Author: ALJAZEERA

ByteDance said US government prefers to shut down than work on an ‘effective solution’ to protect US users.TikTok and Chinese parent ByteDance have urged a United States court to strike down a law they say will ban the popular short video app in the US on January 19 next year. In details released on Thursday, the two companies said the US government has refused to engage in any serious settlement talks since 2022. Legislation signed in April by President Joe Biden gives ByteDance until January of next year to divest TikTok’s US assets or face a ban on the app…

Blaze on farmland was spread by winds to nearby villages, one of several to hit the country this week.At least five people have been killed and dozens hurt as wildfires swept through several villages in southeastern Turkey, ministers said. Health Minister Fahrettin Koca reported the deaths from the overnight blaze between the cities of Diyarbakir and Mardin on Friday. Forty-four people were injured, 10 of them in a serious condition, he said on X. The fire started with the burning of crop stubble. Fanned by winds, it moved quickly through the villages of Koksalan, Yazcicegi and Bagacik. Images posted on…

Republican contender known for his hardline stance on immigration says graduates should be able to stay in the country.Former United States President Donald Trump has said he would automatically grant green cards to foreign graduates of US colleges if re-elected, an unexpected turn from the Republican known for his tough rhetoric on immigration. During a podcast interview with Silicon Valley tech investors on Thursday, Trump promised to make it easier to bring talent to the US and said anyone who graduates from a US college should be able to stay in the country. “It’s so sad when we lose people…

UN commission’s damning findings follow Security Council resolution and ICJ orders.A report by a United Nations-backed commission of inquiry finds Israel has committed war crimes and crimes against humanity during the more than eight months of war in Gaza. It also says Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups violated international humanitarian law during their attacks on southern Israel in October. The conclusions follow thousands of interviews with victims and advanced forensic analyses of medical reports and satellite images. But both a UN Security Council resolution and a binding ruling by the UN’s top court have failed to halt Israel’s offensive.…

Hong Kong, China – For decades, Hong Kong’s Cathay Pacific Airways (CPA) stood as a proud symbol of the city’s international status and an exemplar of Asian aviation. These days, the flagship carrier is treated more like the Chinese-ruled financial hub’s bete noire, regularly receiving severe scrutiny and criticism from its own government as it struggles to recover from the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. After Cathay cancelled more than 700 flights scheduled between December and February, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu told local reporters he was “very concerned” and wanted local aviation to “rebuild its capacity fast”.…

Nine months before October 7, I began learning photography under the guidance of my friend Mahmoud Abu Salama. Mahmoud owns a Canon camera, something I’ve always wanted. Whenever he didn’t need it, he would let me use it, which felt like receiving a precious gift. I loved capturing moments, but being a perfectionist, I hesitated to use a camera until I felt skilled enough. I started watching online videos on how to take great photos and learned that symmetry enhances beauty. Whenever I saw something symmetrical, I felt an irresistible urge to photograph it. Mahmoud couldn’t always lend me his…

Measures mark the first time Tokyo has targeted China-based companies over their alleged support for Russia’s war.Japan has unveiled trade restrictions against firms in China, India, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan over their alleged support for Russia’s war on Ukraine. The sanctions announced by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday mark the first time Tokyo has targeted China-based companies over their alleged links to the war. Under the measures, Japanese companies are prohibited from exporting goods to the sanctioned firms, which include Hong Kong-based Asia Pacific Links Ltd and Yilufa Electronics Limited, based in Shenzhen. The latest sanctions come after Japan…

blinking-dotLive updatesLive updates, White House calls Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s criticism of the suspension of one US weapons delivery to Israel ‘vexing’ as the public rift between the two allies continues to intensify. Source link

On June 19, Hassan Nasrallah, the powerful leader of the Lebanese group Hezbollah, warned Cyprus that if it helped Israel attack Lebanon, it would become a target. Israel’s army says it has approved an offensive on Lebanon targeting Hezbollah, and its foreign minister has said an announcement on whether Israel will go to war is imminent. This came after Hezbollah released footage it said was taken by one of its drones over the Israeli city of Haifa, showcasing its ability to infiltrate deep into Israeli territory, and sending an implicit threat. So, if Israel declares war on Lebanon, what does…

As the war enters its 845th day, these are the main developments.Here is the situation on Wednesday, June 19, 2024. Fighting Ukrainian forces launched an overnight drone attack that set several oil storage tanks ablaze in southern Russia’s Rostov region, defence sources in Kyiv told the AFP and Associated Press news agencies. The local governor, Vasily Golubev, said there had been a fire at a storage facility, while a video from Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations showed thick smoke and flames billowing out of what appeared to be multiple oil storage tanks in an undisclosed location. Ukraine’s national grid operator…