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Supporters await a convoy carrying US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi outside the Grand Hyatt hotel in Taipei, Taiwan, on Tuesday, Aug 2, 2022. US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed in Taiwan on Aug 2 evening, in defiance of Chinese threats, a trip that would make her the highest-ranking American politician to visit the island in 25 years. - A + A (Aug 9): House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s swing through Asia aimed to convey the US’s “strong and unshakable” support for the region. It ended up leaving many countries in stunned silence, as China conducted unprecedented military drills around Taiwan. The shockwaves from the highest-level US visit to Taiwan in a quarter century are still reverberating around the region days after she flew back to Washington. China’s military has extended exercises designed to show an ability to encircle the island and cut off the Taiwan Strait, one of the world’s busiest trade routes, days after launching missiles that likely flew over Taipei … [Read more...] about Pelosi trip hinders Biden effort to galvanize Asia against China

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Exclusive tours of the paddock area to see the horses saddled and the jockies getting ready are a ... [+] very up close and personal experience you can enjoy when doing the Derby in style. With one of the strongest fields and most exciting finishes in Kentucky Derby history, the 138th “Run For the Roses,” set an all time attendance record at Louisville’s Churchill Downs, with over 165,000 there in person to see I’ll Have Another take the crown. As I noted yesterday, the crowd was a mix of veterans who come every year and wouldn’t miss the race for anything and first timers – most of whom now join the ranks of the regulars and will return, having been converted by what is arguably the best sporting event to attend live in this country. The Kentucky Derby, coupled with the Kentucky Oaks held the day before, is two full days of fun, excitement, history in the making, tradition, fancy dress, hats, drinks, food … [Read more...] about Start Planning For 2013 Kentucky Derby Now

Shares in graphics chipmaker NVIDIA Corporation ( NVDA ) plunged Monday and continued its drop on Tuesday after the company said it expects revenue to come in significantly below its earlier estimate, primarily due to weaker gaming sales. The Santa Clara, California-based chipmaker released preliminary second quarter (Q2) earnings yesterday, showing revenue reaching $6.7 billion, well below its earlier outlook of $8.1 billion. The revised figures represent the top line contracting 19% sequentially from the previous quarter and 3% from the prior year. Key Takeaways Nvidia released preliminary Q2 earnings that show revenue of $6.7 billion, well below the chipmaker’s prior forecast of $8.1 billion. The company said weaker-than-expected gaming sales drove the revenue shortfall. Nvidia’s data center sales helped offset gaming weakness, with the segment growing 1% sequentially and 61% from the same quarter a year ago. Management sees long-term margins remaining … [Read more...] about Nvidia (NVDA) Plunges After Q2 Preliminary Results Show Weaker Gaming Revenue

Supporters await a convoy carrying US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi outside the Grand Hyatt hotel in Taipei, Taiwan, on Tuesday, Aug 2, 2022. US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi landed in Taiwan on Aug 2 evening, in defiance of Chinese threats, a trip that would make her the highest-ranking American politician to visit the island in 25 years. - A + A (Aug 9): House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s swing through Asia aimed to convey the US’s “strong and unshakable” support for the region. It ended up leaving many countries in stunned silence, as China conducted unprecedented military drills around Taiwan. The shockwaves from the highest-level US visit to Taiwan in a quarter century are still reverberating around the region days after she flew back to Washington. China’s military has extended exercises designed to show an ability to encircle the island and cut off the Taiwan Strait, one of the world’s busiest trade routes, days after launching missiles that likely flew over Taipei … [Read more...] about Pelosi trip hinders Biden effort to galvanise Asia against China

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin 2021 was the year net-zero commitments went mainstream. Following the COP 26 climate conference in Glasgow, well over 100 governments have set a net-zero decarbonization target. These commitments cover 88% of global emissions, 90% of global GDP, and 85% of global population . Nearly one-thousand municipalities and over three thousand private businesses have also made net-zero commitments as part of the UN’s Race to Zero decarbonization initiative. While these commitments are a positive first step, they must now be backed by concerted action. The stakes are higher than ever as climate change continues to intensify. Net zero by 2050 is a science-based goal that aims to limit the worst effects of global warming. Policymakers, business leaders, and the public should understand both the origins and urgency around this crucial climate goal. A manmade crisis Human activities produce around 35 billion tons of carbon … [Read more...] about How Net Zero Became Our Global Climate Goal And Why We Need It

Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Already under fire for security lapses and facing scrutiny over its links to China, Zoom made the startling decision earlier this month to ban three users organizing memorials to mark the Tiananmen Square massacre at the request of Beijing. It’s now reversed the decision, according to a company post released late Thursday. But it’s still going to help China block accounts of users in the country. Though the tech giant neglected to use the words “Tiananmen Square” in its post, it acknowledged that the Chinese government had been in touch earlier this year to warn about four Zoom-hosted commemorations of the famous pro-democracy protests in 1989. China wanted the groups and the administrators banned. Astonishingly, Zoom chose to monitor the metadata for the calls from the U.S. so it could tell if anyone from mainland China was participating. And when it discovered that people from mainland China were joining three of the … [Read more...] about Zoom Promises To Do Better After Banning Tiananmen Square Protests—Then Builds Tech To Help China’s Censorship

A health worker wearing a PPE suit brings inside some food and drinks left by the doorstep of a wing at the Manila COVID-19 Field Hospital in Manila. Metro Manila remains under low-risk classification for COVID-19 according to the Department of Health. (Photo by LYN RILLON / Philippine Daily Inquirer) MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday said the country was seeing the start of another “peak” in COVID-19 cases and urged the public to observe health protocols, including isolating when experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Detected infections rose by 82 percent to 436 daily average new cases last week—the highest in about two months—from 240 the previous week, according to the DOH. “Right now what we’re seeing is that the number of cases is continuously increasing, especially here in the National Capital Region (NCR) and we can see that this is really the start of the peak in the number of cases,” Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in a … [Read more...] about Another ‘peak’ in COVID cases starting – DOH

LONDON — One person was killed on Tuesday when a Russian air base near seaside resorts in the annexed Crimean peninsula was rocked by blasts that Moscow said were detonations of stored ammunition, not the result of any attack. Witnesses said they had heard at least 12 explosions around 3:20 p.m. local time (1220 GMT) from the Saky air base near Novofedorivka on the west coast of the peninsula, which Russia annexed from Ukraine in 2014 and used in February as one of the launchpads for its invasion. Crimea, a holiday destination for many Russians, has so far been spared the bombardment and artillery combat that other areas of eastern and southern Ukraine have suffered. Russia’s defense ministry was adamant the “detonation of several aviation ammunition stores” had caused an explosion, and initially said no one had been harmed. It said there had been no attack and no aviation equipment had been damaged. Smoke rises after explosions were heard from the direction of a Russian … [Read more...] about One killed as blasts rock Russia base in Crimea, Kyiv not taking responsibility

France’s President Emmanuel Macron (L) and Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson | PHOTOS: Reuters PARIS — French President Emmanuel Macron and Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson reaffirmed their commitment to support Ukraine, invaded by Russia in February, as long as necessary, the French presidential palace said on Tuesday. RELATED STORIES Ukraine’s Bucha buries bodies of unidentified victims of Russian occupation Two more grain ships sail from Ukraine as third port opens One killed as blasts rock Russia base in Crimea, Kyiv not taking responsibility Kyiv urges travel ban on Russians as Moscow steps up assault in eastern Ukraine Ukraine’s Bucha buries bodies of unidentified victims of Russian occupation Ukraine, Russia trade blame for nuclear plant shelling amid global alarm Subscribe to our daily newsletter … [Read more...] about Macron and Johnson pledge again to support Ukraine as long as necessary