The European Union on Saturday urged China to review its ban of BBC World News television, which was initially imposed in response to a U.K. media regulator removing a license for a Chinese state media outlet.

The EU said in a statement reported by The Associated Press that China’s move violated the country’s constitution as well as further restricted “freedom of expression and access to information inside its borders.”

“The EU remains strongly committed to safeguarding media freedom and pluralism, as well as protecting the right to freedom of expression online and offline, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information without interference of any kind,” the statement said, according to the AP.

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Though Britain is no longer part of the EU, it remains part of the Council of Europe, which maintains an agreement linking broadcasting licenses that was established in 1989.

China’s National Radio and Television Administration argued that BBC’s coverage of the country did not reflect reporting that was true or impartial, though many countries including the U.S., Britain, and foreign correspondents have expressed issues with China’s ban.

The ban largely referred to BBC’s reporting on the coronavirus in China as well as allegations of forced labor and sexual abuse in China’s northwestern region. It is unclear how the ban will affect BBC reporters, the news outlet noted.

Britain’s initial removal of a license for Chinese broadcaster CGTN dealt a blow to China, which created the network to challenge Western views about the country, the AP reported.

President BidenJoe BidenFormer Republican officials in talks to form center-right anti-Trump party: report Biden raises concerns with Xi in first call with Chinese leader as president Castro: Trump further incited the mob ‘against his own vice president’ MORE on Wednesday announced a Defense Department review of its China strategy as part of a larger push to decide how his administration will counter Beijing.

“We need to meet the growing challenges posed by China to keep peace and defend our interests in the Indo-Pacific and globally,” Biden said at the Pentagon in his first official visit to the building as president.

The newly formed Department of Defense China task force will study the U.S. military’s strategy and operation in Asia, technology, force posture, intelligence, the role of allies and partnerships in the region, and defense relations with China, among other areas, according to a fact sheet released Wednesday.

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Biden, who was briefed on the task force prior to his remarks, said that over the next few months, the group will provide recommendations to Defense Secretary Lloyd AustinLloyd AustinOvernight Defense: Biden talks China, diversity in first visit to Pentagon | Army leaders call out extremism | Former Navy head defends handling of Roosevelt COVID-19 outbreak Biden announces Pentagon review of China strategy Biden emphasizes diversity in first visit to Pentagon MORE on “key priorities and decision points so that we can chart a strong path forward on China related matters.”

Austin’s top assistant on China, Ely Ratner, will lead the task force.

Ratner, a longtime Biden aide, will head a team of up to 15 civilian and uniformed employees from across the Defense Department, including the Joint Staff, the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the combatant commands and the intelligence community.

The task force will also coordinate with other arms of the federal government — including economic, political and diplomatic — to craft a “whole-of-government approach” toward China.

The increased attention on Beijing marks a shift for Austin, who throughout his military career was largely focused on the Middle East. During his January confirmation hearing, however, he pledged that he would have a “laser-like focus” on competition from China.

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“Globally, I understand that Asia must be the focus of our effort, and I see China in particular as a pacing challenge for the department,” he said at the time.

The China task force adds to an already heavy docket of reviews the Pentagon has started in the early days of Biden’s presidency.

Austin has already ordered a review of military sexual assault prevention efforts that is ongoing — one of his first acts as Defense secretary — and military commands are in the midst of conducting one-day stand-downs to evaluate how to root out extremism.

The Pentagon is also leading a probe ordered by Biden of global U.S. force posture and is involved in the administration’s review of the U.S.-Taliban deal, including whether to fully withdraw from Afghanistan by May.

In addition, the Pentagon is evaluating all of its advisory boards to determine which ones are needed after purging Trump loyalists who were appointed at the end of the previous administration.

A federal district court judge is allowing the leader of a group called “Cowboys for Trump” to be released from jail while he’s awaiting trial on charges stemming from the Capitol riot, reversing a magistrate judge’s order that he be detained.

Couy Griffin, who’s also a county commissioner in New Mexico, is facing a single charge of unlawful entry, largely based on comments he made on social media about his participation in the riot.

A magistrate judge this week had ordered that Griffin be held without bail, arguing that his comments about the illegitimacy of the 2020 election and Congress’s certification of the results conjured doubts that he would be willing to follow the court’s orders.

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Judge Beryl Howell, the chief judge of the U.S. District Court for D.C., disagreed on Friday, noting that Griffin is not alleged to have entered the Capitol building during the riots and does not appear to be a flight risk.

“The defendant’s charged conduct was largely peaceful, his contemporaneous and subsequent statements, while provocative, do not suggest that there are no combination of conditions that could assure his appearance in court,” Howell said during a hearing.

Prosecutors have alleged in court documents that Griffin boasted on social media of his presence at the pro-Trump rally that turned into a violent mob that stormed the Capitol last month, saying in a since-deleted video on Facebook that he “climbed up on top of the Capitol building and … had a first row seat.”

He had also defended the demonstration, denying that the group was violent but warned that if they were to return to the Capitol for a Second Amendment rally, “there’s gonna be blood running out of that building.”

Griffin and his group have organized rallies in support of Trump in the past and he has spoken with the former president several times, according to the Cowboys for Trump website.

Federal prosecutors said on Thursday that an Ohio militia leader charged in the wake of the Capitol riot had been awaiting directions from former President TrumpDonald TrumpNRCC finance chair: Republicans who voted for Trump impeachment will not be penalized Blinken, UN head share first call after US rejoins Climate Accords, WHO GOP senators met with Trump’s impeachment team to talk strategy MORE in the days leading up to the attack.

The allegations in a court filing submitted Thursday morning are some of the most direct links that prosecutors have drawn between Trump and the rioters.

In a memo calling for Jessica Marie Watkins of Ohio to be held in jail without bail while awaiting trial, Justice Department lawyers said that she helped organize fellow militia members in storming the Capitol.

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“Watkins was thus not an ancillary player who became swept up in the moment, but a key figure who put into motion the violence that overwhelmed the Capitol,” the filing reads.

In the days after the presidential election, prosecutors say, Watkins told other militia members that she was awaiting cues from Trump before taking action against what the former president had been calling a stolen election.

“I am concerned this is an elaborate trap,” Watkins allegedly wrote in a text message sent on Nov. 9. “Unless the POTUS himself activates us, it’s not legit. The POTUS has the right to activate units too. If Trump asks me to come, I will. Otherwise, I can’t trust it.”

Watkins could not immediately be reached for comment. It’s unclear if she is represented by an attorney.

She is facing multiple federal criminal charges stemming from the Jan. 6 riot, the most serious of which, obstruction of an official proceeding, carries a maximum possible sentence of 20 years in prison.

According to prosecutors, Watkins claims to be the “commanding officer” of the Ohio State Regular Militia, whose members are affiliated with the right-wing paramilitary group the Oath Keepers, which has been a regular presence at pro-Trump rallies.

The prosecutors’ claims come amid Trump’s trial in the Senate following his impeachment on a charge of inciting the Jan. 6 mob that overran the Capitol, leaving five people dead.

President BidenJoe BidenFormer Republican officials in talks to form center-right anti-Trump party: report Biden raises concerns with Xi in first call with Chinese leader as president Castro: Trump further incited the mob ‘against his own vice president’ MORE on Wednesday announced sanctions targeting Myanmar’s military officials, their families and some businesses following a coup in that country that led to the detainment of democratically elected government officials.

Biden made his announcement at the White House, saying that he signed an executive order allowing for sanctions on military leaders who directed the coup, blacklisting their business interests and imposing restrictions on their family members. He did not name the officials in the announcement.

The president said he consulted closely with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellBiden nominee Neera Tanden recalls past discrimination Biden announces sanctions on Myanmar military leaders following coup Graham assures Trump of acquittal after rocky start to trial MORE (R-Ky.) and “allies and partners” around the world, and in particular the Indo-Pacific, in an effort to begin to build a coordinated international response to the coup.

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“A strong and unified message emerging from the United States has been essential, in our view, to encouraging other countries to join us and pressing for an immediate return to democracy,” the president said.

The move comes following Myanmar’s military instituting a state of emergency on Feb. 1, overthrowing the civilian-led government and arresting prominent politicians including Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi and President Win Myint.

The Biden administration quickly condemned the takeover and determined it a military coup shortly after, triggering sanctions and a review of U.S. assistance to the country.

The president said Wednesday he is further directing steps be taken to prevent military generals from having access to $1 billion in government funds held in the United States and will impose “strong export controls” and freeze assets to the government in Myanmar, which is also referred to as Burma.

The U.S. will maintain support for Myanmar’s health care system and civil society groups and “other areas that benefit the people of Burma directly,” Biden said. 

“Today, I again call on the Burmese military to immediately release the democratic political leaders and activists that they now detain, including detaining Aung San Suu Kyi and Win Myint, the president,” Biden said.

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His announcement Wednesday marks the first time the president has used punitive measures since taking office. 

Biden further spoke out against any violence directed towards protesters in Myanmar demonstrating against the military coup, which have gathered momentum in recent days with thousands taking to the streets. 

The United Nations has warned against police using “disproportionate force” to disperse protesters amid reports of wounded demonstrators from rubber bullets and water cannons.

“Violence against those asserting their democratic rights is unacceptable and we’re going to keep calling it out,” Biden said on Wednesday.

“The people of Burma are making their voices heard and the world is watching. We’ll be ready to impose additional measures, and we’ll continue to work with our international partners to urge other nations to join us in these efforts.”

Biden further said the U.S., in its return this week to the U.N. Human Rights Council as an observer state, would use its position “to strengthen the world’s commitment to human rights in Burma.”

The move by the president signals a return by the U.S. to foreign policy concerned with democracy and human rights, said Chris Ankersen, clinical associate professor at the NYU School of Professional Studies Center for Global Affairs. 

As part of this, the U.S. had earlier joined a statement the Group of Seven denouncing the coup, and the president on Wednesday said the U.S. “helped bring together” the United Nations Security Council when it issued a joint statement last week calling for the democratically-elected government to be reinstated and the release of government officials. 

Yet Ankersen cautioned that the impact of the president’s announced sanctions is likely limited. 

“Senior military officers must have anticipated this,” he wrote in an email to The Hill.  “China will be able to provide some financial relief to at least partially offset this.”

Top military officials in Myanmar, including General Min Aung Hlaing, who assumed leadership of the country with the military coup, were sanctioned by the Trump administration in 2019 for participating in gross human rights abuses against the minority Rohingya population and other ethnic groups. 

Ankersen also expressed skepticism over the follow through of countries allied with the U.S. to join in the sanctions. 

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“Biden says the US will continue to urge other countries to follow suit. This indicates that the US has not yet been successful in gaining cooperation from others in imposing sanctions,” he said. 

Joshua Kurlantzick, senior fellow for southeast Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations, said that the president has the possibility to impose more broad based penalties on top of the targeted sanctions, but that the likelihood of that is low given the threats to the civilian population. 

“They punish the whole population there, which is really suffering right now, not clear they are effective, [and] other countries would be reluctant to join in,” he wrote in an email to The Hill. “I think this type of targeted sanctions is what will be on the table now.”

Updated at 2:36 p.m.

Microsoft on Thursday urged the U.S. government to adopt a law similar to a controversial Australian proposal that would require tech giants to pay publishers for news. 

“The United States should not object to a creative Australian proposal that strengthens democracy by requiring tech companies to support a free press. It should copy it instead,” Microsoft President Brad Smith said in a blog post. 

Tech giants Facebook and Google have sharply criticized the Australian proposal, with the former saying it would have to stop users in the country from sharing news on its platforms if the plan is adopted.

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After Google threatened to pull its search engine from Australia over the proposal, Microsoft stepped in to offer its less-used search engine Bing as an alternative.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison last month said Microsoft had said it is prepared to grow Bing to meet requirements if Google pulled its services from the company, Reuters reported. 

Smith acknowledged in his blog post that Bing’s search service has a less than 5 percent market share in Australia, even lower than the 15 percent to 20 percent share it has across searches in the U.S. 

Despite Bing’s current limited reach, he said, “with a realistic prospect of gaining usage share, we are confident we can build the service Australians want and need.”

The Australian proposal is now before a parliamentary committee. It would allow media companies to request payment from tech giants for news articles posted on their platforms, and subject Google and Facebook to mandatory price arbitration if an agreement on payments to media companies can’t be reached. 

Google and Facebook have argued publishers benefit from including their links on the platforms, taking readers directly to publishers’ websites, though news organizations say the lion’s share of online ad revenue is going to the tech giants.

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The Trump administration had opposed the Australian proposal. 

In January, under then-President TrumpDonald TrumpNRCC finance chair: Republicans who voted for Trump impeachment will not be penalized Blinken, UN head share first call after US rejoins Climate Accords, WHO GOP senators met with Trump’s impeachment team to talk strategy MORE, assistant U.S. trade representatives Daniel Bahar and Karl Ehlers asked the Australian government to “suspend” the plans.

“The U.S. Government is concerned that an attempt, through legislation, to regulate the competitive positions of specific players … to the clear detriment of two U.S. firms, may result in harmful outcomes,” they said in the document, under the letterhead of the Executive Office of the President, according to Reuters. 

A spokesperson for the Biden White House was not immediately available for comment when asked if the administration is open to embracing a proposal similar to Australia’s.

U.S. stock markets inched up Thursday morning, moving beyond record closes on Wednesday, as jobless claims came in unexpectedly high.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 37 points, or 0.1 percent, and the S&P 500 was up 12 points, or 0.3 percent.

Weekly jobless claims dropped to 793,000 in the latest filings from the Labor Department, but the previous week’s applications were revised upward to 812,000. That week’s claims had first been reported at 779,000, lower than the latest week’s estimates.

But stock markets have taken tough economic data in stride on expectations that Congress will approve a significant COVID-19 relief bill.

House committees have begun marking up portions of President BidenJoe BidenFormer Republican officials in talks to form center-right anti-Trump party: report Biden raises concerns with Xi in first call with Chinese leader as president Castro: Trump further incited the mob ‘against his own vice president’ MORE‘s $1.9 trillion plan, and Democrats have vowed to pass a final bill into law by early next month, before emergency unemployment programs expire starting March 14.

President BidenJoe BidenWashington Post economics reporter: Federal Reserve counters arguments that Biden’s COVID-19 plan is too big Marijuana legalization advocate: ‘This could be a priority for Congress’ Blinken, UN head share first call after US rejoins Climate Accords, WHO MORE met with bipartisan senators on Thursday to discuss the contours of a potential infrastructure package, warning that if the U.S. does not invest in the issue, China is “going to eat our lunch.”

“I’ve been around long enough … that it used to be that infrastructure wasn’t a Democrat or a Republican issue. There are not many Republican or Democratic roads and bridges,” Biden said in the Oval Office.

Biden said he hoped to come to “some kind of generic consensus” on how to move forward with the group.

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Four senators attended the meeting: Sen. Tom CarperThomas (Tom) Richard CarperNo signs of demand for witnesses in Trump trial Biden meets with bipartisan senators to discuss potential infrastructure bill LIVE COVERAGE: Democrats conclude case against Trump MORE (D-Del.), who chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee; ranking member Sen. Shelley Moore CapitoShelley Wellons Moore CapitoSenators show signs of fatigue on third day of Trump trial GOP senators say trial could wrap as soon as Saturday Biden meets with bipartisan senators to discuss potential infrastructure bill MORE (R-W.Va.); Sen. Ben CardinBenjamin (Ben) Louis CardinNo signs of demand for witnesses in Trump trial Biden to redirect .4M in aid to Myanmar, sanction key military figures Biden meets with bipartisan senators to discuss potential infrastructure bill MORE (D-Md.); and Sen. James InhofeJames (Jim) Mountain InhofeSenators show signs of fatigue on third day of Trump trial Biden meets with bipartisan senators to discuss potential infrastructure bill LIVE COVERAGE: Democrats conclude case against Trump MORE (R-Okla.).

Vice President Harris was also in the room, and Transportation Secretary Pete ButtigiegPete ButtigiegThe Hill’s 12:30 Report: Republicans privately discuss trial votes Biden meets with bipartisan senators to discuss potential infrastructure bill The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by TikTok – Senate trial will have drama, but no surprise ending MORE attended virtually while in quarantine after a member of his security detail tested positive for the coronavirus.

The president said his call a day earlier with Chinese President Xi Jinping underscored the urgent need for an infrastructure package that invests in rail, roads and labor.

“Last night I was on the phone for two straight hours with Xi Jinping,” Biden said. “And it was a good conversation, I know him well, we’ve spent a lot of time together over the years I was vice president. But you know, if we don’t get moving, they’re going to eat our lunch.”

Biden cited China’s progress on rail initiatives and the country’s bid to be a major player in the future of the automobile industry.

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After the meeting, both Capito and Inhofe told reporters in the Senate they had a productive meeting with Biden.

“We agreed on a lot of things because the president and I have been working together on transportation since 1987,” Inhofe said, referencing Biden’s time in the Senate.

Capito, in a statement issued later Thursday, called the meeting “positive and substantive” and said those in attendance agreed to continue working toward a more defined legislative package. 

“We should be forward leaning when it comes to tackling the transportation needs of today and tomorrow in a way that works for all communities, instead of a one-sized-fits all approach,” she said.

Infrastructure has long been thought of as a potential area for bipartisan agreement given needed investments in roadways, railways and other industries across the country. Democrats have also viewed it as an opportunity to invest in more climate friendly structures and modes of transportation.

Republicans previously balked at the price tag for a potential infrastructure bill during the Trump administration, and some have signaled that could be an obstacle to progress on a bill under Biden.

Rep. David SchweikertDavid SchweikertBiden meets with bipartisan senators to discuss potential infrastructure bill Lawmakers offer competing priorities for infrastructure plans The Hill’s Morning Report – Presented by Facebook – Which path will Democrats take on COVID-19 bill? MORE (R-Ariz.), a member of the Joint Economic Committee, said at an event hosted last month by The Hill that there needs to be targeted spending.

“A lot of the lobbying population still see the world of infrastructure as pouring concrete. For many of us, we want to say, ‘What is the ultimate definition that is actually good for our communities? What actually creates the most economic growth? It’s going to be a combination of technology, smart design, and pouring that concrete,’ ” Schweikert said.

Jordain Carney contributed to this report, which was updated at 2:57 p.m.

The White House’s new National Climate Task Force held its first meeting Thursday, seeking a return to “credibility” on climate change.

The task force was created by an executive order from President BidenJoe BidenWashington Post economics reporter: Federal Reserve counters arguments that Biden’s COVID-19 plan is too big Marijuana legalization advocate: ‘This could be a priority for Congress’ Blinken, UN head share first call after US rejoins Climate Accords, WHO MORE last month, which stated that its purpose is to facilitate a government-wide approach to fighting climate change. 

The group, which is made up of Cabinet members, gathered virtually and discussed matters including “early actions, near-term priorities and key milestones,” according to a White House readout. 

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The White House said that participants were also encouraged to talk about the way their agency is prioritizing climate in its decisions and how it plans to “collaborate with additional agency partners.”

At agencies where the Biden nominees haven’t been confirmed, chiefs of staff, acting secretaries or deputy and assistant secretaries participated. 

A White House spokesperson declined to provide details on the actions, priorities and milestones, but directed The Hill to a New York Times article with more information on the meeting. 

Gina McCarthyGina McCarthyBiden’s climate task force has first meeting  AOC is an asset for Democrats, Greene is an albatross for the GOP Biden’s climate plan can work if it’s sea to shining sea MORE, a climate adviser to Biden and chair of the task force, told The Times that the meeting was focused on creating jobs and making sure the agency leaders understood their part in helping the country reduce emissions. 

“Over the past four years we have not earned a lot of credibility on climate,” the adviser said. “It’s time we turn that around.”

The Times also reported that the task force launched a working group to focus on issues like low-cost energy storage and sustainable fuels for planes and ships and announced $280 million in grant opportunities for new technology. 

Biden has pledged to make combating climate change a priority and set the country on the path to carbon neutrality by 2050. 

Two Minneapolis restaurateurs are suing the city after their business was vandalized and burned to the ground during unrest following the death of George Floyd in May.

In a lawsuit filed Monday in Hennepin County District Court, Kacey White and Charles Stotts accused the city and Mayor Jacob FreyJacob FreyOwners of destroyed Minneapolis restaurant sue city, mayor for ‘failed’ leadership in response to unrest Minneapolis police fatally shoot man during traffic stop, chief to release body cam footage Minneapolis vows to ramp up police misconduct investigations MORE (D) of failing to properly contain unrest and riots after Floyd’s death. The lawsuit blames this alleged inaction for damage to Town Talk Diner and Gastropub on May 27 and 28, including looting, broken windows and burned interiors.

“Mayor Frey and the City failed to react to the seriousness of the riots and danger to Minnesotans and they failed to comply with policies to confront and stop the rioters,” the lawsuit states, according to a Minneapolis-area NBC affiliate. “As a result of Mayor Frey and the City’s failed leadership, Kacey and Charles suffered damages in excess of $4,500,000.00.”

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It goes on to claim that Frey on May 29 “made the decision to evacuate the Third Precinct, removing police officers from the neighborhood, and leaving the citizens of Lake Street to defend themselves and their property.” The diner was destroyed that night along with several other businesses in the area.

City Attorney Jim Rowader pushed back on the lawsuit’s characterization of Frey’s handling of the unrest, saying the mayor requested support from the Minnesota National Guard immediately after the chief of police asked him to do so, “and as soon as there was any discernible risk of civil unrest and damage to neighborhoods and businesses.”

“Likewise, that same evening the Minneapolis Police Department submitted a detailed request outlining scope of the need and a mission plan for the additional support,” Rowader said, according to the news outlet. “The City has provided plaintiffs with these documents, and we are hopeful that they will amend their complaint given this clear and documented evidence.”