TAIPEI: The American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan urged the United States to “urgently” begin negotiations with Taiwan on a free trade agreement with the goal of presenting a final text for passage in 2024, according to its annual policy paper issued on Wednesday (Jun 22). As a significant display of solidarity for the Chinese-claimed island in the face of …

US: US central bank head Jerome Powell said on Wednesday that the Federal Reserve is deeply committed to lowering inflation, which is now running at a 40-year high, and that policymakers are moving “expeditiously” to do so (Jun 21). If we are to have a sustained period of durable labor market conditions, Powell told the US Senate Banking Committee, “we …

PHILIPPINES: What accounts for real progress? Think of Louisa Alcott’s famous novel Little Women; it is no secret that it is a powerful anecdote that celebrated Feminism, but the book tackled real-world injustices as well. Amy March, one of the book’s protagonists, was questioned about her marriage view, and she replied with a matter-of-fact tone that she is “just” a …

SINGAPORE: Billie Eilish, the Grammy-winning artist’s Happier Than Ever, The World Tour, will take her to Singapore National Stadium on August 21 as part of the Asian leg.  In a tweet, the 20-year-old announced that she would perform in six Asian cities, beginning on August 13 in Manila and concluding on August 26 in Tokyo. Signing up for Eilish’s email …

KYIV: Zelenskyy said Russia’s overwhelming air and artillery operations were intended at destroying the Donbas region, and called for Ukraine’s allies to expedite the arrival of heavy weaponry so that they could equal Russia in combat. A meeting of European leaders will be held in Brussels on Thursday (Jun 23) to officially begin the lengthy process of integrating Ukraine into …

NORTH KOREA: On Wednesday, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un presided over the second day of the country’s key party conference on its military and defense programs, according to state media reports on Thursday, amid fears of an impending nuclear test. Kim emphasized the necessity of measures to boost frontline unit operational capabilities during their meeting, according to Korea Central …

TOKYO: There is a crowdfunding drive underway in Japan to help preserve a rare patch of woodland: the forest that served as inspiration for the “My Neighbor Totoro” animation. A municipal official told AFP that just a tiny amount of the 2.6 billion yen (US$19 million) price tag for the 3.5-hectare Totoro Forest would be raised via crowdsourcing. As a …

PARIS: France’s antitrust authorities announced on Tuesday that Google has agreed to resolve a copyright dispute in France regarding online material, as demand grows for giant online media to share more of their earnings with news organizations. In addition, Alphabet’s Google has withdrawn its appeal of a $528 million penalty, according to the authorities. Last year, the fine was paid. …

PARIS: FIA proposals to implement improvements to lessen or eradicate the “porpoising” issue plaguing Formula One vehicles this season have confused Lando Norris, McLaren’s director of racing, who stressed on Monday that driver safety was important. As a result of this year’s drastic regulation change in Formula 1, vehicles now produce the majority of their downforce from the bottom. Thus, …

US: “I no longer live with or wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape, or form,” said Elon Musk’s transgender daughter as she filed a request to change her name. An application for a new birth certificate and a name change was submitted to the Los Angeles County Superior Court in Santa Monica in April …