International
Microsoft in talks to acquire TikTok, says Trump

Microsoft in talks to acquire TikTok, says Trump
US President Donald Trump told reporters on Monday that Microsoft is in talks to acquire TikTok and that he would like to see a bidding war over the app.
Microsoft declined to comment. TikTok and ByteDance did not immediately respond to Reuters’ requests for a comment outside regular business hours.
TikTok, which has about 170 million American users, was briefly taken offline just before a law requiring its Chinese owner ByteDance to either sell it on national security grounds or face a ban took effect on Jan. 19.
Trump, after taking office on Jan. 20, signed an executive order seeking to delay by 75 days the enforcement of the law.
Trump said last week that he was in talks with multiple people over buying TikTok and would likely have a decision on the popular app’s future in 30 days.
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The US president has previously said that he was open to billionaire Elon Musk buying the social media app if the Tesla CEO wanted to do so. Musk, however, has not publicly commented on Trump’s offer.
More recently, AI startup Perplexity AI on Sunday made a proposal to merge with TikTok, with the US government getting up to half of the new company in future, Reuters reported.
The reported talks mark the second time that Microsoft has been in the frame to acquire TikTok.
During his first term, Trump ordered TikTok to separate its US version from ByteDance citing national security concerns.
Microsoft emerged as a top bidder in 2020, but the talks soon collapsed, and Trump’s divestment push ended a few months later when he left office.
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella called that deal the “strangest thing I’ve ever worked on.”
The US government had a “particular set of requirements and then it just disappeared,” he said in 2021.
Microsoft in talks to acquire TikTok, says Trump
International
Canada offers cybersecurity training with job placements for immigrants

Canada offers cybersecurity training with job placements for immigrants
The Canadian government, in collaboration with private sector partners, is offering a cybersecurity training programme in Calgary designed to support immigrants in securing employment in the growing tech industry.
The initiative provides hands-on learning and job placement opportunities in one of 16 entry-level cybersecurity roles. Participants will earn industry-recognized micro-credentials, equipping them with the skills needed to launch their careers.
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Funded by the Alberta Ministry of Jobs, Economy and Trade, the programme is delivered in partnership with ReTrain Canada and Manpower Canada. The 12-week training session, scheduled for March, will run Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Through this initiative, participants will gain expertise in cybersecurity fundamentals, encryption techniques, and applied penetration testing—all at no cost—while also receiving practical work experience to enhance their employability.
Canada offers cybersecurity training with job placements for immigrants
International
US ends legal status for 500,000 immigrants

US ends legal status for 500,000 immigrants
The United States said Friday it was terminating the legal status of hundreds of thousands of immigrants, giving them weeks to leave the country.
President Donald Trump has pledged to carry out the largest deportation campaign in US history and curb immigration, mainly from Latin American nations.
The order affects around 532,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans who came to the United States under a scheme launched in October 2022 by Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden and expanded in January the following year.
They will lose their legal protection 30 days after the Department of Homeland Security’s order is published in the Federal Register, which is scheduled Tuesday.
That means immigrants sponsored by the program “must depart the United States” by April 24 unless they have secured another immigration status allowing them to remain in the country, the order says.
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Welcome.US, which supports people seeking refuge in the United States, urged those affected by the move to “immediately” seek advice from an immigration lawyer.
The Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans (CHNV) program, announced in January 2023, allowed entry to the United States for two years for up to 30,000 migrants per month from the four countries, which have grim human rights records.
Biden touted the plan as a “safe and humane” way to ease pressure on the crowded US-Mexico border.
But the Department of Homeland Security stressed Friday that the scheme was “temporary.”
“Parole is inherently temporary, and parole alone is not an underlying basis for obtaining any immigration status, nor does it constitute an admission to the United States,” it said in the order.
Trump last week invoked rare wartime legislation to fly more than 200 alleged members of a Venezuelan gang to El Salvador, which has offered to imprison migrants and even US citizens at a discount.
US ends legal status for 500,000 immigrants
AFP
International
UK announces new passport application fees starting April 2025

UK announces new passport application fees starting April 2025
The UK government has confirmed it will introduce new fees for passport applications beginning on April 10th, 2025.
The changes, which are still subject to parliamentary approval, will see a rise in costs for both online and paper applications, affecting adults and children alike.
According to the UK Home Office, the adjustments will apply to both domestic and overseas passport applications.
The fee increases, as stated, are part of an ongoing effort to ensure the passport system is financially self-sustaining, reducing the need for funding from general taxation. The Home Office clarified that the government does not make any profit from the fees.
Fee increases for domestic applications
Starting April 10th, 2025, the fee for a standard online application within the UK will rise for both adults and children. The cost for an adult’s application will increase from £88.50 to £94.50, while for children it will go up from £57.50 to £61.50.
Postal applications will also see an increase, with the adult fee rising from £100 to £107 and the child fee increasing from £69 to £74.
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Charges to premium service fees
The Premium Service, which allows for passport issuance within one day, will also become more expensive.
- For adults, the fee will rise from £207.50 to £222
- For children, the fee will increase from £176.50 to £189.
This service is available for those who need a passport urgently and are applying from within the UK.
Higher costs for overseas applications
For individuals applying from overseas, the standard online application fee will also increase;
- The adult fee will rise from £101 to £108, and the child fee will increase from £65.50 to £70
- For paper applications made abroad, the adult fee will rise from £112.50 to £120.50, while the child fee will increase from £77 to £82.50.
The Home Office stated that the new fees are necessary to maintain the passport service and ensure it is financially viable. The fees contribute to covering the cost of processing passport applications, offering consular support to UK citizens overseas, and managing UK border services.
“The fees contribute to the cost of processing passport applications, consular support overseas, including for lost or stolen passports, and the cost of processing British citizens at UK borders,” the office said.
It is also related that in 2024, 99.7% of standard applications from the UK were processed within three weeks, where no additional information was required. Customers are advised to apply well in advance of their travel plans to avoid delays.
These fee adjustments are in line with guidelines from HM Treasury, which regularly reviews passport fees.
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