Five things to know to start your Thursday

Trump gave deportation power to gun and drug agents

According to the Wall Street Journal, President Trump created a new policy that allows agents from three different federal law enforcement agencies to arrest people who are in the United States without legal permission. These agencies – the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the U.S. Marshals Service – usually have other main jobs like fighting drug crime, regulating firearms, and tracking down fugitives.

Now, these agencies have been given additional responsibilities in immigration enforcement. This change is part of a larger effort to increase immigration control and follows Trump’s campaign promises and previous actions during his first term in office.

The Hughes fire has exploded to 9400 acres

A fast-spreading wildfire has broken out in Los Angeles County, forcing tens of thousands of people to leave their homes. This is happening when the area is still recovering from some of the most devastating fires in its history.

The Hughes fire started Wednesday morning near Castaic Lake, about 45 miles northwest of Los Angeles. It’s in a mountainous region close to residential neighbourhoods and schools. In just a few hours, the fire grew to cover more than 9,200 acres, driven by strong winds and dry vegetation.

Despite the fire’s rapid spread, fire officials are optimistic. So far, no homes or businesses have been damaged. This new fire is north of two massive fires that are still burning and recently destroyed multiple neighbourhoods in the Los Angeles area.

Read Also: Hughes fire breaks out in Los Angeles, burns over 5000 acres

Trump threatened Putin with sanctions and tariffs if the war continues

Donald Trump has threatened to impose tough economic penalties on Russia if President Vladimir Putin doesn’t end the war in Ukraine. Trump made these comments on Truth Social, his social media platform, suggesting that by pushing for a settlement, he would actually be helping Russia and its president.

Previously, Trump claimed he could negotiate an end to the conflict in just one day. The war began in 2014 but escalated to a full-scale invasion in February 2022. Russia has not yet responded to Trump’s latest statements, but Russian officials have hinted that there might be a small chance to negotiate with a potential new U.S. administration.

Putin has repeatedly said he’s willing to negotiate but with specific conditions. He wants Ukraine to accept that Russia currently controls about 20% of its territory and insists that Ukraine cannot join NATO. These demands have been a major sticking point in any potential peace talks.

Oando won an oil block in Angola

Oando Plc has won the rights to operate Block KON 13 in Angola’s Kwanza Basin. The company won this opportunity through a competitive bidding process run by Angola’s National Agency for Petroleum, Gas, and Biofuels.

Experts estimate that the block could contain between 770 and 1,100 million barrels of oil. This potential exists in both pre-salt and post-salt geological layers, which are promising areas for oil discovery.

According to Oando’s company secretary, Ayotola Jagun, two exploration wells have already been drilled on this block, reaching a depth of 3,000 meters. During these previous drilling operations, they discovered both oil and gas at various depths, suggesting significant resource potential.

LinkedIn was accused of using private messages to train AI

LinkedIn is facing a lawsuit that claims it improperly used its users’ private messages to train artificial intelligence (AI) systems. The lawsuit was submitted on behalf of LinkedIn Premium users and a California federal court is hearing it.

The lawsuit alleges that in August of last year, LinkedIn secretly added a privacy setting that automatically enrolled users in a program allowing third-party companies to use their personal data for AI training. The company reportedly changed its privacy policy a month later to include language about potentially sharing user information for AI purposes.

According to the lawsuit, LinkedIn made it seem like users could opt out of data sharing, but this would not stop AI training that had already occurred using their information. The legal filing suggests that LinkedIn was trying to hide its actions, stating that the company’s behaviour indicates an attempt to “cover its tracks” and minimise public attention.