Is a mystery AI DeepSeek’s latest blockbuster? The system also advertises a context window of up to one million tokens, a measure of how much text an AI model can process or remember during a single interaction. Those specifications resemble expectations in local media for DeepSeek’s next-generation V4 model, which Chinese outlets have reported could launch as early as next month. “The chain-of-thought pattern is probably the strongest signal,” said Daniel Dewhurst, an AI engineer who analyses the model after its release, referring to how the AI model reasons. Much of the activity came from software development tools and AI agent frameworks like OpenClaw, which allow AI systems to autonomously plan tasks and interact with external software.

US fall short in WBC, as Venezuela shineFEEL THE LOVE: Venezuela captain Salvador Perez said they felt so much positivity from people even in the smallest parts of Venezuela, motivating them to victoryAP, MIAMIAaron Judge on Tuesday night walked slowly back and forth in the US dugout while Venezuelan players shed tears and fell to their knees to celebrate the country’s first World Baseball Classic title. Bryce Harper, who hit a tying homer in the eighth inning, went over to shake hands with Team Venezuela players before leaving the field. Venezuela’s Daniel Palencia throws his glove after defeating the US in the championship game of the World Baseball Classic in Miami on Tuesday. Venezuela’s Wilyer Abreu runs the bases after hitting a home run during the fifth inning of the championship game of the World Baseball Classic against the US in Miami on Tuesday. The US’ Bryce Harper hits a home run during the eighth inning of the championship game of the World Baseball Classic against Venezuela in Miami on Tuesday.

Senegal stripped of title, Morocco declared winnersReuters, CAPE TOWNMorocco were on Tuesday declared Africa Cup of Nations champions after Senegal were stripped of the title following an appeal over the result of the final was upheld by the Confederation of African Football (CAF). CAF’s appeal board on Tuesday replaced that result with a 3-0 victory for Morocco. Senegal players celebrate after beating Morocco to win the Africa Cup of Nations in Rabat on Jan. 18. Tuesday’s decision means Morocco are crowned African champions for a second time, 50 years after they won the Cup of Nations for the first time. However, a US$100,000 fine imposed on Morocco for their players and officials attempting to interfere in the VAR process would stand.

Hughes wants Hall of Fame to return golden-goal puckReuters and AP, TORONTOJack Hughes wants the Hockey Hall of Fame to return the puck from his Olympic gold-medal-winning overtime goal for the US at the Milano Cortina Games, ESPN reported on Tuesday. Like, that’s bullshit that the Hockey Hall of Fame has it, in my opinion. Why would they have that puck?” Hughes told ESPN in an interview. Photo: ReutersHe said neither he nor Keller should be without their pucks and that he wanted his own puck to go to his father, Jim Hughes, who collects memorabilia for Jack Hughes and his brothers. An International Ice Hockey Federation spokesperson previously told Sportico that Hughes’ puck had been secured immediately after the game and designated for archival preservation with the Hall of Fame.

Venezuela fans bring the noise in MiamiAP, MIAMIPablo Cuerta was watching batting practice before the US-Venezuela championship game at the World Baseball Classic, when the realization hit him — he could not lose. His hat: the Venezuelan team cap. As they have throughout the WBC, Venezuelan fans showed up in a big way to see their team in Miami; all seven of Venezuela’s games at the WBC were played inside the Miami Marlins’ ballpark. Venezuelan fans celebrate their national baseball team’s victory over the US in the World Baseball Classic final in Caracas on Tuesday. Thirty human beings today are going to unite Venezuela through a baseball game.”

Thunder clinch playoff spotAFP, LOS ANGELESShai Gilgeous-Alexander on Tuesday delivered a 40-point scoring performance as the Oklahoma City Thunder became the first team to punch their ticket to the NBA playoffs with a 113-108 defeat of the Orlando Magic. Oklahoma City’s ninth straight victory leaves them 54-15 at the top of the Western Conference, ahead of the second-placed San Antonio Spurs. Paolo Banchero led Orlando’s scoring with 32 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. Photo: APReigning NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Gilgeous-Alexander saluted the Thunder’s resilience after a mixed first-half performance. “We got off to a good start, but then the car kind of came off the road for a little bit,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.

Singapore Airlines adding four more flights to TaipeiINCREASED CAPACITY: The flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays would leave Singapore in the morning and Taipei in the afternoon Singapore Airlines is adding four supplementary flights to Taipei per week until May to meet increased tourist and business travel demand, the carrier said on Friday. The addition would raise the number of weekly flights it operates to Taipei to 18, Singapore Airlines Taiwan general manager Timothy Ouyang (歐陽漢源) said. The airline has recorded a steady rise in tourist and business travel to and from Taipei, and aims to provide more flexible travel arrangements for passengers, said Ouyang, who assumed the post in July last year. From now until Saturday next week, four additional flights would depart from Singapore on Monday, Wednesday, FridayBy Shelley Shan

MODA to closely observe agentic AI‘GUIDELINES NEEDED’: East Asian countires are under great diplomatic pressure to choose between EU and US regulatory frameworks on AI, an official saidBy Shelley Shan / Staff reporterThe Ministry of Digital Affairs (MODA) yesterday said that it would closely monitor the evolution of agentic artificial intelligence (AI) before making any decisions about its integration into government systems. Unlike ChatGPT developed by OpenAI, agentic AI applications such as OpenClaw would automatically help users upload videos to YouTube and book flight tickets, Lin said. “Personally, I think, in the long run, agentic AI would be integrated into the operation of the government systems to enhance their efficiency. Projects to build AI computing power centers in other countries are mostly initiated and funded by private investors, he said. In Taiwan, the AI computing centers are categorized as important basic infrastructure and would be built using government and private funds, Lin said.

Iran attacks Israel and Gulf countries; Iran minister killedAPIran yesterday launched strikes toward Israel and neighboring Gulf countries, with explosions heard in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, and interceptions reported in Saudi Arabia. Israeli Minister of Defense Israel Katz later yesterday said that the military had killed Iranian Minister of Intelligence Esmail Khatib. EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas said that the 27-nation bloc does not want to be dragged into the US-Israel war with Iran. We were not consulted,” Kallas said, a day after chairing talks among EU member countries about Trump’s warship request. “We don’t know what are the objectives of this war,” Kallas said.

MOU on exchanges in climate finance finalizedBy Esme Yeh / Staff reporterThe Taiwan Carbon Solution Exchange (TCX) and the Central American Bank for Economic Integration (CABEI) yesterday in Taipei signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on exchanges in climate finance. The MOU was signed by TCX chief executive officer Seren Chen (陳脩文) and CABEI chief sustainability officer Manfred Kopper Castro at the Global Forum on Carbon Pricing and Climate Finance held at the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center yesterday. Photo: CNAThe MOU would not only lay down a foundation for future cooperation, but would also reflect the commitment to aligning with global finance action, particularly as the theory of climate transition finance is coming into practice, she said. Minister of Environment Peng Chi-ming (彭?明) said he has been tasked with stepping up Taiwan’s carbon reduction ambition soon after he assumed his post. Climate finance is the key to achieving net zero goals, he said, adding that the government would soon set up Taiwan’s own emission trading system.

South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. The logo of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is pictured in Taipei in an undated photograph. South Korea established its e-Arrival card system in February last year. Taiwan and South Korea have long maintained close relations and exchanges in trade, culture and tourism, it added. The South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs previously said that its government maintains unofficial, but practical relations with Taiwan.

Cabinet expected to approve foreign helper rulesEXPANDED HIRING ELIGIBILITY: Under the new regulations, families with one child younger than 12 would be eligible to apply for a foreign domestic helper, officials saidBy Chung Li-hua / Staff reporter, with CNAThe Executive Yuan today is expected to approve a proposal to expand the eligibility criteria for hiring foreign domestic helpers, allowing families with at least one child younger than 12 to apply from as early as April 13. Regulations stipulate that a family must have at least three children younger than six, or four or more children younger than 12 with at least two children younger than six to meet the criteria for hiring a foreign domestic helper. The eligibility criteria were considered too strict, so the Cabinet has relaxed the rules, Chen said. Under the new regulations, families with one child younger than 12 would be eligible to apply for a foreign domestic helper, provided they pay the monthly NT$5,000 Employment Stability Fee, he said. The ministry estimates that about 1.44 million families would become eligible for a foreign helper under the expanded rules, with applications to open as early as April 13, Su said.

Lai made the remarks at the Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) Central Standing Committee meeting yesterday, party spokeswoman Han Ying (韓瑩) said after the meeting. The Sunflower movement, which began on March 18, 2014, and the courage of the students and civil society stopped Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers from rushing the approval of a cross-strait trade agreement, forcing a national conversation on Taiwan’s economic trajectory, Lai said. National Security Council Deputy Secretary-General Lin Fei-fan (林飛帆), a prominent leader of the Sunflower movement, in a social media post thanked the people who participated in the movement, saying it helped to reshape Taiwan’s economic and international trajectory. This diversification has helped sustain Taiwan’s economic growth and mitigate the impact of China’s economic slowdown, Lin said. Despite ongoing domestic political divisions and external pressure from China, Taiwan should remain proactive and confident in its ability to contribute to the international community, an approach supported by the DPP and Lai, he added.

Iran War not delaying weapons shipments to Taiwan , US officials sayStaff writer, with Reuters and CNAThe US’ war against Iran has not delayed shipments of weapons to Taiwan or changed US policy toward the nation, officials from US President Donald Trump’s administration told the US Congress on Tuesday, despite the demands of the intense air campaign. Photo: CNAThere was already a multibillion-dollar backlog of US arms shipments to Taiwan before the Iran war started. Miller said that the guidance he signed in 2023 on implementing arms sales was to prioritize Taiwan above all requirements and that guidance remained effective. “So, in the matter of whether there was a competition between provision of Harpoons to Saudi Arabia or to Taiwan, Taiwan would take priority,” Miller said. The “six assurances” include pledges not to set a date for ending arms sales to Taiwan and not to consult with China on arms sales.

Kinmen drills simulate coastal combat, drone defenseStaff writer, with CNAThe army's Kinmen Defense Command today launched the Taiwu live-fire drills on Kinmen County’s Lieyu Island, just off the coast of China, to test the military's readiness to engage in coastal combat and respond to uncrewed aerial systems. Lieyu Island is about 5km from Xiamen, China, at its closest point and about 210km from Taiwan’s main island. A tank fires during a Taiwu live-fire exercise on Kinmen County’s Lieyu Island today. Photo: Wu Cheng-ting, Taipei TimesTroops from the Lieyu Garrison Battalion deployed standard-issue weapons to perform drills covering drone response, live-fire defense, near-shore defense and beach combat, as well as final protective fire, the command said. The command did not describe in detail how personnel performed during the drills, saying only that they demonstrated the benefits of routine combat readiness exercises.