DIRS.INFO The most relevant business & tech news

While the impetus on Republicans to pick a new speaker escalated after the terrorist attack in Israel over the weekend, the House GOP conference remains bitterly divided over how it should proceed – and who can get the 217 votes needed to lead it. Republicans are preparing for the prospect that neither House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana nor House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio can get the votes to be elected speaker, leaving the conference with no clear path forward. In some corners of the conference, there was a push to quickly settle on a speaker. House Foreign Affairs Chairman Mike McCaul called for a new speaker by Wednesday to avoid appearances of weakness and dysfunction amid war in Israel. Until a new speaker is selected, the House can’t pass legislation to address the crisis, McCaul noted.

Persons: Kevin McCarthy, Steve Scalise, Jim Jordan, They’re, McCarthy, “, ” Scalise, Derrick Van Orden, ”, Max Miller, Steve Womack, GOP appropriator, ” Womack, Jordan, Cory Mills, who’ve, Chip Roy, Texas, –, Mike McCaul, McCaul Organizations: CNN — House Republicans, GOP, Republicans, CNN, Florida Republican, Foreign Locations: coalescing, Israel, Louisiana, Ohio, Scalise, Jordan, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Florida

The deal removes a point of friction between the United States, which brands Tehran a sponsor of terrorism, and Iran, which calls Washington the "Great Satan". 'HUMANITARIAN ACTION'[1/9]Family members embrace freed American Emad Shargi after he and four fellow detainees were released in a prisoner swap deal between U.S and Iran, and arrived at Davison Army Airfield at Fort Belvoir, Virginia. Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, who was in New York for the annual U.N. General Assembly, called the swap a humanitarian action. Relations between the United States and Iran have been especially bitter since 2018 when then-President Donald Trump pulled out of a deal aimed at curbing Tehran's nuclear ambitions and toughened U.S. sanctions. Washington suspects Iran's nuclear program may be aimed at developing nuclear arms, a charge Iran denies.

Persons: Babak Namazi, Siamak, Siamak Namazi, Morad Tahbaz, American Emad, Jonathan Ernst, Joe Biden, Ebrahim Raisi, Biden, Michael McCaul, Donald Trump, Iran's, Antony Blinken, Henry Rome of, Andrew Mills, Humeyra Pamuk, Parisa, Edmund Blair, Arshad Mohammed, Gareth Jones, Jon Boyle, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: Doha DOHA, NEW, Stripes, Qatari, Davison Army, REUTERS, Rights, General Assembly, Democrat, House Foreign, U.S, Washington Institute for Near, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: Qatar, Iran, Doha, United States, U.S, Fort Belvoir , Virginia, South Korea, Switzerland, Tehran, Washington, Gulf and U.S, Emad Sharqi, British, American, New York

Having failed to revive a 2015 Iran nuclear deal, Washington hopes to restore some limits on Iran to keep it from getting a nuclear weapon that could threaten Israel and trigger a regional arms race. An Iranian official said: "Call it whatever you want, whether a temporary deal, an interim deal, or a mutual understanding - both sides want to prevent further escalation." U.S. Special Envoy for Iran Rob Malley has also met Iran's ambassador to the U.N. after months of Iran refusing direct contact. The Western official said the key U.S. objective was to keep the nuclear situation from worsening and to avoid a potential clash between Israel and Iran. U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul, a Republican, wrote to President Joe Biden on Thursday saying "any arrangement or understanding with Iran, even informal, requires submission to Congress".

Persons: Donald Trump, Matt Miller, Washington, Brett McGurk, Ali Bagheri Kani, Iran Rob Malley, miscalculate, Michael McCaul, Joe Biden, Parisa, John Irish, Arshad Mohammed, Ramu Ayub, Simon Lewis, Daphne Psaledakis, Don Durfee, William Mallard Organizations: U.S . Congress, State Department, U.S . National Security, International Atomic Energy Agency, U.S, . House Foreign, Republican, John, Thomson Locations: DUBAI, PARIS, United States, Iran, Russia, Washington, Israel, Tehran, U.S, de, Ukraine, Oman, Ali Bagheri Kani . U.S, IRAN, ISRAEL, Parisa Hafezi, Dubai, Paris, Saint Paul , Minnesota

☆ Taiwan says F-16 deliveries delayed, working to minimise damage
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] 12 F-16V fighter jets perform an elephant walk during an annual New Year's drill in Chiayi, Taiwan, January 5, 2022. REUTERS/Ann WangTAIPEI, May 4 (Reuters) - Taiwan Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said on Thursday that the delivery of 66 advanced new F-16Vs from the United States has been delayed due to supply chain disruptions and the ministry was working to minimise the damage and "make up deficiencies". Speaking to reporters at parliament, Chiu said Taiwan had asked the United States to "make up the deficiency", including prioritising spare part deliveries for the existing fleet. The ministry is using diplomatic channels, such as via the de facto U.S. embassy in Taipei, to resolve the problem, Chiu said. Neither the de facto embassy, the American Institute in Taiwan, nor Lockheed Martin immediately responded to a request for comment.

☆ China sanctions senior US lawmaker for visiting Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

BEIJING, April 13 (Reuters) - China's foreign ministry on Thursday announced sanctions against Michael McCaul, chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, for "interfering" in the country's domestic affairs and for visiting Taiwan. McCaul visited Taiwan last week and met Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen. Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Writing by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Bernadette BaumOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ As Chinese military exercises, US lawmaker pledges training for Taiwan
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Michael McCaul, Chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, who is leading a delegation of US lawmakers visiting Taiwan, speaks during a news conference at the parliament in Taipei, Taiwan April 7, 2023. "As the House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, I sign off on all foreign military sales, including weapons to Taiwan, and I promise you, Madam President, we will deliver those weapons," he said. "And we will provide training to your military - not for war, but for peace," he added, without giving details. The United States is set to expand the number of troops helping train Taiwanese forces, two U.S. officials told Reuters in February. China describes Taiwan as the most sensitive and important issue in its relations with the United States, and the topic is a constant source of friction between Beijing and Washington.

☆ Senior US lawmaker says doing everything possible to speed up Taiwan arms deliveries
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] Michael McCaul, Chairman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, who is leading a delegation of US lawmakers visiting Taiwan, and Taiwan's Parliament Speaker You Si-kun, shake hands during a news conference at the parliament in Taipei, Taiwan April 7, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Garcia RawlinsTAIPEI, April 7 (Reuters) - A senior U.S. lawmaker said on Friday he was doing everything possible to speed up the delivery of weapons to Taiwan, suggesting other countries that have the arms could sell them onto the island with U.S. government permission. Taiwan has since last year complained of delays to U.S. weapons deliveries, such as Stinger anti-aircraft missiles, as manufacturers turn supplies to Ukraine to support its defence against Russia. "On the weapons issue, I sign off on those deliveries and we are doing everything in our power to expedite this," he said, speaking at Taiwan's parliament where he met its speaker, You Si-kun. While China staged war games around Taiwan in August after then-Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taipei its reaction this time has been more muted.

A different report containing classified material will be shared with members of Congress, which comes in response to requests from congressional committees, the White House said. "President Biden's choices for how to execute a withdrawal from Afghanistan were severely constrained by conditions created by his predecessor," the report said. But the Trump administration "provided no plans for how to conduct the final withdrawal or to evacuate Americans and Afghan allies," the White House said. "No agency predicted a Taliban takeover in nine days," Kirby told reporters at the White House press briefing. Many critics of the withdrawal — including lawmakers from both parties — faulted the Biden administration for how it handled the pullout.

☆ TikTok CEO says company at 'pivotal moment' as some U.S. lawmakers seek ban
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-21 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

WASHINGTON, March 21 (Reuters) - Chinese-owned short video app TikTok faces a "pivotal moment" as a growing number of U.S. lawmakers seek to ban the popular app over national security concerns, CEO Shou Zi Chew said. On Wednesday, TikTok creators and New York Representative Jamaal Bowman, a Democrat, will hold a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol to oppose a TikTok ban. Bowman described the push to ban TikTok as "fear mongering" in an interview with Reuters. On Friday, six more U.S. senators backed bipartisan legislation to give Biden new powers to ban TikTok. On March 1, the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee voted along party lines to give President Joe Biden new powers to ban TikTok.

☆ TikTok introduces new paywalled 20-minute video feature
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-07 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The New Economy Forum is being organized by Bloomberg Media Group, a division of Bloomberg LP, the parent company of Bloomberg News. The new feature, called Series, will allow select creators to share longer videos that will be available for purchase behind a paywall. Users have previously only been able to share 15-second, 1-minute, 3-minute or 10-minute videos on TikTok. The new feature will further heat up the competition with platforms like YouTube — which is known for its long-form videos. In August 2021, YouTube introduced YouTube Shorts as a direct alternative to TikTok.

☆ TikTok a potential target in upcoming US bill to ban some foreign tech - Senator
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) speaks to the media following a classified briefing for U.S. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/File PhotoWASHINGTON March 5 (Reuters) - Two U.S. senators plan to introduce legislation this week aimed at letting the government "ban or prohibit" foreign technology products such as Chinese-owned TikTok, Senator Mark Warner said on Sunday. Warner, the chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, said TikTok would be "one of the potentials" for review under the bill. The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee voted on Wednesday to give President Joe Biden the power to ban TikTok, in what would be the most far-reaching U.S. restriction on any social media app. He said he planned to introduce the legislation this week with Republican Senator John Thune.

☆ Senators to launch bill that will help ban or prohibit foreign technology like TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-05 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Senate Intelligence Committee Chair Mark Warner, D-Va., said Sunday he is introducing a broad bipartisan bill this week that will outline an approach to banning or prohibiting foreign technology, like the popular video-sharing app TikTok. TikTok is a short-form video platform that is used by more than 100 million Americans. Warner's legislation comes after U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee voted Wednesday to advance a bill that would grant President Joe Biden the authority to ban TikTok. The bill passed the Republican-controlled committee 24-16 along party lines, with unanimous GOP support and no Democratic votes. TikTok is no stranger to challenges from U.S. officials, as former President Donald Trump declared his intention to ban the app by executive action in 2020.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee voted Wednesday to advance a bill that would grant President Joe Biden the authority to ban TikTok, the Chinese social media app used by more than 100 million Americans. Yet even as Democrats objected, many of them said they did so regretfully, and they would have much preferred to support a version of McCaul's TikTok ban. "My bill empowers the administration to ban TikTok or any other software application that threatens U.S. national security." "It would be unfortunate if the House Foreign Affairs Committee were to censor millions of Americans," TikTok spokeswoman Brooke Oberwetter told CNBC in an email Monday. On Monday, the Biden administration released new implementation rules for a TikTok ban that applies only to federal government-owned devices, which was passed by Congress in December.

☆ U.S. House panel approves bill giving Biden power to ban TikTok
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( David Shepardson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

WASHINGTON, March 1 (Reuters) - The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee voted on Wednesday along party lines to give President Joe Biden the power to ban Chinese-owned social media app TikTok and other apps. Democrats on the committee opposed the bill, which was sponsored by Republican committee chair Michael McCaul. The fate of the measure is still uncertain and it would need to be passed by the full House and U.S. Senate before it can go to Biden. McCaul told Reuters after the vote that he thinks the TikTok bill will be taken up on the floor "fairly soon" and voted on by the full House this month. Reporting by David Shepardson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Deepa BabingtonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ TikTok's potential ban in U.S. could be boon for Meta and Snap
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-01 | by ( Ashley Capoot | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Jonathan Raa | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesInvestors in Meta , Snap and other U.S. digital media companies have been looking for signs of a rebound after a tumultuous 2022. Meta climbed 1% on Wednesday, and Snap was unchanged. She said that Meta's Facebook, Snap and Google's YouTube could be "huge beneficiaries" if the ban ultimately takes place. watch now"A U.S. ban on TikTok is a ban on the export of American culture and values to the billion-plus people who use our service worldwide," a TikTok spokesperson said Wednesday. Andrew Boone, an analyst at JMP, said that Meta likely stands to benefit the most should TikTok face a U.S. ban.

WASHINGTON — The U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee plans to take up legislation Tuesday that would give President Joe Biden the authority to ban TikTok, the Chinese social media app used by more than 100 million Americans. 1153 will effectively leap frog several other proposals to ban TikTok that were previously introduced in the House and Senate, but haven't yet advanced through the committee process. My bill empowers the administration to ban TikTok or any software applications that threaten U.S. national security," McCaul said in a statement Monday. "It would be unfortunate if the House Foreign Affairs Committee were to censor millions of Americans," TikTok spokeswoman Brooke Oberwetter told CNBC in an email Monday. At the time, ByteDance was looking to potentially spin off TikTok to keep the app from being shut down.

☆ Taiwan and the United States reach consensus in trade negotiations, pledge to maintain 'ambitious negotiating schedule'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Flags of Taiwan and U.S. are placed for a meeting between U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Ed Royce speaks and with Su Chia-chyuan, President of the Legislative Yuan in Taipei, Taiwan March 27, 2018. The United States and Taiwan concluded four days of trade negotiations on Monday and reached consensus on several areas related to trade facilitation, anti-corruption, small and medium-sized enterprises and regulatory practices, the U.S. Trade Representative's office said. The first major negotiating round of the U.S.-Taiwan Initiative on 21st Century Trade saw the two sides exchange texts on those areas in Taipei, the office said in a statement. "Officials also reached consensus in a number of areas and pledged to maintain an ambitious negotiating schedule in the months ahead to continue this momentum," the statement said. Taiwan's top trade negotiator, John Deng, told reporters in Taipei he was "quite satisfied" with the outcome of the meetings.

☆ German government not planning blanket Huawei ban
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

BERLIN, Dec 2 (Reuters) - Germany does not want to follow the United States in generally banning products made by Chinese telecoms equipment makers such as Huawei, but will continue making such decisions on a case-by-case basis, an Economy Ministry spokesperson said on Friday. A German Economy Ministry strategy paper seen by Reuters on Thursday detailed recommendations to increase the level of scrutiny on the use of components from certain states. The paper mentions legislation introduced in Germany in 2020 that set high hurdles for makers of telecommunications equipment for next-generation networks, such as Huawei. When asked whether it expected a tightening of rules or even a ban in Germany or the European Union, Huawei told Reuters on Friday it relied on constructive and facts-oriented dialogue. Representative Michael McCaul, top Republican on the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, said Germany was "jeopardizing its own national security and that of Europe's" in its decision on Huawei.

Search resuls for: ". House Foreign"

18 mentions found