NEWS

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TikTok has finalised a $14bn deal to establish a US subsidiary, averting a nationwide ban on the popular video-sharing platform.

The new ownership structure includes US private equity firm Silver Lake, Abu Dhabi-based artificial intelligence company MGX and Oracle, the technology giant co-founded by Larry Ellison, an ally of US President Donald Trump.

Each of the three firms will hold a 15 per cent stake in the US joint venture. TikTok’s Beijing-based parent company, ByteDance, will retain a stake of just under 20 per cent, while the Dell Family Office, the investment arm of Dell Technologies chairman and CEO Michael Dell, is also participating.

The agreement follows legislation passed by Congress in April 2024 requiring TikTok to be sold to US owners by January 19, 2025, or face a ban, citing national security concerns over the app’s ties to China. President Trump delayed enforcement of the ban several times while negotiations were ongoing and signed an executive order in September approving the framework of the deal, granting the parties additional time to finalise terms.

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Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum quelled concerns on Monday about two recent movements of the U.S. military in the vicinity of Mexico that have the country on edge since the attack on Venezuela.

On Friday, the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration urged U.S. aircraft operators to “exercise caution” when flying over the eastern Pacific Ocean near Mexico, Central America and parts of South America, citing “military activities.”

The president said her administration waited a couple hours until the U.S. government provided “written” assurance that there would not be any U.S. military flights over Mexican territory. She said the U.S. government had not given Mexico a heads up about any military operations.

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U.S. President Donald Trump has filed a lawsuit seeking at least $5 billion in damages against JPMorgan Chase and its chief executive, Jamie Dimon, accusing the bank of cutting off his financial services for political reasons following the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot.

The lawsuit was filed in Florida and alleges that the country's largest bank terminated Trump's personal and business accounts, as well as those of the Trump Organization and family members, without warning or any opportunity for appeal. Trump claims the decision amounted to "debanking" motivated by political and social considerations rather than legitimate financial risk.

According to the filing, Trump's legal team argues that JPMorgan placed him and related entities on an internal blacklist, effectively discouraging other banks from doing business with him. The lawsuit states that the decision was "final and unequivocal" and left the plaintiffs scrambling to find alternative banking arrangements, resulting in reputational and financial harm.

Trump has publicly claimed that JPMorgan and other major lenders, including Bank of America, rejected his deposits after the Capitol riot. Both banks have previously denied closing accounts for political reasons.

JPMorgan strongly rejected the allegations, saying the lawsuit lacks merit. In a statement, the bank said it does not close accounts based on political or religious beliefs, but rather due to legal, regulatory, or risk-related concerns. "We respect the President's right to sue us and our right to defend ourselves," the statement said.

The bank added that regulatory expectations can sometimes require it to end relationships that pose potential compliance risks, even when such decisions are difficult. JPMorgan shares moved slightly following reports of the lawsuit, trading modestly higher later in the day.

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President Donald Trump has said he no longer feels obliged to think only of peace after he did not receive the Nobel Peace Prize, as he again repeated his demand for control of Greenland.

In a message to Norway's prime minister, Trump blamed the country for not giving him the prize.

"Considering your Country decided not to give me the Nobel Peace Prize for having stopped 8 Wars PLUS, I no longer feel an obligation to think purely of Peace, although it will always be predominant, but can now think about what is good and proper' for the US", Trump said in the message obtained by US media.

CBS News, the BBC's US partner, confirmed the message and its contents.

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Two students of Ohio college were found deam@d inside a vehicle on campus Monday, Jan. 19, just months after the couple celebrated their first anniversary. Franciscan University of Steubenville juniors Luke Reimer, 20, and Mary Mich, 20, di£d of carbon monoxide poisoning just after noon Monday, according to the Intelligencer, citing the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office.

“This news brings profound sorrow to our entire Franciscan University community. We grieve the loss of two young lives, and our hearts ache for their families, friends, classmates, professors, and all who knew and loved them,” the school’s president, the Rev. Dave Pivonka, wrote Monday. “Please know that we are holding Luke and Mary, and all who mourn them, close in prayer, asking the Lord for comfort, mercy, and peace.” Reimer, from Indian Shores, Flaorida, and Mich of Downington, Pennsylvania, were found de@d outside St. Agnes Residence Hall — a women’s dormitory — on the campus that sits on the Ohio River on the border of West Virginia and 20 miles west of Pennsylvania. The accident is being blamed on a potential vehicle exhaust or engine malfunction, Pivonka said, citing initial reports from the Steubenville police. Officials have ruled out foul play. “In moments such as this, it is especially important that we care for one another,” Pivonka said. “I strongly encourage anyone who is struggling, grieving, or in need of support to make use of these resources and to reach out to a trusted friend, faculty member, or staff member.” Luke Reimer was a men’s lacrosse player. He and Mary had been dating for over a year

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U.S. authorities have charged 20 people with ‍rigging college basketball and Chinese Basketball Association games, according to a federal indictment released on Thursday, including some individuals previously charged in an NBA-related ‌gambling probe.

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President Donald Trump has indicated a softer approach toward Greenland after high-level talks with Nato leaders, suggesting that a possible agreement is taking shape while stepping back from threats of sweeping tariffs on European allies.

In comments posted on social media, Trump said discussions had produced what he described as a "framework of a future deal" concerning Greenland and the wider Arctic region. He offered few specifics, but characterised the talks as constructive following weeks of rhetoric that unsettled transatlantic relations.

The remarks came after a meeting with Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. Trump had previously warned of imposing tariffs on several European countries, using trade pressure to push for a deal involving Greenland, an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark.