🔥 Top Stories
Ineffable Intelligence, founded by David Silver, former head of reinforcement learning at Google DeepMind, announced a $1.1 billion seed round, setting a European record for largest seed investment. The company, valued at $5.1 billion, received backing from Sequoia Capital and Lightspeed as lead investors, with participation from Nvidia, DST Global, Index Ventures, Google, and the UK Sovereign AI Fund, demonstrating accelerating capital interest in artificial superintelligence.
Chen Li-ming, a former TSMC engineer who joined Tokyo Electron, conspired with TSMC colleagues to steal advanced semiconductor manufacturing secrets including 2-nanometer and 14-angstrom processes. The Intellectual Property and Commercial Court sentenced Chen to 10 years imprisonment and ordered Tokyo Electron to pay TSMC 100 million NT dollars in compensation plus 50 million NT dollars to Taiwan's national treasury. The court found the case jeopardized Taiwan's industrial competitiveness and economic security.
The World Health Organization lists vaccine hesitancy as one of the top ten global health threats during World Immunization Week. Taiwan's medical community warns that elderly citizens lack awareness of vaccine necessity and show significant vaccine hesitancy, creating protection gaps. COVID-19 vaccination rates among seniors stand at only 20%, far below the 50% rate for influenza vaccines.
A shooting incident occurred at the White House Correspondents dinner in Washington DC where President Trump was attending. Cole Tomas Allen, 31, from California, has been charged with attempted assassination of Trump. According to Reuters and AFP, if convicted, he faces serious criminal charges.
Six Iranian oil tankers were forced to return due to US sanctions, according to vessel tracking data. The incident highlights the impact of US-Iran tensions on the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil export route. This disruption could affect global energy supply and oil price volatility.
🏛 Politics
Chen Li-ming, a former TSMC engineer who joined Tokyo Electron, conspired with TSMC colleagues to steal advanced semiconductor manufacturing secrets including 2-nanometer and 14-angstrom processes. The Intellectual Property and Commercial Court sentenced Chen to 10 years imprisonment and ordered Tokyo Electron to pay TSMC 100 million NT dollars in compensation plus 50 million NT dollars to Taiwan's national treasury. The court found the case jeopardized Taiwan's industrial competitiveness and economic security.
The World Health Organization lists vaccine hesitancy as one of the top ten global health threats during World Immunization Week. Taiwan's medical community warns that elderly citizens lack awareness of vaccine necessity and show significant vaccine hesitancy, creating protection gaps. COVID-19 vaccination rates among seniors stand at only 20%, far below the 50% rate for influenza vaccines.
Japan's Self-Defense Forces officially participated in the annual Balikatan joint exercise with the United States and Philippines for the first time this year. The Defense Ministry released photos showing naval vessels from five nations—the US, Japan, Philippines, Canada, and Australia—lined up in formation during multinational maritime training. The SDF stated it will continue strengthening international cooperation through such exercises.
Taiwan's Central Election Commission held a change-of-command ceremony, with You Ying-lung officially taking office as the new chairperson. During his remarks, You outlined six major challenges facing the CEC, including Chinese interference in Taiwan's elections. He emphasized that Chinese Communist Party involvement in Taiwan's elections is now a constant factor rather than a variable, and noted that Chinese authorities have established a task force specifically to address Taiwan's local elections, requiring heightened vigilance from the CEC.
Law enforcement authorities dismantled an illegal drug manufacturing facility in Pingzhen District, Taoyuan City, seizing approximately 200 kilograms of methcathinone (4-methylmethcathinone) products and semi-finished goods valued at approximately 2.5 billion Taiwan dollars on the black market. The criminal group imported precursor chemicals from China under the guise of steel products. Two suspects were arrested and subsequently indicted on drug-related charges.
Legislative Yuan Speaker Han Kuo-yu convened the third negotiation session on the Defense Special Conditions Bill yesterday, but the ruling and opposition parties remained at odds over budget limits despite reported US pressure. The meeting lasted only one hour before adjourning. Defense Minister Ku Li-hsiao appeared frustrated. A fourth negotiation is scheduled for May 6th, with opposition parties continuing to question blank authorization provisions.
Pneumonia has been the third leading cause of death in Taiwan for thirteen consecutive years, claiming one life every thirty minutes on average. Infection can lead to exacerbation of chronic diseases and increased risk of heart failure. Dr. Chang Feng-yi, chairman of the Taiwan Society of Infectious Diseases, warns against underestimating cumulative damage from repeated infections and emphasizes the importance of early prevention to reduce severe illness and mortality risks.
Against the backdrop of stalled US-Iran negotiations, Iran is converting temporary transit fees through the Hormuz Strait into a permanent institutional arrangement. British media analysis suggests this mechanism redefines control over international shipping lanes and could have sustained impacts on global oil prices and the economy. Iran's peace plan allows charges up to 2 million USD per vessel transiting the strait.
A shooting incident occurred at the White House Correspondents dinner in Washington DC where President Trump was attending. Cole Tomas Allen, 31, from California, has been charged with attempted assassination of Trump. According to Reuters and AFP, if convicted, he faces serious criminal charges.
The White House announced that President Trump met with national security officials today to discuss Iran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. According to reports, the US and Iran plan to lift their respective blockade measures before further negotiations on Tehran's nuclear program, aiming to advance subsequent talks.
💰 Finance
The S&P 500 and Nasdaq indices reached new highs today. Uncertainty surrounding Iran's potential military developments increased over the weekend, driving international oil prices higher. The unpredictable trajectory of Middle East conflicts continues to create volatility in global financial markets.
Led by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Taiwan's stock index reached the 40,000-point milestone intraday for the first time, peaking at 40,194.92 points. The index closed up 684.23 points at 39,616.63, setting a new closing record high with trading volume near 1.25 trillion New Taiwan dollars. However, the OTC index declined 1.18%, showing divergent market performance.
Japanese semiconductor equipment manufacturer Tokyo Electron (TEL) has terminated its contract with Jay Chen, president of its Shanghai subsidiary, following an internal investigation. The investigation revealed that Chen and his family members invested in Chinese competitors, creating a conflict of interest. Chen previously oversaw equipment maintenance operations before the company adopted new business models. The incident highlights compliance and integrity challenges multinational corporations face in the Chinese market.
Wall Street faces a critical week with investors monitoring corporate earnings, economic data, Federal Reserve rate decisions, and Middle East developments. The S&P 500 index reached a new high, though gains were limited by stalled Iran negotiations. The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined during the period.
Tensions in Iran have disrupted the printed circuit board supply chain, raising costs for technology companies. Chemical giant BASF announced price increases for plastic additives, with hikes reaching up to 25%, reflecting mounting cost pressures across global supply chains.
International nickel prices reached their highest level in nearly two years on the 27th, driven by Indonesia's reduction in mining quotas and global sulfur shortages. As a key battery metal, the tightening supply outlook for nickel has pushed prices higher in the international market.
Elon Musk plans to introduce X Money, a financial service built into the X social platform, with early access expected soon. The service offers competitive benefits including up to 3% cashback on eligible purchases and 6% deposit interest rates, advancing Musk's goal of transforming X into a super app.
Toyota Motor Corporation achieved record-high global vehicle sales in the previous fiscal year, marking the first time in two years, despite facing significant impact from elevated US tariffs. The milestone demonstrates the resilience of the world's largest automaker in navigating challenging market conditions.
Six Iranian oil tankers were forced to return due to US sanctions, according to vessel tracking data. The incident highlights the impact of US-Iran tensions on the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil export route. This disruption could affect global energy supply and oil price volatility.
Goldman Sachs raised its fourth-quarter average oil price forecast to $90 per barrel on the 27th, up from the previous estimate of $80. Citi also increased its Brent crude year-end average price forecast on the 26th. Citi noted that if transportation disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz persist through June, oil prices could rise to $150 per barrel.
💻 Technology
Ineffable Intelligence, founded by David Silver, former head of reinforcement learning at Google DeepMind, announced a $1.1 billion seed round, setting a European record for largest seed investment. The company, valued at $5.1 billion, received backing from Sequoia Capital and Lightspeed as lead investors, with participation from Nvidia, DST Global, Index Ventures, Google, and the UK Sovereign AI Fund, demonstrating accelerating capital interest in artificial superintelligence.
Driven by surging AI and server demand, Intel is now selling CPUs previously considered defective or low-yield products. With significantly increased market absorption capacity and higher customer acceptance of various specifications, Intel can repackage marginal dies and low-yield chips into lower-spec SKUs for sale, further improving overall output utilization and revenue efficiency.
Bridgewater Associates, the world's largest hedge fund, warns that artificial intelligence poses an existential threat to traditional software companies, comparable to Amazon's impact on physical bookstores in the 1990s. With emerging AI tools like Claude Code, the market faces structural transformation. While some software firms may be eliminated, companies that innovate and adapt could survive this disruption.
More than 560 Google employees signed an open letter to CEO Sundar Pichai on the 27th, demanding the company refuse to provide its artificial intelligence technology to the U.S. government for classified military operations. The action reflects employee concerns about the ethical implications of deploying AI in military applications.
Meta Platforms has signed a contract with a space-based solar energy startup to explore using solar power collected in space to supply electricity to its data centers. This initiative reflects the company's innovative approach to addressing the massive power demands generated by artificial intelligence computing and data center operations.
South Korean Samsung Electronics has reportedly achieved successful production of functional sub-10 nanometer DRAM dies, marking a major breakthrough in memory manufacturing miniaturization. This advancement demonstrates Samsung's progress in ultra-fine process technology, potentially enhancing future memory product performance and capacity.
OpenAI has released updated principles reflecting a significant strategic shift. Unlike the 2018 original version that emphasized cooperation with like-minded, safety-focused teams in developing artificial general intelligence (AGI), the new version removes references to concessions and progress-sharing, instead emphasizing the importance of competition in the field.
Apple CEO Tim Cook will step down this fall, passing leadership to John Ternus, the company's senior vice president of hardware engineering. Cook has planned ten new products for Ternus to launch, providing a strong foundation for the incoming executive to leverage his expertise in driving the company forward.
OpenAI and Microsoft announced on the 27th a modification to their partnership agreement, removing the exclusivity clause requiring OpenAI to use Microsoft's cloud services. The change allows OpenAI models to operate on other cloud providers including Amazon AWS. Following the announcement, Microsoft's stock price declined 1% in early US trading.
NASA announced an ambitious plan to establish a permanent human settlement on the Moon by 2033. The Artemis program aims to resume crewed lunar missions, which have been halted since 1972. NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman emphasized that the mission's strategic objective has shifted from symbolic flag-planting to creating a sustainable human presence. The lunar base will be equipped with water, supplies, internet connectivity, and vehicles.
🌏 International
Chen Li-ming, a former TSMC engineer who joined Tokyo Electron, conspired with TSMC colleagues to steal advanced semiconductor manufacturing secrets including 2-nanometer and 14-angstrom processes. The Intellectual Property and Commercial Court sentenced Chen to 10 years imprisonment and ordered Tokyo Electron to pay TSMC 100 million NT dollars in compensation plus 50 million NT dollars to Taiwan's national treasury. The court found the case jeopardized Taiwan's industrial competitiveness and economic security.
A shooting incident occurred at the White House Correspondents dinner in Washington DC where President Trump was attending. Cole Tomas Allen, 31, from California, has been charged with attempted assassination of Trump. According to Reuters and AFP, if convicted, he faces serious criminal charges.
Cole Tomas Allen, 31, from Torrance, California, has been charged with attempting to assassinate former US President Donald Trump following a shooting at the White House Correspondents' Association Dinner. The annual black-tie event brings together journalists and politicians. If convicted, Allen could face a life sentence. He appeared in Washington federal court two days after authorities reported foiling the attack.
Six Iranian oil tankers were forced to return due to US sanctions, according to vessel tracking data. The incident highlights the impact of US-Iran tensions on the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global oil export route. This disruption could affect global energy supply and oil price volatility.
Ineffable Intelligence, founded by David Silver, former head of reinforcement learning at Google DeepMind, announced a $1.1 billion seed round, setting a European record for largest seed investment. The company, valued at $5.1 billion, received backing from Sequoia Capital and Lightspeed as lead investors, with participation from Nvidia, DST Global, Index Ventures, Google, and the UK Sovereign AI Fund, demonstrating accelerating capital interest in artificial superintelligence.
Against the backdrop of stalled US-Iran negotiations, Iran is converting temporary transit fees through the Hormuz Strait into a permanent institutional arrangement. British media analysis suggests this mechanism redefines control over international shipping lanes and could have sustained impacts on global oil prices and the economy. Iran's peace plan allows charges up to 2 million USD per vessel transiting the strait.
Xu Zewei is accused of participating in a Chinese government-linked hacking group that infiltrated thousands of U.S. organizations and stole COVID-19-related research data. U.S. authorities allege his involvement in large-scale cyberattack operations that posed significant information security threats.
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference opened at the United Nations headquarters in New York. The conference aims to discuss the direction of global nuclear disarmament and assess international consensus on reducing nuclear weapons. However, the meeting quickly became contentious as the United States and Iran engaged in heated mutual accusations and criticism, overshadowing discussions on nuclear disarmament cooperation.
Chinese AI company DeepSeek announced substantial price reductions for its models, with the new V4 costing 97% less than OpenAI products. The company reduced API users' input cache hit pricing to one-tenth of original levels, bringing minimum input costs to approximately US$0.14 per million tokens, potentially sparking competitive pricing in the AI market.
Signatories of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty convened at the United Nations in New York to address escalating nuclear arms race concerns. UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that humanity remains vulnerable to nuclear annihilation due to miscalculation, as atomic powers remain divided over safeguard measures and non-proliferation strategies.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held face-to-face talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg on Monday following mediation efforts in Islamabad. The diplomatic engagement coincides with US President Donald Trump convening his senior national security team to evaluate a fresh Iranian peace proposal delivered via Pakistan, aimed at resolving the Middle East crisis and reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
The World Health Organization lists vaccine hesitancy as one of the top ten global health threats during World Immunization Week. Taiwan's medical community warns that elderly citizens lack awareness of vaccine necessity and show significant vaccine hesitancy, creating protection gaps. COVID-19 vaccination rates among seniors stand at only 20%, far below the 50% rate for influenza vaccines.
Japan's Self-Defense Forces officially participated in the annual Balikatan joint exercise with the United States and Philippines for the first time this year. The Defense Ministry released photos showing naval vessels from five nations—the US, Japan, Philippines, Canada, and Australia—lined up in formation during multinational maritime training. The SDF stated it will continue strengthening international cooperation through such exercises.
Taiwan's Central Election Commission held a change-of-command ceremony, with You Ying-lung officially taking office as the new chairperson. During his remarks, You outlined six major challenges facing the CEC, including Chinese interference in Taiwan's elections. He emphasized that Chinese Communist Party involvement in Taiwan's elections is now a constant factor rather than a variable, and noted that Chinese authorities have established a task force specifically to address Taiwan's local elections, requiring heightened vigilance from the CEC.
Led by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Taiwan's stock index reached the 40,000-point milestone intraday for the first time, peaking at 40,194.92 points. The index closed up 684.23 points at 39,616.63, setting a new closing record high with trading volume near 1.25 trillion New Taiwan dollars. However, the OTC index declined 1.18%, showing divergent market performance.