The move comes a year after three children and three staff were killed in a school shooting in Nashville. The bill will now be sent to Republican Governor Bill Lee for consideration. Lawmakers in the US state of Tennessee passed a law on Tuesday that would allow teachers to carry concealed guns in schools. The bill passed 68-28 vote in Tennessee's Republican-dominated legislature, as protesters shouted from the visitors gallery, "Blood on your hands."  It will now be sent for consideration by Governor Bill Lee, a Republican. "What you're doing is you're creating a deterrent," said Republican State Representative Ryan Williams, who sponsored the bill. "Across our state, we have had challenges as it relates to shootings." All Democrats plus four Republicans voted against the proposal. "My Republican colleagues continue to hold our state hostage, hold our state at gunpoint to appeal to their donors in the gun industry," said Democratic State Representative Justin Jones. "It is morally insane." What does the bill allow? The law would require any person wishing to carry a concealed handgun inside a school to complete at least 40 hours of training in school policing, as well as an additional 40 hours of training per year. School leaders must give approval for an individual to carry a gun, and local law enforcement must be informed of the person's identity. About half of all states in the US allow teachers or other school staff to carry firearms on school grounds, according to the Giffords Law Center, a gun safety group. School shootings have becoming increasingly common tragedy in recent years. The Tennessee bill comes a little more than a year after an assailant shot dead three children and three staff at a Nashville elementary school.  

The legislation requires the popular video sharing app to divest from its Chinese parent company in order to operate in the US. It should next move onto the Senate for a vote. The US House of Representatives passed on Saturday a bill that could see the wildly popular video creation and sharing app TikTok banned in the country unless it divests from its Chinese parent company ByteDance. The bill passed with 360 votes in favor, and merely 58 against. It is expected to go to the Senate for a vote next week. TikTok, whose popularity is particularly huge among younger generations, criticized the bill, which was part of a larger bill providing aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan. The app warned that, if passed, the legislation would "trample the free speech rights of 170 million Americans, devastate 7 million businesses, and shutter a platform that contributes $24 billion (€22.5 billion) to the US economy, annually." US President Joe Biden has said he would approve the legislation if it makes its way to him. What does the bill stipulate? The bill gives Chinese owner ByteDance nine months to sell the app, with a potential three-month extension if a sale was underway. The parent company would also be barred from controlling TikTok's algorithm, which feeds users videos based on their needs. Steven Mnuchin, who served as US treasury secretary under former President Donald Trump, has said he is interested in acquiring the app and has assembled a group of investors. The latest bill is a revision of an earlier one passed by the House in March, which required ByteDance to sell TikTok within six months. However, some senators were concerned six months would be too short a deadline. Why is there opposition to TikTok? US officials have sounded the alarm over the app's growing popularity, particularly among young people, claiming it could allow Beijing to spy on its some 170 million users in the country. A number of Chinese national security laws compel organizations to assist with intelligence gathering. Lawmakers and officials are also wary that Beijing could directly influence TikTok content based on its interests. TikTok has denied that it could be used as a tool for the Chinese government or that it has ever shared US user data with Chinese authorities, vowing never to do so even if asked. The bill's opponents argue that Beijing could easily get data on US citizens in other ways, including through commercial data brokers that sell or rent personal information. Among the opponents of the bill is billionaire Elon Musk, who now owns the social media platform X, formerly Twitter. "TikTok should not be banned in the USA, even though such a ban may benefit the X platform," Musk said. "Doing so would be contrary to freedom of speech and expression."  

French President Emmanuel Macron said he would propose legislation in May for adults to "ask to be helped to die" when they are faced with terminal illnesses. French President Emmanuel Macron has announced plans for a bill to legalize medical assistance in dying for adults diagnosed with an incurable disease and facing imminent death. Macron told newspapers La Croix and Liberation that the new legislation to legalize "aid in dying" under certain conditions would be put forward in parliament in May. The bill will apply to adults who are fully capable of making decisions and to those facing "intractable" physical or psychological pain and death in "short or middle-term," Macron said. Minors and patients suffering from psychiatric or neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's will not be eligible. The move follows a report last year that indicated most French citizens support legalizing end-of-life options. Proposed law to give people humane options in death Macron gave the example of people with terminal cancer, some of whom had traveled elsewhere to seek assistance in dying. He was clear the legislation will refer to "aid in dying... becase its simple and humane" rather than terms like euthanasia or medically assisted suicide. The legislation is meant to offer "a possible path, in a determined situation, with precise criteria, where the medical decision is playing its role.” Only people above 18 will be allowed to request the help.

The Constitutional Court has said that over a third of the controversial bill was unconstitutional. The plans had sparked anger across France, with some calling them a gift to the far-right. France's Constitutional Council on Thursday rejected over a third of the articles included in the recent controversial immigration bill that passed through parliament with the help of the far-right. The highest court in the land, the Council ruled that parts of the law were unconstitutional. These included measures aimed at limiting access to social benefits for migrants and making family reunification more difficult. It also ruled against the introduction of immigrant quotas set by the French parliament.   Far-right calls court ruling a 'coup' In total, the Council threw out 32 of the 86 articles in the bill. But most of those were articles that had been added under pressure from the right and far-right in the French parliament. "The Constitutional Council has approved all the government's text," Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin wrote on X, formerly Twitter, referring to the parts of the bill that had been introduced by President Emmanuel Macron's party, Renaissance. Macron had made the bill a key policy for his second term, but it also appeared that he would need far-right support to push it through, given that he lacks a working majority in parliament. But he also referred the legislation to the court. It's ruling could offer some relief from the embarrassment of having to depend on anti-immigration populists. The far-right party National Rally (RN) was less enthusiastic about the ruling. Party president Jordan Bardella called it a "coup by the judges, with the backing of the president." Why was the bill so controversial? The bill was passed by France's lower house in late December after sparking widespread protests and even threatening to unleash a rebellion within President Macron's own party. To win the far-right's support, the government included an article to introduce immigrant quotas which would have made it more difficult for the children of immigrants to become French. Despite being spearheaded by Darmanin, it was the support that it received from the far-right RN that drew the most anger and attention. Ultimately, the bill passed with a large enough majority that the government would not have needed RN support after all, but the far-right party's leader Marine Le Pen nevertheless called it a "great ideological victory."  

Parliamentarians in South Korea on Tuesday passed a bill to ban selling or producing dog meat, something that has been practiced in the country for centuries. The law, which is to go into force in 2027, comes amid growing support for animal welfare in the country.   The National Assembly passed the bill by a 208-0 vote. Although it still needs to be endorsed by the Cabinet Council and signed by President Yoon Suk-yeol to go into force, those steps are considered a formality. Support for a ban has grown under President Yoon, who is known for adopting stray dogs and cats. His wife, Kim Keon-hee, has also been outspoken in her criticism of the practice. Recent surveys show that most South Koreans no longer include dog meat in their diets.   What does the law stipulate? Under the new law, it will become illegal to breed, sell or kill dogs for their meat, with offenses punished by up to three years in jail or 30 million won (€21,000, $23,000) in fines. "This law is aimed at contributing to realizing the values of animal rights, which pursue respect for life and a harmonious co-existence between humans and animals," the legislation reads. The law does not stipulate punishments for consuming dog meat.   Dog farmers are expected to hold protests against the bill and file a petition at the constitutional court. The South Korean Agriculture Ministry has estimated that more than 1,000 farms were breeding almost half a million dogs to be served at around 1,600 restaurants as of April 2022.

The bill aimed at tightening immigration rules was passed without the need for far-right votes, despite major opposition. Lawmakers in the French parliament passed legislation on Tuesday that will bring in stricter controls on migration. President Emmanuel Macron had been facing a rebellion from within his party after the bill won support from the far-right National Rally (RN), led by Marine Le Pen.   But in the end, it passed through the lower house with votes from Macron's centrist coalition and conservative lawmakers. Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin — who had spearheaded the bill — expressed relief after a large majority voted in favor, meaning it no longer depended on the support from those far-right lawmakers.  The subject of immigration is a major political plank for the upcoming parliamentary elections. While the passing of the bill would have favored Macron, the support shown by Le Pen — who called the stricter bill "a great ideological victory" for the far right — can also improve her chances in the elections. What does the new immigration law entail? Ever since the bill was first submitted, it has seen various amendments toughening the immigration rules, with the left accusing the government of giving in to the pressure from the far right. To make the legislation more agreeable for the right, the government decided to weaken measures that would have allowed some immigrants residency permits. The government also agreed to extend the duration of stay in France for migrants to be eligible to access welfare benefits. With the new legislation, access to housing benefits will be also be delayed for unemployed non-EU migrants by five years.   In order to gain the support of the right, the government has also introduced migration quotas which will make it more difficult for immigrants' children to become French. While now it will be easier for migrants working in sectors that lack labour to get a residency permit, it will also be easier to expel illegal migrants.

United States Congressional lawmakers on Saturday passed a last-gasp budget measure to avoid a shutdown of the federal government within hours of a midnight deadline. Republicans had so far failed to agree on a bill to continue US government spending, amid reluctance by some conservatives to send more aid to Ukraine. After it was passed in the House of Representatives, the Democrat-majority Senate voted 88 to 9 in favor of the bill. The nine senators who voted against the bill were all Republicans. The funding bill has now been sent to President Joe Biden to be signed into law. What is McCarthy's stopgap measure? Kevin McCarthy, the speaker of the House of Representatives, pushed a 45-day funding bill through the House with support from Democratic lawmakers as 90 members of his own party voted against the bill.  The measure would fund the US government at current 2023 levels until November 17. The bill does not include financial support to Ukraine, a White House priority opposed by a growing number of GOP lawmakers, but would increase federal disaster assistance by $16 billion, meeting President Joe Biden's full request. The quick pivot came after the collapse Friday of McCarthy's earlier plan to pass a Republican-only bill with steep spending cuts of up to 30% to most government agencies. The White House and Democrats rejected that plan as too extreme. What caused the delay? The deadlock in the US Congress was due to a small group of hard-line Republicans pushing back against temporary funding proposals put forth by their own party that would at least keep the lights on. Had both houses of Congress not passed a deal to fund government operations by a midnight Saturday (0400 UTC Sunday) deadline, the United States would have faced a disruptive federal shutdown. The closure would have included everything from troops to border control agents to office workers, scientists and others. In the event of a shutdown, federal workers would face furloughs, more than 2 million active-duty and reserve military troops would work without pay and welfare programs and services that Americans rely on from coast to coast would begin to face disruptions. What happens now? The measure will extend government funding by 45 days if it is signed into law by Biden. McCarthy's job on the line The pivot tests McCarthy's narrow 221-212 House majority and could even lead to a challenge to his position as speaker. The maneuver required Democratic votes, a fact that angered some Republican party hardliners who had wanted to pass a bill without their support. The latest standoff comes just months after Congress brought the federal government to the brink of defaulting on its $31.4 trillion debt. The drama has raised worries on Wall Street, where Moody's ratings agency has warned it could damage US creditworthiness. Congress typically passes stopgap spending bills to buy more time to negotiate the detailed legislation that sets funding for federal programs.

The ‘Cyber Security Bill-2023’ passed in Parliament on Wednesday, September 14.  State Minister for ICT Division Zunaid Ahmed Palak moved the Bill, which was passed by voice vote. Earlier, the Cabinet at its recent meeting gave the final approval to the draft of Cyber Security Bill, 2023. It has replaced the existing Digital Security Act.

A controversial draft bill on legalizing the recreational use of the drug cannabis was unveiled on Wednesday by Health Minister Karl Lauterbach after it was approved by the German Cabinet. Advocates of legal cannabis use in Germany's coalition government aim to legalize the drug this year but they face resistance from conservative lawmakers, some physicians and law enforcement representatives. What did lawmakers say? Lauterbach called the draft bill a "turning point" following policies on cannabis that had "unfortunately failed." However, he stressed that use of the drug was not without risk. "No one should falsely understand the law. The consumption of cannabis will be legalized, but it remains dangerous," he said in a joint statement from the Health Ministry and the Agriculture Ministry. He said the aim was to curb the black market and drugs-related criminality, the trade with adulterated or toxic substances and the number of consumers. "The protection of children and teenagers is a central element of the entire legislative project," the statement said, referring to a youth information campaign "Legal, but ..." that will be launched by the Health Ministry. Agriculture Minister Cem Özdemir called the draft legislation "a significant step toward a progressive, reality-based drugs policy." He said the "overdue" law would serve to decriminalize the many people who used cannabis solely for private purposes, as well as increasing the protection of children and young people. According to federal government figures, 4.5 million adults in Germany used cannabis at least once in the last year. What does the draft bill envisage? The draft law would make it legal for people over 18 to possess up to 25 grams (0.9 ounces) of cannabis and to cultivate up to three plants for personal use.   There will also be approved so-called cultivation associations. Often referred to as "cannabis social clubs," they provide their members with homegrown cannabis products. Members will not be permitted to consume cannabis on the clubs' premises or within 200 meters (about 220 yards) of the location. The clubs themselves must not be within 200 meters of schools, day care centers, or kindergartens — which will make finding a suitable location quite a challenge. Decriminalization is the first step. In the next step, specialist shops are able to sell cannabis and products containing THC — but only in selected districts and cities, which are to be named so-called model regions for a period of five years. Originally there were high expectations for tax revenues and for savings in police and judiciary expenditures. But the estimates have been corrected and are now put at several hundred thousand euros, rather than billions. The savings are offset by additional expenditure for the evaluation of the law as well as information and prevention offers. Opposition to the bill from all sides Physicians have criticized the proposals. In a joint statement, five associations of physicians for children and young people warned of "a threat to the mental health and development opportunities of young people in Germany." The police union is also opposed to the bill. And the German Association of Judges warned against extra work for the judiciary because of the many detailed regulations on the cannabis clubs and the delivery of drugs. Conservative lawmakers from several states have also come out against the proposed law. They complain that the project is "medically irresponsible" or demonize it as an "attack on youth and health protection." The interior minister of the eastern state of Saxony, Armin Schuster, of the center-right opposition Christian Democrats (CDU), told the corporate newsroom Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland that "this law will bring with it a complete loss of control." Criticism also came from within the health minister's own party. "If there is something we don't need, then it is this law," Andy Grote, the interior minister of the city-state of Hamburg from Lauterbach's center-left Social Democrats (SPD), told public broadcaster NDR. "Experiences from other countries show that legalization causes a big rise in consumption, with all its risks and side effects." Grote also cast doubt on whether the legalization of recreational cannabis use would lead to a reduction in black market trading, as is often claimed by advocates of the move. "It is to be feared that illegal cannabis will be much in demand because of its higher potency and cheaper prices and that the black market and legal market will become mixed up together," he said. Grote also said the regulation of cannabis use would require "a comprehensive bureaucracy of cannabis surveillance" to ensure that all its stipulations are upheld. Even deputies from the SPD's coalition partner, the neoliberal Free Democrats who generally approve of cannabis legalization, have spoken of a "bureaucratic monster." Proponents of legalization are also dissatisfied. They say the new regulations are too detailed and don't go far enough. Lauterbach is unfazed. He considers the criticism from both sides to be a good sign and speaks of a "law with a sense of proportion." 

The Microsoft co-founder will be in Beijing to meet the Chinese president, according to state media reports. Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is scheduled to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday, China's state media has reported.  Gates will meet President Xi in Beijing, reported the broadcaster CCTV. This will be his first visit in four years.  The head of the Gates Foundation is one of the first few Western business leaders to visit China since the country ended its strict COVID controls.  Gates to help China fight malaria, tuberculosis On Thursday, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation said that it would give $50 million (€45 million) to support Chinese efforts to fight malaria and tuberculosis.  The Global Health Drug Discovery Institute (GHDDI) is a Beijing-based group set up by Bill Gates, the Beijing municipal government and Tsinghua University.  The Gates Foundation has announced that it will renew its collaboration with the GHDDI.  The objective is to help "improve health outcomes worldwide through life saving therapies for infectious diseases such as tuberculosis and malaria, which disproportionately affect the world's poorest," said the foundation in a statement.  Gates will also meet global health and development partners in Beijing.  Western business leaders visit China again Speaking at GHDDI on Thursday, Gates said that China "has made significant gains reducing poverty and improving health outcomes within China." "I'm hopeful China can play an even bigger role in addressing the current challenges, particularly those facing African countries," he added. Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase and Tesla's Elon Musk visited China last month.  Musk, who has extensive business in China, met officials in Beijing and Tesla staff members on the outskirts of Shanghai.  CEO of Apple Tim Cook spent time in Beijing in March and said that his company enjoyed a "symbiotic" relationship with China.