World News
Latest world news and updates
Total: 818
Light Thai Military Aircraft Crashes in Chiang Mai Forest, Two Dead — Raises Safety and Readiness Questions
A small Thai military plane crashed and burned in a forest in Chom Thong, Chiang Mai on 29 January, killing both people aboard. Authorities have begun an investigation amid wider concerns about maintenance, training and operational safety for military aviation in the region.
Tokyo Signs Logistics Pact with Manila, Deepening Military Ties and Raising Tensions over China
Japan and the Philippines signed an Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement that will let their forces exchange supplies duty-free during joint operations, accompanied by Japanese security aid and coastal radar deliveries. Tokyo presents the pact as disaster-response and interoperability cooperation, but it also deepens military ties that could strengthen deterrence against China and raise regional tensions.
Bomb at Kabul’s Only Chinese Noodle Shop Exposes Business and Security Risks for China’s Small Investors
A bomb at Kabul’s only Chinese restaurant killed seven and wounded 13, including Chinese nationals, exposing the security vulnerabilities facing Chinese traders in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. The attack highlights fragile counterterrorism capacity, difficult logistics for trade, and the tension between continued Chinese humanitarian and infrastructure engagement and the growing risks for private business activity.
US Military Buildup Near Iran Raises Risk of Wider Middle East Shock as Tehran Moves to Emergency Posture
A reinforced US naval and air posture near Iran has prompted emergency domestic measures in Tehran and public refusals by Saudi Arabia and the UAE to allow their territories to be used for attacks. The deployments increase the risk of miscalculation in a region where maritime chokepoints and proxy networks could rapidly widen any confrontation.
Forging the Deep‑Blue Fleet: How China’s Submarine Crews Are Professionalizing Through Hard, Everyday Work
A Chinese submarine base is systematizing training, maintenance and daily discipline to turn individual expertise into collective, repeatable capability. Through structured qualification paths, hands‑on ‘‘checkpoint’’ training and strict housekeeping rules, junior crew members are being rapidly professionalized, improving operational readiness and reducing human error risks.
U.S. to Open Diplomatic Outpost in Venezuela as Washington Consolidates Control
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced plans to open a diplomatic facility in Venezuela to obtain "real‑time information" and engage directly with Caracas following a U.S. operation that removed President Nicolás Maduro. The step formalizes Washington's on‑the‑ground role and raises questions about sovereignty, regional reactions, and future access to Venezuelan oil resources.
Walls of Keepsakes: How Remote Northern Outposts Turn Memory into Mission
Soldiers at three remote posts in the Daxing'anling forest have transformed dormitory walls into visual records of endurance and craft—photographs, grain mosaics and birch‑bark bookmarks that memorialize repairs, promotions and family ties. These grassroots practices sustain morale, preserve tacit knowledge and underscore how routine, low‑tech labor keeps strategic communications links alive in extreme winter conditions.
France Bets on Swarms: Rapid, Trial‑Driven Push to Field Unmanned Naval and Air Systems
France is fast‑tracking unmanned naval and aerial systems by funding prototype competitions and using operational trials to pick winners, aiming to field armed surface drones and new loitering munitions within two years. Procurement reforms favour decentralised, experiment‑led buying and closer ties between start‑ups and large defence firms to accelerate capability delivery and preserve industrial capacity through exports.
US Trials Single-Operator Combat Drone Swarms, Pushing Warfare Toward AI-Driven Asymmetry
The US military has tested a "one-to-many" drone tactic in which a single operator simultaneously controlled three armed drones to hit different targets, showcasing advances in AI-enabled autonomy. The exercise underlines both the tactical promise of swarming—rapid, distributed attacks that confer asymmetric advantages—and the operational challenges of scaling command-and-control and surviving electronic warfare in contested environments.
Netanyahu Vetoes Gaza Rebuilding Until ‘Complete’ Demilitarization, Rules Out Palestinian State
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel will not permit the reconstruction of Gaza until it is fully demilitarized, rejected Palestinian statehood, and barred Turkey and Qatar from participating in any international stabilization force. His stance complicates a U.S. plan to move from ceasefire to phased governance, disarmament and rebuilding, and raises the prospect of a prolonged humanitarian and political stalemate.
France Sends Nuclear Carrier to North Atlantic as Greenland Tensions Rise
France has dispatched its nuclear carrier Charles de Gaulle to join Orion 26, a large multinational exercise scheduled for February–April that French media place in the North Atlantic. The deployment, timed with diplomatic talks between Paris, Copenhagen and Greenland’s autonomous government, underlines Paris’s bid to shape security dynamics around Greenland and project high-end naval power in a strategically sensitive region.
India Parades New ‘Hypersonic’ Anti-Ship Missile as It Seeks a Place in a Narrow Club
India used its Republic Day parade to unveil a long‑range, truck‑mounted weapon the government presents as a hypersonic anti‑ship missile, alongside a suite of new indigenous platforms. The display signals New Delhi’s push to join a small group of states fielding advanced high‑speed strike systems, though technical and operational questions about the missile remain.