A magnitude 7.0 earthquake off Taiwan’s eastern coast late on December 27 disrupted parts of the island’s semiconductor supply chain, after several wafer fabs reported damage to quartz furnace tubes critical to diffusion processes, according to industry sources. While no structural damage to factories was reported, the incident has sharpened market attention on recovery timelines at major chipmakers, including TSMC, Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corporation (PSMC), and Nanya Technology.

International container shipping rates have risen for four consecutive weeks prior to the upcoming Lunar New Year holiday in mid-February 2026. However, the market has cast doubts on whether rates will continue to climb, since a sluggish recovery in China and the ongoing impact of US tariffs are expected to constrain shipping demand.

LG Energy Solution has ended its battery supply agreement with US module maker FBPS (Freudenberg Battery Power System), following a separate contract termination with Ford Motor Company, marking the combined termination of deals worth approximately KRW13.5 trillion (US$9.38 billion). The move reflects ongoing instability in the electric vehicle (EV) battery sector amid subdued vehicle demand.

Since joining Google, DeepMind co-founder Demis Hassabis has been shaping the company’s artificial intelligence development strategy, emphasizing the importance of “world models” over large language models (LLMs) alone, Bloomberg reports. Despite his scientific stature and technical contributions, Hassabis has yet to oversee the launch of a major consumer AI product.