TikTok sale: Trump's new executive order sets value at billion

Today's news: no agreement between Iran and European countries on nuclear sanctions. Delhi cancels Ladakh activist's NGO licence to receive funds from abroad. Koreans' income peaks at age 45. China prepares food delivery rules to curb abuse of workers and operators. Ukrainian President Zelanskyj meets Patriarch Bartholomew.

CHINA-UNITED STATES

US President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order postponing until 20 January the implementation of the law that would have banned TikTok in the United States, stating that his plan to sell the app's US operations to American and global investors with Beijing's approval meets the requirements of the law. The new company will be worth about billion, Vice President J.D. Vance said.

IRAN

A last-ditch attempt by Russia to delay the reinstatement of large-scale UN sanctions against Iran appears set to fail today at the UN Security Council, after European countries rejected an offer from Iran that would have given UN inspectors limited access to its bombed nuclear sites. Russia will ask to postpone the reinstatement of sanctions for six months to give diplomacy more time, but is unlikely to obtain the nine votes needed to approve the proposal.

INDIA

India's Home Ministry has cancelled the licence granted under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act (FCRA) to the Students Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh, the NGO run by activist Sonam Wangchuk. The decision came a day after four people were killed and more than 80 injured by police gunfire in Leh during a protest demanding that Ladakh be recognised as an Indian state. The Union government said on Wednesday that the violence had been instigated by Wangchuk's “provocative statements”.

SOUTH KOREA

The income of South Korean citizens peaks at age 45, while from age 61 onwards, expenses exceed earnings. This is according to a study conducted by Statistics Korea, which highlights the growing financial pressure caused by the advanced ageing of the country's population, where older people spend more on healthcare despite a sharp decline in income after retirement.

CHINA

China's State Market Regulation Authority has launched a public consultation on a set of guidelines concerning the activities of food delivery platforms, with the aim of strengthening the protection of riders' rights and interests. The proposed guidelines set out what items and amounts platforms can charge merchants and prohibit non-transparent charging practices. As for the protection of riders' rights, the drafts focus on wages, working hours and social security benefits. The publication of these guidelines comes after months of fierce competition in the sector, during which the main operators offered massive discounts and subsidies to gain market share.

KYRGYZSTAN-TAJIKISTAN

In the area of the village of Kulundu in the Kyrgyz province of Batken, on the border with Tajikistan and the scene of clashes in previous years before the border agreement between Bishkek and Dushanbe, 55.24 hectares of land have been reclaimed for housing, which the Kyrgyz will hand over to the Tajiks scattered around the area and left homeless, transforming the land from agricultural to habitable, with further agreements on division between the two populations.

UKRAINE-ORTHODOX

President Volodymyr Zelenskyj met with the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew (Archontonis), inviting him to visit Ukraine and thanking him for his support, solidarity and continuous prayers for all the Ukrainian people, jointly condemning the “destructive role” of the Russian Orthodox Church and affirming the importance of countering it with agreed actions.