Author: i2wtc

Photo illustration shows the TikTok logo displayed on a mobile phone screen.Sopa Images | Lightrocket | Getty ImagesFor the second time this year, TikTok is staring at a deadline that could determine its fate in the U.S. and that of numerous creators and brands that have built businesses on the Chinese-owned social app.The sense of urgency that led some creators to post wistful goodbye videos in January has shifted to a more cautiously optimistic outlook, with creators and firms saying they believe TikTok will remain in the U.S. They are, however, hedging their bets. “I’m trying to be optimistic and hope…

Columbia UniversityEducation Images | Getty ImagesIn early March, the Trump administration canceled $400 million in grants and contracts to Columbia University over its handling of pro-Palestinian protests last year. The federal government sent the university a list of demands, such as suspending or expelling students who participated in the demonstrations. Columbia agreed to the demands.The funds are still being withheld, with the federal task force stating that Columbia’s concessions represent only the “first step.” Dozens of medical and scientific studies at Columbia are in limbo. The Department of Health and Human Services did not reply to a request for comment.Meanwhile,…

*Tuesday marked the decade anniversary of a commercial logging ban in the forest area in the Greater Khingan Mountains in north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.*The ecological functional area of this forest totals 106,700 square kilometers, and includes 940,000 hectares of China’s only concentrated contiguous virgin forest area.*In recent years, more than 3 million new seedlings have been cultivated annually. In 2024 alone, 3.4 million spruce and larch saplings were used in afforesting an area covering 3,666.7 hectares in the forest.HOHHOT, April 1 (Xinhua) — In spring, seedling workers shoveled a thick mantle of snow on the ground into a…

Listen to article A massive fire erupted on the outskirts of Malaysia’s capital on Tuesday, triggered by a gas leak from a pipeline owned by state-run energy company Petronas. The blaze injured over 100 people and caused widespread damage. The explosion, which occurred at approximately 8:10 AM local time in the town of Putra Heights, Selangor state, sent a fireball into the sky that was visible for kilometres around. A large plume of smoke also billowed above the area as the flames quickly spread, threatening nearby villages. Selangor’s Deputy Police Chief, Mohamad Zaini Abu Hassan, confirmed that at least 112 people were…

Leak in pipeline belonging to state-run Petronas sends fire spreading to villages during Eid public holiday.A leaking gas pipeline has sparked a huge fire on the outskirts of Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur, injuring more than 100 people. The inferno, visible for kilometres around, erupted following an explosion and fireball at 8:10am (00:10GMT) on Tuesday in the suburb of Putra Heights, central Selangor state. Caused by a leak on a gas pipeline belonging to state-run energy firm Petronas, the blaze quickly threatened nearby villages during a public holiday for the Muslim Eid celebration, Selangor’s chief minister said, according to state news…

Houthis claim to down US drone. President Donald Trump declares Yemeni rebel group ‘decimated’ by air strike campaign.The United States military launched a series of air attacks on Yemen overnight, targeting Houthi rebels. Strikes hit an area near the capital, Sanaa, as well as the northern province of Saada early on Tuesday as the US extended a bombing campaign against targets in Yemen that began in mid-March and has killed dozens of people. The Houthi-affiliated Al Masirah TV reported that US forces launched 15 raids on the northern province of Saada, including the city of Saada and the districts of Majz…

This aerial photo taken on Dec. 15, 2023 shows the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge in south China.  (Xinhua/Liu Dawei)GUANGZHOU, April 1 (Xinhua) — More than 7.5 million inbound and outbound passenger trips were recorded through the Zhuhai port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge in the first quarter (Q1) of 2025, an increase of 23 percent year on year and a record high, official data showed on Monday.The bridge handled more than 1.56 million inbound and outbound vehicle trips in the first three months, marking an increase of 31 percent year on year.The 55-kilometer bridge links China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region…

Listen to article French far-right leader Marine Le Pen has been found guilty of embezzling European Union funds and has been banned from holding any public office for five years, according to a ruling from a Paris court on Monday. The court imposed a four-year jail sentence on Le Pen, two of which were suspended. She will serve the remaining two years with an electronic tag rather than in custody. In addition, the National Rally (RN), the party led by Le Pen, was fined 2 million euros ($2.16 million). The charges stemmed from the misuse of over 3 million euros ($3.3 million)…

A Long March-2D carrier rocket carrying a test satellite for satellite internet technology blasts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwest China, April 1, 2025. The satellite was launched at 12:00 p.m. (Beijing Time) and entered the planned orbit successfully. Test satellites for satellite internet technology are primarily used to conduct technical verification and experiments, including mobile-to-satellite broadband connections and the integration of space-ground networks. (Photo by Wang Jiangbo/Xinhua)JIUQUAN, April 1 (Xinhua) — China successfully sent a test satellite for satellite internet technology into space from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center, located in the country’s northwest, on Tuesday.The…

Listen to article US President Donald Trump has announced that the long-awaited reciprocal tariffs, set to be revealed on April 2, will be lower than the tariffs imposed by other countries. His remarks have left global markets uncertain, as they brace for the impact of his decision. Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump sought to reassure reporters, stating, “We are going to be very nice by comparison to what they were. The numbers will be lower than what they have been charging us, and in some cases, maybe substantially lower.” He added that the tariffs would mark a “rebirth” for…