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Foxconn Industrial Internet expects a roughly 56–63% year‑on‑year jump in Q4 2025 net profit and a 51–54% rise for the full year, driven by explosive sales of 800G+ switches and AI servers. The results reflect a major upgrade cycle in Chinese data centres as cloud providers scale up capacity for large AI models, while also exposing the company to customer concentration and component‑supply risks.

Chinese markets closed mixed as resource and commodity stocks powered a narrow rally while growth and health-care sectors lagged. Heavy turnover and a broad list of declining stocks indicate the advance was concentrated in a small number of themes, raising volatility and regulatory risks for investors.

ASML will cut about 1,700 jobs, mostly in technical and IT management roles in the Netherlands and some in the U.S., representing roughly 4% of its workforce. The reduction appears aimed at overhead trimming and organizational realignment amid a cyclical industry and geopolitical uncertainty, rather than at production capacity.

Chinese robotics firms are prioritizing rehabilitation and eldercare as the first real markets for embodied intelligence, pairing non‑invasive brain–computer interfaces with exoskeletons to restore patient agency and create quantifiable training data. Industry players are addressing technical, data and integration challenges through consortiums and clinical partnerships, aiming to convert early prototypes into scalable clinical products over the next three to five years.

iFlytek forecast 2025 net profit of Rmb785–950 million, a 40–70% increase, citing rapid deployment of its large‑model AI "Spark" and stronger government procurement. About Rmb300 million of the gain comes from non‑recurring government grants, so investors should separate one‑offs from recurring commercial momentum.

PwC’s US arm has struck a three‑year, $400m collaboration with Google Cloud to build AI‑enabled security operations and resilience tools. The deal underscores a trend of consulting firms and hyperscalers combining expertise and infrastructure to offer managed, automated cyber‑security services, while raising questions about governance and vendor dependence.

US military moves in the Middle East and reports of possible action against Iran have pushed oil up about 3% and driven gold to record highs as investors seek safety. At the same time China is advancing domestic regulatory reforms, dealing with supply‑chain cost pressures in semiconductors, and showcasing logistics prowess through high‑profile corporate outreach.

Elon Musk announced that Neuralink's next‑generation brain–computer interface will offer about three times the performance of the current system and plans to introduce a blind‑vision enhancement for totally blind people pending regulatory approval. The device aims to provide low‑resolution visual percepts, but technical, safety and regulatory challenges mean clinical validation and widespread use will take time.

China’s PLAN staged a ceremonial handover of the “Sea Tiger” honor from Cold War veterans to the crew of the modern frigate Honghe, using storytelling and ritual to link small-boat heroism to contemporary naval professionalism. The event highlights Beijing’s effort to fuse historical legend with technical modernization to strengthen morale and operational culture in a rapidly upgrading navy.

Licheng County in Shanxi held a ceremony on January 28 to escort home the remains of three Anti‑Japanese War martyrs to Sichuan and Hebei after DNA testing and field investigations identified them. The repatriations reflect a larger, state‑led effort to resolve unidentified wartime dead using forensic science, with implications for family closure, local governance and national memory politics.

Chinese military and paramilitary units have carried out winter training across multiple theatres—testing air-defence, mobility, medical evacuation and small-unit tactics under severe weather. The exercises aim to eliminate seasonal readiness gaps, sharpen high-altitude and cold-weather skills, and publicly demonstrate sustained operational capability.

Open‑source data show the U.S. moved at least 42 heavy transport aircraft into the Middle East between January 18–26, with flights delivering matériel to hubs across the region. The operation, paired with a carrier strike group entry, is a significant logistics surge intended to preposition capabilities and signal deterrence amid heightened tensions with Iran.

Turkish authorities say they have dismantled an espionage network they allege was directed by Iranian intelligence, arresting six people, including defence-industry executives, accused of planning drone transfers to Cyprus and surveilling Incirlik Air Base. The case raises NATO security concerns given Incirlik's role and underlines the use of encrypted communications and commercial cover in contemporary intelligence operations.

State media footage of the Southern Theater Air Force’s high‑tempo drills showcased a ‘take off and fight’ readiness aimed at compressing scramble‑to‑engagement timelines. The exercises reflect broader PLA efforts to integrate platforms and shorten decision loops, with implications for deterrence, regional signaling and the risk of inadvertent escalation.

China’s Taiwan Affairs Office clarified that Taiwanese retired military personnel do not qualify for the same veterans’ concessions granted to PLA veterans, after a social-media incident at a mainland scenic spot. Beijing pointed to targeted tourism incentives for first-time visitors from Taiwan instead, a policy designed to encourage visits without altering institutional distinctions between the two sides’ armed forces.

A People’s Armed Police detachment in Guilin hosted a school open day combining honors displays, hands‑on drills and rescue stories to promote national‑defense education among primary school pupils. The event illustrates how Chinese security forces use community outreach to cultivate patriotism, public legitimacy and ties between youth and uniformed services.

Danish prime minister Mette Frederiksen said NATO must not negotiate with the U.S. on behalf of Denmark or Greenland, insisting sovereignty is a non‑negotiable red line. While open to closer bilateral cooperation with Washington on Arctic security, Copenhagen is coordinating with European partners to safeguard legal and political control over Greenland.

China will host APEC’s first senior officials meeting and related events in Guangzhou from February 1–10, launching the country’s 2026 APEC presidency under the theme of an Asia‑Pacific community for common prosperity. The meetings aim to operationalize priorities of openness, innovation and cooperation ahead of the leaders’ informal summit in November.

India introduced an "animal platoon"—including camels, horses, birds of prey and military dogs—at its Republic Day parade, combining ceremonial tradition with practical security roles. The display serves both domestic nation-building and soft-power signalling, while raising questions about animal welfare and the place of non-mechanised assets in a modernising military.

The United States has told Israel that preparations for possible military action against Iran should be completed within two weeks, while retaining the option to act sooner if ordered by President Trump. The deployment of the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group and other assets has heightened risks around the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, where Iran says it monitors and controls maritime passage and would treat third-party use of territory against Iran as hostile.