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China pushes back on Tiktok:

China accused the United States on Thursday of spreading disinformation and suppressing Tiktok following reports that the Biden administration was calling for its Chinese owners to sell their stakes in the popular video-sharing app. The U.S. has yet to present evidence that Tiktok threatens its national security and was using the excuse of data security to abuse its power to suppress foreign companies, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told reporters.

Uranium missing in Libya:

Some 2.5 tons of uranium stored in wartorn Libya have gone missing, the United Nations nuclear watchdog said Thursday, raising safety and proliferation concerns. Natural uranium can’t immediately be used for energy production or bomb fuel, as the enrichment process typically requires the metal to be converted into a gas, then later spun in centrifuges to reach the levels needed.

France raises retirement age:

French President Emmanuel Macron imposed a highly unpopular bill raising the retirement age from 62 to

64 on Thursday by shunning parliament and invoking a special constitutional power. Lawmakers were shouting as Macron made the risky move, which is expected to trigger quick motions of noconfidence in his government.

Israel protests continue:

Israeli protesters pressed ahead Thursday with demonstrations against a contentious government plan to overhaul the judiciary, pushing back against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after he rejected a compromise proposal that was meant to defuse the crisis.

Freight train derails in Arizona:

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A freight train carrying corn syrup — not hazardous materials — derailed in western Arizona, near the state’s border with California and Nevada, BNSF Railway said.