News

Trump tried to impose a total ban on the China-based app and some states have already prohibited its use on official devices
The US government has approved an unprecedented ban on the use of TikTok on federal government devices. The restrictions – tucked into a spending bill just days before it was passed by Congress, and signed by Joe Biden on Thursday – add to growing uncertainty about the app’s future in the US amid a crackdown from state and federal lawmakers.
Officials say the ban is necessary due to national security concerns about the China-based owner of the app, ByteDance. But it also leaves many questions unanswered. Here’s what you need to know.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus says WHO officials stressed to Beijing the importance of sharing data ahead of easing of travel restrictions on 8 January
The World Health Organisation again urged China’s health officials to regularly share specific, real-time information on the country’s Covid surge, as the UK joined other countries in bringing in travel restrictions, citing a lack of data as the reason.
WHO Covid experts and “again stressed the importance of transparency and regular sharing of data to formulate accurate risk assessments and to inform effective response”, said the WHO chief,

Company officials have discussed in recent months different strategies to avoid having a “Made in China” label, to avoid political blowback as well as tariffs.

In the absence of credible information from the Chinese government, researchers around the world are looking for any clues to determine the size and severity of the surge.

Department of Health confirms that from 5 January anyone travelling to England will be asked to take a pre-departure test
Rishi Sunak has performed a major U-turn by imposing Covid checks on travellers from China from 5 January, after criticism from a growing number of Conservative MPs over his “dithering”.
After a series of about whether the UK would follow the lead of Spain, Italy, Israel, the US and India in screening arrivals, the prime minister backed the move to bring the UK into line with its allies in a change of policy on Friday.

METUCHEN, N.J. -- American Girl just unveiled their 2023 "Girl of the Year," and she's from New Jersey. Kavika Sharma, or Kavi for short, is a spunky Broadway-loving dancer and singer from Metuchen.

American Girl just unveiled their 2023 "Girl of the Year," and she's from New Jersey. Kavika Sharma, or Kavi for short, is a spunky Broadway-loving dancer and singer from Metuchen. She's the line's ...

Move follows House of Representatives ban, which TikTok called a ‘political measure that will do nothing’ for national security
TikTok has been banned on all federal government devices in the US, with limited exceptions, after Joe Biden signed a $1.7tn (£1.4tn) spending bill on Thursday containing a provision that outlaws the China-based app over growing security concerns.
The ban – which was approved by Congress in a vote last week – is a major step targeting the fastest-growing social media platform in the world as opponents express worry user data stored in China could be accessed by the government.

US aircraft forced to take evasive maneuvers during latest incident over contested shipping, fishing and gas field-rich region
A Chinese military plane came within 10ft (three meters) of a US air force aircraft over the contested South China Sea last week and forced it to take evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision in international airspace, the US military said.
The close encounter followed what the US called a recent trend of increasingly dangerous behavior by Chinese military aircraft.