Real-time News

On September 20th, the plenary session of the 2026 International Biomedical Industry Innovation Beijing Forum was held in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area on September 19th. The forum, themed "Gathering Global Innovation, Exploring the Frontiers of Life," released a number of the city's latest achievements in the pharmaceutical and healthcare industry. At the forum, Beijing announced 12 key projects to be launched in 2026, eight of which are located in the Beijing Economic-Technological Development Area, covering various types including regional headquarters, strategic emerging industry headquarters, and R&D and industrialization bases.

September 20th - Parliamentary elections were held in the German states of Berlin and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on the 20th. According to German sources, opinion polls indicate that German Chancellor Merz faces "another painful day" following the landslide victory of the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in Saxony-Anhalt two weeks ago. Merz's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) suffered a crushing defeat in the Saxony-Anhalt state elections on the 6th, with its vote share plummeting to around 17%; the AfD won approximately 44% of the vote, becoming the largest party in the state. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the CDU may suffer an even greater setback. A poll conducted by German television channel ZDF on the 17th showed that the CDU's support in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania was only 6%, slightly above the 5% threshold for a party to enter the state parliament. German sources say that if the CDU fails to reach 5% of the vote, it will be a "nightmare" for the CDU and could be the final straw for Merz.

On September 20, according to the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the State Council appointed and removed several state personnel. Yu Xiaohui was appointed Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology; Pan Wenbo was appointed Vice Minister of Agriculture and Rural Affairs; Li Chenggang was appointed China's Representative for International Trade Negotiations (at the ministerial level); Ling Ji was appointed Vice Representative for International Trade Negotiations; Cai Dong was appointed Deputy Director of the State Financial Supervision and Administration Bureau; Zhang Yongjun was appointed Deputy Director of the State Internet Information Office; Zhang Xiaotang was appointed Deputy Director of the State Tobacco Monopoly Administration; and Liu Zhen was appointed Deputy Director of the State Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Xu Aosen was removed from his post as Vice Minister of Education; Hu Weilie was removed from his post as Vice Minister of Justice; Niu Yibing was removed from his post as Deputy Director of the State Internet Information Office; and Liao Zhiwei was removed from his post as Director of the Yangtze River Water Resources Commission.

Ukrainian President Zelensky: This week alone, Russia has launched more than 2,000 attack drones at us, most of which are jet-powered drones, while also dropping 1,700 aerial bombs and launching 19 missiles of different types.

September 20 - According to the Japan Meteorological Agency, a 5.0-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Amami Oshima at approximately 4:28 p.m. local time on the 20th. The earthquake had a depth of 60 kilometers and the strongest tremor was felt at an intensity of 3.

On September 20th, InvestChina Jiachuan released its August 2026 China M&A Market Data Report, showing that in August 2026, the Chinese M&A market disclosed 455 preliminary M&A transactions, of which 217 disclosed transaction amounts, totaling RMB 122.995 billion, representing an 84.73% increase month-on-month and a 59.42% decrease year-on-year. Overall, the transaction amount ended a four-month decline, and the size of individual transactions increased significantly.

On September 20, 2026, the Indonesian Anti-Dumping Commission issued Notice AD. 02/591/KADI/09/2026, initiating an anti-dumping investigation into galvanized steel sheet (Baja Lapis Seng (BJLS)) originating from China, in response to applications from Indonesian producers PT. Tata Metal Lestari and PT. Arcelormittal Nippon Steel Indonesia. The Indonesian tariff codes for the products under investigation are 7210.49.11, 7210.49.17, 7210.49.18, 7210.49.19, 7212.30.12, 7212.30.13, 7212.30.19, 7225.92.90, and 7225.99.90.

September 20th - According to the China State Railway Group Co., Ltd., from January to August this year, the national railway system transported a total of 2.69 billion tons of freight, with an average daily loading of 187,400 wagons, maintaining a high level of operation. This provided reliable transportation support for reducing overall logistics costs and ensuring the stable operation of the national economy. Since the beginning of this year, the railway sector has fully leveraged the advantages of the nationwide railway network and centralized dispatching and command, increasing the transportation of coal from major coal-producing areas in Shanxi, Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia, and Xinjiang, striving to ensure that all coal for power generation is loaded, and fully supporting various regions in meeting peak summer demand. From January to August, the national railway system transported 1.389 billion tons of coal, including 928 million tons for power generation. Coal reserves at power plants directly supplied by railways nationwide have remained at a high level.

Ukrainian President Zelensky: The Ukrainian military attacked an oil refinery in the Moscow region of Russia.

September 20th - Russian officials said today (September 20th) that drone attacks on the capital Moscow and the Moscow region resulted in two deaths. Moscow Mayor Sobyanin stated that since September 19th, Russia has shot down more than 1,600 Ukrainian drones, 450 of which were shot down as they approached Moscow. Several drones damaged a Moscow oil refinery, and one drone struck a residential building. Moscow Region Governor Vorobyov said that the roof of a 21-story building in the Ramenskoye district caught fire during the attacks, forcing the evacuation of 400 residents.

On September 20th, the Qingdao Municipal Housing Provident Fund Management Center issued a notice regarding the optimization of housing provident fund usage policies. Regarding home renovation withdrawals, contributors or their spouses who own a self-occupied residence in Qingdao can withdraw their housing provident fund account balance in a lump sum for home renovation. Each family can only choose to withdraw from one self-occupied residence. The withdrawal amount is calculated based on the building area and the standard renovation unit price of 1,500 yuan per square meter, with a maximum of 200,000 yuan. Furthermore, eligible families purchasing a second home will be treated as first-time homebuyers; the loan amount for new residents and young people will be calculated at 25 times the account balance.

Russian election official: A drone strike in the Russian-controlled Kherson region of Ukraine has killed two people, including an election official.

South Korean Presidential Office: The Blue House (South Korean presidential residence) convened a National Security Council meeting.

On September 20th, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Ghalibaf stated that the notion of choosing between "war and negotiation" is wrong. Iran must fight back rationally and forcefully, and negotiate with an authoritative and rational attitude at the appropriate time. Ghalibaf said that Iran has clearly conveyed its conditions to the other side through intermediaries. Unless these conditions are met, Iran's legitimate rights are recognized, and the United States' commitments are fulfilled, there is absolutely no possibility of returning to the previous negotiating state, nor is it possible to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

September 20 - According to sources within the Chinese military, on September 18, the New Zealand frigate HMAS Temana and the supply ship HMAS Oteyarova transited the Taiwan Strait. The People's Liberation Army monitored and monitored them throughout their transit, and the situation was under control.

UBS predicts that AI capital expenditure will approach $1 trillion in 2026 and further climb to approximately $1.4 trillion in 2027, with the primary driver of this growth being a significant increase in memory costs. UBS estimates that memory-related spending will surge from $71 billion in 2025 to $367 billion this year, reaching $923 billion in 2027. Other AI-related costs are projected at $631 billion in 2026, declining to $525 billion in 2027. This means that rising memory costs this year will contribute approximately 60% of the increase in AI capital expenditure; and by 2027, with declining spending on other components, the increase in memory costs may even exceed the total net increase in AI capital expenditure.

September 20 - According to Australian sources, a knife attack occurred in Sydney, Australia on the 20th, resulting in the death of one child and serious injuries to two other children and a woman.

Emergency services in the Kyiv region of Ukraine say a Russian drone strike killed a mother and her two children overnight.

On September 20, Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported that 450 Ukrainian military drones had been repelled when approaching the city since September 19. One facility near a Moscow oil refinery was damaged, and one residential building was hit; no casualties were reported. Separately, Moscow Oblast Governor Sergei Vorobyov reported that between 3:00 AM and 5:00 AM on September 20, 249 drones were shot down or suppressed in 17 districts. A fire broke out on the roof of a high-rise residential building in the Ramenskoye district, leading to the evacuation of 400 people and damage to 20 vehicles. In other areas, a warehouse complex caught fire, damaging several residential and commercial buildings. Two people were killed and six injured in the oblast.

September 20th – The 2026 World Manufacturing Convention opened in Hefei, Anhui Province on September 20th. Xin Guobin, Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology, stated in his opening address that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology will focus on next-generation intelligent manufacturing, continuously enhancing the innovation, competitiveness, and overall strength of the manufacturing industry to create new advantages for "Made in China." First, it will improve the efficiency of the industrial innovation system. This includes strengthening original innovation and tackling key core technologies, reinforcing the leading role of enterprises in technological innovation, optimizing the layout and construction of industrial innovation platforms, and promoting the transformation of more technological innovations into real productivity. Second, it will promote the expansion and quality improvement of advanced manufacturing, comprehensively advancing the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries, the growth of emerging industries, and the cultivation of future industries, building a number of world-class advanced manufacturing clusters. Third, it will enhance advanced manufacturing capabilities, deeply promoting "artificial intelligence + manufacturing," cultivating intelligent factories in a tiered manner, vigorously developing open-source foundation models and vertical models, consolidating the software and hardware foundation for next-generation intelligent manufacturing, comprehensively promoting the green and low-carbon transformation of the manufacturing industry, and innovating and developing service-oriented manufacturing. Fourth, we will cultivate a group of high-quality enterprises, continuously optimize the innovation and entrepreneurship environment, accelerate the construction of world-class enterprises, promote the specialized, refined and innovative development of small and medium-sized enterprises, foster more "little giant" enterprises and single-item champion enterprises, and promote the integrated development of large, medium and small enterprises.