Tag: US

Biden says ‘yes,’ US forces would help defend Taiwan against China

  WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — President Joe Biden said Sunday that US forces would defend Taiwan against a Chinese invasion, while the White House said Washington’s policy was unchanged. Asked by the CBS “60 Minutes” program whether US troops would defend Taiwan, Biden said “yes,” if it were “an unprecedented attack.” This was not the first time that Biden has declared US forces would take part in a war between China and Taiwan, with […]

Powerful storm floods western Alaska coast

  Los Angeles, United States (AFP) A historically powerful storm is hammering western Alaska, causing huge tidal surges and flooding that has torn some houses from their foundations, US weather forecasters said Saturday. The remnants of Pacific Typhoon Merbok have created one of the strongest storms to impact the region at this time of year in decades and are expected to batter the coast throughout the weekend. Dangerous conditions include “extreme waves, storm surge, hurricane […]

Alaska braces for worst storm in a decade

Los Angeles, United States (AFP) Alaska was battening down Friday for what is slated to be the US state’s worst storm in more than a decade, as the remnants of Typhoon Merbok barreled through the Bering Sea, threatening major flooding and hurricane-force winds. Residents on Alaska’s western coast were urged to brace for potentially the “worst coastal flooding in nearly 50 years,” the National Weather Service (NWS) warned in a tweet on Thursday. Merbok, now […]

Ford unveils newest Mustang, extending gasoline-powered life

by John BIERS Agence France-Presse DETROIT, United States (AFP) — Ford unveiled Wednesday its seventh-generation Mustang in a brash and boisterous launch event in downtown Detroit that pointed to the staying power of gasoline-powered vehicles. The big reveal had been teased for months by company officials and organized as a celebration of the 58-year-old model. The event, organized for Ford employees and Mustang mavens, featured pulsating music, slickly produced videos on wide screens and a […]

Chinese moves on Taiwan rattle remote Japanese island

by Mathias CENA Agence France-Presse YONAGUNI, Japan (AFP) — Life may seem tranquil on Japan’s remote Yonaguni island, where wild horses graze and tourists dive to spot hammerhead sharks, but China’s recent huge military exercises have rattled residents. The western island is just 110 kilometers (70 miles) from Taiwan, and a Chinese missile fired during the drills last month landed not far from Yonaguni’s shores. “Everyone is on edge,” Shigenori Takenishi, head of the island’s […]

US Senate takes first step to direct military aid to Taiwan

by Shaun Tandon and Camille Camdessus Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A Senate committee took the first step Wednesday toward the United States directly providing billions of dollars in military aid to Taiwan and making ties more official, ramping up support following soaring tensions with Beijing. The United States for decades has sold weapons to Taiwan but the new legislation will go further by providing US security assistance of $4.5 billion over four […]

Google handed setback as EU court upholds record fine

Luxembourg, Luxembourg (AFP) — The European Union’s second-highest court on Wednesday overwhelmingly upheld the EU’s record fine against Google over its Android operating system for mobile phones, slightly reducing the fee for technical reasons. In a statement, the EU’s General court said it “largely confirms the commission’s decision that Google imposed unlawful restrictions on manufacturers of Android mobile devices” in order to benefit its search engine. The court, however, said the fine should be slightly […]

US monkeypox death as virus linked to brain inflammation

  by Issam AHMED Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — A second US death was linked to monkeypox on Tuesday as health authorities published a study describing how two previously healthy young men experienced inflammation of the brain and spinal cord as a result of the virus. There have been nearly 22,000 US cases in the current global outbreak, which began in May, but new infections have been falling since mid-August as authorities have […]

Ex-Google CEO says Ukraine proves value of IT in war

by Sylvie LANTEAUME Agence France-Presse WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Ukraine has been a very effective proving ground for the use of contemporary information technology in war, from satellite dishes to smartphone apps, Eric Schmidt, the former Google chief executive, said Monday. Schmidt, now a US government consultant on artificial intelligence, told reporters after a 36-hour visit to the country that the civilian tech sector has been crucial to Kyiv’s defense. The proof came the […]

US invites Mexico onboard ambitious semiconductor plan

by Daniel Rook Agence France-Presse MEXICO CITY, Mexico (AFP) — The United States on Monday invited Mexico to join a multibillion dollar push to boost semiconductor manufacturing to compete with China, during a visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken for high-level economic talks. Officials set aside trade tensions over Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador’s energy policies and focused instead on the potential benefits from cooperation in microchips and other technology. The Chips […]

‘Squid Game’ in focus as Emmys kick off

by Huw GRIFFITH Agence France-Presse LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The glitzy Emmy Awards kicked off in Hollywood on Monday with A-listers in their gowns and tuxedos for the first full gala honoring television’s best after several years of Covid-limited productions. Host Kenan Thompson opened the proceedings with a dance number set to a medley of TV show themes, including “Friends” and “Game of Thrones,” before bringing on talk show legend Oprah Winfrey, who […]

US launches Asia economic forum to counter China

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — The United States began a series of meetings with ministers from the Asia-Pacific in Los Angeles on Thursday at an economic summit aimed at countering China’s growing influence in the region. The two-day event is the first face-to-face meeting between members of the new Indo-Pacific Economic Prosperity Framework (IPEF), an initiative launched in May by US President Joe Biden. With this new trade partnership, the Biden administration hopes to […]