Taipei (AFP) Aug 21, 2023 Taiwan accused China on Monday of “arbitrarily interrupting trade” after Beijing slapped a fresh ban on its mangos as relations worsen. The import ban came after Beijing conducted military drills around the island on Saturday, a day after Taiwanese Vice President William Lai returned from a visit to Paraguay with two stopovers in the United States. China, which claims Taiwan … Continue reading Taiwan slams China’s ban on mango imports

La Orotava, Spain (AFP) Aug 20, 2023 Firefighters made gains in their battle against a vast wildfire on Tenerife on Sunday after better-than-expected overnight weather helped them keep the blaze from destroying homes on the Spanish holiday island, regional officials said. The huge fire broke out late Tuesday in a mountainous northeastern area, quickly morphing into the Canary Islands’ biggest-ever. So far the blaze, which … Continue reading Firefighters make gains against Tenerife wildfire

Niamey, Niger (AFP) Aug 19, 2023 Flooding in Niger caused by heavy rains has killed 27 people and affected more than 70,000 since July, the authorities said on Saturday. The rainy season between June and September often triggers deadly flooding in the mostly desert West African nation, including in the arid northern regions. As of August 18, the floods have caused 27 deaths, injured 30 … Continue reading Niger floods kill 27, affect thousands since July

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (AFP) Aug 20, 2023 States across the typically arid US southwest were racing Saturday to prepare for life-threatening flooding forecast as Hurricane Hilary approaches from Mexico, where damage and one death were reported. A Saturday night bulletin from the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said Hilary’s winds had significantly weakened but were still sustained at a hazardous 90 miles per hour … Continue reading US southwest on high alert as Hurricane Hilary climbs Mexico coast

Washington (AFP) Aug 19, 2023 Climate change-denying social media accounts are exploiting the deadly wildfires in Hawaii to push conspiracy theories that high-energy lasers were used to spark the flames. Posts invoking such technologies or claiming the blazes were set intentionally to create climate-friendly cities have generated millions of engagements on platforms such as X. “Only a Directed Energy Weapon (DEW) canhttp://dlvr.it/Stt6bQ Continue reading Hawaii wildfires stoke climate denial, conspiracy theories

Brussels (AFP) Aug 18, 2023 The EU warned Friday that democracy and rights in Hong Kong declined further in 2022, casting doubt on China’s vow to maintain “one country, two systems”. The assessment came in the bloc’s latest annual report on the Chinese island territory. Last year marked the 25th anniversary of Britain handing Hong Kong back to China in return for its promise to … Continue reading EU deplores democracy ‘erosion’ in Hong Kong

Taipei (AFP) Aug 19, 2023 Taiwan’s foreign minister accused China on Saturday of trying to “shape” Taiwan’s upcoming election, after Chinese military exercises were launched around the island. “The PRC has made it clear it wants to shape Taiwan’s coming national election,” said foreign minister Joseph Wu on the ministry’s official X account. “Well, it’s up to our citizens to decide, not the bully next … Continue reading Taiwan’s election not for ‘bully next door’ China to decide: FM

Boston MA (SPX) Aug 11, 2023 RTX’s BBN division received a contract award to support DARPA’s “In The Moment” program. ITM aims to develop the foundations needed for algorithms that are trusted to independently make decisions in scenarios like mass casualty triage and disaster relief, where complex and rapid decisions are needed in dynamic situations where there is often no human consensus and no clear … Continue reading DARPA taps RTX to attune AI decisions to human values

Tokyo, Japan (SPX) Aug 11, 2023 The inner mechanics of Earth’s core have always been a topic of immense scientific interest, yet a full understanding has often eluded researchers due to the intricate and multifaceted dynamics at play. However, a recent study from Japan may have taken us a step closer to unraveling the mysteries of the inner core. Historically, while numerous geodynamical mechanisms have … Continue reading Groundbreaking study reveals inner core dynamics and viscosity

Caracas (AFP) Aug 18, 2023 Yusmary spends as much as half her weekly wage for water. Isora must go to the black market to get gas cylinders so she can cook. Rodrigo, weary of blackouts, bought portable generators for his home and business. Public utilities offer erratic service in Venezuela, and citizens pay steeply to make up for the shortcomings. When power shuts off and … Continue reading Daily challenge for Venezuelans: Obtain water, power, cooking fuel