The House of Representatives approved a bill that would force the wildly popular social media app TikTok to divest from its Chinese parent company ByteDance or be shut out of the US market. US officials have voiced alarm over the popularity of TikTok with young people, alleging that it allows Beijing to spy on users. It has 170 million in the US alone. These critics also say TikTok is subservient to Beijing and a conduit to spread propaganda, but China and the company deny these claims.

SEE BYTEDANCE'S REACTION TO THREATENED BAN OF TIKTOK

The Senate approved a two-year extension of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act's (FISA) program for warrantless surveillance. The decision came after heated discussions on the Senate floor, narrowly preventing a crucial national intelligence-gathering capability from lapsing. Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle voiced criticism against FISA, arguing that it encroaches upon the constitutional right to privacy. it passed 273-147, after its duration was curtailed from five years to two.

SEE THE ARGUMENTS MADE AGAINST EXTENSION OF FISA

The world observes Earth Day today while the planet itself has little to celebrate. Global temperatures "smashed" heat records last year, as heatwaves stalked oceans and glaciers suffered major ice loss, the UN said, with 2024 likely to be even hotter. The UN recently confirmed preliminary data showing 2023 was by far the hottest year ever recorded, and it was part of "the warmest 10-year period on record".

HOW CLIMATE CHANGE IS PROJECTED TO IMPACT GLOBAL GDP

Who is credited with founding Earth Day, and what year was it enacted?

Friday's answer: Adele holds the record for the fastest-selling album in the US in 2015 with "25", which sold 3,378,000 copies in its first week.