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Written by: Aarthi Ramnath, Raghav Bikhchandani & Yash Budhwar

TikTok, TikTok: No longer on the clock?

The context: The social media platform has been on a rollercoaster over the weekend. A new law required TikTok to sell the US arm of the platform by January 19—or face a nationwide ban. The justification: TikTok is required by Chinese law to give Beijing access to its user data—which includes 170 million American users. The platform fought back all the way to the Supreme Court, when this happened.

What happened now: The Supreme Court upheld the law and TikTok went dark on the January 19 deadline. Major app stores removed its app—and it stopped working for US users. Then America’s most beloved superhero—Donald Trump—swept down to the rescue. Ok, so he shared a post on Truth Social declaring, he would “issue an executive order on Monday to extend the period of time before the law’s prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security.”

The kiss of life immediately revived the TikTok app—at least for further negotiations. Trump reportedly wants “50% ownership position in a joint venture,” since the app’s value could surge to “hundreds of billions of dollars — maybe trillions.”

The more interesting bit: is the diplomatic backstory buried in the details of the drama:

Mr. Trump's choice for national security adviser, Michael Waltz, told CBS News on Sunday that the president-elect discussed TikTok going dark in the U.S. during a weekend call with Chinese President Xi Jinping “and they agreed to work together on this.”

Add that to a Wall Street Journal report that claims Trump wants to visit China—“seeking to deepen a relationship with Xi Jinping strained by the president-elect’s threat to impose steeper tariffs on Chinese imports.” He has also been posting sweet-nothings about Xi on social media. Example: “President Xi and I will do everything possible to make the World more peaceful and safe!" (New York Times, login required, The Hindu)

The great Trump mela: The Inauguration

He will be officially inaugurated as the 47th US president tonight. It will likely take place indoors—due to freezing temperatures. The corporate titans expected to be in attendance: VC guru Peter Thiel, Mark Zuckerberg, Jeff Bezos, Sam Altman… and Mukesh-bhai! Ambanis, always there to represent!

Ofc, Elon will be there—with his new-found frenemies—Mark and Jeff—united in their love for Donald:

That lovefest was on display this past week. Musk and Bezos exchanged early Valentines through postings on X about each other’s respective rocket launches… Musk even latched on to a meme from the movie “Step Brothers," about warring boys who later become buddies with the iconic line: “Did we just become best friends?"

We prefer a Hollywood romcom—at least, the love scenes will be entertaining.

Speaking of Trump & tech: The value of his $TRUMP Meme Coin has skyrocketed by over 300%, hitting a market capitalization of $6.76 billion. Of course, there are ethical concerns:

Buyers are receiving what essentially amounts to a digital playing card, the purchase of which is supposed to symbolize a show of support, not an investment opportunity or political donation, according to lengthy disclosures posted online. But a digital firm affiliated with the Trump organization owns 80 percent of the supply, the project disclosed, and appears to collect a fee on sales.

Washington Post has more on that angle. (CNBC)

Other Trump stuff to see: His official portrait—which bears a startling resemblance to his 2023 mugshot—taken when he was briefly jailed for trying to overthrow the election.

Attack on Saif Ali Khan: The latest update

The context: Saif Ali Khan was stabbed six times during a burglary attempt at his Bandra flat. He suffered wounds to his neck, shoulders, back, spine and wrist. And the knife remained embedded near his spine—and had to be removed at the hospital. He has since been out of danger and recovering, with the focus shifting to finding the attacker.

What happened now: On Sunday, Mumbai Police arrested the alleged attacker—Mohammad Shariful Aslam Shahzad. The one word included in almost every headline: ‘Bangladeshi’. According to the police, he is “prima facie” an undocumented Bangladesh migrant living under an assumed Hindu name. The police claim he entered the country six months ago. Shahzad’s lawyer says there is no evidence of his nationality.

What’s interesting: The changing narrative surrounding the attack. For example:

While deputy commissioner of police Dixit Gedam said that Mohammad Shariful Islam Shahzad was trying to rob Saif’s home without realising it belonged to an actor, sources said the police had told a court they “suspect an international conspiracy”.

The incident has already become political—with the BJP accusing Trinamul and other Opposition parties of smuggling in Bangladeshi migrants—to play “vote bank politics.” OTOH, Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena is blaming Amit Shah for not doing enough to stop the Bangladeshis. The Telegraph has that angle. Indian Express has a blow-by-painful-blow account of how the police tracked down the suspect.

what caught our eye

business & tech

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is considering offering more attractive income tax breaks in the upcoming FY26 budget to boost household spending.
Instagram will now begin displaying profile grids as rectangles instead of squares.
Latest rumours suggest Intel is up for sale—boosting its shares by 8%.

sports & entertainment

Jasprit Bumrah, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and Kuldeep Yadav have been included in India's 15-man squad for the Champions Trophy, with Mohammed Siraj replaced by Arshdeep Singh.
The Writers Guild of America has announced the nominees for the 2025 Writers Guild Awards.
The Guardian has a good read on Rami Malek reflecting on his experiences growing up as a "white passing" Egyptian-American in Los Angeles.

health & environment

A Tufts University study links sugary drinks to 1.2 million heart disease cases and 2.2 million type 2 diabetes cases annually.
16 deaths in 45 days from a mysterious illness in Budhal village, Jammu and Kashmir, have prompted CM Omar Abdullah to order an expedited investigation.

as for the rest

The Hindu has a good read on young men in Kerala migrating to Russia for jobs—often through illegal recruitment—with some ending up on the warfront.
Rajasthan Education Minister linked rising student suicides in Kota to the bewildering claim that love affairs are a cause. Our Big Story has the lowdown on the actual reason behind these tragic incidents.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has axed its list of approved publications that helps researchers identify journals that are credible and meet certain quality standards. The Telegraph explains why it will affect the standing of Indian universities.
A fire at the Kumbh Mela destroyed 18 large tents and caused cooking gas explosions, but no casualties were reported. Also at the Kumbh: AI to help prevent stampedes.
The South Korean president is stuck in a tiny jail eating dumpling soup, dried radish and cabbage kimchi—like a real prisoner unlike our jailed netas.
A senior Taliban official publicly urged the group's leader to lift the ban on Afghan women's education, calling it unjustifiable.

Four things to see

One: The first hostages were released as part of the ceasefire deal in Gaza. Israel will release 90 Palestinian prisoners, all women or minors, in exchange. And the first wave of Gaza residents trekked back home—as you can see below. The Guardian has more on what awaits them.

Two: Coldplay kicked off its Music of the Spheres India tour on Saturday—with 45,000 fans at the DY Patil stadium in Mumbai. The best moments from the concert include Chris reading a placard held up by an audience member that said ‘Jai Shree Ram’—which then went viral, of course! He didn’t even know what it meant lol!

Chris also namechecked Jasprit Bumrah. All said and done, the most startling bit about the concert was the low energy audience—which is rare at a Coldplay concert. Maybe they were too busy yelling ‘Jai Shri Ram’ to sing along with the band. (Indian Express)

Bonus thing to see: Keeping with the religious angle, Sonali Bendre and Dakota Johnson—Chris Martin’s long time partner and fiancé—were papped on their way from Siddhivinayak Temple darshan. Hmm, anyone remember Kimmy K’s temple yatra? Is this a thing now for foreign celebs? (NDTV)

Three: SpaceX’s biggest and most powerful rocket Starship exploded during its latest test flight on Thursday—with its debris falling over the Caribbean islands Turks and Caicos. The result resembled fireworks—but the Federal Aviation Administration is not amused—and has launched an investigation. (Quartz)