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Beijing’s Show of Force: China Launches Major Drills Around Taiwan

  A ship fires a weapon during drills east of Taiwan in this screenshot from a video released by the Eastern Theater Command of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Dec. 29, 2025. China has initiated large‑scale military exercises around Taiwan, framing the operation as a direct warning to what it calls separatist forces and foreign supporters. The drills, conducted by the Eastern Theatre Command, involve naval vessels, fighter jets, and missile units operating across multiple zones encircling the island. According to Chinese military statements, the exercises are designed to test joint combat readiness and simulate scenarios such as blockades and precision strikes. The move follows heightened tensions over international engagement with Taiwan, including recent arms sales and diplomatic exchanges that Beijing views as challenges to its sovereignty claims. Taiwan’s defense ministry denounced the drills as coercive and destabilizing, placing its military on alert and trac...

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Stocks sharply higher, rebounding with a boost from chips

 



North American stocks closed higher on Thursday, winning back much of the previous day’s losses, as U.S. economic data fueled optimism that the Federal Reserve would ease monetary policy and revived investor risk appetite.

All three major U.S. stock indexes posted gains as chips surged, led by Micron Technology after its better-than-expected quarterly forecast, putting the tech-heavy Nasdaq out front. The rally gained momentum as the session drew to a close, with the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq surging more than 1%. Canada’s main stock index rose 0.8%, despite a sharp drop in the shares of BlackBerry. Financial markets are pricing in a 71.3% likelihood that the U.S. central bank will reduce the Fed funds target rate by 25 basis points as soon as March, according to CME’s FedWatch tool.

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