Newshour

President Trump has issued a full and unconditional pardon to Ross Ulbricht, who founded the dark web marketplace, Silk Road. The site sold illegal drugs, stolen passports and hacking equipment using Bitcoin. Ulbricht was sentenced to life in prison a decade ago. Newshour gets reaction from former federal judge John E. Jones III.

Also in the programme: Iraq's new child marriage law; and are footballers more intelligent than we think?

(Picture: Former U.S. President and Republican presidential candidate Trump attends the Libertarian Party's national convention, in Washington. Credit: Reuters)

In his first 24 hours back in office, US President Donald Trump has signed a range of executive orders, one of which removes the US from the World Health Organization. He claims the agency mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic, alongside other global health crises. We hear from the WHO and a Republican congressman about what this withdrawal means for the public body’s funding.

Also in the programme: we speak to one of 1,500 people now pardoned after the January 6 Capitol attack; and over to Japan, where a new device is helping pianists play faster.

(Photo: US President Donald Trump signs numerous executive orders, 20th January 2025. Credit: Jim Lo Scalzo/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

President Trump begins his first full day back in the White House, having signed a flurry of executive orders and making other policy announcements immediately after his inauguration on Monday. The new president also issued pardons or commutations for more than 1,500 people convicted or charged in connection with the Capitol riots four years ago.

Also in the programme: another dramatic day in South Korean politics as the impeached president appears in court; and Israel launches a major offensive in Jenin in the occupied West Bank.

(IMAGE: US President Donald Trump signs numerous executive orders, including pardons for defendants from the January 6th riots and a delay on the TikTok ban, on the first day of his presidency in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, USA, 20 January 2025 / CREDIT: Jim Lo Scalzo/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

In this special Newshour edition: Donald Trump says a "golden age" has begun for America after he was sworn in as president for a second time. He criticised his predecessor, Joe Biden, and set out a series of executive orders to be signed today. They included the declaration of a state of emergency on the US Mexico border and designating drug cartels foreign terrorist organisations. He says he'll also declare a "national energy emergency", encouraging the extraction of fossil fuels.

(Photo: U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes the oath of office as Melania Trump, Ivanka Trump, Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump look on during inauguration ceremonies in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Donald Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th president of the United States. Chip Somodevilla/Pool via REUTERS)

Preparations ramp up for the inauguration of Donald J. Trump as 47th president of the United States. We hear from our correspondents across Washington D.C., and speak to the singer performing the national anthem in today’s ceremony, and to a member of Donald Trump’s transition team.

Also in the programme: on day two of the ceasefire in Gaza, we hear from released Israeli hostages and released Palestinian detainees, And as much-needed aid finally enters the Strip, why has it taken so long to get there?

(IMAGE: U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and his wife Melania Trump pose for a photo 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 / CREDIT: Reuters / Carlos Barria)

Doctors in Tel Aviv say the three women hostages released by Hamas as part of a ceasefire deal with Israel are in a stable condition, while in the occupied West Bank, crowds have gathered outside Ofer Prison to see the first 90 Palestinian prisoners freed in exchange for the 3 Israelis.

Also in the programme: On his final full day in office what will President Biden's legacy be? And we look ahead to Donald Trump’s inauguration.

(Photo: Released Romi Gonen embraces loved ones at Sheba Medical Center in Ramat Gan, Israel, after being held in Gaza since the deadly 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas. Credit: Maayan Toaf/GPO/Handout via Reuters)

Four hours into the truce, we hear from Gaza, where thousands of displaced people have already begun heading back to their homes. We also speak to a doctor preparing to receive some of the first Israeli hostages due to be released.

Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, says his country reserved the right to go back to war in Gaza if the negotiations for a second phase of the ceasefire are fruitless.

Also on the programme: pro-Trump and anti-Trump demonstrators are making their feelings known across the US before his inauguration; and a content creator explains the impact that a TikTok ban had in India and how that could reflect in the US.

(Photo: Families of hostages rally in Tel Aviv, Israel. Credit: ATEF SAFADI/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

During Donald Trump's election campaign, he claimed he could end the war in Ukraine in a single day. As his inauguration nears, the goal widens. Amid growing speculation that negotiations will happen, our Senior International Correspondent, Orla Guerin, reports on a dark mood in Ukraine.

Also in the programme: US Tik Tok ban is upheld; and an amazing bathhouse in Pompeii revealed.

(Picture: Aftermath of a Russian missile strike in Kryvyi Rih. Credit: Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine)

The Israeli cabinet is meeting to approve the Gaza ceasefire and hostage release agreement. Some relatives of the hostages say it should have come months ago, but several ministers have threatened to resign if it is ratified. We hear from Jerusalem and from Gaza.

Also in the programme: why atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, were the highest ever last year, and what that means; and we get a tour of the luxury Roman spa just discovered in the ruins of Pompeii.

(IMAGE: The Israeli Security Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, meeting ahead of the full Cabinet meeting which is expected to approve the Gaza ceasefire agreement, Friday 17th January 2025 / CREDIT: Israel Government Press Office / Koby Gideon)