Flash News

TREE NEWS update: Ronald Spektor, 23, of Brooklyn, was sentenced to four to 12 years in prison for running a social engineering scheme that stole $15.9 million from Coinbase users, prosecutors said. The phishing operation, described in court as a $16 million fraud, targeted customer accounts at the US crypto exchange.

TREE NEWS update: The US International Trade Commission voted on September 23, 2026 to open a Section 337 investigation into certain dynamic random access memory (DRAM) devices, products containing the same, and components thereof (III), under investigation code 337-TA-1523. The vote formally institutes the probe, which covers DRAM equipment and downstream products and components.

TREE NEWS update: Bank of England Deputy Governor Lombardelli said policy is increasingly likely to require tightening if high energy prices persist without clear evidence of falling inflation or weakening economic activity. She said wage growth remains too high to be consistent with the inflation target, while adding that monetary policy should not react mechanically to energy price swings and remains restrictive.

TREE NEWS update: China’s State Administration for Market Regulation released the General Rules for Qualification Licensing Review of Certification Bodies, with a six-month transition period, it said at its third-quarter press briefing. The rules refine three areas of institutional design: unifying review procedures to tighten market entry, detailing admission standards to raise professional levels, and strengthening the link between review and supervision to clean up the industry.

TREE NEWS update: China’s State Administration for Market Regulation has issued a work plan to run a national special equipment inspection quality improvement campaign from now until the end of 2027, the regulator said at its third-quarter press briefing. The action covers all special equipment inspection agencies as well as elevator inspection bodies, and tightens institutions’ primary responsibility for inspection quality.

TREE NEWS update: China’s State Administration for Market Regulation will soon issue the Provisions on Discretion in Administrative Penalties for Market Regulation, the regulator said at its third-quarter press conference. The rules upgrade discretion standards from normative documents to departmental rules, split penalties into five tiers — no penalty, mitigated, lighter, ordinary and heavier — and unify national criteria for factors such as first-time violations and minor harm.

TREE NEWS update: China’s State Administration for Market Regulation said at its third-quarter press briefing that the Regulation on Market Supervision Offices has been issued and takes effect on November 1. The rules are designed to give grassroots market supervision work a legalized, standardized institutional framework and practical guidance, the regulator said. The regulation is intended to strengthen the legal foundation of local-level governance.

TREE NEWS update: China and the US held their eighth round of economic and trade consultations in New York, reaching consensus on implementing existing agreements, reciprocal tariff arrangements, and establishing trade and investment councils, China’s Ministry of Commerce said. Vice Premier He Lifeng and Treasury Secretary Bessent held their first AI dialogue under the bilateral trade mechanism. The two sides will keep close communication on follow-up work.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Foreign Ministry said it will continue to optimize the digital development environment and contribute Chinese solutions to improving international rules, spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a regular press briefing. He said more than 1,200 delegates from nearly 50 countries and regions and relevant international organizations attended the launch ceremony of the fifth Global Digital Trade Expo, where Premier Li Qiang shared three points on digital trade trends, open cooperation and China’s role.

TREE NEWS update: China’s State Administration for Market Regulation has unconditionally approved Tongwei Co., Ltd.’s acquisition of a stake in Qinghai Lihao Clean Energy Co., Ltd., the regulator said. The decision followed an in-depth competition analysis and is intended to support market-based M&A that optimizes resource allocation and curbs low-level, homogenized ‘involution-style’ competition. The regulator said it will keep improving its merger control efficiency to safeguard fair competition.

TREE NEWS update: Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the continued US-Iran conflict does not serve the common interests of the parties involved or the international community, urging all sides to pursue peace and resolve disputes through dialogue and negotiation to restore calm to the Middle East and Gulf region. Guo made the remarks at a regular press briefing in response to Iranian President’s UN General Assembly speech.

TREE NEWS update: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States and China have agreed to extend their trade truce to January 10, but Beijing has not confirmed the arrangement. Asked at a regular briefing whether China agreed to the extension, foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said questions on China-US trade talks should be directed to the competent Chinese authorities.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Foreign Ministry declined to confirm whether Beijing agreed to a formal US-China AI safety communication mechanism, including an emergency hotline for AI safety incidents. At a September 24 press briefing, spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the two sides had already released information on trade talks and referred specific questions to the competent authorities. US Treasury Secretary Bessent had said the mechanism was agreed during talks with Vice Premier He Lifeng.

TREE NEWS update: China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Beijing and Washington are maintaining communication on arrangements for interactions between the two countries’ leaders within the year. Asked whether further trade talks would be held during the APEC finance ministers’ meeting in Hong Kong in October, Guo referred the question to the relevant Chinese authorities. He was also asked whether China would invite US President Trump to the APEC summit in Shenzhen in November.

TREE NEWS update: China and the United States held their first dialogue on artificial intelligence under the bilateral economic and trade consultation mechanism, Chinese commerce ministry spokesperson He Yadong said on September 24. The two sides recently held an eighth round of trade talks in the United States, reaching multiple consensus points. Beijing said it will maintain close communication with Washington on follow-up work under the mechanism.

TREE NEWS reports: The US government is considering an initiative to promote the use of dollar-denominated stablecoins overseas, people familiar with the matter said. The effort aims to reinforce the dollar’s status as the global reserve currency and boost demand for US Treasuries. It could involve the Treasury Department, the State Department and other federal agencies, with the US International Development Finance Corporation potentially taking part.

TREE NEWS update: Shanghai’s financial regulator has issued measures to push AI adoption across the city’s banking and insurance sectors, covering intelligent marketing, credit, claims assessment and risk control. The document encourages institutions to build multi-dimensional risk models for early warning on fraud, money laundering and illegal fundraising, and supports exploring next-generation smart terminals and financial AI agents.

TREE NEWS update: Beijing’s municipal radio and television bureau issued management rules for key projects under its 2026-2029 plan to promote an “AI + audiovisual” industry. The policy supports R&D and application of audiovisual large models and agents in broadcasting, covering content-generation models, multi-model integration platforms, virtual production, smart editing, restoration and dubbing. Individual projects can receive up to 3 million yuan, awarded on technical merit and application results.

TREE NEWS update: Beijing added 22 generative AI services to its filing registry as of September 24, 2026, bringing the city’s total to 319, the Beijing Cyberspace Administration said. The registrations were made under China’s Interim Measures for the Administration of Generative AI Services. The update covers newly completed filings by providers operating in the capital.

TREE NEWS update: A US judge issued an order blocking President Donald Trump’s ban on CNN, MS NOW and political news site Politico. The ruling halts the prohibition against the three outlets. No further details were given.