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Asked by a reporter if he had the TikTok app on his phone, Trump said that he did not but would consider downloading it.
“We won the young vote, I think I won it through TikTok. So I have a warm spot in my heart for TikTok,” he said. His official account on the app has more than 15 million followers, while Kamala Harris had 9.2 million.
Trump said Joe Biden had left an “inspirational” letter behind for him at the White House. He said that he opened the letter, which was addressed to “Number 47”, last night. He described it as a “joyful” letter that tried to impress upon him the importance of the presidency. “I could show it, maybe I will,” he said.
ByteDance ‘must sell off half of TikTok’
Trump reiterated that he had offered ByteDance, the Chinese owner of TikTok, to continue operating the app in the US if it agreed to sell half the company to American investors.
“It’s worthless if it doesn’t get a permit,” Trump said in remarks at the White House. “With a permit, it’s worth, like, a trillion dollars. So what I’m thinking about saying to somebody is, buy it and give half to the United States of America.”
He also said he would be open to Elon Musk purchasing TikTok.
On Monday, Trump signed an executive order pausing a ban on TikTok that had passed with broad bipartisan support in the House and the Senate. Politicians believed the popular video-sharing app was being used by China to spy on Americans.
• Mock funerals as TikTok dies a short death across America
Trump pledged he would continue to supply federal aid to wildfire-ravaged southern California in remarks at the White House. He said he would visit Los Angeles on Friday after he had toured parts of North Carolina that had been devastated by Hurricane Helene in September.
“Look, we’re going to take care of Los Angeles,” Trump said. He claimed that bad water management was to blame for the infernos that have killed at least 27 people and razed entire neighbourhoods. “Los Angeles has massive amounts of water available to it,” he said.
• The celebrity homes affected by LA fires — before and after
$500bn AI funding launched from White House
Trump with Masayoshi Son, Larry Ellison and Sam Altman
AP
Trump has formally announced a new $500 billion investment to build out artificial intelligence capabilities in the US. Three tech companies, Oracle, OpenAI and Softbank, are planning to invest in new data centres and other infrastructure in Texas over four years, Trump said in remarks at the White House.
“Our country will be prospering like never before,” Trump said, adding that it was dawn of a new “golden age” for the US. He was joined by Larry Ellison of Oracle, Sam Altman of OpenAI and Masayoshi Son, of SoftBank, in making the announcement.
No safe haven for migrants in schools and churches
Trump’s acting homeland security secretary has cancelled a Biden-era policy that banned agents from arresting undocumented migrants at “sensitive” locations such as schools, hospitals and daycare centres.
Benjamine Huffman said the new rules would allow officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CPB) to use “common sense” to enforce immigration laws.
“This action empowers the brave men and women in CPB and ICE to enforce our immigration laws and catch criminal aliens — including murderers and rapists — who have illegally come into our country,” a homeland security spokesman said.
“Criminals will no longer be able to hide in America’s schools and churches to avoid arrest.”
Trump signed an executive order on Monday declaring a national emergency at the southern border and has ordered the US military to be deployed to stop illegal border crossings.
‘Maga granny’ refuses pardon for January 6 riot
A woman who was jailed for her role in the January 6 riot has said she would refuse Trump’s pardon.
Pam Hemphill, 71, became known as the “Maga granny” after posting video of herself on social media during the assault on the US Capitol in 2021. She spent 60 days in prison.
“I will not accept a pardon because that would be an insult to the Capitol police officers, to the rule of law and to the nation,” she said in a video on X. “I pleaded guilty because I was guilty.”
Trump pardoned about 1,500 people who were detained for crimes including assaults on police officers and seditious conspiracy, calling them “hostages”.
Republicans plot path through Congress
Trump met Republican congressional leaders on Tuesday afternoon to discuss how best to pass his ambitious legislative agenda.
After signing more than 100 executive orders on his first day in office, held talks at the White House with Mike Johnson, the House speaker, and John Thune, the Senate majority leader.
They discussed whether to try to include Trump’s priorities on immigration, energy and tax cuts into a single bill, according to Politico. The Congress will also have to pass funding legislation by mid-March to avoid a shutdown of the federal government.
Republicans swept the White House, the House of Representatives and the Senate in November’s elections, clearing the way for Trump to push through radical reforms.
Trump gives first interview to Fox News
Trump’s first sit-down interview of his second term will be with Sean Hannity, the Fox News anchor, in the Oval Office.
The taped interview will be broadcast at 9pm eastern time on Wednesday. The president will discuss his executive orders and what to expect from his first 100 days in power, the network said in a statement.
Trump has tapped 19 people to join his administration who have worked at Fox News, including Pete Hegseth, his nominee for defence secretary, and Kimberley Guilfoyle, as ambassador to Greece.
Fox Corporation, the channel’s parent company, is a sister company of News Corp, which owns The Times.
Trump to announce Stargate AI partnership
President Trump is expected to announce a joint venture to build computing infrastructure in Texas to power artificial intelligence.
Oracle, OpenAI and SoftBank are reported to have committed an initial $100 billion to the new entity, called Stargate, rising to $500 billion over four years. It will build data storage, network infrastructure and cloud computing needed for the development of artificial intelligence.
Trump will announce the partnership on Tuesday afternoon alongside Larry Ellison, the co-founder of Oracle, Sam Altman, the boss of OpenAI, and Masayoshi Son, the chief executive of SoftBank.
Mexico president: cool heads must prevail
President Sheinbaum of Mexico urged “cool heads” to prevail after Trump signed a flurry of executive orders that could have profound implications for relations between the countries.
Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border as part of a far-reaching immigration crackdown, and designated drug cartels as foreign terrorist organisations, raising the prospect of military incursions into Mexico.
At a press conference on Tuesday, Sheinbaum signalled she was willing to co-operate with Trump to reduce illegal border crossings, but insisted Mexico would defend its sovereignty and independence.
Sheinbaum laughed when asked about Trump’s executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America”. “For us it is still the Gulf of Mexico, and for the entire world it is still the Gulf of Mexico,” she said.
Hegseth’s wife ‘feared for her safety’
Senators have received an affidavit from the former sister-in-law of Pete Hegseth, Trump’s nominee for defence secretary, claiming his behaviour caused his second wife to fear for her safety.
The fresh allegations by Danielle Hegseth, who was married to the former Fox News presenter’s brother, could complicate his confirmation in the role.
“Samantha [Hegseth] told me that she once hid in her closet from Hegseth because she feared for her personal safety,” according to the affidavit.
Danielle Hegseth added: “I have chosen to come forward publicly, at significant personal sacrifice, because I am deeply concerned by what Hegseth’s confirmation would mean for our military and our country.”
Hegseth’s lawyer, Tim Parlatore, dismissed the allegations.
At a confirmation hearing last week, senators questioned Hegseth about previous allegations of sexual assault, which he denies.
Trump takes away ex-adviser’s bodyguards
Trump has removed Secret Service protection from John Bolton, his former national security adviser who became one of his most vocal critics.
Bolton has needed continuing protection because of threats against him from Iran.
Trump ended his security detail after he left the White House acrimoniously in September 2019, but Joe Biden restored it once he took office.
“I am disappointed but not surprised that President Trump has made this decision,” Bolton told CNN. “The American people can judge for themselves which president made the right call.”
The Department of Justice filed criminal charges against an Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps official in 2022 for attempting to hire a hitman to assassinate Bolton.
Threat to double tax for foreigners
Donald Trump has threatened to impose 100 per cent tax rises on foreign nationals and companies operating in the US in retaliation for what he described as “discriminatory” levies on American firms.
He outlined his “America First” trade policy in a memo released on Monday, referencing an obscure provision of the US tax code that allows him to levy retaliatory taxes on the citizens and businesses of foreign countries in the US.
He has directed the US Treasury secretary to investigate whether any foreign country subjects US citizens or corporations to punitive taxes, which would mean he could then double taxes on citizens and companies from those countries.
The move could trigger a broad international fight over taxes, as his threats to impose tariffs on imported goods has done.
• Trump threatens to double taxes for foreign nationals
Barron Trump’s foray into real estate
ANGELA WEISS/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
Barron Trump appears to be following in his father’s footsteps by launching a luxury real estate venture.
The president’s 18-year-old son incorporated his business, Trump, Fulcher & Roxburgh Capital Inc, with two young business partners last July in Wyoming, but the company was dissolved four months later after the election. The company listed Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach as its principal address, according to records obtained by The New York Post, which reported that the business will relaunch in the spring.
Cameron Roxburgh, the co-founder, said work was paused to avoid election-related media attention. The company will focus on high-end real estate projects, including golf courses and properties in Utah, Arizona and Idaho. Roxburgh revealed that President Trump has given his son “private advice” about the business. However, there is no financial backing from the Trump Organization.
• Barron Trump sets out to make his own fortune
Panama alerts UN to Trump’s canal threat
Panama has alerted António Guterres, the UN secretary-general, to comments in Trump’s inauguration speech that he plans to take the Panama Canal back by any means necessary.
Panama noted that the UN charter prohibits states “from threat or use of force against territorial integrity or political independence of any state”.
“The canal is and will continue to be Panama’s, and its administration will continue to be under Panamanian control with respect to permanent neutrality,” the letter read.
Trump claimed in his speech that China had taken control of the canal and US shipping was being ripped off.
Proud Boys figurehead freed from prison
Enrique Tarrio, centre, during a protest of Trump supporters denying that Biden had won the election in 2020
STEPHANIE KEITH/GETTY IMAGES
Enrique “Henry” Tarrio, the former leader of the Proud Boys, has been released from prison after Trump’s pardon of the January 6 rioters, his lawyer confirmed on Tuesday.
Tarrio, 42, was sentenced to 22 years in prison in 2023 after he was found guilty of seditious conspiracy for his role in the attacks on the US Capitol in 2021.
Earlier Stewart Rhodes, 59, the founder of the Oath Keepers, was also released. He received an 18-year sentence for seditious conspiracy and other offences.
The Proud Boys and Oath Keepers are far-right groups promoting political violence.
Trump pardoned about 1,500 people who were among the mob that stormed the Capitol in an attempt to stop the 2020 presidential election results from being certified.
Court showdown looms over US birthright order
More than a dozen Democratic state attorney-generals have filed a lawsuit challenging President Trump’s move to end birthright citizenship, threatening to make it the first big showdown of his second term.
The 18 states, plus the District of Columbia and the city of San Francisco, are seeking a preliminary order blocking the policy before the Trump administration can take steps to implement it.
The lawsuit alleges that an executive order signed by Trump on Monday violates the 14th amendment of the constitution, which gives the right of citizenship to all children born in the United States, regardless of their parents’ immigration status.
“Despite a president’s broad powers to set immigration policy … [the order] falls far outside the legal bounds of the president’s authority,” the lawsuit says.
The children that would be stripped of the right are those whose parents were unlawfully in the country, or if the mother was legally in the US temporarily and the father was not a citizen or permanent resident.
Bishop to Trump: have mercy on immigrants
The bishop of Washington made a direct plea to the new president, sitting in the front pew
JIM WATSON/AFP
Mariann Edgar Budde, the bishop of the Episcopal diocese of Washington, appeared to address Trump’s executive orders targeting immigration and birthright during the national prayer service.
She made a direct plea to the president “to have mercy upon the people in our country who are scared now”, specifically naming LGBT people, immigrants, children and people fleeing war zones. Trump, sitting on the front row, looked down, while JD Vance, the vice-president, raised his eyebrows.
“They may not be citizens or have the proper documentation, but the vast majority of immigrants are not criminals,” the bishop said. “I ask you to have mercy, Mr President. We were all once strangers in this land.”
In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine last week, Budde said: “Trump seeks to dismantle everything I stand for.”
Greenland: we don’t want to be Americans
Greenland’s prime minister has said the Danish autonomous territory wants to stake out its own future, not be ruled from Washington.
“We are Greenlanders. We don’t want to be Americans. We don’t want to be Danish either. Greenland’s future will be decided by Greenland,” Mute Egede told a press conference on Tuesday.
Trump set off alarm bells this month by refusing to rule out military intervention to bring Greenland and the Panama Canal under US control.
Although Trump did not mention Greenland in his inauguration speech on Monday, he was asked about it by reporters in the Oval Office afterwards. “Greenland is a wonderful place, we need it for international security,” Trump said.
Andy Ogles, a Republican congressman, has introduced a bill to acquire Greenland, saying it should be part of the US because “we are the dominant predator”.
IDF launches offensive in West Bank
Hours after Trump rescinded American sanctions on settler groups and individuals accused of involvement in violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, Israel’s military said it had launched a “significant” operation in the territory.
Soldiers moved into the northern city of Jenin in an offensive that the emboldened prime minister, Binyamin Netanyahu, said was launched to “defeat terrorism”.
One of Trump’s first acts in office was to overturn executive order 14115, signed by Joe Biden in February last year, which imposed sanctions on “persons undermining peace, security, and stability in the West Bank”. It barred Americans from dealing with Israeli settlers and entities associated with them, and froze their US assets.
Stefanik: we’ll review funding for UN agencies
Elise Stefanik put her case to the Senate foreign relations committee on Tuesday
KENT NISHIMURA/GETTY IMAGES
Elise Stefanik, Trump’s choice as ambassador to the United Nations, opened her Senate confirmation hearing by saying she wanted a review of US funding for some of the world body’s agencies.
She said the US, the largest single contributor to the UN, had to ensure its investments were making America safer, stronger and more prosperous.
“Our tax dollars should not be complicit in propping up entities that are counter to American interests, antisemitic, or engaging in fraud, corruption or terrorism,” Stefanik said in her opening remarks to the Senate foreign relations committee.
She stressed the need to reform the UN, where Russia and China are able to veto resolutions in the security council, and said that it has not lived up to its founding mission.
In pictures: Trump family at cathedral service
The president and members of his family at the National Cathedral on Tuesday, alongside JD and Usha Vance
JIM WATSON/AFP
CHIP SOMODEVILLA/GETTY IMAGES
President Trump and his family are attending a prayer service at the National Cathedral in Washington, along with JD Vance, the vice-president, and his family.
It has been a tradition for newly sworn-in presidents since the inauguration of Franklin Roosevelt in 1933.
Chief Jesse Swann Jr of the Piscataway Conoy Native American tribe was reported to have backed out of the service, saying: “We cannot and will not participate with the current administration.”
It was here that all five living presidents gathered less than two weeks ago for Jimmy Carter’s funeral.
Coastguard chief sacked ‘for diversity drive’
The head of the US coastguard has been removed in one of the first acts of the Trump administration.
Admiral Linda Fagan, the first female leader of any branch of the US armed forces, was relieved of her duties by Benjamine Huffman, the acting secretary of homeland security, who did not provide a reason.
Fox News reported Fagan was sacked because of perceived failures in border security and recruitment and an excessive focus on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
Admiral Kevin Lunday, her deputy, will take over as acting commandant.
Elon Musk, a Trump ally who leads the new administration’s effort to cut costs across the federal government, alluded to the diversity drive in a post on X but did not explicitly confirm the sacking.
“Undermining the US military and border security to spend money on racist/sexist DEI nonsense is no longer acceptable,” he wrote.
US stocks opened higher on Tuesday, the first full day of Trump’s second presidency, reflecting his blizzard of executive orders.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 258.04 points, or 0.59 per cent, to 43,745.87. Nine of the 11 S&P 500 sectors rose, led by real estate with a 1.4 per cent increase.
Trump did not lay out concrete plans on the universal tariffs and additional surcharges he has promised on close trading partners, but said he was thinking about imposing duties on Canadian and Mexican goods as early as February 1.
While investors remain cautious about Trump’s policies, which experts say could worsen inflation and spark a global trade war, Goldman Sachs lowered its forecast for a universal tariff this year to 25 per cent from about 40 per cent in December.
Zelensky: Europe needs a plan B
President Zelensky has said that Europe should develop a joint defence policy if Trump pulls the United States out of Nato.
“Will President Trump even notice Europe? Does he see Nato as necessary? And will he respect EU institutions?” Zelensky said during a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos.
“We need a united European security and defence policy,” he said. “All European countries must be willing to spend as much on security as is truly needed. Europe must be able to guarantee peace and security for itself.”
Zelensky said European countries should spend 5 per cent of their GDP on defence. Trump has demanded all Nato member states raise their spending to the same level, up from the present target of 2 per cent.
Poland spends 4.1 per cent, the highest of all Nato member states. The United States spends 3.4 per cent, and Britain 2.3 per cent.
Marco Rubio sworn in as secretary of state
JD Vance, the vice-president, was on duty as Marco Rubio took the oath
KEVIN LAMARQUE/REUTERS
Marco Rubio has been sworn in as secretary of state, America’s chief diplomat. He was the first of Trump’s cabinet nominees to be confirmed by the Senate.
Rubio said Trump’s main priority would be advancing US interests, emphasising that anything the government and state department do must make the country stronger, safer or more prosperous.
“If it doesn’t do one of those three things, we will not do it,” Rubio said.
JD Vance, the vice-president, who served as a senator alongside Rubio, called him a “bipartisan solutions seeker”.
In pictures: Ex-army ranger released after Trump’s pardon
Robert Morss during the January 6 Capitol riots, and, below, on Tuesday after his release from prison
ALAMY
KAYLA BARTKOWSKI/GETTY IMAGES
Robert Morss, a former high school history teacher from Pennsylvania and US Army Ranger who served three tours of duty in Afghanistan, was among about 1,500 January 6 rioters pardoned by Trump.
He was sentenced to five and a half years in prison for his part in the Capitol riot four years ago, when he tried to disarm an officer of his baton and then ripped a police riot shield away.
On Tuesday morning he addressed the media wearing a red Make America Great Again hat.
What you may have missed from the ceremony
Donald Trump did not place his hand on the two Bibles held by his wife, Melania
MORRY GASH/REUTERS
Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States during an indoor ceremony at the Capitol yesterday. The inauguration ceremony was marked by an awkward air kiss, technical problems as well as breaks with tradition.
• Read in full: Trump’s inauguration highlights
In pictures: Trump’s inauguration day
Trump and Vance holding up swords after using them to cut a cake at the Commander in Chief Ball
ALEX BRANDON/AP
The incoming meets the outgoing: President Biden and his wife Jill greet the Trumps
JIM WATSON/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
Trump tries to manoeuvre under the brim of his wife’s hat to mark the moment with a kiss on her cheek
SAUL LOEB/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
Trump addresses the lucky few able to witness the inauguration first-hand, after the ceremony was moved indoors
KENNY HOLSTON/GETTY IMAGES
• See more pictures from the day’s events here
Mexican president defends country’s sovereignty
President Sheinbaum of Mexico has said that Mexicans should have the certainty that their government defends sovereignty, a day after Trump took office for a second term.
Sheinbaum said that the executive orders Trump signed resemble actions he took during his first term.
German chancellor takes aim at Elon Musk
Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, said he does not support freedom of speech when used to promote extreme-right positions, criticising Elon Musk a day after his hand gesture at Trump’s inauguration caused uproar.
“We have the freedom of speech in Europe and in Germany. Everyone can say what he wants, even if he is a billionaire. And what we do not accept is if this is supporting extreme-right positions,” Scholz told delegates of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, when asked about the incident.
‘QAnon shaman’ celebrates Trump pardon
Jacob Chansley, who called himself the “QAnon shaman”
SAUL LOEB/GETTY IMAGES
Jacob Chansley, known for storming the Capitol shirtless, adorned with horns, fur, and prominent tattoos, is among the January 6 rioters set to be released after Trump’s pardon.
Chansley, who called himself the “QAnon shaman”, is expected to walk free on Tuesday.
“I just got the news from my lawyer,” he wrote on Elon Musk’s X. “I got a pardon baby! Thank you President Trump!!!”
He added: “Now I am gonna buy some motha f***in guns!!! I love this country!!! God bless America!!!!”
He had been sentenced to 41 months in prison for obstruction, arguing that although he was one of the most visible rioters, he was not violent.
Trump to make ‘massive’ statement on infrastructure
Trump will make an infrastructure announcement today, Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said in an interview with Fox News.
“It’s going to be a massive announcement,” Leavitt told the Fox & Friends programme without elaborating.
German chancellor seeks strong ties with US
Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, has voiced cautious optimism on the potential for German-US relations under Trump, citing good first talks with his administration, and stressed that co-operation was key for peace and prosperity.
“The United States is our closest ally outside Europe. And I will do everything in my power to ensure that it stays that way,” Scholz said in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
“My first good conversations with President Trump and also the contacts between our advisers point in this direction,” he added.
Speaking on the first full day of Trump’s new term in office, Scholz said co-operation between Europe and the United States was key for peace and security worldwide as well as economic progress. However, the German chancellor added that Europe must become more self-reliant.
Andreas Michaelis, Germany’s ambassador to Washington, has warned internally of turbulent relations for Berlin under Trump while German companies have sounded the alarm over threatened tariffs under the new US administration.
Putin and Xi hail stronger ties amid Trump’s return
President Putin and President Xi praised deepening ties between Russia and China in a video call that came just hours after Trump’s inauguration.
Trump has threatened to impose heavy tariffs on Beijing and warned that Russia will face “big trouble” if it does not end its invasion of Ukraine.
The two leaders discussed talks with Trump, the prospects of a resolution to the war in Ukraine, and the situation with Taiwan, a Kremlin aide said. Putin called Xi his “dear friend” and said relations between the two countries were based on “friendship, mutual trust and support.”
President Xi and President Putin
ALAMY
Putin and Xi signed a “no limits” partnership deal shortly before Russia invaded Ukraine almost three years ago. Although Beijing has not provided Moscow with military support, it has refused to back western sanctions and its purchases of Russian oil and gas have provided the Kremlin with an economic boost.
Xi said he wanted ties between Beijing and Moscow to reach “new heights” this year. “Both sides should continue to deepen strategic co-ordination, resolutely support each other, and safeguard the legitimate interests of both countries,” he said, according to Chinese state media.
Israeli operation in West Bank follows Trump lifting settler sanctions
Hours after it was reported that Trump had lifted sanctions on some West Bank settlers, the Israeli military said it had launched an operation in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin, which the Palestinian ministry of health said had killed at least four people.
In a joint statement, the army and Israeli security agency said that, along with the Israeli border police, they had launched an operation in the city, a stronghold of Palestinian militant groups.
The Ramallah-based ministry of health said in a statement that at least 35 Palestinians were injured at the Jenin refugee camp.
Kamal Abu al-Rub, the city’s governor, told Agence France-Presse that “what is happening is an invasion of the camp”.
“It came quickly, Apache planes in the sky and Israeli military vehicles everywhere,” he added.
Musk responds to ‘Hitler salute’ claims
Elon Musk has responded to the furore over his gesture at Trump’s inauguration party, which some experts have compared to a Nazi salute.
Writing on the X platform that he owns, Musk said: “Frankly, they need better dirty tricks.”
He added: “The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo tired.”
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Israeli ministers praise Trump for lifting sanctions on settlers
Trump’s order lifting sanctions imposed by the Biden administration against Israeli settlers is an interesting coda to the Gaza ceasefire deal.
The version of the final days of negotiations that has been spread by both the Netanyahu government and the incoming Trump administration is that the Israeli prime minister eventually bowed to pressure from Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, in agreeing to the deal. Witkoff is said to have shouted at Netanyahu until he gave way.
However, some Israeli news outlets reported that Witkoff actually came with an offer that if Netanyahu agreed to a deal, Trump would lift sanctions on the settlers. This was never confirmed.
Trump greets relatives of Israeli hostages during an inauguration parade
SUSAN WALSH/AP
Netanyahu was under pressure from pro-settler factions in the government, with two right-wing ministers, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, threatening to quit, which would have left Netanyahu without a majority. In the end, Ben Gvir resigned while Smotrich voted against the deal but stayed in the cabinet.
He was among the first to welcome Trump’s announcement, sending him a message saying that the decision was an “expression of your deep connection to the Jewish people and our historical right to our land”.
China reaffirms climate priorities as US withdraws from Paris agreement
Beijing has said it is concerned about the US’s withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement.
Guo Jiakun, the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, said that climate change is a common challenge faced by all humankind.
“No country can remain unaffected or solve the problem on its own,” Guo said at a news briefing today. “China will work with all parties … to actively address the challenges of climate change.”
Guo added China will continue to respond to climate challenges and jointly promote global green and low-carbon transformation.
Trump lifts sanctions on Israeli settler groups
Richard Spencer in Tel Aviv
One of Trump’s executive orders was a key intervention in the crisis in Israel, Gaza and the West Bank. He lifted sanctions placed by the Biden administration on extremist settler organisations and leaders seen as fomenting violence on the West Bank.
Biden had begun imposing the sanctions in February last year and some saw the move as an effort to assuage Arab anger, and American Arab anger in particular, over the US’s support for the Israeli bombing campaign in Gaza.
Trump greets relatives of Israeli hostages during the inaugural parade in Washington DC
JIM WATSON/AFP
Biden named individuals and later organisations the White House saw as responsible for violent attacks on West Bank villages and imposed financial sanctions, which were largely symbolic, as well as visa bans.
The government of Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has been partly held in place by far-right parties which want to expand Israeli settlements across the West Bank, which Israel now regularly refers to as “Judea and Samaria”. Some settlers regularly take matters into their own hands, attacking Palestinians and their villages.
India to take back illegal migrants from US
India is set to take back 18,000 citizens living in the US illegally, Bloomberg reports, in an early signal from Delhi that it is willing to comply with the incoming American president and avoid a trade war.
The two countries have together identified about 18,000 illegal Indian migrants living in the US to be sent back home, Bloomberg reported, although the number of overall number of illegal Indian migrants could be much higher.
German press condemns Trump’s ‘radical egotism’
The German press, unconstrained by the diplomatic restraints of its political leaders, has taken a bleaker view of events in Washington. NTV, the private broadcaster, described Trump’s territorial designs on Greenland, Panama and Canada as an omen of “absolute imperialism”.
Der Spiegel, the news magazine, said the only silver lining to Trump’s inauguration speech was that the world “no longer needed to harbour any illusions” about his “radical egotism” and “ruthless” contempt for international order.
More prosaically, the live translator interpreting the ceremony for a German television audience spoke for many viewers when he muttered a question without realising that his microphone was still switched on: “Tell me, how much longer do you want to spend on this crap?”
Trump-pardoned rioters leave jail early
Stewart Rhodes, the Oath Keepers founder, was released last night after spending three years in Cumberland, Maryland at the Federal Correctional Institution
KAYLA BARTKOWSKI/GETTY IMAGES
January 6 rioters who have been pardoned by Trump have begun to leave prison.
Stewart Rhodes, the former leader of the far-right Oath Keepers militia who had his 18-year prison sentence commuted, was released earlier today in Cumberland, Maryland.
Rhodes did not enter the Capitol on January 6, but he was found guilty for plotting to use force against Congress to prevent the election certification. He was also accused of helping to stockpile firearms at a hotel in nearby Virginia that could be ferried across the river to Washington.
Others are expected to be freed in the next few hours with close to 1,600 people affected by the ruling.
UN agency urges US to reconsider withdrawal
The World Health Organisation (WHO) said today that it regretted the decision by the new US administration to withdraw the country from the UN agency.
It said that as a founding member the US and the organisation “have saved countless lives and protected Americans and all people from health threats”.
It added: “We hope the United States will reconsider and we look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue to maintain the partnership between the USA and WHO, for the benefit of the health and wellbeing of millions of people around the globe.”
Karl Lauterbach, Germany’s health minister, said today that Berlin would try to get Washington to reverse its position.
European Commission chief warns of global economic race
Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, has warned of the risk of a “global race to the bottom” driven by the use of economic tools such as tariffs.
Speaking at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting, Von der Leyen spoke of a new era of harsh geo-strategic competition.
“As this competition intensifies, we will likely continue to see frequent use of economic tools, such as sanctions, export controls, and tariffs, that are intended to safeguard economic and national security,” she said, adding that innovation must not be stifled.
“In this spirit, we will need to work together to avoid a global race to the bottom,” she added. “Because it is in no one’s interest, to break the bonds in the global economy. Rather we need to modernise the rules to sustain our ability to produce mutual gain for our citizens.”
Italian media reacts to Trump’s inauguration
Tom Kington in Rome
Italy’s leading Corriere della Sera newspaper headlined its coverage, “Trump attacks: I will change everything”, and focused on the “below the radar” role of the financier Peter Thiel in the new administration, noting the “impressive” number of government appointees tied to him.
The left-leaning La Repubblica newspaper ran the headline, “Trump 2, The Revenge” with a cartoon of the Statue of Liberty wearing a Ku Klux Klan robe and holding a noose.
Giorgia Meloni, the only EU leader present, managed a handshake with Donald Trump at the inauguration but spent more time chatting with Javier Milei, the Argentinian president, the newspaper reported.
Meloni’s advisers are calculating the possible impact of Trump’s promised tariffs on Italy’s economy, with the prime minister facing the decision of whether to confront the tariffs with her European partners or independently, the newspaper added.
Javier Milei with Giorgia Meloni during Trump’s inauguration
EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/REUTERS
Trump grants clemency to Capitol riot leaders
In his order regarding January 6 rioters, Trump granted clemency to Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, the former leader of the far-right Proud Boys militia, who was serving a 22-year prison term for his role in the Capitol attack.
The 42-year-old had the longest sentence handed down against any of the close to 1,600 people charged in connection with the riot after being convicted of seditious conspiracy and other felonies.
A representative for Tarrio said he had been released from a federal prison in Louisiana and would return to his hometown Miami.
Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, the former Proud Boys leader
ALLISON DINNER/AP
Other prominent Proud Boys pardoned by Trump were Joseph Biggs, Zachary Rehl, Ethan Nordean, and Dominic Pezzola, who were tried alongside Tarrio for seditious conspiracy and other crimes.
The four received some of the longest prison terms with Nordean getting 18 years, Biggs getting 17 years, Rehl getting 15 years, and Pezzola, the only defendant in the trial who did not hold a leadership position in the Proud Boys, getting ten years.
Japan emphasises national interests amid Trump inauguration
Richard Lloyd Parry in Tokyo
Shigeru Ishiba, Japan’s conservative prime minister, was polite but realistic, offering “warmest congratulations” on X, but setting out the practical task that Japan, along with other US allies faces.
“President Trump prioritises bilateral negotiations over multilateral frameworks,” he said. “So we will focus on how to leverage the national interests of both countries to contribute to world peace and the global economy.”
The liberal Asahi newspaper was similarly clear-sighted.
“Trump-style US diplomacy can no longer be considered a unique transitional phenomenon,” it said in a leader. “Tokyo must expand its autonomous diplomacy to promote independent security and a free trade system, without relying solely on the alliance.”
Germany divided over Trump’s return
Oliver Moody in Berlin
There is an old German expression that summarises most mainstream politicians’ feelings about the return of Trump: Pfeifen im Walde, meaning whistling to keep your spirits up in a dark forest full of terrors.
The hard-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is delighted, regarding Trump’s victory as a powerful symbolic blow to liberals and a vindication of its crusade against the Berlin establishment.
Alice Weidel, the AfD’s joint leader, said Trump’s blitz of presidential orders on deportations and border controls showed that something similar was possible in Germany. Her opponents, however, have gritted their teeth. “We can achieve so much more together than against one another,” Olaf Scholz, the chancellor, said.
Annalena Baerbock, the foreign minister, said the US remained “one of Germany’s most important allies”.
Friedrich Merz, the conservative opposition leader, who is expected to replace Scholz, wrote to Trump, and praised his “remarkable election victory” and “strong mandate”.
Pardoning rioters is ‘an outrageous insult’, says former House speaker
Nancy Pelosi, the former Democratic House speaker, has condemned Trump for pardoning January 6 Capitol rioters, calling the move “shameful”.
“The president’s actions are an outrageous insult to our justice system and the heroes who suffered physical scars and emotional trauma as they protected the Capitol, the Congress and the constitution,” Pelosi said in a statement. “It is shameful that the president has decided to make one of his top priorities the abandonment and betrayal of police officers who put their lives on the line to stop an attempt to subvert the peaceful transfer of power.”
Richard Barnett, one of the January 6 rioters, who broke into Pelosi’s office
SAUL LOEB/AFP
Pelosi added that “despite the president’s decision, we must always remember the extraordinary courage and valour of the law enforcement heroes who stood in the breach and ensured that democracy survived on that dark day”.
During the attack, one rioter armed with a stun gun broke into Pelosi’s office and sat at her desk.
France reacts to Trump’s ‘nightmare’ return
Charles Bremner in Paris
Fear, fascination and resignation coloured France’s reaction to Trump’s inauguration.
François Bayrou, the centrist prime minister, set the tone, saying the United States has embraced “politics that are incredibly dominating”, as the Washington ceremony opened. “If we do nothing then our fate will be simple. We will be dominated, we will be crushed, we will be marginalised,” he added.
France 24, the state TV news channel, described the inauguration as “an opening act of contempt”, reflecting the general disapproval of Trump in France.
Most media focused on Trump’s outlandish plans and called for Europe to stand up to him as left-wing outlets voiced consternation.
The Libération newspaper described Trump’s return as a “nightmare” while CNews, the nationalist TV news channel, praised Trump. Pascal Praud, one of its presenters, contrasted Trump’s pugnacious character with France’s own political leadership, saying: “Donald Trump is not afraid while over here our little grey men are petrified.”
Trump declares two genders as official US policy
“As of today, it will henceforth be the official policy of the United States government that there are only two genders, male and female,” Trump said during his inaugural address yesterday.
He repealed executive orders signed by his predecessor, Joe Biden, including those combating discrimination against gay and transgender people.
“This week, I will also end the government policy of trying to socially engineer race and gender into every aspect of public and private life,” Trump said in his inaugural address.
An incoming White House official told reporters that federal funds will not be used to promote “gender ideology”. US funding will also not be used on gender transition medical procedures, the official said without providing details.
Spain braces for US power shift
Isambard Wilkinson in Madrid
The front-page headline of El País read: “Trump unchained.”
In its editorial, the left-leaning newspaper stated: “New US president turns his inauguration into an unseemly display of power.
“No president in US history has ever accumulated so much power. Not only because of his control over the executive and legislative branches, but also because of his ability to evade justice and congressional scrutiny for four years, as well as subjecting the Republican Party to his discipline.”
It added: “If many in the United States are preparing for the worst … democratic US allies, starting with the Europeans, must prepare to vigorously confront an external agenda that is openly hostile not only to their commercial, technological and geopolitical interests, but also to a system based on checks and balances.”
El Mundo reported that Pedro Sánchez, the Spanish prime minister, was setting himself up as Europe’s resistance leader against the Trump “threat”.
Watch: Protests held around the world
Demonstrators made their feelings heard as Trump was sworn in
Syrian rebel leader congratulates Trump
The Syrian leader who led rebels in overthrowing Bashar al-Assad last month hailed Trump as the American president who could bring peace to the region.
Ahmed Al-Sharaa, a former al-Qaeda commander who has cut ties with the group, said in a statement that he was “confident that [Trump] is the leader to bring peace to the Middle East and restore stability to the region”.
Sharaa and his group, Hayaat Tahrir al-Sham, are still designated as a terrorist organisation by the US. He joined other leaders in the region in congratulating Trump, who had developed close ties with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Jordan during his first term.
Trump had also been supportive of Israel, and one of his first acts as president was to rescind sanctions on extremist settlers imposed by the Biden administration. Steve Witkoff, his envoy, was instrumental in pressuring both Israel and Hamas to accept a ceasefire last week.
‘We will drill, baby, drill’
Trump throws his pen after signing executive orders
BRIAN SNYDER/REUTERS
Trump has announced America’s withdrawal from the Paris climate accord for a second time in a defiant rejection of global efforts to combat planetary warming as catastrophic weather events intensify worldwide.
The Republican leader also declared a “national energy emergency” to expand drilling in the world’s top oil and gas producer and said he would scrap vehicle emissions standards that amount to an “electric vehicle mandate”. Trump vowed to halt offshore wind farms, a frequent target of his scorn, adding: “We will drill, baby, drill.”
“I’m immediately withdrawing from the unfair, one-sided Paris climate accord rip-off,” he said at a Washington sports arena after being sworn in. “The United States will not sabotage our own industries while China pollutes with impunity.”
He also signed an order instructing federal agencies to reject international climate finance commitments made under the previous administration.
Trump urges Putin to make a deal on Ukraine
President Trump has said President Putin is “destroying” Russia by refusing to end the war in Ukraine
“He should make a deal. I think he’s destroying Russia by not making a deal,” he said at the Oval Office. “I think Russia’s going to be in big trouble,” he added, referring to the impact of the conflict on the Russian economy.
Trump also confirmed that he would meet Putin soon after saying during his campaign that he would resolve the conflict within 24 hours, although he has since backtracked on the pledge.
“I got along with him great, I would hope he wants to make a deal,” Trump said. “He can’t be thrilled he’s not doing so well. I mean, he’s grinding it out, but most people thought that war would have been over in about one week, and now you’re into three years.”
‘World Health Organisation ripped us off’
President Trump ordered the US out of the World Health Organisation (WHO), saying the global health agency had mishandled the Covid pandemic and other international health crises.
Trump said the WHO had failed to act independently from the “political influence of WHO member states” and required “unfairly onerous payments” from the US that were disproportionate to the sums provided by other, larger countries, such as China.
“World Health ripped us off, everybody rips off the United States. It’s not going to happen anymore,” Trump said at the signing of an executive order on the withdrawal.
The move means America will leave the United Nations health agency in 12 months time and stop all financial contributions to its work. Washington is the WHO’s biggest financial backer, contributing about 18 per cent of its overall funding. WHO’s most recent two-year budget, for 2024-25, was $6.8 billion.
Russian wealth fund chief hails Trump’s decisive leadership
The head of Russia’s $23 billion sovereign wealth fund praised Donald Trump today, saying his executive orders could change the course of history.
“President Trump’s bold actions today prove that decisive leadership can change the course of history, unlocking economic growth and transforming global challenges into opportunities for dialogue and resolution through problem solving,” Kirill Dmitriev, the chief executive of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, said.
Dmitriev, a US-educated former Goldman Sachs banker, played a role in early contacts between Moscow and Trump’s team when he was first elected president in 2016. Dmitriev is under American sanctions, which Russian officials dismiss as illegal and unfounded.
Mexico and Canada targeted with 25% tariffs
President Trump rekindled his threat to impose 25 per cent tariffs on America’s two major trading partners.
He said tariffs on Canada and Mexico could come into force as early as February 1 after accusing them of failing to stop illegal immigration and drug trafficking into the US.
“We’re thinking in terms of 25 per cent on Mexico and Canada, because they’re allowing vast numbers of people — Canada’s a very bad abuser also — to come in, and fentanyl to come in,” he said.
It is unclear what will happen with regards to tariffs on other countries, including China.
“Trump wants a deal. Otherwise, he would have shot up China on day one,” Alicia Garcia Herrero, the chief economist for the Asia Pacific at Natixis, the investment bank, said. “He ran a campaign which was very aggressive towards China, and then on day one shied away from it.”
Trump restores ‘Diet Coke button’ in Oval Office
Trump signing executive orders on the Resolute Desk
ANNA MONEYMAKER/GETTY IMAGES
The Oval Office underwent a familiar redecoration once Trump arrived for his second term returning the bust of Winston Churchill and a “Diet Coke button”.
The focal point of the room remains the Resolute Desk but now sitting atop the gift from Queen Victoria to Rutherford B Hayes is a red valet button. Trump, 78, uses the button to summon a butler bearing an iced glass of his favourite drink — Diet Coke.
The 47th president removed a bust of Robert F Kennedy that had been brought in by Biden. Flags for each branch of the military were also reinstated.
Trump’s “Diet Coke button” during his first term
GETTY IMAGES
Elon Musk accused of making ‘Nazi salute’
Elon Musk speaking at the post-inauguration event celebrating Trump
Elon Musk was mired in controversy in the hours after the inauguration for making a gesture which some claimed was similar to a Nazi salute.
At an event celebrating President Trump’s return to the White House, Musk tapped the left side of his chest with his right hand and then extended his arm with his palm open, repeating the gesture for the crowd seated behind him. The billionaire told the crowd as he made his gesture: “My heart goes out to you. It is thanks to you that the future of civilisation is assured.”
On social media, Claire Aubin, a historian who specialises in Nazism within the United States, said the gesture was a “sieg heil”, or Nazi salute.
“My professional opinion is that you’re all right, you should believe your eyes,” Aubin posted on X, agreeing with those online who found the gesture had overtly referenced the Nazis.
Ruth Ben-Ghiat, a history professor at New York University, posted on Bluesky: “Historian of fascism here. It was a Nazi salute and a very belligerent one too.”
Trump overturns Biden’s Cuba announcement
President Trump rescinded the Biden administration’s last-minute decision to remove Cuba from the US list of state sponsors of terrorism.
Biden’s announcement last week, which was accompanied by Cuba’s agreement to free more than 500 prisoners from its jails, appeared aimed at rolling back many of the sanctions put in place by Trump during his previous four years in office.
Miguel Díaz-Canel, the Cuban president, called Trump’s move “an act of arrogance and disregard for the truth”. Díaz-Canel said Trump had imposed economic siege measures against Cuba in his first term, which had caused shortages of goods on the island and led to Cubans migrating to the United States. China described the reinstatement as US “bullying”.
In 2021, Trump decided during the final days of his first term to put Cuba back on the list, reversing a reconciliation drive under Barack Obama, the former president.
Pardons for January 6 rioters spark celebrations
Jubilant scenes outside the DC Central Detention Facility
ROBERTO SCHMIDT/GETTY IMAGES
A crowd danced to a remix of YMCA — which has become somewhat of an unofficial anthem for Trump’s campaign — outside a Washington DC jail last night celebrating Trump’s broad clemency for those convicted in the January 6 Capitol attack.
Relatives and supporters of the convicts were jubilant outside the DC Central Detention Facility, which held about 20 of the 246 people who remained incarcerated.
Trump signed “full pardons” for about 1,500 “hostages” convicted in connection with the riots.
“We hope they come out tonight, frankly,” Trump said yesterday. “We’re expecting it.”
Trump issues flurry of executive orders
Trump signed an executive order pardoning about 1,500 people convicted in connection with the January 6 riots
The president acted immediately after his inauguration with executive orders on areas ranging from deportations to TikTok.
Trump issued dozens of executive orders yesterday, ordering troops to the southern border, renaming American landmarks and attacking many of his predecessor Joe Biden’s signature policies.
He ordered the US out of the World Health Organisation and the Paris Climate Agreement and declared a “national energy emergency” sweeping away restrictions on oil and gas exploration.
• See our full list here
You’re fired, says Trump to Biden appointees
In a late-night social media post including his TV catchphrase, Donald Trump said he was removing over a thousand presidential appointees from the previous administration.
“My presidential personnel office is actively in the process of identifying and removing over a thousand presidential appointees from the previous administration, who are not aligned with our vision to Make America Great Again,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
He highlighted four officials by name, adding: “— YOU’RE FIRED!”
Official notice of dismissal were given to José Andrés from the president’s council on sports, fitness and nutrition, Mark Milley from the national infrastructure advisory council, Brian Hook from the Wilson Center for Scholars, and Keisha Lance Bottoms from the president’s export council.
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