Politics

Reports claiming Chinese officials are considering allowing Elon Musk to purchase TikTok to prevent its ban in the United States have been dismissed as "pure fiction" by the platform. Bloomberg News and The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday that Chinese officials have discussed permitting the sale to Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, as an alternative to the impending US ban. The ban is set to take effect Sunday unless ByteDance, TikTok's China-based owner, divests its US operations. According to Bloomberg, while Beijing would "strongly prefer" ByteDance to maintain control of TikTok, senior Chinese officials have begun exploring "contingency plans." The Wall Street Journal noted that these plans have not been communicated to ByteDance, citing unnamed sources familiar with the discussions. One scenario under consideration, Bloomberg reported, involves integrating TikTok into X, Musk's social media platform. The report, citing […]

A Gaza ceasefire and hostage release agreement, initially proposed in May, is gaining renewed attention in Doha talks between Israel and Hamas. Several key developments have altered the landscape for negotiations. Donald Trump's election as the next U.S. president has emerged as a significant factor. His warning about serious consequences if hostages aren't freed before his January 20 inauguration may influence Hamas's calculations, considering the possibility of reduced restraints on Israeli actions. Israel also faces pressure from Trump to resolve the conflict, as it could affect his broader regional objectives and desired legacy as a peacemaker. Netanyahu's position is complex, balanced between Trump's influence and his far-right coalition partners' war stance. While Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has publicly opposed the deal as "a catastrophe," some analysts suggest that both he and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir may remain in government […]