The Canadian government on Wednesday ordered Chinese-owned TikTok’s business to shutter its operations in the country, citing national security risks.

The order means TikTok must close its offices in Toronto and Vancouver.

In a statement, François-Philippe Champagne, the industry minister, said Canadians can still use the app. He, however, warned them to exercise caution.

Champagne said the ban addresses risks related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.

“The government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content. The decision to use a social media application or platform is a personal choice,” the statement reads in part.

“The government is taking action to address the specific national security risks related to ByteDance Ltd’s operations in Canada through the establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.”

Champagne said the dissolution order was in accordance with the Investment Canada Act, which allows for the review of foreign investments that may harm Canada’s national security.

He said the decision was based on information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners.

Reacting in a blog post, TikTok said it will challenge the order in court.

“Shutting down TikTok’s Canadian offices and destroying hundreds of well-paying local jobs is not in anyone’s best interest, and today’s shutdown order will do just that,” it added.

Canada also banned the TikTok app from government-issued devices, arguing that it presents “an unacceptable risk to privacy and security”.

TikTok faces intensifying scrutiny from Europe and America over security and data privacy.

President Bola Tinubu has congratulated Donald Trump on his re-election as the 47th president of the United States.

Trump is on the verge of being declared president-elect by the television networks.

In a statement by Bayo Onanuga, his special adviser on information and strategy, Tinubu said he looks forward to strengthening the ties between Nigeria and the United States “amid the complex challenges and opportunities of the contemporary world”.

The Nigerian leader added that Trump “will bring the world closer to peace”.

“Together, we can foster economic cooperation, promote peace, and address global challenges that affect our citizens,” Tinubu said.

“Trump’s victory reflects the trust and confidence the American people have placed in his leadership.”

The president also congratulated Americans on their commitment to democracy.

“President Tinubu believes that, given President Trump’s experience as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021, his return to the White House as the 47th president will usher in an era of earnest, beneficial, and reciprocal economic and development partnerships between Africa and the United States,” the statement adds.

“Acknowledging the United States’ influence, power, and position in determining the trend and course of global events, the Nigerian leader trusts that President Trump will bring the world closer to peace and prosperity.”

Donald Trump claimed victory and pledged to “heal” the country Wednesday as results put him on the verge of beating Kamala Harris in a stunning White House comeback.

His exuberant speech came despite the fact that only Fox News had declared him the winner, with no other US networks having made the call so far.

As jubilant supporters cheered and chanted “USA”, Trump took to the stage at his campaign headquarters in Florida along with his wife Melania and several of his children.

“We are going to help our country heal,” the Republican former president said.

“It’s a political victory that our country has never seen before.”

US networks have called the swing states of Pennsylvania, Georgia and North Carolina for the 78-year-old, and he led the Democratic vice president in the others although they have not been called yet.

Gloom swiftly descended on Harris’s camp.

“You won’t hear from the vice president tonight but you will hear from her tomorrow,” Cedric Richmond, Harris campaign co-chair, told a watch party in Washington as supporters left.

In a further blow to Democrats, Trump’s Republican Party also seized control of the Senate, flipping two seats to overturn a narrow Democratic majority.

A Trump victory threatens to cause shockwaves around the world, as US allies in Europe and Asia fear a return of his nationalist policies and his praise of autocrats like Russia’s Vladimir Putin.

But the US dollar surged and bitcoin hit a record high while most equity markets advanced as traders bet on a victory for Trump as the results rolled in.

Mood shift

Polls for weeks had shown a knife-edge race between Harris and Trump, who would be the oldest ever president at the time of inauguration, the first felon president and only the second in history to serve non-consecutive terms.

Trump also faces sentencing in a criminal case over hush money payments on November 26, while the controversy over his denial of his 2020 election defeat by Joe Biden still persists.

But in the end victory came surprisingly quickly.

The mood shifted sharply at Harris’s watch party in Howard University — her former college and a historically Black university in Washington — as the results came in.

“I am scared,” said Charlyn Anderson. “I am anxious now. I am leaving, my legs can barely move.”

In contrast, the celebrations intensified at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida and the watch party nearby.

Tech tycoon Elon Musk, who has backed Trump and stands to lead a government efficiency commission under him, posted a picture of himself with the Republican.

“Game, set and match,” Musk said on X, the social media network he owns along with the Tesla electric vehicle firm and the Space X company.

Millions of Americans had lined up throughout Election Day — and millions more voted early — in a race with momentous consequences for the United States and the world.