Northwestern University has agreed to pay $75 million to the U.S. government in a deal with the Trump administration to end a series of investigations and restore hundreds of millions of dollars in federal research funding.
President Trump’s administration had cut off $790 million in grants in a standoff that contributed to university layoffs and the resignation in September of Northwestern President Michael Schill. The administration said the school had not done enough to fight antisemitism.
Under the agreement announced Friday night, Northwestern will make the payment to the U.S. Treasury over the next three years. Among other commitments it also requires the university to revoke the so-called Deering Meadow agreement, which it signed in April 2024 in exchange for pro-Palestinian protesters ending their tent encampment on campus.
During negotiations with the Trump administration, interim university President Henry Bienen said Northwestern refused to cede control over hiring, admissions or its curriculum. “I would not have signed this agreement without provisions ensuring that is the case,” he said.
The agreement also calls for Northwestern to continue compliance with federal anti-discrimination laws, develop training materials to “socialize international students” with the norms of a campus dedicated to open debate, and uphold a commitment to Title IX by “providing safe and fair opportunities for women, including single-sex housing for any woman, defined on the basis of sex, who requests such accommodations and all-female sports, locker rooms, and showering facilities.”
Education Secretary Linda McMahon said the deal cements policy changes that will protect people on campus from harassment and discrimination.
“The reforms reflect bold leadership at Northwestern and they are a road map for institutional leaders around the country that will help rebuild public trust in our colleges and universities,” McMahon said.
Trump has leveraged government control of federal research money to push for ideological changes at elite colleges he claims are overrun by “woke” ideology.
The fine agreed to by Northwestern is the second-largest behind Columbia, which agreed in July to pay the government $200 million to resolve a series of investigations and restore its funding. Brown and Cornell also reached agreements with the government to restore funding after antisemitism investigations.
Harvard, the administration’s primary target, remains in negotiations with the federal government over its demands for changes to campus policies and governance. The Ivy League school sued over the administration’s cuts to its grant money and won a court victory in September when a federal judge ordered the government to restore federal funding, saying the Trump administration “used antisemitism as a smokescreen.”
This fall, the White House tried a different approach on higher education, offering preferential treatment for federal funds to several institutions in exchange for adopting policies in line with Trump’s agenda. The administration received a wave of initial rejections from some universities’ leadership, including USC’s, citing concerns that Trump’s higher education compact would suffocate academic freedom.
Apple TV has launched a rare Black Friday deal that sees the subscription cost cut in half for six months.
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Season two of Severance is Apple’s most-watched series ever.
Apple TV has unveiled a rare Black Friday deal that’s slashed its subscription cost by half. Across this Black Friday weekend, new and eligible returning subscribers can join Apple TV for £4.99 per month for six months.
This marks a 50% discount from the usual £9.99 and grants full access to series such as Slow Horses, Severance, Ted Lasso and The Studio, all while saving a cool £30. However, Apple TV has issued a ‘last chance’ warning to claim the deal before it expires on Monday, December 1.
It makes Apple TV the most affordable major streaming service when compared to the basic plans of Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video, which all now cost £5.99. After the six-month promotional period, Apple TV will revert to its usual price of £9.99 per month unless cancelled.
Those who take advantage of this offer will be able to stream every episode of titles including Pluribus, the new sci-fi drama from Breaking Bad creator Vince Gilligan. Emma Thompson’s mystery thriller Down Cemetery Road, based on Slow Horses author Mick Herron’s debut novel, is also streaming now.
Coming to Apple TV soon are Brad Pitt’s F1 (December 12), Hijack season two (January 14), and Godzilla series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters season two (February 27). It comes as Apple’s streaming service quietly underwent a significant change in October, dropping the ‘+’ from its name and rebranding simply as Apple TV, reports Wales Online.
Apple TV has had a record-breaking year for its original content, with season two of Severance surpassing Ted Lasso to become the platform’s most-watched series ever. It also dominated the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards, bagging a total of 22 wins for Severance, Slow Horses and The Studio.
The latter made Emmys history by scooping 13 awards – the highest ever for a comedy series – including Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Lead Actor for Seth Rogen. However, while Apple TV’s library is brimming with original content, it doesn’t offer the endless blockbusters and classic films found on rivals like Netflix or major Disney+ franchises such as Star Wars and Marvel.
What it does provide are exclusive titles featuring some of Hollywood’s biggest stars, including Jennifer Aniston, Jake Gyllenhaal, Gary Oldman, Brad Pitt and Matthew McConaughey, as well as legendary filmmakers like Martin Scorsese. Customers can enjoy 50% off Apple TV when signing up by December 1.
Published on 28/11/2025 – 17:03 GMT+1 •Updated
17:16
The EU member states agreed on Friday to cut tariffs on US imports as outlined in a controversial trade deal agreed last summer between the European Commission and the Trump administration to the detriment of European goods.
The move comes as US trade representatives urge EU capitals to fast-track the implementation of the deal which foresees the EU dropping tariffs to zero on most US industrial goods. A US delegation visited Brussels this week for talks.
The idea of adding a so-called “sunset clause” – a mechanism that would end the tariff concessions after a period of five years if the deal is not renewed – sparked a debate among EU countries but did not go ahead, signalling that member states do not want to antagonise Trump.
The EU-US trade agreement was concluded in July after months of tensions after US President Donald Trump imposed sweeping tariffs on partners worldwide in what he called “Liberation Day” for America. Under the deal, the EU will pay 15% tariffs on its exports to the US, while reducing its own tariffs on most US industrial products to zero.
No ‘sunset clause’ yet, but the Parliament could fight it
The deal has been widely criticised as a humiliation for Europe, although the Commission has defended it since arguing that it was the best possible outcome in the face of Trump’s aggressive trade stance. The alternative, Brussels argued, would have been worse.
Still, on Friday, the 27 backed the Commission’s much-maligned deal with a majority.
They also approved a clause allowing the Commission to suspend the deal if the US fails to implement it, as well as a safeguard mechanism enabling the Commission to temporarily halt the agreement if US imports surge and disrupt the European single market as a result of tariff concessions.
Member states also debated the introduction of a “sunset clause” that would permanently end the tariff reductions after five years if the deal is not renewed – an idea they expect the European Parliament to champion in upcoming talks.
Both institutions must agree on a common text by next spring to finalise the tariff cuts. According to an EU diplomat, most member states could accept adding the clause, but Germany opposes it as it fears retaliation.
The head of the Parliament’s trade committee, German MEP Bernd Lange (S&D), has already included the idea of a sunset clause in his report on the deal’s implementation which will serve as the basis for the European Parliament’s debate.
Inside the Commission, officials hope the Council and Parliament will refrain from unravelling the agreement negotiated with Washington on the basis that it could trigger another round of escalation and amplify a trade war.
Spanish language network Univision is back on YouTube TV after parent company TelevisaUnivision reached a new distribution agreement with the Google-owned streaming service.
TelevisaUnivision announced Wednesday that it has a multi-year “expanded partnership” with YouTube TV, which will carry the company’s U.S. networks including Univision, Unimas, TUDN and Galavisión on its base plan available to its 10 million subscribers.
The deal ends a two-month blackout of the channels, including Los Angeles flagship KMEX.
Under the new pact, YouTube will also make Univision’s subscription streaming service Vix available on its Primetime Channels hub.
“We are pleased to have reached an agreement that restores Univision to YouTube TV, ensuring millions of Hispanics can access the news, sports, and entertainment they care about and have relied on for over 70 years,” said Daniel Alegre, CEO of TelevisaUnivision, said in a statement.
YouTube TV had sought to move Univision’s channels to a more expensive Spanish-language add-on package, amounting to an 18% fee increase for customers.
Putting Univision on a higher-priced tier also would have cut into subscriber revenues, as the fees the networks received are based on the number of customers paying for the higher-priced tier.
The proposal became a major sticking point in negotiations, keeping the Univision channels off YouTube TV since Sept. 30 and drawing the attention of Washington. A number of legislators expressed concerns that consumers were being asked to pay more for Spanish-language programming.
YouTube TV was introduced in 2017 as a lower-priced alternative to cable and satellite packages. But the cost of programming goes up with every deal made to carry major networks, leading to blackouts and tense negotiations.
The Walt Disney Co.’s networks, including ESPN, were off YouTube TV for 10 days before the two sides could agree on a new carriage deal on Nov. 14.
NBCUniversal’s channels were also at risk of being pulled before a new deal was reached on Oct. 2.
The price of a YouTube TV subscription — $82.99 a month — has more than doubled since the service launched.
NEW YORK — After President Trump’s reported intervention, Paramount Pictures is set to distribute Brett Ratner’s “Rush Hour 4,” a project that Hollywood had eschewed after earlier sexual misconduct allegations against the director.
Paramount Pictures on Tuesday was in closing talks to distribute the film, according to a person close to the negotiations who requested anonymity because they weren’t authorized to announce a deal. Paramount would be stepping in to take a distribution fee on the film, not finance it.
In 2017, during the #MeToo movement, six women said Ratner sexually harassed them in a Los Angeles Times report. Warner Bros., which had a $450-million co-financing deal with his production company, severed ties with Ratner. Ratner, who denied the allegations, hasn’t produced a film this decade.
But on Sunday, Semafor reported that Trump personally requested Paramount take on “Rush Hour 4.” Paramount recently merged with Skydance in an $8-billion deal that required regulatory approval from the Trump administration. Trump has praised the studio’s new chair and chief executive, David Ellison, the son of Oracle executive chair and prominent Trump supporter Larry Ellison.
The White House didn’t immediately comment Wednesday.
Ratner had been shopping “Rush Hour 4” after Warner Bros., which released the three previous films in the franchise, passed on the project. The movie would reteam Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker in the action-comedy series launched in 1998, with sequels in 2001 and 2007.
Ratner has managed to get one other film made: a documentary on First Lady Melania Trump. Earlier this year, Amazon MGM Studios acquired the film for a reported $40 million. It’s set to open in theaters Jan. 30.
The annual United Nations climate conference has ended with an agreement that urges action to address global warming, but falls short of endorsing a phase-out of fossil fuels.
After two weeks of heated debates, meetings and negotiations at the COP30 summit in the Brazilian city of Belem, world leaders on Saturday agreed to a deal that calls for countries to “significantly accelerate and scale up climate action worldwide”.
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The text lays out a series of promises and measures – including a call for developed countries to triple their funding to help poorer nations respond to the crisis – but makes no mention of a fossil fuel phase-out.
Dozens of states had been calling forthe COP30 deal to lay out a framework to ease away from their reliance on oil, gas and coal – the major drivers of the climate crisis – but several countries that rely on fossil fuels had pushed back.
While observers say the deal marks a step forward in the world’s effort to address climate breakdown, several have argued that COP30 fell short of expectations.
Here’s a look at how some world leaders and climate advocates have reacted to the agreement.
COP30 President Andre Aranha Correa do Lago
“We know some of you had greater ambitions for some of the issues at hand. I know that you, civil society, will demand us to do more to fight climate change. I want to reaffirm that I will try not to disappoint you during my presidency,” he said during Saturday’s closing session.
“As [Brazilian] President [Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva] said at the opening of this COP, we need roadmaps so that humanity – in a just and planned manner – can overcome its dependence on fossil fuels, halt and reverse deforestation and mobilise resources for these purposes,” he said.
“I, as president of COP30, will therefore create two roadmaps: One on halting and reverting [reversing] deforestation and another to transitioning away from fossil fuels in a just, orderly and equitable manner.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres
“COP30 has delivered progress,” Guterres said in a statement, including the call to triple climate adaptation financing and recognition that the world is going to surpass the 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) target for global warming set under the Paris Agreement.
“But COPs are consensus-based – and in a period of geopolitical divides, consensus is ever harder to reach. I cannot pretend that COP30 has delivered everything that is needed. The gap between where we are and what science demands remains dangerously wide,” the UN chief said.
“I understand many may feel dissapointed [sic] – especially young people, Indigenous Peoples and those living through climate chaos. The reality of overshoot is a stark warning: We are approaching dangerous and irreversible tipping points,” he added.
Guterres speaks during COP30’s opening session in Belem on November 6, 2025 [Andre Coelho/EPA]
Wopke Hoekstra, European Union climate commissioner
“We’re not going to hide the fact that we would have preferred to have more, to have more ambition on everything,” Hoekstra told reporters.
“It is not perfect, but it is a hugely important step in the right direction.”
Colombian President Gustavo Petro
“I do not accept that the COP30 declaration does not clearly state, as science does, that the cause of the climate crisis is the fossil fuels used by capital. If that is not stated, everything else is hypocrisy,” Petro wrote on social media.
“Life on the planet, including our own, is only possible if we separate ourselves from oil, coal, and natural gas as energy sources; science has determined this, and I am not blind to science.
“Colombia opposes a COP30 declaration that does not tell the world the scientific truth.”
Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla
“While the results fell short of expectations, the Belem COP strengthens and demonstrates the importance of multilateralism in addressing major global challenges such as combating #climatechange,” he wrote on X.
“Among its key outcomes are the call for developed countries to provide climate finance for adaptation in developing countries, at least tripling current levels by 2035; the establishment of a mechanism to support our countries in just transitions; and the commitment from developed countries to fulfill their obligations under the Paris Agreement.”
China
“I’m happy with the outcome,” Li Gao, head of China’s delegation at COP30, told the AFP news agency.
“We achieved this success in a very difficult situation, so it shows that the international community would like to show solidarity and make joint efforts to address climate change.”
Alliance of Small Island States
A group representing the interests of 39 small island and low-lying coastal states described the deal as “imperfect” but said it nevertheless was a step towards “progress”.
“Ultimately, this is the push and pull of multilateralism. The opportunity for all countries to be heard and to listen to each other’s perspectives, to collaborate, build bridges, and reach common ground,” the Alliance of Small Island States said in a statement.
Amnesty International
Ann Harrison, climate justice adviser at Amnesty International, noted that COP30 host Brazil had promised to make sure “every voice is heard and made strenuous efforts to broaden participation, which should be replicated”.
“Yet the lack of participatory, inclusive, and transparent negotiations left both civil society and Indigenous Peoples, who answered the global mutirao [working together] call in large numbers, out of the real decision making,” Harrison said in a statement.
Still, she said “people power” had helped achieve “a commitment to develop a Just Transition mechanism that will streamline and coordinate ongoing and future efforts to protect the rights of workers, other individuals and communities affected by fossil fuel phase out”.
Oxfam
Viviana Santiago, executive director of Oxfam Brasil, said COP30 “offered a spark of hope but far more heartbreak, as the ambition of global leaders continues to fall short of what is needed for a liveable planet”.
“A truly just transition requires those who built their fortunes on fossil fuels to move first and fastest – and provide finance in the form of grants, not loans, so front-line communities can do the same. Instead, the poorest countries already in debt are being told to transition faster, with fewer funds,” Santiago said.
“The spark of hope lies in the proposed Belem Action Mechanism, which puts workers’ rights and justice at the centre of the shift away from fossil fuels. But without financing from rich countries, the just energy transition risks becoming stalled in many countries.”
THIS former Disney Channel star had her first taste of stardom back in 2016 appearing in hit teen drama Backstage.
But it was her dazzling vocal talent that really piqued people’s attention with her most popular hit, the viral Princesses Don’t Cry, going on to rack up over 250 million streams.
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The child star shared a TikTok talking about her days of stardomCredit: TiktokThough she now lives at home with her parents, she’s incredibly grateful and “wouldn’t have it any other way”Credit: TiktokShe played Alya Kendrick in Disney’s Backstage as a teenCredit: YouTube/Disney
But despite her notable accolades, child star Aviva Chiara Mongillo, who released music under the name ‘CARYS’, is now back living at her parent’s house.
The now 27-year-old, who played Alya Kendrick in Backstage, shared a candid moment about her current living situation with fans online.
Aviva took to TikTok to share a meme about the complete U-turn her life seems to have taken, while simultaneously expressing gratitude for the way her life is today.
“When you were on Disney channel, signed to a major label and had a viral song before the age of 20 and now you’re 27 living with your parents,” the actress-turned-musician quipped, smiling at the camera in a red jumper.
She quipped: “To be honest, I don’t know what happened but we need a re-do”.
There didn’t seem to be any real ill feeling towards her current lifestyle though, as Aviva thoughtfully captioned the post to say she “wouldn’t change a thing”.
“for real though… I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m grateful that this is my life.”
The post has currently been liked around 90,000 times, with fans flooding the comments section with praises.
“Aviva Mongillo you will always be famous to me,” gushed one user in a comment Aviva has hearted.
“Backstage is one of my favourite disney shows ever!!!,” exclaimed another.
Though one of the most common comments was people shocked to learn that Aviva was the voice behind Princesses Don’t Cry, as she wasn’t recognisable.
“YOU’RE THE ONE WHO MADE PRINCESSES DONT CRY???,” said one of the post’s top comments with over 4,200 “likes”.
The star simply responded with “YOU BETCHA”.
Princesses Don’t Cry came out in 2019 and immediately gained popularity through TikTok and other social media platforms.
Aviva had a hit song in 2019-2020 that went viral on TikTokCredit: Wikipedia
Sung under the artist name CARYS, the song subverts traditional fairy tales by asserting that princesses are strong and independent, not “crying over boys with pretty eyes”.
Meanwhile, Aviva’s stint on Backstage saw her star in sixty episodes where she frequently sung and played guitar.
Initially, Aviva was discovered by a music producer who was looking to craft music to feature on Backstage.
But later on she was encouraged to audition for a role instead, eventually landing the part of Alya Kendrick.
Aviva ultimately left backstage in season two to go on tour with the cast of La Boheme.
After her Disney days, Aviva went on to star in comedy-drama Workin’ Moms as the recurring character Juniper.
Aviva had blonde looks when she starred in hit Disney show BackstageCredit: DisneyAviva Mongillo was a Disney star fan-favouriteCredit: AlamyShe’s written other popular songs too, including No More, Bad Boy, and When A GirlCredit: Instagram
Intuit is the first new founding partner of the 2028 Olympics and Paralympics to take advantage of venue naming opportunities available for the L.A. Games as the financial technology company and LA28 announced a sponsorship deal Friday.
Per the partnership, Intuit will retain its name on Intuit Dome for Olympic basketball competitions and work with LA28 to assist small businesses in the city, provide select U.S. athletes with free tax preparation and expand financial education for students in the L.A. community.
Previously, the International Olympic Committee required “clean venues,” which necessitated scrubbing all mention of corporate sponsorship. It has required LA28 organizers to use generic names such as Exposition Park Stadium for BMO Stadium or 2028 Stadium for SoFi Stadium.
But after the IOC and LA28 announced an agreement in August that opened potential venue naming rights, Honda Center (volleyball), Peacock Theater (weightlifting and boxing) and the Comcast Squash Center at Universal Studios became the first venues to have corporate sponsorship. Honda and Comcast had already previously announced deals to become founding partners with LA28.
John Slusher, chief executive of LA28’s commercial operation, believed Intuit, which is in a 23-year partnership with the Clippers, would have been a potential Olympic partner no matter what, he said the pace of conversations picked up after naming rights became available. The Intuit Dome will host men’s and women’s basketball competitions that are among the most popular Olympic events and basketball is one of the few sports that competes for the duration of the Games, giving the arena a prime position in the Olympic spotlight.
“It wasn’t just any building. It was an incredibly important and state-of-the-art building,” Slusher said in an interview with The Times. “And it obviously ties so well with their investment in Los Angeles and what they do with the dome right now.”
Intuit Dome opened in 2024 for the Clippers. Hailed for its innovative use of technology, massive halo board and large fan section dubbed “The Wall,” the project from Clippers owner Steve Ballmer has already secured hosting rights for the NBA All-Star Game in February.
“Intuit is incredibly proud to be a founding partner of the LA28 Games,” Intuit chief marketing officer Thomas Ranese said in a statement. “Our commitment to powering prosperity aligns perfectly with the spirit of the movement: celebrating determination, optimism, and the belief in what’s possible. Just as athletes strive for gold, we empower consumers and businesses to outdo their financial goals with confidence.”
Conversations with partners regarding naming rights for temporary venues have started, Slusher said, beginning with companies already involved in The Olympic Partner (TOP) program. While no deals have closed for temporary venues yet, the initial feedback from partners “seems incredibly excited,” Slusher said.
The venue naming rights opened a never-before-tapped revenue stream for the 2028 Games, which are expected to cost about $7.1 billion. Organizers are hoping to cover at least $2.5 billion with domestic sponsorship. The financial terms of Friday’s contract were not disclosed, but founding-level partnerships are reported to start at roughly $200 million, according to Sports Business Journal.
The organizing committee had lofty marketing expectations heading into 2025. Hoping to capitalize on the successful 2024 Paris Games, the group aimed to bring in $800 million to $1 billion in deals this year and reach $2 billion total by the beginning of 2026. After announcing three founding-level partnerships this year between Intuit, Honda and Starbucks, Slusher says he believes the team is on track to meet its goals.
“We feel very confident that what we said back then will be true,” Slusher said. “So we’re feeling great about the progress. I think we saw an incredible momentum in the first quarter, and now what we’re seeing is that same momentum. … We are super excited about it and more to come.”
Every last deal matters approaching the July 14, 2028, opening ceremony. Any debt incurred from Games operation by LA28 will fall to L.A. The city is on the hook for the first $270 million in overrun costs, with California picking up the next $270 million and the rest falling back to L.A.
The deal announced Wednesday by the league will also return baseball to NBC and bring three MLB events — an opening night game, the Home Run Derby and the Field of Dreams game — to Netflix for the first time.
As part of the deal, ESPN will integrate the league’s streaming platform MLB.TV into its recently launched direct-to-consumer service that provides the sports channels to consumers with or without a cable subscription.
MLB.TV provides local telecasts of out-of-market games to consumers. In the 2026 season, new customers will now be able to purchase the service as part of an ESPN subscription. Pricing has not yet been set for the combined services.
ESPN Unlimited subscribers will get an additional 150 out-of-market games over the course of the season at no additional cost. ESPN will offer local games in the six MLB markets that no longer have regional sports networks — San Diego, Cleveland, Seattle, Minnesota, Arizona and Colorado. The games, which are produced by MLB, will be available to purchase for streaming in those markets through ESPN.
ESPN will no longer carry “Sunday Night Baseball,” a staple of the network for decades, but will have a package of 30 weeknight games. It will also retain its coverage of the MLB Little League Classic and carry a game on Memorial Day.
ESPN is paying $550 million for the new three-year package, the same as the last contract, according to people familiar with talks who were not authorized to comment publicly.
While ESPN and MLB exchanged harsh words when their longtime arrangement broke up earlier this year, both sides praised the eventual outcome, which puts a greater emphasis on streaming.
“Bringing MLB.TV to ESPN’s new app while maintaining a presence on linear television reflects a balanced approach to the shifts taking place in the way that fans watch baseball and gives MLB a meaningful presence on an important destination for fans of all sports,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.
ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro called the deal “a fan-friendly agreement” that prioritizes the Walt Disney Co. unit’s “streaming future.”
“Sunday Night Baseball” will move to NBC, with 25 prime-time games on the broadcast network or NBCUniversal’s streaming platform Peacock. Already the home of “Sunday Night Football,” and “Sunday Night Basketball,” the addition of the MLB — at $200 million a season — means NBC will have live sports in prime time on every Sunday throughout the year.
The network is also picking up the wild card round of the MLB postseason that had been carried on ESPN.
In 2027 and 2028, NBC will carry the most consequential game played on the final Sunday of the season.
NBC Sports also gains the rights to the late Sunday morning game, which will be carried on Peacock and followed by a “whip-around” show presenting action from contests around the league that day. Peacock carried the morning game in 2023 and 2024 before it went to Roku this past season.
MLB games exclusive to Peacock will also be shown on the newly launched NBC Sports Network, which is being offered to cable and satellite TV providers.
Netflix is paying around $50 million per year to carry the 2026 opening night game between the San Francisco Giants and the New York Yankees on March 25. The annual Home Run Derby, previously on ESPN, also moves to the streamer, as does the Field of Dreams game, which will be played in Dyersville, Iowa, where the set for “Field of Dreams” is located.
The deal continues Netflix’s approach of offering appointment sporting events to its subscribers rather than investing in a full season package.
The new MLB deals only run for three years. The league wants them to align with its major TV rights package that includes the playoffs, the World Series and the All-Star Game. Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery’s TBS carry those packages until 2028.
President Donald Trump has designated Saudi Arabia a major non-NATO ally of the United States during a visit by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to Washington, DC, where the two leaders reached agreements covering arms sales, civil nuclear cooperation, artificial intelligence and critical minerals.
During a formal black-tie dinner at the White House on Tuesday evening, Trump made the announcement that he was taking “military cooperation to even greater heights by formally designating Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally”.
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Trump said the designation was “something that is very important to them, and I’m just telling you now for the first time because I wanted to keep a little secret for tonight”.
The designation means a US partner benefits from military and economic privileges but it does not entail security commitments.
Saudi Arabia and the US also signed a “historic strategic defence agreement”, Trump said.
A White House fact sheet said the defence agreement, “fortifies deterrence across the Middle East”, makes it easier for US defence firms to operate in Saudi Arabia and secures “new burden-sharing funds from Saudi Arabia to defray US costs”.
“I’m pleased to announce that we are taking our military cooperation to even greater heights by formally designating Saudi Arabia as a major non-NATO ally.” – President Donald J. Trump 🇺🇸🇸🇦 pic.twitter.com/PXXGGCBPGU
Saudi F-35 deal raises questions about Israel’s ‘qualitative military edge’
Saudi Arabia’s purchase of the stealth fighter jets would mark the first US sale of the advanced fighter planes to Riyadh. The kingdom has reportedly requested to buy 48 of the aircraft.
The move is seen as a significant policy shift by Washington that could alter the military balance of power in the Middle East, where US law states that Israel must maintain a “qualitative military edge”.
Israel has been the only country in the Middle East to have the F-35 until now.
Asked by Al Jazeera’s Kimberly Halkett about the impact of the jet fighter deal on Israel’s “qualitative military edge”, Trump said he was aware that Israel would prefer that Riyadh receive warplanes of “reduced calibre”.
“I don’t think that makes you too happy,” Trump said, addressing the crown prince, who was seated beside him in the White House.
“They’ve been a great ally. Israel’s been a great ally. … As far as I’m concerned, I think they are both at a level where they should get top of the line,” Trump said of the F-35 deal.
Al Jazeera’s Alan Fisher, reporting from the White House, said part of the almost $1 trillion investment in the US announced by Prince Mohammed included $142bn for the procurement of the F-35 fighter jets, “the most advanced of their kind in the world”.
Fisher also said the Israeli government and lobbyists had tried to block the sale of F-35s to Saudi Arabia.
The agreements announced were about “much more” than Saudi investment in the US, he added.
“It’s about helping each other’s economy, business and defence. Politics isn’t near the top of the agenda, but both countries believe these deals could create a political reset in the Middle East,” Fisher said.
‘A clear path’ for Palestinian state
The two countries also signed a joint declaration on the completion of negotiations on civil nuclear energy cooperation, which the White House said would build the legal foundation for a long-term nuclear energy partnership with Riyadh.
Israeli officials had suggested that they would not be opposed to Saudi Arabia getting F-35s as long as Saudi Arabia normalises relations with Israel under the Abraham Accords framework.
The Saudis, however, have said they would join the Abraham Accords but only after there is a credible and guaranteed path to Palestinian statehood, a position Prince Mohammed repeated in the meeting with Trump.
“We want to be part of the Abraham Accords, but we want also to be sure that we secure a clear path of a two-state solution,” he said.
“We’re going to work on that to be sure that we come prepared for the situation as soon as possible to have that,” he added.
Saudi Aerospace Solutions (SAS) has signed an agreement to purchase 100 electric helicopters from the Chinese company Vertaxi. This reflects Saudi Arabia’s commitment to strengthening its technological partnership with China in the field of future aviation. Saudi Arabian Airlines confirmed its intention to use these small, electric-powered aircraft, acquired through the “Vertaxi” deal, to transport pilgrims between Mecca and Jeddah, as well as visitors to major sporting events in Riyadh and other tourist destinations. The low-altitude economy (LAE), represented by “Vertaxi,” is a strategic and emerging sector in China, combining advanced manufacturing with new business models such as smart cities. SAS’s vision is to establish Saudi Arabia as a regional hub for the LEA by 2030.
Through this deal with China’s Vertaxi and Saudi Aerospace Solutions Group, it continues to pursue its ambitious goals of connecting the world to Saudi Arabia. This includes offering several advantages, such as linking multiple destinations via this advanced Chinese electric aircraft and supporting them with air routes between the major airports where the Saudi group operates. This initiative aligns with Saudi Arabia’s vision of economic diversification and the shift towards smart transportation models that could impact future technological and regional balances. The 8th China International Import Expo witnessed the signing of an agreement between Saudi Aerospace Solutions Group and Vertaxi, a Chinese company specializing in electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Saudi Aerospace Solutions Group signed a letter of intent to purchase 100 Vertaxi M1 electric cargo VTOL aircraft. The electric aircraft included in the deal are among the first fully electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles.
These aircraft are distinguished by their ability to take off and land vertically, eliminating the need for traditional airports. They can travel up to 175 km at speeds of up to 260 km/h, offering significant time savings for individual passengers compared to other options, and can accommodate up to six passengers.
Through this deal with China, Saudi Arabia, officially through the Saudi Solutions Group, aims to enter a new era and achieve leadership in the aviation and air transport sector in the region. The Saudi electric aircraft deal with China will provide unprecedented solutions and new air routes to connect pilgrims to Mecca during the Hajj and Umrah seasons. It will also enable visitors to Saudi Arabia to quickly access sporting and entertainment events and tourist sites, in addition to connecting the Kingdom’s mega-projects within the framework of Saudi Vision 2030 with distinguished air services that meet the future aspirations of Saudis. Furthermore, this deal achieves a highly important objective for Saudi Arabia, which is continuing the implementation of initiatives supporting sustainability and environmental conservation (electric aircraft), which are characterized by their reduced carbon dioxide emissions. This Saudi deal with China will contribute to providing more flights and reducing travel times by up to 90%, including to long-distance tourist destinations. It will also offer effective transportation solutions in areas congested with pilgrims, travelers, and traffic jams. Furthermore, this Saudi-Chinese agreement will contribute to reducing traffic congestion, saving time, expanding the range of premium services for VIP guests visiting Saudi Arabia, and providing a seamless and luxurious travel experience. This will also contribute to boosting tourism and business within the Kingdom.
Saudi Arabia is relying on the air transport electrification deal with China as a practical path to decarbonizing this vital and important sector, which is currently characterized by high emissions and environmental damage. Currently, environmentally friendly and low-carbon-emission electric aircraft represent a very small percentage of the global aviation fleet. Saudi Solutions Company will collaborate with the Chinese company Vertaxi to develop local applications for these aircraft. Electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) cargo services in Saudi Arabia, including low-level logistics, marine power transport, and security inspection.
This Saudi deal with China comes at a time when China is accelerating its plans to strengthen its global digital presence. Tencent (the Chinese giant) is also simultaneously taking new steps in the Saudi market through cloud investments, in line with the goals of the Kingdom’s Vision 2030 for digital transformation. Dawson Tong, senior executive vice president of Tencent and CEO of its Cloud and Smart Industries Group, confirmed that “the new data center in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, represents a significant growth opportunity,” explaining that the Chinese partnership with Saudi Arabia is nearing completion of its final launch stages. He officially confirmed that “we already serve many Chinese companies that are increasing their investments in Saudi Arabia, and a number of our partners have lined up to benefit from the new data center in Riyadh, which allows us to expand not only within the Kingdom but throughout the entire region.”
In this context, Saudi and Chinese companies signed 34 investment agreements on the sidelines of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Saudi Arabia in December 2022. These Saudi-Chinese agreements covered various sectors, including green energy and green hydrogen, solar photovoltaic energy, information technology, transportation and logistics, medical industries, housing, and construction, among others. Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 offers diverse investment opportunities in partnership with China across multiple sectors as part of the Saudi government’s efforts to diversify the economy away from crude oil, which is currently the Kingdom’s primary source of income.
In the future industries sector, the Saudi Business Industries Company (Sahl Al-Aamal) signed a cooperation agreement with two Chinese companies: China New Energy and Eurasia. The aim is to establish a specialized electric vehicle manufacturing plant in Saudi Arabia, with investments totaling one billion Saudi riyals. This new Saudi-Chinese project also aims to support Saudi Arabia’s drive towards sustainable transportation, increase local content, and create quality job opportunities through partnership with Chinese companies.
These Saudi steps towards partnership and cooperation with China come within the framework of the “Vision 100 strategy” to expand its international partnerships and enhance its ability to transfer advanced technologies and knowledge to the Saudi market, thus contributing to driving economic development and achieving sustainability.
From the preceding analysis, we conclude that the Saudi-Chinese partnership, through the helicopter deal with the Chinese company Vertaxi and others, promotes environmentally friendly industrial innovation. With the joint Saudi-Chinese effort to strengthen partnership in artificial intelligence and petrochemicals to develop sustainable and environmentally friendly technologies, Saudi Arabia has affirmed its readiness to welcome Chinese investments through the development of industrial cities, aiming to increase the number of its factories to more than 26,000 by 2030 through cooperation with China.
The announcement underscores AI industry’s insatiable appetite for computing power as companies race to build systems that can rival or surpass human intelligence.
Published On 18 Nov 202518 Nov 2025
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Microsoft and Nvidia plan to invest in Anthropic under a new tie-up that includes a $30bn commitment by the Claude maker to use Microsoft’s cloud services, the latest high-profile deal binding together major players in the AI industry.
Nvidia will commit up to $10bn to Anthropic and Microsoft up to $5bn, the companies said on Tuesday, without sharing more details.
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A person familiar with the matter said both the companies have committed to investing in Anthropic’s next funding round.
The announcement underscores the AI industry’s insatiable appetite for computing power as companies race to build systems that can rival or surpass human intelligence. It also ties major OpenAI-backer Microsoft, as well as key AI chip supplier Nvidia, closer to one of the ChatGPT maker’s biggest rivals.
“We’re increasingly going to be customers of each other. We will use Anthropic models, they will use our infrastructure and we’ll go to market together,” Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella said in a video. He added that OpenAI “remains a critical partner”.
The move comes weeks after OpenAI unveiled a sweeping restructuring that moved it further away from its non-profit roots, giving it greater operational and financial freedom.
The startup has since then announced a $38bn deal to buy cloud services from Amazon.com as it reduces reliance on Microsoft. Its CEO, Sam Altman, has said OpenAI is committed to spending $1.4 trillion to develop 30 gigawatts of computing resources – enough to roughly power 25 million US homes.
Still, three years after ChatGPT’s debut, investors are increasingly uneasy that the AI boom has outrun fundamentals. Some business leaders have noted that circular deals – in which one partner props up another’s revenue – add to the bubble risk.
“The main feature of the partnership is to reduce the AI economy’s reliance on OpenAI,” D A Davidson analyst Gil Luria said of Tuesday’s announcement.
“Microsoft has decided not to rely on one frontier model company. Nvidia was also somewhat dependent on OpenAI’s success and is now helping generating broader demand.
AI industry consolidating
Founded in 2021 by former OpenAI staff, Anthropic was recently valued at $183bn and has become a major rival to the ChatGPT maker, driven by the strong adoption of its services by enterprise customers.
The Reuters news agency reported last month that Anthropic was projecting to more than double and potentially nearly triple its annualised revenue run rate to around $26bn next year. It has more than 300,000 business and enterprise customers.
As part of Tuesday’s move, Anthropic will work with Nvidia on chips and models to improve performance and commit up to 1 gigawatt of compute using Nvidia’s Grace Blackwell and Vera Rubin hardware. Industry executives estimate that one gigawatt of AI computing can cost between $20bn and $25bn.
Microsoft will also give Azure AI Foundry customers access to the latest Claude models, making Claude the only frontier model offered across all three major cloud providers.
“These investments reflect how the AI industry is consolidating around a few key players,” eMarketer analyst Jacob Bourne said.
Despite the looming deal, Microsoft shares are down 3.2 percent in midday trading. Nvidia is also trading 1.9 percent lower than at the market open, and Amazon has fallen 4 percent. Tech stocks remain under pressure after a cloud services outage earlier on Tuesday. Neither OpenAI nor Anthropic is publicly traded.
A resolution opposing the Mercosur trade agreement is set to be voted on Tuesday in France in the parliamentary committee on European affairs at the National Assembly.
Facing growing domestic opposition, French President Emmanuel Macron has limited room for manoeuvre when it comes to the Mercosur trade agreement, which includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay, and Brussels wants to sign before the end of the year.
The resolution, signed by 103 French MPs, calls on the French government to refer the matter to the EU Court of Justice, arguing that the trade deal violates EU treaties.
According to the MPs, the European Commission’s decision not to submit the trade part of the agreement to national parliaments for approval is illegal.
It comes a week after Macron met with French farmers and gave them insurances he would not back the deal in Brussels.
The president “was extremely clear,” reported French Agriculture Minister Annie Genevard after the meeting on 12 November: “France cannot approve at this stage the draft agreement with the Mercosur countries because this draft agreement does not protect the interests of farmers.”
However, the French President softened his position after the Commission proposed attaching a strengthened safeguard clause to the agreement to control any disruptions to the internal market resulting from an increase in imports of products from Latin America.
The Mercosur agreement aims to create a free trade area across the Atlantic by eliminating tariffs. But France has opposed this deal for years citing the risk of competition distortion with European agricultural products and environmental concerns.
On a trip to Brazil on 7 November, Macron seemed to take a step toward the agreement.
“I am rather positive, but I remain vigilant because I also defend France’s interests,” he said before adding that France had been “heard by the [European] Commission” on several of its concerns.
A blocking minority against the deal is uncertain
If France were to oppose the agreement, it would need to move quickly to form a blocking minority in the Council, the institution that brings together the EU member states.
A blocking minority requires at least four member states representing 35% of the population. And it is not clear that he has the numbers.
So far, Hungary and Poland has said it opposed the deal, while Ireland, Austria and the Netherlands, say they wait for the text of the agreement to be fully translated before deciding. Translation work should be finalised on 11 December.
The key country is Italy and a change of heart from Rome could be game changer.
EU trade commissioner Maroš Šefčovič travelled to Italy at the end of October and gave assurances that the deal will not harm Italian farmers.
Supporters of the agreement, led by Germany and Spain, argue that it is necessary in the face of Chinese competition in the region and the tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on EU exports to the US.
But the issue is far from settled in the EU Parliament as well.
A group of 145 MEPs submitted a resolution last Friday also calling for a referral to the EU Court of Justice. If it were adopted by all MEPs at the end of this month, the referral would suspend the ratification process of the agreement.
Nov. 17 (UPI) — Luxury air carrier Emirates will order dozens of new Boeing aircrafts in a deal worth tens of billions of dollars.
On Monday, Emirates said it ordered 65 additional new Boeing 777-9 planes worth $38 billion at list prices to bring its total to 315 orders for Boeing’s wide-body jets.
“This is a long-term commitment to our partnership with Boeing and to U.S. aerospace,” according to Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman and CEO of Emirates Airline and Group.
The news arrived on opening day of the Dubai Airshow 2025.
“We are expanding our commitment,” added Al Maktoum in a statement.
Headquartered in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates — where Boeing opened a regional UAE office in 2015 — is the Boeing’s largest wide-body jet supplier.
Boeing said the 777-9 will be the world’s largest twin-engine jet, reduce fuel use and emissions by 20% and “set new standards in efficiency and passenger experience.”
“Already the world’s largest customer for GE90 and GP7200 engines, this additional GE9X order reflects Emirates’ confidence in our technology and our team,” Russell Stokes, president and CEO of commercial engines and services at GE Aerospace, told CNBC.
GE Aerospace is producing its GE 9X engines for Boeing’s 777-9. It takes the Emirate order to a rough 540 unit total, according to the company.
Stokes said GE Aerospace was “ready to support Emirates in every way to leverage the efficiency and durability of our industry-leading solutions and services.”
According to Boeing officials, the Arab region is anticipated to need nearly 3,000 new wide-body jets over the next 20 years.
Boeing currently struggles with production and certification issues and the Emirate order could impose delivery timeline hurdles into 2027.
It arrived nearly two years to the date of Emirates’ 2023 announcement during Dubai’s 2023 Airshow it would buy some 95 wide-body Boeing jets in a $52 billion orderbook.
Forward Adrian Kempe agreed to an eight-year, $85-million contract to stay with the Kings, a person with knowledge of the deal told the Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity Sunday because the Kings hadn’t announced their deal with the 29-year-old Kempe, who would have been an unrestricted free agent next summer. The deal extends through the 2033-34 season and has an average annual value of $10.625 million.
Kempe has been the Kings’ most dependable offensive player over the last four seasons, earning an All-Star selection in 2022 and leading the Kings to four straight playoff appearances. The Swedish right wing has 200 goals and 220 assists in a 10-year career spent entirely with the Kings, which drafted him with the 29th overall pick in 2014.
Kempe scored a career-high 41 goals during the 2022-23 season and has four consecutive 25-goal seasons. He leads the Kings with six goals and 13 assists in 19 games this season while playing extensively on special teams.
Kempe is also on Sweden’s initial roster for the 2026 Olympics.
Re-signing Kempe has been a top priority for new Kings general manager Ken Holland, who said he wanted to maintain a foundation of leadership and talent when longtime captain Anze Kopitar retires next year. But negotiations with Kempe stretched from the summer into the season, leading to increasing speculation that Kempe would hit the open market next year.
Instead, Kempe joins the list of potential 2026 free agents who re-signed with their teams in the last two months. Connor McDavid, Martin Necas, Jack Eichel and Kirill Kaprizov all committed to their respective teams recently.
The Kings (10-5-4) rebounded from a slow start with four consecutive victories on their six-game road swing. They play at Washington on Monday.
The agreement is not expected to immediately change things on the ground, but to move forward a larger peace process.
Published On 15 Nov 202515 Nov 2025
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Representatives from the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Rwandan-backed M23 rebel group have signed a peace deal in Qatar with the ultimate goal of putting an end to years of fighting.
Qatar and the United States announced the “comprehensive” deal in Doha on Saturday, setting it up as a roadmap to stop the deadly fighting and improve the dire humanitarian situation in the Central African nation.
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The two sides have been holding mediated talks for months, and signed a truce deal in July that must still be subjected to more negotiations over exactly how it will be implemented.
Addressing a press conference in Doha on Saturday, Qatar’s Minister of State Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi said the latest agreement enhances the process in order to “find peaceful solutions through dialogue and understanding” to re-establish calm in the DRC.
He said the different sides achieved progress on several substantial topics in order to build on previous agreements discussed and signed over the past several months.
The agreement includes eight implementation protocols, two of which have already been signed, including one on ceasefire monitoring and another on prisoner exchange.
The rest of the protocols are expected to be discussed and finalised over the coming weeks. They will include a timeline as well as details on how different processes will work, how humanitarian aid will be allowed to reach the ailing population, and how to enable the return of refugees and internally displaced people.
Restoring state authority, implementing economic reforms, reintegration of armed groups into the government and the elimination of foreign groups are among other protocols that will need to be finalised.
Both sides have agreed to establish an independent committee to implement the peace process, and also to provide recommendations for recompensation within the framework of national reconciliation, which will be in line with the constitution of the republic, Qatar’s Al-Khulaifi said.
Massad Boulos, a senior advisor and envoy for US President Donald Trump who represented Washington in the talks, thanked the state of Qatar and other stakeholders who assisted the process, including the African Union and the state of Togo.
He told the conference in Doha that the agreement comes amid joint efforts with Qatar that have also yielded results in other areas, including the ceasefire deal reached between Israel and Hamas.
“Today is a historic occasion in many ways,” he said, referring to the framework deal on DRC as a “launching pad” for an eventual peace deal that will be built based on previous and ongoing negotiations.
“People were expecting some immediate results on the ground, but this is a process, this is not a light switch that you can turn on and off, and there are many angles to it,” Boulos said.
Reporting from Goma, Al Jazeera’s Alain Uakyani said the peace agreement has inspired hope among the population in the DRC, but not for any immediate and tangible changes on the ground.
He pointed out that the M23 said its forces were bombarded by the government on Saturday morning, but managed to take more ground from DRC soldiers.
Cargo shipping containers sit at Port Jersey container terminal in Jersey City, N.J., on April 10. The Swiss government said it reached a deal with the United States to lower tariffs. File Photo by Angelina Katsanis/UPI | License Photo
Nov. 14 (UPI) — The Trump administration has agreed to lower tariffs on Swiss goods imported to the United States, a statement from the Swiss government said Friday.
The agreement drops tariffs on Swiss imports from 39% to 15%. The higher rate went into effect in August after President Donald Trumpraised tariffs on dozens of trading partners to correct what he described as a trade imbalance.
The United States had a $38 billion trade deficit with Switzerland in 2024, according to U.S. Commerce Department data cited by CNN.
“Switzerland and the U.S. have successfully found a solution: U.S. tariffs will be reduced to 15%,” the Swiss government said in a post on X.
“Thanks to President Trump @POTUS for the constructive agreement.”
The announcement came after Swiss officials met with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. The Swiss government said further details about the agreement would be announced at 4 p.m. CET.
“They’re going to send a lot of manufacturing here to the United States — pharmaceuticals, gold smelting, railway equipment — so we’re really excited about that deal and what it means for American manufacturing,” Greer said in an appearance on CNBC’sSquawk Box.
He said the deal had been in the works since April.
President Donald Trump signs the funding package to reopen the federal government in the Oval Office of the White House on Wednesday. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
President Gustavo Petro says purchase of warplanes is a ‘deterrent weapon to achieve peace’ amid ‘messy’ geopolitics.
Published On 15 Nov 202515 Nov 2025
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Colombian President Gustavo Petro has announced a $4.3bn deal to buy Swedish warplanes at a time when his country is locked in tension with the United States.
Speaking on Friday, Petro confirmed an agreement was reached with Sweden’s Saab aircraft manufacturer to buy 17 Gripen fighter jets, giving the first confirmation of the size and cost of the military acquisition that was initially announced in April.
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“This is a deterrent weapon to achieve peace,” Petro said in a post on social media.
The purchase of warplanes comes as Colombia and much of remaining Latin America are on edge due to a US military build-up in the region, and as US forces carry out a campaign of deadly attacks on vessels in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific.
Washington claims – but has provided no evidence – that it has targeted drug smuggling vessels in its 20 confirmed attacks that have killed about 80 people so far in international waters.
Latin American leaders, legal scholars and rights groups have accused the US of carrying out extrajudicial killings of people who should face the courts if suspected of breaking laws related to drug smuggling.
US President Donald Trump has also accused both Petro and his Venezuelan counterpart, Nicolas Maduro, of being involved in the regional drug trade, a claim that both leaders have strenuously denied.
Petro said the new warplanes will be used to dissuade “aggression against Colombia, wherever it may come from”.
“In a world that is geopolitically messy,” he said, such aggression “can come from anywhere”.
The Colombian leader has for weeks traded insults with Donald Trump and said the ultimate goal of the US deployment in the region is to seize Venezuela’s oil wealth and destabilise Latin America.
Trump has long accused Venezuela’s Maduro of trafficking drugs and more recently branded Petro “an illegal drug leader” because of Colombia’s high level of cocaine production. Trump has also withdrawn US financial aid from Colombia and taken it off its list of countries seen as allies in fighting drug trafficking internationally.
Amid the war of words rumbling on between Washington and Bogota, Petro said last week that Colombia would suspend intelligence sharing with the US on combating drug trafficking, but officials in his government quickly rolled back that threat.
The AFP news agency reports that US and French firms had also tried to sell warplanes to Colombia, but, in the end, Bogota went with Sweden’s Saab.
Swedish Defence Minister Pal Jonson said Colombia was joining Sweden, Brazil and Thailand in choosing the Gripen fighter jet, and defence relations between Bogota and Stockholm would “deepen significantly” as a result.
🇸🇪🇨🇴I’m proud that Colombia today joins the Gripen E family, alongside Sweden, Brazil and Thailand. With the Colombian purchase of 17 Gripen E/F, our defence relations will deepen significantly & Colombia will receive one of the world’s greatest fighter jets. (1/4) pic.twitter.com/g0rESq69nD
The United States and South Korea on Friday released a joint fact sheet on a sweeping trade and security agreement that includes the approval of Seoul’s nuclear submarine program. The deal was struck during U.S. President Donald Trump’s (L) meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung at the APEC summit in Gyeongju in October. Photo by Yonhap
SEOUL, Nov. 14 (UPI) — The United States and South Korea on Friday released a joint fact sheet on a sweeping trade and security agreement that details a $350 billion investment pledge by Seoul and confirms Washington’s approval for its Asian ally to develop nuclear-powered submarines.
The document comes two weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung finalized their trade negotiations on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Gyeongju on Oct. 29.
“With this, the Korea-U.S. trade and security negotiations, which have been one of the greatest variables affecting our economy and security, have finally been concluded,” Lee said in a televised press briefing and Facebook post on Friday.
Lee expressed “gratitude and respect” for Trump’s decision and said both sides “achieved the best possible outcome, based on common sense and reason.”
Under the terms of the deal, Trump’s so-called “reciprocal” tariffs on South Korean goods, including automobiles, will drop from 25% to 15%, returning to the level initially established in July during Lee’s visit to the White House.
In exchange for the lower tariffs, South Korea has pledged to invest $350 billion in the United States, including $150 billion in the U.S. shipbuilding sector and $200 billion for strategic sectors under a memorandum of understanding to be signed by the two countries.
To minimize the impact on South Korea’s foreign exchange market, Seoul’s annual investment cap was set at $20 billion, the fact sheet said.
“The two governments confirmed that Korea’s investments will proceed only within a level our economy can fully sustain and only in commercially viable projects,” Lee said. “The mistrust and concerns of some who were worried this was a ‘de facto grant’ under the guise of investment in projects with difficult returns have been completely dispelled.”
The fact sheet also formalized Washington’s approval for Seoul’s plan to build nuclear-powered submarines, a capability South Korean leaders have pursued for years. Seoul has framed nuclear-powered vessels as essential for tracking North Korean ballistic missile submarines and for expanding its reach across the Indo-Pacific. Officials also see the program as a catalyst for the country’s nuclear energy and naval shipbuilding industries.
The agreement said Washington will work with Seoul to define requirements for the project, “including avenues to source fuel.” Securing enriched uranium for submarine reactors had been a sticking point in the release of the fact sheet, as Seoul has sought revisions to its bilateral nuclear cooperation pact to allow greater flexibility in enrichment and nuclear waste recycling.
Lee called the submarines “a decades-old dream of South Korea and a vital strategic asset for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.”
The agreement comes as Washington and Seoul undertake a broader effort to modernize their security alliance and reshape how the two countries share military responsibilities. The fact sheet noted that South Korea intends to raise defense spending to 3.5% of GDP “as soon as possible,” and reiterated a commitment to the eventual transition of wartime operational control to Seoul.
Seoul also pledged to spend $25 billion on U.S. military equipment purchases by 2030 and outlined plans to provide comprehensive support for U.S. Forces Korea amounting to $33 billion.
“The South Korea-U.S. alliance has evolved and deepened into a truly future-oriented strategic comprehensive alliance encompassing security, the economy, and cutting-edge technology,” Lee said.
As part of that broader strategic framework, the two governments reaffirmed their shared goal of a denuclearized Korean Peninsula and pledged to work together to implement the joint statement of the 2018 Singapore summit between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
The fact sheet called on North Korea to “return to meaningful dialogue and abide by its international obligations, including by abandoning its weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs.”
North Korea has rejected calls for denuclearization since declaring itself a nuclear-armed state in 2022. In September, Kim signaled a willingness to resume diplomacy with Washington but warned that any discussion of giving up his regime’s nuclear arsenal would be off the table.
NBCUniversal is launching a new cable network Monday that will carry live sports events, including some that are currently exclusive to its streaming service Peacock.
The company announced Thursday that the new NBC Sports Network will be carried on YouTube TV and parent Comcast’s Xfinity service. Deals with other pay-TV providers are expected in the coming months, the company said.
The new channel will enable NBC to make its sports offerings more attractive to advertisers who may balk at the limited reach of its Peacock streaming service, which currently has 41 million subscribers. There is little duplication between Peacock subscribers and the nearly 60 million households still buying a traditional pay-TV package.
Sports is also a key reason consumers keep paying for cable and satellite TV. NBCU executives believe the channel will help distributors such as Comcast to retain customers.
The new channel will carry Monday night NBA games that were previously exclusive to Peacock. During the Winter Olympic Games in February, it will be the home of Gold Zone, the daily whip-around coverage show hosted by Scott Hanson that was offered only on Peacock during the Summer Games in 2024.
While the deal has not been officially announced, NBCU is expected to get a package of Major League Baseball games, some of which will be shown on NBCSN.
Other events from the NBC sports portfolio that will appear on the channel include WNBA regular-season and playoff games, Big Ten, Big East and Big 12 men’s and women’s college basketball, select coverage of major golf tournaments, Premier League Soccer and undercard races at the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oats.
NBCUniversal had a cable sports network but folded it in 2021 after it lost the TV rights to the NHL. But the company has since made a significant investment in live sports that has strong appeal to advertisers.
In 2024, the company entered an 11-year deal to be a major media rights partner with the NBA.
The new channel will also carry Peacock’s sports talk shows including “The Dan Patrick Show,” “The Dan Le Batard Show,” and “Fantasy Football Happy Hour with Matthew Berry.”
