Exclusive: Jesse Binnall and Joe Flynn, who campaigned to overturn 2020 election, seek to win Bosnia deal for little-known US firm
Leading members of Donald Trump’s campaign to overturn the 2020 presidential election are seeking a huge European pipeline contract, the latest figures from the US president’s circle to mix business and geopolitics.
Jesse Binnall, a lawyer who worked on legal actions advancing Trump’s baseless claim that the vote was stolen from him, and Joe Flynn, who also sought to undermine Joe Biden’s victory, have been in Bosnia this week to discuss the project.
Previous visits left Matt Charlton feeling that the City of Light was a crowded, rude and soulless place, but a trip to the We Love Green festival allowed him to get under the skin of the French capital and uncover an alternative side with small gigs, artisan shops and excellent vegetarian food
Carl Schmitt wanted empires that dominated the small countries in their orbits. But the US president’s chaotic actions are not that strategic
It is axiomatic to many of his critics that the US president, Donald Trump, is a fascist. Indeed, some have seen echoes of the work of the Nazis’ “crown jurist” and political theorist, Carl Schmitt, in the Trump administration’s domestic policies, particularly his doctrine of “the exception”, which can be used to suspend certain constitutional rights. After a tumultuous few weeks in geopolitics, his work is being discussed for its contemporary relevance again.
In the wake of the release of the new US National Security Strategy in 2025, its raid on Venezuela, the president’s rhetoric on Greenland, Panama, Colombia, Mexico and Cuba, and his apparent indulgence towards Vladimir Putin’s Russia, the question now being asked is whether Trump is also an advocate of aspects of Schmitt’s concept of “great space”.
Brendan Simms is director of the Centre for Geopolitics at Cambridge University and author of Hitler: Only the World Was Enough
Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and France’s Marine Le Pen among figures showing support for Hungary’s prime minister
Rightwing leaders from around the world have come together to endorse Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, hinting at the symbolism that the country’s elections hold for global far-right movements even as the populist leader lags in the polls.
A campaign video published online by Orbán this week includes endorsements from nearly a dozen leaders including Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and Matteo Salvini, France’s Marine Le Pen and Germany’s Alice Weidel.
The North Macedonian town celebrated the 1,400-year-old festival over two days. The part-pagan, part-satire carnival is believed to scare away evil spirits, and marks the beginning of the Julian calendar’s New Year.
Response crews at work following strikes in Ukraine’s second city as Britain commits £20m after Zelenskyy declares energy emergency. What we know on day 1,423
Russian forces destroyed a large energy facility in Ukraine’s second-biggest city, Kharkiv, the mayor said on Thursday, the latest target of a winter air campaign by Moscow that has plunged millions of Ukrainians into darkness and cold. Kharkiv mayor Ihor Terekhov said on Telegram that emergency crews were working around the clock, while he did not specify what sort of facility had been hit. Regional governor Oleh Syniehubov said officials were assessing the extent of damage.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy proceeded with a drive to tackle the damage inflicted by Russian strikes, chairing a meeting aimed at securing quick decisions from regional leaders. The Ukrainian president said there had been new strikes on the capital into the evening. Kyiv mayor Vitali Klitschko said about 300 apartment buildings remained without heat after a 9 January attack knocked out heating to half the city’s high-rises.
The UK on Friday announced new emergency energy support of £20m ($27m) for Ukraine after Zelenskyy declared a state of emergency following sustained attacks on the country’s power infrastructure. He acted as emergency crews worked to restore heating and electricity in Kyiv and other cities after last week’s attacks by Russia knocked out supplies during sub-zero temperatures. The British support includes funding aimed at keeping electricity and heating on in homes, hospitals and schools across winter.
The Ukrainian prime minister, Yulia Svyrydenko, introduced measures to deal with power and heating outages, reducing overnight curfews and allowing businesses and government institutions to import more power. School holidays in Kyiv were extended until 1 February. Foreign minister Andrii Sybiha said the foreign and energy ministries had organised an appeal for funds to help tackle Ukraine’s energy problems, similar to periodic meetings on arms supplies. Norway, he said, had made an initial grant of $200m.
The International Monetary Fund chief, Kristalina Georgieva, met with top Ukrainian officials in Kyiv in a surprise visit on Thursday, telling Reuters she expected to send a new $8.1bn lending program to the fund’s board for approval in coming weeks. Georgieva, who met with Zelenskyy and others in the capital, said the program would help to unlock funds from other institutions for the country. During the trip – kept secret until her arrival by train before dawn – she honoured fallen soldiers and inspected energy infrastructure hit by Russian strikes during her first visit to Ukraine since 2023.
Anti-corruption investigators have reportedly accused Yulia Tymoshenko, the prominent Ukrainian opposition figure and former prime minister, of organising a scheme to bribe MPs – said to include figures from Zelenskyy’s own party – to undermine him. A spokesperson for the specialised anti-corruption prosecutor’s office (Sapo) said on Wednesday that Tymoshenko had been charged after the offices of her Fatherland party were raided late on Tuesday night by officers from Sapo and the national anti-corruption bureau, report Peter Beaumont and Artem Mazhulin. Tymoshenko has not been formally identified but she released a statement denying any accusations.
Nato secretary general Mark Rutte spoke to Volodymyr Zelenskyy to discuss the latest Russian attacks on Ukraine. Rutte posted on X that they talked on Thursday “about the energy situation in Ukraine, with Russia’s attacks causing terrible human suffering, as well as on the ongoing efforts to bring an end to the war”. He also said: “We’re committed to ensuring that Ukraine continues to get the crucial support needed to defend today and ultimately secure a lasting peace.” In his account of the conversation, Zelenskyy said he discussed the “serious challenges” posed by the latest Russian strikes and the need to bolster Ukraine’s air defences.
Zelenskyy said on Thursday that Ukraine was not an obstacle to peace, pushing back against comments made a day earlier by Donald Trump. “We also talked about diplomatic work with America – Ukraine has never been and will never be an obstacle to peace,” the Ukrainian president said in his nightly video address.
Lesbos court clears aid workers of people smuggling, a move Human Rights Watch called a vindication of their lifesaving activities at sea
Two dozen aid workers, who had faced up to 20 years in prison if found guilty of smuggling migrants into Greece, have been acquitted by a court on Lesbos.
The verdict was met with cheers, tears and cries of jubilation as the presiding judge announced the words that would end a seven-year legal ordeal for the humanitarians. All 24 had engaged in rescue work on the Aegean island at the height of the refugee crisis.
Les Géorgiens Anastasiia Metelkina et Luka Berulava sont sacrés champions d'Europe, ce jeudi, devant les tenants du titre allemands qui ont chuté deux fois.
Vivian Motzfeldt was one of the foreign ministers who met with US vice-president JD Vance at the White House to discuss the future of the Danish territory
Spanish police have arrested 30 people and seized almost 2.5 tonnes of cocaine after breaking up a criminal network that used teams of young swimmers to hide the drugs on moving, Europe-bound ships which were then attacked and relieved of their unwitting cargo before reaching port.
The 15-month investigation began in October 2024 when Policía Nacional officers found 88kg of cocaine in a vehicle in the southern Spanish town of Mijas. The drugs led them to three gangs, including a Balkan cartel, who were working together to bring huge quantities of cocaine into Spain from Colombia.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) officialise ce 15 janvier 2026 la disponibilité générale de l’AWS European Sovereign Cloud, une infrastructure cloud isolée physiquement et opérationnellement au sein de l’Union européenne. Conçu pour répondre aux exigences strictes de résidence des données des gouvernements et des industries régulées, ce lancement s’accompagne …
Amazon Web Services (AWS) officialise ce 15 janvier 2026 la disponibilité générale de l’AWS European Sovereign Cloud, une infrastructure cloud isolée physiquement et opérationnellement au sein de l’Union européenne. Conçu pour répondre aux exigences strictes de résidence des données des gouvernements et des industries régulées, ce lancement s’accompagne …
International journalists have been flocking to Greenland's capital, Nuuk amid a political crisis triggered by President Donald Trump's desire to control the island
Comme trop souvent, Kevin Aymoz est passé à travers (27e) ce jeudi et ne patinera pas le libre des Championnats d'Europe. Pour l'instant, le Géorgien Nika Egadze devance les frères estoniens Aleksandr et Mihhail Selevko.
The US president delights in his inconsistency. But his short-term victories have profound long-term costs for his country and the world
The Middle East was braced on Wednesday night, but the anxious petitioning of Gulf states and Iran’s attempts to appease the US president appeared to win out – at least for the moment. No bombs fell on Tehran. After all his threats, and with military options under discussion in Washington, Donald Trump stepped back, announcing that “the killing [of protesters] has stopped”.
Despite the telecommunications blackout, it seems clear that a ruthless regime has shed still more blood than in previous protest crackdowns. Rights groups say that thousands have been killed and vast numbers arrested; one official spoke of 2,000 deaths. Witnesses compared the streets to a war zone. If the large-scale killings have indeed ebbed, that is probably because Iranians have been terrified out of the streets – for now, at least. Iran’s foreign minister chose Fox News to insist no hangings were imminent, in case the identity of the message’s one-man audience was in any doubt. But while retribution may have been postponed, it will not be cancelled as it should be: the calls for the regime’s downfall are seen as an existential threat. The Iranian authorities can wait. Mr Trump will move on.
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Thousands sign petition calling on Iceland’s foreign minister to reject Trump ally Billy Long’s nomination
Thousands of people have signed a petition expressing anger after Donald Trump’s nominee for ambassador to Iceland reportedly joked that the Nordic country should become the 52nd US state.
On Wednesday, hours before top officials from Greenland and Denmark were to meet with the US in the hope of warding off Trump’s threats to seize the Arctic island, the news outlet Politico said it had heard of musings regarding another Nordic island.
‘Iconic performers’ will visit 10 European cities, as event reels from boycott over Israel’s 2026 participation
The Eurovision song contest will go on its first ever tour to celebrate its 70th anniversary, its organiser has said, as it reels from a boycott due to Israel’s participation.
Five countries have pulled out of the contest over Israel’s war in Gaza, leaving 35 to participate in the world’s biggest live televised music event – the fewest since entry was expanded in 2004.
Contrairement aux idées reçues, c’est la Chine qui mène la danse dans le secteur des énergies renouvelables avec une production supérieure à celle de l’Europe.
Contrairement aux idées reçues, c’est la Chine qui mène la danse dans le secteur des énergies renouvelables avec une production supérieure à celle de l’Europe.
Le vignoble aurait pu s’effondrer en 2014, lorsque l’annexion de la Crimée par la Russie a fait disparaître plus de la moitié de la production nationale. Mais c’est l’inverse qui s’est produit : un réflexe patriotique a encouragé les Ukrainiens à boire local, faisant même émerger de nouveaux domaines. Et malgré l’invasion généralisée, la dynamique ne s’est pas brisée.
Le vignoble aurait pu s’effondrer en 2014, lorsque l’annexion de la Crimée par la Russie a fait disparaître plus de la moitié de la production nationale. Mais c’est l’inverse qui s’est produit : un réflexe patriotique a encouragé les Ukrainiens à boire local, faisant même émerger de nouveaux domaines. Et malgré l’invasion généralisée, la dynamique ne s’est pas brisée.
Grâce aux bons résultats trimestriels de son client TSMC (poussé par la course à l’intelligence artificielle), ASML flambe en Bourse et franchit les 500 milliards de dollars de capitalisation pour la première fois.
Connexion
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Les Géorgiens Anastasiia Metelkina et Luka Berulava sont sacrés champions d'Europe, ce jeudi, devant les tenants du titre allemands qui ont chuté deux fois. 
