Mondelez International Inc., the snacks and sweets company, is exploring an acquisition of iconic US chocolate maker Hershey Co., in a potential deal that would create a food giant with combined sales of almost $50 billion, according to people familiar with the matter.
Chicago-based Mondelez has made a preliminary approach about a possible combination, said the people, who asked not to be identified because discussions are private.
Shares in Hershey Co. rose as much as 19% on Monday for their biggest intraday gain in more than eight years after the Bloomberg News report. The stock was trading up about 14% at 12:49 p.m. in New York, giving the company a market value of $40 billion. Mondelez fell 2%, giving it a market capitalization of roughly $82 billion.

Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu addressed the press on Monday evening, emphasizing that in just 14 months, Israel had dismantled a terrorist infrastructure that Iran had spent 45 years constructing on Israel’s borders.
Netanyahu’s comments came in the wake of the rapid collapse of the Syrian regime to rebel forces, who swiftly advanced to Damascus. This occurred shortly after Israel’s significant victory in a defensive conflict with Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Iran had heavily invested in Hezbollah, equipping and financing the group not only to target Israel but also to exert control over Lebanese politics. Hezbollah also played a key role as the Syrian regime’s frontline force against Sunni militias during the Syrian conflict.

On Monday, Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Danny Danon addressed an urgent letter to Linda Thomas-Greenfield, President of the United Nations Security Council, concerning recent events involving the IDF’s activities in Syria and the escalating situation along the Syrian-Israeli border.

Betzalel Smotrich, Israel’s finance minister and a member of the Security Cabinet, has expressed that Donald Trump’s upcoming inauguration presents Israel with an opportunity to advance several strategic objectives. These include toppling the Iranian regime, preventing the creation of a Palestinian state, and halting the reconstruction of Lebanese villages near the Israeli border.
“We need to deal with the octopus head and eliminate the Iranian regime,” Smotrich stated during an interview with Bloomberg. “We must join hands on this with the new Trump administration. The Western world cannot afford a dictatorial regime with nuclear weapons which threatens to destroy it.”

Time Magazine has revealed its list of ten contenders for the prestigious Person of the Year title, an accolade the publication has been awarding annually since 1927.
Among the nominees are President-Elect Donald Trump, who recently secured victory in the U.S. presidential election; Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and business mogul; and Kamala Harris, the outgoing Vice President.
Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Russian dissident Alexei Navalny, was also nominated following her announcement to carry on her late husband’s activism after his passing. Federal Reserve Governor Jerome Powell made the list as well, despite facing significant criticism from President-Elect Trump.

Six months ago, Syrian rebel factions disclosed their intention to launch a “major offensive” to Turkish authorities, according to information shared with Reuters by two individuals familiar with the situation.
The report indicated that the rebels perceived this communication as having garnered “tacit approval” from Turkey, allowing them to proceed with their plans.
The sources, comprising a regional diplomat and a member of the Syrian opposition, emphasized that the rebels would not have been able to advance without first notifying Turkey. One source stated unequivocally, “There was no way the rebels could act without Turkey being informed.”

Liz Cheney, a former member of the January 6 Committee, responded on Monday to allegations of destroying 117 files from the panel’s investigation, asserting that she should not face imprisonment over the accusations.
President-elect Donald Trump had accused the committee members on Sunday of erasing evidence that he claimed would have cleared him of any wrongdoing.
The allegation followed a statement by Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), who oversaw the House Administration Committee’s investigation. In January, Loudermilk revealed that forensic investigators discovered 117 missing files, which he alleged were either deleted or encrypted by committee members.

President-elect Donald Trump has turned a viral image of First Lady Jill Biden glancing at him into a marketing opportunity, leveraging the moment to promote a line of colognes and perfumes with the tagline: a scent your adversaries “can’t resist.”
The encounter between Trump and Jill Biden took place in Paris over the weekend at the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral. Trump, set to resume his role as commander-in-chief, was seen interacting with various international leaders. Among the many photos captured during the event, one image gained significant attention online. It showed Jill Biden and Trump sharing what appeared to be a friendly exchange, but the photo that went viral was of Jill Biden gazing at Trump with an expression many described as delight.

A man infamous for his hatred of Israel and known for walking dogs on the Upper West Side has been terrorizing the neighborhood by tearing down Israeli hostage posters and reportedly assaulting those who confront him, according to a report by The NY Post.
Since the October 7, 2023, Hamas terror attack on Israel, Mackenzie Watson, nicknamed “MackNazi” by many locals, has launched a relentless campaign against individuals putting up hostage flyers or removing pro-Palestine stickers, based on court filings and accounts from alleged victims.
“He really just hates Jews,” said a 48-year-old Upper West Side resident, who claims that Watson has had negative encounters with at least 100 people in the area.

Pennsylvania authorities have apprehended a suspect linked to the fatal shooting of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson.
During a press conference, the New York Police Department announced that 26-year-old Luigi Mangione was taken into custody in Altoona, Pennsylvania, located 280 miles from New York City, on firearms-related charges.
“It does seem that he has some ill will toward corporate America,” NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny stated at the press briefing.
“Our investigation is leaning toward he was acting alone,” Kenny added.
NYPD investigators are en route to Altoona, Commissioner Jessica Tisch revealed on Monday. At this stage, Mangione has not been formally charged with Thompson’s murder.