AnewZ Morning Brief - 8th July, 2025
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for 8th July, covering the latest developments you need to know....
Talks led by the White House to determine TikTok’s future are coalescing around a proposal that would have some of ByteDance’s largest non-Chinese investors increase their stakes and acquire the U.S. operations of the popular short video app.
The plan, according to two sources familiar with the discussions, involves spinning off a U.S. entity for TikTok and reducing Chinese ownership to below the 20 percent limit mandated by U.S. law—an effort aimed at saving the app from an imminent ban on national security grounds.
The proposed deal has drawn strong support from existing ByteDance investors, including Jeff Yass’ Susquehanna International Group and Bill Ford’s General Atlantic, both of which sit on ByteDance’s board. Private equity firm KKR is also participating, the sources said. Under the plan, Oracle would continue to host U.S. user data and guarantee that it remains inaccessible to China, reinforcing assurances of data security.
The proposed restructuring comes in the wake of a law, effective January 19, that requires ByteDance to either divest its U.S. operations or face a ban. U.S. officials have raised concerns over TikTok’s Chinese ownership, arguing that it makes the app vulnerable to potential influence operations by the Chinese government—a claim the company denies, insisting that its content recommendation engine and user data are managed domestically.
White House involvement in the negotiations has been unprecedented, with the administration essentially taking on the role of an investment bank to broker a deal that would allow ByteDance to maintain a stake in TikTok while transferring operational control. The deal is seen as critical not only for TikTok’s survival in the U.S. market but also for setting a precedent in U.S.-China technology relations.
Other groups, including an investor consortium led by billionaire Frank McCourt and another involving YouTube personality Mr. Beast, are also reported to be vying for the app. However, current indications suggest that existing ByteDance investors are the frontrunners in the discussions.
Representatives for TikTok, ByteDance, Susquehanna, Oracle, and the White House could not immediately be reached for comment.
Australian researchers have pioneered a low-cost and scalable plasma-based method to produce ammonia gas directly from air, offering a green alternative to the traditional fossil fuel-dependent Haber-Bosch process.
A magnitude 5.5 earthquake struck off Japan’s Tokara Islands on Wednesday, with no tsunami warning issued but residents advised to remain vigilant.
The United States has rescinded licensing restrictions on ethane exports to China, allowing shipments to resume after a temporary halt and signalling progress in efforts to ease recent trade tensions.
Italy plans to grant approximately 500,000 work visas to non-EU nationals between 2026 and 2028, as announced in a cabinet statement. The initiative aims to address labor shortages by expanding legal immigration pathways
A deadly mass shooting early on Monday (7 July) in Philadelphia's Grays Ferry neighbourhood left three men dead and nine others wounded, including teenagers, as more than 100 shots were fired.
China has warned Myanmar's Kachin rebels it will block rare-earth imports from their territory unless they halt an offensive on a key junta stronghold, raising fears over the global supply of critical minerals.
China has consolidated its rare-earth sector into two state-owned giants, tightened export quotas, and introduced new supply-chain tracking systems as part of a sweeping push to reinforce its global dominance in critical mineral processing.
Beijing has warned the Trump administration against restoring steep U.S. tariffs next month and signalled it will retaliate against countries that cut China out of supply chains through bilateral deals with Washington.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief: here are the top news stories for 8th July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday told President Donald Trump he had nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize, handing Trump a nomination letter during a meeting at The White House. The two leaders met for the first time since the US launched strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
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