Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is stepping down

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said yesterday that he will step down as leader of the Liberal Party and as Prime Minister. The decision by Trudeau, who has led the country for nearly a decade, means a new leadership will take over Canada by the end of March after his party elects a new boss. Here’s the latest.

Trudeau has been facing mounting pressure from within his own party for weeks. In December, his deputy prime minister and finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, suddenly stepped down from her post, strongly condemning his leadership.

Her resignation led to Liberal MPs asking Trudeau to step down so someone else could lead the Liberal Party against the Conservatives in October’s general election.

What is next: Trudeau’s resignation sets off a battle for his succession. The reversal comes as the country grapples with how best to deal with President-elect Donald Trump’s pledge to impose crippling tariffs on all Canadian imports on his first day in office. Canada and the US are each other’s largest trading partners.

End of an era: Trudeau has been prime minister since 2015, after reviving the Liberals, who suffered an electoral meltdown before he took over the party in 2013. Recently, however, he has become deeply unpopular: According to an Ipsos poll released last month, 73 percent of Canadians — including 43 percent of Liberal voters — believed he should step down as party leader.

Russia captured a key city as Ukraine attacked again

Russia said yesterday that it was took control of Kurakhovocity ​​in Ukraine, while closing in on Ukrainian forces in the southern Donbas region.

Ukrainian forces have made progress with a renewed push into the Kursk region of southern Russia. Combat footage, located by military analysts, shows that Ukraine is trying to break through Russian defenses in at least three directions. It was the first significant attempt by Kiev forces to advance in the region since their initial incursion in August.

Stakes: The capture of Kurakhov and surrounding towns could allow Russia to expand its assault on the city of Pokrovsk, the flashpoint of the war in recent months, military analysts said. Russia is trying to encircle the city, hoping to avoid brutal and protracted fighting in the cities.

Analysis: The dueling offensives underscore how both the Kremlin and Kiev want to show strength as Trump prepares to take office, experts say. Trump promised to end the war quickly without saying how.

The US released 11 men from Guantánamo

US Army sent 11 Yemeni prisoners from Guantánamo Bay to Oman yesterday to restart their lives, leaving only 15 men in prison. This latest push by the Biden administration has left the detention center’s population smaller than at any other time in its more than 20-year history.

None of those freed during the two decades of captivity were charged with criminal offences. All but the six remaining prisoners were accused or convicted war crimes.

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The Taliban, desperate for a cash injection after losing billions in international aid, are looking to the illegal. Beneath Afghanistan’s rugged landscape lies an estimated $1 trillion in mineral deposits that could be a lifesaver.

But it remains to be seen whether the Taliban can do what the US could not do in the country: control deeply chaotic industry enough to profit from it.

Make up for the Golden Globes

The Golden Globes are usually an indicator of what to expect at the Oscars, but this year had an ending. Demi Moore, Fernanda Torres and Sebastian Stan got unexpected wins, while the film “Anora”, the expected favorite, was eliminated.

But what really got people talking was the host. Comedian Nikki Glaser had a low bar to jump after Jo Koy’s lackluster performance in 2024, but she clearly intended to do more than a little better and honed her opening monologue in dozens of club appearances.