The Italian government is blocking plans by former White House adviser Steve Bannon to set up an academy for future populist political leaders in a medieval monastery in the mountains outside of Rome.

Hungary’s Viktor Orbán visits the White House today, but Donald Trump will try to cut an arms deal with him, not promote democracy, say Anne-Marie Slaughter and Melissa Hooper.

While the emergence of the anti-immigrant Vox movement is alarming, the possible outcomes of the election look benign, says Ferdinando Giugliano

The biggest danger we face is not a straightforward revival of fascism, but rather a creeping shift in traditional conservatism towards the extreme populist right, says Michael Burleigh.

America’s friends and allies couldn’t do it. Nor could America’s potential enemies. Neither could his wife, children or White House staff. It took the American people to reign in Donald Trump.

How would any right-thinking person make this comparison, a week after five people were shot dead at the offices of the Capital Gazette newspaper in Annapolis, Maryland, writes Alison O'Connor

The Department of Homeland Security’s ‘media monitoring’ database could have a more sinister purpose — especially in the ever evolving era of social media, says Matt Laslo

Facebook is under fire following reports that the personal data of 50 million users were obtained by an analytics firm that helped elect US president Donald Trump.

Robert Mercer and his daughter were key players in Trump’s victory. But they will find a repeat performance difficult, writes Bette Browne

US president Donald Trump has declared he is "looking forward" to being questioned - under oath - in the special counsel's probe of Russian election interference.

Fire And Fury, the White House expose met with outrage from Donald Trump, is heading to television after the rights were purchased in a deal reported to be worth seven figures.

Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon is stepping down as chairman of Breitbart News Network after a public break with President Donald Trump.

Donald Trump has unleashed a new tirade against his critics, dismissing allegations he is unfit to be president and proclaiming himself to be a "very stable genius".

IT has been a difficult few years for anyone who holds cautiously progressive beliefs, for anyone who believes that considered liberalism and broad, but qualified, tolerance are empowering for mankind.

A pair of senators from US president Donald Trump's own Republican Party have blistered him with criticism in a dramatic day of denunciation that laid bare a party at war with itself.

Former White House adviser Steve Bannon has described former US president George W Bush as bumbling and inept, criticising his "destructive" presidency from 2000-2008.

Pope Francis has launched a two-year activism and awareness-raising campaign about the plight of migrants to counteract mounting anti-immigrant sentiment in the US, Europe and beyond.

The Trump administration has announced that it will wind down a programme protecting young immigrants from deportation.

Putin’s paranoia, backed by a prolific State propaganda machine, is leaving many in the West nervous about Russia’s future moves, writes Peter Apps.

Sebastian Gorka, a White House national security aide whose hardline policy views attracted controversy, has become the latest official to leave Donald Trump's administration.

The ousted White House chief strategist was anti US military intervention abroad (including in North Korea) and was clamping down on China’s unethical trade practices, says Josh Cohen.

Most US administrations have had an aide who deemed himself crucial to the president. Steve Bannon was Donald Trump’s, until he had his wings clipped says Elizabeth Drew

When Susan Bro spoke at a memorial for her daughter, Heather Heyer, who was murdered by a right-wing extremist in Charlottesville just over a week ago, her powerful response resonated with families on this island who had lost a loved-one to bewildered extremism.

Latest: President Donald Trump has tweeted his thanks to Steve Bannon after the latter left the White House.

The US's top military officer has said a military solution to the North Korean missile threat would be "horrific" but allowing Pyongyang to develop the capability to launch a nuclear attack on the United States is "unimaginable".

Former US presidents George HW Bush and George W Bush have said "America must always reject racial bigotry, anti-Semitism and hatred in all forms".

Seoul will consider sending a special envoy to North Korea if Pyongyang stops its missile and nuclear tests, South Korea's president has said.

President Donald Trump gave a less than ringing endorsement to his top strategist Steve Bannon during his press conference.

President Donald Trump has again waded into the row over the race-fuelled clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, insisting there was "blame on both sides".

President Donald Trump is back in the New York skyscraper that bears his name as anger over his reaction to race-fuelled clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, over the weekend shows few signs of dying down.

Here's your lunchtime news bulletin.

Donald Trump’s habit of appointing military men — James Mattis, HR McMaster, and John Kelly are in situ; Mike Flynn has left — may dilute civilian oversight, says Peter Apps. 

With the sacking of Anthony Scaramucci, General John Kelly showed he meant business, but whether he can control Donald Trump remains to be seem, writes Bette Browne

Donald Trump's new communications director has exploded smouldering tensions at the White House into a wildfire, angrily daring the US president's chief of staff to deny he was a "leaker" and exposing West Wing backstabbing in language more suited to a gangster movie.

Mark Leibovich takes stock of how Washington has — and hasn’t — changed in the time of Trump

Donald Trump will announce his decision on whether to pull the United States out of the Paris climate accord during a White House Rose Garden event today.

Donald Trump is expected to withdraw the US from a landmark global climate agreement, a White House official has said, although aides are looking for "caveats in the language" related to the exit and the decision is not yet final.

President Donald Trump has become distrustful of some of his White House staff and heavily reliant on a handful of family members and long-time aides

The US president has publicly criticised his chief strategist, but it is the latter’s feud with Trump’s son-in-law that may push him out of the inner circle, says Shannon Pettypiece

Boris Johnson is to meet Donald Trump's national security adviser in Washington DC on Tuesday to attempt to draw a line under the diplomatic row sparked by claims Britain spied on the president, it is understood.

Enda Kenny’s critics have claimed in recent days that his conciliatory approach means the Irish wolfhound risks becoming Trump’s EU lapdog, writes Fiachra Ó Cionnaith.

Bette Browne on all the president’s men (and women) who have the ear of the most powerful man in the world

A former US presidential election candidate has set up a petition calling on Taoiseach Enda Kenny to boycott the traditional White House St Patrick’s Day meeting with Donald Trump.

Like nature, politics abhors a vacuum. A vacuum facilitates change that may or may not be anticipated.