Semiconductor Supply Chain & AI Hardware: UMC has started mass producing silicon photonics wafers in Singapore, aiming to support faster, lower-power optical links for AI and hyperscale data centers, with a 12-inch platform planned for customer development by 2027. Chip Export Enforcement: Nvidia reportedly cut more than half of its approved Asian customer base after tightening compliance checks to prevent diversion of advanced AI chips to China. AI Infrastructure Buildout: Meta shares slid after a Reuters report on an internal memo to double computing capacity to 14GW by 2027, with Iris AI accelerators entering production at TSMC in September and new long-term memory/storage and fiber supply contracts. Memory Race: Micron broke ground on a ¥1.5T Japan expansion to make HBM, with shipments targeted for around summer 2028, as global HBM demand keeps reshaping capacity plans. Geopolitics & Tech Markets: Oil jumped on renewed US-Iran strikes and Hormuz blockade threats, adding pressure to AI-led stock sentiment. Cross-strait/Regional Claims: A Filipino anthropologist said China can’t claim Batanes via Taiwan-linked ancestry, while the AFP urged China to reject the claim publicly. Health & Regulation: Taiwan’s TFDA said some recalled cooking-oil products can be reshelved if they meet safety rules, after benzo[a]pyrene concerns. Robotics in Care: Hiwin highlighted growing demand for robotic rehab systems in Taiwan as therapist shortages limit one-on-one training. Business/Innovation: Big-O launched EcoGEO Audit, an AI search visibility diagnostic for SMEs, and TYLsemi unveiled a custom AI chip design startup with $43M early funding.