President-elect Donald Trump says he will nominate Russ Vought to return as White House budget director
WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Donald Trump says he will nominate Russ Vought to return as White House budget director.
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Associated PressChina's Xi is likely to decline Trump's inauguration invitation, seeing it as too risky to attend
Chinese leader Xi Jinping would likely see President-elect Donald Trump’s invitation to attend his inauguration as too risky to accept, and the gesture from Trump may have little bearing on the increasingly competitive ties between the two nations as the White House changes hands, experts say. Trump’s incoming press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, confirmed on Thursday that Trump extended an invitation to the Jan. 20 ceremony.
- The Hill
Gingrich: Xi attending Trump inauguration would be ‘signal to the planet’
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) responded to President-elect Trump’s invitation to Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend Inauguration Day in January, saying his acceptance would send a global “signal.” “Look, I think Trump believes in constant offense, constant momentum, keeping things going forward,” Gingrich told Fox New’s Jesse Watters in an interview Wednesday. “I…
- The Daily Beast
Trump Has Invited China’s Xi Jinping to Inauguration: Report
President-elect Donald Trump invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to attend his inauguration in January, multiple sources told CBS News on Wednesday. The president-elect reportedly sent the invite to the leader of China, a nation he has threatened with tariffs for months, shortly after his electoral victory in November, the sources told the network. It is unclear if the Chinese government has accepted the invite, and the Chinese Embassy has not commented on the invitation. A Chinese head of stat
- The Observers
Fears mount for Syria’s minorities as video emerges showing rebel fighters executing suspects
Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the leader of the Sunni Islamist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), has become Syria’s new strongman, replacing the Alawite regime of Bashar al-Assad. Once a partner of al Qaeda, Jolani now speaks the language of tolerance and openness towards Syria’s ethnic and religious minorities. He has told his fighters to refrain from extrajudicial violence, but videos emerging on social media suggest that not all of his fighters are following his directive, raising concerns among members
- BuzzFeed
Here's How People Are Reacting To Donald Trump Saying Lowering Grocery Prices Will Be "Very Hard"
"Look, they got them up. I'd like to bring them down. It's hard to bring things down once they're up. You know, it's very hard." —Donald Trump
- BBC
Bloody siege ends Myanmar army control of western border
Insurgents seized Myanmar's border with Bangladesh in one of the bloodiest battles of the civil war.
- The Telegraph
Israeli troops can remain in Gaza after war, Hamas concedes in major U-turn
Hamas has reportedly agreed to allow Israeli troops to remain in Gaza in a major about-turn that could unblock a hostage deal.
- The Telegraph
Russian missile scientist ‘assassinated by Ukrainian special forces’
A Russian scientist known for developing cruise missiles has been found shot dead in a snowy wooded area near Moscow.
- The Telegraph
North Korean troops performing well on battlefield, say Russian bloggers
North Korean troops have captured a village from Ukrainian forces in Russia’s Kursk region, Russian military bloggers have reported.
- Associated Press
Topless women protesting the Ukraine war are detained for vandalizing sculpture near UN building
At least three feminist activists were detained on Friday after vandalizing a monument outside the United Nations complex in Geneva to protest Russia's war against Ukraine and what they see as the U.N.'s failure to stop the conflict. Two topless women with the group FEMEN, which is known for its provocative protests, used a chainsaw to cut into the wooden sculpture known as the “Broken Chair.” The artwork symbolizes the dismemberment caused by land mines and is a call to ban the devastating weapons, which have also been used in the war in Ukraine.
- South China Morning Post
China's Wolf Warrior Lu Shaye heads home from France in shadow of controversy
China's ambassador to France, Lu Shaye, whose remarks about Ukraine and other former Soviet states caused uproar across Europe last year, is wrapping up his tenure in Paris. Lu, 60, one of the country's most prominent Wolf Warrior diplomats who is famed for his abrasive style, is expected to return to Beijing next month, according to French media. At a farewell reception at Beijing's embassy in Paris on Monday, Lu said he would continue to support the Chinese community in France "no matter where
- Robb Report
These Are the 25 Richest Families in the World for 2024
Leading the pack is the Walton family, who founded Walmart and have a combined net worth of $432.4 billion.
- The Daily Beast
Nancy Pelosi ‘Actively Working to Tank’ AOC’s Bid for Top Committee Role
Nancy Pelosi is reportedly campaigning against Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-NY) bid to be the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee. The former speaker of the House of Representatives is instead pushing Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA) to win the high-ranking role, and is “actively working to tank” AOC’s bid while “making calls” on behalf of Connolly, Punchbowl News reported Thursday. The report adds that Pelosi’s behind-the-scenes maneuvering displays the sheer “amount of political capi
- The Independent
Tiffany Trump’s father-in-law, now Middle East adviser, is ‘small-time truck salesman,’ not billionaire: Report
Boulos helped Trump secure Arab-American votes, but his resume presented by Trump’s transition team seems to be largely fabrication, according to an examination of education and business records
- The Independent
Who is Don Jr’s rumored new girlfriend Bettina Anderson?
Eldest Trump son was photographed holding hands with Anderson recently
- HuffPost
Polish Prime Minister Finds 'Quite' An Excuse To Clown Trump During Macron Meeting
Donald Tusk met with Emmanuel Macron following the French president's awkward exchange with Trump recently.
- The Independent
Russia signs $13bn-a-year oil deal with India in blow to Western sanctions
The 10-year deal is for the supply of 500,000 barrels of oil per day, or about 0.5 per cent of the world’s supply
- The Telegraph
Russia accelerates Syria exit as it suspends grain supply
Russia has accelerated its military withdrawal from Syria and suspended a grain deal with the country over concerns about the rebel-led government.
- CNN
South Korea’s ruling party backs impeachment as president refuses to step down over martial law
South Korea’s ruling party has thrown its support behind attempts to impeach embattled President Yoon Suk Yeol over his ill-fated decision to declare martial law that sparked a political crisis and widespread public anger in the country.
- Reuters
Demoralised and abandoned by allies: why Assad’s army failed to fight in Syria
Twenty-three-year-old Syrian military conscript Farhan al-Khouli was badly paid and demoralized. For years, the Islamist rebels of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) had sat behind the nearby frontline, with Syria's long civil war frozen.