US officials to ban TikTok, WeChat downloads from Sunday

China and US flags are seen near a TikTok logo in this illustration picture taken July 16, 2020. (Reuters)
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Updated 18 September 2020
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US officials to ban TikTok, WeChat downloads from Sunday

  • The move comes amid rising US-China tensions over technology

WASHINGTON: US officials on Friday ordered a ban on downloads of the popular Chinese-owned mobile applications WeChat and TikTok from Sunday, saying they threaten national security.
The move comes amid rising US-China tensions over technology and a Trump administration effort to engineer a sale of the video app TikTok to American investors.
“The Chinese Communist Party has demonstrated the means and motives to use these apps to threaten the national security, foreign policy, and the economy of the US,” Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement.
The initiative would ban WeChat, an app with massive use among Chinese speakers, and TikTok from the online marketplaces operated by Apple and Google.


RT Arabic to launch new TV program marking 100 years of Russia-Saudi relations

Updated 12 sec ago
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RT Arabic to launch new TV program marking 100 years of Russia-Saudi relations

  • The program will be hosted by veteran Saudi journalist Mohammed Al-Rashed and broadcast twice a month starting February 2026

RIYADH: Russian news network, RT Arabic, is set to launch a new analytical program, “Studio Riyadh,” from the capital next month as part of celebrations marking 100 years of diplomatic relations between Moscow and Saudi Arabia.

The program will be hosted by veteran Saudi journalist Mohammed Al-Rashed and broadcast twice a month, starting February 2026. It will provide in-depth analysis of regional and international developments, featuring prominent political and media figures.

Maya Manna, head of RT Arabic, said that the launch aligned with commemorations of the historic ties between the two countries and reflected a growing commitment to media cooperation.

“Studio Riyadh” will join RT Arabic’s lineup of international programs broadcast from major capitals including Beirut, Cairo, Washington and Paris.

Each 26-minute episode will air on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. and feature a focused dialogue on a pressing current affairs topic.

Al-Rashed, a seasoned presenter and correspondent with more than 20 years of experience, is expected to bring deep regional insight and journalistic rigor to the program.

RT Arabic, which was the first Russian news channel to broadcast 24/7 in Arabic, has grown into one of the region’s leading platforms for political analysis. It currently reaches an estimated audience of 400 million viewers and operates a broad network of regional bureaus.