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Tencent has launched Sogou Input Method 20.0, upgrading voice, typing and translation with model‑level AI and adding a 'HunYuan champion' translation model that supports over 30 languages. The change deepens Tencent's control over a key user interface and raises questions about data use, privacy and the company’s competitive posture in the AI arms race.

The European Commission has designated WhatsApp as a ‘very large online platform’ under the Digital Services Act after its Channels feature surpassed the 45 million‑user threshold in the EU. The move compels Meta to implement systemic‑risk assessments, stronger transparency and content‑mitigation measures within four months or face significant fines.

Chinese automakers and suppliers have accelerated overseas investment, disclosing more than RMB70 billion in projects over three months. Major moves include a planned 2.067 billion euro battery gigafactory in Portugal and policy openings in the EU, Canada and Germany, signaling a shift from export‑led sales to localised, global supply chain building.

Microsoft has started deploying its Maia 200 AI accelerator built on TSMC 3nm, claiming substantial performance and cost advantages versus Amazon’s Trainium and Google’s TPU. The chip — designed to run large models efficiently at low power — is part of Microsoft’s strategy to secure more predictable, cheaper AI compute for Azure and to lessen reliance on Nvidia. An SDK preview is available to developers, while broader cloud rental availability is promised for the future.

Lanqi Technology says it has developed and system‑validated an active electrical cable compatible with PCIe 6.x and CXL 3.x, claiming a domestic first. The development addresses the signal‑conditioning challenges of next‑generation high‑speed links and signals growing Chinese capability in end‑to‑end datacentre interconnects, though production readiness and ecosystem interoperability remain open questions.

TikTok’s US data‑security joint venture reported system failures after a power outage at a US data‑center partner site, restoring network connectivity but warning of lingering errors such as slow loads and incorrect engagement counts. The incident highlights operational vulnerabilities in data‑localization plans and shows how physical infrastructure dependencies—electricity and third‑party hosting—can undermine assurances about control and resilience.

A planned contract to move the Japan–UK–Italy sixth‑generation fighter programme into full development has been delayed because the UK has not finalised its funding amid rising defence bills. The pause risks derailing the partnership’s 2035 deployment target, forcing national workstreams and raising coordination, cost and capability risks for all three partners.

Li Auto is assessing the closure of some low‑efficiency retail stores after an aggressive multi‑year network build‑out, denying plans to close 100 outlets but confirming a targeted optimisation. The retrenchment follows a 19% fall in 2025 deliveries and recent quarterly losses, and accompanies a product and organisational reset aimed at restoring growth and margins amid fiercer competition in the range‑extended EV segment.

A US military probe found a helicopter display at Kadena Air Base in April 2025 violated safety rules and caused rotor wash that fatally injured a 60-year-old Japanese teacher. The aircraft was far closer to spectators than both the event plan and US Air Force guidance allowed, prompting admissions of planning and supervision failures and intensifying long-running local grievances in Okinawa.

China celebrated the 13th anniversary of the Y-20 "Kunpeng" heavy transport’s first flight, highlighting its transition from prototype to an operational platform used for parades, disaster relief and long‑range missions. State media framed the aircraft as evidence of growing strategic airlift capacity that strengthens the PLAAF’s reach and supports both practical operations and national prestige.

Chinese coast guard vessels rescued 17 sailors after a cargo ship capsized near Huangyan Island; two died and four remain missing. Filipino survivors publicly thanked Chinese rescuers, and a formal handover to the Philippine coast guard took place on January 25, an episode that temporarily eases tensions in a disputed maritime area while carrying broader strategic implications.

Despite headlines about a US tilt to Europe, Washington has maintained and adapted its Indo‑Pacific posture through forward deployments, new security pacts and defense funding lines. The US is redistributing resources rather than abandoning the region, but doing so raises risks of overstretch, allied hedging and potential miscalculation with China.

Tehran unveiled an anti‑US mural in Revolution Square warning that an attack on Iran would see US carriers targeted, as the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier group moves into the region. The artwork is a deliberate signal to both domestic audiences and international actors, heightening risks of naval escalation and economic fallout in a volatile maritime theatre.

Microsoft has deployed Maia 200, its second‑generation AI chip built by TSMC, to some data centres and released developer control software, positioning the company to reduce dependence on Nvidia. Wider availability to Azure customers remains unspecified, but the move intensifies a trend of cloud providers building custom accelerators to control costs, supply risk and performance.

Two shootings by ICE agents in Minneapolis that killed U.S. citizens have produced heated national protests and a sharp federal-state confrontation. Conflicting official accounts and video footage have deepened public mistrust, prompted subpoenas and harsh rhetoric from both President Trump and senior Democrats, and risked a funding standoff over Homeland Security.

Taiwan’s first indigenous submarine, the Haikun, completed its first submerged trial on 26 January 2026 after extensive delays caused mainly by integration problems between its platform management system and onboard sensors and weapons. Remaining snorkel, shallow and deep-depth trials mean full delivery is unlikely before mid-2026, prolonging pressures on Taiwan’s defence modernisation and deterrence posture.

China and its Laos, Myanmar and Thailand partners launched the 161st joint Mekong patrol on January 26, initiating the 2026 campaign with coordinated departures from Yunnan and partner ports. The operation, preceded by a commanders' meeting in Jinghong, aims to suppress transboundary crime and sustain stability in critical river stretches.

After federal agents shot a man in Minneapolis, the Department of Homeland Security emphasised that he was armed and framed the shooting as defensive. Videos and police statements that emerged online cast doubt on that account, prompting the National Rifle Association and other gun-rights groups to demand a transparent investigation and to reject the notion that lawful carriage of a firearm alone permits officers to shoot.

India’s 2026 Republic Day parade featured, for the first time, a formal animal contingent including camels, Zanskar ponies, birds of prey and military dogs. The move highlights the Indian armed forces’ continued reliance on animals for operations in difficult terrain and serves as both a ceremonial gesture and a strategic signal about adaptive mobility.

Israel announced that the final body of an Israeli captive held in Gaza, identified as La'an Gvili, has been recovered and returned, completing the returns of persons and remains from Gaza. Hamas acknowledged efforts to locate the body while demanding full implementation of the ceasefire, including opening the Rafah crossing and Israeli withdrawal, complicating the humanitarian and political calculus.