EU and Mercosur Seal Landmark Free Trade Deal After 25 Years of Talks 
Vietnam Communist Party Congress to Shape Leadership and Economic Strategy 
Pentagon Prepares Alaska Troops for Possible Minnesota Deployment Amid Immigration Protests 
Kazakh President Tokayev Accepts Invitation to Join Trump-Proposed “Board of Peace” 
Macron Warns EU Will Respond to U.S. Tariff Threats Over Greenland 
Guatemala Declares State of Siege After Deadly Gang Violence and Prison Hostage Crisis 
Ukraine Unveils New Drone-Based Air Defence Strategy Amid Rising Russian Threats 
JD Vance to Lead U.S. Presidential Delegation at Milano Cortina Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony 
Trump Administration Appeals Judge’s Order Limiting ICE Tactics in Minneapolis 
Syrian Army Advances Into Kurdish-Held Areas Amid Rising Tensions and U.S. Warnings 
Syrian Government Consolidates Control as Kurdish Forces Withdraw from Key Regions 
Pedro Sánchez Warns U.S. Greenland Move Could Undermine NATO and Benefit Russia 
Trump Administration Pushes Rollback of Vehicle Emissions Rules to Lower Car Prices 
Trump Criticizes NYSE Texas Expansion, Calls Dallas Exchange a Blow to New York 
Pentagon Prepares Troops for Possible Minnesota Deployment Amid Deportation Protests 
Starmer Criticizes Tariffs on NATO Allies in Call With Trump 
France Nears 2026 Budget Deal as Government Offers Concessions to Avoid No-Confidence Vote 
Previously, the Trump administration issued an executive order against the video-sharing platform TikTok and its parent company ByteDance which is scheduled to take effect by mid-September. However, TikTok is planning to challenge the ban imposed by Donald Trump.
Washington has raised concerns about TikTok and how it handles its users’ information. They cite that because ByteDance is based in China, the people behind the app may be passing on information to the Beijing government, a claim that the company has denied.
TikTok has over 80 million American users on its platform, and the company has been trying to engage and speak with the administration but have been unsuccessful. Thus, the company is now forced to challenge the executive order against them through a lawsuit.
“To ensure the rule of law is not discarded and that our company and users are treated fairly, we have no choice but to challenge the executive order through the judicial system,” said a spokesperson for ByteDance. TikTok is expected to take legal action this week.
Last week, a group of Chinese-Americans also challenged a similar ban placed on social media app WeChat, which is owned by Chinese company Tencent. These are the latest moves Trump has made against his trade war with China prior to the November elections. Tensions between the two countries have soured since the beginning of the year due to COVID-19. However, the US is not the only country that has placed a ban on TikTok. India has also banned its use, and Australia is considering taking the same action.
This week is also the Republican Convention, and as Trump has accepted the party’s nomination, public endorsements by prominent Republicans towards Trump’s Democratic opponent Joe Biden were being made. Along with these endorsements come ads featuring Trump’s former attorney Michael Cohen. In the ads that are running this week, Cohen recounts his own firsthand experience while at the same time blasting Trump.
Cohen warns Republicans and those who will be tuning into the convention, that Trump will lie. “He can’t be trusted and you shouldn’t believe a word he utters. So when you watch the President, this week, remember this: If he says something huge, it’s probably small. If he says something will work, it probably won’t. And if he says he cares about your and your family, he certainly does not.”
