Donald Trump has used the first presidential interview of his second term to defend his decision to pardon the January 6 insurrectionists, describing attacks on police officers at the US Capitol as “very minor incidents”.
The fallout from his barrage of executive orders continues: the medical insurance coverage for upwards of 20 million people is under threat; Florida and the US Coast Guard have started referring to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America; and Republicans have formed a new January 6 panel in an attempt to undercut the earlier inquiry.
Elon Musk, Sam Altman and Satya Nadella, meanwhile, are squabbling online about the US$500bn Stargate AI project Trump announced on Tuesday.
Top news
In pictures
Visitors to the Palupuah forest in West Sumatra inspect a spectacular Rafflesia arnoldii – the world’s largest individual flower in terms of diameter. In Sydney, a corpse flower native to the same area is blooming in the city’s Botanic Gardens for the first time in 15 years.
What they said …
“She brought her church into the World of politics in a very ungracious way.”
Donald Trump called Right Rev Mariann Edgar Budde “nasty” on social media after the bishop called for the incoming president to “have mercy” upon immigrants and LGBTQ+ people during his inauguration service.
In numbers
The Albanese government today announced a move to take on some of Rex’s debt, which it hopes will bolster the now solely-regional airline’s chances of survival.
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Before bed read
Mystery, magic and mayhem reigned behind the scenes of Twin Peaks, as well as on screen. In this oral history, Mädchen Amick, Joan Chen, Dana Ashbrook and others recall the making of the beloved TV series – and the genius of the late David Lynch. Elsewhere readers pay tribute to the celebrated director with their most Lynchian photographs.
Daily word game
Today’s starter word is: SAC. You have five goes to get the longest word including the starter word. Play Wordiply.
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