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☆ Long shot Democratic challenger for president credits AI with helping him block a Biden sweep in the primaries
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-10 | by ( Katherine Tangalakis-Lippert | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Jason Palmer, the youngest Democratic challenger for president in the 2024 election, beat out incumbent Joe Biden in American Samoa's primary election on Super Tuesday — an unexpected win he credits AI with helping him achieve. While its residents aren't able to vote in the general election, American Samoa has turned out unexpected primary results before. Despite the odds, Palmer hopes his win there will create momentum for his campaign in states like Arizona, Kansas, and Missouri. But it's also because I'm the first technology entrepreneur who's ever run for president, and I'm not 80 years old, I'm actually in the prime of my entrepreneurial life." The Biden campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI regarding whether the incumbent president plans to use AI in his reelection bid.

Persons: Jason Palmer, Joe Biden, Palmer, Biden, Michael Bloomberg's, it's, who's, I'm Organizations: Democratic, Biden, Democrat, Business Locations: Maryland, American Samoa, Arizona , Kansas, Missouri, New Hampshire

To keep Earth from overheating too much, the nations of the world need to put fewer loopholes in climate agreements and far more money — trillions of dollars a year — into financial help for poor nations, the United Nations climate chief said Friday. In an unusual and blunt lecture at a university in Baku, Azerbaijan, the host city of upcoming international climate negotiations later this year, United Nations Climate Change Executive Secretary Simon Stiell called gains made in the past not nearly enough. Richer nations have promised less than 5% of that amount in climate financial help to poor nations — and they often haven't even delivered that much. “It's already blazingly obvious that finance is the make-or-break factor in the world's climate fight,” Stiell said. “The time has passed for business-as-usual in all aspects of the world's climate fight,” Stiell said.

Persons: Simon Stiell, “, Stiell, Richer, “ It's, ” Stiell, Anne Rasmussen, Jean Su, Su, Joanna Depledge, ___ Read, Seth Borenstein Organizations: United Nations, United, Climate Finance, United Arab Emirates, ”, Biological Diversity, Cambridge University, Climate, Associated Press Locations: United, Baku, Azerbaijan, United Nations, China, Nations, Brazil, Grenada, United Arab, United States, England, Dubai, AP.org

☆ England set to drop Ford, start Smith at fullback in Fiji quarter-final
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-12 | by ( Mitch Phillips | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

MARSEILLE, France, Oct 12 (Reuters) - England coach Steve Borthwick looks set to make radical changes for Sunday's World Cup quarter-final against Fiji by dropping George Ford and starting Marcus Smith at fullback, strengthening his midfield defence and injecting some energy into the attack. However, while his defence and aerial skills are superior to Smith's, Steward has shown little in attack - though he is far from alone there. Defence generally has not been the issue for England as they racked up four wins in a row. Before the Samoa game they had the best defence in the tournament and had conceded only one try. England have made the second-fewest carries (108.8) for the second-fewest metres (461.3), they rank sixth for defenders beaten (22.5) and last for offloads (5.8).

Persons: Steve Borthwick, George Ford, Marcus Smith, Borthwick, Ford, Owen Farrell, Smith, Freddie Steward, Steward, Manu Tuilagi, Joe Marchant, Elliot Daly, Henry Arundell, Jamie George, Mitch Phillips, Ken Ferris Organizations: Fiji, Harlequins, Samoa, Fijians, Defence, England, Thomson Locations: MARSEILLE, France, England, Chile, Samoa, Portugal

During the three-day meeting, the U.S. will announce diplomatic recognition for two Pacific islands, promise new money for infrastructure, including to improve Internet connectivity via undersea cables, and honor regional leaders at an NFL game. SOME SKIP SUMMITSolomon Islands Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare, who has deepened his country's ties with China, will skip the summit. The White House in 2022 said the U.S. would invest more than $810 million in expanded programs to aid the Pacific islands. She added that Pacific island countries "welcome the U.S. re-engagement with the region, but don't want geopolitical tussles to result in an escalation of militarization. "Vanuatu Prime Minister Sato Kilman will also not attend the summit, his office told Reuters.

Persons: Manasseh Sogavare, James Marape, David Kabua, Fiame Naomi Mata'afa, Joe Biden, Biden, Washington, Sogavare, Meg Keen, Sato Kilman, Kilman, Ishmael Kalsakau, David Brunnstrom, Trevor Hunnicutt, Kirsty Needham, Don Durfee, David Gregorio Our Organizations: Solomon Islands, Guinea's, Samoa's, U.S ., NFL, White, Coast Guard, Baltimore Ravens, Indianapolis Colts, Solomon, Biden, Pacific, Australia's Lowy Institute, USAID, Vanuatu, Reuters, Thomson Locations: Solomon, Papua, Marshall, U.S, WASHINGTON, Washington, Papua New Guinea, Asia, United States, Cook, Niue, Baltimore, Pacific, China, Beijing, Congress, Australia, The U.S, Vanuatu, Fiji, Kiribati, Hawaii, Palau, Micronesia, Sydney

☆ China firm wins tender to redevelop Solomon Islands port
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"This will be upgrading the old international port in Honiara and two domestic wharves in the provinces," Qaqara said. The Solomon Islands and China have denied the security pact would allow a naval base, however. Delegations from China and the United States are visiting Honiara this week, competing for influence in the strategically-located Pacific islands nation. "This will see the rehabilitation of the old Honiara international port and construction of the Honiara domestic port and two provincial ports," the government said in a statement. Writing in the Australian Foreign Affairs this month, Connolly noted that ADB infrastructure contracts in the Pacific islands had been dominated by Chinese state companies who offered the lowest bids.

☆ China firm wins Solomon Islands port project as Australia watches on
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-22 | by ( Kirsty Needham | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The Solomon Islands and China have consistently denied that their security pact would allow a naval base. The Solomon Islands Infrastructure Development Ministry has said that there will be no expansion of the port for dual use," a spokesperson for Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said on Wednesday evening. Delegations from China and the United States are visiting Honiara this week, competing for influence in the strategically-located Pacific islands nation. "This will see the rehabilitation of the old Honiara international port and construction of the Honiara domestic port and two provincial ports," the Solomon Islands government said in a statement. "It is not about bases it is about access," Connolly, a former military officer, said, referring to the security pact between Honiara and Beijing.

☆ Rugby league-Samoa one step away from ultimate sporting fairytale
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Peter Hall | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

But the Samoans, who did not win a single match at the 2017 World Cup, tore up the script. No Pacific Island team had previously made the Rugby League World Cup final and no nation have made their debut in the final since 1998. "Samoa making the Grand Final is a massive achievement, it's really reuniting Samoans, not just here in Samoa but all around the world," Tagaloa Faafouina Su'a, Samoa rugby league federation president and chairman, told Reuters. The Kangaroos have a 100% record against Samoa in rugby league tests, with the aggregate scoreline from their two World Cup clashes 112-10. Reporting by Peter Hall; additional reporting by Ian Ransom, editing by Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The failure by rich nations to deliver in full on a past pledge to deliver $100 billion in annual climate finance to developing countries has rankled in recent years of climate talks. "We cannot afford a further erosion of trust between the developed and developing countries," said Samoa's Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mataafa. The burning of fossil fuels is the main cause of climate change, but coal, gas and oil were notably absent in the draft deal. The draft COP27 text did not hint at which route the final deal will take on this issue. "We cannot lose 1.5 at this COP," said Alok Sharma, president of last year's U.N. climate summit, COP26, in Glasgow, Scotland.

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