World
What to know about the deal to keep TikTok in US
TikTok has at last finalized a deal to keep the popular video sharing platform operating in the U.S. after years of uncertainty, but questions remain about whether users’ experience will change and whether the changes actually address security concerns around the app.
Here’s what to know about the deal, which created a new TikTok U.S. joint venture after social video platform company signed agreements with major investors including Oracle, Silver Lake and the Emirati investment firm MGX.
Why was the deal needed?
After wide bipartisan majorities in Congress passed — and President Joe Biden signed — a law that would ban TikTok in the U.S. if it did not find a new owner in the place of China’s ByteDance, the platform was set to go dark on the law’s January 2025 deadline. For several hours, it did. But on his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to keep it running while his administration sought an agreement for the sale of the company. A string of orders continued to extend the deadline until this deal was reached.
We don’t know how the TikTok experience will change, but there’s no new app
AP AUDIO: What to know about the deal to keep TikTok in US
AP correspondent Donna Warder reports on a U.S. TikTok deal.
American TikTok users can continue using the same app, according to TikTok. But exactly what American users will see on their TikTok feeds once the changeover happens remains unclear.
The algorithm — the secret sauce that powers its addictive video feed — powering the U.S. backend will be licensed from ByteDance and then retrained on U.S. user data. The act of retraining the content recommendation formula is certain to at least have subtle changes to a user’s personalized feeds.
Any noticeable changes made to a social media platform’s service raises the risk of alienating its audience, said Jasmine Enberg, an analyst for the research firm eMarketer.
TikTok’s press release claims U.S. creators will still be discoverable in other regions worldwide, and businesses will be able to maintain global reach. But how interoperability between the U.S. and ByteDance to maintain a global TikTok experience is currently unknown.
The retrained algorithm means that the trends — “and what dominates feeds — will feel distinctly American,” said Forrester analyst Kelsey Chickering.
“Global content will still appear, but its ranking will change,” she said. “This matters because the algorithm is the heartbeat of the app’s addictive experience. The question becomes: Will a U.S.-centric feed supercharge engagement, or will it chip away at TikTok’s cultural cachet?”
What is known, however, is that there is an updated Terms of Service.
One of the updates notes that while users retain ownership of their content, TikTok is able to use that content to operate or improve the platform, subject to settings.
Americans under the age of 13 will be limited to an “Under 13 Experience.”
And users are also responsible for any posted AI-generated content and must label it as created by artificial intelligence.
TikTok’s new owners have ties to Trump
Although he no longer runs Oracle as its CEO, company co-founder Larry Ellison remains a top executive while also overseeing an estimated personal fortune of $225 billion. Ellison, 81, now could be in line to become a behind-the-scenes power player in the media, having already helped finance Skydance’s recently completed $8 billion merger with Paramount, a deal engineered by his son, David. Ellison’s relationship with the Trump administration dates back to the president’s first term, where he played a role in the administration’s efforts to get ByteDance to sell TikTok.
These ties have raised concerns among some users around content moderation and what videos American users will see on their feeds.
“If moderation happens to tilt toward one political viewpoint or fails to curb misinformation, TikTok risks a user exodus to rival platforms,” Chickering said. “We’ve seen this before when Twitter’s transformation into X triggered fallout from users and advertisers.”
Vice President JD Vance, who was tasked with helping lead the White House’s efforts to find a U.S. buyer for TikTok, was involved in negotiating meetings along with way, as was Trump, according to a person familiar with the meetings who was not authorized to speak publicly.
In September, when U.S. officials including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, met in Madrid with Chinese officials, Vance and Trump joined some of the negotiating meetings by phone and they pressured China to agree a deal by the end of the trip, which they did, according to the official.
That led to Trump’s September executive order that allowed TikTok to continue operating in the U.S.
The deal does not completely address security concerns in the law
Lawmakers previously expressed concern that the Chinese government could use TikTok’s algorithm to push propaganda or gather data on individual users, a key reason Congress passed legislation in 2024 requiring the company’s divestment from Beijing-based owner ByteDance.
The law prohibits “any cooperation with respect to the operation of a content recommendation algorithm” between ByteDance and a new potential American ownership group, so it is unclear how ByteDance’s continued involvement in this arrangement — especially since they will license the algorithm to the U.S. entity — will play out.
How are users and creators reacting?
Skip Chapman, co-owner of KAFX Body in Manasquan, New Jersey, which makes and sells natural deodorants, launched his business in April 2023 on TikTok when TikTok shop was still in beta testing. He said he’s mainly glad he can stop worrying about the potential of a TikTok ban, the threat of which has been looming over his business for over a year. He sells his products on his own website and Amazon, but 80% of sales still come from the TikTok shop and it is the primary way he reaches new customers.
He said he is cautiously optimistic the deal will be good for TikTok and his shop, but he is a little concerned that the new owners might de-prioritize the e-commerce aspect of TikTok.
“The past two years, TikTok has really leaned into this live social commerce and just the ability to sell on the platform and they’ve kind of prioritized it and I’m hoping that the new owners continue to prioritize it and even more so add more features, more benefits, more opportunities for my business,” he said.
Vanessa Barreat owns La Vecindad Mexican restaurant in Las Vegas, and she has TikTok page for the restaurant that has over 100,000 followers. Visibility on the site has helped her attract customers, particularly out-of-towners, and spend less on marketing.
She said she’s in a “wait-and-see mindset” about the deal.
“Anytime there’s a major shift or deal, there’s uncertainty, but I’m not operating from fear,” she said. “TikTok has empowered so many voices that historically didn’t have access to platforms like this, and that impact doesn’t disappear overnight.”
—
AP Business Writer Mae Anderson in Nashville, Tennessee and Michelle Price in Washington contributed to this story.
July 1 (Reuters) – China’s covert military training of Russian forces last year was personally approved by President Vladimir Putin’s defense minister and directly involved at least four Russian and Chinese generals, according to two European officials and documents seen by Reuters.
The officials said the involvement of such high-ranking individuals in training linked to the Ukraine war signaled the importance for Russia and China of such cooperation, which has caused alarm in Europe even as Beijing has denied it took place.
A classified Russian document seen by Reuters directly referred to an internal decree issued by Defense Minister Andrei Belousov in August, 2025.
It said that, in accordance with a decision by Belousov, a delegation from Russia’s armed forces travelled to China to participate in training exercises at People’s Liberation Army (PLA) facilities.
Training in Radiological, Biological, Chemical Warfare
The same report detailed one of the training courses – a three-week session focused on radiological, chemical and biological protection at a military facility in Beijing in November.
The report and a second one described and displayed images of Russian soldiers being lectured by a Chinese instructor, looking at a model nuclear reactor, and being taught about “chemical reconnaissance”, “radiation reconnaissance” and protecting ventilation systems from contamination.
The inclusion of radiological, biological and chemical warfare training underlined the strategic nature of the exchanges, one of the European officials said, noting that the topic was particularly sensitive for militaries in general.
The defense ministries of Russia and China did not respond to requests for comment for this article.
China’s foreign ministry said in a statement that its stance on the Ukraine crisis had remained consistent.
“The relevant allegations are entirely unfounded,” it added, referring to details contained in this report.
Beijing says it is neutral in Russia’s war with Ukraine, and presents itself as a peace mediator.
Maxim Shemetov/Pool Photo via AP
According to a Reuters report last month citing European intelligence agencies and military documents, China in November trained around 200 Russian military personnel, some of whom have since joined the war in Ukraine.
The Kremlin declined to comment on that report, but complained about “false information” published in the West.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said on June 15 that Brussels had confirmed through its own channels that the training had taken place and was now assessing the implications.
Beijing described her comments as “nothing but smears”.
EU Ponders Response To Trade Partner China
European powers, which have viewed Russia as their main security threat since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, have watched warily as ties have grown closer between Moscow and China, the world’s second largest economy and a key EU trade partner.
For the 27-member bloc, discussion behind closed doors centers around whether further measures are needed in response to the training, given the trade priorities that traditionally shape the relationship with Beijing.
The EU has already imposed sanctions on Chinese companies that it says support Russia’s war effort.
A third official, in Brussels, told Reuters the bloc had to stop viewing China primarily through an economic lens, but focus on what Kallas called its role as a “decisive enabler of Russia’s war”.
Both of the European officials, who asked not to be named because of the sensitivity of the information, identified the signatories of a July 2 agreement underpinning the training as Russian Major General Rustam Khusainov and Chinese Senior Colonel Sun Dayun.
Andrei Kartapolov, a senior lawmaker who heads the Russian parliament’s defense committee, told Russia’s RTVI outlet that the report about the training was “complete nonsense” and that Russia’s military had nothing to learn from China.
China’s Lack Of Combat Experience
Russia has accrued extensive experience in more than four years of combat in Ukraine, while China, with a vast and technologically advanced military, has not fought a war in decades.
Internal Russian military reports seen by Reuters noted strengths and weaknesses in the training.
One report on the training in Nanjing praised the standard of the equipment, the use of simulators and the instructors’ high theoretical knowledge while specifically noting China’s lack of combat experience.
Other documents named three generals who took part.
One Russian military document seen by Reuters listed the names of every participant in all of the courses – including those of senior officers – providing rank, date of birth, affiliation and level of security clearance in each case.
Colonel General Rustam Muradov, deputy commander-in-chief of Russia’s land forces, led the Russian delegation, according to the list and a second military document seen by Reuters.
According to the latter, Chinese Major General Li Jinsun, head of the PLA’s Military Academy of Radiological, Chemical and Biological Defence, took part in the opening of one of the courses.
Russian Major General Vitaly Gerasimov took part in a course in Bengbu, according to the list.
(Editing by Mike Collett-White and Kevin Liffey)
World
State Department congratulates Keiko Fujimori as Peru’s president-elect following razor-thin vote count
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The State Department on Tuesday congratulated conservative candidate Keiko Fujimori after she was declared the winner of Peru’s presidential runoff election by a razor-thin margin.
The statement marked a significant milestone in Latin American relations, with Washington signaling it expects to work closely with Fujimori’s administration on shared priorities.
“The United States congratulates President-Elect Keiko Fujimori of Peru on her important electoral victory,” the department said.
“The Trump Administration looks forward to deepening collaboration with the Fujimori Administration to advance security cooperation and to strengthen bilateral cooperation on investment and trade in our region.”
TRUMP ADMIN WARNS PERU IT COULD LOSE SOVEREIGNTY AS CHINA TIGHTENS GRIP ON NATION
Peru’s presidential candidate for the Fuerza Popular party, Keiko Fujimori, waves to supporters during a closing campaign rally in Lima on June 4, 2026. (Anthony Nino de Guzman/AFP)
Her victory comes as Washington seeks to strengthen ties with pro-market allies in Latin America amid growing Chinese economic influence in the region.
Beijing recently completed the Chancay deepwater port in Peru — a $1.3 billion mega-project that serves as China’s key logistics hub on the Pacific coast.
Fujimori’s tough stance on organized crime also aligns with U.S. efforts to expand regional security and anti-trafficking cooperation.
BIDEN, XI TO MEET ON SATURDAY IN PERU, US OFFICIALS SAY
Secretary of State Marco Rubio looks on during a ceremony at the U.S. embassy in New Delhi on May 23, 2026. (Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AFP)
Fujimori was declared the winner Monday by Peru’s National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE), the electoral authority responsible for reporting vote count results. The country’s final authority on election matters, the National Jury of Elections (JNE), has yet to issue its official proclamation, according to Reuters.
According to the ONPE, Fujimori secured 50.1% of the vote, winning by fewer than 50,000 votes out of roughly 18 million ballots cast.
Her victory over leftist challenger Roberto Sánchez marks her fourth presidential bid and makes her Peru’s first female president-elect.
The result caps a deeply divisive election cycle in a country that has gone through nine presidents in the past decade.
Fujimori is also the daughter of former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori, who ruled the country during the 1990s.
TRUMP VICTORY BOOSTS CONSERVATIVES IN LATIN AMERICA, WAKE-UP CALL TO DICTATORS: ‘THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES’
Former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori waves outside his home in Santiago, Chile, on May 18, 2006. (Claudio Santana/AP Photo)
Fujimori’s presidency marks a return of her family’s political brand to Peru’s highest office — a movement that has long carried a complicated relationship with the United States.
While Washington once backed her father for his fight against communist guerrillas and economic reforms in the 1990s, the U.S. later condemned his government over the dismantling of democratic institutions and allegations of human rights abuses.
Keiko Fujimori has since spent more than two decades attempting to reshape “Fujimorismo” into a modern conservative, law-and-order political movement.
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Peruvians voted in favor of Fujimori amid a surge in violent crime, extortion and years of political instability.
Fujimori campaigned on an “iron fist” approach to security and a pledge to protect Peru’s free-market economy, while her opponent focused on rural economic grievances.
Reuters contributed to this report.
Gas imports from Russia into the European Union increased during the first months of 2026, a new report has revealed, even as the bloc formally begins a historic withdrawal from Russian natural gas.
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The EU banned Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG) from entering the bloc by the beginning of 2027 and mid-2027, albeit with exceptions for Hungary and Slovakia, which were allowed to tap Moscow’s gas in case of supply disruption given their landlocked position.
Yet according to the report from the EU’s agency of energy regulators (ACER), which was published on Wednesday, Russian gas imports have increased rather than declined during the reporting period, with pipeline imports rising 7 percent year-on-year compared to 2025 and LNG imports growing by 11 percent.
LNG imports accelerated further after the ban took effect in March, rising 17 percent against the same period in 2025.
The new release is ACER’s first monitoring report since the law was adopted in March. The agency attributed a rise in imports to companies accelerating deliveries under existing contracts before stricter prohibitions take effect, rather than to a reversal of EU rules.
“LNG authorised contracts for deliveries into the EU account for 20 to 32 billion cubic metres (bcm), entering the EU at the external borders of four member states: Spain, France, Belgium and the Netherlands. In turn, long-term contracts for Russian pipeline gas remain authorised in Hungary, Slovakia and Greece,” reads the report.
New Russian gas contracts have effectively been prohibited since March 2026, while older long-term agreements are being allowed to expire gradually through 2027 to avoid market disruption.
For now, authorised contracts still represent between 45 and 55 bcm of annual supply capacity, ACER said, down from the 150-157 bcm that Moscow used to export to the EU prior to the war in Ukraine.
Not a sanctions failure
ACER argues that this trend does not indicate a growing dependence on Russia, and nor does it mean that the bloc’s sanctions against Russia are failing.
Instead, importers appear to be maximising deliveries before future restrictions and responding to global supply uncertainty after disruptions caused by the war between Israel, the US and Iran affected Middle Eastern LNG trade.
The ban on transhipments of Russian LNG via the EU to other destinations also seems to have contributed, the energy regulators argue, as some of the Russian LNG that had previously been transshipped at selected EU ports until March 2025 may have remained within the EU market.
Ronald Pinto, an LNG analyst at the market intelligence firm Kpler, endorsed ACER’s assessment, noting that Russian LNG imports into the EU reached record highs in both April and May.
“Faced with disruptions to global LNG supply, European market participants relied on other available sources of LNG, likely making full use of the flexibility available within their existing contractual volumes,” Pinto told Euronews.
However, Pinto also pointed out a slight year-on-year decline in Russian pipeline imports into the EU following maintenance in early June, suggesting a commercial reaction to the 17 June deadline banning imports of Russian pipeline gas under short-term contracts.
“This could indicate that market participants are beginning to reduce their exposure in light of the phase-out regulation,” the analyst said.
Remaining dependencies
While Russian gas now accounts for roughly 12 percent of EU gas demand, ACER says that dependence is no longer evenly spread across Europe.
Most EU countries have sharply reduced purchases since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, except for Hungary, Slovakia and Greece.
These countries, particularly Hungary and Slovakia, continue to receive Russian pipeline gas primarily through the TurkStream corridor and face the greatest challenge in replacing supplies before the 2027 deadline.
“In 2024, Hungary and Slovakia are estimated to source approximately 70–80 percent of their gas from Russia, while Russian gas is deemed representing approximately 50-55 percent of Greek gas imports,” reads the report.
The principal remaining challenge is not overall gas availability, ACEA said, but ensuring sufficient infrastructure to deliver alternative supplies into landlocked Central European markets.
“The remaining dependence on Russian gas remains unevenly distributed across member states; while most countries have significantly reduced their exposure, a small number of countries continue,” reads ACER’s report.
Diversification and new challenges
ACER concludes that Europe is significantly better prepared than during the 2022 energy crisis due to profound diversification in the gas market.
However, such diversification comes at a new cost, as the bloc has developed new dependencies, particularly with the US, Algeria, and Qatar, the latter having suffered a loss in production due to the war against Iran.
These countries are currently pressuring the EU to scrap its methane rules, which would require oil and gas producers to pay for the pollution linked to their production, with the US suggesting that the EU could lose imports.
“If things (methane rules) stay as they are today, they’re almost certain to reduce the energy flows from the United States to Europe,” US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said at a press briefing on 25 June. “I think this leads to very significant problems in the EU, which already suffers from much higher than global average energy prices.”
The EU is also counting on more gas from planned Romanian Black Sea production and increasing imports through Azerbaijan’s Southern Gas Corridor.
Overall, ACER concludes that the real economic consequences of ditching Russian gas have yet to arrive, pointing instead to the complete ban on LNG imports from January 2027 and the end of pipeline imports in September 2027 as the real tests.
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