TikTok ban delayed again as Trump grants 90-day extension for US sale
President Donald Trump has given social media platform TikTok another 90 days to find a non-Chinese buyer or be banned in the United States.
'I've just signed the Executive Order extending the Deadline for the TikTok closing for 90 days (September 17, 2025),' Trump posted on his Truth Social platform
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1News
an hour ago
- 1News
Brazil's first lady under fire from critics for 'outspokenness'
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's government is grappling with unpopularity that has dented his credentials as the frontrunner for re-election next year. Critics and even some in his administration say his wife's outspokenness hasn't helped, accusing her of overstepping what has traditionally been a ceremonial role. Rosângela da Silva, a 58-year-old sociologist also known as Janja, has also drawn criticism for insulting tech billionaire Elon Musk and advising the president on how to use the military during the January 8, 2023 riots in the capital, Brasilia. Still, the first lady says she will not change course. Meanwhile, Lula has staunchly defended her right to speak up and supporters says she is a strong, independent voice. From a Beijing dinner to assailing Musk In early May, an air of triumph filled a dinner in Beijing, where Lula celebrated a diplomatic victory: Businessmen travelling with him said they had secured billions of dollars in investments as the veteran leader renewed his international prestige standing alongside his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping. ADVERTISEMENT But then da Silva raised her hand. Although no one was expected to speak, da Silva addressed Xi, saying that Chinese social media company TikTok posed a challenge for leftists, claiming its algorithm favours right-wingers. China's president reportedly answered. The exchange was leaked to Brazilian media by the time dessert was served. Still, she insists she will speak out whenever it serves the public interest. A Datafolha poll released June 12 found that 36% of Brazilians think the first lady's actions hurt the government, while 14% say they are helpful. It was the pollster's first measure of da Silva's approval. The same poll showed Lula with a 40% job disapproval rating, an 8 percentage point increase from October 2024. 'Undue interference' Under guidelines published by the solicitor-general's office, the president's spouse primarily fulfils "a symbolically representative role on behalf of the president in a social, cultural, ceremonial, political or diplomatic nature." ADVERTISEMENT For many of her critics, this does not grant her the authority to speak as a government representative. Brazilian media have reported that government ministers, lawmakers and staunch leftist campaigners are privately raising concerns she could be a hindrance more than an asset. These worries have skyrocketed since the incident in China — even as Lula himself has praised his wife for speaking out. "It looks like Brazil is governed by a couple," said Beatriz Rey, a political science postdoctoral and research fellow at the University of Lisbon. Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva speaks to supporters accompanied by girlfriend Rosangela da Silva after he was released from Federal Police headquarters where he was imprisoned on corruption charges, in Curitiba, Brazil, Nov. 8, 2019 (Source: Associated Press) "When (the first lady) says there won't be any protocols to silence her, she disrespects our democratic institutions for she has no elected office, no government position," Rey said. "It is not about being a woman or a feminist. It is undue interference." Last week, Brazil's presidency in a statement to The Associated Press said da Silva "acts as a citizen, combining her public visibility with the experience she has built throughout her professional career in support of relevant social issues and matters of public interest." 'Present and vocal' ADVERTISEMENT Lula's first wife, Maria de Lourdes, died in 1971. His second, Marisa Letícia, died in 2017. Lula, 79, and Janja said they met in 2017 and started seeing each other frequently during the leftist leader's 580 days in jail in the city of Curitiba between 2018 and 2019. They married in 2022. Many supporters of Lula's Workers' Party partly attribute the criticism against the first lady to misinformation and disinformation. In May, the party launched the "I am with Janja" social media campaign in her defence. But the week-long effort garnered less than 100,000 views and only a few hundred comments. "Janja is an asset because she rejuvenates Lula, everyone in the government understands that, even her critics," a Brazilian government staffer told the AP. "No one wants to alienate her. But many important people in Brasilia, friends and allies of Lula, do understand that by overstepping she brings some of her rejection to the president." The person, who spoke on condition of anonymity for lack of authorization to speak to the media, often travels with the president and the first lady. Adriana Negreiros, a journalist who profiled the first lady for a 2024 podcast titled "Janja," said that allies of the president who criticize her do it with extreme caution. "(Janja) dances, sings, speaks out, appears at official events and meetings with heads of state. She insists on being present and vocal," Negreiros said. "There's a lot of sexism and misogyny directed at her, no doubt. But not all criticism is sexist." Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and first lady Rosangela Silva arrive to a military promotion ceremony, in Brasilia, Brazil, April 4, 2023 (Source: Associated Press) ADVERTISEMENT 'She will say what she wants' Da Silva said she doesn't go to dinners 'just to accompany" her husband. "I have common sense. I consider myself an intelligent person. So, I know very well what my limits are. I'm fully aware of that," she told a podcast of daily Folha de S. Paulo. Da Silva did, however, express remorse during the same podcast for the expletive she used against Musk in 2024, once a close ally of US President Donald Trump. She also faced criticism over her harsh words when a supporter of Lula's predecessor, former President Jair Bolsonaro, took his own life outside the Supreme Court building last November. Many of Lula's adversaries say they want the first lady to remain in the spotlight. "The more she speaks, the more she holds a microphone, the more she helps the right wing," said Nikolas Ferreira, one of Brazil's most popular right-wing lawmakers. ADVERTISEMENT Ferreira, a prominent social media figure, claims the role of regulating social media is a matter for Brazil's Congress — not for the first lady to debate with foreign leaders like Xi. Da Silva is also expected to play as a keen hostess at the BRICS summit in Rio on July 6-7, a role her husband is almost certain to support. "She will be wherever she wants," Lula told journalists in March, following criticism for sending the first lady as his representative to a nutrition summit in Paris that month. "She will say what she wants and go wherever she wants."
RNZ News
5 hours ago
- RNZ News
Trump's sweeping tax-cut, spending bill clears first US Senate hurdle
Trump on social media hailed the "great victory" for his "great, big, beautiful bill." Photo: SAUL LOEB / AFP By David Morgan and Nicole Johnson , Reuters The Republican-controlled US Senate narrowly advanced President Donald Trump's, sweeping tax-cut and spending bill , during a marathon weekend session marked by political drama, division and lengthy delays as Democrats sought to slow the legislation's path to passage. Lawmakers voted 51-49 to open debate on the 940-page megabill, with two of Trump's fellow Republicans joining Democrats to oppose the legislation that would fund the president's top immigration, border, tax-cut and military priorities. Trump on social media hailed the "great victory" for his "great, big, beautiful bill." After hours of delay, during which Republican leaders and Vice President JD Vance worked behind closed doors to persuade last-minute holdouts to support the measure, Democrats demanded that the megabill first be read aloud in the chamber - a task that could delay the start of the debate until Sunday afternoon (US time). Democrats say the bill's tax cuts would disproportionately benefit the wealthy at the expense of social programs for lower-income Americans. "Senate Republicans are scrambling to pass a radical bill, released to the public in the dead of night, praying the American people don't realise what's in it," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor. "Democrats are going to force this chamber to read it from start to finish," he said. Once the bill has been read, lawmakers will begin up to 20 hours of debate on the legislation. That will be followed by a marathon amendment session, known as a "vote-a-rama," before the Senate votes on passage. Lawmakers said they hoped to complete work on the bill on Monday. Republican Senators Thom Tillis and Rand Paul voted against opening debate, a move that seemed for a time to be in danger of failing. Trump attacked Tillis, who opposed the bill's cuts to the Medicaid healthcare program for lower-income Americans, which he said would be devastating for his native North Carolina. Tillis is up for reelection next year. "Numerous people have come forward wanting to run in the Primary against 'Senator Thom' Tillis. I will be meeting with them over the coming weeks," the president posted. Paul opposed the legislation because it would raise the federal borrowing limit on the $36.2t US debt by an additional $5t. "Did Rand Paul Vote 'NO' again tonight? What's wrong with this guy???" Trump said on social media. The vote was in limbo for hours as Vance, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and other top Republicans sought to persuade last-minute holdouts to support the legislation. It was not clear what deals if any were struck to win over their support. Hardline Republican Senators Rick Scott, Mike Lee and Cynthia Lummis, who want deeper cuts in federal spending, voted to support the bill in the end. Another hardliner, Senator Ron Johnson, initially voted no but flipped his vote and backed the legislation. Trump was monitoring the vote from the Oval Office late into the night, a senior White House official said. The megabill would extend the 2017 tax cuts that were Trump's main legislative achievement during his first term as president, cut other taxes and boost spending on the military and border security. The nonpartisan Joint Tax Committee released an analysis projecting that the Senate bill's tax provisions would reduce government revenue by $4.5t over the next decade, increasing the $36.2tUS government debt. The White House said this month the legislation would reduce the annual deficit by $1.4t. The world's richest person, Elon Musk, also took a swipe at the bill, which would end tax breaks for the electric vehicles that his automaker Tesla manufactures. The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country! Utterly insane and destructive. It gives handouts to industries of the past while severely damaging industries of the future. Calling the bill "utterly insane and destructive," he risked reigniting a feud with Trump that raged earlier this month, before Musk backed down from his rhetoric. "The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country!" Musk wrote in a post on his social media platform X. Republicans from states with large rural populations have opposed a reduction in state tax revenue for Medicaid providers, including rural hospitals. The newly released legislation would delay that reduction and would include $25 billion to support rural Medicaid providers from 2028 to 2032. The legislation would raise the cap on federal deductions for state and local taxes to $40,000 with an annual 1 percent inflation adjustment through 2029, after which it would fall back to the current $10,000. The bill would also phase the cap down for those earning more than $500,000 a year. That is a major concern of House Republicans from coastal states, including New York, New Jersey and California, who play an important role in keeping the party's narrow House majority. Republicans are using a legislative manoeuvre to bypass the Senate's 60-vote threshold to advance most legislation in the 100-member chamber. Democrats will focus their firepower with amendments aimed at reversing Republican spending cuts to programs that provide government-backed healthcare to the elderly, poor and disabled, as well as food aid to low-income families. The bill also would raise the Treasury Department's debt ceiling by trillions of dollars to stave off a potentially disastrous default on the nation's debt in the coming months. If the Senate passes the bill, it will then return to the House of Representatives for final passage before Trump can sign it into law. The House passed its version of the bill last month. - Reuters
RNZ News
6 hours ago
- RNZ News
Trump slams Israel's prosecutors over Netanyahu corruption trial
By Ryan Patrick Jones and Mike Stone, Reuters US President Donald Trump (R) and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Photo: ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / AFP President Donald Trump has lashed out at prosecutors in Israel over the corruption trial that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced, saying Washington - having given billions of dollars worth of aid to Israel - was not going to "stand for this". Netanyahu was indicted in 2019 in Israel on charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust - all of which he denies. The trial began in 2020 and involves three criminal cases. "It is INSANITY doing what the out-of-control prosecutors are doing to Bibi Netanyahu," Trump said in a Truth Social post, adding that the judicial process was going to interfere with Netanyahu's ability to conduct talks with Palestinian militants Hamas and Iran. Trump's second post over the course of a few days defending Netanyahu and calling for the cancellation of the trial went a step further to tie Israel's legal action to US aid. "The United States of America spends Billions of Dollar a year, far more than on any other Nation, protecting and supporting Israel. We are not going to stand for this," Trump said. Netanyahu "right now" was in the process of negotiating a deal with Hamas, Trump said, without giving further details. On Friday (US Time), the Republican president told reporters that he believed a ceasefire was close. Hamas has said it was willing to free remaining hostages in Gaza under any deal to end the war, while Israel said it could only end if Hamas was disarmed and dismantled. Hamas refuses to lay down its arms. Interest in resolving the Gaza conflict has heightened in the wake of the US and Israeli bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities. A ceasefire to the 12-day Israel-Iran conflict went into effect early this week. - Reuters
