Displaying items by tag: Donald Trump

Donald Trump has intensified his criticism of the BBC, threatening a billion-dollar lawsuit over what he claims was a dishonest editing of a speech he delivered before the 6 January 2021 Capitol riot. The threat follows the resignation of BBC director-general Tim Davie, who stepped down amid the controversy. Trump told Fox News he felt an 'obligation' to sue, accusing the broadcaster of 'defrauding the public' and turning what he described as a calming speech into something radical. His legal team has demanded a full retraction of what they consider defamatory statements, warning that failure to comply will trigger legal action. Sir Ed Davey has urged Keir Starmer to ask Trump to drop the lawsuit. Starmer defended the BBC as a vital and independent institution, across the world, while acknowledging the need for accuracy and accountability. Culture secretary Lisa Nandy warned MPs against undermining the broadcaster, emphasising its national importance as charter review approaches. The situation has reignited debates around impartiality, political pressure, and the future governance of the BBC.

Donald Trump has granted Hungary a one-year exemption from US sanctions on Russian oil and gas purchases, marking a diplomatic win for Viktor Orbán. The move followed Orbán’s visit to Washington, where Trump expressed sympathy for Hungary’s dependence on Russian energy as a landlocked nation. The decision contrasts sharply with Trump’s recent threats to penalise countries doing business with sanctioned Russian energy firms. In return, Hungary agreed to buy hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of US natural gas. While the arrangement may ease Hungary’s energy pressures, it risks deepening tensions within the EU, where many leaders oppose Orbán’s continued cooperation with Moscow. Trump praised Orbán’s leadership and hinted at shared goals for ending the war in Ukraine, underscoring their close personal and political alliance amid growing divisions over energy, sanctions, and peace strategy in Europe.

In a stunning U-turn of diplomacy, Syrian president Ahmed al Sharaa - once known as Abu Mohammed al Jolani, former leader of the al-Qaeda affiliate Nusra Front - has arrived in Washington for historic talks with Donald Trump. He rose to power following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime and now leads Syria’s fragile transitional government. Once a fugitive with a $10 million US bounty, he is being welcomed as a potential partner in rebuilding his war-torn nation and countering extremist threats. Washington’s gamble is clear: support Sharaa to stabilise Syria, curb Iranian and Russian influence, and prevent renewed civil war. Yet challenges loom large: sectarian clashes persist, and doubts remain about his transformation from militant to unifier. The visit, the first trip by a Syrian head of state to the USA since the country gained independence in 1948, could redefine alliances and reshape Middle Eastern geopolitics for a generation.

Donald Trump has declared that no US officials will attend the upcoming G20 summit in Johannesburg, citing ‘human rights’ concerns related to alleged persecution of white Afrikaners. The decision has drawn sharp criticism both internationally and within South Africa. Trump’s administration has taken a hard line against Pretoria, imposing tariffs, cutting aid, and granting fast-track refugee status to Afrikaners while blocking most other refugees. Over forty Afrikaner leaders, including journalists, clergy, and academics, have denounced the president’s claims as false, stressing that no white-owned land has been seized and that violent crime affects all races. They called his narrative divisive and damaging to post-apartheid reconciliation. Following Trump’s decision, a planned visit to Kenya by JD Vance, which was expected to strengthen relationships, has also been cancelled: see https://ntvkenya.co.ke/news/why-donald-trumps-deputy-jd-vance-will-not-be-coming-to-kenya/

The longest US government shutdown in history has ended after 43 tense days, restoring pay for federal workers and reopening critical services. Yet its conclusion has left both political parties bruised. Senate Democrats triggered the shutdown by refusing to support a temporary funding bill without guarantees to extend health-care subsidies for low-income Americans. When several Democrats defected to jump ship and vote with the Republicans, they received little more than a promise of a future vote, leaving the party’s progressive wing furious and mainstream figures calling the deal a capitulation. Donald Trump, despite moments of apparent wavering, emerged claiming victory, having conceded virtually nothing of substance. With another funding deadline looming in January and millions facing soaring insurance costs, the end of the shutdown brings only temporary relief.

Vladimir Putin’s announcement that Russia may resume nuclear testing marks one of the most dangerous escalations in global security since the Cold War. He has instructed senior military and intelligence officials to prepare proposals for possible tests at the Novaya Zemlya site in the Arctic - where the Soviet Union in the past had detonated more than 200 nuclear devices, but none since 1990. The move follows Donald Trump’s declaration that the USA would restart its own nuclear tests, for the first time since 1992. Both leaders’ actions revive fears of an uncontrolled arms race, just as the last major nuclear treaty between Washington and Moscow nears expiry. Analysts warn that renewed testing could shatter global non-proliferation norms and invite imitation from other states.

Donald Trump’s threats to cut aid and launch military strikes against Nigeria over alleged ‘Christian genocide’, while resonating with US evangelicals, might misrepresent and oversimplify the country’s complex crisis. Nigeria’s conflicts, spanning insurgency, banditry, and communal clashes, are not purely religious but deeply rooted in ethnicity, identity, and government failures. Analysts warn that US intervention, whether through sanctions or drone strikes, could devastate civilians already trapped between terrorists and insecurity. History shows that ‘precision’ attacks often result in innocent casualties, worsening humanitarian crises. Arguably, Trump’s decision to freeze most foreign assistance programmes have exacerbated the problem, resulting in job losses for about 28,000 health workers and pushing vulnerable Nigerians deeper into hardship. His threats pose a dilemma for President Tinubu. If he cooperates, he might appear weak, but defying Washington might risk economic and military pain.

The latest US strike on a vessel in the Pacific, ordered by Donald Trump, has drawn renewed condemnation and concern. Two people were killed in what was described as an anti-narcotics operation, bringing the total death toll from similar maritime attacks to at least 67 since September. Despite claims that the vessels targeted were involved in drug trafficking, Washington has yet to provide evidence, prompting accusations of extrajudicial killings. Human rights advocates, including the UN’s Volker Turk, have warned that such actions violate international law and risk killing innocent fishermen. The escalation has drawn condemnation from Venezuela’s president Nicolas Maduro, who regards Trump’s intensified ‘war on drugs’ as a pretext to topple him from power. With an aircraft carrier about to join other US vessels already in the region, the world watches anxiously, fearing that a campaign meant to stop drugs could instead fuel regional instability and human suffering.

South Korea stands at a delicate crossroads, balancing its security alliance with the USA and its economic reliance on China. Recent rallies in Seoul captured this tension vividly, with protesters denouncing both Donald Trump and the Chinese Communist Party - reflecting deep divisions over the nation’s direction. President Lee Jae Myung faces immense diplomatic pressure as he hosts both Trump and Xi Jinping on 30 October, hoping to ease trade disputes while maintaining South Korea’s fragile political stability. In August, when Lee visited the USA, things seemed to go well, with Trump reducing tariffs on South Korean goods from 25% to 15%. However, relations soured after immigration officials detained more than 300 workers at the Hyundai plant in Georgia, and Trump has increased his trade demands. Meanwhile, anti-China sentiment has grown, fuelled by old grievances and modern fears of interference. Breaking news: Trump has hailed his meeting with Xi as ‘amazing’, even though it did not result in a formal trade deal: see

Israel and Hamas have taken a crucial first step toward ending the devastating two-year war in Gaza, releasing hostages and prisoners under a US-brokered ceasefire. The exchange brought immense relief and celebration across Israel and Gaza, even as both sides remain wary. Yet, the deeper challenges - Hamas’s refusal to disarm, Israel’s reluctance to accept a Palestinian state, and questions over Gaza’s future governance - still threaten the deal’s stability. For many, the sight of freed hostages reuniting with loved ones offered a rare moment of shared humanity amid years of grief. In Gaza, war-worn families welcomed returning prisoners but faced the grim reality of shattered homes and a crippled economy. As Donald Trump signed a declaration for peace, witnessed by twenty world leaders (see ), both Israelis and Palestinians have to grapple with the cost of vengeance and the fragile hope of renewal. The region stands at a crossroads between restoration and relapse into conflict.