UPDATE: WSMR Police Department says missing teen located

Yahoo Finance
Big banks enter the Trump era on a high note: Morning Brief
For the nation's biggest lenders a second Trump term can lead to profits no matter what the Fed does to interest rates.
Reuters
Philippines, China pledge to seek common ground on South China Sea
The Philippines and China agreed to seek common ground and find ways to cooperate despite their disagreements in the South China Sea, their foreign ministries said on Thursday, as heated rows persist over vessels deployed around disputed features. The two countries on Thursday held a 10th round of talks under a bilateral consultation mechanism set up to address issues in the South China Sea, where disputes have been frequent and tense, with ties at their lowest point in years. "We firmly believe that despite the unresolved challenges and differences, there is genuine space for diplomatic and pragmatic cooperation in dealing with our issues in the South China Sea," Philippine foreign affairs Undersecretary Theresa Lazaro said in her opening remarks, according to a statement.
AFP
Blasts in Kyiv as UK's Starmer visits to ink '100-year' accord
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer arrived in Kyiv on Thursday on an unannounced visit to sign a "100-year accord" and shore up support for Ukraine before Donald Trump's return to the White House.The prime minister was due to sign a "landmark 100-year partnership to deepen security ties" between the UK and Ukraine and meet Zelensky, Downing Street said in a statement.
Reuters
Kyrgyz lender Keremet Bank to appeal after being hit with US sanctions
Kyrgyz lender Keremet Bank on Thursday said it would challenge a decision by the U.S. Treasury to impose sanctions on it for allegedly creating a hub for trade payments and helping Russia to evade restrictions. The United States on Wednesday imposed hundreds of sanctions targeting Russia, seeking to increase pressure on Moscow to halt its military action in Ukraine in the Biden administration's final days, including on firms such as Keremet in Kyrgyzstan and others in China it accused of helping Moscow evade sanctions. "The bank will apply to OFAC (U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control) to appeal," Keremet Bank said in a statement.
Reuters
British lawmaker Amesbury pleads guilty to assault after punching passerby
CHESTER, England (Reuters) -A British lawmaker pleaded guilty on Thursday to common assault after he punched a passerby who he said had been threatening him while he was enjoying a night out. Mike Amesbury was suspended from the governing Labour Party after CCTV and video footage showed him throwing a punch at a man in October, and repeatedly hitting him after the man was knocked to the ground. After the incident, Amesbury, the member of parliament for Runcorn and Helsby in northwest England, said he felt threatened on the street after an evening out with friends.
Associated Press
Taiwanese chipmaker TSMC posts 57% surge in profit thanks to the AI boom
Taiwan computer chip maker TSMC reported Thursday that its profit in the last quarter rose 57%, buoyed by the artificial intelligence boom. The world’s biggest semiconductor manufacturer reported a net profit of 374.7 billion new Taiwan dollars ($11.4 billion), higher than expected. Last week, the company, Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp., reported that its revenue for 2024 rose almost 34% to 2.9 trillion new Taiwan dollars ($88 billion).
AFP
Hong Kong mogul Jimmy Lai grilled over US, Taiwan ties
Jailed Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai testified on Thursday that he brokered meetings between former Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen and American establishment figures, with prosecutors alleging that he colluded with foreign forces.On Thursday, Lai said he set up a paid "consultancy" arrangement in 2017 where retired United States general Jack Keane and former US deputy secretary of defence Paul Wolfowitz would meet with Tsai Ing-wen, Taiwan's leader at the time.
Reuters
China critic Jimmy Lai paid US general to advise on Taiwan, Hong Kong court hears
Hong Kong democrat Jimmy Lai on Thursday told a court trying him for colluding with foreign powers that he paid a former U.S. general to advise former Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen in late 2017, but denied seeking to endanger China's national security. On the first day of Lai's cross-examination by a government prosecutor, Lai admitted to a "project" in which he sought to bolster communication between the U.S. administration of President Donald Trump during his first term and the island democracy of Taiwan which was then led by Tsai.
Reuters
Stake sale talks value China's TikTok-rival Xiaohongshu at $20 billion, Bloomberg News reports
GGV Capital, GSR Ventures and Tiantu Capital, key shareholders of the social media platform, have drawn interest from existing backers HongShan Capital Group and Hillhouse Investment, Bloomberg News said, citing people familiar with the matter. Tencent, another existing shareholder, is also considering whether to buy more shares, the report added.
Associated Press
Biden executive order aims to shore up US cyber defenses
President Joe Biden issued an executive order on Thursday aimed at strengthening the nation's cybersecurity and making it easier to go after foreign adversaries or hacking groups that try to compromise U.S. internet and telecommunication systems. Provisions in the order call for the development of minimum cybersecurity standards for government technology contractors and require that contractors submit evidence that they're complying with the rules. The order also requires federal agencies to improve cybersecurity to protect against the threat posed by powerful quantum computers, which cyber experts say could be used to easily break into many systems.
CNN
Biden makes last big move to protect US networks from hackers from China and elsewhere
President Joe Biden on Thursday signed an executive order that is his final stab at shoring up America’s cyber defenses after a damaging string of cyberattacks on federal networks that US officials have blamed on Chinese and Russian operatives.
AFP
Trauma and tragedy in the City of Angels: covering the LA fires
Terrified residents caught in blazing neighbourhoods, influencers ignoring the ban on drones and the frightening unpredictability of the wildfires are just some of what journalists covering the fires ravaging Los Angeles for AFP have had to manage."Normally when we are covering fires they are in the mountains around Los Angeles," said video reporter Clarenne.
AFP
Spain raises flag at Damascus embassy after 12-year closure
Spain raised its flag at Madrid's Damascus embassy Thursday, in the presence of its top diplomat more than a decade after suspending activity and as Western countries resume ties following Syrian president Bashar al-Assad's ouster."Raising the Spanish flag again is a sign of the hope we have for Syria's future, of the commitment we convey to the Syrian people for a better future."
Reuters
Insight: How bond vigilantes could check Trump's power
When Bill Clinton began his first term as president in 1993, he faced a challenge to his authority from an unexpected adversary: bond traders. Low taxes and high defense spending over the prior decade had contributed to U.S. debt doubling as a share of economic output. Clinton and his advisers worried that 'bond vigilantes' – so called because they punish governments' profligacy – would target the new Democratic administration.
USA TODAY
California governor bans 'predatory' land offers following Los Angeles wildfires
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is taking aim at 'predatory' land brokers looking for a quick buck at the expense of wildfire-ravaged neighborhoods.
USA TODAY
'Unanticipated opportunity': LA residents contemplate rebuilding better as fires burn
Some Los Angeles residents are questioning whether rebuilding is worth it - and how to do it - after wildfires flattened entire communities.
USA TODAY
Poll: Most won't change drinking habits, despite Surgeon General's warning of cancer risk
Only 13% of respondents in an exclusive survey said they would drink less because of alcohol's cancer risk
Reuters
China to investigate US subsidies to mature node chips
BEIJING (Reuters) -China will launch an investigation into U.S. government subsidies to its semiconductor sector at the request of China's mature node chip industry, the commerce ministry said on Thursday. Unlike the cutting-edge chips used to power artificial intelligence, mature node chips are larger and used for less complex tasks, including home appliances and communications systems. "The Biden administration has given a large amount of subsidies to the chip industry, and U.S. enterprises have thus gained an unfair competitive advantage and exported relevant mature node chip products to China at low prices, which has undermined the legitimate rights and interests of China's domestic industry," China's commerce ministry said in a statement.
USA TODAY
Throw the book at UnitedHealthcare CEO murderer, voters say in exclusive poll
Two-thirds of Americans say the alleged killer of UnitedHealthcare's CEO should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
Associated Press
Japan bank executives take pay cuts after employee is accused of stealing from safe deposit boxes
Executives at a leading Japanese bank apologized and took pay cuts on Thursday after police arrested an employee who allegedly stole about 1.4 billion yen ($9 million) worth of valuables from customers’ safe deposit boxes. The thefts at two branches of MUFG Bank spanned four years and were uncovered last October. The employee, who was dismissed, is believed to have stolen gold, cash and other valuables worth about 1.4 billion yen from about 60 safe deposit boxes, according to the bank.

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