SAN FRANCISCO, USA: Twitter owner Elon Musk on Friday said he had reinstated certain banned accounts on his site, but said no decision was made on welcoming back former US president Donald Trump.
Musk tweeted that the accounts of comedian Kathy Griffin, psychologist Jordan Peterson and conservative parody site Babylon Bee “have been reinstated,” but that the “Trump decision has not yet been made.”
Twitter users have been watching closely to see whether Musk will reinstate Trump, banned for inciting last year’s attack on the Capitol by a mob seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 election.
The announcement was made just moments before US Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed an independent prosecutor to oversee the criminal investigations into Trump, three days after the former president announced a new run for the White House in 2024.
Griffin, who has two million Twitter followers, was the most recently banned account after she switched her username to Elon Musk, taking advantage of the website’s new relaxed rules under the billionaire.
Musk has described himself as a “free speech absolutist,” and the South African billionaire was harangued online for the ban on Griffin and other accounts that impersonated him.
Canadian psychologist Jordan Peterson was suspended from Twitter in June, before Musk’s ownership, following a post about transgender actor Elliot Page that broke the site’s rules on hateful conduct.
Peterson had often made comments against the rights of transgender people and was asked by Twitter to remove the post on Page.
Musk made the announcement as he indicated a new direction for content moderation on the site.
“New Twitter policy is freedom of speech, but not freedom of reach,” Musk tweeted on Friday.
While not being totally removed from the site, Musk said that “negative/hate tweets” will be “max deboosted & demonetized, so no ads or other revenue to Twitter.”
“You won’t find the tweet unless you specifically seek it out, which is no different from rest of Internet,” he added.
Musk reinstates some banned Twitter accounts, not Trump
https://arab.news/n7j8e
Musk reinstates some banned Twitter accounts, not Trump
- Musk tweeted that the accounts of comedian Kathy Griffin, psychologist Jordan Peterson and conservative parody site Babylon Bee "have been reinstated"
- The "Trump decision has not yet been made"
University of Hong Kong hosts the first Saudi Economic Forum to boost China–Saudi ties
- The high-level event served as a new platform for bilateral dialogue and cross-sector collaboration
RIYADH: The University of Hong Kong (HKU) has hosted the first-ever Saudi Economic Forum in Riyadh, bringing together nearly 100 senior officials, academics, and business leaders to deepen cooperation between China and Saudi Arabia in education, innovation, and economic growth.
Held under the theme “Enhancing the Global Competitiveness of Chinese and Saudi Institutions,” the forum marked a significant milestone in advancing strategic alignment between China’s Belt and Road Initiative and Saudi Vision 2030.
The high-level event served as a new platform for bilateral dialogue and cross-sector collaboration, with participants exploring joint opportunities in investment, technology, renewable energy, and artificial intelligence.
Professor Hongbin Cai, dean of the faculty of business and economics at HKU, said the university aspires to become a “knowledge bridge” between the two nations, leveraging its global standing and extensive international networks. He noted that educational collaboration would be a cornerstone of the Saudi–Chinese partnership.
Saudi Arabia’s Assistant Deputy Minister of Investment, Fahad Al-Hashem, emphasized the depth of the China–Saudi partnership, noting that bilateral trade now exceeds $150 billion, with a growth rate of around 30 percent annually.
He reaffirmed the Kingdom’s openness to partnerships with China’s leading universities and technology companies, particularly in future-focused sectors aligned with Vision 2030, including education, digital transformation, AI, and clean energy.
The forum featured panel discussions on cross-border education, global city development, and technology transfer, with experts stressing the importance of joint ventures in the digital economy and smart infrastructure.
Participants said Saudi Arabia could benefit from China’s successful experiences in energy transition, infrastructure modernization, and innovation ecosystems as it builds globally competitive cities and institutions.
The Saudi Economic Forum concluded with calls for sustained academic and corporate partnerships to enhance institutional excellence and global competitiveness. Organizers said the initiative will continue to facilitate knowledge exchange and support national transformation goals in both countries, namely in the fields of technology and innovation.
