While You Were Sleeping: 5 stories you might have missed, Sept 20

Trump told reporters at the White House he was giving the TikTok deal with Oracle “my blessing”. PHOTO: AFP

Trump says he's approved Oracle deal for US TikTok operations

Donald Trump said he has approved Oracle's bid for the US operations of TikTok "in concept" - a deal forced by the president's orders last month declaring the popular video-sharing app a national security threat.

"I have given the deal my blessing," Trump told reporters on Saturday as he left the White House for a campaign rally in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

"I approved the deal in concept."

The Chinese government must now sign off on the transaction for it to go forward.

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Envelope of deadly poison addressed to White House intercepted: Reports

An envelope addressed to the White House contained a substance identified as ricin, a deadly poison, several media outlets reported on Saturday, citing a federal official briefed on the matter.

The envelope believed to have come from Canada was intercepted at a government mail center before it arrived at the White House, the New York Times, CNN and the Wall Street Journal reported.

Asked about the reports, the FBI said the agency and "US Secret Service and US Postal Inspection Service partners are investigating a suspicious letter received at a US government mail facility".

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Trump promises successor to Ruth Bader Ginsburg 'without delay'

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A fierce political battle shaped up over the future of the US Supreme Court on Saturday, with President Donald Trump saying he would quickly nominate a successor to liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a move that would tip the court further to the right.

Ginsburg's death on Friday from cancer after 27 years on the court gave Trump, who is seeking re-election on Nov 3, a chance to expand its conservative majority to 6-3 at a time of a gaping political divide in America.

His short list of potential nominees includes two women jurists he previously elevated to federal appeals courts: Amy Coney Barrett of the Chicago-based 7th Circuit and Barbara Lagoa of the Atlanta-based 11th Circuit, according to a source close to the White House.

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Belarus protest icon Nina Baginskaya among hundreds of women detained

Riot police in Belarus on Saturday bundled hundreds of women, including a great-grandmother who has become an icon of the protest movement, into vans as opposition marchers rallied in Minsk seeking an end to President Alexander Lukashenko's 26-year rule.

The protest was the latest in which Belarusian women have taken to the streets with flowers and flags.

Among those detained was Nina Baginskaya, a 73-year-old activist who has become one of the best-known faces of the protest movement, known for her plucky antics and regularly celebrated with a chant of "Nina! Nina!".

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Football: Arsenal strike late to beat wasteful West Ham

Eddie Nketiah came off the bench to score the winner as Arsenal overcame an underwhelming performance to beat West Ham 2-1.

The Gunners move level with Everton and Crystal Palace on maximum points at the top of the table after two games, but were far from the standards they have set under Mikel Arteta as the visitors enjoyed the majority of the chances after Michail Antonio cancelled out Alexandre Lacazette's opener for the hosts.

Antonio saw a second-half header come back off the bar, but Arsenal were ruthless with their chance to win the game as Dani Ceballos timed his run perfectly in behind the West Ham defence to square for Nketiah, who had the simple task of rolling into an empty net.

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