Bezos, Zuckerberg, Pichai join Trump for church service
Top tech billionaires including some who were critics of Trump during his first term attend the pre-inauguration service.
‘Welcome home’: Bidens greet Trumps at White House
President Joe Biden and his wife Jill welcome Donald Trump and Melania to the White House.
Gaza doctors relieved but fear for the future after Israel-Hamas ceasefire
The WHO says only half of Gaza’s 36 hospitals remain partially operational after 15 months of Israeli attacks.
Sinner fights dizziness to set up de Minaur quarterfinal at Australian Open
Swiatek, Svitolina, Keys, Sonego and Shelton also make it through to the last-eight stage on a hot day in Melbourne.
Will US president-elect Trump end the Ukraine war in 100 days?
Trump’s team aim to end the conflict by April, but the Republican leader's terms to Moscow are unclear.
Lewis Hamilton arrives at Ferrari headquarters ahead of new F1 season
The seven-time F1 world champion opens up a new chapter in his career with an iconic photo shoot at Ferrari HQ in Italy.
Trump’s inauguration: Schedule of events and who will attend
A look at what will happen and who will be there for Donald Trump's historic return as US president.
UK teenager admits ‘unspeakable’ murders of three girls in Southport – Reuters UK
- UK teenager admits 'unspeakable' murders of three girls in Southport Reuters UK
- Southport killer Axel Rudakubana referred to Prevent terror programme several times BBC.com
- Teen pleads guilty in fatal stabbings at Taylor Swift-themed dance class in England The Associated Press
- Southport Stabbing: 18-Year-Old Pleads Guilty to Murder at Taylor Swift-Themed Dance Class The New York Times
- Axel Rudakubana was referred to counter-extremism scheme three times The Guardian
Has democracy failed in Israel? Fatima Bhutto & Yuli Novak
Fatima Bhutto interviews Israeli political activist Yuli Novak on Zionism, Israeli militarism and the cost of dissent.
Melania Trump launches her own cryptocurrency
$Melania is announced after President-elect Donald Trump launched his own cryptocurrency, $Trump.
Zulu king’s first wife fails to halt third marriage
King Misuzulu is embroiled in a row over whether a planned marriage to a new wife can go ahead.
UK teenager pleads guilty to killing three girls in Southport knife attack
The crime had horrified the nation and was followed by days of nationwide rioting against migrants in August.
Biden issues pre-emptive pardons for Fauci and Jan 6 riot committee
Outgoing president says action will prevent "unjustified... politically motivated prosecutions".
Trump inauguration live updates: president-elect prepares to take oath of office
Washington ceremony expected to take place indoors at from 11.30am (4.30pm GMT, 3.30am AEDT)
- Trump inauguration: what to know and how to watch it
- Trump promises ‘historic’ day one with barrage of executive orders
My colleague Joseph Gedeon in Washington DC also had this look at what Trump might have planned for day one:
In the grand theatre of American politics, presidential inaugurations typically follow a familiar script: the oath, the speech, a few carefully chosen executive orders to satisfy campaign promises. Franklin D Roosevelt used his first day to tackle the banking crisis. Barack Obama moved to close Guantánamo Bay (though it remains open). Donald Trump’s first term began with a single executive order targeting Obamacare. Joe Biden signed 17 executive orders on his first day in 2021.
Continue reading...Axel Rudakubana was referred to counter-extremism scheme three times
Exclusive: Teenager who has admitted murdering three young girls in Southport was first referred to Prevent in 2019
The teenager who murdered three young girls at a dance class in Southport was referred three times to Prevent, the government’s scheme to stop terrorist violence, the Guardian has learned.
One of the referrals followed concerns about Axel Rudakubana’s potential interest in the killing of children in a school massacre, it is understood.
Continue reading...Farage claims chance he could be PM within four years is up to 25% – UK politics live
Reform UK leader, who is in the US for Trump’s inauguration, says early election is ‘not impossible’
Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, thinks that his chances of becoming PM before Donald Trump leaves the White House in January could be as high as 25%. He made the comment in an interview with Dan Walker for 5 News being broadcast tonight. Farage told Walker he did genuinely believe he could be the next PM. And this is what he said when he was asked if that could happen during Trump’s presidency.
Look, Labour have got a whopping great big majority. The only thing that really brings an early election is if we get an economic meltdown.
Now, that is not impossible for two reasons. One, the level of indebtedness is worse than it was in 2008 when we had the big meltdowns. And I think we’ve lived through rocketing stock markets for years. That can’t go on.
For Reform to replace the Tories three things would need to happen. First they would need to sustain their current momentum well into 2025, then there would need to be a tipping point moment when donors, right-wing media and a number of Tory MPs decided to shift support en masse, and then they would have to win more seats in the 2028/2029 election.
The first of these seems fairly likely. The enthusiasm of Reform’s voter base, the weakness of the Tory party, and the media need for narrative all point the same way. The biggest barrier is probably Farage’s ability to manage the negative associations caused by Musk (who is not at all popular in the UK).
It may take a long time but if - and it is a big if - Reform remain a major player in British politics, under the voting system we have, it will ultimately lead to the end of the Tory party as we know it.
Continue reading...Bitcoin hits new record high, dollar dips ahead of Trump inauguration – business live
Bitcoin rises by 4% past $109,000, reversing earlier losses; Donald Trump meme coin price tanks after wife Melania also launches token
The UK chancellor, Rachel Reeves, will travel to the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos this week in the hope of convincing some of the world’s largest companies to invest, with allies saying she will use spending cuts rather than further tax increases to meet her own fiscal rules.
At the same time, the Treasury is considering a push to cut the benefits bill, in a move that is causing nervousness among Labour MPs.
Continue reading...Shares in Daily Mirror owner Reach rise as it says it will beat profit forecasts
Publisher was helped by strong digital advertising performance towards end of year, say analysts
Shares in the owner of the Daily Mirror rose more than a quarter after the publisher said it expects to beat annual profit expectations, after a strong end to the year and the benefit of deep cost-cutting in recent years.
Reach, which owns national papers including the Mirror and Express and scores of local titles including the Manchester Evening News and the Liverpool Echo, said the profit upgrade was because of a strong final quarter last year.
Continue reading...Indian man jailed for life for rape and murder of doctor
The crime sparked widespread anger and fears over the safety of healthcare workers in India.
Donald Trump takes power as US braces for vengeful second term | First Thing
Incoming president has promised retaliation against his opponents. Plus, billionaire wealth grew $2tn in 2024
Good morning.
The United States braces for a new era of disruption and division on Monday with Donald Trump scheduled to be sworn in as its 47th president, promising a blitz of executive orders and radical shake-up of the global order.
What did Trump promise yesterday? “We’re going to stop the invasion of our borders … We’re going to unlock the liquid gold that’s right under our feet … We’re going to bring back law and order to our cities … We’re going to get radical woke ideology the hell out of our military.”
How are some assessing the Biden administration? Joe Biden was a “remarkably consequential one-term president”, writes Katrina vanden Heuvel. Internationally, Biden “was assuming a world that no longer existed” – with calamitous results – but domestically, Biden “consolidated the break” with “failed market fundamentalism”.
What is the status of the three Israelis? On Sunday, three women held hostage by Hamas in tunnels beneath Gaza – Emily Damari, 28, Romi Gonen, 24 and Doron Steinbrecher, 31 – were released and reunited with their mothers. Videos showed them in apparently reasonable health.
Were there any obstacles? Yes, a three-hour delay to the start of the truce, during which Israeli warplanes and artillery pounded the Gaza Strip. The delay meant a further 13 people were killed, Palestinian health authorities said. At least two missiles hit a family travelling on a donkey cart as they tried to return home, Al Jazeera reported.
Continue reading...