Prime Minister Justin Trudeau resigns
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced yesterday that he is resigning as Liberal Party leader and prime minister. The decision by Trudeau, who has led the country for nearly a decade, means new leadership will take over in Canada by late March after the party elects a new leader. Here is the latest one.
Prime Minister Trudeau has been facing increasing pressure from within his own party for weeks. In December, Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland abruptly resigned in a scathing rebuke of his leadership.
Following her resignation, Liberal MPs called on Trudeau to resign so that someone else could lead the Liberal Party, which will challenge the Conservatives in October’s general election.
What’s next: With Prime Minister Trudeau’s resignation, a battle for succession begins. The disruption comes as the country grapples with how best to deal with President-elect Donald Trump’s promise to impose crippling tariffs on all Canadian imports on his first day in office. Canada and the United States are each other’s largest trading partners.
End of an era: Trudeau has been prime minister since 2015, reviving the Liberal Party after a landslide election defeat before taking over the party in 2013. However, recently it has become completely unpopular. An Ipsos poll released last month found that 73 per cent of Canadians, including 43 per cent of Liberal voters, thought he should resign as leader.
Russia captures key cities as Ukraine applies new pressure
Russia announced yesterday that it had captured the Ukrainian town of Krahov as it closed in on Ukrainian forces in the southern Donbas region.
Ukrainian forces have begun a new advance into the Kursk region of southern Russia. Combat footage discovered by military analysts showed that Ukraine was trying to break through Russian defenses from at least three directions. This was the first significant attempt by Kiev forces to advance into the region since the first invasion in August.
Bet: Capturing Krahov and surrounding towns could allow Russia to expand its offensive on the city of Pokrovsk, which has been the focus of the war in recent months, military analysts said. Russia is trying to surround the city, hoping to avoid a brutal and protracted urban battle.
analysis: Experts said the dueling offensives underscored how both the Kremlin and Kiev are trying to project strength as President Trump prepares to take office. President Trump has vowed to end the war quickly, without specifying how.
US releases 11 men from Guantanamo Bay
The US military yesterday sent 11 Yemeni prisoners from Guantanamo Bay to Oman to resume their lives, leaving just 15 in prison. This final push by the Biden administration leaves the jail population at its lowest in more than 20 years.
None of the men released were charged with a crime during their 20 years in custody. All but six of the remaining prisoners were charged with or convicted of war crimes.
Other top news
The Taliban have lost billions in international aid and are desperate for a cash infusion and are turning underground. Beneath Afghanistan’s rugged terrain lies an estimated $1 trillion worth of mineral deposits that could provide a lifeline.
But it remains to be seen whether the Taliban will be able to do what the United States has not been able to do at home: control a disrupted industry enough to profit from it.
Check out the Golden Globe Awards
The Golden Globes are usually an indication of what to expect at the Oscars, but this year it ended with some twists and turns. While Demi Moore, Fernanda Torres and Sebastian Stan unexpectedly won the award, the expected favorite, “Anora,” was snubbed.
But what really got people talking was the host. Comedian Nikki Glazer had a low bar to jump after Jo Koy’s lackluster performance in 2024, but he’s clearly aiming for more than a little bit of performance, and he’s given opening monologues in dozens of club appearances. Polished.
