US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth visited the Demilitarized Zone dividing the Korean Peninsula, the last stop on his Asia trip aimed at deepening regional security ties to counter China https://t.co/MzPucOXArC ...

Geopolitical Risk & Market Impact - Israeli Prime Minister instructed military for powerful strikes in Gaza Strip, testing US-brokered ceasefire [1] - Hamas allegedly violated ceasefire by failing to return all hostage remains, while Hamas claims difficulty due to Israeli destruction [2] - Uncertainty surrounds Gaza reconstruction and Hamas disarmament [3] - Israeli shekel lost 0.2% of its value against the US dollar following the announcement [4] US-Japan Alliance & Countering China - US and Japan aim to bolster alliance and counter China [5] - Japan pledged to increase US military supply imports [6] - US and Japan signed a critical minerals deal and a shipbuilding memorandum of understanding to counter China's market grip [6] - US aims to focus on energy, AI, and car manufacturing sectors to counter China [6]

Defense Spending & Geopolitics - US Congress needs to raise funds for the Pentagon to keep up with technological change and counter China [1] - Donald Trump is encouraging Asian allies to increase their defense spending [1]

Industry Trend - U.S. becomes largest shareholder in MP Materials, a rare earth miner [1] - The move aims to counter China's dominance in the rare earth industry [1]