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TikTok says it regrets Indonesia’s decision to ban e-commerce sales on social media platforms

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:41 GMT

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Chinese-owned app TikTok on Thursday said it regretted the Indonesian government’s decision to ban e-commerce transactions on social media platforms and particularly the impact it would have on the millions of sellers who use TikTok Shop.But TikTok Indonesia said in a statement it will respect the regulations and laws that apply in Indonesia and “will take a constructive path forward.”“We deeply regret the government’s announcement, especially how it will impact the livelihoods of the six million sellers and nearly seven million affiliate creators who use TikTok Shop,” said the statement sent to The Associated Press on Thursday.Indonesia banned goods transactions on social media platforms such as TikTok in a bid to protect small businesses from e-commerce competition, accusing them of predatory pricing.Indonesia’s Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan on Monday announced the decision after a meeting with President Joko Widodo. The ban ”is to prevent the domin...

Separatist government of Nagorno-Karabakh says it will dismantle itself by January 2024

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:41 GMT

YEREVAN, Armenia (AP) — The separatist government of Nagorno-Karabakh announced Thursday that it will dismantle itself and the unrecognized republic will cease to exist by Jan. 1, 2024. The move comes after Azerbaijan carried out a lightning offensive to reclaim full control over its breakaway region and demanded that Armenian troops in Nagorno-Karabakh lay down their weapons and the separatist government dismantle itself. Nagorno-Karabakh was run by separatist authorities for about 30 years.The Associated Press

Production at German Volkswagen plants resumes after disruption caused by an IT problem

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:41 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Production at Volkswagen is resuming after a problem with the German automaker’s information technology network caused a severe disruption, the company said Thursday.Volkswagen said on Wednesday evening that the IT disruption caused production to halt at its four vehicle manufacturing plants in Germany — its Wolfsburg headquarters, Emden, Zwickau and Osnabrueck. It also affected some other facilities, including at subsidiary Audi, it said.The company said Thursday morning that the IT infrastructure problems were resolved during the night and production was resuming, German news agency dpa reported. It said there were no indications of any external cause for the disruption.The Associated Press

After Malaysia bans his book, author says his depiction of Indonesian maid was misunderstood

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:41 GMT

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) — Malaysia’s government has banned a book following protests over what was perceived as an insulting depiction of an Indonesian maid, and the book’s author on Thursday apologized for the offensive material and said it was misunderstood.Boey Chee Ming, a Malaysian artist now based in the United States, said he was shocked to learn that his book “When I was a Kid 3” was banned by the government almost a decade after it was released in 2014. It was his third book in a series of graphic novels about his childhood in Malaysia.The Home Ministry has said the book contained material that was “likely to be prejudicial to morality” and issued the ban on Sept. 15, local media reported. Indonesian non-governmental organization Corong Rakyat staged a rally outside the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta in June to protest the book, which it said belittled Indonesian maids, Malaysia’s national Bernama news agency reported. Home Ministry officials couldn̵...

Shelters for migrants are filling up across Germany as attitudes toward the newcomers harden

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:41 GMT

BERLIN (AP) — Dozens of people from around the world lined up on a sunny morning this week in front of a former mental health hospital in Berlin to apply for asylum in Germany.There were two older women from Moldova. A young man from Somalia sat next to them on a bench. A group of five young Pakistanis chatted loudly, standing behind two pregnant women from Vietnam.The newcomers are among more than 10,000 migrants who have applied for asylum in the German capital this year, and are coming at a time when Berlin is running out of space to accommodate them.“The situation is not very good at the moment,” Sascha Langenbach, the spokesperson for the state office for refugee affairs in Berlin, said in an interview this week. “This is much more than we expected last year.”The former mental health hospital in Berlin’s Reinickendorf neighborhood was turned into the city’s registration center for asylum-seekers in 2019 and can house up to 1,000 migrants. But it’s full. Offici...

First C5+1 Leaders' Summit: C5+1 resilience through security, economic, and energy partnership

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:41 GMT

This week, we – the presidents of the United States, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and the Republic of Uzbekistan – met on the occasion of the first-ever C5+1 Presidential Summit, held during the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City and commit to the following principles of further interaction. Resilience through Partnership United in an unwavering commitment to uphold the principles of the United Nations Charter, our partnership is founded on respect for the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of all states. We commend the considerable progress made on shared objectives since the first C5+1 ministerial meeting in 2015. The establishment of the C5+1 Secretariat in 2022 and the Working Groups on Economy, Energy and the Environment, and Security have further deepened our engagement. We remain committed to enhancing our partnership through the C5+1 platform. Dedicated to our pu...

Oakland rookie has shot at first big league win ruined by Twins rally

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:41 GMT

By BRIAN HALLThe Associated PressMINNEAPOLIS — A’s rookie pitcher Joey Estes had a shot of earning his first major league victory ruined by a blown save from fellow rookie Kyle Muller. Two innings later, the Twins’ Trevor Larnach ruined Oakland’s chance for a win.Larnach, a former College Park High of Pleasant Hill star, broke an eighth-inning tie with an RBI double to help Minnesota rally to beat Oakland 6-4.Estes may not have gotten the win, but the 21-year-old right-hander impressed A’s manager Mark Kotsay after allowing just three runs in 5 1/3 innings in his second big league appearance.“I think he got some swing and miss on the fastball in the first outing,” Kotsay said of Estes, who was acquired two years ago from Atlanta in the Matt Olson deal. “Tonight, he got swings and misses on all of his stuff, which is a great sign. This kid is a competitor. You can see the way he’s out on the mound. He’s got a presence about him.”Twins designated hitter Ryan Jeffers, who hit a t...

Why are COVID booster shots hard to find in the Bay Area?

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:41 GMT

(KRON) – Some people are having a hard time getting an appointment for the COVID booster shot. Pharmacies like CVS are reporting a supply problem.During the peak of the pandemic, officials begged people to get the COVID vaccine, and now people are struggling to get the latest booster. KRON4 spoke with a UCSF doctor who says it’s because there is a shift in who is responsible for supplying and paying for people to get the vaccine. When KRON4 looked up booster appointments on the CVS website for a San Francisco pharmacy, we were directed to a location in Colma, in San Mateo County. It said no time slots were available. San Francisco DA Jenkins blames judges for fentanyl epidemic A CVS spokesperson told KRON4 that its pharmacies are receiving the vaccine on a rolling basis, but they are experiencing supplier delivery delays. Walgreens did not reply in time for this report.UCSF's Dr. Peter Chin-Hong explains why it hasn’t been as easy to get the shot at your local pharmacy."There is a...

Hateful comments lead to virtual comment ban at Bay Area school board meeting

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:41 GMT

SANTA ROSA, Calif. (KRON) – Some boards are starting to take action after public meetings across the Bay Area got bombarded with hateful comments made virtually. Santa Rosa city schools hosted their first meeting without any online comments on Wednesday.Racist, antisemitic and homophobic comments took over the Santa Rosa city schools district's last meeting just two weeks ago, all over Zoom. The board decided to take swift action and immediately eliminated virtual comments.“I was shocked,” said Gabriel Albavera, a Santa Rosa school district official. “I was hurt, I was taken aback. Granted, it was online so I kind of took it with a grain of salt to a degree.”Santa Rosa City Schools Board of Education believes a barrage of hateful virtual comments attempted to distract board members at their Sept. 13 meeting. San Francisco DA Jenkins blames judges for fentanyl epidemic “It’s easy to make those comments when you’re behind a screen as opposed to being in person,” Albavera said. ...

San Francisco DA Jenkins blames judges for fentanyl epidemic

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:50:41 GMT

SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- In San Francisco alone, thousands of people continue to die on the streets. Among those on the frontlines of this crisis is SF District Attorney Brooke Jenkins who promised a “tough on crime” approach when she took office just over a year ago.Yet, the death count in San Francisco this year is on track to break records. KRON4 sat down with Jenkins to talk about the progress her office has made and the challenges she says stand in the way of getting dealers off the streets. ‘It’s a ticking time bomb’: Bay Area moms who lost children warn of fentanyl dangers Read the full Q&A below. KRON4: You took office a year ago -- promising a tough-on-crime approach... more prosecution for drug offenders. but overdose deaths are up compared to last year. Why isn’t the problem getting any better?Jenkins: Yes, overdose deaths are up and that continues to be a concern. It's something that took years to get to this point of the crisis, and it's going to take us some...