At midday on Monday in Washington DC, Donald J Trump will finish the oath of office committing to “preserve, protect and defend the constitution of the United States”. His political resurrection will be complete. The paradox of his promise to defend the constitution will be starkly apparent. At that moment, Trump will be standing in…
The Chinese president, Xi Jinping, will not attend Donald Trump’s inauguration, but he is sending his vice-president, Han Zheng, as his special representative. The decision, announced on Friday in China by the foreign ministry, came more than a month after Trump extended the unusual invitation to Xi, a break from tradition since no heads of…
A former journalist turned senior government minister – who was dubbed a “nasty woman” by Donald Trump after bruising trade negotiations with the US – has announced that she will run for leadership of Canada’s ailing Liberal party. Chrystia Freeland declared her intention to become the next Liberal leader – and the country’s next prime…
After 15 months of war, a ceasefire deal in Gaza has been reached. In his farewell address to the nation, Joe Biden tried to convince the US public that it was just one of many successes he’d had in the White House. But is that how his time in office will be remembered? Jonathan Freedland…
Release of Gaza hostages expected to begin on Sunday, says Netanyahu’s office The release of hostages held in Gaza since Hamas’s 7 October 2023 attack on Israel is expected to begin on Sunday, Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Friday. “Subject to the approval of the cabinet and the government, and the implementation…
When Austria’s Freedom party (FPÖ) entered government 25 years ago, shock waves reverberated around Europe. Punitive measures were imposed, diplomatic visits cancelled and Belgium even suggested the EU could do without the Alpine country. That was when the far-right party was only a junior coalition partner. This time, the FPÖ – nativist, anti-immigration and fiercely…
At least two people have been hit after a huge fig tree fell in Sydney’s centre amid strong winds. The large tree in Hyde Park crashed to the ground across a footpath and on to a busy street at about 3pm on Friday. The police officers who were first on the scene combed through a…
Mike Pence called on Donald Trump’s incoming administration to maintain support for Taiwan against the threat of Chinese annexation during a surprise visit to the capital, Taipei, on Friday. On the eve of Trump’s inauguration for his second term as president, his estranged former vice-president said withdrawing or reducing support for Taiwan – as Trump…