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A candid video by Li Yapeng about rent arrears at the Yanran Angel Children’s Hospital triggered a wave of online donations that raised nearly 20 million yuan in days. The surge highlights the power of Chinese social media to mobilise aid quickly but also exposes structural limits: legal separation between fund and hospital, rising urban rents and the need for sustainable funding mechanisms for non‑profit medical providers.

Anhui became the first central Chinese province to surpass 1 trillion RMB in annual trade in 2025, joining eight coastal provinces already in that bracket and reflecting a broader geographic rebalancing of China’s export base. The province’s surge is powered by large‑scale manufacturing — notably automobiles, batteries and photovoltaics — industrial revenue growth, and deeper market diversification into ASEAN and Belt‑and‑Road countries.

South Korean investigators have identified two men, both former staffers in ex‑president Yoon Seok-yeol’s presidential office, as linked to a private drone that entered North Korean airspace. The case has intensified inter‑Korean tensions, prompted a joint military-police probe, and highlights regulatory and security gaps around civilian drone activity.

About 1,500 paratroopers from the US 11th Airborne Division have been placed on alert for possible deployment to Minnesota, a contingency the Army calls prudent planning. Minneapolis's mayor has publicly opposed the move, underscoring the legal and political sensitivities around using active‑duty forces on US soil.

US lawmakers from both parties warned that a unilateral US military seizure of Greenland would pit Washington against NATO and undermine alliance cohesion. They urged congressional constraints on presidential action and highlighted Greenland’s strategic and resource value amid growing Arctic competition.

President Pezeshkian warned that any attack on Supreme Leader Khamenei would be equivalent to an all-out war, reflecting Tehran’s heightened sensitivities after the weakening of its regional alliances. Iran blamed U.S. sanctions and accused the G7 of double standards while pledging to defend public order and sovereignty, a posture that raises the risk of escalation in the Middle East.

A recent US strike has exposed the Western Hemisphere’s uneven defensive posture, revealing how decades of underinvestment and a shift toward internal security have left many states vulnerable to precision long‑range attacks. The incident highlights the need for layered deterrence—technical, organisational and diplomatic—to prevent escalation and reduce strategic dependence.

Top U.S. advisers warned President Trump that a large-scale strike on Iran would be unlikely to topple the regime and could provoke wider retaliation, prompting allies including Israel, Saudi Arabia and Qatar to urge caution. Washington is moving forces and missile-defence assets into the region to preserve options while internal debate continues over whether limited strikes can deliver meaningful results without triggering broader conflict.

Hangtian Hongtu has signed a 2.8 billion yuan aerospace project in Suzhou, Anhui, to build a LOX‑methane rocket manufacturing base and a compute‑enabled radar satellite constellation, aiming for an eventual annual output of 20 rockets. The expansion comes as the company endures multi‑year losses and seeks international contracts, highlighting both the industrialisation of China's commercial space sector and the financial risks of rapid scaling.

Prominent economist Ren Zeping has publicly accepted an apology from private-equity boss Dan Bin, ending a high-profile social-media feud over the strength and nature of China’s post‑September 2024 stock-market rally. The truce calms a bout of acrimony between two influential market voices but does not erase the substantive disagreements about the rally’s durability.

Honor has released a MOLLY‑themed limited edition of its 500 Pro smartphone in partnership with Pop Mart, combining custom hardware styling and system animations with collectible IP to drive sales. Priced at ¥4,499 (¥3,999 after subsidy) and on sale 25 January, the device underscores a wider industry trend of using cultural collaborations to attract younger buyers in a crowded Chinese smartphone market.

OpenAI plans to ship its first hardware device in 2026, signalling a strategic move to control the AI endpoint and diversify revenue beyond cloud services. The launch raises technical, commercial and regulatory challenges but could reshape competition between model builders and incumbent tech hardware ecosystems.

OpenAI told Davos it is likely to unveil its first consumer hardware in the second half of 2026, though no firm commitment or details were provided. The move would extend the company's push beyond software and subscriptions into tangible products, amplifying revenue diversification, supply-chain and regulatory challenges.

Zhonghaida (300177.SZ) told investors that its inertial measurement units provide robots with real‑time 3D attitude sensing, supporting balance and movement. The brief disclosure signals the company’s role as a sensor supplier to the growing Chinese robotics industry, but it stops short of detailing product grades, customers or commercial impact.

A US lawmaker warned that any US use of force to seize Greenland would pit Washington against NATO allies and violate alliance norms. The remark highlights Greenland’s strategic importance in a competitive Arctic and the diplomatic, legal and operational costs of unilateral action against an allied territory.

Systematic demolitions and infrastructure clearances in West Bank refugee camps since January 2025 have displaced over 40,000 Palestinians, marking the largest displacement since 1967. What began as a military security operation has produced a protracted humanitarian crisis that is lowering Palestinians' expectations from a political "right of return" to the immediate right to regain their refugee‑camp homes.

Denmark will not attend the World Economic Forum in Davos this week amid a dispute sparked by U.S. tariffs tied to President Trump’s demand that the U.S. be allowed to purchase Greenland. European governments have condemned the move as damaging to transatlantic relations, raising the prospect of diplomatic and trade escalation.

Iraq announced full control of Al Asad Airbase on 17 January, a move that carries heavy symbolic weight after decades of foreign intervention and recent anti‑U.S. sentiment. While returning the base to Iraqi hands addresses sovereignty concerns, it does not resolve deep governance, security and regional‑influence challenges that will determine whether the transfer helps stabilise the country.

An explosion in Kabul on 19 January killed seven people, including one Chinese national, and injured several others. The blast near a Sino‑Afghan restaurant has prompted a Chinese embassy security advisory and highlights the ongoing risks to foreign nationals and projects in Afghanistan.

Zhejiang securities regulators have fined and banned a well‑known Xueqiu account operator, Jin Yongrong, for manipulating markets by recommending stocks and then selling into the buying pressure he created. The bureau confiscated RMB 41.62 million in illicit gains, imposed an equal fine and a three‑year market ban, rejecting Jin’s defenses about intent and reach.