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Taiwan’s China syndrome: elections test crucial relationship with China and the West

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:06:10 GMT

Listen on Spotify Apple Music Google Play EN_Google_Podcasts_Badge Created with Sketch. Acast Amazon Music In Taiwan, political parties are entering the final stint of a lively campaign as voters prepare to go to the polls in a presidential election on January 13. With a population of 23 million, Taiwan is at the precarious juncture of the South and East China seas, buffeted by geo-...

Draymond Green suspended indefinitely from NBA after wild swing on Jusuf Nurkić as Warriors lose to Suns

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:06:10 GMT

(CNN) — Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green has been suspended indefinitely following an on-court altercation earlier this week, the National Basketball Association (NBA) announced on Wednesday. The 33-year-old was ejected during his team’s 119-116 defeat to the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.During the third quarter while being guarded by the center, Green spun around and struck Jusuf Nurkić in the face with his right arm, dropping him to the ground.The officials reviewed the incident and deemed it a flagrant 2 foul, which results in an automatic ejection from the game.Green asserted after the game that the hit was accidental.“I am not one to apologize for things I mean to do, but I do apologize to Jusuf because I didn’t intend to hit him,” Green said after the game. “I was just selling the call because he was grabbing me and pulling my hip, so I spun away and, unfortunately, I hit him.”The NBA said it “takes into account Green’s repeated history of unsportsmanlike...

In India, AI-enabled cameras are sending out tiger alerts in real time

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:06:10 GMT

(CNN) — Silently padding through the jungle, the tiger slinks between tree trunks and hanging vines, her stripes a seamless veil among the dappled shadows on the forest floor. Hard to spot for a human — harder still if you’re a deer — but not so difficult for artificial intelligence.Developed by US-based NGO Resolve, TrailGuard AI is an innovative camera trap that is designed to detect specific species and transmit images of them instantly.While the technology was originally developed to combat poaching — the camera’s first field-test was in a reserve in East Africa in 2018, where Resolve says it led to the arrest of 30 poachers — conservationists in India saw potential for its use in managing human-tiger conflict.TrailGuard uses an advanced vision chip with embedded AI that can recognize up to 10 species — such as tigers, leopards, elephants and humans — and transmit the data in real-time to park rangers via cell phone signal or long-range radio. ...

Giannis Antetokounmpo drops career-high 64 points as post-game scuffle mars Milwaukee Bucks victory over the Indiana Pacers

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:06:10 GMT

(CNN) — Giannis Antetokounmpo was involved in a heated post-match altercation with the Indiana Pacers after dropping a career-high and Bucks franchise-record 64 points in Milwaukee’s 140-126 victory on Wednesday.The ‘Greek Freak’ was unhappy that the Pacers took the game ball from his historic night, leading Antetokounmpo to charge from the court towards the visitors’ locker room in search of it.Antetokounmpo was then involved in a fiery exchange with Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton when he came back out onto the court.After the game, Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters there had been a “misunderstanding” and that they had taken the game ball to give to rookie Oscar Tshiebwe, who scored his first official NBA point in the contest.“We always get the game ball. We were not thinking about Giannis’ franchise record,” Carlisle said post-game. “So we grabbed the ball and, a couple of minutes later, several of their players ended up in our hallwa...

Are the Chicago Bears suddenly one of the NFC’s better teams? 12 eye-catching numbers for their Week 15 game against the Cleveland Browns.

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:06:10 GMT

Dreams are growing in Chicago. Playoff chatter is amplifying. With a recent stretch of quality play and wins over the Carolina Panthers, Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions over the last four games, the Bears are allowing themselves to imagine a storybook ending to their once-dispiriting season. Players and coaches know a microfocus will be needed, specifically toward Sunday’s game against the Browns, to keep such dreams alive. But hey, life has begun to feel more fun again at Halas Hall and around Chicago.As we head for Week 15, here’s a snapshot look at 12 notable facts and figures.12Rank of the Bears defense, which has allowed 314.5 yards per game this season. That’s a major improvement from a year ago, when the Bears ranked 29th in total defense (375.9 ypg). Over the last five games, the Bears have climbed from 23rd to 12th in total defense and 13th to second in interceptions. They also own the No. 2 rushing defense, allowing 83.7 yards per game.1NFL rank of th...

2024 Mazda CX-90 is icing on the cake

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:06:10 GMT

You know when a house on the block gets a new car, neighbors either attempt to keep up with the Jones’ and buy a new car as well, or they think, wow, that is really really nice; why didn’t I think of that? Well, the all new 2024 Mazda CX-90 is just that and what a beauty it is. First of all, let’s start with the exterior, the styling is superb with its extended front nose and widened shark line grille, the CX-90 shows off both luxury in style, while the Mazda color options are what keeps consumers interested in what Mazda has to offer. Our Black Cherry looking Artisan Red Metallic was unfathomable; what a color.On the interior, hang on to your hard hat, did Mazda get luxurious on us? Well in the 2024 CX-90, they sure did. As Car & Driver mentions in their most recent analysis of 3rd row SUVs, the Mazda CX-90 topped the chart in driver comfort, 2nd-row comfort, interior styling, and an array of powertrain and chassis accolades. That is very impressive and proves...

Naval officer jailed in Japan in deadly crash is transferred to US custody, his family says

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:06:10 GMT

WASHINGTON (AP) — A Navy officer jailed in Japan over a deadly car crash that killed two Japanese citizens has been transferred into U.S. custody and is being returned to the United States, his family said Thursday.Lt. Ridge Alknois had been serving a three-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to the negligent driving deaths of an elderly woman and her son-in-law in May 2021.“After 507 days, Lt. Ridge Alkonis is on his way home to the United States. We are encouraged by Ridge’s transfer back to the United States but cannot celebrate until Ridge has been reunited with his family,” the family, based in Dana Point, California, said in a statement to The Associated Press. “We appreciate the efforts of the U.S. Government to effect this transfer and are glad that an impartial set of judiciary eyes will review his case for the first time.”It was unclear where in the U.S. Alkonis is heading or whether upon his arrival in the country he might be required to spend any additional time b...

Hong Kong places arrest bounties on activists abroad for breaching national security law

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:06:10 GMT

HONG KONG (AP) — Hong Kong police accused five activists based overseas Thursday of breaching a harsh national security law imposed by Beijing and offered rewards of 1 million Hong Kong dollars ($128,000) for information leading to each of their arrests. The latest arrest warrants further intensified the Hong Kong government’s crackdown on dissidents after anti-government protests in 2019. Many leading pro-democracy activists were arrested, silenced, or forced into self-exile after the introduction of the security law in 2020, in a sign that freedoms promised to the former British colony when it returned to China in 1997 had been eroded drastically. But both Beijing and Hong Kong governments have hailed the security law for bringing back stability to the semi-autonomous Chinese city.The arrest warrants were issued for Johnny Fok and Tony Choi, who host a YouTube channel focusing on current affairs, and pro-democracy activists Simon Cheng, Hui Wing-ting and Joey Siu. Police refused t...

Amazon won’t have to pay hundreds of millions in back taxes after winning EU case

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:06:10 GMT

LONDON (AP) — Amazon won’t have to pay about 250 million euros ($273 million) in back taxes after European Union judges ruled in favor of the U.S. e-commerce giant Thursday, dealing a defeat to the 27-nation bloc in its efforts to tackle corporate tax avoidance. The ruling by the EU’s top court is final, ending the long-running legal battle over tax arrangements between Amazon and Luxembourg’s government and marking a further setback for a crackdown by antitrust chief Margrethe Vestager. The Court of Justice backed a 2021 decision by judges in a lower court who sided with Amazon, saying the European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, had not proved its case that Amazon received illegal state support. “The Court of Justice confirms that the Commission has not established that the tax ruling given to Amazon by Luxembourg was a State aid that was incompatible with the internal market” of the EU, the court said in a press release. Amazon welcomed the ruling, saying...

Retail sales up 0.3% in November, showing how Americans continue to spend

Published Mon, 23 Dec 2024 23:06:10 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — Americans picked up their spending from October to November as the unofficial holiday season kicked off, underscoring that shoppers still have power to keep buying.Retail sales rose 0.3%, in November from October, when sales were down a revised 0.2% according to the Commerce Department on Thursday. That is a little stronger than expected. Excluding car and gas sales, sales were up 0.6%.At restaurants, business rose 1.6%., while sales at furniture stores rose 0.9%. Online sales rose 1%. Electronic and appliance sales, however, were down 1.1% Sales at department stores fell 2.5%. The figures aren’t adjusted for inflation.The urge to spend for Americans appears to have some running room, even after a blowout summer. Consumer spending jumped in the July-September quarter.U.S. employment data last week showed that employers added 199,000 jobs in November and the unemployment rate declined to 3.7%. Inflation has plummeted in little over a year from a troubling 9.1%, to 3.2...