🇺🇸❌📱 Appeals court upholds law ordering China-based ByteDance to sell TikTok or face U.S. ban

A federal appeals court on Friday cited national security concerns as it upheld a law requiring China-based ByteDance to sell the popular social media app TikTok next month or face an effective ban in the United States.

TikTok said later Friday that it will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn the appeals court decision.

If ByteDance fails to sell TikTok by Jan. 19, the law would require app store companies, such as Apple and Google, and internet hosting providers to stop supporting TikTok, which would effectively ban the app.

🔗 https://www.cnbc.com/2024/12/06/tiktok-divestment-law-upheld-by-federal-appeals-court.html

🇸🇾🇸🇾🇸🇾❌🇸🇾 Syria map changes:

The FSA rebels in the Al Tanf area advanced north and captured the desert city of Palmyra to prevent its capture by ISIS cells. Al Tanf rebels are also moving westwards and captured the towns of Al Qaryatayn and most recently the 128th SAA regiment's base near Qalamoun.

FSA rebels in the south of Syria have captured most of the Qunaytra governorate and the de-facto border with Israel and have entered the countryside of Damascus in preparation for an assault on the Syrian capital. Pro-FSA medias reported the fall of Dayr Khabiah and Zakiyah in the southern Damascus countryside and the fall of Al Kiswah just 17 km (11 miles) from Damascus' Old City and 12 km (7 miles) from Damascus' administrative borders.

The HTS is bogged down in battles with the SAA who is finally putting up resistance in Homs but its too little too late. HTS and some SNA elements are attacking the city from two ways.

The SDF and YPG are securing towns on the southern bank of the Euphrates river. ISIS has seen a resurgence in those areas filling up the vacuum of power left behind by the withdrawal of the SAA.

@CIG_telegram

#BREAKING

🇸🇾 ⚠️❗️ — Syrian Armed Forces have ordered the total evacuation of the SAA General Staff Headquarters and Air Force Command Center in the Capital of Damascus, as Rebel Forces enter the City from the South!

🇷🇺📞🇸🇾🇸🇾 — Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov changed state rhetoric regarding the Syrian opposition for the first time since 2016

The moderate opposition in Syria needs to be separated from the terrorists,

— the minister said in Doha.

🇸🇾📞🇭🇺🇺🇸 — Bloomberg reports that Bashar Al-Assad is making a last-ditch attempt to remain in power, including indirect diplomatic overtures to the US and President-elect Donald Trump

➡️ Assad is ordering his army to fall back to defend Damascus, essentially ceding much of the country to insurgents, who seized the major cities of Aleppo and Hama in a lightning offensive over the past week. They’re now on the outskirts of Homs, less than 100 miles to the north.

➡️ As his remaining troops dig in, Syria’s longtime ruler is signaling his willingness to reach a deal that would allow him to hold on to the rump territory his army controls, or guarantee his safe passage into exile if needed, said the people. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss secret meetings.

➡️ One offer Assad made to the US via the United Arab Emirates is for Syria to cut all involvement with Iran-backed militant groups, such as Hezbollah, if Western powers wield influence to stem the fighting, the people said.

➡️ It’s a dramatic turn of events for a dynasty that’s ruled Syria with an iron fist for half a century, crushed peaceful protests in 2011 and clung to power through years of civil war that spurred one of the worst humanitarian crises of modern times. Iranian and Russian military support was crucial to the survival of the 59-year-old president, but both are now distracted and stretched thin by other conflicts.

🔗 Link

🇸🇾🇸🇾🇸🇾 ⁉️ — CNN claims that indeed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is nowhere to be found in Damascus

#BREAKING

🇸🇾 ⚠️❗️ — 📰 Special intelligence sources to Sawt Al-Asima: Syrian Army generals ordered military to withdraw from Homs without talking to Assad at all.

➡️ They made the decision after talking to Gulf Arab countries and Western powers through intermediaries, ignoring Assad commands

🇮🇶🇸🇾🇸🇾 - Iraqi Interior Ministry:

"The situation in Syria are unfolding quickly, and we are preparing for the worst possibilities".

#BREAKING

🇸🇾❌🇸🇾 — Syrian Arab Army (SAA) has reportedly withdrawn from Damascus International Airport, to the Southeast of the Capital!

#BREAKING
🇸🇾❌🇸🇾❗️ — Pro-Rebel observers report Tanks in the streets of Damascus city now.

They re heading to the Umayyad Square which leads to several strategic locations, including the presidential palace

🇸🇾❌🇸🇾❗️ — CNN source: Opposition reconnaissance units entered Damascus in search of Bashar al-Assad