WATCH: Russia and Kazakhstan continue to grapple with floods

Euronews
WATCH: Russia and Kazakhstan continue to grapple with floods

Russia and Kazakstan have been hit by more flooding, with rescue efforts under way to save people and property.

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  • 'I hope new users stick around': U.S. influencer on 'TikTok refugees'

    STORY: "Welcome to Chinese social media' says Paul Ashton, an American influencer in China who is no stranger to 'Red Note', the social media platform known in China as Xiaohongshu.This week, a person close to the platform told Reuters more than half a million American users piled into the platform in protest of an imminent ban on Tiktok.Ashton is based in Shanghai, but online he goes by Baobaoxiong - literally, 'hug hug bear' - and his videos have billions of views.He was excited to see the surge of so-called 'TikTok refugees' as a foreigner in China and RedNote veteran."I have loved seeing the way, the enthusiasm and the joy at which I've seen a lot of Chinese netizens engaging with people that are English speakers. Like, one of my favorite memes I've seen so far is just like, "hello, Americans, show us your cats!" Like, if there's one thing that binds the internet, it's that we all love cat pictures, you know?"While China has for years tightly controlled its cyberspace through its "Great Firewall" - and Chinese social media platforms have in the past run separate domestic and abroad versions of their apps, RedNote is unique as it only maintains one version of its app and it gives both Chinese and American users a rare opportunity to interact directly with each other."I'm not sure how many of the new users will actually stick around and hang out. But I hope that they do.""Because I think that that would be a really important shift in cultural exchange that for the first time in a long time, puts the ball in China's court a little bit more. But then even more specifically, puts the ball in the hands of Chinese people in China."In China, RedNote as a platform is popular for finding recommendations for beauty, travel or food.On Wednesday many of its users posted selfies and messages welcoming new American users.Though Beijing-based academic Liu Xingliang, who studies the digital economy, says RedNote was caught unprepared."It is an accident. But since it is an accident, it is actually good for them, and there also may be certain risks. If they want to catch this wave of prosperity, I think they may have to do at least a few things. The first thing is to make your interface and UI more friendly.""It is the first time that a large number of people have had such a very large-scale exchange, and the exchanges between the two sides are relaxed and enthusiastic. From what I've seen, they were all learning about each other's living habits, local conditions and customs."There were also signs that some new foreign users were testing the platform's censorship limits with some posting on social media network X that they were unable to post about topics known to be sensitive in China such as the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.For now - China's welcoming the migration of TikTokers to RedNote with open arms.Chinese state media CCTV ran reports saying that TikTok users had found a "new home".And China's foreign ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday the use of social media is a "personal choice", and China "encourages and supports" people-to-people exchanges.

  • Elon Musk tweets so much, people bet over $1M weekly to guess how many posts

    Will Elon Musk post more than 400 tweets this week? Estimate correctly and you could wind up with a nice chunk of cash if you were to back your opinion by buying “shares” on Polymarket. The sometimes controversial Polymarket is one of the internet’s “prediction markets.”

  • Americans Are Scrambling To China's RedNote As TikTok Faces The Axe, And The Cultures Are Colliding In Unexpected — And HILARIOUS — Ways

    "Red Note got me wondering why we're always beefing with China. Love them."

  • As TikTok faces a US shutdown, here are some alternative apps to check out

    TikTok has warned of a looming shutdown in just six days, as the Supreme Court is currently weighing the law that would ban the app. The law gives TikTok parent company ByteDance until January 19 to divest its U.S. operations or face a ban in the country. TikTok is hoping for a pause to the law, but if that doesn’t happen, the app will effectively be banned in the country.

  • American killed fellow Goldsmiths student ‘after she urged him to take an STI test after sex’, court told

    Joshua Michals is accused of leaving partner and fellow student Zhe Wang to die in a ‘pool of blood’

  • Singapore’s only Chinese-American restaurant since 1990 ceasing operations on 1 Mar 2025

    The post Singapore’s only Chinese-American restaurant since 1990 ceasing operations on 1 Mar 2025 appeared first on SETHLUI.com.

  • Exclusive: Elsa Pataky wows in skimpy drenched swimsuit alongside shirtless husband Chris Hemsworth during sun-soaked trip to the beach

    Elsa Pataky and Chris Hemsworth are the ultimate couple goals as they frolic on the beach in Byron Bay. See exclusive images.

  • Hapless Antony coughs up a miss of the season contender against Southampton

    He’s been the £80 million signing who has turned into a figure of fun among football fans – but Antony’s Manchester United career hit a new low with this contender for miss of the season in the victory over Southampton.

  • Mom Washes Dirt Out of Sons' Mouths and Vacuums It Off Her Floor. Days Later, She Learns It Wasn't Dirt (Exclusive)

    The mom of three turned her back for just a minute

  • Nato jets scrambled as Russia launches massive aerial strike on Ukraine

    Putin’s air force pounded critical infrastructure facilities close to the Polish border

  • Rita Ora can't get enough of this orange itsy bitsy bikini

    The singer just showed off her toned physique while soaking up the sun in New Zealand. See photos

  • Poor People Who “Married For Money” And Rich People Who “Married For Love” Are Sharing What It’s Really Like, and Wow

    "I married for love — my husband came from a poor family and didn’t have a high-paying job. After we got married, I realized he had hid a lot of debt from me: credit card, student loans, and the wedding, which I was told was taken care of. We’ve been married for eight years, and I have been the breadwinner and sole provider for at least half the marriage. I do find myself wishing I married for money, out of pure exhaustion."

  • The cost of the Los Angeles wildfires' damage could be at least $250 billion. Here's who pays the bills.

    With high property values, catastrophic damage, and lost economic activity, the Los Angeles wildfires could cost up to $275 billion. Here's who pays.

  • Israel supplied Iran with centrifuge platforms containing explosives, top official acknowledges

    Israel supplied Iran with centrifuge platforms containing explosives for its nuclear enrichment program, a top Iranian official has acknowledged for the first time, underscoring the sophistication of sabotage programs targeting the Islamic Republic. The comments by Mohammad Javad Zarif, a former foreign minister who serves as vice president for strategic affairs for reformist President Masoud Pezeshkian, appear aimed at explaining to the country’s disaffected public the challenges Iran's government faces under crushing Western sanctions over the program. The comments also acknowledged details previously reported in Israel about a 2021 attack on Iran's underground Natanz nuclear enrichment facility.

  • Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness's Divorce Is Getting "Messy" Thanks to No Prenup and a "Huge Amount of Money"

    Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness's divorce is getting super messy thanks to their lack of prenup and a "j\huge amount of money."

  • Exclusive-Trump team asks three US senior career diplomats to resign, sources say

    Aides to President-elect Donald Trump have asked three senior career diplomats who oversee the U.S. State Department's workforce and internal coordination to step down from their roles, two U.S. officials familiar with the matter said, in a possible signal of deeper changes ahead for the diplomatic corps. The team overseeing the State Department's transition to the new administration, the Agency Review Team, has requested that Dereck Hogan, Marcia Bernicat and Alaina Teplitz leave their posts, the sources said. While political appointees typically submit their resignations when a new president takes office, most career foreign service officers continue from one administration to the next.

  • Kamala Harris Is Deeply Sad About Biden’s Claim He Could Have Won the Election

    Kamala Harris has told friends that she is deeply sad about President Joe Biden’s claim that he could have won the 2024 election. Biden said in an interview at the start of January that he thought he could have defeated Donald Trump. “It’s presumptuous to say that, but I think yes... based on the polling,” he said, speaking to USA Today, later clarifying that he meant both he and Harris “could have... would have” beaten Trump.

  • Michelle Obama signals she’s done with Trump

    Michelle Obama is done with President-elect Trump, if her decision to skip next week’s inauguration means anything. The former first lady, who once called on Democrats to go high when Trump’s Republican Party goes low, will not be going to the Capitol to watch Trump take the presidential oath for a second time, leaving her…

  • Arne Slot is like a chess grandmaster who is even bolder than Jurgen Klopp at changing games

    Modern football can often be compared to a form of speed chess. That being the case, Arne Slot is proving himself quite the grandmaster.

  • Unstoppable Isak breaks Alan Shearer record as Newcastle storm into top four

    As the records start to tumble at Newcastle United, and their irresistible charge up the Premier League table continues, it is time to ponder whether Eddie Howe’s side are now title contenders?