Geopolitics - Page 11
Coverage of the geopolitics of technology: US–China competition, chip export controls, sovereign AI efforts and how world events move markets.
Stories from Geopolitics come first, newest first, then stories from connected topics (Iran War, Oil Prices, Export Controls, supply chain, Trump, China), each labelled with where it comes from. This view is not indexed by search engines.
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Arafura Breaks Ground at Its Nolans Rare Earths Project in Northern Territory, Australia
Arafura says it broke ground at its Nolans rare earths project in Australia's Northern Territory on 8 October. It is the start of construction, not production.
Centinela Copper Strike Ends After 10 Days With Output Held Normal
A strike at Antofagasta's Centinela copper mine in Chile began on 7 October. Unions say November output could fall by half; the company declined to comment on that.
AMD Reportedly Raised GDDR6 Prices for Board Partners From 1 October; Intel Also Said to Have Adjusted Its Prices
BenchLife reports, citing China's Board Channels, that AMD raised GDDR6 prices for card makers from 1 October and Intel adjusted too. Nobody has confirmed it.
PC Shipments Fell 20.1% Last Quarter, IDC Says, as Memory-Driven Price Rises Bite
IDC's preliminary data show worldwide PC shipments fell 20.1% year on year in Q3 2026 to 62.7 million units, and 9.1% from Q2. IDC blames supply constraints and stockpiling "ahead of memory-driven price hikes", links higher prices to the AI data-centre build-out, and says "Prices will remain elevated." What the figures show, and what they don't.
Apple Reportedly Trims iPhone 18 Pro Parts Orders, and a $99 Ring for AI Agents
Two device stories from 8–9 October 2026. Nikkei Asia reports that Apple told some suppliers to cut production of iPhone 18 Pro components after price rises dampened demand; Apple has not commented. And start-up Natura has shown Interface, a $99 smart ring for sending voice requests to AI agents, which cannot be ordered yet.
Bitcoin this week: an oil shock, a $25m corporate buy and loans without selling
Bitcoin slipped below $83,000 as Brent rose above $102 on an Iran strike-plan report, a day after about $550m of leveraged bets were liquidated. Robinhood added $25m of bitcoin to its balance sheet, and Ledger launched self-custodial bitcoin-backed loans via Morpho. What happened, what each move means, and the risks. No price predictions.
TSMC 3nm Capacity Crisis: Why the World’s Biggest Chipmaker Is Building a GigaFab
TSMC reveals 3nm capacity is sold out through 2028. The GigaFab expansion aims to double advanced-node production — but not in time to prevent three years of tech bottlenecks.
The MATCH Act: Washington Just Escalated the Chip War — And ASML Is in the Crosshairs
The MATCH Act: Washington's Newest Weapon in the Chip WarOn April 2, 2026, a bipartisan group of U.S. lawmakers introduced a bill that could reshape the global...
Reports Say TSMC’s 2nm Lines Are Booked to 2028; Samsung Seeks Orders
Korean press reported in March that TSMC's 2nm capacity is booked to 2028. TSMC's Q3 results show 2nm at 8% of wafer revenue. Samsung's pitch.
Trump Names Zuckerberg, Ellison and Huang to Science and Tech Council
President Donald Trump appointed Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, Oracle's Larry Ellison and Nvidia's Jensen Huang to the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) on 25...
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