Tens of thousands of Iranians are reportedly being held in secret detention sites, sparking alarm among human rights advocates, while the United States continues to build up its military presence near Iran, according to reports. These "black box" facilities, which the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) says are modeled on prison camps from the 1980s, lack judicial oversight and official records, making it impossible for families to confirm the well-being of their loved ones, according to Fox News.
The US build-up includes the deployment of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln near Iran, carrying 90 aircraft, including F35 fighters, as confirmed by BBC Verify using satellite imagery. This move comes as Washington puts pressure on Iran regarding its military program and the recent crackdown on protesters. US and Iranian officials are scheduled to meet in Switzerland for a second round of talks, with Iran stating the focus will be on its nuclear program and the potential lifting of economic sanctions. Washington, however, has indicated it wants to discuss other issues as well, according to BBC World.
In other news, a group of 34 Australian women and children, linked to the Islamic State (IS) group, were released from a camp in northern Syria to return home but were subsequently returned to the Roj camp for "technical reasons," according to Reuters, as reported by BBC World. The group, believed to be the wives and children of IS fighters, had been held in the camp for nearly seven years since IS lost its last territorial foothold in Syria in 2019.
Meanwhile, Chinese technology giant ByteDance has pledged to curb its AI video-making tool, Seedance, following legal threats from Disney and complaints from other entertainment giants, according to BBC Technology. The app, which has been lauded for its realism, has been accused of copyright infringement by several Hollywood studios. Disney sent a cease-and-desist letter to ByteDance, according to the report.
Finally, six companies linked to Sarah Ferguson, the former Duchess of York, are being wound down, according to documents filed with Companies House, as reported by BBC Business. Ferguson is the director of all six businesses, which are due to be struck off the register in ten days unless legal cause is shown. The closure comes in the wake of further revelations from the Epstein files, which suggest Ferguson discussed her financial difficulties with the wealthy paedophile.
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