US President Donald Trump has hinted that a deal to keep TikTok operating in the US might soon be reached, though details were few and far between.
Mr Trump said on Sunday during an impromptu news conference aboard Air Force One that there were “four different groups” of US investors, entrepreneurs and technology moguls who have put together acquisition proposals to purchase a majority stake in the China-owned social media platform, which has given rise to US national security concerns in recent years. “A lot of people want it and it’s up to me, so there could be [a deal],” Mr Trump said.
Following a decision from the US Supreme Court in January, which allowed a law that sought to force ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, to divest from the platform, TikTok briefly ceased operating in the country, only to be brought back after Mr Trump exercised an option in the law extending the divestment deadline to April 5.
Most recently, Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian announced he would join billionaire Frank McCourt’s pursuit of TikTok, lengthening the list of keen investors.
Yet for all the interest, there has yet to be any indication from ByteDance or TikTok's chief executive Shou Zi Chew that the company is willing to give up majority ownership.
Mr Chew's last posted on TikTok on January 17, in a video expressing his gratitude to Mr Trump. “I want to thank President Trump for his commitment to work with us to find a solution that keeps TikTok available in the US,” he said.
“Rest assured we will do everything in our power to ensure our platform thrives as your online home for limitless creativity and discovery, as well as a source of joy and inspiration for years to come.”
For all the platitudes expressed in that footage, the bipartisan law passed by Congress requires that TikTok be owned by a US entity, due to concerns over Beijing's access to US user data.
Mr Chew has consistently denied users' data is at risk and since the extension that gave TikTok a lifeline in the US, he has not commented on any of the investors seeking to acquire a majority stake in the platform.
The lack of developments or updates from TikTok appears to be causing consternation among users. In the past seven days, according to Google, searches for “Is TikTok getting banned on April 5" are up 4,200 per cent in the US.
It hasn’t been an easy few months for the world’s most popular social media platform that has become the envy of the technology and media world.
Albania recently made the decision to shut down TikTok for at least 12 months amid worries that the video-sharing app was fuelling bullying and violence among children. Various media reports indicate that Albanian officials are trying to work with TikTok to blunt the effects of the app though the use of filtering features, and other potential changes.
Meanwhile, in Washington, TikTok lost a court dispute when a judge decided to unseal most of a lawsuit filed by Brian Schwalb, the Washington Attorney General, in 2024.
That lawsuit alleged that TikTok misled the public about how the platform was protecting younger users and people commonly lose track of time while using the app.
In the same report, TikTok also admitted that late-night usage of the app “cuts into planned bedtime” and “can even stimulate the brain to a point where it is more difficult to fall asleep”, the lawsuit read.
Though the litigation is unrelated to the law which seeks to force TikTok's sale to a US owner, the timing of the unsealed documents is problematic for a platform trying to gain public trust.
The recent stories putting TikTok in a less than flattering light also come as the company continues to make its case through an advertising blitz in the US.
TikTok's advertising campaign attempts to show how the platform helps small business owners and content creators throughout the US.
“Seven million US businesses rely on TikTok to compete,” said the narrator in a TV advertisements, showing people working in various capacities.
Despite all the advertising, however, TikTok's future in the US depends largely on legislators who seem reticent to repeal the law that forces its sale. It also depends on ByteDance, which so far has not made clear if it will sell a majority of the platform to a US entity.
At this point, the countdown for the April 5 deadline is on, though Mr Trump could issue another extension.
TikTok has not responded to requests for comment on this story.
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Emergency phone numbers in the UAE
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
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Power: 420kW
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Transmission: 8-speed automatic
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Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
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Afghanistan fixtures
- v Australia, today
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
FIXTURES
Nov 04-05: v Western Australia XI, Perth
Nov 08-11: v Cricket Australia XI, Adelaide
Nov 15-18 v Cricket Australia XI, Townsville (d/n)
Nov 23-27: 1ST TEST v AUSTRALIA, Brisbane
Dec 02-06: 2ND TEST v AUSTRALIA, Adelaide (d/n)
Dec 09-10: v Cricket Australia XI, Perth
Dec 14-18: 3RD TEST v AUSTRALIA, Perth
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Jan 04-08: 5TH TEST v AUSTRALIA, Sydney
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The specs
Gifts exchanged
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THE LOWDOWN
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Rating: 2/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Robby Grewal
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Engine: 2-litre
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Tips for entertaining with ease
· Set the table the night before. It’s a small job but it will make you feel more organised once done.
· As the host, your mood sets the tone. If people arrive to find you red-faced and harried, they’re not going to relax until you do. Take a deep breath and try to exude calm energy.
· Guests tend to turn up thirsty. Fill a big jug with iced water and lemon or lime slices and encourage people to help themselves.
· Have some background music on to help create a bit of ambience and fill any initial lulls in conversations.
· The meal certainly doesn’t need to be ready the moment your guests step through the door, but if there’s a nibble or two that can be passed around it will ward off hunger pangs and buy you a bit more time in the kitchen.
· You absolutely don’t have to make every element of the brunch from scratch. Take inspiration from our ideas for ready-made extras and by all means pick up a store-bought dessert.
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Places to go for free coffee
- Cherish Cafe Dubai, Dubai Investment Park, are giving away free coffees all day.
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GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
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Tomorrow 2021
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
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- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
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Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
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Tomorrow 2021
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
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Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
Honeymoonish
The specs: 2018 Range Rover Velar R-Dynamic HSE
Price, base / as tested: Dh263,235 / Dh420,000
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Power 375hp @ 6,500rpm
Torque: 450Nm @ 3,500rpm
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich 1
Kimmich (27')
Real Madrid 2
Marcelo (43'), Asensio (56')
TOURNAMENT INFO
Fixtures
Sunday January 5 - Oman v UAE
Monday January 6 - UAE v Namibia
Wednesday January 8 - Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 - Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 - UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
UAE squad
Ahmed Raza (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Waheed Ahmed, Zawar Farid, Darius D’Silva, Karthik Meiyappan, Jonathan Figy, Vriitya Aravind, Zahoor Khan, Junaid Siddique, Basil Hameed, Chirag Suri
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
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'Operation Mincemeat'
Director: John Madden
Cast: Colin Firth, Matthew Macfayden, Kelly Macdonald and Penelope Wilton
Rating: 4/5
