FINANCIAL TIMES
-In an animated call with Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, US President Donald Trump expressed his determination to take over Greenland. The call, which lasted 45 minutes, was reportedly marked by an aggressive and confrontational Trump. Frederiksen emphasized that Greenland is not for sale, and America's "big interest" in it. Five senior European officials who spoke on the call said the conversation had gone poorly, with Trump being firm and firm in his determination. The call is expected to deepen European concerns that Trump's return to power will strain transatlantic ties, as he pressures allies to relinquish territory.
-Donald Trump's victory speech in November credited several people, including UFC CEO Dana White, the Nelk Boys, Adin Ross, Theo Von, Bussin' with the Boys, and Joe Rogan. Trump skipped CBS's 60 Minutes during his campaign and spent about 17 hours with a group of podcasters, known as the "manosphere," who have become new media stars. Rogan, Von, and at least one member of the Nelk Boys attended Trump's inauguration festivities in Washington. Rogan sat alongside tech billionaires and former presidents Barack Obama and George W Bush. Influencers Jake and Logan Paul "pranked" Von, causing him to tumble out of his chair. Later, at the "Starlight Ball," the podcast brigade mingled with crypto entrepreneurs, donors, and celebrities.
-Hamas has released four female Israeli soldiers, whom it held captive. The four women have returned to Israel after being handed over to Red Cross personnel. The ceasefire deal in the Gaza Strip entered its second week, and 200 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails were also set to be released. The four soldiers were seized from a military outpost on the Israel-Gaza border during Hamas's October 7, 2023 attack that triggered the conflict. Their freedom has become a central demand of the hostage release movement, which coalesced around the families of those still held captive in Gaza. The handover took place in Gaza City's Palestine Square, amid a rally of hundreds of uniformed and armed militants.
-Pete Hegseth has been confirmed by the US Senate to head the Pentagon despite allegations of sexual assault and alcohol abuse. The Senate voted 51-50 in favor of Hegseth, with Republican senators Mitch McConnell, Lisa Murkowski, and Susan Collins voting against his confirmation. Hegseth's former sister-in-law, Danielle Hegseth, accused him of being abusive to his ex-wife and abused alcohol for years. Hegseth, a vocal opponent of "wokeness," vowed to bring a "warrior" culture back to the US military and emphasized the need to secure the US-Mexico border.
-Private equity-backed companies are facing significant stress due to higher interest rates and lower consumer spending, leading to a record number of 110 bankruptcy filings in 2024. The failures, particularly in the consumer and healthcare sectors, highlight the challenges faced by certain corporate America sectors, despite the low unemployment rate and the S&P 500's higher earnings. The initial reason for filing for bankruptcy is the excessive debt, with private equity and venture capital-backed companies being particularly affected. High interest rates hit the US corporate landscape last year, with bankruptcies reaching their highest level since the financial crisis.
-The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has reversed guidance known as SAB 121, which had called for institutions to treat digital tokens held for customers as liabilities on balance sheets. This move is one of the first pro-crypto moves of Donald Trump's second presidency, as it suggests a more welcoming approach towards the digital asset sector. Mainstream groups are taking more serious interest in crypto assets and technologies, with BlackRock chief Larry Fink calling on the SEC to "rapidly approve" the ability of companies to create tokens backed by stocks and bonds. Trump's executive order outlines his priorities regarding cryptocurrencies and calls for cabinet-level officials to report back with recommendations for regulatory and legislative proposals.
-US private equity executive Steve Schwarzman is acquiring paintings by 18th-century society portrait artists Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Gainsborough at record prices. Schwarzman, who was awarded an honorary knighthood by the UK government, is restoring Conholt Park, a 17th-century estate in Wiltshire. He is building a collection of masterpieces by making private offers to owners through dealers.
-Chinese AI lab DeepSeek, founded by Liang Wenfeng, has released its R1 model, revealing the technical recipe for its cutting-edge model. The model enables a large language model to learn and improve without human supervision. This has turned Liang into a national hero, defying US attempts to stop China's high-tech ambitions. US companies like OpenAI and Google DeepMind have pioneered reasoning models, a field of AI research aiming to match human cognitive capabilities. The release of DeepSeek's R1 model has sparked debates in Silicon Valley about whether better resourced US AI companies can defend their technical edge.
-Target will no longer practice diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, becoming the first major US Company to do so since President Trump took office. The retailer will stop publicly sharing DEI goals and conclude career-building programs for Black employees in 2025. This follows a trend of US companies like Meta, Walmart, and McDonald's retreating from work on racial and gender equity amid pressure from Trump and other conservatives. Target aims to drive growth and stay in line with the evolving external landscape.
-BHP has lost interest in its bid for Anglo American due to the rise in the latter’s share price, making the deal too expensive for the Australian group. Anglo's share price has risen 40% over the past 12 months, while BHP's has fallen 17% due to lower iron ore prices and a weak Chinese real estate market. Anglo's ambitious restructuring plan would create a smaller company with a more focused revenue structure, with 54% of its revenues from copper and the rest from iron ore. The Australian group believes the Anglo’s shares are too expensive to justify a fresh bid in the near term.
NEW YORK TIMES
-Hamas has freed four female Israeli soldiers held hostage in Gaza, marking a significant step in the ongoing conflict. The release comes as part of a six-week cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas. The Israeli military confirmed the women's return to Israel, where they will be reunited with their families. The deal is seen as a crucial test of the 42-day cease-fire between the two sides, with mediators hoping it will establish a permanent end to the war. The four women were abducted from a military base near Gaza during the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023.
-Israeli Army lookouts watched over Hamas in Gaza, but Hamas was also watching them. Four women released by Hamas after 15 months in captivity are "spotters" for the army stationed at a military base near the border. On October 7, 2023, gunmen attacked the base, killing dozens of soldiers, including 15 spotters. The gunmen also drove seven unarmed female conscripts into Gaza, some of whom were wounded. One of the injured was rescued three weeks later, while another was injured in an Israeli airstrike and killed by militants in Gaza's Shifa hospital.
-The Senate has confirmed Pete Hegseth as defense secretary after a battle with Democrats who deemed him unqualified and unfit to manage the US's 1.3M active duty troops and the Pentagon's $850B budget. The vote, 51 to 50, was the smallest margin for a defense secretary's confirmation since 1947. Hegseth, a military veteran and former Fox News host, has vowed to bring his "warrior" ethos to the Defense Department, which he believes has been weakened by "woke" generals and diversity programs. Republican leaders embraced his confirmation, stating that "peace through strength is back under President Trump and Pete Hegseth."
-President Trump has dismissed 17 inspectors general – they monitor federal agencies - marking a week of significant changes in the federal bureaucracy. The move, which did not affect Michael E. Horowitz, the inspector general for the Justice Department, is believed to have affected inspectors general at several major agencies. Critics argue that the firings threaten the independence of these internal watchdogs and could lead to widespread corruption. Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat, has expressed concern that Trump is dismantling checks on his power and paving the way for widespread corruption.
-Trump's promotion of a speculative digital coin, known as $Trump, has left some crypto investors feeling blindsided and others seeing it as a gimmick that undermines the industry's credibility. The surprise announcement of Trump's cryptocurrency launch came on social media while many crypto executives were attending a pre-inaugural ball. The crypto millionaires and billionaires were caught off guard by the surprise disclosure, which raised fresh ethics and legal concerns about how Trump continues to cash in on his power and fame by marketing a digital asset in an inherently volatile and speculative market to millions of his followers. The announcement has raised fresh ethical and legal concerns about the way Trump continues to cash in on his power and fame.
-President Trump visited disaster zones in North Carolina and California, sparring with Democrats over recovery efforts. He called the Federal Emergency Management Agency a disappointment and promised government help without conditions. Trump embraced supporters in hurricane-ravaged North Carolina and pledged to provide support for recovery and rebuilding. He also pledged to help fire-stricken California, which he lost in the November election, but initially wanted to impose voter identification laws and change its environmental policies.
-Workers from Haiti and Venezuela, who have recently arrived in the US, have been working at Amazon, Toyota, Honda, hotels, restaurants, and assisted-living facilities. However, they have been informed by the Trump administration that they could be detained and deported. A memo by the acting secretary of Homeland Security instructs immigration agents to expedite the deportation of immigrants who have been admitted under certain programs created by the Biden administration. Many of these immigrants have protected status for another year or two. The memo leaves it unclear who could be deported, but some workers, like Haitian migrant Frantzdy Jerome, are concerned about their safety.
-The Department of Homeland Security has ordered a pause for several temporary immigration programs, including a key initiative for Ukrainians. The directive requires an immediate end to "final decisions" on applications related to these programs while the administration reviews and decides whether to terminate them. The pause will block the entrance of immigrants from unstable and desperate places, including Ukraine, Cuba, Haiti, and Venezuela. The decision indicates the Trump administration's plans to conduct an extensive crackdown on these programs.
- Guatemala City has seen two military jets carrying deported migrants from Tucson and El Paso. The US has authorized the military to assist in securing the border, following the Trump administration's executive order. The acting secretary of defense, Robert Salesses, announced that the Department of Defense would provide military airplanes to support the deportation flights of over 5,000 illegal aliens from San Diego and El Paso. The US Embassy in Guatemala cannot confirm the number of military jets expected to transport deportees or the timeline.
-China is experiencing public anger over the quality of domestically produced drugs, with some doctors and hospital leaders accusing domestic drugmakers of fraud. This scrutiny is a rebuke of Beijing's campaign to lower medical costs, which has been successful in driving down drug prices. The policy, which encourages fierce competition between drug manufacturers, has been largely absent from the government list of medicines covered under China's national health insurance and offered at public hospitals. The outburst of scrutiny is unusual in a country where authorities keep a tight grip on public criticism of the government.
NEW YORK POST
-Mexico blocked a plane carrying illegal migrants from entering the country after President Trump increased border security and ordered mass raids and deportations. The deportation flight was blocked from leaving the US after two Air Force C-17 flights successfully took off, carrying around 80 deportees to Guatemala. Tensions between Trump and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum have flared since Trump threatened to impose 25% tariffs on Mexican goods in response to migrants illegally crossing the border. The flight rejection was attributed to confusion over the Department of Defense flight manifest.
-Meta has activated an urgent status to address a problem where its AI chatbots on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp continue to tell users that the US president is Joe Biden, despite Donald Trump's inauguration on Monday. Meta's chatbots initially told users that the current president is Joe Biden, but according to the most recent information, Donald Trump was sworn in as the president on January 20, 2025. Meta launched an emergency procedure called a "site event" to troubleshoot major problems. Meta spokespersons stated that they will continue to improve their features. The Post tested three AI chatbots on Friday, asking "Who is the current president?"