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California governor presses China’s Xi on climate cooperation
California governor Gavin Newsom said he spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping on climate cooperation at a meeting on Wednesday in Beijing, the latest in a string of visits to China by US politicians. The head of the US economic powerhouse state is on a week-long tour of China, which Newsom has said will focus on climate change. "We are not going to move needles on climate change unless the United States and China collaborate together," the governor, who has long been touted as a future presidential candidate, told reporters after meetings with Xi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. China and the United States are the two biggest emitters of greenhouse gases. Newsom arrived in the southern semi-autonomous city of Hong Kong on Monday, where he held a talk on climate change. He then traveled to the neighboring city of Shenzhen, which has pioneered the use of renewable energy in public transport, touring an electric bus station. Newsom described his talks on Wednesday with Xi and Wang as "very productive". "Not only the MOUs in the last couple days but the fact that I'll be meeting with five governors tomorrow... engaging and advancing our collective efforts on low carbon green growth," Newsom told reporters, referring to memorandums of understanding signed with Chinese counterparts. Newsom said he also raised the issue of human rights with Wang and spoke with Chinese leaders about China's role in the fentanyl drug addiction crisis in the United States. Washington has imposed sanctions on China-based firms for producing and distributing chemicals used to make fentanyl, though Beijing has insisted the root of the opioid problem lies in the United States. "Governor Newsom's topics of discussion also included human rights violations and anti-democratic efforts in Hong Kong, Tibet, Xinjiang, and Taiwan, as well as David Lin, a California pastor who has been imprisoned in China since 2006," the governor's office said in a statement. String of visits Newsom's visit came amid a flurry of diplomacy between Beijing and Washington as the two sides seek to improve strained ties. Xi met with a group of US senators in Beijing earlier this month, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and Foreign Minister Wang will pay a rare visit to Washington this week. Wang will be returning from a visit in June to Beijing by Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was the highest-ranking US official to travel to China since 2018. Blinken huddled for 11 hours with the top Chinese leadership including Xi. Diplomats say Wang will be expecting a similar meeting with President Joe Biden, who is in Washington this week. Biden, who last saw Xi last November on the sidelines of G20 talks in Bali, has invited the Chinese leader to travel next month to San Francisco where the United States will host an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Newsom on Wednesday said of Xi's potential visit that he was "very hopeful that he makes it". The post California governor presses China’s Xi on climate cooperation appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Meta quarterly profit jumps but it sees volatility in ad market
Meta on Wednesday reported that its quarterly profit more than doubled from last year's figure as it looks ahead at a volatile ad market and lawsuits accusing it of profiting from "children's pain." "Meta earnings looked pretty good," said independent tech analyst Rob Enderle. "They have clearly cut back on the bleeding surrounding their metaverse efforts and the company appears to be on a more even keel right now." The tech giant said it made a profit of $11.6 billion as ad revenue climbed 23 percent to $34 billion when compared to the same period a year earlier. "We had a good quarter for our community and business," said Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg. The number of people using Facebook monthly rose slightly to 3.05 billion in a year-over-year comparison while monthly active users of Meta's "family" of apps was 3.96 billion a 7 percent increase from the same quarter in 2022, the company reported. Meta said it had trimmed costs, with layoffs and other belt-tightening measures started last year providing "greater efficiency." Meta had suffered a rough 2022 amid a souring economic climate and Apple's data privacy changes, which allowed users to block ad targeting, the pillar of Meta's business. Meta's vow of austerity on spending brought an unprecedented round of cost-cutting that saw the company lay off tens of thousands of workers since last November. Meta shares, which closed the formal trading day down, fell more than three percent further in after-hours trades to $289.50. Chief financial officer Susan Li said during an earnings call that Meta is seeing "volatility" in an ad market that started to soften when the conflict between Israel and Hamas began. "It's hard for us to attribute demand softness directly to any specific geopolitical event," Li said. "We have seen broader demand softness follow other regional conflicts in the past, such as in the Ukraine war, so this is something that we're continuing to monitor." Lawsuit peril Analyst Enderle maintained that Meta is at risk from lawsuits poised to damage its image and its wallet. Dozens of US states this week accused Meta of profiting "from children's pain," damaging their mental health and misleading people about the safety of its platforms. "In seeking to maximize its financial gains, Meta has repeatedly misled the public about the substantial dangers of its Social Media Platforms," argued a joint lawsuit filed in federal court in California. The states accused Meta of exploiting young users by creating a business model designed to maximize time they spend on the platform despite harm to their health. In total more than 40 states are suing Meta, though some opted to file in local courts rather than join in the federal case. Meta said the states were singling it out unfairly instead of working with social media companies to develop universal standards for the whole industry. "This landmark lawsuit could herald a seismic shift in how social media platforms approach product features and user engagement," said Insider Intelligence principal analyst Jeremy Goldman. "That said, even as tech stocks face uncertainty, Meta's consistent performance cements its leadership in the digital realm." Meanwhile, the European Union is seeking details on measures Meta has taken to stop the spread of "illegal content and disinformation" in light of the conflict between Israel and Hamas. The AI race The tech giant is putting artificial intelligence into digital assistants and smart glasses as it seeks to gain lost ground in the AI race. "I'm proud of the work our teams have done to advance AI and mixed reality with the launch of Quest 3, Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, and our AI studio," Zuckerberg said in the earnings release. The second-generation Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses made in a partnership with EssilorLuxottica have a starting price of $299. "Smart glasses are the ideal form factor for you to let AI assistants see what you're seeing and hear what you're hearing," Zuckerberg said. Meta has taken a more cautious approach than its rivals Microsoft, OpenAI, and Google to push out AI products, prioritizing small steps and making its in-house models available to developers and researchers. "The majority of the world's population will have their first experience of generative artificial intelligence with us," Meta chief technology officer Andrew "Boz" Bosworth told AFP in a recent interview. Meta recently unveiled AI-infused chatbots with personalities, along with tools for creating images or written content using spoken prompts. The post Meta quarterly profit jumps but it sees volatility in ad market appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
4 Rite Aid Stores in San Diego County Slated for Closure amid Companys Bankruptcy Plan
Title: Four Rite Aid Stores in San Diego County to Close due to Company’s Bankruptcy Filing San Diego, California – Rite Aid, a leading nationwide.....»»
Hawaii county sues power company over deadly wildfires
Maui County is suing Hawaii's electricity company over the deadly fire that leveled Lahaina, alleging the destruction could have been avoided if power lines had been shut off. The lawsuit is the latest step in a growing critical focus on the power provider in the wake of the blaze, which killed at least 115 people, with videos apparently showing downed cables setting light to vegetation in the hours before tragedy struck. The lawsuit says there was plenty of warning of strong winds from a nearby hurricane, but Hawaiian Electric and its subsidiaries negligently kept power lines live. "These power lines foreseeably ignited the fast-moving, deadly, and destructive Lahaina Fire, which completely destroyed residences, businesses, churches, schools, and historic cultural sites," the lawsuit, filed Thursday, says. "Defendants knew that the high winds the (National Weather Service) predicted would topple power poles, knock down power lines, and ignite vegetation. "Defendants also knew that if their overhead electrical equipment ignited a fire, it would spread at a critically rapid rate." The county -- which is itself under pressure over what critics say was a lack of preparation ahead of the fire and a lackluster response in its aftermath -- is demanding unspecified damages and compensation for the destruction. "Maui County stands alongside the people and communities of Lahaina and Kula to recover public resource damages and rebuild after these devastating utility-caused fires," the county said in a statement. Power companies in California routinely shut down large stretches of above-ground power lines in strong winds, a strategy credited with helping to avoid some blazes. On 14 August, Hawaiian Electric boss Shelee Kimura defended the decision to keep the network live, saying electricity was necessary to keep water pumping in Lahaina. The 8 August fire was the deadliest wildfire the United States has seen for more than a century. It burned through around 2,000 acres (800 hectares) and laid waste to the historic town of Lahaina, a former Hawaiian royal seat and a thriving tourist hub. Flames, fanned by powerful winds, moved so quickly that many residents were caught unaware, only learning there was a fire when they saw it for themselves. Some abandoned their cars as they tried to flee the town and sought refuge in the ocean, where they cowered for hours as their homes were incinerated. The official toll is expected to rise as a grim search of the ashen remains of Lahaina is completed. Thousands of people have been made homeless, with recovery expected to take years. Federal estimates suggest the fire caused $5.5 billion of damage. The lawsuit, which also includes a demand for a jury trial, comes a week after the head of Maui's emergency management agency resigned amid criticism for not sounding the island's network of warning sirens. Also on Thursday, Maui county officials released a list of 388 names of people who remain unaccounted for. Police said the aim was to encourage anyone who knew the whereabouts of people on the list to come forward, so they could be removed. The practice is common in the wake of a disaster, and the figure of 388 does not indicate that this number of people are likely to be dead, only that they have been reported to authorities as not having been seen. The post Hawaii county sues power company over deadly wildfires appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Microsoft, Google beat earnings expectations amid AI frenzy
Tech titans Google and Microsoft announced better-than-expected earnings on Tuesday as the frenzy over artificial intelligence stokes investor excitement and breathes new life into the sector. The release of ChatGPT last year landed as technology giants were embarking on major layoffs and cost-cutting plans, with share prices hammered after flying high during the coronavirus pandemic. For the second consecutive quarter, Microsoft has more than reversed the trend, seeing profits and sales soaring to the highest levels ever for the 48-year-old company co-founded by Bill Gates. An earnings statement reported that net profit for Microsoft was $20.1 billion in the April to June period, up 20 percent year-on-year and above expectations. The company posted $56.2 billion in sales, which also beat expectations, though the growth slowed from the previous quarter. And even though its share price slipped in after-hours trading, the Windows-maker remains the world's second most valuable company after Apple, with a market capitalization of $2.6 trillion. Once again, business in the latest quarter was driven by the cloud, which relies heavily on artificial intelligence and accounts for more than half of the company's sales. Cloud sales grew by 21 percent year-on-year. Microsoft shares lifted off last week when the company said it would charge $30 extra per user to turbocharge its Microsoft 365 product -- which includes Word, Excel and Teams -- with AI powers. "Every customer I speak with is asking not only how, but how fast they can apply next generation AI to address the biggest opportunities and challenges they face and to do so safely and responsibly," said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. Google parent Alphabet on Tuesday also reported profits that beat market forecasts as digital advertising revenue revived and its cloud business grew. The search engine giant reported net income of $18.7 billion on revenue of $74.6 billion in the recently ended quarter. "There's exciting momentum across our products and the company, which drove strong results this quarter," Alphabet chief executive Sundar Pichai said in an earnings release. Alphabet shares jumped more than six percent to $129.57 in after-market trades following the results. Microsoft saw its share price slip more than three percent to $337.99 as earnings showed it will take a bit of time and investment to fulfill its AI visions. "I think people got overly excited by AI, but now the reality is that it is not going to be instant," said independent analyst Rob Enderle of Enderle Group. "We are talking a few years before the full benefit starts to materialize." Brin is back While the latest talk has surrounded AI, what matters most for Google earnings currently is digital advertising -- where it gets the bulk of its revenue. The company said that advertising revenue hit $58.1 billion, which outshined analysts' expectations of $57.45 billion. Google is also a player in the cloud computing industry, where revenue came in at $8 billion, compared with $6.3 billion the unit took in during the same period a year earlier. "Our continued leadership in AI and our excellence in engineering and innovation are driving the next evolution of Search, and improving all our services," Pichai said. Google has played a close second to the partnership between Microsoft and OpenAI in rolling out its AI products following the release of ChatGPT. The company has largely been seen as playing catch up with Microsoft, with questions over whether the mighty Google search engine will withstand developments in AI. Microsoft was quick to beef up its Bing search engine with AI powers, but Google's search has yet to see a real threat to its dominance -- which remains about 90 percent of the market worldwide. Google, though not as dramatically as Microsoft, has seen its share price rise steeply in 2023 as investors expect AI to generate new revenue and open new markets. According to The Wall Street Journal, Google co-founder Sergey Brin is back at the company headquarters in California helping teams develop even more AI products. He and co-founder Larry Page stepped down from active roles at Google in 2019 when Pichai was chosen to replace them as chief executive. The post Microsoft, Google beat earnings expectations amid AI frenzy appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Temperature reaches new highs as heatwaves scorch the globe
Temperatures reached new highs on Monday as heatwaves scorched parts of the Northern Hemisphere, triggering health warnings and fanning wildfires in the latest stark reminder of the effects of global warming. From North America to Europe and Asia, people gulped water and sought shelter from the sweltering heat, with the mercury expected to reach new highs in several places in the next few days. Europe, the globe's fastest-warming continent, was bracing for its hottest-ever temperature this week on Italy's islands of Sicily and Sardinia, where a high of 48 degrees Celsius (118 degrees Fahrenheit) is predicted, according to the European Space Agency. "We're from Texas and it’s really hot there, we thought we would escape the heat but it’s even hotter here," Colman Peavy, 30, said as he sipped a capuccino at an outside terrasse in central Rome with his wife Ana at the start of a two-week Italian vacation. With June already having been the world's hottest on record, according to the EU weather monitoring service, Mother Nature seemed intent on July not falling far behind. China reported a new high for mid-July in the northwest of the country, where temperature reached 52.2C in the Xinjiang region's village of Sanbao, breaking the previous high of 50.6C set six years ago. In nearby Turpan city, where ground surface temperatures sizzled at 80C in some parts, authorities have told workers and students to stay home and ordered special vehicles to spray water on major thoroughfares, the meteorological body said. In Cyprus, where temperatures are expected to remain above 40C through Thursday, a 90-year-old man died as a result of heatstroke and three other seniors were hospitalized, health officials said. In Japan, heatstroke alerts were issued in 32 out of the country’s 47 prefectures, mainly in central and southwestern regions. At least 60 people in Japan were treated for heatstroke, local media reported, including 51 who were taken to hospital in Tokyo. The heat was enough for at least one man to dispense with social mortification in Hamamatsu city. "It’s honestly unbearable without a parasol, although I have to admit it is a bit embarrassing," he told national broadcaster NHK of the umbrella in his hand. Japan's highest-ever temperature was 41.1C first recorded in Kumagaya city in 2018. 'Oppressive' US heat In western and southern states in the US, which are used to high temperatures, more than 80 million people were under advisories as a "widespread and oppressive" heatwave roasted the region. California's Death Valley, often among the hottest places on Earth, reached a near-record 52C Sunday afternoon. In Arizona, the state capital Phoenix recorded its 17th straight day above 109 degrees Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius), as temperatures hit 113F (45C) on Sunday afternoon. "We're used to 110, 112 (degrees Fahrenheit) ... But not the streaks," Nancy Leonard, a 64-year-old retiree from the nearby suburb of Peoria, told AFP. "You just have to adapt". Southern California was fighting numerous wildfires, including one in Riverside County that has burned more than 7,500 acres (3,000 hectares) and prompted evacuation orders. Historic highs forecast In Europe, Italians were warned to prepare for "the most intense heatwave of the summer and also one of the most intense of all time," with the health ministry sounding a red alert for 16 cities including Rome, Bologna and Florence. Temperatures were due to hit 42C-43C in Rome on Tuesday, smashing the record of 40.5C set in August 2007. Nevertheless, visitors thronged to tourist hot spots like the Colosseum and the Vatican. "I'm from South Africa. We're used to this heat," said Jacob Vreunissen, 60, a civil engineer from Cape Town. "You have to drink lots of water, obviously wear your hat and that’s about it." Greece saw a respite on Monday, as temperatures eased a bit and the Acropolis in Athens resumed its regular opening hours after shutting for a few hours during the previous three days. But a new heatwave was expected from Thursday and meteorologists warned of a heightened risk of wildfires amid strengthening winds from the Aegean Sea. In Romania, temperatures are expected to reach 39C on Monday across most of the country. Little reprieve is forecast for Spain, where meteorologists warned that "abnormally high" temperatures on Monday, including up to 44C in the southern Andalusia region in what would be a new regional record. Killer rains Along with the heat, parts of Asia have also been battered by torrential rain. South Korea's president vowed Monday to "completely overhaul" the country's approach to extreme weather, after at least 40 people were killed in recent flooding and landslides during monsoon rains, which are forecast to continue through Wednesday. In northern India, relentless monsoon rains have reportedly killed at least 90 people, following burning heat. Major flooding and landslides are common during India's monsoons, but experts say climate change is increasing their frequency and severity. It can be difficult to attribute a particular weather event to climate change, but many scientists insist that global warming is behind the intensification of heatwaves. The post Temperature reaches new highs as heatwaves scorch the globe appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘Hot and dangerous weekend’: US bakes under relentless heat dome
Brutally high temperatures threatened tens of millions of Americans Saturday, as numerous cities braced to break records under a relentless heat dome that has baked parts of the country all week. The National Weather Service warned of an "extremely hot and dangerous weekend," with daytime highs routinely ranging between 10 and 20 degrees Fahrenheit above normal in the US West. Residents of central and southern California, for example, could expect to see thermometers peaking at 100 to 110 degrees Fahrenheit (38 to 43 degrees Celsius), it said. By mid-day Saturday, California's famous Death Valley, one of the hottest places on Earth, had reached a sizzling 119F (48C), with Sunday's peak predicted to soar as high as 130F (54C). Even overnight lows there could exceed 100F (38C). The heat is forecast to remain anchored over the West for the weekend, "growing hotter in the South by early next week." Authorities have been sounding the alarm for days, advising people to avoid outdoor activities in the daytime and to be on the watch for signs of dehydration, which can quickly become fatal in such temperatures. In the hardest-hit areas, residents face a daily endurance marathon against the sun. The Arizona state capital of Phoenix has recorded 16 straight days above 109F (43C). It had reached 111F by noon Saturday, en route to an expected 115F. Las Vegas, Nevada was broiling amid similar temperatures. In Texas, the border city of El Paso had seen 29 consecutive days of temperatures topping 100F (38C). At a construction site outside Houston, Texas, a 28-year-old worker who gave his name only as Juan helped complete a wall in the blazing heat. "Just when I take a drink of water, I get dizzy, I want to vomit because of the heat," he told AFP. "I need something else, a Coca-Cola, a Gatorade -- and cold -- just to be able to keep going." Residents of the Texas metropolis have been asked to conserve energy from 2:00 to 10:00 pm Saturday through Monday by provider Reliant Energy, in an attempt to mitigate high demand. One local news station in the city, KPRC, heralded the prospect of "finally seeing an end to this heat wave" -- by Sunday of next week. 'Not typical' Heat waves are occurring more often and more intensely in major cities across the United States, according to the federal Environmental Protection Agency, with a frequency of six per year during the 2010s and 2020s compared to two per year during the 1960s. "This heatwave is NOT typical desert heat," the National Weather Service's Las Vegas branch tweeted, specifying that "its long duration, extreme daytime temperatures, & warm nights" were unusual. In Canada, which is suffering from warm temperatures combined with months of below-average rainfall, the amount of land burned by devastating wildfires climbed to 24.7 million acres (10 million hectares) so far this year on Saturday. The prior all-time high occurred in 1989, when 18 million acres were burned over the course of an entire year, according to national figures. "We find ourselves this year with figures that are worse than our most pessimistic scenarios," Yan Boulanger, a researcher at Canada's natural resources ministry, told AFP. Smoke from the wildfires was meanwhile creating unhealthy air quality conditions in parts of the upper-central United States -- similar to episodes in June when blazes in the Canadian province of Quebec cloaked the US East Coast in a noxious haze. While it can be hard to attribute a particular weather event to climate change, scientists insist that global warming -- linked to humanity's dependence on fossil fuels -- is responsible for the multiplication and intensification of heat waves in the world. The US heat wave comes after the EU's climate-monitoring service said the world saw its hottest June on record last month. bfm/mdl/bbk/acb © Agence France-Presse The post ‘Hot and dangerous weekend’: US bakes under relentless heat dome appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Record heatwaves sweep the world from US to Japan via Europe
Record heat is forecast around the world from the United States, where tens of millions are battling dangerously high temperatures, to Europe and Japan, in the latest example of the threat from global warming. Italy faces weekend predictions of historic highs with the health ministry issuing a red alert for 16 cities including Rome, Bologna, and Florence. The meteo center warned Italians to prepare for "the most intense heatwave of the summer and also one of the most intense of all time". The thermometer is likely to hit 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in Rome by Monday and even 43C on Tuesday, smashing the record of 40.5C set in August 2007. The islands of Sicily and Sardinia could wilt under temperatures as high as 48C, the European Space Agency warned -- "potentially the hottest temperatures ever recorded in Europe". Greece is also roasting. "Parts of the country could see highs as much as 44C on Saturday," according to the national weather service EMY. The central city of Thebes sweated under 44.2C on Friday. The Acropolis, Athens's top tourist attraction, will on Sunday close during the hottest hours for the third day running. In France, high temperatures and resulting drought are posing a threat to the farming industry, earning Agriculture Minister Marc Fesneau criticism from climatologists on Saturday for having brushed aside conditions as "normal enough for summer". June was the second-hottest on record in France, according to the national weather agency, and several areas of the country have been under a heatwave alert since Tuesday. There is little reprieve ahead for Spain, as its meteorological agency warned Saturday that a new heatwave Monday through Wednesday will bring temperatures above 40C to the Canary Islands and the southern Andalusia region. Killer rains Parts of eastern Japan are also expected to reach 38 to 39C on Sunday and Monday, with the meteorological agency warning temperatures could hit previous records. Meanwhile, the northern city of Akita saw more rain in half a day than is typical for the whole month of July, Japan's national broadcaster NHK reported. The downpours also triggered at least one landslide, forcing 9,000 people to evacuate their homes. Torrential rains described by the meteorological agency as the "heaviest rain ever experienced" have also hit southern Japan in recent weeks, leaving at least 11 people dead. Relentless monsoon rains have reportedly killed at least 90 people in northern India, after burning heat. The Yamuna River running through the capital New Delhi has reached a record high of 208.66 meters, more than a meter over the flood top set in 1978, threatening low-lying neighborhoods in the megacity of more than 20 million people. Major flooding and landslides are common during India's monsoons, but experts say climate change is increasing their frequency and severity. Americans are watching as a powerful heatwave grip stretches from California to Texas, with its peak expected this weekend. In Arizona, one of the hardest-hit states, residents face a daily endurance marathon against the sun. State capital Phoenix recorded 15 straight days above 109F (43C), with Saturday expected to reach well above that mark. Deadly danger Authorities have been sounding the alarm, advising people to avoid outdoor activities in the daytime and to be wary of dehydration. The Las Vegas weather service warned that assuming high temperatures naturally come with the area's desert climate was "a DANGEROUS mindset! This heatwave is NOT typical desert heat". "Now the most intense period is beginning," it added, as the weekend arrived with record highs threatening on Sunday. California's Death Valley, one of the hottest places on Earth, is also likely to register new peaks Sunday, with the mercury possibly rising to 130F (54C). Southern California is fighting numerous wildfires, including one in Riverside County that has burned more than 3,000 acres (1,214 hectares) and prompted evacuation orders. Further north, the Canadian government reported that wildfires burned a record-breaking 10 million hectares this year, with more damage expected as the summer drags on. Morocco may be used to hot weather, but it was slated for above-average temperatures this weekend with highs of 47C in some provinces -- more typical of August than July -- sparking concerns for water shortages, the meteorological service said. River Tigris shrinking Water-scarce Jordan was forced to dump 214 tonnes of water on a wildfire that broke out in the Ajloun forest in the north amid a heatwave, the army said. In Iraq, where scorching summers are common, along with power cuts, Wissam Abed told AFP he cools off from Baghdad's brutal summer by swimming in the Tigris river. But as Iraqi rivers dry up, so does the age-old pastime. With temperatures near 50C and wind whipping through the city like a hair dryer, Abed stood in the middle of the river, but the water only comes up to his waist. "I live here... like my grandfather did before me. Year after year, the water situation gets worse," said the 37-year-old. While it can be difficult to attribute a particular weather event to climate change, scientists insist global warming -- linked to dependence on fossil fuels -- is behind the multiplication and intensification of heat waves in the world. The heatwaves come after the EU's climate monitoring service said the world saw its hottest June on record last month. The post Record heatwaves sweep the world from US to Japan via Europe appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Philippines raises concerns over Taiwan in talks with China
The Philippines' top diplomat has expressed his concern to Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang over escalating tensions in waters around Taiwan, Manila said on Saturday. Philippine foreign secretary Enrique Manalo met Qin as the two countries seek to deepen economic ties while also managing their dispute in the South China Sea, the Department of Foreign Affairs said in a statement after the talks. "Secretary Manalo reaffirmed the Philippines’ adherence to the One China Policy, while at the same time expressing concern over the escalating tensions across the Taiwan Strait," DFA said. China claims Taiwan as its territory and has vowed to bring the island under its control one day, by force if necessary. Qin described China and the Philippines as "close neighbors across the sea". "Amid the fluid and turbulent regional situation, a healthy and stable China-Philippines relationship is not only meeting the aspirations of our two peoples but also in line with the common aspirations of regional countries," Qin said during the talks. He told a forum in Shanghai on Friday that recent rhetoric accusing China of disrupting peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait could have dangerous consequences. "Such claims go against basic common sense on international relations and historical justice," he said in Shanghai. "The logic is absurd and the consequences dangerous." China staged military exercises around self-ruled Taiwan this month that simulated targeted strikes and a blockade of the island. This was in response to a meeting between Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California. China and the Philippines are also locked in a bitter maritime dispute in the strategic South China Sea. Manalo said differences in the South China Sea "are not the sum total" of relations between the two nations, which have agreed to manage disagreements through dialogue and cooperation. Beijing claims almost the entire waterway and has ignored a 2016 international tribunal decision that ruled its claims have no legal basis. Other regional issues were also on the agenda of Saturday's talks, the DFA said. The post Philippines raises concerns over Taiwan in talks with China appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
LA art exhibition on Middle East women opens amid US reproductive rights row
An exhibition of work by female artists on women in the Middle East opens in California this weekend, as a fierce battle over women's reproductive rights grips the United States. "Women Defining Women in Contemporary Art of the Middle East and Beyond" brings together the creations of 42 female artists, depicting what curators say are the personal and universal stories of women in Islamic societies, and aims to challenge stereotypes about this part of the world. "So many people think that all women are the same in Middle Eastern lands, they're all oppressed, they are invisible, they have horrible lives," curator Linda Komaroff told AFP. "And it's not true. It's like women everywhere. They have a good deal of agency and they act upon it." Exhibits come from all over the Middle East and beyond but include a number from Iran, which has been shaken in recent months after the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, a young woman arrested for allegedly not properly wearing the compulsory veil. One powerful picture by Iranian photojournalist Newsha Tavakolian shows an Iranian woman in traditional clothes -- also wearing a pair of boxing gloves. Another, by Shirin Aliabadi, showcases the irrepressible spirit of a younger generation, depicting a woman whose blonde wig pokes out from under her scarf as she blows a bubble with gum. The exhibition comes as the United States has been thrown into tumult over the issue of abortion after the US Supreme Court last year struck down the constitutional right to terminate a pregnancy. On Friday the same court is set to wade into the legal battle over the abortion drug mifepristone after a Texan judge issued a ruling that would ban this widely used medication. Komaroff said the ongoing fight over abortion rights in the United States meant this was a timely exhibition. "Things are kind of going downhill for women in America in terms of our own control over our own bodies," she said. "American women have been complacent. It's easy for them to look to another country or another region and say, 'We're better off than they are.' "But maybe we're not. Maybe we're all in the same boat together." The exhibition at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) opens Sunday and runs until 24 September. See more photos here: The post LA art exhibition on Middle East women opens amid US reproductive rights row appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Saso ends slump with runnerup finish
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Fil-Am to suit up for Ivy League, NCAA Division I Princeton volleyball team
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Families left homeless from vacant homes on Thanksgiving
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California rolls back reopening amid resurgent virus
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US reaffirms support for Philippines sovereignty amid its tensions with China
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Philippines announces decisive measures amid tensions with China
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Oplan Harabas yields 3 drivers positive for drugs
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Mayor Uy posts cryptic messages amid Igacos power problems
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Bullish amid wars
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Negros Occidental health office urges masking amid pertussis threat
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