US AND CANADA

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FIFA President Gianni Infantino has defended his controversial decision to award a peace prize to United States President Donald Trump, while dismissing calls for a boycott of the upcoming World Cup.

Infantino faced widespread criticism after presenting Trump with the honour on behalf of FIFA during the 2026 World Cup draw held in Washington DC in December. The decision attracted further scrutiny following recent US foreign policy actions and renewed controversy surrounding Trump’s statements on global security issues.

However, speaking to Sky News on Monday, February 2, Infantino insisted the award was justified, describing Trump as deserving of FIFA’s inaugural peace prize.

“Objectively, he deserves it,” Infantino said. “Whatever we can do to help peace in the world, we should be doing it. For some time, we have been thinking about rewarding people who contribute in this direction.”

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US President Donald Trump has said he may sue comedian Trevor Noah after a joke linking him to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein was made during the  Awards broadcast.

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President Donald Trump announced on Monday that the United States had reached an initial trade arrangement with India, easing months of tariff tensions between the two countries while pointing to broader cooperation on energy and global security.

The deal, revealed through a social media post, was short on formal detail but outlined immediate tariff reductions and new commitments from New Delhi.

Under the proposed arrangement, U.S. tariffs on Indian goods would fall from 25 percent to 18 percent, effective immediately, according to Mr. Trump.

In return, he said India had agreed to reduce its own tariffs and non-tariff barriers on American products, while also pledging to significantly increase purchases of U.S. goods, particularly in energy, technology, agriculture, and coal.

Mr. Trump also claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had committed to halting India's purchases of Russian oil, a move the president framed as both an economic and geopolitical win.

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WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Mike Johnson faces tough days ahead trying to muscle a federal funding package to passage and prevent a prolonged partial government shutdown as debate intensifies over the Trump administration’s sweeping immigration enforcement operations.

Johnson signaled he is relying on help from President Donald Trump to ensure passage. Trump struck a deal with senators to separate funding for the Department of Homeland Security from a broader package after public outrage over two shooting deaths during protests in Minneapolis against Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Under the plan approved by the Senate, DHS would be funded temporarily to Feb. 13, setting up a deadline for Congress to try to find consensus on new restrictions on ICE operations.

“The president is leading this,” Johnson, R-La., told “Fox News Sunday.”

“It’s his play call to do it this way,” the speaker said, adding that the Republican president has “already conceded that he wants to turn down the volume” on federal immigration sweeps and raids.

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The iconic Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. will undergo a two-year renovation, effective July 4th, by presidential decree. President Trump used Truth Social on Sunday to declare the closure a tribute to America's 250th anniversary. The announcement comes as the institution, now known as the "Trump Kennedy Center," faces a growing boycott from artists protesting its recent renaming, raising questions about its future cultural programming.

Shortly after taking office, the presid

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Donald Trump sharply criticized the 2026 Grammy Awards following the broadcast, calling the show “virtually unwatchable” and launching a personal attack on host Trevor Noah after a joke referencing Trump and Jeffrey Epstein aired during the ceremony. Trump shared his reaction in a lengthy post on Truth Social shortly after the telecast ended, focusing much of his anger on Noah and the network that aired the event.

In his post, Trump described the Grammys as the “worst” awards show and suggested that CBS was fortunate to no longer carry the program. He also compared Noah unfavorably to Jimmy Kimmel, referencing what he described as low ratings for other recent award shows. Trump took particular issue with a joke Noah made during the live broadcast that implied Trump had spent time on Epstein’s private island.

Trump forcefully denied the claim, stating that he had never been to Epstein Island or anywhere near it. He emphasized that, according to him, he had never previously been accused of being there, including by major media outlets. Trump said the comment was false and defamatory and accused Noah of failing to check basic facts before making the joke on live television.

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One of Canada’s most prominent businessmen, 93‑year‑old billionaire Frank Stronach, is on trial in Toronto this week in a judge‑alone proceeding over more than a dozen historical sexual‑assault accusations that cover almost five decades. Stronach made his fortune building a global automotive‑parts empire; the charges relate to alleged incidents from across his long public life.

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The 2026 Grammy Awards unfolded against the backdrop of intensified immigration enforcement under the Trump administration, with many artists using music's biggest night to spotlight opposition to mass deportations and the presence of U.S. ICE in American cities.

From the red carpet to the awards stage at Los Angeles' Crypto.com Arena, immigration emerged as a recurring theme throughout the evening. In the days leading up to the ceremony, organizers and activists urged celebrities to wear protest pins and coordinate messaging across awards-season appearances, resulting in visible and vocal moments during the broadcast.