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Advertisement2026 Trump-Xi summitChinaPoliticsWill the postponed Trump-Xi summit affect US arms sales to Taiwan?Possible US$14 billion package said to be on track but broader concerns loom as America depletes ammunition stockpiles in Middle East
3-MIN READ3-MIN ListenLawrence Chungin TaipeiPublished: 8:01pm, 17 Mar 2026Updated: 8:02pm, 17 Mar 2026A delayed summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping has raised concerns over whether the postponement could affect a reported record US arms sales package to Taiwan, as officials insist the deal remains on track.A US$14 billion arms package – possibly the largest ever for Taiwan – is ready for the American president’s approval and could be announced after his visit to Beijing, according to Reuters on Friday.
The proposed sale is expected to include advanced air-defence systems such as Patriot PAC-3 missiles and the National Advanced Surface-to-Air Missile System (Nasams), as well as an additional US$6 billion in “asymmetric” capabilities.
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AdvertisementTrending in ChinaPeople & CultureTrending in ChinaChina sailor creates ‘radio station’ to connect families with seamen stranded in Strait of Hormuz‘Frightened’ sailor tells wife of conflict tension on board Singaporean commercial ship stuck close to land on war-torn waterway
2-MIN READ2-MINAlice Yanin ShanghaiPublished: 8:00pm, 17 Mar 2026A Chinese man has used public maritime radio to create a “family’s voice station” on which sailors stranded in the Strait of Hormuz can relay safety messages to their families.
Liu Yiwen, a native of Jilin province in northeastern China, is a second officer on a Singaporean commercial ship which is now anchored near the Khor Fakkan harbour administered by the United Arab Emirates, China’s state media CCTV reported.
The ship had planned to head to the Persian Gulf to load liquid petroleum gas (LPG), but is stuck in the war-torn waterway like hundreds of others after the US and Israel jointly launched a war against Iran on February 28.
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. Afghanistan on Tuesday accused Pakistan of carrying out airstrikes on a Kabul hospital treating drug addicts, saying the attack killed more than 400 people.Also Read | 'Fabricating imaginative tales of Islamophobia': India hits out at Pakistan; cites Afghanistan strike at UNPakistan denied the allegation, saying its strikes- also carried out in eastern Afghanistan – targeted only military and “terrorist” sites. Trump's 'FAVOURITE' Field Marshal Goes Rogue: Pak Massacres Hundreds In Afghan Capital Kabul Health Ministry spokesman Sharafat Zaman gave the death toll during a television interview with local media, reported AP. He said all parts of the drug treatment hospital had been destroyed. Deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat, however, said the death toll has increased to 400, with 250 wounded.Loud explosions rocked the Afghan capital at about 9:00 p.m. local time, with plumes of smoke visible from the Shahr-e-Naw and Wazir Akbar Khan areas. Israel Ir..

In Washington, access to power usually comes through carefully arranged press briefings and official interview requests. But with Donald Trump, the path seems to be an easy one, and that is to dial on his cellphone- as simple as it is According to multiple reporters, Trump’s personal number has become one of the worst-kept secrets in political journalism. The president has fielded dozens of impromptu calls from journalists in recent weeks, often answering without screening the caller and launching into brief, off-the-cuff conversations about everything from politics to the ongoing Iran conflict. The result is a strange new media ritual, reporters dialing the president directly in hopes he’ll pick up, Semafor reported. Calls reportedly come at all hours — late at night when Trump can’t sleep, after a round of golf when he’s in a good mood, or while he’s watching television in the evening. Israel Iran WarUS-Israel-Iran War News Live Updates: Iran calls Israeli bombing of fuel depots &#03..

AdvertisementHong Kong science and tech Hong KongSocietyFix, don’t fire ‘digital employee’ OpenClaw over security risks: Paul ChanFinance chief’s remarks follow Digital Policy Office’s advice to government departments to avoid installing AI agent
3-MIN READ3-MIN ListenVivian AuPublished: 8:02pm, 16 Mar 2026Hong Kong’s finance chief has likened the powerful AI agent OpenClaw to an efficient “digital employee,” saying it should not be dismissed but rather improved to address security risk concerns.
Financial Secretary Paul Chan Mo-po’s remarks on Monday followed the Digital Policy Office’s recent advisory urging government departments to avoid installing OpenClaw or its variants due to security concerns.
“AI agent OpenClaw has awed the world; the convenience it offers is just like having a digital employee,” Chan said at a lunch with professionals.
Advertisement“It is difficult to say whether there will be an impact [brought by OpenClaw] on the labour market. However, repetitive work may..

AdvertisementArtificial intelligenceTechAI poisoning: fake fitness tracker fools chatbots in China, sparking outcryA report on CCTV’s high-profile investigative programme shows how easily bad actors can post false information to game chatbot results
2-MIN READ2-MINCoco Fengin GuangdongPublished: 8:00pm, 16 Mar 2026An undercover investigation by state-run China Central Television (CCTV) has cast a harsh light on a controversial practice in a nascent industry: the “poisoning” of artificial intelligence models with fabricated information.
The report showed how techniques of generative engine optimisation (GEO) – the AI version of search engine optimisation (SEO) – could be used to manipulate AI chatbots, provoking widespread public concern and debate as both industry insiders and observers anticipated stronger regulation.
In the report, aired on Sunday during the annual 315 Gala to mark World Consumer Rights Day, a system called Liqing was used to automatically post large numbers of exper..