Trump Names James McDonald as New SDNY U.S. Attorney 
France Hosts Israeli-Palestinian Civil Society Appeal to Revive Two-State Solution Ahead of G7 Summit 
KMT Chair Cheng Li-wun Defends Taiwan-China Engagement During U.S. Visit 
Kremlin Says New EU Sanctions Won’t Hurt Russian Banks 
Xi’s North Korea Visit Strengthens Ties and Elevates Kim Jong Un’s Global Standing 
US-Iran Peace Deal Nears as Tehran and Pakistan Signal Breakthrough 
Carney and Macron Strengthen Canada-France Defense Ties Amid US Trade Uncertainty 
North Korea Slams U.S. Missile Sale to South Korea, Warns of Rising Regional Tensions 
Viktor Orban Re-Elected as Fidesz Leader After Election Defeat 
Trump Nominates Jay Clayton as DNI Amid FISA Surveillance Dispute 
U.S.-Iran Peace Framework Nears as Strait of Hormuz Reopening Takes Center Stage 
Trump Says U.S.-Iran Deal Could Be Signed Sunday as Tehran Signals More Talks Needed 
France Hosts Israeli-Palestinian Peace Conference to Revive Two-State Solution 
South Korea Ballot Shortage Sparks Protests, Election Fraud Claims, and Calls for Rerun 
Lebanon Resists Iran Pressure as Israel-Hezbollah Ceasefire Talks Stall 
South Korea Ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol Sentenced to 30 Years Over Martial Law Plot 
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.”
