Paragraph 1: A National Day of Defiance and Shared Concern In the warm, humid embrace of Manila, where the churn of jeepneys and the murmur of foreign diplomacy often intermingle, a more somber note was struck during the celebration of Taiwan’s 115th National Day. The event, hosted by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (TECO) in the Philippines, was more than just a gathering of cake, formal toasts, and the proud display of the blue, white, and red flag of the Republic of China. It was a stark moment of reflection, set against a backdrop of escalating regional tension. Ambassador…

Paragraph 1 On a weekday morning in Ottawa, a parliamentary committee sat down to hear something that should concern every Canadian who cares about democracy: the advice many voters are getting from artificial intelligence may be quietly, systematically wrong. The hearing was not about a new bill or a foreign interference plot. It was about the humble chatbot—the friendly, endlessly patient digital assistant that millions now consult for everything from recipes to relationship advice. Increasingly, Canadians are also asking chatbots how to vote, where to vote, and what each party stands for. And according to researchers from McGill University who…