Key points
‘Unburdened by what has been’ – USAID name stripped from DC headquarters
Crews have scraped off the signage displaying “US Agency for International Development” from the Ronald Reagan Building in Washington where the agency’s headquarters once was.
It follows Donald Trump’s decision to radically cut the agency after he signed an executive order freezing foreign aid for a 90-day period last month.
Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, shared before and after images of the building on X.
The post’s caption – “unburdened by what has been” – is a reference to Kamala Harris, who repeatedly used the phrase during her election campaign and was mocked for doing so.
Trump heads to Mar-a-Lago
Donald Trump has just boarded Air Force One on his way to Mar-a-Lago for a busy weekend.
The US president is returning to his Palm Beach home – dubbed the “Winter White House” – for the second time since he’s taken office.
Tonight, he’ll host a private dinner alongside some Republican senators and their spouses.
He’s then due to head to New Orleans for Super Bowl LIX on Sunday.
Trump signs executive order aimed at South Africa, White House official says
Donald Trump has signed an executive order to address “serious human rights violations” in South Africa, a White House official has said.
The US president has previously said he will cut all funding to South Africa and said “terrible things” are happening there.
He said last Sunday: “They’re taking away land, they’re confiscating land, and actually they’re doing things that are perhaps far worse than that.”
Trump appeared to be referencing a new law in South Africa that gives the government powers in some instances to expropriate land from people.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa defended his country’s land policy after Trump’s threat, saying the government had not confiscated any land and the policy was aimed at ensuring equitable public access to land.
South Africa is America’s biggest trade partner in Africa.
Watch: US-Israeli alliance ‘never been stronger’
The news conference between Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is now over, so we’re moving back to our regular news coverage…
Earlier, we heard from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who spoke alongside House Speaker Mike Johnson.
He said the alliance between Israel and the US has “never been stronger” and said he was “deeply moved” by the reception that he received in Washington this week.
Watch his remarks below…
Japanese PM: On television he’s frightening, but Trump is sincere in person
Shigeru Ishiba is asked what his impressions have been of Donald Trump since he arrived at the White House.
The Japanese prime minister says he has watched Trump for “many, many years on television” and meeting him was “quite exciting”.
“On television, he is frightening and he has a very strong personality,” he says to laughs around the room.
“But when I met with him, actually, he was very sincere and very powerful and with a strong will for the US and for the whole world.”
Is there a new space race under way?
We’re still listening to Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba talk at their joint news conference.
But away from that for a moment – and for the first time in 50 years the US is engaged in a new moon race.
The competition this time isn’t the Soviet Union, it’s China.
Read the full story here.
Japan and US to work towards ‘complete denuclearisation’ of North Korea
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba says he and Donald Trump have affirmed the need to address North Korea’s nuclear and missile programme.
This, he says, “poses a serious threat to Japan, the US and beyond”.
“Japan and the US will work together toward the complete denuclearisation of North Korea,” he adds.
Trump presents Japanese PM with signed picture
Donald Trump starts the news conference by presenting Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba with a signed photograph of the two leaders.
“I wish I was as handsome as him, but I’m not,” says Trump as he hands over the picture.
Trump also hands over a book, with an image on the front cover showing the president in the immediate aftermath of the assassination attempt made against him in Pennsylvania.
He goes on to say Japan has committed to double its defence spending by 2027 compared to his first term as president.
Trump adds that his administration has approved $1bn in foreign military sales to Tokyo.
“The US is totally committed to the security of Japan,” he says.
“We will extend the full strength of American deterrence capabilities and defend our friend and ally 100% in the years to come.”
Trump speaking shortly alongside Japanese PM
We’re expecting to hear shortly from Donald Trump alongside Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
Watch along by pressing play at the top of the page – and we’ll be bringing you text updates too.
You can also watch live on YouTube…
‘Let’s do a deal’ – Zelenskyy offers Trump mineral partnership
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says he’s willing to “do a deal” with Donald Trump which would see Kyiv supply the US with rare earths and other minerals in return for financially supporting its war effort.
Trump, whose administration is pressing for a quick end to Ukraine’s war with Russia, floated the idea on Monday.
“If we are talking about a deal, then let’s do a deal, we are only for it,” Zelenskyy told Reuters, emphasising Kyiv’s desire for security guarantees from its allies as part of any peace settlement.
Ukraine’s leader displayed a map showing numerous mineral deposits, including a strip of land in eastern Ukraine marked as containing rare earths, around half of which appeared to be on Russia’s side of the frontline.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine had Europe’s largest reserves of titanium, essential for the aviation and space industry, and uranium, used for nuclear energy and weapons.
Many of the titanium deposits were marked in northwestern Ukraine, far from the fighting.
“The Americans helped the most, and therefore the Americans should earn the most,” he added.
“And they should have this priority, and they will. I would also like to talk about this with President Trump.”
The Ukrainian leader said it was essential that he met Trump in person before the US president meets Russian President Vladimir Putin, “otherwise it will look like a dialogue about Ukraine without Ukraine”.
