Five things to know to start your Monday

Trump restored TikTok in the US

TikTok briefly stopped working in the United States on Sunday but was quickly restored after President-elect Trump said he would try to delay the federal ban.

Many Americans woke up unable to use TikTok at all. Trump then announced on Truth Social (his social media platform) that on his first day as president, he would sign an executive order to give TikTok’s Chinese owners more time to find a buyer the U.S. government would approve of.

Later that same Sunday, when users opened TikTok, they saw a thank-you message that read: “As a result of President Trump’s efforts, TikTok is back in the U.S.!”

Trump and his wife have now launched meme-coins

Both Donald and Melania Trump have now created their own memecoins. Melania Trump announced hers on Sunday through X (formerly Twitter): “The Official Melania Meme is live! You can buy $MELANIA now.”

This follows President-elect Trump’s recent move into cryptocurrency. He announced his own memecoin on Friday through Truth Social, writing: “My NEW Official Trump Meme is HERE! It’s time to celebrate everything we stand for: WINNING! Join my very special Trump Community. GET YOUR $TRUMP NOW.” Trump’s coin started selling at $0.18 but was trading above $70 by Sunday.

However, Trump’s cryptocurrency ($TRUMP) ran into trouble on Sunday. When Melania launched her competing coin, the value of $TRUMP dropped dramatically – falling from $74.6 to $45.9 in just 40 minutes. This sharp decline wiped about $5 billion off its total market value.

Israel and Hamas swapped hostages as ceasefire begins

A break in the 15-month war between Israel and Hamas began on Sunday, with both sides releasing people as part of the agreement. Hamas freed three Israeli women who had been held hostage, while Israel released 90 Palestinians from its prisons – 69 women and 21 teenage boys from the West Bank and Jerusalem areas.

The pause in fighting brought different reactions across the region. In Gaza, Palestinians were able to go back to their bomb-damaged neighbourhoods and start rebuilding. Aid trucks brought in badly needed supplies, and some Hamas fighters came out of hiding to meet celebrations from crowds.

In the West Bank city of Ramallah, thousands of people gathered to welcome the released Palestinian prisoners. The arrival of buses carrying them was celebrated with fireworks.

Meanwhile, in Tel Aviv, Israel, an emotional scene played out near the defence headquarters. Hundreds of Israelis gathered there, crying and cheering as they watched a live video showing the three Israeli women being handed over to the Red Cross, with Hamas fighters visible in the background.

Read Also: Israel, Hamas reach ceasefire agreement meant to end 15-month Gaza war, official says

89,000 Nigerians were denied Schengen visas in two years

European countries in the Schengen Area turned down nearly half of all visa applications from Nigerians over two years. Schengen authorities rejected 89,344 out of 192,741 Nigerian applications in 2022 and 2023, representing a 46.35% denial rate.

In 2022, Schengen officials denied visas to 46,404 Nigerians out of 86,815 who applied. In 2023, they rejected 42,940 applications out of 105,926 submissions.

Notably, the European Commission and the Henley Global Mobility Report rank Nigeria 11th among countries whose citizens face the most visa denials for their preferred destinations.

Onasanya denied his fraud allegation

Dr Bisi Onasanya, who once led FirstBank as Group Managing Director, has pushed back against accusations about his role in a commercial loan deal from 12 years ago.

Through his communication advisor, Michael Oshunuyi, Onasanya released a statement on Sunday calling the allegations baseless and describing them as an attempt to damage his reputation as a retired banker and chartered accountant.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) filed charges against Onasanya and three others on Thursday in Lagos, claiming they obtained a N30bn loan by making false statements. The EFCC plans to bring them to court on Monday.

The charges also name Oba Otudeko, who previously chaired First Bank of Nigeria; Soji Akintayo, who served on Honeywell Flour Mills plc’s board; and Anchorage Limited, a company connected to Otudeko.