TikTok attacked for China ties as US lawmakers push for ban
US lawmakers on Thursday battered TikTok’s chief executive about potential Chinese influence over the platform and said its short videos were damaging children’s mental health, reflecting bipartisan concerns over the app’s power over Americans.
CEO Shou Zi Chew’s testimony before Congress did little to assuage US worries over TikTok’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, and added fresh momentum to lawmakers’ calls to ban the platform nationwide.
Over five hours of testimony, Mr Chew repeatedly denied the app shares data or has connections with the Chinese Communist Party and argued the platform was doing everything to ensure safety for its 150 million American users.
Mr Chew said TikTok for more than two years has been “building what amounts to a firewall to seal off protected US user data from unauthorised foreign access.”
Zelensky tells Europe: Be quicker with military aid
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday urged Europe to increase and speed up supplies of modern weaponry and impose tougher sanctions on Russia, saying otherwise the war could drag on for years.
In a long and sharply worded video address to EU leaders, delivered from a train, Mr Zelensky said it was up to the 27-nation bloc to take action to contain Russia more than a year into its invasion of Ukraine.
Although Ukrainian officials have repeatedly urged partners to step up supplies of weapons, Mr Zelensky’s comments represented an unusually open display of frustration.
US House passes Partner with Asean Act
The US House of Representatives on Thursday afternoon passed the Partner with Asean Act - which would authorise Asean to be designated as an international organisation with diplomatic privileges and immunities.
This would put Asean on par with the European Union and the African Union.
The United States typically extends automatic privileges and immunities to international organisations to which it belongs, but a special act of Congress is needed to extend recognition to international organisations with which it is not a member – in this case Asean.
China tries to block prominent Uighur speaker at UN
China attempted on Thursday to block a prominent Uighur activist from speaking at the UN Human Rights Council, where he demanded the body urgently address allegations of serious violations by Beijing.
Mr Dolkun Isa, a Uighur activist based in Germany and president of the World Uighur Congress, spoke up during a general debate about concerns around the world.
But as soon as he began speaking, China’s representative in the room Mao Yizong demanded the floor to object.
Kane makes history as England squeeze past Italy
Harry Kane broke England’s all-time scoring record with his 54th international goal in Thursday’s tight 2-1 win against Italy which kicked off his team’s Euro 24 qualifying campaign in positive style.
Gareth Southgate’s side were already a goal ahead through Declan Rice when captain Kane stroked home a 44th-minute penalty to overtake Wayne Rooney and help England to a handy Group C win in Naples over the European champions.
“It means everything. I was so excited to put the England shirt on and get back out and get the campaign started for next year’s Euros,” said Kane.
