The industry ministry announced ¥387.3 billion in funding to develop a domestic foundation model for physical AI that controls robots, aiming to strengthen the country's competitiveness against the United States and China. The industry ministry said Tuesday that it would provide ¥387.3 billion in aid for a project to develop a domestic model that serves as the foundation of a physical artificial intelligence system that controls robots. The ministry aims to make the multimodal foundation model widely available to Japanese companies to help the country catch up with the United States and China in the technology. The project is led by Noetra, a Japanese company founded by firms including telecommunications operator SoftBank, to develop AI models domestically. Engineers from SoftBank and Japanese AI startup Preferred Networks will join the project.

Taiwan's debate over drone procurement is being closely watched because the successful use of unmanned systems by Ukraine and Iran have underscored the ways in which the technology can be used to defend territory against larger adversaries. Taiwan's main opposition party has outlined plans to develop the drone industry just days after stalling a similar proposal from Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's government, amid a debate on unmanned systems with crucial implications for the island's defense. The Kuomintang will submit legislation that could allocate 240 billion New Taiwan dollars (U.S.$7.5 billion) over six years for government procurement and industrial development of unmanned systems, KMT lawmaker Lin Pei-hsiang said during a briefing on Tuesday. Taiwan's debate over drone procurement is being closely watched because the successful use of unmanned systems by Ukraine and Iran have underscored the ways in which the technology can be used to defend territory against larger adversaries. The People's Republic of China has threatened to use force to push its claims of sovereignty over Taiwan, even though it has never controlled the self-governing democracy. Unlike the Cabinet's proposal, which would provide upfront authorization for NT$210 billion for drone procurement over multiple years, the KMT's legislation would fund the program through the annual budget process.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi emphasized that the government will promote reforms of regulations and systems that fit the artificial intelligence era. The government's regulatory reform panel Monday called for easing building standards for data centers amid the rapid development of artificial intelligence. In response, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi emphasized that the government will promote reforms of regulations and systems that fit the AI era. Lithium-ion batteries, crucial for data centers' stable operation, are regarded as hazardous materials under the fire service law and the building standards law, making it difficult to install them in sufficient numbers. The panel's proposal urged the government to exclude lithium-ion batteries from the restrictions by introducing safety standards for batteries. It also mentioned the type of AI that control robots that walk, seen as helpful in covering labor shortages in logistics, construction and elderly care services.

Draft guidelines list expressways and some shinkansen lines as key areas of focus for infrastructure development. The government plans to stop putting too much focus on cost effectiveness when assessing the feasibility of public works projects, sources said Monday. The government will shift its focus to an overall assessment that places an emphasis on basic functions to protect lives and livelihoods, under annual guidelines for economic and fiscal reform policy, due out next month. Draft guidelines list expressways, some shinkansen lines and the planned Chuo Shinkansen high-speed magnetic levitation train line as key areas of focus for infrastructure development. The government will accelerate its push to build what are known as autoflow roads, or dedicated road lanes used by automated vehicles to transport goods. It will also promote the use of robots that can operate autonomously at construction sites to address labor shortages.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung delivers a speech on June 25. SEOUL - South Korea is set to unveil three "mega-projects" to fuel its next growth phase, including a new semiconductor hub in the southwest that local media say could attract investments by Samsung and SK spanning hundreds of billions of dollars over several years. The announcement would mark President Lee Jae Myung's boldest push yet to align South Korea's AI and chip ambitions with his pledge to narrow regional disparities and revive economies beyond the Seoul metropolitan area. Lee will preside over the event, framed as a national "great leap" due to be unveiled around 2 p.m., his office said, with ministries covering industry, science, climate and transport set to outline policy support. Samsung Electronics and SK are expected to present investment plans, and their chairmen, Jay Y. Lee and Chey Tae-won, are among business leaders tipped to attend by local media. Representatives of other firms including LG Electronics, HD Hyundai Robotics, Korea Electric Power Corp. and Korea Water Resources Corp. are also attending, Lee's office said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that Russia will press ahead with its battlefield aim of fully capturing four Ukrainian regions, rejecting what he said was a new proposal by Ukraine to rein in hostilities in the more than four-year-old war. Putin, speaking to a Russian state television interviewer, also said Russia needed to boost its air defense capacity to counter intensified Ukrainian drone attacks aimed mainly at its oil industry. He said Russia was coping well in tackling fuel supply problems linked to the Ukrainian strikes. He acknowledged earlier on Sunday at a meeting in the Kremlin with government ministers and other officials that the strikes had triggered fuel shortages in various Russian regions but that Russia was dealing with them. In a time of both misinformation and too much information, quality journalism is more crucial than ever. By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.