Bill to ban TikTok in US clears Congress

14 Sept 10:54 Key points summarised by AI

US Congress approves TikTok divestment bill: The US Senate passed legislation, part of a $95 billion foreign aid package, mandating TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, divest the app or face a US ban.
Addresses national security concerns: US officials cite TikTok's alleged ties to Beijing as a national security risk, fearing data collection, user surveillance, and propaganda dissemination, claims strongly denied by China and TikTok.
Imposes divestment deadline: The bill gives ByteDance one year to sell TikTok; failure to comply will result in the app's removal from US app stores, with President Biden stating he will sign the legislation.
Sparks free speech debate: TikTok criticizes the bill as an infringement on free speech for 170 million Americans and a threat to millions of businesses and the US economy.

Macron condemns those who 'sought to bring down the Republic' after rioting mars nationwide protests

Today 12:56 Key points summarised by AI

President Macron condemned widespread rioting and looting during nationwide protests, blaming far-left activists and criminals for the "unrestrained violence" and vowing accountability for those who "sought to bring down the Republic."
Over 2,400 arrests were made as protests against rising living costs and poor school conditions escalated, causing extensive damage to public buildings and businesses in cities like Paris, Limoges (where City Hall burned), Marseille, and Lyon.
The unrest, which organizers hoped would revive the "yellow vest" movement, saw political leaders trade blame, with Macron instructing prefects to protect public buildings and potentially ban future protests to prevent further disorder.