As Microsoft intensifies its focus on artificial intelligence, several non-AI-related divisions have faced significant cuts — with the Azure Space satellite initiative reportedly among the latest casualties. While the tech giant confirmed that Azure Space has not been fully discontinued, several of its products have been retired or shifted in scope. The number of employees affected by these changes remains unclear.
Airoha, MediaTek's chip subsidiary, reported strong growth for the first half of 2025 driven by networking infrastructure and AIoT. Second-quarter revenue rose 12.7% year-on-year to NT$5.522 billion. It plans optical communication expansions with 50G/400G PAM4 DSPs and grows Bluetooth audio and hearing assistance markets, targeting mass production by 2026.
LITEON prepaid US$13.4 million in tariffs on Battery Backup Units amid new 20% Taiwan-US tariffs but said customers will absorb costs. CEO Anson Chiu expects 2025 BBU demand to outpace supply, with planned capacity expansions in Taiwan, Vietnam, and the US supporting AI server growth despite higher US manufacturing costs.
In response to rapid advancements in military technology and an increasingly uncertain global security environment, Japan's Ministry of Defense released two key documents on July 28, 2025: its next-generation information and communications strategy and the Space Domain Defense Guidelines. These initiatives lay out a sweeping vision for cross-branch military modernization centered on next-gen satellite communications and resilient space-based infrastructure.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer stated that President Donald Trump's newly introduced "reciprocal tariffs" are effectively locked in, with little room for revision despite ongoing negotiations with several countries.
