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US imposes sanctions on 13 tied to Iran weapons procurement

US imposes sanctions on 13 tied to Iran weapons procurement

By Andrea Shalal WASHINGTON, Sept 29 - The US government announced fresh sanctions on Tuesday against 13 individuals and entities, including some based in Russia, China, Hong Kong and Pakistan, saying they helped Iran procure weapons and components.

Taiwanese Academic Returns After Eight-Year Detention in China, Highlighting Cross-Strait Legal Issues

Taiwanese Academic Returns After Eight-Year Detention in China, Highlighting Cross-Strait Legal Issues

Taiwanese academic Tsai Chin-shu has returned to Taiwan after being detained in China for nearly eight years. Tsai, who headed the Southern Taiwan Union of Cross-strait Relations Associations and the Kaohsiung Cross-Strait Exchanges Research Association, was arrested in July 2018 on charges of endangering Chinese state security. Despite being sentenced to four years in jail, his return was delayed due to an additional eight-year deprivation of civil rights, a common practice for Taiwanese individuals detained in China. Tsai, who advocated for political unification between Taiwan and China, appeared on Chinese television in October 2020, confessing to engaging in Taiwanese espionage activities. His family had initially kept his detention quiet, but it was later revealed by Shih Chien University professor Chiang Min-chin. This case is part of a broader trend of Taiwanese citizens being detained in China, often for extended periods beyond their formal sentences.

China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development Emphasizes Global Collaboration for Green Transition

China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development Emphasizes Global Collaboration for Green Transition

The China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED), an international high-level policy advisory body, is emphasizing the critical role of cooperation in driving a global shift towards clean energy and addressing environmental challenges. Huang Runqiu, Chinese executive vice-chairperson for CCICED and China's minister of ecology and environment, highlighted the deepening triple crises of climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental pollution, which pose severe challenges to sustainable human development. He noted the growing global aspiration for advancing green transition. Canada's Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Steven Guilbeault, underscored that addressing climate change is both a moral imperative and an economic and strategic necessity. He pointed out Canada's progress in clean electricity grids, methane reduction, and nature conservation, and stated that CCICED's recommendations have significantly contributed to China's green transition. The cou...

UK accuses China of using academics to spy on AI and other tech research

UK accuses China of using academics to spy on AI and other tech research

By Michael Holden LONDON, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Britain's MI5 spy agency issued an unprecedented alert on Wednesday to warn that a Chinese organisation was involved in funding academic research into topics such as AI on behalf of Beijing's state security service.

Anthropic Proposes Three-Step Plan for Pacing AI Development to Enhance Safety

Anthropic Proposes Three-Step Plan for Pacing AI Development to Enhance Safety

Dario Amodei, from Anthropic, has proposed a three-step plan to pace the development of frontier AI models, aiming to balance rapid technological advancement with robust safety measures. The plan emphasizes slowing down the rate of AI capabilities improvement to allow time for risk prevention and alignment. The first step, which Anthropic is unilaterally committing to, involves embedding third-party evaluators within AI companies. These evaluators would have employee-like access to verify safety practices, report incidents, and assess the alignment of AI models and training pipelines. The second step calls for coordination among frontier AI companies within democratic countries to establish common safety standards and limits on unchecked AI progress, potentially with government support to navigate legal challenges like antitrust. The third step suggests global coordination with authoritarian governments, including China, to achieve worldwide pacing of AI development, though acknowledging the significant ge...

Philippines Hosts Indian Analyst to Discuss China Strategy and West Philippine Sea Implications

Philippines Hosts Indian Analyst to Discuss China Strategy and West Philippine Sea Implications

Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. hosted Nitin A. Gokhale, an Indian strategic affairs analyst and defense journalist, for a fireside chat in Manila. The discussion, titled 'Countering Asymmetric Coercion: Strategies from the Indo-China Border for the West Philippine Sea,' focused on India's experiences in addressing China's coercive tactics and their potential implications for Philippine defense thinking. The event, held at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City, explored how India has reacted to China's attempts at coercion and what lessons could be applied to the Philippines' maritime security concerns, particularly in the disputed West Philippine Sea. Secretary Teodoro emphasized the Philippines' dedication to safeguarding its territorial integrity and building defense cooperation with partners, acknowledging India's support following the 2016 arbitral decision on the South China Sea.

Thailand's government approves emergency funding after deadly floods that impacted millions

Thailand's government approves emergency funding after deadly floods that impacted millions

Thailand's government has approved $122 million in emergency funds for flood victims

Trump disputes his ambassador's account that he asked China's president if he wanted to buy US arms

Trump disputes his ambassador's account that he asked China's president if he wanted to buy US arms

President Donald Trump has disputed that he asked Chinese leader Xi Jinping if he wanted to buy weapons from the United States

U.S. Government Agency Funds Feasibility Study for Major AI Data Center in Vietnam

U.S. Government Agency Funds Feasibility Study for Major AI Data Center in Vietnam

U.S. Government Agency Funds Feasibility Study for Major AI Data Center in Vietnam

The Latest: Trump administration loosens fuel economy standards

The Latest: Trump administration loosens fuel economy standards

The Trump administration has released new fuel economy standards that relax regulatory requirements for automakers to control pollution from gasoline-powered cars and light trucks

Taiwan pushes back after Xi seeks to win over Trump on World War Two narrative

Taiwan pushes back after Xi seeks to win over Trump on World War Two narrative

By Ben Blanchard TAIPEI, Sept 28 (Reuters) - Taiwan is pushing back against what it sees as Beijing's efforts to rewrite the history of World War Two after Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump highlighted the wartime alliance between their countries at a summit last week.

Taiwan says it is in continuous talks with US about arms sales

Taiwan says it is in continuous talks with US about arms sales

TAIPEI, Sept 29 (Reuters) - Taiwan is in continuous talks with the United States about arms sales and has received reassurances since the Washington summit between the US and Chinese leaders that US policy on Taiwan has not changed, the defence minister said on Tuesday.