Donald Trump to give first speech since leaving the White House at US conservative summit

Former US president Donald Trump will give a speech to a gathering of political conservatives at the end of the month.

It will be his first extended public address since leaving the White House on January 20.

Ian Walters, spokesman for the American Conservative Union, confirmed to the Associated Press that Mr Trump will be speaking at the group's annual Conservative Political Action Conference on February 28.

The CPAC is one of the country's largest annual gatherings of political conservatives.

Mr Trump will be "talking about the future of the Republican Party and the conservative movement", a source told AFP.

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He is also expected to challenge the "disastrous amnesty and border policies" of his successor, President Joe Biden, the source said.

Mr Trump, who was impeached for a second time for his role in fomenting the January 6 assault on the US Capitol, remains a potent force in US politics.

Three quarters of Republicans want Mr Trump to play a prominent role in the party, according to a poll from Quinnipiac University this week.

Since reluctantly departing the White House on January 20 and ceding to Mr Biden – despite his constant but unsubstantiated claims that the election was stolen – Mr Trump has largely kept to himself at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.

Stripped of his Twitter account, he called in to friendly cable TV news programmes last week after the death of conservative radio host Rush Limbaugh.

Mr Trump mused on far-right channel Newsmax about the possibility of a future political run.

"I won't say yet but we have tremendous support. And I'm looking at poll numbers that are through the roof," he said.

"Let's say somebody gets impeached, typically your numbers would go down, they would go down like a dead balloon. But the numbers are very good, they're very high."

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Trump's farewell

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In perhaps a preview of what might come at CPAC, Mr Trump issued a statement on Tuesday criticised top Republican senator Mitch McConnell, who delivered a scathing rebuke of the former president despite voting to acquit him of inciting an insurrection.

"The Republican Party can never again be respected or strong with political 'leaders' like Mitch McConnell at its helm," Mr Trump said.

"Mitch is a dour, sullen, and unsmiling political hack, and if Republican Senators are going to stay with him, they will not win again."

Mr Biden, who is trying to steer the US through the Covid-19 pandemic and an economic crisis, has tried to avoid discussing Mr Trump, at one point calling him "the former guy".

Politicians from Mr Biden's Democratic Party announced legislation to create a path to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants, reversing Mr Trump's hardline policies.

Small numbers of asylum seekers, most of them Central Americans forced to wait in Mexico under Mr Trump's policies, have also begun crossing into the US as their cases are being processed.

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Other simple ideas for sushi rice dishes

Cheat’s nigiri
This is easier to make than sushi rolls. With damp hands, form the cooled rice into small tablet shapes. Place slices of fresh, raw salmon, mackerel or trout (or smoked salmon) lightly touched with wasabi, then press, wasabi side-down, onto the rice. Serve with soy sauce and pickled ginger.

Easy omurice
This fusion dish combines Asian fried rice with a western omelette. To make, fry cooked and cooled sushi rice with chopped vegetables such as carrot and onion and lashings of sweet-tangy ketchup, then wrap in a soft egg omelette.

Deconstructed sushi salad platter
This makes a great, fuss-free sharing meal. Arrange sushi rice on a platter or board, then fill the space with all your favourite sushi ingredients (edamame beans, cooked prawns or tuna, tempura veggies, pickled ginger and chilli tofu), with a dressing or dipping sauce on the side.

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Global state-owned investor ranking by size

1.	United States
2.	China
3.	UAE
4.	Japan
5	Norway
6.	Canada
7.	Singapore
8.	Australia
9.	Saudi Arabia
10.	South Korea

Tearful appearance

Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.

Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.

She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.

A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.

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If you go

The nearest international airport to the start of the Chuysky Trakt is in Novosibirsk. Emirates (www.emirates.com) offer codeshare flights with S7 Airlines (www.s7.ru) via Moscow for US$5,300 (Dh19,467) return including taxes. Cheaper flights are available on Flydubai and Air Astana or Aeroflot combination, flying via Astana in Kazakhstan or Moscow. Economy class tickets are available for US$650 (Dh2,400).
The Double Tree by Hilton in Novosibirsk ( 7 383 2230100,) has double rooms from US$60 (Dh220). You can rent cabins at camp grounds or rooms in guesthouses in the towns for around US$25 (Dh90).
The transport Minibuses run along the Chuysky Trakt but if you want to stop for sightseeing, hire a taxi from Gorno-Altaisk for about US$100 (Dh360) a day. Take a Russian phrasebook or download a translation app. Tour companies such as Altair-Tour ( 7 383 2125115 ) offer hiking and adventure packages.