ByteDance’s TikTok Deal Leaves Algorithm Control Question in Limbo TikTok’s powerful content recommendation algorithm is once again drawing scrutiny after its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, agreed to form a joint venture that will transfer operational control of the app’s U.S. business to American and international investors, including Oracle. The move is designed to prevent a potential U.S. ban and reduce geopolitical tensions, but questions remain over who truly controls TikTok’s most valuable asset — its algorithm. Who Controls TikTok’s U.S. Operations? The newly signed agreements mark a significant step towards satisfying Washington’s data security concerns. However, analysts say it is…
Author: Arushi Pandey
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ByteDance Strikes Deal with U.S. Investors to Form New TikTok Joint Venture TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, announced on Thursday that it had signed binding agreements with three major investors to create a new joint venture to operate the app’s U.S. business. The agreement aims to prevent a government ban and marks a decisive step toward resolving years of political and regulatory uncertainty surrounding the platform. The deal represents a breakthrough for the short-video app, which serves more than 170 million American users, following a series of disputes dating back to August 2020, when then-President Donald Trump first sought unsuccessfully…
Warner Bros Discovery Board Expected to Reject Paramount’s $108 Billion Takeover Bid Warner Bros Discovery’s board is expected to advise shareholders to vote against Paramount Skydance’s $108.4 billion takeover proposal, with a decision likely to be announced as early as Wednesday, according to sources familiar with the discussions. Netflix Remains Front-Runner in Bidding Race The anticipated rejection would reaffirm the board’s support for Netflix’s competing buyout offer, adding another twist to the intense battle for control of Warner Bros Discovery’s extensive film and television assets. These include the Warner Bros studio, the HBO Max streaming platform, and a catalogue of…
EU Defence ‘Flagship’ Projects Face Uncertain Future Amid Member State Resistance The future of the European Union’s proposed “flagship” defence projects, including a counter-drone system initially dubbed the “drone wall,” is increasingly uncertain as EU leaders appear set to withhold endorsement at next week’s Brussels summit. The ambitious plans have exposed deep divisions within the bloc over the EU’s role in defence policy, pitting the European Commission—which designed the projects—against member states that view defence as a national or NATO-led responsibility. Major EU Powers Push Back Germany, France and Italy, which host some of Europe’s largest defence industries, have made…
JetBlue Plane Takes Evasive Action to Avoid Collision with U.S. Air Force Jet Near Venezuela A JetBlue passenger flight bound for New York was forced to take evasive action on Friday to avoid a mid-air collision with a U.S. Air Force tanker plane near Venezuelan airspace, according to air traffic control recordings. JetBlue Flight 1112 had departed from Curaçao and was flying approximately 40 miles (64 km) off Venezuela’s coast when the Airbus A320 encountered the military aircraft. The Air Force jet reportedly had its transponder turned off, leaving it undetectable to civilian radar systems. Pilot Reports “Outrageous” Encounter In…
EU Poised to Roll Back 2035 Ban on Combustion-Engine Cars The European Commission is preparing to reverse its landmark 2035 ban on new combustion-engine car sales, marking a major policy shift under pressure from Germany, Italy and leading automakers facing tough competition from Chinese and U.S. rivals. According to EU and industry sources, the revised plan—expected to be unveiled on Tuesday—could delay the ban by up to five years or relax it indefinitely. The decision would represent the most significant retreat from the bloc’s green agenda in recent years, signalling a recalibration of climate goals amid economic and industrial challenges.…
Cambridge Study Reveals Cheap Route to Bypass Social Media Verification Creating fake social media accounts can cost just a few cents, according to new research from the University of Cambridge. The study found that one of the key defences against online disinformation—the use of SMS-based phone verification—can be easily bypassed using cheap, disposable phone numbers available online. Published in the journal Science, the findings show that text-message verification, a standard method to confirm users’ identities, provides little real deterrence to bad actors. “The costs are absolutely trivial,” said Jon Roozenbeek, a Cambridge lecturer and co-author of the study. He noted…
China and EU Resume Talks on Minimum Price Plan for Electric Vehicles China’s commerce ministry confirmed on Thursday that negotiations with the European Union over a potential minimum price arrangement for Chinese-made electric vehicles (EVs) have resumed and will continue into next week. The talks mark a renewed attempt to ease tensions following the EU’s imposition of steep tariffs on Chinese EV imports earlier this year. Renewed Dialogue After Tariff Dispute The 27-member bloc introduced duties of up to 45.3% in October 2024, after the European Commission launched an investigation into whether Chinese EV manufacturers were benefiting from unfair state…
Women with PCOS Turn to Weight-Loss Drugs for Symptom Relief Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are increasingly using popular weight-loss drugs from Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to manage symptoms of the hormonal disorder, according to an analysis of U.S. medical records and interviews with health experts. Sharp Rise in GLP-1 Prescriptions A review of 120 million U.S. patient records by health data firm Truveta shows prescriptions for GLP-1 drugs among women with PCOS have surged more than sevenfold since 2021. The analysis covered semaglutide and tirzepatide, the active ingredients in Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Lilly’s Zepbound, respectively. “We’re…
ICEBlock Developer Sues Trump Administration over App Removal Joshua Aaron, the creator of the popular ICEBlock app, has filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration, claiming it violated his constitutional right to free speech. The legal action follows Apple’s removal of the app from its online store in October after alleged government pressure. App Removal Sparks Free Speech Dispute The ICEBlock app, which had more than one million users before its removal, was widely used to share information about the public movements of U.S. immigration enforcement agents. Apple removed it citing safety concerns after being contacted by the Justice…