Will Iran’s internet shutdown become permanent?

Joe Tidy,BBC cybersecurity correspondentandFarshad Bayan,BBC PersianNurPhoto via Getty ImagesIran is 10 days into one of the most extreme internet shutdowns in history, with 92 million citizens cut off from all internet services and even disruption to phone and text messaging.The Iranian government cut off services on 8 January, apparently to stifle dissent and prevent international scrutiny of a government crack down on protesters.Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the internet was cut off in response to what he…

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Around 1,500 soldiers on standby for deployment to Minneapolis, reports say

  • Post category:World News

Soldiers are on standby for possible deployment to Minneapolis, a US defence official has told CBS News, the BBC's US partner. The official said the 1,500 soldiers, currently in Alaska, are an option for the US president if he decided to use active duty military personnel, as anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) demonstrations continued in the city on Saturday.No decision has yet been made on whether to deploy the soldiers from Alaska, the official said.Minnesota officials have urged…

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Man swims in flooded Sydney golf course after heavy rain

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An Australian man took a dive into a flooded golf course on Sydney's northern beaches as heavy rains and thunderstorms lashed coastal communities.Craig Finniss soaked up the opportunity by swimming a lap of the waterlogged course at Palm Beach.Residents in some nearby suburbs were ordered to evacuate their homes due to flash flooding, as 180mm of rain hit some parts of Sydney over the weekend, according to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology. Source link

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Timelapse shows Nasa rocket’s 12-hour journey to launch pad

The gigantic Space Launch System (SLS) Moon rocket and Orion Space Capsule was moved from Nasa's Kennedy Space Center in Florida to a launch pad around four miles (6.4km) away. The rocket was carefully transported at a top speed of 0.82 mph (1.3 km/h), with the journey taking almost 12 hours on Saturday. Part of the Artemis II mission, the rocket is not set to launch into space until 6 February at the earliest. The 10-day mission could…

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Trump’s Greenland threats to allies are without parallel

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Faisal IslamEconomics editorGetty ImagesUS President Donald Trump's apparently coercive threat to force Western allies not to oppose his proposed annexation of Greenland, or face further damage to their trade with the US, is without both parallel and precedent.We've had some unusual and unexpected economic threats from President Trump over the past year, but I think it is safe to say this exceeds all of them, and takes us into both surreal and utterly dangerous territory.If taken at face…

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Nasa’s mega Moon rocket arrives at launch pad

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Rebecca Morelle, Alison Francis and Kevin ChurchScience team Watch: Timelapse shows Nasa rocket's 12-hour journey to launch padNasa's mega rocket has been moved to the launch pad in Cape Canaveral, Florida, as the final preparations get underway for the first crewed mission to the Moon in more than 50 years.Over almost 12 hours, the 98m-tall Space Launch System was carried vertically from the Vehicle Assembly Building on the 4-mile (6.5km) journey to the pad.Now it is in position,…

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YouTube star touches hearts in Africa during first tour

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Eswatini TourismUS YouTuber IShowSpeed took part in an initiation ceremony to become a warrior in EswatiniOne of the world's most popular content creators has been attracting huge crowds, mostly his young fans, as he undertakes a 20-nation tour of Africa, a continent he says is "full of surprises".Pre-teen boys in Rwanda and Ethiopia cried with joy and excitement as they hugged their online hero in real life - known by his gamer tag IShowSpeed or simply Speed, who…

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Gangland killing at a funeral shocks idyllic French island

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Chris BockmanIn southern FrancePascal POCHARD-CASABIANCA/AFPAlain Orsoni was shot at his mother's funeral service in his native village of VeroThe mourners had gathered in the small village of Vero, a half-hour drive from Ajaccio, the capital of the picture-postcard Mediterranean island of Corsica.In their midst was former nationalist leader Alain Orsoni, 71, who had flown in from exile in Nicaragua to bury his mother. Suddenly, with the ceremony under way, a single shot was fired from nearby scrubland, killing…

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What to know about ‘flashover fire’ dangers

The Boston Globe/Getty ImagesWarning: This article contains themes you may find upsettingGina Russo was watching a gig with her husband-to-be, Fred Crisostomi, one night in 2003 when she realised something wasn't right.Great White, an 80s hair-rock band, had opened their set with a thrash of guitar chords, as four large pyrotechnic flares shot out from the stage. The flares instantly set fire to the surrounding acoustic foam panels, installed to deaden the sound."It was immediate," Gina tells BBC…

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A surge in patriotism and fewer US trips

Nadine YousifSenior Canada reporterEPAIn the year since US President Donald Trump was inaugurated for his second term, he has brought with him significant global shifts.Like many countries, Canada - America's closest neighbour to the north - has felt the impact and seen a change in the long-standing relationship with its close security ally and trading partner. Trump has imposed tariffs on several key Canadian sectors and has warned of more to come. He has also referred to Canada…

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The South Korean millennials mocked for ‘trying too hard’

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Instagram/@detailanceJi says he has become more self-conscious interacting with younger colleaguesJi Seung-ryeol, 41, prides himself on his sense of fashion. He diligently shares mirror selfies on Instagram, where everyone knows the more likes you get, the cooler you are. So he was bewildered to find out that men his age have become the subject of ridicule online, mocked for shoehorning their way into styles associated with Gen Z and younger millennials.AI-generated caricatures of this demographic have gone viral…

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Trump tariff threat over Greenland ‘unacceptable’, European leaders say

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Henri AstierandBernd Debusmann Jr,White House correspondentReutersProtesters in Greenland rallied on Saturday against any US move acquire the territoryA threat by President Donald Trump to impose fresh tariffs on eight allies opposed to his proposed takeover of Greenland has drawn condemnation from European leaders.UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the move was "completely wrong" while French President Emmanuel Macron called it "unacceptable". Swedish PM Ulf Kristersson said: "We won't let ourselves be blackmailed."The comments came after Trump announced a…

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