World

Donald Trump will be sworn in as president of the United States on Monday, ushering in his second term in office and capping one of the most astounding political comebacks in American history. Inauguration Day is, by tradition, largely dedicated to pomp and circumstance. One president leaves the White House, and another moves in. But Trump, a Republican, also has pledged to sign a flurry of executive orders on subjects ranging from border security to oil and gas production on his first day in office. Here is what we know about Inauguration Day so far: WHEN IS THE INAUGURATION? Trump will take the oath of office, administered by Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts, at 12 p.m. EST (1700 GMT). It was originally due to take place in front of the U.S. Capitol but will now take place inside the congressional complex because of bitter cold. Trump will then deliver his inaugural address. In interviews, he has said he intends it to be uplifting and unifying. That would mark a d...

Tech billionaire Elon Musk told a delegation of leading Indian business figures at his SpaceX Starbase facility in Texas on Friday that he believes India-US ties are "trending positive" and that he favours an enhanced trade partnership between the two nations. The Indian entrepreneurs, led by India Global Forum (IGF) to mark the UK-headquartered policy and events platform's expansion into the US this week, toured the company's cutting-edge space exploration facilities and witnessed the successful launch of SpaceX's Starship Flight 7. During a moderated discussion, Musk emphasised the potential for deeper collaboration between the United States and India, particularly in the technology and space exploration sectors. "Things are trending positive. I'm certainly in favour of lowering trade barriers to increase commerce between the US and India," Musk was quoted as saying during the session. He went on to describe India as "one of the ancient ci...

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken isn't having the best final days in office, with the last 48 hours being particularly unforgiving for the top diplomat facing heat over controversial decisions taken by him during the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza. Far from the farewell he probably hoped for, Antony Blinken's last press conference as Secretary of State turned out to be a nightmarish experience as he found himself on the receiving end of a verbal lashing by two journalists covering the Gaza war. Chaos ensued as independent journalist Sam Husseini confronted Mr Blinken while he was defending the Biden administration's decisions and policies during the 15-month war in Gaza. "Everyone from Amnesty International to the ICJ (International Court of Justice) is saying Israel is doing genocide and extermination, and you're telling me to respect the process?" Mr Husseini questioned. Moments later, while he was sitting quiet after the verbal confrontation, security pers...

Israeli far-right police minister Itamar Ben-Gvir threatened on Tuesday to quit Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government if he agrees to a Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal being negotiated at talks in Qatar. Ben-Gvir, whose departure would not bring down Netanyahu's government, urged Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich to join him in a last-ditch attempt to prevent a ceasefire deal, which he described as a dangerous capitulation to Hamas. "This move is our only chance to prevent (the deal's) execution, and prevent Israel's surrender to Hamas, after more than a year of bloody war, in which more than 400 IDF (Israel Defence Forces) soldiers fell in the Gaza Strip, and to ensure that their deaths are not in vain," Ben-Gvir said on X. Smotrich said on Monday that he objects to the deal but did not threaten to bolt Netanyahu's coalition. A majority of ministers are expected to back the phased ceasefire deal, which details a halt to fighting and th...

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced that he will not be running in the upcoming federal elections, scheduled for October this year. This decision comes after Trudeau stated last week that he would step down as Prime Minister as soon as his Liberal Party chooses a new leader. "In terms of my own decisions, I will not be running in the upcoming election," Trudeau said during a press conference in Ottawa. Trudeau expressed uncertainty about his future after leaving politics, stating, "As to what I might be doing later, I honestly haven't had much time to think about that at all. I am entirely focused on doing the job that Canadians elected me to do in an extraordinarily pivotal time right now." He also met with Canada's premiers, the ambassador to the US, and some federal cabinet ministers to discuss how Canada would respond to Trump's tariff threats. After serving as Prime Minister for over nine years, Trudeau faced pressure from the op...

OpenAI, the makers of ChatGPT, have killed my son in order to hide something they want nobody to know, said Poornima Rao, mother of whistleblower and former OpenAI researcher Suchir Balaji. He had documents against them and what they are up to, she said in her latest tirade against the tech giant. In an explosive interview to American commentator Tucker Carlson, Ms Rao made some stunning claims and serious charges over her son's death and the opacity and secrecy in the world of Artificial Intelligence. Suchir Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment in November, shortly after he had turned a whistleblower against AI-giant OpenAI. He had publicly raised ethical concerns about the ChatGPT maker's practices before his death. After an initial investigation, authorities had concluded that his death was an act of suicide. However, his family has since called for an FBI investigation, highlighting several lapses and alleging that Balaji was murdered. In the interview, M...

Former US first lady Michelle Obama will not attend US President-elect Donald Trump's swearing-in ceremony on January 20, her office announced on Tuesday, without sharing explanation for her decision, CNN reported. A statement from the Office of Barack and Michelle Obama said, "Former President Barack Obama is confirmed to attend the 60th Inaugural Ceremonies. Former First Lady Michelle Obama will not attend the upcoming inauguration." The decision to not attend Trump's swearing-in is a break with tradition for the ceremony, which former presidents and first ladies usually attend. Former US President George Bush and his wife, Laura Bush, will attend the inauguration, his office announced. According to sources familiar, former US President Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton will attend the swearing-in ceremony, CNN reported. Michelle Obama did not attend the memorial service for former US President Jimmy Carter last week. Former US President Barack Obama attended the...

Walmart's first logo update in 17 years is garnering significant online attention, though it may not be the kind the retail giant anticipated. The redesign, which the company describes as a modernisation grounded in tradition, includes a bolder font, a richer blue background, and a "more energised" yellow spark icon. Speaking about the change, William White, the senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Walmart US, said in a press statement: "This update, rooted in the legacy of our founder, Sam Walton, demonstrates our evolving capabilities and longstanding commitment to serve our customers of today and tomorrow." The internet, especially X (formerly Twitter), is awash with memes and jokes about the new logo A user commented, "Some consulting firm fleeced them for $500M for this." Some consulting firm fleeced them for $500M for this. — Spencer Hakimian (@SpencerHakimian) January 13, 2025 Another user wrote, "Breaking: Walmart s...

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has underlined India's potential role in ending global conflicts, saying that it is one of the few countries that is in a position to hold talks with both Russia and Ukraine, and with Israel and Iran. Mr Jaishankar, who is on a two-day visit to Spain, made these remarks during an interaction with the Indian community in Madrid on Monday in an apparent reference to the wars in Ukraine and in West Asia, where Israel is fighting Iran-backed Hamas. The minister said India is today seen as contributing to a global conversation that when the "world is looking at many, many challenges, different issues, we also come up with ideas and initiatives". “There are very few countries today who are in a position to talk to Russia and to Ukraine,” he said. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year visited Russia twice and also went to Kyiv in Ukraine. India is one of the few countries which is in a position to talk to Israel and Iran as we...

Anti-corruption minister Tulip Siddiq resigned from the UK government Tuesday after being named in graft probes in Bangladesh launched when her aunt, Sheikh Hasina, was ousted as the country's leader. In a letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Siddiq repeated she had done nothing wrong but said continuing in office would likely "be a distraction from the work of the government". Siddiq, 42, has been dogged by claims about her links to Hasina, who fled Bangladesh in August after a student-led uprising against her decades-long, increasingly authoritarian tenure as prime minister. Hasina, 77, has defied extradition requests to face Bangladeshi charges including of mass murder. On Monday, Bangladesh's Anti-Corruption Commission announced she and family members, including Siddiq, were subject to another graft probe, this time over an alleged land grab of lucrative plots in a suburb of the capital Dhaka. Family members including Siddiq had already emerged as named tar...

Los Angeles firefighters braced on Tuesday for a new round of intense winds that could fuel two monstrous wildfires that have already killed at least 24 people, levelled entire neighbourhoods and scorched an area the size of Washington, D.C.     Much of Los Angeles and Ventura County could experience wind gusts of 50 to 70 mph from early Tuesday through Wednesday as dry Santa Ana winds picked up after relative calm last week, according to the National Weather Service. It declared a red flag warning, meaning the situation was dangerous and could ignite new fires while stoking those already burning. "This setup is about as bad as it gets," Los Angeles City Fire Chief Kristin Crowley told local residents. "We are not in the clear." Highlighting the risks, a small but fast-moving new fire erupted overnight in scrubland in the bed of the Santa Clara River in Ventura County, northwest of Los Angeles.  Ground crew and several helicopters were working to contain the so...

Confirmation hearings for Donald Trump's cabinet nominees kicked off Tuesday with his controversial Pentagon pick, Pete Hegseth, a former Fox News host dogged by sexual assault allegations and no experience leading large organizations. Senate Republicans are keen for Trump's national security nominees to be confirmed quickly and Democrats may agree to fast-track some. But they are determined to throw up roadblocks in front of candidates they see as unfit. Hegseth, a former Army National Guard officer, has argued that US military effectiveness has been undermined by efforts aimed at promoting diversity in the ranks, and has said that women should not serve in combat. "When President Trump chose me for this position, the primary charge he gave me was to bring the warrior culture back to the Department of Defense," Hegseth said at the opening of his confirmation hearing. "He, like me, wants a Pentagon laser-focused on lethality, meritocracy, warfighting, account...

The European Union is considering expanding its investigation into whether Elon Musk's social media network X breached its content moderation rulebook, Bloomberg News reported on Monday, citing the bloc's tech policy chief. The EU started investigating X, formerly Twitter, in late 2023 over suspected breaches of obligations, partly relating to posts following Hamas' attacks on Israel, its first probe under the EU's Digital Services Act, or DSA. "We are currently assessing if the scope is large enough," European Commission Vice President Henna Virkkunen told Bloomberg TV when asked about the ongoing X probe. The bloc's scrutiny into the social media platform increased in recent months as Musk, now an adviser to President-elect Donald Trump, started endorsing far-right personalities such as chancellor candidate Alice Weidel from the Alternative for Germany party, ahead of the country's Feb. 23 snap elections, according to Bloomberg. The commission is...

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences has postponed the announcement of this year's Oscar nominations for a second time because of the ongoing wildfires in Los Angeles, organizers said on Monday. The nominations for the film industry's highest honors will now be announced on January 23. They originally had been set for January 17 and then moved to January 19. "Due to the still-active fires in the Los Angeles area, we feel it is necessary to extend our voting period and move the date of our nominations announcement to allow additional time for our members," Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Janet Yang said in a statement. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/8a7e0gv

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wants more "masculine energy" in corporate culture, saying that an environment that "celebrates aggression" can have positive effects. "The masculine energy I think is good," the 40-year-old said during a lengthy interview with podcaster Joe Rogan. "And obviously society has plenty of that, but I think corporate culture is really trying to get away from it." He added that having a culture that celebrates aggression "a bit more, has its own merits that are really positive." Mr Zuckerberg, appearing with curly hair, a black T-shirt, and a gold pendant, reflected on his own evolution. He credited martial arts as a formative experience, describing it as "a much more masculine culture." Mr Zuckerberg recently announced major changes to Meta's policies, ending initiatives aimed at boosting diversity in hiring. An internal memo, shared by Axios , explained the decision, partly blaming a "charged...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Sunday he was ready to hand over captured North Korean soldiers to Pyongyang in exchange for the return of Ukrainian POWs held in Russia. Zelensky's offer came hours after South Korea's National Intelligence Service confirmed Ukraine's announcement from the previous day that it had captured two North Korean soldiers. Kyiv said Saturday they had been wounded fighting Ukraine's troops in Russia's Kursk region, but at the time did not provide any proof of their nationality. But on Sunday, the NIS told AFP it had "confirmed that the Ukrainian military captured two North Korean soldiers on January 9 in the Kursk battlefield in Russia". In a post on X Sunday, Zelensky said: "Ukraine is ready to hand over Kim Jong Un's soldiers to him if he can organize their exchange for our warriors who are being held captive in Russia." There would "undoubtedly be more" North Korean soldiers captured by Kyi...

US President Joe Biden spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday to discuss negotiations for a hostage release and Gaza ceasefire deal, a US official said. The call, further details of which are expected to be released later, comes as Biden pushes for a truce between Israel and Hamas before Donald Trump returns to the White House on January 20. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/fFrMKiD

A seemingly routine 999 call, masked as a pizza order, turned out to be a harrowing plea for help. A sharp-witted Metropolitan Police call handler immediately recognised the hidden distress and promptly dispatched emergency services to aid the woman in need. The police force shared audio of the call on its X account and commended the call handler for her quick thinking. The handler quickly realised the woman was in danger and instructed her to respond with single words, enabling officers to be dispatched to assist. "Pizza Delivery," the 999 caller said. "Pizza Delivery? Ok, do you require pizza delivery or do you require the police? If it's the police, say yes," the dispatcher questioned. "Yes," the woman responded. "Ok is the person that's scaring you at the property now," the dispatcher questioned. "Yes," the caller said. "No problem, police are coming ok? Have they got any weapons, answer yes or no?" the disp...

Brandon Dale Biggs, an Oklahoma pastor and self-proclaimed prophet who said he accurately predicted the assassination attempt on Donald Trump, has come up with another eerie prediction. Mr Biggs said god had shown him a vision of a 10-magnitude earthquake which may kill thousands of people across the US, according to a report in Metro . Mr Biggs claimed that the earthquake would hit the New Madrid fault line, stretching through Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky and Illinois. 'It was so big, there were 1,800 people who died [along that stretch]. All the houses on cinder blocks were completely shaken to the foundation, they just fell," said Mr Biggs. '[The] New Madrid earthquake [is] so big [and] when it happens the Mississippi River starts it goes out another direction.' Notably, in a YouTube video dated March 14, 2024, Mr Biggs said the US president-elect would be targeted and that a bullet would fly by his ear. “I saw Trump, rising up, and then I saw an atte...

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, whose nearly 12 years in office have been marked by deep economic and social crisis, was sworn in for a third term on Friday, despite a six-month-long election dispute, international calls for him to stand aside and an increase in the US reward offered for his capture. Maduro, president since 2013, was declared the winner of July's election by both Venezuela's electoral authority and top court, though detailed tallies confirming his victory have never been published. Venezuela's opposition says ballot box-level tallies show a landslide win for its former candidate Edmundo Gonzalez, who is recognized as president-elect by several countries including the United States. International election observers said the vote was not democratic. The months since the election have seen Gonzalez's flight to Spain in September, his ally Maria Corina Machado going into hiding in Venezuela, and the detentions of high-profile opposition figures and ...

Historically, Greenland has been a part of several countries. Though early settlers reached the island many centuries ago, it was only in the last few centuries that claims were made over the territory.  When Denmark and Norway were one country known as the Dano-Norwegian Realm (Det dansk-norske rige), explorers and settlers from the country sailed to Greenland, then known as Kalaallit Nunaat, and claimed sovereignty over the territory. When Denmark and Norway separated in 1814, it was agreed between them that the colony of Greenland would henceforth be transferred to the Danish crown. Greenland remained a territory of the Danish crown for nearly 140 years till Denmark was taken over by Nazi Gernamy. Under the code name 'Operation Weserubung', Nazi Germany attacked Denmark and Norway on April 9, 1940. Within a day Denmark surrendered and was occupied. At this time Greenland briefly became part of Hitler's territory. But knowing Greenland's strategic location, the Uni...

India ranks 85th among the top passports worldwide in the Henley Passport Index 2025 . The index ranks countries based on the number of destinations their citizens can access without a prior visa. The Indian passport offers visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 57 destinations. Singapore and Japan have secured the top two spots. Singapore leads the rankings, offering its citizens visa-free access to 195 destinations, followed by Japan with access to 193 destinations. On the other end of the list, Afghanistan ranks last at 106th, with its citizens gaining visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to only 26 destinations. Pakistan also remains among the weakest, ranking lower than Somalia and North Korea. Strongest Passports in the Henley Passport Index 2025 Top 10 Rankings Singapore: 195 Japan: 193 Tied for 3rd:     Finland: 192     France: 192     Germany: 192     Italy: 192     ...

Canada's ruling Liberal Party is looking for a new leader to replace Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who announced on Monday he intended to step down. The party has not released details on the leadership contest, which would typically take months. Finance Minister Dominic LeBlanc said on Wednesday that he would not be running. Here are some of the remaining top potential contenders. FORMER FINANCE MINISTER CHRYSTIA FREELAND Freeland, 56, was one of Trudeau's closest allies during his nine years in power and had been serving as finance minister when she unexpectedly resigned last month after an argument over spending and penned a letter attacking the prime minister's leadership and his love of "political gimmicks". Freeland, the most high-profile member of the government after Trudeau, had been finance minister since August 2020 and helped craft the government's multi-billion dollar social spending program to help fight the COVID pandemic. She had previou...

Chris Anderson, the head of TED, wrote an open letter to billionaire Elon Musk on Tuesday over the tech mogul's recent posts on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). According to Anderson, the owner of X is forgetting the "core tenets of journalism". "...Without them, I think your efforts to make X the respected home of citizen journalism will fail. When you tell hundreds of millions of people that someone should be hanged or jailed for outrageous crimes against humanity, just possibly you should first sound out what those who know those people really well would say about them. Some of your recent posts could literally get someone killed. Do you really want to risk that?" Anderson questioned, referring to Musk's recent posts. Musk has been frequently bashing international governments whose politics he dislikes and praising far-right figures. He has been using X to post several criticisms and accusations aimed at political figures - especially in UK, ...

On January 6th, the outgoing president Joe Biden condemned the Capitol attack which happened the same day in 2021. "We should be proud that our democracy withstood this assault...And we should be glad we will not see such a shameful attack again this year," Biden wrote, in an opinion post in The Washington Post. Biden noted that the certification would proceed peacefully without the violence seen in 2021, and highlighted the contrast between that chaotic day and the orderly transition planned for this year. However, President-elect Donald Trump does not believe so. US President-elect Donald Trump has publicly accused President Joe Biden of intentionally making the presidential transition difficult, citing recent executive orders on climate change and other official acts taken during Biden's final weeks in office. Trump, who is set to be sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on January 20, claimed that Biden is doing everything possible to hinder the tra...

North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un said that a new hypersonic missile system used in a test launch on Monday would help deter the country's rivals in the Pacific, the KCNA state news agency reported. "The hypersonic missile system will reliably contain any rivals in the Pacific region that can affect the security of our state," Kim, who oversaw the launch, said in comments carried by KCNA. The test-fire came as US Secretary of State Antony Blinken visited strategic ally South Korea, a fierce rival of the North, with whom it technically remains at war. In a statement, Kim said the missile flew for 1,500 kilometres (930 miles) -- beyond the 1,100-kilometre (680-mile) figure given by South Korea's military -- and travelled at 12 times the speed of sound before landing in water. "This is clearly a plan and effort for self-defence, not an offensive plan and action," Kim said. However, he added that the performance of the missile system "can not be ign...

The first human death linked to bird flu has been reported in the United States, health authorities in the state of Louisiana said Monday, adding that the patient was elderly and suffered from other pathologies. The patient, aged over 65, had been hospitalized for a respiratory ailment, and was the first serious case of human infection of the H5N1 virus to be detected in the United States. Despite this death, the public health risk posed by bird flu remains "low," the statement said. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/Bb7PzaK

Donald Trump on Monday marked Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's resignation announcement by doubling down on his unlikely proposal that the country should merge with the United States. "If Canada merged with the US, there would be no Tariffs, taxes would go way down, and they would be TOTALLY SECURE from the threat of the Russian and Chinese Ships that are constantly surrounding them," incoming president Trump posted on social media. "Together, what a great Nation it would be!!!" he added. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.) from NDTV News-World-news https://ift.tt/SABcHFT

Dubai has been ranked eighth worldwide and first in the Middle East in the Global Power City Index 2024 (GPCI) for the second year in a row. In an annual study released by Japan's Mori Memorial Foundation, the index highlights Dubai's role as a leader in innovation, economic dynamism, and global connectivity. This achievement makes Dubai the only city in the Middle East to feature in the top 10, reaffirming its position as a major global hub for business, talent, and investment. “Dubai continues to redefine what is possible, combining innovation, sustainability, and a focus on nurturing talent,” said Sheikh Hamdan, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai. The Crown Prince highlighted the key drivers behind Dubai's success, including its world-class infrastructure, which continues to attract global investment and top talent. He highlighted the city's flexible and progressive legislative framew...

Bangladesh's interim government on Sunday cancelled a planned training programme for 50 judges and judicial officers in India, scrapping a previous notification. “The notification has been cancelled,” a law ministry spokesman said without elaborating. The Daily Star newspaper, however, reported the cancellation came in compliance with a directive from Bangladesh's Supreme Court. The cancellation order came a day after the state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha reported that 50 lower judiciary judges would undergo a one-day training programme from February 10 at the National Judicial Academy and the State Judicial Academy in Madhya Pradesh. The trainee judges selected under the programme were district and session judge or their equivalent officers, additional district and session judge, joint district judge, senior assistant judges and assistant judge. The Indian government was supposed to bear all the expenses for the training programmes. India and Bangladesh have witnesse...