World News
Latest world news and updates
Total: 818
Tehran Insists on Nuclear-Only Talks as US Pushes to Broaden Agenda
Iran and the United States are set to hold talks in Muscat on February 6, but Tehran insists the agenda be limited to nuclear issues while Washington is pushing to include Iran’s ballistic missile programme. The disagreement over scope, combined with recent military signalling from Iran, raises the stakes for a fragile negotiation that could either defuse or inflame regional tensions.
Sisi and Erdoğan Move From Rhetoric to Realpolitik as Cairo and Ankara Pledge Closer Strategic Ties
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met in Cairo on 4 February and pledged to deepen strategic cooperation to address rising regional tensions. The public rapprochement between historically adversarial capitals signals a pragmatic pivot aimed at managing crises such as the Gaza conflict, Libya and wider eastern Mediterranean flashpoints.
On China's 'Snow Island': How Soldiers at 5,300m Keep the Border Ready
A recent visit to the Chagola outpost on the Tibetan Plateau highlights the PLA's use of high-altitude garrisons to project steady border presence. Soldiers endure extreme weather, training intensively and remaining on duty through major holidays to sustain deterrent capability and reassure both domestic and regional audiences.
Staging History to Strengthen Wings: An Eastern Theatre Air Force Unit Turns Pageantry into Combat Cohesion
An Eastern Theatre Command air force unit used a 75th-anniversary gala of self-produced performances to stage its institutional history as a tool of political education and morale-building. The unit pairs theatrical retellings of past missions with compulsory history lessons and intensified long-range training, linking cultural work to operational readiness and signalling deeper patterns in PLA professionalisation.
From Bayonet to Data Link: How a PLA Company Keeps a 1962 Hero Alive to Drive Modernisation
A People’s Liberation Army company that preserves the memory of a 1962 hero has used that legacy to anchor a difficult shift from traditional infantry tactics to data-driven, combined-arms warfare. After an initial failure in integrated training, the unit retooled its training, encouraged bottom-up innovation and fused a culture of sacrifice with modern technical skills to improve combat readiness on a high-altitude frontier.
Queen Máxima Joins Dutch Army as Reservist — A Royal Response to Rising European Security Concerns
Queen Máxima has joined the Dutch army as a reservist and begun training, saying the move reflects a belief that national security can no longer be taken for granted. The enlistment is both symbolic and practical — reinforcing public support for defence while aligning the monarchy with broader European efforts to strengthen military readiness.
Tokyo’s Fertility Rebound: How Big Cash and Free Services Are Turning Babies Into a Public Good
Tokyo’s bold package of cash payments, free services and subsidies — financed at roughly ¥2 trillion a year — appears to have nudged births higher in 2025 after years of decline. The metropolis’s experiment suggests that reducing the explicit and implicit costs of childrearing can influence fertility, but it raises questions about fiscal sustainability and regional divergence.
Israeli Strikes Kill 21 in Gaza after Army Says Fighters Opened Fire Near Northern Frontline
Israeli strikes across Gaza killed 21 people, including a Palestinian Red Crescent medic, after the Israel Defense Forces said armed men fired on soldiers near the northern "yellow line." Hamas denied the accusation and condemned the strikes, highlighting the fragility of local ceasefire arrangements and the acute humanitarian risks facing displaced civilians.
Gulf States Coax Washington Back to the Table — Iran Talks Restored, Moved to Oman
After urgent lobbying by multiple Middle Eastern leaders, the U.S. agreed to restore Iran talks scheduled for February 6 and move the meeting to Oman. Regional pressure sought to prevent a cancellation that might have increased the likelihood of military action, but U.S. officials remain sceptical about the talks' prospects.
Children of Fallen 'Martyr' Make First Visit to Father's Tomb — A Personal Scene That Resonates Beyond the Cemetery
Two children visited the Beijing martyr's cemetery on 5 February to pay respects to their father, identified as Zhao Hu, in footage that shows them crying while clutching his headstone. The scene is a poignant example of private grief intersecting with China’s institutionalised commemoration of martyrs, a practice that reinforces state narratives of sacrifice and collective memory.
Iran and U.S. to Hold Talks in Muscat on Feb. 6, Tehran Says — A Tentative Diplomatic Opening
Iran’s foreign minister said Iran and the United States will meet in Muscat on Feb. 6 for talks conducted through Oman, a customary intermediary. The encounter is likely to focus on limited, pragmatic issues rather than a comprehensive settlement, serving as a test of whether the two sides can achieve small confidence‑building measures amid persistent strategic differences.
Assassination of Saif al‑Islam Gaddafi at a Fraught Moment Risks Re‑igniting Libya’s Factional War
Saif al‑Islam Gaddafi was assassinated on 3 February in Zintan by masked gunmen who reportedly disabled security cameras before killing him. His death comes at a politically sensitive moment and risks provoking reprisals, deepening factional divisions, and further undermining Libya’s fragile path to national reconciliation.