Author: SKYNEWS

TikTok has begun restoring service to the app in the US after Donald Trump said he would sign an executive order pausing its ban.A law signed by President Joe Biden last April required ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company, to sell the app to a non-Chinese owner by Sunday or face a ban. Some users reported that they lost access on Saturday night, and Americans opening the app on Sunday have been greeted with a message saying they “can’t use” TikTok “for now”.But in a post on Truth Social ahead of his inauguration, Mr Trump said he would issue an executive…

Director Claire van Kampen has died, aged 71, on the 65th birthday of her husband, Sir Mark Rylance. She died in the German town of Kassel on Saturday morning after being diagnosed with cancer. A statement, shared on behalf of Sir Mark and her daughter Juliet, described her as “one of the funniest and (most) inspiring women we have ever known”. It added: “We thank her for imbuing our lives with her magic, music, laughter, and love.”Ring the bell, sound the trumpets reverie, something is done, something is beginning. One of the great wise ones has passed.”Van Kampen was a…

Hotel pools on Greek islands could be filled with seawater this summer as politicians try to combat the country’s two-year drought.Proposed new laws debated in the Greek parliament this week could pave the way for pipes to be installed connecting swimming pools at coastal hotels with the sea. The aim is to save shrinking water reserves on many Greek islands and use the water in other areas facing shortages.Elena Rapti, a deputy minister of tourism, told a parliamentary committee on Monday the legislation “regulates the framework for carrying out seawater extraction and pumping it for swimming pools.”The focus, of course,…

TikTok users in the US are opening the app to find a message saying they “can’t use” the social media platform “for now” due to a law enacted in Washington.A ban on the app was due to take effect today after outgoing President Joe Biden signed a law last year requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company, to divest TikTok on national security grounds or face a ban in one of its biggest markets. The app was no longer appearing on either Apple or Google’s app stores.”A law banning TikTok has been enacted in the US. Unfortunately that means you can’t…

Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Darrin Bell has been arrested on suspicion of possessing child sexual abuse videos, including AI-generated material.The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office said it received an alert from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that someone was uploading 18 files of child sex abuse videos. Officers said a total of 134 videos of child sex abuse material was located and linked to the same account, which they said was owned and controlled by Bell, 49.Police served a search warrant at Bell’s home in California on Wednesday and said they recovered evidence related to the case and computer-generated…

I’m watching a black disc of wonder material hovering over a bubbling bath of liquid nitrogen.”This is superconducting magnetic levitation,” says magnet scientist Greg Brittles. “The closest you’ll get to magic in the real world.” And magical it is.The ceramic-like substance, called rare-earth barium copper oxide (REBCO), is suspended – half a centimetre-or-so – in mid-air above a strip of copper.Poke it with a finger and it won’t budge, give it a push and it will spin without wanting to stop. REBCO is what’s known as a superconductor. Materials that have near-zero electrical resistance. But most need to be cooled…

TikTok has said it could go dark on Sunday in the US after the Supreme Court ruled against its bid to avoid a ban that could shut the app down.The looming ban is the end result of 2024 legislation passed on national security concerns that called for TikTok parent ByteDance to sell the popular short-video app or see it shut in the US on 19 January. Meanwhile, Donald Trump, who takes office on Monday, has said he would try to find a “political resolution”.The president-elect has spoken to Chinese leader Xi Jinping about the issue.Analysis:America flinches as TikTok prepares to…

Jessica Alba has split from her husband of 16 years, film producer Cash Warren.The Fantastic Four actress shared the news in an Instagram post, telling her 20.6 million followers she had been on a “journey of self-realisation”. She said their three children remained a priority as they “embark on a new chapter of growth and evolution as individuals”. Instagram This content is provided by Instagram, which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Instagram cookies or…

President Joe Biden will not enforce a ban on social media giant TikTok which is due to take effect the day before he leaves the White House, a US official has said.The ban is supposed start on 19 January, a day before Mr Biden leaves the Oval Office and his Republican opponent Donald Trump takes over after winning in November’s election. A law signed by Mr Biden last year saw Congress requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s China-based parent company, to divest TikTok on national security grounds or face a ban in one of its biggest markets.But the official, who spoke on condition…

There has been a surprise contraction in retail sales in December, despite the month being key for many retailers due to Christmas shopping, official figures show.Retail sales fell 0.3% last month, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS). No drop at all was expected, not least a 0.3% drop. Sales growth of 0.4% had been forecast by economists.Money blog: Many readers back millionaire’s comments about British workersThe figures are of significance as they measure household consumption, the largest expenditure across the UK economy. Low household consumption can mean economic growth is harder to achieve. The government has repeatedly said…