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North America

Today

Colombian President Gustavo Petro’s comments add to the chorus of discontent in Latin America.

Trump pauses tariffs as Colombia backs down on migrant flights

The US and Colombia have pulled back from the brink of a trade war over military aircraft carrying deported migrants.

  • Phil Stewart and Oliver Griffin
Elon Musk arrives to speak at an indoor presidential inauguration parade event in Washington.

Elon Musk: Tech giant, political force and video game king. Or is he?

For the US billionaire, being a “hardcore gamer” is a key part of his identity. But some in the community are starting to doubt whether he has the time or skill to be on the leaderboards.

  • Eli Tan and Mike Isaac
Leaders at Davos made it clear the MAGA vision of corporate life will be resisted by boardrooms.

A woke mining boss shows why Trump’s DEI crusade will fail

Davos showed how many companies are convinced diversity and environmental measures make financial sense.

  • Pilita Clark
President Donald Trump signs an executive order relating to cryptocurrency in the Oval Office of the White House, Thursday, Jan. 23, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis)

War room, webinars: Corporate America tries to cope with Trump blitz

Businesses have been left trying to nail down what the tax, immigration, DEI and energy orders will mean for them.

  • Stephen Foley, James Fontanella-Khan and Jamie Smyth

This Month

Trump’s defence secretary pick Pete Hegseth made a strong rebuttal of the allegations against him at the Senate Armed Services Committee.

Hegseth wins US defence secretary confirmation after historic tie-break

Donald Trump-backed Pete Hegseth narrowly secured enough votes on Saturday to become the next US defence secretary in what was only the second time in history a cabinet nominee needed a tie-break to be confirmed.

  • Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali and Patricia Zengerle
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Nelly, a Mexican migrant from Oaxaca, helps her son as they jump the border fence to get into the US to apply for asylum in 2018, during Donald Trump’s first term.

Shackled migrants marched onto military plane

“Deportation flights have begun,” Mr Trump’s press secretary declared, sharing photos of men on an airfield wearing chains around their ankles and wrists.

  • Ben Smith and Cameron Henderson
President Donald Trump, along side first lady Melania Trump, said he won’t be responsible if attacks happen.

‘They can hire their own’: Trump ends security for Fauci, Bolton

President Donald Trump said he would feel no responsibility if Anthony Fauci or John Bolton were attacked.

  • Stephanie Lai
Donald Trump reiterated his admiration for Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Trump says he would ‘rather not’ impose tariffs on China

The president says threatening tariffs is his “one very big power” over Beijing, but he would prefer not to have to use it.

  • Iris Ouyang
Migrants eat at a shelter set up in Mexico near the US border.

Trump moves fast to deport 1m legal migrants

A memo appears to allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to target programs that let in more than a million people.

  • Hamed Aleaziz
President Donald Trump answers questions from reporters after signing executive orders in the Oval Office.

Rude discovery: Trump confronts limits to his power in the complex US

Supreme power appealed to Donald Trump’s supporters, but the reality is America’s complex and at times cumbersome democracy just won’t allow for it.

  • Matthew Cranston
Elon Musk arrives to speak at an indoor presidential inauguration parade event in Washington.

Inside Musk’s huge White House power grab

The billionaire is pushing ahead with plans to infiltrate all parts of Trump’s administration after axing his co-leader at DOGE.

  • James Crisp
People in Davos following Mr Trump’s virtual speech.

Trump slams Europe, threatens ‘trillions’ in tariffs

The president lambasted Canada’s trade surplus with the US and also fired a verbal volley at the European Union’s restrictions on his country.

  • Hans van Leeuwen
Trump has continued to repeat false claims about immigration and the LA fires in his first TV interview with Fox.

Trump shrugs off China TikTok spying threat

The president downplayed any national security risk posed by TikTok, saying it doesn’t matter if China spies on “young kids watching crazy videos”.

  • Ben Smith
Chris Wright at a confirmation hearing last week. The incoming US energy secretary’s Liberty Energy is a big backer of Tamboran Resources.

Gas hopeful Tamboran pitches Trump on $8b outback data centre plan

The ASX-listed LNG developer is backed by incoming US energy secretary Chris Wright, and wants to power defence-focused digital infrastructure in the Northern Territory.

  • Matthew Cranston
Trump speaks while signing executive orders in the Oval Office.

Why nothing can stop Trump now

Very little stands in the way of the president’s goal of remaking America as he ploughs ahead with signing executive orders.

  • Edward Luce
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Firefighters tackle the Hughes Fire along a roadside in Castaic in California.

Thousands evacuate as new major wildfire erupts near LA

Fire crews are making progress on blunting the threat from an enormous new blaze north of Los Angeles that forced more than 50,000 under evacuation orders.

  • Christopher Weber and Marcio Jose Sanchez
Donald Trump urged the private sector to dismantle “illegal, pernicious discrimination”.

US companies brace as Trump ramps up war against DEI

Bulk grocer Costco is in the crosshairs of activist groups that are urging it to reconsider its diversity policies. But many customers don’t care.

  • Matthew Cranston

Trump calls bishop urging mercy for immigrants ‘nasty’

The preacher’s message at a national prayer service drew a sharp response from the president, who said she and her church owed the public an apology.

  • Steve Holland and Jeff Mason
The border wall between Mexico, left, and the United States is pictured in Sunland Park, New Mexico.

US to send up to 1500 active duty troops to Mexican border

Deployment orders were expected to be signed on Thursday, putting in motion plans President Donald Trump laid out in executive orders after he took office.

  • Lolita C Baldor and Tara Copp
Donald Trump with Oracle’s Larry Ellison, Softbank’s Masayoshi Son and Sam Altman of OpenAI.

Trump says Musk or Ellison can buy TikTok

The President said he would be open to the US billionaires purchasing social video app TikTok as part of a joint venture with the US government.

  • Alexandra S. Levine and Stephanie Lai
Ross Ulbricht was sentenced to life in prison.

Trump pardons jailed Silk Road crypto boss

Ross Ulbricht was sentenced to life in jail for running an underground online market where drug dealers conducted $US200 million in illicit trade using bitcoin.

  • Julio-Cesar Chavez, Andrew Goudsward, Jason Lange and Nathan Layne
Wind turbine components at the Revolution Wind construction hub in Rhode Island, US, in June last year.

Trump halts $479b in green deal funding

The new president’s order to pause federal disbursements cuts critical loans and grants to developers.

  • Amanda Chu and Jamie Smyth
President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at Mar-a-Lago.

Trump moves to sack all federal DEI staff in lightning purge

The president also encouraged the US private sector to follow the federal government’s lead and “end illegal DEI discrimination”.

  • Erica Green
Donald Trump is back in the White House.

Trump will only make China great

Readers’ letters on Donald Trump’s White House return, the ESG revolt, taxpayer-funded lunches, DEI initiatives, antisemitic attacks, and the return of Joe Aston.

Japan’s Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi, from left, India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong in Washington.

Quad could get surveillance role under Trump: Wong

Foreign Minister Penny Wong met other members of the Quad security dialogue in Washington, including US Security of State Marco Rubio.

  • Matthew Cranston

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/world/north-america