Trump to extend TikTok sale deadline for third time, says White House
US President Donald Trump will extend a June 19 deadline for China-based ByteDance to divest the US assets of short video app TikTok for 90 days despite a law that mandated a sale or shutdown absent significant progress, the White House said on Tuesday.
Trump had already twice granted a reprieve from enforcement of a congressionally mandated ban on TikTok that was supposed to take effect in January.
"President Trump will sign an additional executive order this week to keep TikTok up and running," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday.
That would extend the deadline to mid-September.
"President Trump does not want TikTok to go dark," she added, saying the administration will spend the next three months making sure the sale closes so that Americans can keep using TikTok with the assurance that their data is safe and secure.
Trump said in May he would extend the June 19 deadline after the app helped him with young voters in the 2024 election.
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IOL News
33 minutes ago
- IOL News
Trump's last card: the Gulf of Tonkin false flag justification
US President Donald J Trump looks more like President George W Bush, pensive and in deep thought just before declaring war on Iraq. Image: Saul Loeb/AFP via Getty Images US President Donald J Trump looks more like President George W Bush, pensive and in deep thought just before declaring war on Iraq. He is not alone. He finds himself in the same position as many US presidents before him, who had to authorise the military to go to war, rehearsing how the justification could be elegantly and persuasively announced. The pacing up and down the lawn of the White House and in Trump's case, the silliness of the diversionary tactics, including the hosting of two 'big beautiful' poles on each side of the White House, is not a sign of preoccupation with whether or not to go to war. That decision has already been taken. The White House resident is mulling over the speech that justifies the war he has already authorised, especially on how its impact would be felt by different constituencies that make up his political and financial support base. President Trump has had a similar decision to make in his first stint as POTUS 45. He was required to authorise decapitation strikes against General Suleimani of Iran, who was on an official visit to Iraq. As provocative and illegal as the decapitation strikes are, there were no retaliatory measures or follow-up exchanges. The lesson was learnt. Pinpoint strikes against Iran will not have any consequence against the US nor its allies, for that matter. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading In his second term, having authorised the military strikes against Iranian nuclear and oil facilities, including the killing of nuclear scientists and that country's top military brass, it is difficult to imagine what, if anything… is Trump still waiting to decide in two weeks. Along came deception. The second term of DJT, Elon Musk's endearment for the Donald, is characterised by deception as the primary instrument of statecraft. Briefing journalists both in the Oval Office and inside Air Force One, President Trump struck a note of confidence, convinced that he was the ultimate America First deal maker who would get the best nuclear deal for Israel first and America second. And so at the end of the fifth round of negotiations with Iran, his decapitation drones had already left Tel Aviv to decapitate the Iranian negotiators he was negotiating with. There could be no sixth. Sometimes the deception starts with the US President calling the President of another country 'my friend'. When such endearments gain currency, he is certainly planning something unsavoury against them. While President Xi Jinping is a dear friend of Trump, with whom he got along very well, and in his words, with great respect, he was buttering him up for something nasty. On the 25th of April 2025, Trump's administration produced a fact sheet that imposed a combined tariff rate of a whopping 245%. And this was just for a dear friend, he got along with them very well and with respect. President Vladimir Putin has come to learn of this strategy of deception at great cost. Whilst Trump supported and encouraged a meeting between the Russian and Ukrainian negotiators planned for Istanbul, the US president sat with Zelensky in the hall of the Vatican and discussed something pressing. In full view of the world, they sat for 15 minutes discussing a sensitive subject which was mutually strategic for both countries, and exhilarating for the accompanying European leaders. So soon thereafter, the nuclear bombers of the Russian Federation went up in billows of smoke from drone explosions launched from smuggled trucks into various parts of the Russian Federation. The United Kingdom was quick to confirm that the success of this attack is owed to Operation Spiderweb, which had been in the making for 18 months, as far back as the time of Joe Biden. Only, Trump had to see it through as a negotiating pressure tactic against Russia. And it had plausible deniability of direct US involvement. Of plausible deniability and false flags, the US always deploy them as two successive pages of the same war book. When one is used, the other will inexorably follow. Perhaps it is that script which has popularised the adage that in politics, there are no coincidences and in war, all coincidences are suspect. The preeminent requirement for the US to refer to the war book in the first place is when a decision to go to war has already been taken. Thereafter, the usual blood-curdling rituals follow, with the demonisation of the target by the mainstream media leading the charge. Horrible things start happening to the said adversary without the US being perceived to be directly involved. That is enough plausible deniability. Suddenly, without warning, the war mongers start yearning for more blood. Considering that the administration had long acquiesced to war, all they needed was an excuse to escalate. But the war hawks know what the world knows already. They must provide their own justification in order to fully inhabit the theatre of conflict. That justification is on the very next page of the book. In the Vietnam War, it was officially called the USS Maddox incident, an infamous deception known to historians as the Gulf of Tonkin false flag operation. This Gulf of Tonkin false flag operation marked a historic milestone. It eulogises every false flag justification with a name of its own. With the resolve to topple Saddam Hussein in a full invasion, the justification had a heavy title. 'Weapons of mass destruction!' For such a loquacious group, their vocabulary is disturbingly sparse. The titling of these justifications has limits, apparently, occasioned no doubt by the need to retain shock and horror and manufactured consent. In Libya, the justification that toppled Gaddafi is shockingly called 'the weapons of mass destruction'. President Trump may not need to worry about his MAGA constituency, nor his utterances of many years that the senseless forever wars must come to an end. So much proselytising was fair game in electioneering season and accordingly was meant for votes. No normal US president can ever imagine that they would finish a term without obliging some military adventurism or spilling of blood, however infinitesimally, in some small country or exotic island. But this is deception's open season. There are no two weeks within which to decide. The strike will be within days of the announcement by the White House spokesperson. If Trump were facing re-election concerns and possible dethroning by his Democrat rivals, he would have shut this war down a long time ago. But he has been liberated from such psychological constrictions. The trillion dollars of investments from Saudi Arabia are almost ready for purchase. So is the Palace in the Sky 747 aircraft gift from the Emir of Qatar. It is humming on the tarmacs of Doha. No matter. No business is more urgent than, nor competes in importance with, Netanyahu's fabled wars with ubiquitous foes. After all, the letter from his ambassador in Jerusalem, Mike Huckabee, has confirmed that Trump is the second coming of the Messiah, to do what the Messiah is wont to do. The messianic to-do list may be a stretch for the Donald, with at least 8 billion people yearning for their reward for a lifetime of religious loyalty. All he has to do is save only that sliver of humanity who are his allies and destroy everyone else. He has an amazing name for this messianic operation, composed of many false flags. Helped by the charismatic evangelists, its haloed name is shocking for its biblical end-of-time-ish fatalism. The Gog of Magog. * Ambassador Bheki Gila is a Barrister-at-Law. ** The views expressed here do not reflect those of the Sunday Independent, Independent Media, or IOL. Get the real story on the go: Follow the Sunday Independent on WhatsApp.
eNCA
an hour ago
- eNCA
Tesla to build first grid-scale power plant in China
NEW YORK - Tesla announced that it signed an agreement to build its first grid-scale energy storage power station project in mainland China. The project will help with the flexible adjustment of grid resources, and "effectively solve pressures relating to urban power supply," Tesla said in a post to the Chinese social media platform Weibo. "After completion, this project is expected to become the largest grid-side energy storage project in China," Tesla added. Such energy storage systems help to enhance stability in the electricity grid at a time when there are greater supplies of solar and wind power. Chinese media outlet Yicai reported that Tesla Shanghai, Shanghai authorities and China Kangfu International Leasing Co. held a signing ceremony Friday for the project. It added that the deal involved investments of 4 billion yuan ($560 million). The contract comes at a moment of tension between Washington and Beijing, with the two sides yet to hash out a long-term trade agreement following tariffs announced by President Donald Trump.
IOL News
2 hours ago
- IOL News
KwaZulu-Natal DOT assembles legal team for Tokio Marine lawsuit over flood damages
The MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, Siboniso Duma, met with Andrew Kirby, the president and CEO of Toyota South Africa Motors. Image: Supplied The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport (DOT) is assembling a strong team of legal minds to guide them on a lawsuit instituted by insurance company Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co. The Japan-based insurance company has sued the eThekwini Municipality, Transnet SOC Limited, and the DOT in respect of the April 2022 floods, which affected Toyota South Africa Motors (Pty) Ltd (TSAM), based in Prospecton. In court papers, it is stated that the three organisations had failed in their duty to maintain infrastructure and should have known that neglecting such responsibilities could lead to flooding. During the April floods, the structural integrity of the Umlaas Canal and the diversion berm was compromised, leading to stormwater flowing into the Prospecton Industrial Area, where the Toyota plant is situated, causing extensive flooding and damage, as read in the court papers. It stated that Transnet owned the Umlaas Canal and was responsible for its management and maintenance, as well as the flood risk associated with it. The concrete-lined canal is intended to channel and divert the uMlazi River around the Prospecton Industrial Area. Together with the diversion berm, it forms an integral part of the flood control and prevention mechanism for the Prospecton Industrial Area, it further stated. It said the DOT was responsible for the management and maintenance of the diversion berm, while the municipality owned, managed, and was responsible for the maintenance and control of the stormwater management system for the Prospecton Industrial Area. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading Tasneem Lorgat, the general manager, Marketing Communications for Toyota, stated that TSAM submitted its insurance claim to Tokio Marine in respect of the floods. Lorgat stated that the flood affected TSAM's manufacturing operations. She said the litigation proceedings are not being facilitated and/or funded by TSAM. Accordingly, TSAM will not benefit in any way from the subrogated recovery action against these entities. She said upon learning of the impending recovery litigation, TSAM undertook, with the consent of Tokio Marine, to engage with each of the defendants to advise them of the impending subrogated recovery action. The MEC for Transport and Human Settlements, Siboniso Duma, said that he had spoken with Andrew Kirby, the president and CEO of TSAM, on Friday. Duma stated that the department is consulting with lawyers and could not get into the legal technicalities and details of the processes that will unfold. 'Kirby has emphasised his commitment to work with us to build this province. We have agreed to sustain our relationship that has evolved over the years. We have agreed that nothing should come between us and this enduring relationship,' Duma said. eThekwini Municipality spokesperson, Gugu Sisilana, said the municipality was aware of the court action and had filed a notice to defend. An eThekwini Municipality finance committee report, in April 2025, stated that the municipality is actively working on improving critical infrastructure and water supply systems, particularly in the Toyota and South African Breweries (SAB) precincts, south of Durban, to mitigate future disruptions and demonstrate accountability In a municipal report, a suggestion was made to explore the possibility of relocating TSAM from its current location, which is situated in a flood-prone area in Prospecton, and that the current weather conditions pose significant risks to the company's operations. According to the report, relocating to another area within the eThekwini municipal region should be considered to mitigate potential long-term impacts, including huge job losses. Refilwe Ramatlhodi Ndhlovu, manager of corporate communications at TSAM, indicated that TSAM has no plans to relocate its manufacturing operations and remains invested in the community and investments made at the plant. Andre Beetge, DA Ward 97 councillor and Executive Committee member (Exco), stated that TSAM plays an important role within the southern economy. He said TSAM also creates job opportunities, and one must take into account the ancillaries that find themselves directly reliant on the existence and location of this 'anchor' manufacturer.
