• Elon Musk said xAI's Grok 3 chatbot will be unveiled with a live demo on Monday.
• In a post on X, Musk called the chatbot the "smartest AI on Earth."
• It comes after China's DeepSeek sent shockwaves through markets in January.

Elon Musk has said that xAI's Grok 3 chatbot, which he called the "smartest AI on Earth," will be unveiled on Monday.

The billionaire made the announcement in a post on X, saying the bot would be released with a live demo at 8 p.m. PT.

Speaking by video link at the World Government Summit in Dubai earlier this week, Musk suggested they were still "a week or two" away from releasing the product and that he didn't want to be "hasty" in order to provide the best user experience possible.

But it seems he has decided to press ahead with an earlier release, writing on X that he would be "honing product with the team all weekend" and that he would be "offline until then."

Teasing Grok 3 to the crowd in Dubai, Musk said it had been "outperforming anything that's been released" in tests, adding that he thought the technology was "scary smart."

The bot was trained on synthetic data and could review this to achieve logical consistency, he said.

"So if it's got data that is wrong, it'll actually reflect upon that and remove the data that is wrong," he said. "Its base reasoning is very good."

It comes after Chinese AI startup DeepSeek sent shockwaves through markets in January after the release of its new flagship AI model, R1, which it says matches the reasoning capabilities of US models such as OpenAI's o1 but at a fraction of the cost.

Musk's AI startup, xAI, was founded in 2023 and released its Grok 2 language model in August 2024.

Three xAI employees recently told Business Insider that the company planned to hire thousands of people this year to help train its chatbot.

• A Bering Air flight that crashed with 10 people on board in Alaska has been found, authorities said.
• The US Coast Guard said there were no survivors.
• It is the third major air incident to have taken place in the US over the last 10 days.

A small Bering Air plane that crashed with 10 people on board in Alaska has been located, authorities have said.

The US Coast Guard said the aircraft was discovered around 34 miles southeast of Nome in western Alaska and that it believed there were no survivors.

A helicopter crew spotted the Cessna 208B and lowered two swimmers to investigate, the Coast Guard said. The rescuers found three people in the forward part of the plane "showing no signs of life," it added.

"The remaining seven people are believed to be inside the aircraft, which was inaccessible due to the condition of the plane," it said, adding that "the severity of the wreckage was beyond the possibility of survival."

The plane was due to land in Nome from Unalakleet on Thursday when it was reported missing.

The Coast Guard reported wind speeds of 29 to 35 mph and snow with two miles of visibility at the scene at the time of the crash.

In a statement on its website, Bering Air offered its "sincerest condolences to everyone impacted."

The airline added that it did not take the decision to resume flight operations "lightly" and that it was "deeply aware of the critical needs of the traveling public — whether for medical appointments, accessing life-saving medications, or other urgent travel needs."

"We feel a deep responsibility to continue serving these needs, even as we cope with the profound impact of this tragedy," the airline said.

The National Transportation Safety Board is now set to launch an investigation into the incident.

In a post on X on Friday, US Transport Secretary Sean Duffy wrote: "Say a prayer tonight for the 10 souls who lost their lives on the Bering Air flight in Alaska."

He added that the Federal Aviation Administration would also provide an investigator.

It is the third major air incident to have taken place in the US over the last 10 days.

In late January, an American Airlines flight and a US military helicopter collided in midair near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, killing 67 people.

Days later, a medical transport jet crashed in Philadelphia shortly after takeoff, killing all six people on board and one person on the ground.

• RSI Europe is a Lithuanian drone manufacturer that has delivered products to Kyiv.
• The company was founded in the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
• BI spoke to RSI's CEO about the company, its products, and Ukraine.

Lithuanian drone manufacturer RSI Europe was founded after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Tomas Milašauskas, the CEO and cofounder of RSI Europe, told Business Insider that the company was born out of fear of what a Ukrainian defeat could mean for Europe's future security.

Like its neighbor Poland, the Baltic state of Lithuania shares a border with Russia's ally Belarus and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, making it particularly wary of Moscow's threat.

"Our mission is very simple," Milašauskas said. "To produce the military equipment that helps Ukraine win."

The company initially focused on developing remote explosives initiation systems designed in close collaboration with Lithuanian military engineers.

However, the widespread use of uncrewed aerial vehicles in the Russia-Ukraine war soon saw RSI move into the world of FPV (first-person-view) drones.

FPV drones have played a major role in the conflict in Ukraine, often proving cheaper and more accurate than most artillery and still allowing operators to strike targets at a distance.

RSI's main products now include RISE-1, a remote explosives initiation system, and Shpak, an FPV quadcopter that carries a payload of up to 5 kg (around 11 pounds).

The Shpak drone is designed to carry out precision strikes on enemy targets using explosive munitions, the company says. It is optimized to carry a 2 kg (around 4.4 pounds) payload over a 20 km (roughly 12.4 miles) range, it adds.

RSI reportedly delivered its first batch of Shpak drones to Ukraine in October.

A major obstacle facing drone crews in Ukraine is the use of electronic warfare systems — the Achilles' heel of FPVs — which use the electromagnetic spectrum to disrupt GPS and video signals.

In June last year, French Army Chief of Staff Gen. Pierre Schill warned that small drones could lose their combat advantage in Ukraine as such defenses continued to be developed, saying that the "impunity" of small, simple drones on the battlefield was "a snapshot in time."

But as these countermeasures have advanced, drone makers have adapted.

While some have tapped into artificial intelligence to beat such systems, RSI's drones are fitted with fiber-optic guidance systems and can use frequency-hopping and non-standard video frequencies to help resist EW defenses.

Moving forward, the company is banking on FPVs becoming even more prominent in warfare.

"The Russian invasion of Ukraine has brought FPV drones to prominence as a component of modern militaries and it appears that they are here to stay," Milašauskas and Liudvikas Jaškūnas, an analyst at RSI, wrote for the Atlantic Council in June.

Kyiv, too, has signaled its belief that drones are the future.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said in February 2024 that Ukraine was launching a separate branch of its armed forces — the Unmanned Systems Forces — dedicated solely to drones.

Its Ministry of Defense also recently announced that the Ukrainian armed forces would receive an additional UAH 2.5 billion (around $60 million) a month to procure new drones, in a move designed to allow brigades to purchase the equipment they need directly.

Ukrainian defense minister Rustem Umerov said the move marked "another step towards building a highly flexible system to ensure the military has everything necessary for Ukraine's defense."

• Industry and business leaders are reacting to President Donald Trump's latest tariffs.
• The Trump administration said Saturday it had imposed new levies on Canada, Mexico, and China.
• All three countries vowed to retaliate, threatening a trade war.

Billionaires, industry leaders, and executives are reacting to President Donald Trump's tariffs against Canada, Mexico, and China.

The Trump administration said Saturday it had imposed a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tariff on China.

The announcement sparked swift responses from all three countries. Canada and Mexico promised retaliatory tariffs, and China vowed "corresponding countermeasures."

Trump says the tariffs are necessary to pressure Mexico, Canada, and China to do more to stem the flow of illegal fentanyl into the United States. Addiction and overdoses related to fentanyl, a synthetic opioid, have gripped the United States for years, hollowing out towns and city neighborhoods all over the country. The drug is often produced in China and smuggled over US borders.

"Trump is taking bold action to hold Mexico, Canada, and China accountable to their promises of halting illegal immigration and stopping poisonous fentanyl and other drugs from flowing into our country," the White House said in a statement on Saturday.

Business leaders, however, are urging Trump to reconsider, fearing a global trade war that could wreak havoc on American industries.

Mark Cuban, billionaire entrepreneur

In a post on Bluesky, Cuban warned that the new levies would cost people money and hurt businesses.

"I'm going to put my rich guy hat on and say I hope that Mexico and Canada issue equal, retaliatory tariffs and stick to them for an extended period," Cuban wrote.

"I apologize to all the people it will cost money and the businesses it will hurt. But it's the only way for tariffs to be seen for what they are."

Tobi Lütke, Shopify CEO

In a post on X, Lütke, the CEO of the Canadian firm Shopify, said he was disappointed with the US tariffs and Canada's government's response.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Saturday that Canada would impose 25% tariffs on C$155 billion (around $106 billion) of US goods following the Trump administration's decision.

But Lütke said hitting back would "not lead to anything good."

"Canada thrives when it works with America together. Win by helping America win," he wrote. "These tariffs are going to be devastating to so many people's lives and small businesses."

Ricardo Salinas Pliego, Mexican billionaire

Pliego, the chairman of the retail and banking conglomerate Grupo Elektra, slammed the tariffs in a series of posts on X but said Mexico should not retaliate.

"As things stand, there is nothing to do but endure this misfortune imposed on us," he wrote. "Perhaps, with the passage of time, more prepared and sensible minds will prevail in the USA and things will change, but that is not in our hands."

"What we definitely SHOULD NOT DO is play the 'Boy Hero' and throw ourselves into the void, by putting MORE taxes on Mexican citizens, who are already screwed by Trump's actions," he added.

Aluminum Association

The Aluminum Association has urged Trump to exempt Canada from the tariffs, saying it was vital to help protect jobs and local manufacturers.

In a statement on Saturday, Charles Johnson, the president and CEO of the association, which represents aluminum production and jobs in the United States, welcomed Trump's efforts to "support American manufacturing" but said the industry's strength relied on imports from the north.

"Thanks to robust domestic demand and coming investment, the US aluminum industry needs a steady and predictable supply of primary, secondary and scrap aluminum," Johnson said. "Today, much of that metal comes from North American trading partners, especially Canada."

United Steelworkers

The USW, representing 850,000 workers in metals, mining, and other industries, has also called for Trump to reconsider tariffs on Canada.

In a statement, USW International President David McCall said the union had "long called for systemic reform of our broken trade system, but lashing out at key allies like Canada is not the way forward."

"Canada has proven itself time and again to be one of our strongest partners when it comes to national security, and our economies are deeply integrated," the statement continued.

National Association of Manufacturers

NAM President and CEO Jay Timmons said manufacturers were already facing increasing cost pressures and that the latest tariffs on Canada and Mexico threatened "to upend the very supply chains that have made US manufacturing more competitive globally."

"The ripple effects will be severe, particularly for small and medium-sized manufacturers," Timmons added. "Ultimately, manufacturers will bear the brunt of these tariffs, undermining our ability to sell our products at a competitive price and putting American jobs at risk."

National Association of Home Builders

The NAHB said the tariffs on Canada and Mexico could increase construction costs and ultimately lead to higher home prices.

"More than 70% of the imports of two essential materials that home builders rely on—softwood lumber and gypsum (used for drywall)—come from Canada and Mexico, respectively," NAHB Chairman Carl Harris said in a statement.

"NAHB urges the administration to reconsider this action on tariffs."

National Retail Federation

David French, the executive vice president of government relations for the National Retail Federation, said in a statement the trade association backs Trump's push to solidify trade ties and ensure that the US has favorable trade conditions.

However, French called the tariffs on the three countries a "serious step."

"We strongly encourage all parties to continue negotiating to find solutions that will strengthen trade relationships and avoid shifting the costs of shared policy failures onto the backs of American families, workers and small businesses," he said in a statement.

"The retail industry is committed to working with President Trump and his administration to achieve his campaign promises, including strengthening the US economy, extending his successful Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and ensuring that American families are protected from higher costs," he added.

Distilled Spirits Council of the US, the Mexican Chamber of the Tequila Industry, and Spirits Canada

In a joint statement, the Distilled Spirits Council of the US, the Mexican Chamber of the Tequila Industry, and Spirits Canada, said the implementation of tariffs threatens the growth of trade in spirits across the three countries, a major issue given setbacks related to COVID-19 and inflation.

"Our associations are committed to working collaboratively with all stakeholders to explore solutions that prevent potential tariffs on distilled spirits," the groups said in their statement. "We are deeply concerned that US tariffs on imported spirits from Canada and Mexico will significantly harm all three countries and lead to a cycle of retaliatory tariffs that negatively impacts our shared industry."

"Maintaining fair and reciprocal duty-free access for all distilled spirits is crucial for supporting jobs and shared growth across North America," they added.

American Automotive Policy Council

Matt Blunt, former governor of Missouri and president of the American Automotive Policy Council, which represents Ford Motor, General Motors, and Stellantis, told BI that he doesn't believe that vehicles and parts that meet the USMCA's requirements — agreed upon by the US, Canada, and Mexico in 2020 — should be subject to increased tariffs.

"Our American automakers, who invested billions in the US to meet these requirements, should not have their competitiveness undermined by tariffs that will raise the cost of building vehicles in the United States and stymie investment in the American workforce," Blunt said.

Canadian Chamber of Commerce

Candace Laing, president and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, representing more than 200,000 businesses, called Trump's tariffs "self-defeating" and "profoundly disturbing" in a statement.

"Our supply chains are so deeply integrated that you can't unwind them overnight," wrote Laing, "Which is why if President Trump truly wanted to bring down costs for Americans, he would be looking at strengthening our trade ties, not tearing them apart."

Laing recounted how the US relies on Canadian imports, such as crude oil and critical minerals, and said that Canada's "job number one" right now is to build resilience and provide security to Canadian families and businesses that are "rightly scared" by the tariffs.

"If we can't trade south, let's diversify our trading partners and dismantle unnecessary internal trade barriers to keep goods and services flowing north, east, and west," she added, "A strong, united, and competitive Canadian economy will thrive no matter what gets thrown our way."

American Petroleum Institute

Mike Sommers, president and CEO of the American Petroleum Institute, with some 600 members that produce and distribute the majority of the nation's energy, called energy markets "highly integrated" and Canadian crude oil "critical" for American consumers in a statement.

"The US is the largest market for Canadian crude oil exports and Mexico is the No. 1 destination for US refined product exports," said Sommers, "We will continue to work with the Trump administration on full exclusions that protect energy affordability for consumers, expand the nation's energy advantage and support American jobs."

United Auto Workers Union

Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers Union, said in a statement on Saturday that his union "supports aggressive tariff action to protect American manufacturing jobs as a good first step to undoing decades of anti-worker trade policy."

According to the UAW website, the union has over 400,000 active members and more than 580,000 retired members in the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico.

"If Trump is serious about bringing back good blue collar jobs destroyed by NAFTA, the USMCA, and the WTO, he should go a step further and immediately seek to renegotiate our broken trade deals," Fain added.

• Costco and the Teamsters union have reached a tentative deal to avoid a strike.
• Costco Teamsters represents 18,000 workers nationwide who were ready to walk off the job.
• The deal will now be presented to the union's membership for a vote, a Teamsters spokesperson told BI.

Costco and the Teamsters union have reached a tentative agreement to avoid a strike, the union told Business Insider.

The union said the deal would now go to its membership for a vote and that further details would follow.

Costco Teamsters represents 18,000 workers nationwide who were ready to walk off the job after their contract expired at 11:59 p.m. PT Friday.

On January 19, Costco's unionized workers "overwhelmingly" voted in favor of a strike in their strike authorization vote, which received 85% support among those who voted. In a press release at the time, Costco Teamsters accused the company of failing to "bargain constructively" and propose a contract that "reflects the company's record-breaking profits."

"The Costco Teamsters National Negotiating Committee has reached a tentative agreement for a new contract. Additional details will be shared soon. The tentative agreement will be presented to the membership for a vote," the union, Teamsters, said in a statement.

Matt McQuaid, a Teamsters spokesperson, told BI on Friday morning that the outstanding issues at the bargaining table were wages, pensions, and increased protections of union rights.

"The Teamsters are committed to securing a fair and reasonable agreement but are prepared to take action if the wholesale giant fails to deliver," the union previously said in a social media post.

Ahead of Friday's strike deadline, Costco announced in a memo that its next Employee Agreement, which is set to go into effect in March and covers nonunion workers for three years, would include successive pay raises that push compensation to over $30 an hour for workers at the top of its pay scale.

Costco did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, which was made outside regular working hours.

• A medical transport jet crashed in Philadelphia shortly after takeoff on Friday.
• Six people were on board the Learjet plane when it went down, authorities said.
• The NTSB said investigators have recovered the plane's cockpit voice recorder.

A medical transport jet crashed on Friday in northeast Philadelphia.

The Learjet 55 had six people on board when it went down shortly after departing Northeast Philadelphia Airport, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

Flight operator Jet Rescue Air Ambulance said in a statement that four crew members and two passengers — a pediatric patient and her mother — were on the flight.

It said there were no survivors.

Mexico's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on X that all six people on board were Mexican.

They have been identified as Capt. Alan Alejandro Montoya Perales, copilot Josue de Jesus Juarez Juarez, Dr. Raul Meza Arredondo, paramedic Rodrigo Lopez Padilla, patient Valentina Guzman Murillo, and her mother Lizeth Murillo Ozuna, CBS News reported, citing a spokesperson for Jet Rescue Air Ambulance.

In a press briefing on Saturday, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker said that at least one other person died as a result of the crash. The person was in a car when the plane went down, she said.

Video footage of the incident circulating on social media seems to show the plane hurtling toward the ground followed by a large explosion.

Data from Flightradar24 shows the aircraft, which was headed to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri, had been in service for 43 years. It shows the plane took off shortly after 6 p.m. local time and crashed in less than a minute, "less than three miles from the end of the runway."

The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) have since launched an investigation into the incident.

The NTSB said on Sunday that investigators had recovered the plane's cockpit voice recorder and its enhanced ground proximity warning system, which may also contain flight data.

The recorder was found at the impact site "at a depth of 8 feet," it said.

NTSB investigator Ralph Hicks said during a press conference on Saturday that the aircraft arrived at the Northeast Philadelphia Airport around 2:15 p.m. on Friday and was on the ground for a few hours before departing at around 6:06 p.m.

The aircraft climbed to about 1,500 feet above the ground before the crash.

Officials are classifying the incident as an "accident," Jennifer Homendy, NTSB chairman, said at the press conference.

The NTSB said a preliminary report would likely come within 30 days, but a final report detailing a probable cause could take between 12 and 24 months.

In a post on Truth Social following the crash, President Donald Trump said: "So sad to see the plane go down in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania."

"More innocent souls lost. Our people are totally engaged. First Responders are already being given credit for doing a great job. More to follow. God Bless you all."

The incident comes days after an American Airlines flight crashed into a military helicopter near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, killing 67 people.

In a video statement posted to X on Saturday, Transport Secretary Sean Duffy said it had been a "heartwrenching week in aviation" and promised more announcements on the crashes.

"I want Americans to feel confident in American air travel," he said.

• Trump signed an executive order to implement tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China.
• He has been threatening the tariffs on the three countries and others for months.
• Canada and Mexico have vowed to impose retaliatory tariffs against the US.

Canada and Mexico have hit straight back at President Donald Trump's latest tariffs, vowing to impose retaliatory levies on the US.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Saturday that Canada would impose 25% tariffs on C$155 billion (around $106 billion) of US goods, some of which will go into effect on Tuesday and others in three weeks' time.

Mexico's President, Claudia Sheinbaum, said in a post on X that she had also ordered retaliatory tariffs.

"I instruct the economy minister to implement Plan B that we have been working on, which includes tariff and non-tariff measures in defense of Mexico's interests," she wrote.

The Trump administration said Saturday it had imposed a 25% tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico and a 10% tariff on China. On Sunday, the president reacted to Canada's retaliation, saying it would "struggle to exist" without US subsidies.

"We pay hundreds of Billions of Dollars to SUBSIDIZE Canada. Why? There is no reason. We don't need anything they have," Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

China's Ministry of Commerce, meanwhile, accused the United States in a statement released Sunday of violating World Trade Organization rules with the tariff.

The ministry said China would file a lawsuit with the WTO against the United States and take "corresponding countermeasures to firmly safeguard its own rights and interests."

Economists expect many firms to pass increased costs caused by tariffs onto customers, and several companies have already said they are preparing to raise prices in response. Electronics, groceries, and apparel are among the most likely products to see price increases.

The White House said the tariffs will work to deliver Trump's campaign promises. Regarding his proposed first round of tariffs, an official told Business Insider that "Trump has been clear about his desire to end the fentanyl crisis, and it's time for Mexico and Canada to join the fight as well." Trump has said a tariff on China would also help fight the fentanyl problem.

Here are all the countries Trump has targeted with his trade proposals so far.

China

China was a key focus for tariffs on the campaign trail. While campaigning, Trump proposed a 60% tariff on all goods imported from China, alongside a 10% to 20% tariff on imports from other countries.

Once Trump took office, though, his ideas for tariffs on China appeared to narrow. On January 21, he suggested a 10% tariff on imports from China into the United States beginning on February 1 "based on the fact that they're sending fentanyl to Mexico and Canada."

The Trump administration cited the fentanyl crisis on Saturday as the impetus for the new tariffs.

China is a major electronics supplier to the United States, so cellphones, computers, and games could get more expensive.

Mao Ning, a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, told reporters on January 22: "We believe that there's no winner in a trade or tariff war, and we will firmly uphold our national interests."

Canada and Mexico

The new tariffs make good on an earlier threat Trump posted in November on his social media platform, Truth Social. He indicated at the time that he would impose tariffs on those two countries on his first day in office if they didn't strengthen their border policies.

The US imports many key goods from both Mexico and Canada. Americans receive $92 billion in crude oil from Canada, as well as billions of dollars worth of vehicles and vehicle parts. In addition to car parts, Mexico also supplies $25 billion worth of computers to the United States.

Russia

Trump said on January 22 that he would place tariffs on imports from Russia if the country did not end the Ukraine war soon.

"If we don't make a 'deal,' and soon, I have no other choice but to put high levels of Taxes, Tariffs, and Sanctions on anything being sold by Russia to the United States, and various other participating countries," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

According to Census data, the US imported $4.57 billion worth of goods from Russia in 2023, which made up just 0.14% of total imports that year. Given how little the country exports to the United States, consumers would probably see few effects if a tariff on Russia was implemented.

Colombia

After Colombia's president turned away two flights from the US that carried deported migrants, Trump threatened the country with a 25% tariff. He said that in one week, the Colombia tariff would be raised to 50%.

"We will not allow the Colombian Government to violate its legal obligations with regard to the acceptance and return of the Criminals they forced into the United States!" Trump said on Truth Social.

Colombia's president Gustavo Petro responded in a statement that his country would receive Colombians "on civilian planes, without treating them like criminals." The White House then withdrew its threat but warned it could be reinstated if Colombia failed to honor its agreement.

Key goods the US imports from Colombia include coffee and bananas, which would likely get more expensive under tariffs.

BRICS nations

On November 30, Trump posted on Truth Social that he would impose a 100% tariff on the BRICS group unless they committed to not creating a separate currency that competes with the US dollar.

BRICS consists of nine countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates.

Pharmaceutical preparations, crude oil, and household goods are the top imports from countries in the BRICS group, excluding China. The Trump administration did not announce any tariffs on the BRICS nations on Saturday.

Denmark

Trump said during a press conference on January 7 that he would "tariff Denmark at a very high level" if the country didn't agree to cede control of Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory, to the United States.

The president has not offered further details on that claim, nor have any such tariffs been implemented. The Financial Times reported that Trump and Denmark's premier, Mette Frederiksen, had a call to discuss the threat, during which  Frederiksen reportedly emphasized that Greenland was not for sale.

The US primarily imports medicinal products and machinery from Denmark.

• President Donald Trump and Elon Musk are seemingly at odds again.
• Trump said UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer — who has been heavily criticized by Musk — was doing a "very good job."
• It comes after Musk criticized Trump's Stargate venture for AI infrastructure.

Days after Elon Musk criticized President Donald Trump's Stargate plan, the pair are seemingly at odds again — and this time, it's over British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

In an interview with the BBC on board Air Force One, Trump praised Starmer, who leads the UK's left-leaning Labour Party, saying he had done a "very good job thus far" and that they had a "very good relationship."

"I get along with him well. I like him a lot," Trump said, adding that they would be holding a call "over the next 24 hours."

Musk — a close Trump ally who is leading the Department of Government Efficiency — has frequently leveled heavy criticism at Starmer.

Earlier this month, Musk called for the prime minister to resign and face charges for "his complicity in the worst mass crime in the history of Britain," referring to a grooming scandal in the UK.

He also repeated criticism of Starmer's time in his position as the UK's top prosecutor, saying he did too little to combat the grooming gangs.

"Starmer was complicit in the RAPE OF BRITAIN when he was head of Crown Prosecution for 6 years," the Tesla CEO wrote on X.

Starmer has responded to such comments without explicitly naming Musk, saying certain people were "spreading lies and misinformation" about the scandal.

Following violent far-right protests in the UK in the summer, Musk also said the UK's police response seemed "onesided," and he called Starmer "two-tier Keir" — a suggestion that the country has a "two-tier policing" policy that treats far-right protesters more harshly than minority groups.

Musk has also accused Starmer of creating a financial crisis in the UK and said that "nobody trusts" him.

Trump told the BBC that while Starmer was "liberal, which is a bit different from me," he thought he was "a very good person."

"He's represented his country in terms of philosophy," he said. "I may not agree with his philosophy, but I have a very good relationship with him."

It comes days after Musk criticized Trump's $500 billion Stargate venture for AI infrastructure — a joint plan by OpenAI, SoftBank, Oracle, and MGX that the president announced earlier this week. Trump called the plan "the largest AI infrastructure project in history."

Musk soon took to X to respond to a post from OpenAI that said the venture would "begin deploying $100 billion immediately," saying it did not "actually have the money" it had pledged.

"They don't actually have the money," Musk wrote, adding that he had it "on good authority" that SoftBank had "well under $10B secured."

At a press conference on Thursday, Trump told reporters that he wasn't bothered by Musk's criticism of the project.

"He hates one of the people in the deal," Trump said, likely referring to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, with whom Musk has been locked in a long-running personal feud.

• Costco food courts are switching back to Coca-Cola after more than a decade of serving Pepsi.
• The switch to Pepsi in 2013 caused a stir among some members.
• The latest move has once again sparked mixed reactions.

Costco is switching back to Coca-Cola products in its food court after more than a decade of serving Pepsi — and it's sparked mixed reactions online.

While some are eagerly awaiting the retro shift back to Coke, others are lamenting the loss of Pepsi, with many debating which is best to have as part of Costco's $1.50 hot dog and soda combo.

"We're so back," One X user wrote.

"That $1.50 hotdog and drink is about to get a lot more visits from me," another said.

"Hot dog and drink gonna hit different now," a third added.

Others, however, insist that Pepsi reigns supreme.

"That sucks, love coke and Pepsi, but Costco hotdog/pizza and Pepsi go hand in hand," one TikToker said.

"I've always been more of a Coke guy but idk if there's anything better than Costco pizza with Pepsi," shared an X user.

"Shoutout to the handful of us who prefer Pepsi over Coca-Cola," another added. "This one hits the feels a little bit. Costco hot dog and an ice cold Pepsi belong together!"

Costco CEO Ron Vachris confirmed the return to Coke at the company's annual shareholder meeting earlier this week.

"This summer, we will be converting our food court fountain business back over to Coca-Cola," Vachris said.

The company pulled Coke products from its food courts in favor of Pepsi in 2013, which again caused a stir among members.

At the time, then-VP of food services Alan Bubitz told BevNET: "You're not going to be able to please everybody. It's our job to preserve the integrity of the price point."

The latest move back to Coke marks another victory for Coca-Cola, which has long been a dominant force in the beverage industry and holds more than double the market share of Pepsi, according to a 2024 ranking from Beverage Digest based on 2023 sales volumes.

Coke Classic held an estimated 19.2% share of the US carbonated soft drink market, while Pepsi garnered 8.31% — down from 15% in 1995.

• A United Airlines flight from Nigeria to the US made an emergency landing following a technical issue.
• The flight from Lagos to Washington, DC. experienced "an unexpected aircraft movement," United said.
• Six people were taken to hospital with injuries but have been discharged, the airline said.

A United Airlines flight from Nigeria to the US was forced to make an emergency landing in Lagos early Friday.

The flight from Lagos to Washington D.C. turned back after the aircraft — a Boeing 787-8 — experienced a technical issue and "an unexpected aircraft movement," the airline said.

After diverting, United Airlines Flight UA613 landed safely back in Nigeria. Four passengers and two flight attendants were taken to hospital with injuries but have been discharged, United Airlines said in a statement.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said an additional 27 passengers and five crew members sustained minor injuries.

Videos circulating on social media appear to show scenes on board the aircraft. The footage shows food and items strewn across the cabin with the sound of panicked passengers in the background.

Two-hundred-and-forty-five passengers were on board the flight, as well as eight flight attendants and three pilots.

United Airlines said it was working with US and Nigerian aviation authorities to investigate the cause of the issue.

FAAN said the aircraft did not suffer "any major damage."

The Boeing 787-8 in question, registered as N27903, was built in 2012.

In 2024, the FAA ordered hundreds of Boeing 787s to undergo inspections after a Latam Airlines jet suddenly dropped in midair.

Boeing did not immediately reply to a request for comment from Business Insider, which was sent outside regular working hours.

• Ukraine says it will give its armed forces an additional $60 million a month to procure new drones.
• The funds will be distributed among combat units, the Ukrainian defense ministry said.
• The move is designed to allow brigades to purchase the equipment they need directly.

Ukraine's defense ministry has announced that its armed forces will get an additional UAH 2.5 billion (almost $60 million) a month to procure new drones.

The funds will be distributed among military combat units and will allow brigades to buy the equipment they need directly, rather than having to rely on centralized acquisition efforts.

The initiative builds on a prior allocation of UAH 2.1 billion (around $50 million) in December, the ministry said.

"We have analyzed this experience and decided to scale up the initiative," Ukrainian defense minister Rustem Umerov said in a statement.

"Commanders of the units will have the flexibility to use these funds to acquire the drones that are the most effective for carrying out mission requirements at the front," he continued. "This marks another step towards building a highly flexible system to ensure the military has everything necessary for Ukraine's defense."

In December, Umerov announced that commanders would now be able to purchase drones "without unnecessary bureaucratic approvals from the General Staff and other military authorities."

Ukraine's Defense Procurement Agency (DPA) has been leading Kyiv's centralized drone procurement efforts.

In August, the agency said it had so far spent 30 billion UAH (around $717 million) acquiring drones in 2024. It had signed contracts for more than 350,000 drones so far in the year, it added.

Dmytro Klimenkov, Ukraine's deputy defense minister, said at the time that such efforts were "aligned with the strategic objective of the President of Ukraine to supply our military with UAVs."

He added that 95% of the drones they had purchased were made in Ukraine, which he said showed "notable progress in enhancing national defense technologies and validates the high quality of domestic products."

The war in Ukraine has acted as a kind of incubator for drone innovation.

Uncrewed systems have dominated the battlefield, wreaking havoc in the air, on the ground, and at sea.

The conflict has seen drones deployed against warships and tanks, used for reconnaissance, and as support for medical evacuations.

The rising demand for such technologies has led Kyiv to issue increasingly ambitious production goals. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier this month that Ukraine wanted to produce "a record number of drones" this year.

In early December, the Ukrainian defense ministry said it had supplied more than 1.2 million uncrewed aerial vehicles to the country's armed forces in 2024.

Zelenskyy said in October that Ukraine was capable of manufacturing up to 4 million drones a year.

• TikTok went dark for 170 million users in the US on Saturday.
• Other ByteDance apps were also pulled from the app store in the US.
• Apple has released a list of all the apps that were affected.

Apple has released a list of all the apps it has taken down alongside TikTok after the US shutdown.

In a statement, Apple said it was "obligated to follow the laws in the jurisdictions where it operates," and as such, apps developed by ByteDance and its subsidiaries would no longer be available for download or updates on the US app store from Sunday.

See Apple's list here.

CapCut

CapCut, an AI-powered video editing service that can be connected to TikTok, has also gone offline in the US. CapCut was a staple for adding transitions, syncing sounds, or adding AI-generated effects.

Lemon8

Lemon8, ByteDance's answer to Instagram, has also been blocked for US users, despite efforts to promote the app to TikTok users in the run-up to the ban.

Hypic

Hypic combined photo editing with AI, giving users tools to enhance photo quality or transform images into AI art, including digital cartoons.

Lark

Lark is a professional collaboration platform with messaging, video calls, and cloud storage. It is comparable to Slack and other communication platforms.

Gauth

Gauth is an AI-driven app for solving academic problems. It allows users to snap pictures of homework and receive detailed solutions.

Marvel Snap

Marvel Snap is a Marvel Universe-based digital collectible card game published by Nuverse, which is owned by ByteDance.

Second Dinner, the game's developer, published a statement on X following the shutdown.

"In a surprise to Second Dinner and our publisher Nuverse, MARVEL SNAP was affected by the takedown of TikTok late on Saturday, January 18th," it said.

"MARVEL SNAP isn't going anywhere. We're actively working on getting the game up as soon as possible and will update you once we have more to share," it added.

TikTok is banking on Trump's help

TikTok went dark in the US on Saturday, less than two hours before a scheduled ban was set to take effect.

The unprecedented shutdown has effectively blocked access to one of the world's leading social media platforms, with 170 million Americans losing access.

The shutdown came after a protracted legal battle over a law that required ByteDance to divest from its US app or see it banned.

The Supreme Court ruled to uphold the ban after TikTok challenged the law, which paved the way for Saturday's shutdown.

At around 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time, a message began appearing on users' screens: "Sorry, TikTok isn't available right now. A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the U.S. Unfortunately, that means you can't use TikTok for now."

The company also indicated that it was relying on President-elect Donald Trump to save the app.

In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump said he would "issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law's prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security."

• Meta has begun laying people off, after saying it would cut jobs by targeting "low performers."
• Microsoft also made performance-related cuts in January.
• Layoffs can be traumatic for workers, and the added tag of "low performer" can make it worse.

"Low performers" are in the firing line.

Meta began laying people off Monday after saying it would target its lowest performers. Microsoft also sent termination letters last month, telling people their performance had "not met minimum performance standards."

Both companies' announcements in January about the layoffs triggered an online debate. Targeting the lowest performers may be logical for the companies' bottom lines, but the publicity surrounding layoffs can give those a negative label that can compound the difficulties of being laid off.

After Meta's January announcement about laying off "low performers," Jan Tegze, a Czech Republic-based tech recruiter, wrote in a post on LinkedIn that "a low performer' at Meta could be a rockstar anywhere else."

But now, these "people have to job hunt with this label hanging over them. Every recruiter, every hiring manager will see these headlines," he added.

Jennifer Dulski, the founder and CEO of Rising Team and a management lecturer at Stanford Graduate School of Business, said on LinkedIn that it was "reasonable to let people go for lower performance than others on the team, and to share that reasoning with them."

"However, publicly branding employees as low performers serves no one — not the individuals, not the remaining team, and not the company's reputation," she added.

"That will stick with and damage many people's careers. It's unnecessary and punitive," Jonathan Shottan, chief product and content officer at Tonal, said.

Previous research has suggested that finding a job may be more difficult for laid-off workers due to the stigma they may encounter among potential employers.

And with job seekers also facing a slowing job market and new hurdles such as the ever-expanding rollout of AI in workplaces, the added "low performer" tag may make the job search even trickier.

Others defended Meta and Microsoft's announcements, however.

"Who would you fire? Your top performers?" One LinkedIn user wrote in response to Tegze's post. "There isn't a company in the world who would let go of anyone that they didn't think was their lowest performers."

"What if.... they 'are' actually low performers," another said. "Stop jumping on the let's bash Zuk bandwagon," an apparent reference to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who announced the layoffs in an internal memo sent on January 14 and seen by Business Insider.

He told employees that he had "decided to raise the bar on performance management" and act quickly to "move out low-performers."

The memo said the cuts would affect 5% of the company's workforce, equivalent to about 3,600 roles.

Ethan Evans, a former Amazon vice president, had some tips for those caught in the layoffs to help ensure they give themselves the best chance of getting back to work.

Writing on X the day after Meta's announcement, he advised those hit by cuts targeting low performers to carefully and openly explain their situation to hiring managers.

Evans said it can be natural for recruiters to wonder if an interviewee has performance problems that they should avoid and that "your ability to respond calmly and confidently will matter just as much as the actual content of your answer."

"If your entire team or division was cut, this is the strongest story. Be clear about that and say, 'My entire team was cut.' Point them to a news story that verifies your claim if you can," he said.

He added: "Never badmouth your old boss or company."

"Just like dating, no one wants to start a relationship with someone who isn't over their ex."

Business Insider contacted Meta and Microsoft for comment.

• Israel's government approved a cease-fire and hostage deal with Hamas this week.
• The cease-fire began on Sunday as Hamas released its first few hostages.
• 3 hostages returned to Israel, where they were treated at a hospital near Tel Aviv.

A cease-fire in the war in Gaza went into effect on Sunday morning after an almost three-hour delay.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced that the cease-fire would commence at 11:15 a.m. local time.

The announcement came after Israel said it had received the names of hostages due to be released on Sunday.

Under the terms of the agreement, the cease-fire will last six weeks. During this period, 33 Israeli hostages are scheduled to be exchanged for 737 Palestinian prisoners.

The first three Israeli hostages — Emily Damari, Romi Gonen, and Doron Steinbrecher — were released on Sunday. Israel said the three women were returned to Israeli territory and underwent an initial medical assessment.

President Joe Biden had announced the deal in a farewell address earlier this week.

"After eight months of nonstop negotiation, my administration — by my administration, a ceasefire and a hostage deal has been reached by Israel and Hamas, the elements of which I laid out in great detail in May of this year," Biden said.

US officials helped broker the deal in Qatar.

In a statement on X on Saturday, Majed Al Ansari, a spokesperson for Qatar's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, confirmed that the cease-fire would begin on Sunday but advised caution to Gazans: "We advise the inhabitants to take precaution, exercise the utmost caution, and wait for directions from official sources."

How the cease-fire agreement could be implemented

The deal is set to include multiple phases.

The first stage is expected to include 33 hostages — most of whom are alive — released on "humanitarian" grounds, an Israeli spokesperson told reporters at a briefing. This will consist of women, children, older people, as well as hostages who are sick.

A second phase, which is still being worked out, would see a "permanent end" to the war, Biden has said.

The president added that this phase would include the release of the remainder of the living hostages, with the rest of the Israeli forces withdrawing from Gaza.

In the third phase, any remains of hostages who have been killed would be returned to their families, and a major reconstruction plan would be set in motion for Gaza.

So far, 117 hostages have been returned alive to Israel, including 105 freed as part of a prisoner exchange in November 2023.

The cease-fire deal intends to end the brutal conflict, which has seen large areas of Gaza destroyed and left the militant group severely battered. The Hamas-run health ministry says Israel's military offensive in the coastal enclave has killed more than 46,000 people. It does not distinguish between civilians and combatants.

Negotiations for a cease-fire deal have been ongoing for many months.

President-elect Donald Trump said his victory in November directly contributed to the deal coming to fruition. "We have achieved so much without even being in the White House," he wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform.

• Donald Trump's suggestion for increased NATO defense spending has divided European countries.
• Trump called for NATO members to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP.
• Many European NATO members have struggled to meet the current 2% defense spending goal.

Donald Trump's suggestion that NATO members should allocate 5% of their GDP on defense has prompted mixed reactions in Europe.

The president-elect floated the figure — which is more than double the current target — at a press conference on Tuesday.

"I think NATO should have 5%," he said. "They can all afford it, but they should be at 5%, not 2%."

Currently, no alliance member spends 5% of GDP on defense.

NATO estimates showed Poland was set to lead the alliance in defense spending as a percentage of GDP in 2024, with Warsaw investing more than 4% of its economic output on defense. Estonia and the US followed, spending 3.43% and 3.38% respectively.

Trump's remarks sparked dismay among some European officials.

Ralf Stegner, a member of Germany's Social Democratic Party, wrote in a Facebook post that Trump's comments were "delusional and truly insane."

"Where are the resources supposed to come from to solve the real-world problems?" he said. "We have too much poverty, environmental destruction, civil wars, migration, and too few resources to combat this more actively."

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto cast doubt on the feasibility of Trump's proposal: "I don't think it will be five, which at this time would be impossible for almost all nations in the world," he said, per Italian news agency Ansa.

But Crosetto added that he did expect the target to be raised above 2%.

Italy was on track to spend 1.49% of GDP on defense in 2024, while Germany — which is gearing up for a snap federal election in February — was set for 2.12%.

For nations closer to Russia and its ongoing invasion of Ukraine, increasing defense expenditure may not seem like such a bad idea, however.

Warsaw has already signaled its support for Trump's demand, with the Polish defense minister telling the Financial Times that Poland "can be the transatlantic link between this challenge set by President Trump and its implementation in Europe."

In Estonia, the shared border with Russia has led to heightened tensions and an increasing focus on defense.

Reacting to Trump's comments, Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal told Politico that it was the "message that Estonia has been advocating for years."

"This is a clear signal to Putin that he should not dare to test NATO's nerves and that we are prepared for it," he said.

At a Northern Group partners' meeting last year, Estonia's defense minister urged allies to increase spending to 2.5% to counter the threat of Russian aggression.

Sweden, which has also increased defense spending since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022, also backed the call for increased spending.

"There is a broad consensus in Sweden that we need to invest more in our defense," the country's foreign minister, Maria Malmer Stenergard, said, per Politico. "US governments have long urged European countries to increase their defense spending and to bear more of their own defense costs. We share this view."

Lithuania has also prioritized defense spending amid the growing Russian threat. Its president, Gitanas Nausėda, recently called on European countries to "show more support for the US global agenda" by increasing their share of the defense burden.

For his part, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has said Europe knows it must spend more on defense.

During a trip to Warsaw in November, Rutte praised Poland for its defense spending efforts, saying it sent "a clear message not only to our adversaries but also to the United States. That Europe understands it must do more to ensure our shared security. And that starts with spending more and also fielding more capabilities."

Nevertheless, analysts say Trump's 5% figure is unrealistic.

"Many European NATO countries are funding higher military spending through debt, cuts in other expenditure areas, and proposals to increase taxes," Nan Tian, a senior researcher and program director at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute's Military Expenditure and Arms Production Programme, told Business Insider. "These existing increases would push military spending to a level about half of what Trump proposed of 5% of GDP, thus I don't think this is a realistic target."

"5% of GDP level would be higher than the same countries spent at the height of the Cold War," Tian added.

Ruther Deyermond, a senior lecturer at King's College London's Department of War Studies, went further, calling Trump's suggestion a "coercive tactic."

"It looks as if the point of the 5% demand is for it to be unachievable - the intention seems to be that states will fail," Deyermond wrote on X. "It's a coercive tactic (pay up or your country gets it) that also signals that NATO is no longer a meaningful alliance."

• Elon Musk said Reform UK's Nigel Farage "doesn't have what it takes" to be the party's leader.
• It comes after Farage disagreed with Musk's support for jailed far-right activist Tommy Robinson.
• Musk's comments came just hours after Farage called the Tesla CEO a "friend" in an interview.

Elon Musk appears to have turned on Reform UK's Nigel Farage, the leader of the country's right-wing party.

"The Reform Party needs a new leader. Farage doesn't have what it takes," Musk wrote on X on Sunday.

Musk has recently supported Reform UK as an alternative to the ruling Labour Party, primarily for its anti-immigration stance. Farage has welcomed that support and the two appeared to be forging a strong relationship. Farage recently visited Musk in the United States. And Musk was rumored to be lining up donations for Reform UK.

But things took a turn after Musk called for the release of Tommy Robinson, a jailed far-right anti-immigration activist. Speaking at a Reform UK event earlier this week, Farage said Robinson was "not what we need," The Telegraph reported.

"There are people in Britain who think that Robinson is a political prisoner. That's the narrative that he's pushed out. That's how he earns his living but it isn't quite true," he said.

On Sunday, Farage responded to Musk, calling the billionaire a "remarkable individual" but saying that he disagreed with his view on Robinson.

"Well, this is a surprise! Elon is a remarkable individual but on this I am afraid I disagree," he wrote. "My view remains that Tommy Robinson is not right for Reform and I never sell out my principles."

Robinson is a controversial far-right figure in the UK who was sentenced to 18 months in prison in October for contempt of court. Musk has repeatedly called for Robinson's release.

Robinson is something of a third rail in the UK. Farage, who does not shy away from controversy, accused the activist during far-right, anti-immigration riots in the UK over the summer of trying to "stir up hatred."

"As for the Tommy Robinsons and those that genuinely do stir up hatred, well, I've never had anything to do with them," Farage said in a video he posted at the time.

Hours before Musk's latest comments, the Reform UK leader described the tech mogul as a "friend" in an interview on the BBC.

Farage said the fact that Musk "supports me politically and supports Reform doesn't mean I have to agree with every single statement he makes on X."

Business Insider has contacted Reform UK for comment.

• Ukrainian forces appear to have launched a new offensive in Russia's Kursk region.
• Russia's Ministry of Defense said Ukraine had launched a "counterattack" at around 9 a.m. local time.
• A Ukrainian official said Russia was "getting what it deserves."

Ukrainian forces appear to have launched a new offensive in the Russian border region of Kursk.

Russia's Ministry of Defense said in a post on Telegram that Ukraine had launched a "counterattack" at around 9 a.m. local time.

"In order to halt the advance of Russian troops in the Kursk direction, the enemy launched a counterattack by an assault group consisting of two tanks, a demolition vehicle, and twelve armored combat vehicles," it said.

In a short post on Telegram, Andrii Yermak, the head of Ukraine's presidential office, said: "Kursk, good news, Russia is getting what it deserves."

The scale of the reported offensive is unclear. Ukraine launched an initial incursion into Kursk in August.

Rybar, a Russian war blog with more than 1.3 million subscribers, said that the latest operation could serve as a diversion. The US government has offered up to $10 million for information on Rybar, saying it had attempted "to bolster Russia's military capabilities and advance pro-Russian and anti-Western narratives."

"The intensification of the situation in the Kursk region may be a diversionary maneuver for a simultaneous offensive by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in other areas," read a post on Rybar's account.

"The Ukrainian command has been hatching plans for several months to break through the defense of the Russian Armed Forces in the Zaporizhzhia region and is probing for weak spots," it added.

It comes at a potentially pivotal moment for Kyiv as it gears up for the return of President-elect Donald Trump to the White House.

Both Russia and Ukraine are racing to place their respective sides in the best possible position ahead of Trump's return.

Trump has pledged to bring the war in Ukraine to a swift end but has not detailed how he intends to do so.

Analysts say one possibility is a negotiated cease-fire deal with frozen front lines.

In a post on Truth Social in December, Trump called for an immediate cease-fire and the start of negotiations.

"Zelenskyy and Ukraine would like to make a deal and stop the madness," he wrote, adding: "It can turn into something much bigger, and far worse. I know Vladimir well. This is his time to act."

• Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni made a surprise visit to Mar-a-Lago on Saturday.
• Meloni received a rapturous welcome to Trump's Florida resort, per videos circulating on social media.
• The pair reportedly discussed tariffs and the arrest of an Italian journalist in Iran.

Italy's right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni made a surprise visit to President-elect Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort on Saturday, just days before she's scheduled to meet with President Joe Biden.

Photos shared by the Italian government show Trump greeting Meloni and the pair posing at the entrance to the president-elect's Florida base.

While no official details of the meeting have been shared, Meloni and Trump are said to have discussed tariffs and the arrest in Iran of Cecilia Sala, an Italian journalist, Bloomberg reported, citing an unnamed person familiar with the matter.

The visit is also reported to have included a dinner and a screening of a new film called "The Eastman Dilemma: Lawfare or Justice."

"This is very exciting, I'm here with a fantastic woman, the prime minister of Italy," Trump reportedly told the crowd at Mar-a-Lago. "She's really taken Europe by storm, and everyone else, and we're just having dinner tonight."

It comes as Meloni — who received a rapturous welcome to the Palm Beach estate, according to videos circulating on social media — is set to welcome Biden to Rome for an official visit from January 9 to 12.

Meloni has been calling on EU members to carve out a positive relationship with Trump ahead of his return to office.

In a speech to the Italian parliament in December, Meloni said it was "essential to maintain a pragmatic, constructive and open approach with the new Trump administration, exploiting areas of potential and fruitful EU-U.S. cooperation and trying to prevent commercial disputes that would certainly not be good for anyone," per Politico.

She has also forged a growing bond with Elon Musk, who is set to co-lead the Department of Government Efficiency under Trump's incoming administration.

Following Trump's election win in November, Meloni took to X to announce that her "friend" Musk had been in touch.

"I am convinced that his commitment and vision will be an important resource for the United States and Italy, in a spirit of collaboration aimed at addressing future challenges," she wrote.

In June 2023, Meloni hosted Musk at the Italian prime minister's official residence, the Palazzo Chigi.

Meloni and the Tesla CEO reportedly discussed AI, birth rates, innovation, and European market rules.

The prime minister called the meeting "fruitful" and a "moment of great cordiality" in a post on X.

In December 2023, Musk was also the guest of honor at Meloni's "Atreju" political festival in Rome.

The topic of birth rates was on the agenda again, as Musk urged Italians and other developed nations to have more children.

For his part, Musk has called Meloni a "precious genius" who was "even more beautiful on the inside than she is on the outside."

Since his election, Trump has also welcomed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Argentinian President Javier Milei, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to Mar-a-Lago.

Business Insider has contacted Meloni's office for comment.

• Emirates is calling out social media platforms for not acting quicker to remove a video showing a fake plane crash.
• A video depicting a fake Emirates jet crash in Abu Dhabi has been circulating.
• "We urge all audiences to always check and refer to official sources," Emirates said.

Emirates has called out social media platforms for not acting quicker to remove a video showing a fake plane crash.

The video, which appears to be computer-generated, shows a fake Emirates plane crash in Abu Dhabi.

In a statement posted on X, Emirates said: "We are aware of a video circulating on social media depicting an Emirates plane crash. Emirates confirms it is fabricated content and untrue."

The airline said it was in contact with "various social media platforms" in an effort to get the video taken down or "make clear that it is digitally created footage to avoid false and alarming information from circulating."

"Unfortunately the platforms' responses to such content review requests are not quick enough, therefore necessitating this statement," it continued.

Emirates also urged people to check and refer to official sources.

The video was still available to view on some platforms at the time of writing.

Business Insider has contacted Emirates for comment.

It comes as the airline announced its first Airbus A350 aircraft had officially entered commercial service, operating a flight from Dubai to Edinburgh.

Adnan Kazim, the airline's deputy president and chief commercial officer, said the flight marked a "pivotal" moment for the company and that it underscored "the strategic importance of the UK within our global network."

The aircraft is the first of 65 A350s Emirates has ordered from Airbus.

• Ann Telnaes, a longtime Washington Post cartoonist, has announced she is quitting her position.
• She said the move came after a cartoon featuring the Post's owner, Jeff Bezos, was rejected.
• The Post's opinion editor said he disagreed "with her interpretation of events."

Ann Telnaes, an editorial cartoonist who has worked for The Washington Post since 2008, announced she was quitting her position after one of her cartoons was rejected.

The cartoon in question depicted Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos and other billionaires kneeling in front of a statue of President-elect Donald Trump.

In a Substack post, Telnaes wrote that the idea behind the cartoon was to criticize billionaire tech and media chief executives she said "have been doing their best to curry favor" with Trump.

Alongside Bezos, the cartoon shows Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg, LA Times owner Patrick Soon-Shiong, and Walt Disney mascot Mickey Mouse.

"I've never had a cartoon killed because of who or what I chose to aim my pen at. Until now," Telnaes wrote, adding that the paper's decision to kill the cartoon was "a game changer…and dangerous for a free press."

"As an editorial cartoonist, my job is to hold powerful people and institutions accountable," she continued. "For the first time, my editor prevented me from doing that critical job. So I have decided to leave the Post."

The Post's opinions editor, David Shipley, said in a statement that while he respected Telnaes and her work for the publication, he "must disagree with her interpretation of events."

"Not every editorial judgment is a reflection of a malign force," he said. "My decision was guided by the fact that we had just published a column on the same topic as the cartoon and had already scheduled another column — this one a satire — for publication. The only bias was against repetition."

Jeff Stein, a White House economics reporter at the Post, reshared the cartoon and a link to Telnaes' Substack post on X.

Telnaes, who won a Pulitzer Prize for Editorial Cartooning in 2001, has long been an advocate for free speech and editorial cartoons as a tool for civic debate.

She serves on the advisory board for the Geneva-based Freedom Cartoonists Foundation and was formerly a board member of Cartoonists Rights.

Telnaes concluded her Substack post by quoting the Post's slogan: "Democracy Dies in Darkness."

Jeff Bezos has owned The Washington Post since 2013, when his holding company, Nash Holdings, bought the newspaper for $250 million.

Business Insider has contacted Telnaes and Shipley for comment.