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United States
March 15, 2025 US diplomatic and security officials developed the draft list of 43 countries, which suggests a “red” list of 11 countries, an “orange” list of 10 countries, and a “yellow” list of 22 countries. Out of the 43 countries, 22 are African nations. Citizens of countries on the red list – Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Afghanistan, Bhutan, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen - would be flatly barred from entering the United States. Countries on the orange list – Eritrea, Sierra Leone, South Sudan and Belarus, Haiti, Laos, Myanmar, Pakistan, Russia, and Turkmenistan. - will face travel restrictions. Individuals arriving on immigrant or tourist visas would be denied access. With 16 counties - Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gambia, Liberia, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, São Tomé and Príncipe, Zimbabwe - Africa dominates the yellow list. The remaining six countries on the list are Antigua and Barbuda, Cambodia, Dominica, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia and Vanuatu. Countries on the yellow list will be given a 60-day window to address concerns before a verdict is reached. The list could be changed as it has yet to be approved by the administration. (Source: Premium Times - Nigeria)
March 15, 2025 Democrats confront limits of their minority power after bruising shutdown vote. The days leading up to yesterday’s vote on government spending were particularly bleak after several hourslong meetings that became contentious. Senate Democrats repeatedly left the meetings stone-faced and refusing to talk with reporters. The angst was particularly acute among rank-and-file who have spent years messaging about the perils of shutdowns. Thursday evening, after Senate Democratic Schumer announced he would vote to move forward on the Trump-backed spending measure, ensuring its eventual passage even though Democrats said it would give Trump broad discretion on decisions that are traditionally left to Congress, internal dissension burst into the open. Schumer’s move to support the spending legislation put him in the rare position of bucking his party’s base. He said that of two bad options, a partial government shutdown was worse because it would give Trump even more control to shut down agencies and there would be ‘’no off-ramp'' to get out of it. (Source: Minnesota Star Tribune - U.S.)
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