World News
Latest world news and updates
Total: 818
Hamas Rejects Disarmament and Foreign Rule, Widening Rift Over Gaza’s Future
In Doha on Feb. 8, Khaled Meshaal declared that Hamas will not disarm or accept foreign rule in Gaza, framing armed resistance as the right of an occupied people. His stance clashes with Israeli demands for full demilitarization before reconstruction, leaving mediators and donors with a difficult choice between urgent relief and long‑term security assurances.
Why Missiles Alone Won't Topple a Carrier: What the Escalating US–Iran Standoff Reveals About Modern Naval Power
Rising tensions between the United States and Iran have rekindled debate over whether long‑range ballistic missiles can neutralize U.S. aircraft carriers. While intercontinental missiles serve strategic deterrence, they are ill suited to hit moving naval formations; the real threat to carriers comes from more targeted anti‑ship systems and asymmetric tactics in confined waters. The standoff highlights a shift in naval competition: carriers remain central to power projection, but must be defended and complemented by new doctrines and technologies to remain credible in contested littorals.
Largest-Ever US–Japan ‘Iron Fist’ Exercise in Okinawa Signals Deeper Amphibious Integration—and Greater Regional Risk
The 2026 US–Japan 'Iron Fist' amphibious exercise, running 11 February–9 March, is the largest yet and spans 19 sites in and around Okinawa. With deeper operational integration between US and Japanese commands, expanded amphibious forces and sharpened political rhetoric in Tokyo and Washington, the drills both bolster deterrence and raise regional risks of miscalculation.
Netanyahu to Press Washington for Stricter Limits on Iran’s Enriched Uranium and Missile Arsenal
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will press President Trump to force the removal of Iran’s enriched uranium and to constrain Tehran’s ballistic missile capabilities. Jerusalem’s assessments warn that Iran is dispersing missiles to complicate strikes and that its missile inventory could return to pre‑attack levels, while Israel weighs risks of wider regional retaliation by Hezbollah and the Houthis.
Iran Deploys 'Underground Missile City' and New MRBM, Putting Israel and Gulf Bases in Range
Iran's IRGC says it has placed a new Khorramshahr-4 medium-range missile in underground facilities and opened a fortified 'missile city,' claiming a 2,000 km range that would reach Israel and US bases in the Gulf. The move boosts survivability and signalling leverage but is likely to raise tensions, complicate regional defence planning and challenge arms-control efforts.
Viral Post Teaches 'How to Use a Grenade' — Another Sign of Militarized Online Pop Culture in China
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.
Fatal Collapse in Tripoli Exposes Lebanon’s Crumbling Housing Stock
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.
Beijing Rebukes Tokyo as Japanese Leader Signals Push to Normalize Yasukuni Visits
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.
Herzog’s Visit to Australia Provokes Mass Protests, Exposes Deep Divisions Over Gaza
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.
Guangdong’s Demographic Leap: China’s Economic Engine Secures Its Place as the Nation’s Most Populous Province
Guangdong reached a record 128.59 million permanent residents in 2025, growing by about 790,000 and cementing its position as China’s most populous province. The rise is driven more by inward migration than by births alone, making Guangdong a demographic outlier that is simultaneously an economic engine and a key contributor to national birth numbers.
Frontline Fixes: PLA Military Representatives Run to the Troops to Root Out Equipment Faults
A PLA Army Equipment Department military representative office has been proactively visiting front-line units to diagnose equipment faults, supervise digital-simulation repairs, and deliver targeted maintenance training. Its work — formalizing feedback loops between users and manufacturers and tightening quality controls — strengthens sustainment and operational readiness across China’s armed forces.
Beijing Says Japan Election Won’t Alter China Policy, Warns Against Right‑wing Drift
China’s foreign ministry said its policy toward Japan will remain stable despite the ruling coalition’s victory and Sanae Takaichi’s continued leadership, while warning Tokyo against right‑wing adventurism and urging withdrawal of contentious Taiwan remarks. Beijing framed the election as a domestic matter but used the briefing to reiterate core demands and to signal vigilance over Japan’s future defence and Taiwan posture.