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On January 17, Russian Human Rights Commissioner Moskalikova told reporters in Geneva after meeting with ICRC President Sporalitz that restarting the prisoner-of-war exchange process between Russia and Ukraine is the top priority. She stated that Russia has submitted a list of Ukrainian military personnel in Russia who are ready for repatriation. Previously, Ukraine typically submitted the list, and Russia agreed to repatriation, but the current dialogue with Ukraine is "puzzling." It is difficult to discuss the possible exchange deadline and the number of prisoners at this time, as "various details could emerge until the last minute, potentially disrupting the process or changing its direction."

On January 17, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that the Ukrainian delegation had arrived in the United States that day and was expected to receive its first briefing on the talks that evening Kyiv time. Zelenskyy said the main task of the Ukrainian delegation's trip was to provide the US with comprehensive and accurate information about the current situation. Zelenskyy reiterated that Ukraine has never been, and will never be, an obstacle to peace, and that progress in the current diplomatic process depends on the positions of the partners.

On January 17th, it was reported that on January 13th, according to Xi'an University of Electronic Science and Technology, Academician Hao Yue's team at the university broke through a 20-year bottleneck in semiconductor materials technology, achieving a leap forward in chip heat dissipation efficiency and overall performance, providing a replicable Chinese paradigm for solving various high-quality integration problems of semiconductor materials. The relevant findings were recently published in the top international journals *Nature Communications* and *Science Advances*. Zhang Jincheng, Vice President and Professor of Xi'an University of Electronic Science and Technology, stated, "Inability to dissipate heat can lead to decreased chip performance or even device burnout." The team innovatively injected high-energy ions into the crystal of third-generation semiconductor chips, making the surface of the crystal nucleation layer smooth. This breakthrough reduced the semiconductor thermal resistance to one-third of its original value, solving the heat dissipation problem faced by third-generation and future semiconductor chips. Simultaneously, this breakthrough significantly improved the performance of semiconductor devices.

Musk: The Colossus 2 supercomputer is now operational. It is the world's first gigawatt-level training cluster and will be upgraded to 1.5 gigawatts in April.

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy has ordered the import of electricity and additional power equipment to be expedited as much as possible.

On January 17, the world's first legally binding international convention on the protection of biodiversity in the high seas—the Agreement on Marine Biodiversity—officially entered into force, marking a historic moment for global ocean conservation after nearly 20 years of negotiations. According to the Agreement, signatory states must strengthen cooperation in marine science and technology and support developing countries in improving their ocean governance capabilities. Companies planning activities that may harm marine ecosystems must conduct environmental impact assessments according to the Agreement's standards. Marine biological research involving commercial development must be reported to the international community and its findings shared. As of the day before the agreement's entry into force, 83 countries had completed the ratification process, including major maritime powers such as China. The United States, while having signed the agreement, has not yet ratified it and therefore can only participate in subsequent meetings as an observer, without voting rights.

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei: Those with ties to Israel and the United States caused massive destruction and resulted in the deaths of thousands during the protests.

On January 17, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei met with thousands of people from various sectors of society in Tehran and addressed the nation on the recent situation. Khamenei stated that because US President Trump has caused casualties and losses in Iran and slandered the Iranian people, "we consider him a criminal." Khamenei elaborated on the nature of the recent unrest and Iran's responsibility in dealing with the situation, emphasizing the need to clearly understand the true intentions of hostile forces and to adopt the correct stance in response.

January 17th - On January 17th, Carrot Express and UAE-based autonomous mobility company AutoGo announced the official launch of fully driverless commercial operations for the public in Abu Dhabi. Starting immediately, local residents and tourists can hail Carrot Express's fully driverless vehicles through the AutoGo App. This marks Carrot Express's first overseas launch of a fully driverless mobility service for the public, signifying a crucial step forward in the commercialization and internationalization of Chinese autonomous driving technology.

The Iraqi National Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) estimates that Iraq's monthly revenue from Kurdistan oil is approximately $400 million.

On January 17, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced that Russian forces had struck energy and transportation infrastructure used by the Ukrainian army, as well as temporary deployment sites of the Ukrainian armed forces and foreign mercenaries. The Ministry stated, "The tactical aviation, attack drone, missile, and artillery units of the Russian Armed Forces struck energy and transportation infrastructure used by the Ukrainian army, ammunition depots, assembly workshops, storage points, pre-flight preparation and launch sites for long-range drones, and temporary deployment sites of the Ukrainian armed forces and foreign mercenaries in 167 regions."

On January 17th, Turkish Energy Minister Baghtadal stated in a media interview that Turkey plans to resume natural gas imports from Turkmenistan in 2026 and increase purchase volumes. He indicated that 2026 is a crucial year for Turkey's liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, as the country has already signed long-term LNG supply contracts with countries including the United States. "These are long-term contracts covering 2027 to the 1930s and 1940s. The work on signing LNG contracts will continue in 2026. Therefore, when we find suitable resources and inexpensive LNG, relevant agreements will be reached. We plan to review the agreement with Algeria and extend its term, while also assessing alternative resources."

Iraq's State Oil Marketing Organization (SOMO) reports that Iraq's crude oil exports have averaged 3.6 million barrels per day so far in January.

Russian Defense Ministry: Russian forces have taken control of Priluki in the Zaporizhzhia region of Ukraine.

On January 17th, Micron Technology (MU.O) signed a letter of intent to acquire land in its Causeway campus and establish a strategic partnership with Powerchip Semiconductor. Micron will acquire Powerchip's P5 plant for $1.8 billion. Micron stated that this acquisition will drive growth in its DRAM memory chip production in the second half of 2027.

On January 17, Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dar ibn Abdullah al-Sham al-Islam Gaddafi held a telephone conversation with Iranian Foreign Minister Araqchi. The two exchanged views on the current situation in Iran and the overall regional situation. During the call, the Pakistani Foreign Minister expressed his hope for peace and stability in the region and emphasized that all parties concerned should remain calm and exercise restraint to avoid further escalation of tensions. Both sides agreed to continue close communication on issues of common concern.