Global News

[ad_1] BUENOS AIRES: Argentina will host the Under-20 World Cup from May 20 to June 11, FIFA said Monday, after taking the tournament from Indonesia just weeks before kick-off.  Having been awarded hosting rights, Argentina will also participate in Indonesia's place. The team had failed to qualify on merit.  "FIFA is delighted to announce that this year's edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup will take place in Argentina, as the home of the world champions opens its doors to tomorrow's superstars of world football," FIFA president Gianni Infantino said in a statement.  FIFA withdrew hosting rights from Indonesia last month after protests Israel's participation the tournament.  Indonesia and Israel do not have formal diplomatic relations, and support for the Palestinian cause in the world's most populous Muslim-majority nation runs high.  Argentina put itself forward as an alternative host, and FIFA conducted an on-site inspection of facilitie...

[ad_1] TikTok has officially launched its e-commerce service TikTok Shop in the US.  Costfoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images Consumers are increasingly turning to social media for their shopping this holiday season, and TikTok's latest venture into e-commerce has emerged at the forefront. For some, it means weighing the convenience of mobile shopping and often low prices against ethical questions. The platform introduced TikTok Shop in the U.S. in September as an in-app shopping experience, capitalizing on the #TikTokMadeMeBuyIt trend. The shop gives opportunities to both content creators who could sell their own products and avid TikTok users who could buy directly on the app, following in the footsteps of other social media apps such as Instagram. Though TikTok Shop previously faced backlash and was forced to shut down in Indonesia, consumers are increasingly trending toward buying off social media. A recent Shopify-Gallup survey says nearly half of respondents ages 18 to 29 s...

[ad_1] In a celestial spectacle set to unfold on the night of December 14, sky gazers are in for a rare double treat as the annual Geminid meteor shower reaches its peak, coinciding with the unexpected debut of a new meteor shower associated with comet 46P/Wirtanen. A recent study by a team of international researchers revealed that the debris stream from 46P/Wirtanen, formed during an extra-close encounter with Jupiter half a century ago, is intersecting Earth 's path, creating what could be the first-ever meteor shower from this comet. The comet, known for its "Christmas Comet" display in 2018, has historically failed to produce significant shooting stars despite close encounters. However, this year, Earth is expected to intercept a denser region of the comet cloud, potentially resulting in a unique and fascinating meteor shower. Unlike the Geminids, which are known for their reliability and high meteor count, the new shower is estimated to peak at a modest two t...

[ad_1] Some 170 ethnic Rohingya people arrived in Indonesia, the head of a provincial fishing community said, in the latest boat arrivals in recent weeks that have brought more than 1,000 from Myanmar's Muslim minority to the country. According to intrnational media reports, Miftah Cut Ade, chief of the fishing community in Aceh on Indonesia's westernmost tip, said that the latest group of Rohingya landed on Le Meulee beach on the island of Sabang before dawn on Saturday. "They are mostly women and children and they are in a weak condition," he said. When seas are calmer between November and April every year, members of the persecuted minority leave on wooden boats for neighbouring Thailand and Muslim-majority Bangladesh, Malaysia and Indonesia. Indonesia is not a signatory to the 1951 United Nations Convention on Refugees but has a history of taking in refugees when they arrive on the country's shores. For years, Rohingya have left Buddhist-majority ...

[ad_1] SINGAPORE: Air quality in parts of Singapore hit unhealthy levels on Saturday as winds brought haze from Indonesian forest fires to the city-state, its environment agency said. A prolonged dry season has led to a higher risk of wildfires on Indonesia 's major islands, stoking fears of a repeat of the smoke-belching blazes that have affected air quality in neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore in recent years. Singapore's National Environment Agency said the pollutant standards index (PSI) breached the unhealthy level of 100 on Saturday, hitting 111 in an eastern suburb and 102 in the island's centre before midday. At PSI levels between 100 and 200, residents are advised to "reduce prolonged strenuous outdoor physical exertion", according to NEA guidelines. However, people were still seen jogging and cycling in one park in the city's east. The agency said late Friday that the number of fire "hotspots" on the nearby Indonesian island of ...

[ad_1] Professional surfer Mikala Jones died Sunday after a surfing accident in Indonesia, his father told The Associated Press. Friends, family and members of the surfing community took to social media to mourn the loss of Jones, who was known for shooting stunning photos and videos from inside barreling waves. Daughter Isabella "Bella" Jones posted a touching tribute to her father on Instagram, saying "he was doing what he loved the most" before he died.  "I love you so much dad and i wish i could give you one last hug," she wrote. "This is too soon."  The post accompanied a carousel of images of Isabella and her father throughout the years: on a surfboard or just on the water.  "Thank you for teaching me so many life lessons, and always being there for me,"  she wrote.  Mikala Jones at Surf Ranch in Lemoore, Calif., in 2019. Jones, a Hawaii surfer known for shootin...