Good morning.
Once back in power, Donald Trump has promised he will pardon people prosecuted over the assault on the Capitol four years ago today. Carried out by a mob of Trump’s supporters after he had addressed them outside the White House, the 6 January 2021 attack brought political violence into the halls of Congress and has been linked to nine deaths among police and rioters.
“We’re going to look at each individual case, and we’re going to do it very quickly, and it’s going to start in the first hour that I get into office,” Trump told Time magazine. “A vast majority should not be in jail, and they’ve suffered gravely.”
The pardons would mark the end of a four-year campaign by Joe Biden and his attorney general, Merrick Garland, to hold accountable thousands of rioters who overran police lines and sent lawmakers fleeing.
“We’re excited that we have our country back,” one convicted man said in anticipation.
How many have been charged? The justice department has charged more than 1,500 people, nearly 600 of whom have faced felony charges of assaulting or impeding law enforcement.
How popular would the move be? For all the enthusiasm among Trump’s supporters, a December poll from Monmouth University found that 61% of respondents would disapprove of Trump pardoning people convicted of attacking the Capitol.
FBI investigates potential associates of New Orleans attacker in US and abroad
Federal authorities investigating the Islamic State (IS) sympathizer who carried out the New Year’s Day terror attack in New Orleans said they were still looking into his potential associates in the US and abroad.
In a news briefing, officials also revealed Shamsud-Din Jabbar visited New Orleans twice in the months before the attack.
On one of those trips, he cycled on Bourbon Street, wearing smart Meta glasses, and around the French Quarter neighborhood – apparently preparing the attack, officials said, which killed 14 people and injured dozens.
What do we know about the attack? Jabber’s truck displayed an IS flag. A rifle he used in the shootout was bought privately from someone who did not know what he had planned. Officials said Jabbar – who wore body armor and a helmet – had fashioned a homemade device meant to suppress the noise of gunshots fired by the rifle.
What do authorities believe about the motive? Indications suggest Jabbar fell into extremism after marital and financial woes.
Ukraine launches surprise operation in Russia’s Kursk region
Ukrainian armed forces began a surprise offensive in Russia’s Kursk region on Sunday, in an apparent attempt to regain the battlefield initiative before Trump’s inauguration.
Video showed Ukrainian armored columns advancing across snowy fields towards the village of Bolshoe Soldatskoe, north-east of the Ukrainian-held Russian town of Sudzha.
Inside Ukraine, Russia is advancing at the fastest rate since its full-scale 2022 invasion. Putin’s seeming calculation is that the new administration will cut off military supplies to Ukraine, allowing Russian forces to make further gains in 2025.
What are the battlefront details? Ukraine’s general staff said 42 combat clashes took place on Sunday in the Kursk area, with 12 continuing.
What’s happened since Ukraine’s first Russian offensive? Ukraine launched a significant cross-border raid nearly six months ago into the Kursk region. It was the first time enemy tanks had penetrated Russian territory since the second world war and was a major embarrassment for the Kremlin. Since then Russia’s army has recaptured about 40% of lost territory – but has been unable to push them out fully.
In other news …
The former French president Nicolas Sarkozy goes on trial today, accused of receiving millions of euros in illegal campaign funds from late-Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi.
Biden signed into law a measure that boosts social security payments for current and former public employees, such as teachers, firefighters, police officers and other public service workers.
“Don’t feed the troll,” the German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said about Elon Musk. The world’s richest man has recently been vocally supporting European far-right parties and attacking centrists and progressives.
Indian media rights groups have called for an investigation after the body of a missing journalist, Mukesh Chandrakar, was found hidden in a septic tank.
Stat of the day: 45,541 people killed in Gaza since 7 October 2023
About 45,541 people have been killed in Gaza, Unrwa says, as Israel’s invasion and air bombardment continues to have a devastating humanitarian impact. More than 100 people were killed by Israeli strikes over the weekend. Thousands more Palestinians are believed to be buried under the rubble. Meanwhile, Israel and Hamas are wrangling over the details of a potential deal to return Israeli hostages home.
Don’t miss this: The Brutalist, Emilia Pérez and Shōgun triumph at the Golden Globes
Hollywood’s awards season began last night, with The Brutalist winning three Golden Globes. The epic tells the story of a Holocaust survivor turned immigrant architect, and won best drama film, best actor for Adrien Brody and best director for Brady Corbet. Peter Bradshaw’s review says it’s an “electrifying piece of work, stunningly shot”.
Climate check: Shrinking trees and tuskless elephants – the strange ways species are adapting to humans
As people have shaped the natural world, wildlife has evolved to survive. Magpies have learned to build nests with anti-bird spikes. American cliff swallows in North America have developed shorter wings, helping to avoid cars. African elephants, after heavy poaching during Mozambique’s civil war, had the genes for large tusks removed from the population, with many now having no tusks.
Last Thing: Snowed in at Britain’s highest pub
With snow falling on Saturday night at the Tan Hill Inn, Britain’s highest pub, a crowd of about 30 people inside know they are probably stuck here for a couple of days. Drinks began to flow and people began to make friends. Robyn Vinter reports from the bar.
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