Author: News Desk

Washington DC: The White House has launched its TikTok account, marking a dramatic reversal from President Donald Trump’s initial vow to ban the Chinese-owned platform back in 2020 over national security concerns. The first post, a 27-second video captioned ‘America, we are BACK! What’s up TikTok?’ was uploaded to the account, which gained about 4,500 followers within the first hour. In comparison, Trump’s personal TikTok account already boasts 15.1 million followers, though his last upload was on November 5, 2024, the day of the presidential election. Trump, who defeated Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, has credited TikTok with…

London: The researchers have analyzed 56 reviews covering 384 studies on youth vaping in an umbrella review, with 21 of those reviews specifically examining the link between e-cigarette use in young people and later cigarette smoking. This global review, the largest of its kind, also found that vaping among young people is associated with an increased risk of respiratory illnesses such as asthma and asthma exacerbation, as well as substance abuse, including alcohol and marijuana use. The study further highlighted possible links between youth vaping and conditions like pneumonia, bronchitis, dizziness, headaches, migraines, and lower total sperm counts. Alarmingly, the…

London: The UK government has reportedly withdrawn its demand for Apple to create a ‘back door’ to access encrypted data from users worldwide, according to US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. Writing on X, Gabbard said that the UK had abandoned its request that Apple weaken its security protections, warning such a move would have compromised the privacy of American citizens and undermined civil liberties. Apple has not yet received official confirmation from either the US or UK governments. “We do not comment on operational matters, including confirming or denying the existence of such notices,” a UK government spokesperson…

New Delhi: ChatGPT maker OpenAI on August 19, has announced the launch of ChatGPT Go, an India-exclusive subscription plan priced at 399 rupees ($4.57) per month, making it the company’s most affordable offering to date. The move is part of OpenAI’s strategy to expand its presence in India, which CEO Sam Altman recently identified as the company’s second-largest market by user base after the US, and one that may soon become its biggest. The new ChatGPT Go plan is aimed at India’s price-sensitive digital audience, with the country home to nearly one billion internet users, the largest in the world.…

Madrid: Spain has dispatched an additional 500 soldiers to combat devastating wildfires raging across several regions, bringing the total number of military personnel involved to 1,900. The EU’s European Forest Fire Information System reported that blazes have already scorched 158,000 hectares in Spain this year, an area comparable to metropolitan London, with three fatalities recorded in the past week. At least 20 major wildfires are currently active, including several in the northwestern region of Galicia. Some fires there have merged into a larger inferno, forcing authorities to close roads and rail lines. https://twitter.com/guardiacivil/status/1957336663580869080 The situation has also impacted cultural tourism,…

New Delhi: India is preparing to implement sweeping tax reforms under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration, with plans to slash goods and services tax (GST) rates on small cars and insurance premiums. According to a government source, the reform, touted as the most significant overhaul since the GST rollout in 2017, aims to stimulate consumer demand, strengthen the automobile and insurance sectors, and simplify the tax structure. The federal government has proposed lowering the GST on small petrol and diesel cars to 18 percent from the current 28 percent, while health and life insurance premiums may see tax reduced to…

Miami, Florida: Hurricane Erin, the first hurricane of the 2025 Atlantic season, has been downgraded to a Category 3 storm from Category 4, according to the United States National Hurricane Center (NHC), as wind speeds eased slightly. Early Sunday, Erin was located about 330 miles (530 km) southeast of Grand Turk Island, packing maximum sustained winds of 125 mph (205 kph). Hurricane Erin had previously reached a catastrophic Category 5, with winds up to 160 mph (240 kph), before being downgraded to Category 4. It had been forecast to strengthen further during the week. Erin is moving west-northwest at nearly…

Paris: France is facing a growing debate over the rise of child-free resorts and adult-only hotels, with Socialist senator and former families minister Laurence Rossignol declaring that such venues are discriminatory, encourage intolerance, and should be banned. Rossignol compared the exclusion of children from holidays to establishments refusing pets, insisting that children must not be treated as inconveniences. “We can’t organise society by separating children off from ourselves in the same way some establishments don’t take dogs. Children aren’t troublesome pets,” the Minister said. The controversy intensified after Sarah El Haïry, France’s high commissioner for childhood, condemned adult-only holiday resorts…

London: Blackpink cemented their position as the world’s leading girl group with a historic and high-energy performance at London’s Wembley Stadium, becoming the first-ever K-pop girl band to headline the venue. The two-and-a-half-hour concert placed the quartet alongside an elite lineup of global icons, including Michael Jackson, Taylor Swift, BTS, and Oasis. The members, Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa, delivered an unforgettable night featuring flawless choreography, dazzling visuals, and fan interactions that showcased their unity and connection with the audience. “What an absolute honour to be performing here at Wembley Stadium,” Lisa told the 70,000-strong crowd. Jennie described the evening…

Anchorage, Alaska: US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin held a highly anticipated Alaska Summit, which lasted more than two and a half hours, focusing on the war in Ukraine. Despite both leaders describing the talks as positive and constructive, no breakthrough was achieved. At a short media conference following the Alaska Summit, where no questions were taken, President Trump called the discussions ‘very productive,’ noting that there were “many points that we agreed on… I would say a couple of big ones.” However, the US President admitted some issues remained unresolved, with one described as the most…