Axios

President Trump told Axios on Saturday that "we are close" to a peace deal in Gaza, and said he'll push to finalize it in the next few days.

• "I said, 'Bibi, this is your chance for victory.' He was fine with it," Trump told me. "He's got to be fine with it. He has no choice. With me, you got to be fine."

Why it matters: Trump's public messaging and behind-the-scenes diplomacy on Friday brought Israel and Hamas closer than ever to ending a war that began almost exactly two years ago with Hamas' attacks of Oct. 7, 2023.

Bad Bunny's Super Bowl pushback from MAGA influencers is the latest chapter in a long history of Latino artists facing heat on America's most significant sports events.

The big picture: These flashpoints underscore how Latino performers frequently bear the weight of cultural politics, identity debates, and representation battles on some of the country's most prominent stages.

U.S. sanctions and national security concerns have pushed China to double down on its own technology industry, while America continues to be heavily reliant on Chinese consumer apps.

Why it matters: Today, six of the top 100 most downloaded apps in the U.S. are based in China or Hong Kong, per Apptopia, up from three in 2021.

The majority of downloads for ByteDance-owned apps in the U.S. this year haven't been of the main TikTok app, according to data from Apptopia.

Why it matters: President Trump's latest executive order outlining an agreement to sell TikTok's U.S. arm does reference other ByteDance-owned apps, but it's unclear how data and content security measures would carry over for those entities.

In just over a decade, China has proven it can sustain its box office with domestic productions and compete with Hollywood globally.

Why it matters: The strategy has reshaped the global movie business and could grow even more complicated as the Trump administration threatens new tariffs on foreign films.

China's digital ad industry continues to expand globally, fueled by mobile platforms that are innovating in live shopping and short-form entertainment.

Why it matters: China is no longer just a massive domestic market, given how its platforms are shaping the future of global ad formats and retail media.

The surprise ascendance of DeepSeek is forcing the U.S. to reckon with a narrowing tech advantage over China.

Why it matters: "We are in a new form of Cold War, and that war will be won by the country that can develop and maintain the greatest lead in artificial intelligence," Robin Feldman, director of the AI Law and Innovation Institute at UC Law, tells Axios.

The Israeli military has shifted to defensive operations in Gaza after President Trump called on Israel to halt its strikes in the enclave, the IDF said in a statement on Saturday morning local time.

Why it matters: This is the closest that Israel and Hamas have come to ending the war since the October 7 attacks almost exactly two years ago.

President Trump said Friday that Israel should stop bombing Gaza and prepare for the release of its hostages because he now believes Hamas is "ready for a lasting PEACE."

Why it matters: This is the first time since returning to office that Trump has tried to force Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt the fighting.

President Trump warned Hamas that it has until 6pm ET on Sunday to agree to his terms to end the war in Gaza or "all HELL, like no one has ever seen before, will break out against Hamas."

Why it matters: Trump's new ultimatum, posted on Truth Social, is an extension of his original deadline, which was expected to expire on Friday. Trump warned that there would be "potentially great future death" if the deadline was missed, and he urged Palestinians to flee to "safer parts of Gaza."

After years of behind-the-scenes work, a pollution-trading initiative is publicly launching on Friday that works in India and plans expansion to other developing nations, the group tells Axios exclusively.

Why it matters: The Emissions Market Accelerator sees openings, based on its on-the-ground work to date, to cost-effectively cut pollution and CO2 using emissions trading on a very large scale.