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U.S. markets opened slightly lower as gains in GLP‑1 weight‑loss drug makers were offset by weakness in memory stocks. Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly rose on continued enthusiasm for semaglutide‑class therapies, while Hims & Hers plunged after facing litigation over a generic version. Micron fell amid renewed pressure on cyclical tech names.

Chengdu hosted the Geely·Ablefly National Drone Football Championship on 9 February, an event that blended competition and technological display. The final highlighted local training infrastructure, international student participation and municipal backing for the emerging “technology + sport” sector, underscoring Chengdu’s aim to turn recreational drone activity into an organised, innovation-driven industry.

China has tightened crypto regulation by banning onshore tokenisation of real-world assets and forbidding domestic parties from issuing RMB-pegged stablecoins overseas. The twin actions aim to curb disguised fundraising, clarify legal ties between tokens and underlying assets, block cross-border regulatory arbitrage, and steer activity into sanctioned, supervised channels.

Mengguli has unveiled plans to invest ¥9.29 billion in a lithium‑ion cathode materials project, signalling an aggressive bet on continued EV and energy‑storage growth. The expansion highlights both the strategic importance of cathode production in the battery supply chain and the risks of rapid capacity growth amid governance and raw‑material uncertainties.

Xiaohongshu is developing OpenStoryline, an AI-powered video editing tool aimed at accelerating creator production and strengthening the app’s commerce ecosystem. The product dovetails with broader moves by Chinese tech firms to integrate generative AI, but faces regulatory, copyright and content-quality trade-offs.

ByteDance’s Jimeng AI has launched Seedance 2.0, a generative video model that synchronises images and sound and can follow complex camera directions. Independent tests by NetEase show striking gains in action consistency and realistic ambience, but also persistent artifacts, transition roughness and high compute costs. The model promises to lower production marginal costs and expand commercial markets while raising IP, deepfake and regulatory challenges.

A social-media style post on Huanqiu’s feed that read “Every day one small skill, today we learn grenade use” has drawn attention for normalizing weapons instruction in casual online formats. The item illuminates a wider trend of militarized pop culture in China and raises enforcement and safety questions for platforms and regulators.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will travel to Washington on February 10 to meet President Donald Trump at the White House on February 11, returning to Israel on February 12. The brief visit is likely intended to reaffirm U.S.-Israeli ties and communicate shared positions on regional security issues, with political and strategic significance for both capitals.

Alphabet is seeking about $15 billion in a multi‑tranche bond sale to help fund a sharply higher capital expenditure plan focused on AI infrastructure, including long‑dated maturities and potential foreign‑currency issuance. The offering underscores how major tech firms are increasingly relying on debt to finance a costly AI arms race that has drawn strong investor demand but raised concerns about overinvestment and long‑term returns.

A residential building in Tripoli, northern Lebanon, collapsed on 8 February, killing five people and leaving at least eight rescued from the rubble. The disaster highlights the vulnerability of Lebanon’s ageing housing stock amid prolonged economic decline and weak regulatory capacity.

China’s Foreign Ministry defended the 20‑year jail sentence for Hong Kong activist and media owner Jimmy Lai, calling criticism external interference and labeling Lai a disruptive, anti‑China figure. The ruling underscores Beijing’s tightened control over dissent in Hong Kong and will reverberate through diplomatic channels and local civil society.

China’s foreign ministry condemned Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi after she said she was working to create conditions for visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, calling such moves a relapse into militarism on the 80th anniversary of the Tokyo Trials. Beijing framed the issue as central to Japan’s moral responsibility and regional trust, warning that denial of wartime crimes risks repeating them.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s four‑day visit to Australia sparked large protests in Sydney, Melbourne and other cities, with thousands demonstrating against Israel’s military actions in Gaza. The visits have intensified domestic debates about community safety, diplomatic ties with Israel, and political divisions within Australia.

Arrow Home, a major Chinese sanitaryware maker, faces mounting reputational and financial strain after consumer complaints, alleged labor‑rights violations and a family‑dominated governance structure exposed weaknesses in its ESG performance. Despite middling Wind ESG ratings and a recent publicity partnership, falling revenues and a dividend plan that exceeds net profit raise questions about the company's long‑term resilience.

Changan Auto and CATL unveiled a mass‑production passenger car powered by sodium‑ion batteries, claiming 400+ km range and reliable operation at extreme subzero temperatures. Backed by sizable investments and supplier commitments, sodium‑ion cells aim to complement lithium technologies by offering lower cost, better cold‑weather performance and intrinsic safety for mainstream EV segments.

Firmus Technologies secured a US$10 billion debt package led by Blackstone to speed construction of AI‑focused data centres across Australia, including Project Southgate which targets up to 1.6GW of capacity by 2028. The deal underscores strong institutional demand for AI infrastructure while spotlighting operational, energy and market‑demand risks inherent in debt‑financed expansion.

Xi Jinping visited Beijing’s National Xinchuang Park to review domestic information-technology application innovations and to reiterate support for building an international science and technology innovation centre. The trip reinforces Beijing’s push for technological self-reliance and signals further policy and procurement support for domestic IT suppliers, with implications for foreign firms and global tech competition.

Elon Musk has repositioned SpaceX’s focus from Mars to the Moon, arguing that the Moon’s frequent launch windows and proximity allow faster, higher‑frequency testing and iteration. The plan pairs a lunar base near the south pole with orbital AI compute powered by solar energy and lunar manufacturing, but faces major technical, economic and geopolitical hurdles.

Nio has announced a recall of 246,229 ES8, ES6 and EC6 electric vehicles in China because of a software fault that can momentarily black out instrument and central displays, depriving drivers of critical information. The company will deploy OTA updates to upgrade affected cars to Aspen 3.5.6, Alder 2.1.0 or later, with in-person service for cars that cannot be patched remotely.

NIO has recalled 246,229 ES8, ES6 and EC6 electric cars produced between March 2018 and January 2023 due to a software bug that can temporarily blank instrument and central displays, erasing critical driving information. The company plans to push OTA updates to affected vehicles and will service those that cannot be updated remotely.