Donald Trump Inauguration & Day 1 Live Updates: Trump says to take back Panama Canal, declares National Energy Emergency to allow for increased drilling

JPMorgan Chase & Co. has deployed teams working overtime to analyze the impact of the early outlines of the policy shift under President Donald Trump, according to Mary Erdoes, chief of the asset and wealth management arm of America’s largest bank.

Trump began his second term on Monday after a successful election campaign that promised steep tariffs on trading partners ranging from China to Mexico and Canada. He has also positioned himself as the most business-friendly of presidents even as companies, corporate leaders and investors adjust to his shifting priorities and brace for a potential period of market turbulence.

Signs were that the Trump administration was creating a “very pro-business environment” and that the US economy was in “go mode” at present, Erdoes said.

She added that developments in artificial intelligence were unlikely to lead to job cuts at the bank and that the focus would be on the re-skilling of employees and eliminating “no joy” tasks. Erdoes said that 200,000 JPMorgan workers were already active daily users of AI. (Bloomberg)

US President Donald Trump’s policies will lift the economy and support public and private markets, according to Franklin Templeton Investments’ chief executive officer. 

Trump’s support of deregulation, and his proposed spending policies and tax cuts will all go toward boosting growth, Jenny Johnson said in an interview with Bloomberg TV at Davos on Tuesday. “I think the view is that he’s going to be good for the economy and that therefore is good for both public and private markets.” 

Franklin oversees around $1.7 trillion in assets.

Speaking on the president’s threats to impose tariffs on Mexico and Canada, Johnson said Trump has consistently used the negotiating tactic of making broad statements and following up with a more practical approach. 

The executive said the Federal Reserve will “pause right now” on its rate-cutting path to evaluate the impact of Trump’s policies on the economy. Johnson said she expects the US 10—year Treasury yield will be at around 5% by the end of the year. 

Johnson pointed to cryptocurrency as another sector that’ll be shaped by Trump’s policies. “We will start to see them converge more: traditional finance and crypto,” she said. “We need to have some sort of regulatory clarity so that you can bring these together.” 

In private markets, Johnson sees opportunities in secondary private equity and real-estate debt. 

Regional banks in the US have been unable to lend to real estate like before — creating an opportunity for private-credit managers with sector expertise, according to Johnson. (Bloomberg)

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday while signing a series of executive orders and speaking to the press at the Oval Office said that he was fine with legal immigration.“I like it,” he said.

He justified the stringent immigration policy, saying that a lot of companies would come to the US to avoid tariffs.

“I’m fine with legal immigration. I like it, we need people and I’m absolutely fine with it. We need it because we’re going to have a lot of companies coming in to avoid tariffs,” he said.

Talking about the normalisation of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia, he said, “I don’t think I have to push them. I think it’s going to happen, maybe not quite yet, but Saudi Arabia will end up being in the Abraham Accords. Not in a very warm way”.

When asked about his plans to take over Greenland, he said, “Greenland is a wonderful place and we need it for international security. I am sure Denmark will come along since it is costing them a lot of money to keep it. The people of Greenland are not happy with Denmark... Not for us, it is necessary for International security. You have Russian and Chinese boats and warships all over the place”.

Earlier on January 17, amid repeated assertions from Trump over the territory of Greenland, Denmark Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told him that “only Greenland” should decide on its future, Politico reported.

The two leaders held a phone call on Wednesday, during which Frederiksen reiterated to Trump, Greenlandic Prime Minister Mute Egede’s assertion that “Greenland is not for sale,” a press release from Denmark PM’s office stated. (ANI)

India expects its purchase of U.S. energy products to increase after President Donald Trump’s announcement to maximise U.S. oil and gas production, said Oil Minister Hardeep Singh Puri in a meeting on Tuesday.

Trump has announced a plan to maximise U.S. oil and gas production by declaring a national emergency. (Reuters)

There is a possibility of stronger alignment between India and the United States during Donald Trump’s second term, which could enhance diplomatic efforts on pressing global issues, such as the Russia-Ukraine crisis, according to the founder of a prominent advocacy group focused on the Indian diaspora.

President-elect Trump will return to the White House as US President on Monday.

“Trump 2.0 administration is going to be much more mature and additionally different from the Biden administration,” Khanderao Kand, founder and director of Foundation for India and Indian Diaspora Studies (FIIDS) told PTI in an interview.

President Donald Trump wasted little time taking action on two culturally controversial issues he campaigned on, signing executive orders ending federal diversity programs and restricting gender definition to two sexes — male and female.

In an order that described diversity, equity and inclusion policies as “discriminatory,” the administration mandated federal agencies and departments to terminate all DEI and environmental justice roles and offices.

The President also rescinded an executive order signed by former President Joe Biden that sought to overturn Trump’s own ban on the federal government and its contractors from conducting racial bias training. It was among a slew of DEI-related orders rescinded Monday.

Read more here.

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday his team was in the process of removing over a thousand appointees from the administration of former President Joe Biden, as the Republican announced four removals on social media, including of celebrity chef Jose Andres and former top general Mark Milley.

Trump said he was dismissing Milley, who was given a pre-emptive pardon by Biden on Monday, from the National Infrastructure Advisory Council. Andres was removed from the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition, Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

President Donald Trump wasted no time announcing steps to implement many of his campaign pledges, including on immigration, energy, the military and federal workforce, casting many as reversing the policies of his predecessor, Joe Biden. 

“We will immediately restore the integrity, competency and loyalty of America’s government,” Trump said in his inaugural address Monday. “With these actions, we will begin the complete restoration of America, and the revolution of common sense.”

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Canadian leaders expressed relief Monday that broad tariffs were not applied to Canadian products on the first day of Donald Trump’s presidency, but Trump later said he could impose a 25 per cent tariff on Canada and Mexico on February 1.

Trump has been threatening to impose sweeping tariffs on Canada, Mexico and other trading partners. An incoming White House official who insisted on anonymity pointed reporters on Monday morning to a Wall Street Journal story saying Trump will only sign a memorandum telling federal agencies to study trade issues.

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The United States will exit the World Health Organization, President Donald Trump said on Monday, saying the global health agency had mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic and other international health crises.

Trump said the WHO had failed to act independently from the “inappropriate political influence of WHO member states” and required “unfairly onerous payments” from the U.S. that are disproportionate to the sums provided by other, larger countries, such as China.

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President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday temporarily suspending all US foreign assistance programmes for 90 days pending reviews to determine whether they are aligned with his policy goals.

It was not immediately clear how much assistance would initially be affected by the order as funding for many programs has already been appropriated by Congress and is obligated to be spent, if not already spent.

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The gap in prices for copper and gold between New York and London narrowed as traders reacted to a report that the Trump administration would not impose tariffs immediately after inauguration.

Earlier Monday the Wall Street Journal reported that US President Donald Trump will stop short of imposing new tariffs on his first day in office. The prospect of metals being caught up in the sweeping tariff measures caused premiums for gold and silver futures deliverable in New York to swell in recent weeks, as traders bought out of their short positions.

Premiums for gold traded on the US-based Comex over the London spot market halved following the news report, to around $20 an ounce.

The price gap for copper on Comex over London Metals Exchange futures fell from nearly $500 a metric ton to around $300 a ton. China, the largest copper importer, will not be subject to specific tariffs on Trump’s first day in office, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

Copper futures on the LME rose as much as 1.2% following the Wall Street Journal report, while prices on Comex traded 1.3% lower. Spot gold edged higher, while the first available gold futures contract on the New York-based exchange fell 0.9%.

The silver premium over spot — or exchange-for-physical — remained elevated, even after the report. Silver is used in greater quantities for industrial applications compared to gold. Some industry experts have said the talk on trade restrictions may be expediting a supply squeeze in London vaults, as traders rush to ship their metal across the Atlantic into Comex warehouses to avoid it becoming subject to tariffs. - Bloomberg

Trump: America will be respected again and admired again, including by people of religion, faith and good will. We will be prosperous, we will be proud, we will be strong and we will win like never before. We will not be conquered, we will not be intimidated, we will not be broken and we will not fail. From this day on, the United States of America will be a free, sovereign and independent nation.

The White House website had a new look with the bold banner headline “America is back” seconds after Trump was sworn in as the 47th president of the United States on Monday.

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday he would issue what is expected to be a flurry of executive orders and directives, as he sought to put his stamp on his new administration on matters ranging from energy to immigration.

Two sources familiar with the plans said more than 200 such orders and directives could be released in what is known internally as a “shock-and-awe” effort.

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President Donald Trump will not unveil China-specific tariffs on his first day in office, as the incoming administration starts with potential engagement with Beijing rather than igniting another trade war, according to people familiar with the matter.

The decision not to immediately target Beijing on Monday reflects a shift by the incoming president into a negotiating mode and an eagerness to cut another deal with Chinese President Xi Jinping, a person familiar with the decision said.

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US President Donald Trump has “America First” as his priorities and this includes making America safe again, making the country affordable, achieving energy dominance, draining the swamp and bringing back American values, the White House said on Monday.

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Investors welcomed Donald Trump’s second inauguration, anticipating a pro-business agenda, while remaining wary of his protectionist trade policies, particularly his stance on tariffs.

During Trump’s speech, stock futures traded higher, with contracts on the Standard & Poor’s 500 index, the Nasdaq 100 index and the Dow Jones Industrial Average trading up between 0.4% and 0.5%.

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In the weeks between his phenomenal electoral victory and swearing-in as the 47th president of the US, the world got a preview of what a second Donald Trump presidency will entail - both for itself and America.

Trump talked about making Canada the 51st state of the US, suggested taking control of Greenland and the Panama Canal, and floated the idea of changing the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America - all this before he took oath as American President on Monday.

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French President Emmanuel Macron warned on Monday that the billions of euros of taxpayer money spent on Europe’s military budgets should not be used to buy only American weapons, pushing for more investment in home-grown defence industries.

Speaking minutes before the inauguration of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has complained that Europeans do not pay enough for their defence, Macron said the continent should spend more.

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President Donald Trump will once again withdraw the United States from the Paris climate deal, the White House said on Monday, removing the world’s biggest historic emitter from global efforts to fight climate change for the second time in a decade.

The decision would place the United States alongside Iran, Libya and Yemen as the only countries in the world outside the 2015 pact, in which governments agreed to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels to avoid the worst impacts of climate change.

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U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States would take back the Panama Canal, but he gave no further detail in his inaugural address after being sworn in.

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Tech billionaires, foreign diplomats and CEOs shadowed U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday, with several attending St. John’s Church in Washington and seated prominently on the dais in the U.S. Capitol ahead of his speech. The church service, typically a little-noticed part of Inauguration Day, quickly became a “who’s who” parade of some of the United States’ - and the world’s - wealthiest individuals, as attendees entered the downtown church near the White House. Tech executives’ embrace of Trump, including billionaires such as Elon Musk in Trump’s inner circle, has become a major theme of Trump’s transition into power, and sparked warnings from former President Joe Biden.

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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Monday congratulated the U.S. leader Donald Trump on his inauguration, saying he was looking forward to “active and mutually beneficial cooperation”.

“President Trump is always decisive, and the peace through strength policy he announced provides an opportunity to strengthen American leadership and achieve a long-term and just peace, which is the top priority,” Zelenskiy said on X. - Reuters

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“President McKinley made our country rich through tariffs and developing talent. His funds helped build the Panama Canal. The US lost so many lives in the building of the canal. Panama’s promise to the US has been broken. China is now operating the Canal. We didn’t give it to China, we gave it to Panama. And we are taking it back.”

“One day before I took office, the hostages in the Middle East are coming back to their homes and families.”

Will forge a society that is colour-blind and be based on faith in marriage. Starting today, we will recognise only two genders - male and female.

“We will drill, baby, drill,” says Trump. Read full report here.

“I will end the practice of catch-and-release. I will send troops to the southern borders to repair the disastrous invasion of our borders. We will be designating the cartels as foreign terrorist organisations,” says Trump

Today is Martin Luther King day, and today we will make his dream come true; Trump

Won’t allow America to be taken for granted any longer; on every single day of my administration, I will put America first. ​Read full report here​.

Donald Trump could blow a $30 billion hole in Iran’s economy should he return to a maximum pressure campaign on Tehran.

Over the past four years, sanctions evasion and more relaxed US enforcement have allowed the Middle Eastern nation to boost oil exports by about 1 million barrels a day, with most of the supply going to China, according to Bloomberg’s tanker tracking data and estimates by commercial and government organizations. But that could change quickly. - Bloomberg

Read full report here.

Donald Trump plans to issue a flurry of executive orders and directives after he is sworn in as U.S. president on Monday to put his stamp on his new administration on matters ranging from energy to immigration.

Two sources familiar with the planning said more than 200 such orders and directives could be released starting on Day One in what is known internally as a “shock and awe” effort.

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump meet with U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden on inauguration day of Donald Trump’s second presidential term in Washington, U.S. January 20, 2025. 

The dollar drifted lower and global stocks were cautiously positive on Monday as investors awaited a flurry of policy announcements during the first hours of Donald Trump’s second presidency and eyed a rate hike in Japan at the end of the week.

Trump takes the oath of office at noon Eastern Time (1700 GMT), and promised a “brand new day of American strength” at a rally on Sunday.

He has stoked expectations of an immediate slew of executive orders and, in a reminder of his unpredictability, launched a digital token on Friday, which soared above $70 before sliding to around $50 as traders turned uneasy.

Monday is a U.S. holiday, so the first responses to his inauguration in financial markets may be felt in foreign exchange and then during Asian trade on Tuesday.

European stocks edged lower after an initial tick upward at the open. The pan-European STOXX 600 crept down 0.2%, with the region’s main indices all flat and Spain’s down 0.1%. MSCI’s All-World index was last up 0.1%.

Euro zone bond yields inched upwards by 1223 GMT, with French and German 10-year benchmark bond yields all ticking up around one basis point. UK 10-year bond yields rose four basis points. Bond yields move inversely to prices.

“Trump dominates everything in terms of where we go,” Societe Generale chief FX strategist Kit Juckes said in his morning note, referring to markets in general. He noted that trader positions betting on a rise in the dollar had reached their highest since 2022.

The dollar is up more than 8% against the euro since September and at $1.0317 is not far from last week’s two-year high. But so much is priced in that some analysts feel sellers may step forward if the tariff hikes that Trump has flagged start more slowly than expected.

Trump has threatened tariffs of as much as 10% on global imports and 60% on Chinese goods, plus a 25% import surcharge on Canadian and Mexican products, duties that trade experts say would upend trade flows, raise costs and draw retaliation.

The Canadian dollar touched a five-year low of C$1.4465 per dollar on Monday.

Bitcoin shot up 4%, hitting, at one point, a record high of $108,943, while Trump’s new cryptocurrency launched on Friday - known as $TRUMP - soared to nearly $12 billion in market value, drawing billions in trading volume. First Lady Melania Trump’s cryptocurrency launched on Sunday hit a market cap of $1.9 billion.

CHINA FOCUS

China is in focus as the target of the harshest potential trade levies. Investors have cheered better-than-expected Chinese growth data and a Friday phone call between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping that left both upbeat.

Hong Kong’s Hang Seng closed up 1.8% and China’s yuan rallied.

“Basically everyone is waiting for these trade negotiations to begin and see what kind of attitude Xi Jinping takes with Trump,” Ken Peng, head of Asia investment strategy at Citi Wealth told reporters in Singapore.

“That relationship between the two gentlemen has become very important as a leading indicator of policies.”

The yuan is seen likely to slowly adjust to any shifts in trade policy and touched a two-week high of 7.3088 to the dollar .

Japan’s yen rallied last week as remarks from Bank of Japan policymakers were taken as hints that a rate cut is likely on Friday.

It was last slightly stronger at 156.335 per dollar and markets priced about an 80% chance of a 25 basis point rate hike.

In commodities, gold hovered at $2,707 an ounce and Brent crude futures dipped on expectations that Trump may ease curbs on Russia’s energy sector in return for a truce in Ukraine. (Reuters)

Donald Trump’s presidency in the United States will trigger a new right-wing surge in Europe, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Monday, launching what he called an offensive to “occupy” Brussels.

The nationalist premier, a long-time Trump supporter, envisages a “golden era” for relations between the U.S. and EU member state Hungary under Trump’s presidency, despite a warning from Hungary’s central bank that the incoming president’s proposed tariffs on the EU will hurt Hungary’s economy.

“Only a few hours and even the sun will shine differently in Brussels. A new president in the U.S., a large faction of Patriots in Brussels, great enthusiasm,” Orban said before Trump’s inauguration later on Monday, which he will not attend.

“So the great attack can start. Hereby I launch the second phase of the offensive that aims to occupy Brussels,” Orban told a conference, upping his anti-Brussels rhetoric.

Orban’s Fidesz party and other right-wing parties founded the Patriots party group in the European Parliament last year. The group, led by France’s National Rally, has become the third largest in the parliament with 86 members.

New tariffs that Trump has pledged to impose on European Union imports would hit Hungary’s economic growth and boost inflation as the country is heavily reliant on its car industry, the National Bank of Hungary said in December.

Orban, who has criticised EU sanctions against Russia and kept close relations with Moscow since the start of the war in Ukraine, said the EU was in a crisis because it could not ensure the prosperity of its citizens, could not stop illegal migration and could not ensure its security.

“We in Hungary are the opposition to the system in Brussels. ... Brussels is occupied by a left-liberal oligarchy,” Orban said. “At the European election we came close to a real chance of a new right-wing majority that can replace the Brussels elite.” (Reuters)

A record start to the year for emerging-market bond sales is at risk of fizzling as high Treasury rates hamper weaker credits from tapping international capital.

While a recent surge in US bond yields has abated for now, investors fear the upward moves will resume after President-elect Donald Trump takes office on Monday, given his support for tariff hikes and mass deportations, policies that are considered inflationary.

With that in mind, several EM sovereigns rushed to market as soon as 2025 got underway, taking the year-to-date tally of eurobond sales to about $34 billion, up 12% from the same period in 2024. But seven of this year’s eight bond issuers have investment-grade credit ratings, including Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Slovenia. Lithuania is set to join them, hiring banks for an offering in euros. The exception is Benin, which managed to place a $500 million bond on Thursday. 

The trend favoring better-quality credits holds among EM corporates and government-linked borrowers too. Debt sales from junk-rated borrowers — those with scores below BBB-/Baa3 from the main ratings companies — amount to some $6 billion so far in 2025, down 7% from year-ago levels and the slowest start to a year since 2020, data compiled by Bloomberg show. And on Thursday, Bahrain’s Arab Banking Corp. was forced to pull its issue after investors found the yield too low to stomach. (Bloomberg)

The price of bitcoin surged to over $109,000 early Monday, just hours ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration, as a pumped up cryptocurrency industry bets he’ll take action son after returning to the White House.

Once a skeptic who said a few years ago that bitcoin “ seems like a scam,” Trump has embraced digital currencies with a convert’s zeal. He’s launched a new cryptocurrency venture and vowed on the campaign trail to take steps early in his presidency to make the US into the “crypto capital” of the world.

His promises including creating a US crypto stockpile, enacting industry-friendly regulation and event appointing a crypto “czar” for his administration.

Trump’s picks for key cabinet and regulatory positions are stocked with crypto supporters, including his choice to lead the Treasury and Commerce departments and the head of the Securities and Exchange Commission. (AP-PTI)

Pope Francis said Donald Trump’s plans to impose mass deportations of immigrants would be a “disgrace,” as he weighed in on the incoming US president’s pledges nearly a decade after calling him “not Christian” for wanting to build a wall along the US-Mexican border.

History’s first Latin American pope was asked about the Trump administration pledges of deportations during an appearance Sunday night on a popular Italian talk show, Che Tempo Che Fa.

“If true, this will be a disgrace, because it makes the poor wretches who have nothing pay the bill” for the problem, Francis said. “This won’t do! This is not the way to solve things. That’s not how things are resolved.” 

Trump, who is being sworn in on Monday, made mass deportations a signature issue of his campaign and has promised a raft of first-day orders to remake immigration policy.

During his first campaign for the presidency, in 2016, Francis was asked about Trump’s plans to build a wall along the US-Mexico border. 

Speaking after he celebrated Mass along the border, Francis famously said anyone who builds a wall to keep out migrants is “not Christian.” Many US bishops have firmly opposed Trump’s deportation plan, with the incoming archbishop of Washington DC, Cardinal Robert McElroy, saying such policies were “incompatible with Catholic doctrine.”

Francis, who grew up in Argentina in a family of Italian immigrants, has long prioritized the plight of migrants and called for governments to welcome, protect and integrate them, within their means. He has said the dignity and rights of migrants trump any national security concerns. (AP-PTI)

Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong, has expressed happiness over the invitation extended to Foreign Ministers of India, US, Australia and Japan for inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump and stressed that it demonstrates “collective commitment of all nations to Quad”, an iron clad commitment where close cooperation in the Indo-Pacific is important.

While addressing a press conference in Washington, DC, Wong stated that she held a meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya in the US ahead of Trump’s inauguration. 

Penny Wong said that she is “honoured” to be the first Australian Foreign Minister to have been invited to US Presidential inauguration and she looked forward to attending Trump’s inauguration. She noted that Australia is one of small handful of foreign governments to receive the invitation, showcasing steadfast alliance between Australia and the US.

On January 19, Jaishankar met his Australian counterpart Penny Wong in Washington, DC. He said he enjoyed their discussion on the state of the world.

“Delighted to meet FM Penny Wong, a Quad colleague, in Washington DC today. As always, enjoyed our discussion on the state of the world,” Jaishankar posted on X.

Jaishankar is representing the Indian government at the swearing-in ceremony of US President-elect Donald Trump as the 47th US President. The ceremonial event is set to take place on Monday, approximately two weeks after Trump’s electoral college win was certified by the US Congress. (ANI)

The Indian diaspora organisation, Indiaspora, in the US extended their congratulations to the incoming Trump administration, particularly from the community on Monday ahead of his inauguration as the 47th President of the US, according to a press statement by the forum.

The Indiaspora highlighted the increasing political engagement of the Indian American community, noting that the community focused on nonpartisan political engagement and was pleased with the growing influence of Indian Americans in American politics since its founding in 2012.

The organisation further recognised key appointments in President Trump’s second-term administration, including Harmeet Kaur Dhillon as the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights at the US Department of Justice, Vivek Ramaswamy as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) alongside Tesla CEO Elon Musk, FBI Director nominee Kash Patel, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya as Director of the National Institutes of Health and Sriram Krishnana as Senior AI Advisor.

Meanwhile, Executive Director of Indiaspora Sanjeev Joshipura highlighted the organisation’s efforts to enhance civic and political engagement within the Indian diaspora and acknowledged the consistent placement of Indian-Americans in senior government roles across administrations, regardless of political party. (ANI)

The stage is set for a grand ceremony leading up to US President-Elect Donald Trump’s swearing-in on Monday. The events are set to begin with Trump’s departure to St John’s Church and offering of service.

He will then go to the Blair House, The President’s Guest House. At North Portico the US President Joe Biden and the First Lady Jill Biden will first welcome Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Douglas Emhoff and then Trump.

First, the Vice President-Elect JD Vance will take his oath to office, followed by Trump. The grand swearing-in will be followed by Trump’s remarks.

A formal farewell ceremony of Biden and Harris is set to take place, and then Trump and Vance will have the signing room ceremony.

The signing ceremony is one of the first official actions taken by the newly sworn President of the United States. They occur in the President’s Room just off the Senate Chamber in the US Capitol.

Read more here.

Donald Trump’s newly minted cryptocurrency soared on Monday to top $9 billion in market value, drawing in billions in trading volume just hours ahead of the U.S. President-elect’s return to the White House.

The meme coin, also known as $TRUMP, surged 73% to $46.06 during Asian hours on Monday, giving it a market capitalisaton of about $9.2 billion, according to CoinMarketCap. Its 24-hour trading volume reached $42.2 billion.

Trump had on Friday launched the digital token branded with an image from his attempted assassination in July, expanding his cryptocurrency interests that already include World Liberty Financial.

Even cryptocurrency community participants were surprised by the launch of Trump’s meme coin.

Trump has promised to be a “crypto president”, and is expected to issue executive orders aimed at reducing crypto regulatory roadblocks and promoting widespread adoption of digital assets. 

The prospect of looser regulations around crypto policy has been met with fanfare by the industry and had turbocharged a rally in bitcoin following Trump’s election victory in November.

The world’s largest cryptocurrency last traded 2.6% lower at $101,826.51 on Monday, and is up more than 10% for the month thus far. (Bloomberg)

Chinese Vice President Han Zheng met billionaire Elon Musk and other US business figures, underscoring Beijing’s efforts to set a positive tone in ties with the US before President-elect Donald Trump returns to office.

Han said US firms were welcome in China during the sitdown in Washington on Sunday with Musk, who is Tesla’s CEO and a member of the incoming administration. Han urged “American companies including Tesla to seize the opportunity, share the fruits of China’s development, and make new and greater contributions to promoting China-US economic and trade relations,” according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

Han also met people from the US-China Business Council, the US Chamber of Commerce and “other business circles in Washington,” Xinhua reported on Monday. Han, whose position in the Chinese government is ceremonial and doesn’t have a seat on the ruling Communist Party’s 24-member Politburo, is in Washington for Trump’s inauguration.

China is warily eying the return of Trump, whose first term in office was distinguished by a trade war that upset relations between the world’s two largest economies. The fear is those tensions may be repeated given Trump has threatened to slap tariffs on shipments from the Asian country due to its trade practices. China had a record trade surplus of nearly $1 trillion last year.

Han also met Vice President-elect JD Vance on Sunday to discuss fentanyl and trade. In that sitdown, Han said that although the two sides have their differences, they have large space in which they can cooperate and should strengthen dialog, China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement. (Bloomberg)

President-elect Donald Trump is poised to invoke emergency powers as part of his plan to unleash domestic energy production while seeking to reverse President Joe Biden’s actions to combat climate change, according to people familiar with the matter. 

The move is set to be among an array of actions Trump will take — starting hours after he’s sworn in on Monday — to deliver on campaign promises to boost domestic energy output. The president-elect is prepared to compel policy shifts that would enable new oil and gas development on federal lands, while directing a rollback of Biden-era climate regulations, said the people who asked not be named due to the confidentiality of the information.

While many of the executive actions will simply kick off a lengthy regulatory process, they’re set to touch the full spectrum of the US energy industry, from oil fields to car dealerships. They also underscore Trump’s determination to reorient federal government policy behind oil and gas production, a sharp pivot from Biden’s efforts to curb fossil fuels.

It wasn’t immediately clear how an emergency energy declaration would be used, though a president can unlock special powers over the transportation of crude and use authorities to direct shifts in how electricity is generated and transmitted. 

Other planned first-day actions include ordering a reversal of Biden’s decision to withdraw some 625 million acres of US waters from being available for oil and gas leasing. Biden’s declaration has already drawn a legal challenge from the American Petroleum Institute, Alaska and the Gulf states of Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi, but the legality of Trump’s reversal will also likely be decided by federal courts. The last time Trump tried a similar move — reversing an Obama-era withdrawal from Arctic waters — it was rebuffed by an Alaska-based federal district court. (Bloomberg)

Nine out of 10 U.S. firms operating in Europe believe transatlantic economic relations will worsen in coming years, with the expected policies of incoming U.S. President Donald Trump such as tariffs the chief cause, according to a survey published on Monday.

The American Chamber of Commerce to the European Union (AmCham EU), which has more than 160 members including Apple, Goldman Sachs, Meta and Visa, said its survey showed two-thirds expected U.S. policies to harm their operations in Europe in the coming years.

Some 52% said they expected a negative impact from EU policies.

The survey, carried out among 58 U.S-controlled members between Jan. 6 and 14, showed that 84% ranked tariffs and trade policy as a top priority for transatlantic cooperation, followed by supply-chain resilience and the energy transition.

A vast majority of the companies said Europe was critical to their operations and called for the EU and U.S. to combine to reduce regulations, lower trade barriers and increase regulatory cooperation.

Three-quarters of the surveyed companies said they were “very” or “extremely” supportive of the Paris climate agreement, from which Trump is expected to withdraw. Only 2% were not supportive. (Reuters)

US President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday (local time) expressed his gratitude towards the gathering during a candlelight dinner at the National Building Museum in Washington DC, saying that it was the day their nation was saved and the beginning of making America great again.

“Today we save our nation and begin to make America great again. I’m thrilled to share this special moment with so many friends and supporters,” Trump said, as quoted in a video posted by the Trump War Room on X, citing Fox News.

He also thanked his supporters while addressing the gathering on the eve of his inauguration as the 47th US President.

Trump emphasised the importance of the upcoming day, noting that the journey to this point had not been easy, but they had overcome every challenge together.

Trump acknowledged the challenges and obstacles faced, emphasising that the success was a collective victory. He further spoke about the coalition of people who had helped bring about this moment, referring to hard-working patriots from various backgrounds, including African Americans, Hispanic Americans, youth, and women, highlighting the records set by these groups and the union members during the past eight years.

The President-elect framed the event as part of a larger political realignment, stating that it would lead the country for generations and expressed confidence in the lasting impact of this moment in American history. (ANI)

A digital token debuted by President-elect Donald Trump has rattled the cryptocurrency market, attracting billions of dollars of trading volume while stoking concerns about conflicts of interest.

Trading under the “Trump” ticker on the Solana blockchain, the token’s market value surged to $15 billion over the weekend, data from CoinMarketCap show, after the Republican touted it on his social media accounts on Friday.

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Equity markets opened higher on Monday, tracking positive global cues ahead of Donald Trump’s return to the White House, with banking and IT stocks leading the gains amid mixed global sentiment and continued foreign investor outflows.

The Sensex opened higher at 76,978.53 compared to its previous close of 76,619.33 and is currently at 76,748.78, gaining 129.45 points or 0.17%. Meanwhile, the Nifty opened at 23,290.40 against its previous close of 23,203.20 and is trading at 23,214.60, up by 11.40 points or 0.05%.

In the commodities market, crude oil futures traded flat as markets awaited Trump’s inauguration. March Brent oil futures were at $80.77, down 0.02%, while WTI crude traded at $77.45, up 0.08%.

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When Donald Trump walks into the White House Monday afternoon soon after his swearing-in, 100 plus executive orders would be waiting for him on his Oval Office Desk, which his team has prepared for him to kickoff his second term without wasting any minute.

These executive orders are mainly aimed at fulfilling his poll promises. In an interview to NBC news, Trump said he is planning to sign a “record-setting” number of executive actions on day one. “Well, at least in that category,” Trump said when asked if these executive orders would be more than 100.

An executive order is an order issued unilaterally by the president who carries the force of law. Unlike legislation, executive orders do not require Congressional approval. Though Congress cannot overturn them, they can be challenged in the court of law.

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Reliance Industries’ Chairman Mukesh Ambani and his wife Nita will attend US President-elect Donald Trump’s second inauguration that will also likely be attended by some of America’s most influential billionaires and politicians as well as foreign leaders and celebrities.

The Ambanis, who reached US capitol Washington on January 18, 2025, were part of a select 100 who attended an intimate ‘candlelit dinner’ with Trump last evening, sources with knowledge of the matter said.

They were perhaps the only Indians to attend the dinner where Vice President-elect JD and Usha Vance also met them.

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Massive disruption in winter weather engineered by a ‘polar vortex’ will pump a blast of frigid air into eastern parts of the US, rendering Donald Trump’s second inauguration as President the coldest in at least 40 years, according to weathermen. 

Trump’s inaugural on Monday has been moved indoors due to ‘dangerously cold weather’. The inaugural parade will also be held indoors in downtown Washington. The last president to be sworn-in indoors due to extreme cold was Ronald Reagan in 1985.

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Soon after being sworn in as the 47th president of the United States, Donald Trump is likely to sign a barrage of executive orders, including those related to immigration, border security, energy and governance, his close aide revealed on Sunday.

An executive order is an order issued unilaterally by the president which carries the force of law. Unlike legislation, executive orders do not require Congressional approval. Though the Congress cannot overturn them, they can be challenged in the court of law.

“The breadth of the orders, which would make major changes to immigration, energy and government hiring policies, illustrates the urgency with which Trump and his team plan to launch an ambitious agenda,” The Wall Street Journal said.

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TikTok began restoring service to its users in the US on Sunday, less than 24 hours after the app went dark under a new federal ban.

President-elect Donald Trump, speaking at a rally, vowed to issue an executive order on his first day in office to delay the enforcement of the law, ensuring the short-video app used by 170 million Americans remains operational.

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Anxious about the latest US sanctions on Russian oil tankers, India is keenly waiting for the Donald Trump regime, which will take charge next week, to clarify the fine-print to see how strictly the measures might be imposed.

“After the six weeks transition period, our ports will be forced to disallow any sanctioned oil tanker that comes in from Russia for fear of being sanctioned. It could have a considerable impact on our oil imports from Moscow. The Trump government will notify the fine-print of the sanctions and it has to be seen how serious these are actually going to be when implemented,” a government official told businessline.

If Trump notifies the sanctions in such way as to ensure that these are followed in letter and spirit, India will have no choice other than cutting down on its oil imports from Russia.

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Trade restrictions planned by the incoming US President Donald Trump could lead to aggressive exports by China to other Asian markets, including India, according to a report by Crisil. This shift is likely to create tough competition for Indian exporters in both regional and global markets, potentially slowing India’s export growth.

The report highlighted that “in view of the proposed steep tariff hikes on Chinese goods by the incoming United States President, coupled with the expected slowdown in the Chinese economy, this will trigger aggressive exports from there to the Asian markets, including India.”

Geopolitical uncertainties, including the US-China trade tensions, continue to pose risks for global trade. Meanwhile, India’s trade deficit has widened this fiscal as imports have consistently outpaced exports. The report added that India’s export performance has remained unstable during the current fiscal year. While merchandise exports showed steady growth in the first quarter, they contracted in the second quarter.

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As Donald Trump readies to take over as the US President for the second time in a star-studded inaugural ceremony on Monday, India continues to prepare for possible actions that it could take, including tariff cuts, market access demands and retaliatory moves, in response to how his tariff threats play out.

Discussions with the industry and within the government on possible duty cuts to make the US happy and also identification of offensive interests are on. But concrete steps to face and counter US actions can be planned only once the Trump regime shows its cards, an official told businessline.

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A stronger US dollar along with rising US bond yields have dampened the appeal of Indian debt for Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs), even as India’s global bond inclusion narrative remains intact, said fixed income market experts and economists.

After infusing a record ₹1.65 lakh crore into Indian debt markets last calendar year—largely driven by India’s inclusion in JP Morgan’s Global Emerging Market Government Bond Index— FPIs have started the new year on a cautious note. They have offloaded government bonds worth ₹11,000 crore as of January 17, signalling a shift in preference toward safer US assets over Indian debt in the wake of Trump trade, according to experts.

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