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A perceived lack of transparency over the US investigations into notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has carved a rare chasm between President Donald Trump and his typically loyal Republican base.As Trump struggles to quell his supporters’ obsessions with the case — one long surrounded by conspiracy theories — AFP outlines its history and why it has caused so much outrage.- Origins of the Epstein case -Jeffrey Epstein, a wealthy American financier, was first charged with sex offenses in 2006 after the parents of a 14-year-old girl told police that he had molested their daughter at his Florida home.He avoided federal charges — which could have seen him face life in prison — due to a controversial plea deal with prosecutors that saw him jailed for just under 13 months.In July 2019, he was arrested again in New York and charged with trafficking dozens of teenage girls and engaging in sex acts with them in exchange for money. Prosecutors said he worked with employees and associates to ensure a “steady supply of minor victims to abuse.”Epstein pleaded not guilty to the charges against him. On August 10, 2019, while in custody awaiting trial, authorities said he was found dead in his prison cell after hanging himself.A separate case against Epstein’s girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, who was jailed in 2022 for helping him abuse girls, detailed Epstein’s connections with high-profile figures like Britain’s Prince Andrew and former US president Bill Clinton. Both have denied any wrongdoing.- Why are there conspiracy theories? -Some people believe that authorities are concealing details about the Epstein case to protect rich and powerful elites who associated with him, including Trump.Those ideas have gripped Trump’s “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement — but demands for more transparency have crossed the political aisle.  One key theory centers on a rumored client list of individuals who committed sex offenses alongside Epstein. The Trump administration has insisted that no such list exists.Skeptics also allege suspicious circumstances in Epstein’s death such as the security cameras around his cell apparently malfunctioning on the night he died, alongside other irregularities.- Trump and the Epstein case -Trump, who as a New York property magnate rubbed shoulders with Epstein, said when re-running for president that he would “probably” release files related to the case.But since taking office, many of Trump’s supporters have been disappointed by what they see as a failure to deliver. The 79-year-old himself was dragged into the conspiracy theories after his former advisor Elon Musk claimed in June — in a now-deleted X post — that Trump was “in the Epstein files.”The Trump administration’s efforts to appease demands for a full disclosure of the so-called Epstein files have largely fallen short.A bundle released in February that promised to shed light on the Epstein case contained little new information. Meanwhile, an almost 11-hour video published this month to dispel theories Epstein was murdered fell flat. The camera angle showed a section of the New York prison on the night Epstein died, but appeared to be missing a minute of footage, fueling more speculation online.And a memo from the Justice Department and FBI last week saying the Epstein files did not contain evidence that would justify further investigation was met by calls for the heads of each agency to resign.- What comes next? -Trump has been towing a delicate line — saying he supports the release of any “credible” files related to Epstein while dismissing the case as “pretty boring stuff.”But even the normally authoritative president seems unable to arrest the disruption, as critics and even key allies call for more transparency.Mike Johnson, the Republican speaker of the House, has not followed Trump’s line on the issue and has instead urged the Justice Department to make public any documents linked to Epstein.Meanwhile, Democrats have seized on the rift between Trump and his party by demanding his administration publish the full evidence held by prosecutors in their case against Epstein.

Eruptions of plasma piling atop one another, solar wind streaming out in exquisite detail — the closest-ever images of our Sun are a gold mine for scientists.Captured by the Parker Solar Probe during its closest approach to our star starting on December 24, 2024, the images were recently released by NASA and are expected to deepen our understanding of space weather and help guard against solar threats to Earth.- A historic achievement –”We have been waiting for this moment since the late Fifties,” Nour Rawafi, project scientist for the mission at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, told AFP.Previous spacecraft have studied the Sun, but from much farther away. Parker was launched in 2018 and is named after the late physicist Eugene Parker, who in 1958 theorized the existence of the solar wind — a constant stream of electrically charged particles that fan out through the solar system.The probe recently entered its final orbit where its closest approach takes it to just 3.8 million miles from the Sun’s surface — a milestone first achieved on Christmas Eve 2024 and repeated twice since on an 88-day cycle.To put the proximity in perspective: if the distance between Earth and the Sun measured one foot, Parker would be hovering just half an inch away.Its heat shield was engineered to withstand up to 2,500 degrees Fahrenheit (1,370 degrees Celsius) — but to the team’s delight, it has only experienced around 2,000F (1090C) so far, revealing the limits of theoretical modeling. Remarkably, the probe’s instruments, just a yard (meter) behind the shield, remain at little more than room temperature.- Staring at the Sun –The spacecraft carries a single imager, the Wide-Field Imager for Solar Probe (WISPR), which captured data as Parker plunged through the Sun’s corona, or outer atmosphere.Stitched into a seconds-long video, the new images reveal coronal mass ejections (CMEs) — massive bursts of charged particles that drive space weather — in high resolution for the first time.”We had multiple CMEs piling up on top of each other, which is what makes them so special,” Rawafi said. “It’s really amazing to see that dynamic happening there.”Such eruptions triggered the widespread auroras seen across much of the world last May, as the Sun reached the peak of its 11-year cycle.Another striking feature is how the solar wind, flowing from the left of the image, traces a structure called the heliospheric current sheet: an invisible boundary where the Sun’s magnetic field flips from north to south.It extends through the solar system in the shape of a twirling skirt and is critical to study, as it governs how solar eruptions propagate and how strongly they can affect Earth.- Why it matters –Space weather can have serious consequences, such as overwhelming power grids, disrupting communications, and threatening satellites. As thousands more satellites enter orbit in the coming years, tracking them and avoiding collisions will become increasingly difficult — especially during solar disturbances, which can cause spacecraft to drift slightly from their intended orbits.Rawafi is particularly excited about what lies ahead, as the Sun heads toward the minimum of its cycle, expected in five to six years.Historically, some of the most extreme space weather events have occurred during this declining phase — including the infamous Halloween Solar Storms of 2003, which forced astronauts aboard the International Space Station to shelter in a more shielded area.”Capturing some of these big, huge eruptions…would be a dream,” he said.Parker still has far more fuel than engineers initially expected and could continue operating for decades — until its solar panels degrade to the point where they can no longer generate enough power to keep the spacecraft properly oriented.When its mission does finally end, the probe will slowly disintegrate — becoming, in Rawafi’s words, “part of the solar wind itself.”

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered the withdrawal of 2,000 National Guard troops from Los Angeles, roughly halving the contentious deployment in the city, the Pentagon said Tuesday.President Donald Trump ordered thousands of National Guard and hundreds of Marines into Los Angeles last month in response to protests over federal immigration sweeps — a move opposed by city leaders and California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom.”Thousands of members are still federalized in Los Angeles for no reason and unable to carry out their critical duties across the state,” Newsom wrote on X, referring to the Guard’s support of firefighting missions across the state. “End this theater and send everyone home,” Newsom said.Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell on Tuesday confirmed the release “of 2,000 California National Guardsmen (79th IBCT) from the federal protection mission,” adding “the lawlessness in Los Angeles is subsiding.” Mayor Karen Bass credited peaceful protests and legal action for the withdrawal, which she termed a “retreat.””This happened because the people of Los Angeles stood united and stood strong. We organized peaceful protests, we came together at rallies, we took the Trump administration to court — all of this led to today’s retreat,” the Democratic mayor said. As a so-called “sanctuary city” with hundreds of thousands of undocumented people, Los Angeles has been in the crosshairs of the Trump administration since the Republican returned to office in January.After immigration enforcement raids spurred unrest and protests last month, Trump — who has repeatedly exaggerated the scale of the unrest — dispatched the National Guard and US Marines to quell the disruption.It was the first time since 1965 that a US president deployed the National Guard against the wishes of a state governor. Newsom has said the troops were not necessary to address the mostly peaceful protests. In late June, his office reported California National Guard firefighting crews were “operating at just 40% capacity due to Trump’s illegal Guard deployment” as fires were “popping up across the state.”California is fighting the Trump administration in court over the deployment, arguing that the president overstepped his authority, though the troops have been allowed to remain for now.

President Donald Trump said Tuesday the US Justice Department should release all “credible” information from its probe into notorious sex criminal Jeffrey Epstein as he sought to douse a firestorm of criticism from his supporters over his handling of the case.Trump is facing the most serious split of his political career from his famously loyal right-wing base over suspicions that his administration is covering up lurid details of Epstein’s crimes to protect rich and powerful figures they say are implicated. “The attorney general has handled that very well,” the Republican leader said of Pam Bondi, who leads the Justice Department, when he was asked about the case at the White House.Trump repeated his claim that the Epstein files were “made up” by his Democratic predecessors in the White House — even though he said multiple times during the election campaign that he would “probably” release them.”She’s handled it very well, and it’s going to be up to her,” Trump said. “Whatever she thinks is credible, she should release.”Trump’s latest comments mark a softening of his stance — he had voiced frustration in the Oval Office and online about his supporters’ fixation on Epstein and pleaded with them to move on.”I don’t understand why the Jeffrey Epstein case would be of interest to anybody,” Trump told reporters Tuesday night, adding: “It’s pretty boring stuff.”The president’s “Make America Great Again” (MAGA) movement has long held as an article of faith that “Deep State” elites are protecting Epstein’s most powerful associates in the Democratic Party and Hollywood.Trump has faced growing outrage since his administration effectively shut down Epstein-related conspiracy theories, which have become MAGA obsessions.The Justice Department and FBI said in a memo made public earlier this month there is no evidence that the disgraced financier kept a “client list” or was blackmailing powerful figures.They also dismissed the claim that Epstein was murdered in jail, confirming his death by suicide, and said they would not be releasing any more information on the probe.- ‘Let the people decide’ -It marked the first time Trump’s officials had publicly refuted the stories — pushed for years by numerous right-wing figures, notably including the FBI’s top two officials, before Trump hired them.Beyond angering supporters, the issue has opened a schism within his administration, sparking a fiery blow-up between Bondi and Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino, who is said to be considering resigning.Trump’s attempts to take the sting out of the controversy have largely failed, with far right influencers continuing to criticize him online.Even his daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, a Fox News host, has called for “more transparency” from the administration.Trump’s most powerful ally in the US Congress, House Speaker Mike Johnson, pushed Tuesday for the administration to release more information about the case, and his stance has been echoed by multiple Republicans. “We should put everything out there and let the people decide,” he told MAGA influencer Benny Johnson’s internet show, calling on Bondi to “come forward and explain” apparent discrepancies in her statements about the case.Bondi told Fox News in February a list of Epstein clients was on her desk for review, before backtracking and saying that no such list existed. Epstein died by suicide in a New York prison in 2019 after being charged with sex trafficking.Trump — who has denied visiting the US Virgin Islands home where prosecutors say Epstein sex trafficked underage girls — said ahead of his election he would have “no problem” releasing files related to the case.Asked whether Bondi had told him if his name appeared in a file related to Epstein, Trump said “no,” adding that Bondi has “given us just a very quick briefing.”

US President Donald Trump went to Pennsylvania on Tuesday to announce $92 billion in energy and infrastructure deals intended to meet big tech’s soaring demand for electricity to fuel the AI boom.Trump made the announcement at the inaugural Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit at Carnegie Mellon University, with much of the talk about beating China in the global AI race.”Today’s commitments are ensuring that the future is going to be designed, built and made right here in Pennsylvania and right here in Pittsburgh, and I have to say, right here in the United States of America,” Trump said at the event.The tech world has fully embraced generative AI as the next wave of technology, but fears are growing that its massive electricity needs cannot be met by current infrastructure, particularly in the United States.Generative AI requires enormous computing power, mainly to run the energy-hungry processors from Nvidia, the California-based company that has become the world’s most valuable company by market capitalization.Officials expect that by 2028, tech companies will need as much as five gigawatts of power for AI — enough electricity to power roughly five million homes.Top executives from Palantir, Anthropic, Exxon and Chevron attended the event.The funding will cover new data centers, power generation, grid infrastructure, AI training, and apprenticeship programs.- Race to beat China -Among investments, Google committed $25 billion to build AI-ready data centers in Pennsylvania and surrounding regions.”We support President Trump’s clear and urgent direction that our nation invest in AI… so that America can continue to lead in AI,” said Ruth Porat, Google’s president and chief investment officer.The search engine giant also announced a partnership with Brookfield Asset Management to modernize two hydropower facilities in Pennsylvania, representing 670 MW of capacity on the regional grid.Investment group Blackstone pledged more than $25 billion to fund new data centers and energy infrastructure.US Senator David McCormick, from Pennsylvania, said the investments “are of enormous consequence to Pennsylvania, but they are also crucial to the future of the nation.”His comments reflect the growing sentiment in Washington that the United States must not lose ground to China in the race to develop AI.”We are way ahead of China and the plants are starting up, the construction is starting up,” Trump said.The US president launched the “Stargate” project in January, aimed at investing up to $500 billion in US AI infrastructure — primarily in response to growing competition with China.Japanese tech investor SoftBank, ChatGPT-maker OpenAI, and Oracle are investing $100 billion in the initial phase.Trump has also reversed many policies adopted by the previous Biden administration that imposed checks on developing powerful AI algorithms and limits on exports of advanced technology to certain allied countries.He is expected to outline his own blueprint for AI advancement later this month.

Large US banks reported results that topped estimates Tuesday as executives pointed to American economic resilience and said businesses were adapting to tariff uncertainty.Executives from JPMorgan Chase and Citigroup described US consumers as still fundamentally in good shape despite continued risks to the outlook. Both banks now see a lower risk of recession compared with April, when they last reported results.Top officials with the banks also characterized clients as less frazzled by President Donald Trump constantly changing trade policy compared with April, when financial markets were in turmoil.In the last week alone, Trump has threatened deep tariffs on some two dozen countries and spoken of new levies on copper and pharmaceuticals — announcements that many market watchers remain skeptical will be enacted in light of previous tariff pivots by the US president.”The corporate community … has sort of accepted that they just need to navigate through this and are kind of getting on with it,” JPMorgan Chief Financial Officer Jeremy Barnum told reporters on a conference call.Later on a call with Wall Street analysts, Barnum described US consumer spending as still fairly robust. “We continue to struggle to see signs of weakness,” Barnum said. “The consumer basically seems to be fine.”Citigroup CFO Mark Mason said businesses had acquired more “comfort with the uncertainty” compared to earlier in the year.”The general sentiment has improved a bit if you look at things like the prospect of a recession, that has fallen significantly from what it was earlier in the second quarter,” Mason told reporters on a conference call.- Soft landing eyed -At JPMorgan, second-quarter profits came in at $15 billion, down 17 percent from the year-ago period when results were boosted by a one-time equity item.But that translated into $4.96 per share, compared with $4.49 projected by analysts behind higher profits in operating divisions.Revenues were $44.9 billion, down 11 percent from the year-ago period.In the most recent quarter, JPMorgan benefited from higher asset management fees, as well as increased trading revenues amid financial market volatility during stretches of the quarter. These aspects helped offset higher technology expenses.JPMorgan chief executive Jamie Dimon said investment banking activity had started slowly in the quarter, “but gained momentum as market sentiment improved,” resulting in a seven percent gain.Dimon described the tax cut extensions Trump recently signed into law as “positive” for the economic outlook, along with “potential deregulation,” according to a statement.”However, significant risks persist –- including from tariffs and trade uncertainty, worsening geopolitical conditions, high fiscal deficits and elevated asset prices,” Dimon said. “As always, we hope for the best but prepare the firm for a wide range of scenarios.”During a conference call with reporters, Dimon said the cautious comments related to possible outcomes and were not a prediction.”The world is kind of pricing in a soft landing,” he said. “We’ve been in that soft landing and it may very well continue.”At Citi, profits came in at $4.0 billion, up 25 percent from the year-ago level, while revenues rose eight percent to $21.7 billion. Profits were boosted by higher markets revenue and investment banking fees, among other areas.Mason described the macroeconomic outlook as improved from April, which points to the “underlying strength” of the US private sector and capital markets.”We do anticipate further consumer cooling the second half (of 2025) as tariff effects play through,” Mason said, while adding that “the global economic performance has been quite resilient.”Shares of JPMorgan were decline 0.8 percent, while Citigroup rose 3.6 percent.

US President Donald Trump’s backing for a far-right Brazilian ally could inadvertently boost leftist President Luis Inacio Lula da Silva’s flagging political fortunes, analysts say.Brazilians on both sides of the political aisle have been angered by a threatened 50 percent tariff on exports to the US — a penalty for what Trump calls a “witch hunt” against ex-president Jair Bolsonaro.Bolsonaro is on trial for allegedly plotting a coup against Lula, who narrowly beat him in a bitter 2022 election that deeply divided voters in the South American powerhouse.Lula’s popularity has tanked amid persistent inflation, anger over an alleged social security scam to defraud retirees, and a proposal to raise tax on financial transactions.But he seems to have been bolstered by Washington’s threats: rallying Brazilians against a common meddlesome enemy.”Trump gave Lula a great gift,” analyst Andre Cesar of the HOLD marketing consultancy told AFP. Rejecting US “interference,” Lula’s administration has launched a patriotic campaign under the slogan: “Brazil (‘Brasil’ in Portuguese) is written with an S for Sovereignty.”The former trade unionist has been sporting a baseball cap with the words “Brazil belongs to Brazilians,” and made fun of Trump at a recent event by offering to send him a local fruit as a treatment against “bad mood” and “tariff fights.”Lula is also strategizing with leaders of industry and agribusiness who stand to lose much in a tariff war, but are traditionally allies in Bolsonaro’s conservative “Bibles, bullets and beef” coalition.”Lula taxes the rich, Bolsonaro taxes Brazilians,” rings another slogan adopted by the administration in Brasilia.The president’s entourage has been relishing an apparent political boon from the threatened tariff they nevertheless hope will never come to pass.”Bolsonarismo wants to hold Brazil hostage to save Bolsonaro. It’s great” for the left, a member of Lula’s team told AFP on condition of anonymity, referring to the movement named after the ex-president’s supporters.”Now we need to make the most of it until next year,” when Brazil goes to the polls to elect a president for the next four years. Lula, 79, has not said whether he will seek reelection. Bolsonaro, for his part, has been ruled ineligible to hold office by a court that found him guilty of spreading misinformation about Brazil’s electoral system.- ‘Make Brazil Free Again’ -On the back foot, few in Brazil’s political right welcomed the tariff move despite having agitated for US measures against Lula’s administration and the courts for their “persecution” of Bolsonaro.Among the rare defenders was congressman Eduardo Bolsonaro — the former president’s son — who wrote: “Thank you President Trump. Make Brazil Free Again,” in an all-caps social media post after the US president’s own writing style.Bolsonaro himself was more guarded in his response, and at pains to stress he was “not happy” about the tariff pain Brazilian producers would suffer.Sao Paulo governor Tarcisio de Freitas — a possible 2026 right-wing presidential candidate — also toned down his usual antagonism towards Lula to call for “joint efforts” against US tariffs that would inflict deep pain on Brazil’s richest state and its lucrative aerospace industry.Geraldo Monteiro, a political science professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, said Trump’s threats “may have shifted the game” by “further isolating the far-right” in Brazil.”There was an unexpected convergence of interests between Lula’s government and the business class, in addition to a convergence of the political class to align with Lula,” he told AFP.

Apple TV+’s dark sci-fi office drama “Severance” on Tuesday led the contenders for the Emmy Awards, television’s version of the Oscars, with a whopping 27 nominations.”The Penguin,” HBO Max’s Batman villain spinoff series, came in second with 24.Two satires — HBO Max’s skewering of the rich, “The White Lotus,” and Apple’s new Hollywood cringe fest, “The Studio” — tied for third with 23 nominations each.In the comedy categories, behind “The Studio” were two past winners: “Hacks” at 14 and “The Bear” at 13. The announcement from the Television Academy marks the official start of the race to the 77th Emmy Awards, set for September 14 in Los Angeles. After last year’s record-breaking 18 Emmy Awards for Japan-set historical epic “Shogun,” this year’s drama competition looks to be more nuanced.”Severance,” in which employees of biotech company Lumon have their memories surgically separated between their “innie” work lives and their “outie” personal lives, is clearly the early favorite, with star Adam Scott a nominee for best actor.But he will compete with “ER” veteran Noah Wyle, who leads “The Pitt” — HBO Max’s take on the travails of a Pittsburgh emergency room team during one 15-hour shift, effectively filmed in real time.”It’s ER on steroids!” Deadline awards expert Pete Hammond told AFP of the show, which earned 13 nods.Also competing for best drama honors are Disney+’s “Star Wars” offshoot “Andor,” Netflix’s “The Diplomat,” HBO’s apocalyptic video game adaptation “The Last of Us,” Hulu political thriller “Paradise,” Apple’s spy drama “Slow Horses,” and “The White Lotus.”Scott and Wyle have stiff competition for best actor: Oscar winner Gary Oldman in “Slow Horses,” Pedro Pascal (“The Last of Us”) and Sterling K. Brown (“Paradise”).Scott’s co-star Britt Lower is a nominee for best drama actress, alongside Bella Ramsey (“The Last of Us”) and Keri Russell (“The Diplomat”).”The White Lotus” earned a slew of acting nominations in the supporting categories.”The Penguin” is competing for best limited series honors against “Dying for Sex” (FX) and three Netflix efforts: buzzy teen murder saga “Adolescence,” “Black Mirror,” and true-crime saga “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.””Adolescence” breakout star Owen Cooper, who plays a 13-year-old British boy accused of murdering a female classmate, earned a nomination for supporting actor.”Monsters,” the story of a pair of California brothers in prison for killing their parents after what they say was years of sexual and physical abuse, earned acting nods for Cooper Koch, Javier Bardem and Chloe Sevigny.- Comedy newcomer -In the comedy categories, new series “The Studio,” a satire starring Seth Rogen that eviscerates the film industry, emerged as a clear favorite.Rogen also wrote and produced the show, which earned acting nominations for Ike Barinholtz, Kathryn Hahn, Catherine O’Hara and six guest performers.”Hacks” — starring Jean Smart as a stand-up comedian who locks horns with her dysfunctional millennial assistant — won for best comedy and best actress in September last year, and is nominated again in those categories.”The Bear,” a dark satire set in the Chicago restaurant world, took the top prize at the previous ceremony (held in January 2024 due to Hollywood strikes), and its star Jeremy Allen White has two trophies for best actor.Beyond those three, other nominees for best comedy series are ABC’s mockumentary-style sitcom “Abbott Elementary,” rom-com “Nobody Wants This” (Netflix), Hulu’s “Only Murders in the Building,” Apple’s “Shrinking,” and FX’s vampire laugh riot “What We Do in the Shadows.”Harvey Guillen (“What We Do in the Shadows”) and Brenda Song (“Running Point”) unveiled the key nominations in a livestreamed ceremony.Voting members of the US-based Television Academy will then have a month to catch up on their viewing before final-round voting begins in mid-August.The September 14 gala will be hosted by comedian Nate Bargatze.

President Donald Trump’s former national security advisor Mike Waltz on Tuesday defiantly defended his use of a group chat to discuss military plans as he faced accusations of lying during a hearing to be US ambassador to the United Nations.The editor-in-chief of The Atlantic magazine said in March that Waltz had mistakenly added him to a chat among top US officials on commercial messaging app Signal about the imminent US bombing of Yemen.Senator Cory Booker of the rival Democratic Party accused Waltz of deliberately maligning the journalist by falsely saying that he infiltrated the group.”I’ve seen you not only fail to stand up, but lie,” Booker told Waltz.”I have nothing but deep disappointment in what I consider a failure of leadership on your part,” Booker told Waltz.Waltz pointed to guidance under former president Joe Biden that allowed the use of Signal, which is encrypted, and said the White House has not taken disciplinary action.”The use of Signal was not only authorized, it’s still authorized and highly recommended,” Waltz said, while insisting the chat did not exchange “classified” information.Senator Chris Coons, another Democrat, was incredulous over his explanation and voiced alarm that the White House has not taken any corrective action.”You were sharing details about an upcoming airstrike — the time of launch and the potential targets. I mean, this was demonstrably sensitive information.”Waltz, a former congressman and special forces officer, survived  little more than three months as national security advisor before Trump on May 1 replaced him with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is juggling both jobs.Waltz did not deny he has kept taking his salary, saying he was not “fired” and still served as “an advisor.”Senator Jacky Rosen, raising the salary issue, contrasted Waltz’s actions with his vow to “root out  waste and unnecessary overhead at the UN.”Trump has aggressively cut US assistance overseas and pulled the United States out of several UN-backed bodies.Waltz vowed to press for reforms at the United Nations, accusing it of “anti-Semitism” and “radical politicization” for criticisms of Israel and the United States, even though the United States is the organization’s largest funder.The United Nations, he said, has “drifted from its core mission of peacemaking.””The UN’s overall revenue has quadrupled in the last 20 years, yet I would argue we have not seen a quadrupling of world peace,” Waltz said.

US tech giant Nvidia announced Tuesday it will resume sales of its H20 artificial intelligence chips to China after Washington pledged to remove licensing restrictions that had halted exports.The California-based company produces some of the world’s most advanced semiconductors but cannot ship its most cutting-edge chips to China due to concerns that Beijing could use them to enhance military capabilities.Nvidia developed the H20 — a less powerful version of its AI processing units — specifically for export to China. However, that plan stalled when the Trump administration tightened export licensing requirements in April.”The US government has assured Nvidia that licenses will be granted, and Nvidia hopes to start deliveries soon,” the company said in a statement Tuesday, adding it was “filing applications to sell the Nvidia H20 GPU again.”CEO Jensen Huang, wearing his trademark black leather jacket, told reporters in a video published by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV: “I’m looking forward to shipping H20s very soon, and so I’m very happy with that very, very good news.”Defending the policy change, Trump’s AI Czar David Sacks told CNBC the H20 was a “deprecated chip” that is “not anywhere close to the state of the art.”He said the reversal on the H20 came because Nvidia’s Chinese rival Huawei was making “huge strides” and could potentially threaten Nvidia’s market dominance.China represents a crucial market for Nvidia, but recent US export restrictions have intensified competition from local players like homegrown champion Huawei.”We don’t want to sell China our latest greatest technology, but I do think we at least want to make it a little bit difficult for Huawei,” Sacks said.Sacks also said that the decision was linked to ongoing trade negotiations between Washington and Beijing that are locked in a bitter trade feud.Beijing has criticized Washington’s curbs as unfair and designed to hinder its development.- ‘Abrupt shifts’ -Zhang Guobin, founder of Chinese specialist website eetrend.com, said the resumption would “bring substantial revenue growth, making up for losses caused by the previous ban.” It would also ease trade friction impacts on the global semiconductor supply chain, he told AFP.However, he noted Chinese firms would remain focused on domestic chip development, adding that “the Trump administration has been prone to abrupt policy shifts, making it difficult to gauge how long such an opening might endure.”Huang will attend a major supply chain gathering Wednesday, according to event organizers, his third trip to China this year, CCTV reported.During an April visit to Beijing, Huang told Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng he “looked favorably upon the potential of the Chinese economy” and was “willing to continue to plow deeply into the Chinese market and play a positive role in promoting US-China trade cooperation,” state news agency Xinhua reported.The tightened US export curbs come as China’s economy wavers, with domestic consumers reluctant to spend and a prolonged property sector crisis weighing on growth. President Xi Jinping has called for greater self-reliance amid increasing external uncertainty.The Financial Times reported in May that Nvidia was planning to build a research and development center in Shanghai, though neither Nvidia nor city authorities confirmed the project to AFP.China’s economy grew 5.2 percent in the second quarter, official data showed Tuesday, as analysts had predicted strong exports despite trade war pressures.