Former aide to NY governor charged with appearing as an agent of China

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Good morning. At the moment we’re overlaying:

• Huawei’s bug-ridden AI know-how

• A US inventory market sell-off

• How China’s coastguard is policing the ocean

However first, a former adviser to New York governor Kathy Hochul has been charged with appearing as an unregistered agent for China, allegedly utilizing her place to “additional the pursuits of the Chinese language authorities”.

Linda Solar, a 41-year-old Chinese language-born American citizen who additionally labored in former governor Andrew Cuomo’s administration, is accused in a federal legal indictment of making an attempt to make her bosses’ public statements extra beneficial to the Chinese language at Beijing’s behest; of arranging visits for Chinese language officers; and sidelining diplomatic approaches to the governor’s workplace from Taiwanese representatives within the US.

She is additional accused of eradicating references to “Republic of China”, Taiwan’s official title, from a press release made by Cuomo saluting US and Taiwanese troops, and acquiring pretend letters from Hochul’s workplace inviting Chinese language authorities officers to New York, which had been allegedly fraudulently utilized by a visiting delegation to acquire US visas.

Solar was arrested yesterday and charged alongside her husband, Chris Hu, an American citizen who ran a seafood export enterprise in New York Metropolis, amongst different enterprises. They’re accused of receiving substantial financial advantages in change for unlawful work, together with “the facilitation of thousands and thousands of {dollars} in transactions” for Hu’s China-based enterprise actions.

Learn extra particulars from the indictment.

Right here’s what else I’m preserving tabs on as we speak:

• Financial knowledge: Australia publishes second-quarter progress figures. S&P World providers PMI is due for a number of nations together with China, India, Japan and Singapore.

• Japanese Financial Discussion board: Russian President Vladimir Putin holds a plenary session with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and Chinese language vice-president Han Zheng.

5 extra high tales

1. Unique: China’s efforts to match US computing energy in synthetic intelligence are being hampered by bug-ridden software program. Clients of main AI chipmaker Huawei have complained of efficiency points and the issue of switching from Nvidia merchandise.

2. Large tech teams together with Nvidia led a broad US inventory market sell-off yesterday, because the S&P 500 suffered its worst day since a bout of worldwide volatility in early August. Right here’s what prompted the market drop.

3. China has mentioned it’s going to open an anti-dumping probe into Canadian canola exports. The transfer got here after Ottawa’s determination final week to boost tariffs on Chinese language metal and electrical automobiles.

4. TotalEnergies has struck a brand new cope with a inexperienced vitality division of Indian billionaire Gautam Adani’s conglomerate and can make investments $444mn in a joint portfolio of solar energy initiatives. The French oil and fuel main has pursued collaborations with the Adani Group regardless of final yr’s fraud allegations from US quick vendor Hindenburg Analysis.

5. The most important shake-up of Ukraine’s wartime authorities started yesterday, with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy saying a collection of resignations among the many nation’s ministers was a part of an effort to “give new power” to the nation’s establishments.

Really feel higher knowledgeable on the occasions shaping your world with our relaunched publication Newswrap. Darren Dodd, a former FT information editor, explains how the most important tales relate to world financial and enterprise tendencies. Join right here to get it delivered 3 times every week.

Information in-depth

China’s coastguard has been the world’s largest for a decade, however the maritime power is more and more utilizing home police powers to implement Beijing’s huge maritime claims whereas intimidating its neighbours. “They’re in all places,” mentioned Captain Kentaro Furuya, a professor on the Japan Coast Guard Academy and a former coastguard officer. “They’re attempting to occupy the ocean as if it had been a part of their very own land territory.”

We’re additionally studying . . . 

• Mitsubishi: The boss of the buying and selling home has referred to as on the federal government to assist Japanese firms counter growing Chinese language competitors of their conventional stronghold of south-east Asia.

• Israel-Hamas struggle: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has remained defiant over a hostage cope with Hamas regardless of normal strike and mass protests.

• Housing prices: Dissatisfaction with housing prices has hit a document excessive throughout wealthy nations, hovering above different worries comparable to healthcare and training.

Chart of the day

Hovering demand for liquefied pure fuel carriers has pressured world shipowners to show to China. However the high quality of LNG ships being constructed at Chinese language shipyards, which have restricted expertise manufacturing the advanced vessels, is “a possible concern”, mentioned one professional.

Take a break from the information

Stephen Bush was not impressed with the “costly particular results” and “CGI trickery” in Alien: Romulus, the brand new instalment of the epic sci-fi movie franchise. However his newest column explains why dangerous films show that revenue generally is a power for good within the age of pricey movie and TV.

Extra contributions from Melody Abike Adebisi and Irwin Cruz