Donald Trump signed an executive order granting “full pardons” to some 1,500 January 6th rioters, whom he had earlier described as “hostages”. Among the other orders the president signed at a rally after his inauguration were directives to withdraw America from the Paris climate agreement and the World Health Organisation, as well as to freeze hires of most federal workers and delay the ban on TikTok for 75 days.
Mr Trump stalled on his promise to immediately introduce hefty tariffs, prompting the dollar to slide for a short time. But he said he planned to impose 25% tariffs on Canada and Mexico by February 1st, because they were “allowing a vast number of people” over the border. The president also mentioned the possibility of introducing tariffs on China if it rejected an American-led deal to buy TikTok’s assets in the country.
Marco Rubio became the first member of Mr Trump’s prospective cabinet to be confirmed. The Senate voted unanimously to appoint the Florida senator—who is a staunch conservative and China hawk—as secretary of state. Other Trump picks for his cabinet may not find their confirmations so straightforward.
The Houthis said their attacks on ships in the Red Sea would target only those directly linked to Israel, as the second day of the ceasefire in Gaza took hold. The militant group, which controls large parts of Yemen, warned that assaults on American and British vessels would resume if those countries attacked its territory. Houthi strikes have disrupted global shipping and trade.
China’s crude-oil imports from Russia hit a record high in 2024, rising 1% to 2.17m barrels per day, as economic ties between the two countries continue to strengthen. Imports from Malaysia, an oil producer that also acts as a hub for shipments from Iran and Venezuela, surged 28%. Purchases from Saudi Arabia fell 9% as refiners favoured cheaper Russian and Iranian crude.
Axel Rudakubana pleaded guilty to murdering three children and attempting to kill 10 more people in Southport, Britain, last year. Yvette Cooper, the country’s home secretary, said there would be a public inquiry into the attack, which sparked days of riots. Keir Starmer, the prime minister, said the state must answer “grave questions” about how it “failed” to protect the victims.
Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea’s president arrested on insurrection charges last week, refused to be questioned by investigators. Mr Yoon, who until last week had barricaded himself inside the presidential residence in central Seoul, was impeached in December for attempting to declare martial law. On Sunday some of his supporters stormed a court building to protest against his detention.
Figure of the day: 25%, the share of the global population living in cities of over a million people, up from 15% six decades ago. Read the full story.
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