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The administration of US President Donald Trump has cancelled solar projects in Puerto Rico worth millions of dollars, as the island struggles with chronic power outages and a crumbling electric grid. The projects were aimed at helping 30,000 low-income families in rural areas across the US territory as part of a now-fading transition toward renewable energy. In an email obtained by The Associated Press, the US Energy Department said that a push under Puerto Rico's former governor for a 100 per cent renewable future threated the reliability of its energy system. "The Puerto Rico grid cannot afford to run on more distributed solar power," the message states. "The rapid, widespread deployment of rooftop solar has created fluctuations in Puerto Rico's grid, leading to unacceptable instability and fragility." Javier Rua Jovet, public policy director for Puerto Rico's Solar and Energy Storage Association, disputed that statement in a phone interview Thursday. He said that some 200,000
Trump's U-turn had triggered a rebound in European markets but also raised questions about how much damage had already been done to transatlantic ties and business confidence
US President Donald Trump on Thursday said he had a good meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and his message to Russian President Vladimir Putin is that "war has to end". Replying to media queries before leaving Davos, Trump said a US delegation will be meeting Putin today or tomorrow. "I met President Zelenskyy here; the meeting was good. We (US delegation) are meeting President Putin today or tomorrow," he said. Asked what would be his message to Putin, Trump said, "The war has to end. A lot of people have been killed".
Trump, who will chair the Board of Peace, invited dozens of world leaders to join the initiative, arguing that it should address conflicts beyond Gaza while working alongside the United Nations
Russia, which has not formally joined Trump's Board of Peace for Gaza, said it is prepared to contribute $1 billion to support the Palestinian people through the US president's initiative
Denmark's prime minister insisted that her country can't negotiate on its sovereignty on Thursday after US President Donald Trump said he agreed on a "framework of a future deal" on Arctic security with the head of NATO, and she has been "informed that this has not been the case." Trump on Wednesday abruptly scrapped the tariffs he had threatened to impose on eight European nations to press for US control over Greenland, a semiautonomous territory of NATO ally Denmark. It was a dramatic reversal shortly after he insisted he wanted to get the island "including right, title and ownership." He said "additional discussions" on Greenland were being held concerning the Golden Dome missile defence programme, a multilayered, USD 175 billion system that for the first time will put US weapons in space. Trump offered few details, saying they were still being worked out. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said in a statement that security in the Arctic is a matter for all of NATO, and it i
Commenting on Denmark's treatment of Greenland, Putin said Denmark has treated Greenland like a colony for many years and has often been harsh towards it
Barely a month into his presidency, Joe Biden had a message for Europe. "America is back," Biden told the Munich Security Conference in 2021. "The transatlantic alliance is back." It was a promise Biden delivered often as he sought to cast the disruptions of his predecessor, Donald Trump, as an anomaly. But nearly five years later, Biden's assurances have proven short-lived. In his second term, Trump has cast aside alliances forged over seven decades with Europe that helped lead to the reunification of Germany and the collapse of the Soviet Union. He has hectored leaders, making demands and levelling accusations more commonly associated with enemies. In the process, he has rocked the stability that has sustained the relationships and left countries to chart a course without US leadership. The most stark example of this shift has been Trump's threat to take over Greenland, dismissing the nation as a large "piece of ice" as he demanded that Denmark cede control to the US, a move that
The European Parliament's trade committee was set to decide its stand on the deal on January 26-27, but the vote has now been postponed
US President Donald Trump's ambition for the 'Board of Peace' to play a role in global conflicts beyond Gaza appears to be the latest US attempt to sidestep the UN Security Council, raising new questions about the relevance of the 80-year-old world body and uncertainty about its future as a primary force in brokering peace worldwide. Trump is establishing the board, to be composed largely of invited heads of state, as the UN has embarked on major reforms intended to modernise an organisation founded on the ashes of World War II and make it a more viable global player in the 21st century. A decades-long reform effort gained new impetus after the Trump administration last year set out to eliminate billions of dollars in funding to international organisations and humanitarian assistance at large. Cutting life-saving humanitarian efforts, consolidating major agencies and moving personnel out of New York headquarters are just a few of the changes the UN has made as it courts continued ..
The vast field of over 5,800 electric and hybrid vehicles gleamed on the cargo deck of the BYD Changzhou, an Chinese container vessel unloading Wednesday at a river port in eastern Argentina. In other places, such a scene would not be noteworthy. Chinese automaker BYD has sped up its exports and undercut rivals the world over, alarming Washington, upsetting Western and Japanese auto giants, and unnerving local industries across Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America. But the sight of so many new Chinese EVs gliding onto a muddy river bank in Buenos Aires province was unprecedented for Argentina. "This milestone reflects a long-term vision in Argentina - to invest, to steadily expand our dealer network across the entire national territory," Stephen Deng, the country manager for BYD in Argentina, said. The giant BYD logo gracing the ship's hull and each car window sent shockwaves through this crisis-stricken economy run for decades by the left-wing populist movement of Peronism tha
Speaking at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday, Trump pointed out his proposed Golden Dome missile shield would also defend Canadian airspace
White House is sifting through thousands of clemency requests, including a pardon bid by Archegos Capital Management founder Bill Hwang, who was convicted over the collapse of his $36 bn family office
The Trump administration has intensified its fight against the current Fed chair, issuing subpoenas hinting at a possible criminal probe into the central bank's renovation of Washington headquarters
The "Board of Peace" was unveiled as part of phase two of the fragile ceasefire agreement with Hamas to end the Israel-Gaza conflict, as reported by Al Jazeera
President Donald Trump 's plans for bringing homeownership within reach of more Americans involve pushing for lower interest rates on home loans and credit cards, and banning large institutional investors from buying single-family homes. In his address Wednesday at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Trump outlined four policies his administration is pursuing in a bid to make homeownership more affordable. Each had been previously mentioned by him or his administration in recent weeks, part of a broader push to address affordability generally, a hot-button issue with voters heading into the midterms. The US housing market has been in a sales slump dating back to 2022, when mortgage rates began to climb from pandemic-era lows. The combination of higher mortgage rates, years of skyrocketing home prices and a chronic shortage of homes nationally following more than a decade of below-average home construction have left many aspiring homeowners priced out of the market. Sales
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said any decision on joining the Board of Peace led by the US to oversee the Gaza ceasefire plan will be taken after consultations with Moscow's strategic partners. "Regarding our participation in the 'Peace Board', the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been instructed to study the documents received by us, consult with our strategic partners on this matter, and only then will we be able to respond to the invitation extended to us," Putin said in his televised opening remarks at the national Security Council meeting late Wednesday night. "We have always supported and continue to support any efforts aimed at strengthening international stability. We also acknowledge the current US administration's contribution to the search for a solution to the Ukrainian crisis," Putin said, thanking US President Trump for the invitation. The Board of Peace led by Trump was originally envisioned as a small group of world leaders overseeing the Gaza ceasefire ...
Decision follows Trump's talks with Nato chief Mark Rutte on a future Greenland and Arctic security framework, prompting the US President to drop planned tariffs on European allies
India's exports to the EU, Incred suggests, are already comparable to those to the US, and within two-three quarters, supply chains can pivot meaningfully toward Europe
Speaking at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, Trump also said that the US is booming but Europe is 'not heading in the right direction'