by Tyler Durden

Russia has just wrapped up hosting mass military drills involving troops and defense technology from eight countries which state media hailed as applying lessons learned from the Ukraine war.

The Tsentr-2026, or Centre-2026, drills ran throughout all last week into Saturday, located in the central western Chelyabinsk region, which is situated in the southern Ural Mountains - with on Friday President Putin being on hand to observe the exercise.

by Tyler Durden

An inconvenient reality for the Trump administration's race to rebuild Western conflict-free critical materials supply chains outside China, whether domestically or through friendshoring, is that it won't break China's chokehold this decade.

Reuters reported Taiwan’s defense ministry warned that China is “strengthening its control” over nearby sea and air, calling Beijing “unpredictable”. Reported patrols and incursions fit a pattern of pressure that limits Taiwan’s freedom of movement without an open attack. Regional coverage said recent drills focused on “joint blockade and control,” pointing to plans that could cut Taiwan’s trade lifelines and test U.S. resolve to keep vital sea lanes open. These moves risk a crisis, even without a formal invasion.

by Tyler Durden 

A possible plague case in Siberia has triggered a major containment effort after the death of a 28-year-old employee of an anti-plague laboratory. A hospital wing is under quarantine, nearly 200 people are reportedly under observation, and Russia's chief sanitary official has flown in. Local outlets say FSB units have been escorting ambulances carrying the woman's contacts for examination.

Debate over the future of the Republic of China Air Force’s fighter force has intensified after the Liberty Times discussed the possibility that a larger fleet of upgraded F-16V and F-16 Block 70 fighters could offer greater value than a smaller force of newer F-35s.

Reuters reports that Ford, General Motors, and Jaguar Land Rover are competing for a £900 million United Kingdom Ministry of Defence contract, initially covering 3,000 vehicles, by adapting pickup trucks and off-road models they already build. Executives see defense orders as a practical way to keep factories busy as car demand cools. Companies want steady, government-backed work that can run on existing lines. The effort reflects a hard truth: many Western plants are not full, and managers need volume fast.

by Tyler Durden

If you want an indication that resource nationalism and Beijing's weaponization of critical material exports to gain leverage over the US in high-stakes trade negotiations are accelerating, a new report Thursday afternoon says the Trump administration is planning to slow shipments of commercial jet parts to China.

by Tyler Durden

Update (1650ET): So after today's big White House meeting with tech leaders, President Trump announced that they had signed a "morally binding" (lol) document governing the development of artificial intelligence. 

Following the luncheon, Trump told reporters that he's "seeing tremendous self-policing," and that the administration is looking to assemble a 10-person committee tasked with overseeing the AI industry.