The Brief Two fronts of pressure define the day: Taiwan's chip leverage in the Pacific, and Europe's struggling defence against Russia's hybrid campaign.
Asia-Pacific: Taiwan plays its chip card
- Taiwan is turning its near-monopoly on advanced semiconductor manufacturing into leverage against US and EU pressure to share AI-chip wealth and production, more.
- China is expanding military patrols near Taiwan's Pacific coast as the standoff over chip leverage plays out, more.
- A defense analyst says Beijing doubts Washington's 'Hellscape' drone-swarm plan would actually deter an invasion, more.
Europe: sabotage suspected, defences rising, deterrence failing
- German police are investigating an overnight fire at a Berlin substation and a cut perimeter fence at another site in the west, following last week's suspected sabotage attacks on the power grid, more.
- A 48-year-old man who claimed responsibility for the substation attacks in letters remains at large, and no official link between the incidents has been confirmed, more.
- Finland has completed a 200-kilometre border fence and Latvia's ban on Russian and Belarusian books and goods took effect this month, part of Europe's hardening physical and legal defences, more.
- Western defence officials admit they are losing the fight to deter Russia's sabotage, cyberattacks and disinformation because the tactics stay below the threshold that would trigger a NATO response, more.
