has also recovered, while work continues to fully restore output at the Khurais field. The recovery follows earlier disruptions that impacted pumping capacity and production levels across multiple sites. Authorities highlighted the rapid response as a reflection of the Kingdom’s strong operational resilience and crisis management capabilities. The ministry added that these efforts ensure the continuity and reliability of energy supplies to both local and global markets, supporting broader economic stability. Source link
The US delegation left Pakistan on Sunday morning after Vice President JD Vance announced that no agreement had been reached with the Iranian side during the talks hosted in Islamabad.Images showed Vance, who headed the US delegation, along with other members, boarding a plane back to the United States, just minutes after a brief press conference in which he announced that the round of negotiations in Islamabad had ended without an understanding.Vance said that the talks concluded after about 21 hours of discussions, noting that the Iranian side had refused to accept US conditions related to not developing nuclear weapons.He added that the discussions were conducted in continuous coordination with US President Donald Trump and officials in the US administration, adding that Washington required a clear commitment not to pursue nuclear weapons or develop the means to acquire them.He added that this demand represents the core objective of the US administration, confirming that the negotiations were an attempt to achieve this goal but ended without an agreement.For its part, Iran’s state broadcasting authority said that what it described as excessive US demands caused the collapse of the Iran-US negotiations in Islamabad aimed at ending the war in the Middle East.A post by Iranian state television on Telegram said that the Iranian delegation had negotiated tirelessly and intensively for 21 hours to defend the national interests of the Iranian people, adding that despite multiple initiatives from its side, citing what it called the unreasonable US demands as the reason for a lack of progress made during the talks, bringing negotiations to an end. Source link
