82 m. ago Trump administration considering curbs on exports to China made with US software

Plan would include everything from laptops to jet engines, to retaliate against Beijing’s latest round of rare earth export restrictionsUS politics live – latest updatesThe Trump administration is considering a plan to curb a dizzying array of software-powered exports to China, from laptops to jet engines, to retaliate against Beijing’s latest round of rare earth export restrictions, according to a US official and three people briefed by US authorities.While the plan is not the only option on the table, it would make good on Donald Trump’s threat earlier this month to bar “critical software” exports to China by restricting global shipments of items that contain US software or were produced using US software. Continue reading...

Politics

2 h. ago White House hasn’t filed plans for Trump’s new ballroom despite demolition under way

Amid backlash over footage of East Wing being partly demolished, White House reportedly intends to send plans for new constructionUS politics live – latest updatesThe White House has not submitted plans for Donald Trump’s new ballroom to the federal agency that oversees construction of federal buildings, though demolition is already underway.On Tuesday, the White House told Reuters it intends to send plans to the National Capital Planning Commission, an agency that typically approves and monitors construction on federal buildings. Demolition began earlier this week, with reporters taking video of a backhoe ripping out chunks of the White House’s exterior. Continue reading...

Politics

2 h. ago No plans filed for Trump’s new ballroom despite demolition being under way

Amid backlash over partial demolition of East Wing, White House reportedly intends to send blueprintsUS politics live – latest updatesThe White House has not submitted plans for Donald Trump’s new ballroom to the federal agency that oversees construction of federal buildings, though demolition is already under way.On Tuesday, the White House told Reuters it intended to send plans to the National Capital Planning Commission, an agency that typically approves and monitors construction on federal buildings. Demolition began earlier this week, with reporters taking video of a backhoe ripping out chunks of the White House’s exterior. Continue reading...

Politics

6 h. ago Trump 'planning invasion of Venezuela' as game of chicken may see 'Maduro wake up to US forces'

EXCLUSIVE: The Trump administration is ramping up the pressure on Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro while striking vessels that it says are trafficking drugs, sparking fears of a forced regime change

Politics

16 h. ago The EU was complicit in the war in Gaza. Trump's plan can't be an excuse to dodge responsibility now | Nathalie Tocci

Tiptoeing around Israel has cost Europe its credibility. It must exert meaningful pressure to ensure the horrors we have seen never happen againThe first phase of Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza has drawn a collective sigh of relief from European leaders. After two years of slaughter, the ceasefire, the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners, the Israeli military’s partial withdrawal from Gaza and humanitarian access to the territory offer hope – and unfortunately, an excuse for Europe to continue doing nothing.When it comes to the war in Gaza, unlike Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, European governments have shown their worst colours. They are divided, and their political splits have led to policy paralysis. But worse than sitting on the sidelines hand-wringing, European governments and EU institutions in Brussels can be accused of complicity in Israel’s war crimes. They have been unwilling to exert any pressure on the perpetrators, while continuing economic, political and...

Politics

24 h. ago Kyiv and European allies prepare Russia peace plan to keep Trump onside

Measures to be discussed on Friday follow Ukraine’s insistence that talks to end war should be based on current frontline

Politics

32 h. ago The US refugee program changed my life. Trump’s possible overhaul would be disastrous | Bahati Kanyamanza

I fled war at 14 and decades later became a US citizen. Now I fear racism and exclusion could become official policyLast week, leaked documents from the Trump administration reportedly revealed plans to gut the US refugee program, not only capping refugee resettlement at a record low of 7,500, but also transforming it from a life-saving humanitarian system into one that favors white South Africans and Europeans over the world’s most vulnerable people. As a refugee who found safety and belonging in this country, I broke into a sweat reading the news. Memories of my own journey rushed back, now mixed with a deeper fear that racism and exclusion are not just social undercurrents, but official policy.I was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and fled war at 14, spending nearly two decades in a refugee camp in Uganda before finally being resettled in the United States. Here, I reunited with my family, built a new life, and became a citizen. My story is one of patience, resilience an...

Events

44 h. ago White House’s East Wing partially demolished as work begins on Trump’s $250m ballroom

Ex-congressman calls major renovation ‘utter desecration’ as demolition in East Wing reportedly under wayConstruction crews have started demolishing part of the East Wing of the White House to make way for Donald Trump’s planned ballroom, prompting widespread criticism on social media and beyond.One former lawmaker even called the renovation an “ utter desecration”. Continue reading...

Politics

46 h. ago Why Kevin Rudd must be SACKED: Calls grow to dump US ambassador after Trump's brutal White House slapdown

The US President has met with Anthony Albanese at the White House , and in true Trump style, it didn't go quite as planned.

Politics

47 h. ago Construction appears to start on Trump’s $250m White House ballroom

Demolition in East Wing reportedly under way for one of the largest projects at White House in more than a centuryConstruction crews appear to have started demolishing part of the East Wing of the White House to make way for Donald Trump’s planned ballroom.The Washington Post, which obtained and published photos of the demolition activity and cited two eyewitnesses, reported on Monday that demolition is under way and shared an image showing construction in progress and parts of the exterior ripped down. Continue reading...

Politics

49 h. ago Awkward moment Donald Trump confronts Kevin Rudd during White House meeting with Anthony Albanese

The US President has met with Anthony Albanese at the White House , and in true Trump style, it didn't go quite as planned.

Events

50 h. ago Humiliating moment Donald Trump slaps down Kevin Rudd during White House meeting with Anthony Albanese: 'I don't like you and I probably never will'

The US President has met with Anthony Albanese at the White House , and in true Trump style, it didn't go quite as planned.

Politics

51 h. ago Putin rejects Trump peace plan after expletive ridden White House meeting with Zelensky

The Kremlin rejected Donald Trump's latest effort to end the war in Ukraine.

Politics

61 h. ago Trump assassination fears as hunting stand 'with line of sight to Air Force One exit' found

A search is underway for the owner of the item found at Palm Beach International Airport, 'with line of sight' pointed directly at the door where Trump exits the plane

Politics

64 h. ago Rare earths shares soar as US and China battle over export controls

Trump administration plans to set price floors, create strategic minerals reserve and take equity stakes

Events

3 d. ago War in Gaza caused big political shifts, and more are likely on the road to peace

Trump’s 20-point plan is forcing Middle East rivals to set aside differences and collaborate after years of competitionMiddle East crisis – live updatesIf the war in Gaza had dramatic consequences across the Middle East, overturning long-held assumptions, resetting the geopolitical map and provoking massive shifts in public opinion, any durable peace is likely to have equally momentous effects.Some counsel caution. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Ukrainian drones strike major Russian gas plant as Trump says Kyiv may have to trade land for peace

Ukrainian drones have struck a major gas processing plant in southern Russia, causing a fire

Events

3 d. ago How can blue states fight back against Trump? With fiscal disobedience | Eric Reinhart

By holding back federal tax revenues, Democratic governors can turn a one-sided assault into a constitutional showdownAgainst Illinois governor JB Pritzker’s objections, Donald Trump’s Pentagon has ordered hundreds of national guard troops to join his regime’s assault on Chicago communities. Trump subsequently called for Brandon Johnson, Chicago’s mayor, and Pritzker to be jailed for not supporting his agenda. These are simply the latest steps in Trump’s plan not to govern as the president of all Americans but to rule as the dictatorial head of a punitive factional state. Federal funding to Democratic cities is being slashed through executive maneuvers; the justice department is conducting politically targeted investigations and arrests; and the military is being deployed to intimidate fellow citizens. Los Angeles, Portland, my home town of Chicago and other cities have been cast as enemies to be subdued, not communities to be served.This weaponization of federal power represents a ...

Politics

5 d. ago Shipping emissions levy shelved as countries bow to US pressure

Long-planned charge on greenhouse gas emissions postponed as Trump officials accused of intimidation tacticsUnder intense pressure from Donald Trump’s government, countries have postponed plans to force shipowners to start paying for the damage they do to the climate.US officials were accused of “bullying” and “intimidation”, as nations met in London for what should have been the rubber-stamping of a decision made months ago to place a small levy on the greenhouse gases from global shipping. Continue reading...

Events

5 d. ago Trump’s peace plan is just about holding together, but may be unravelled by two unresolved issues | Rajan Menon

The withdrawal of Israeli troops and the establishment of an international stabilisation force are key in securing long-term peace, but the plan is dangerously vague on these issuesTwo years of death and destruction in Gaza ended once Israel and Hamas signed off on Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan. A ceasefire is in place. Humanitarian trucks have begun to roll in. Hostages and prisoners are being exchanged. Israel has begun a first-phase pullback from the territories it controls, and under Trump’s plan its troops will eventually be deployed in a buffer zone along Gaza’s land border.Given these developments – all part of the opening phase – dismissing the momentous changes in Gaza is to deny reality. There have already been disputes over the return of the bodies of Israeli hostages, but there are unresolved longer-term problems that could derail the ceasefire and imperil the rest of the Trump plan.Rajan Menon is a professor emeritus of international relations at the City College o...

Politics