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The U.S. has launched a diplomatic and financial effort to reduce reliance on Chinese-controlled processing of critical minerals by creating a roughly 30-country partnership and a $12 billion stockpile. Short-term measures can mitigate shocks, but long-term resilience requires building refining capacity, recycling and sustained industrial investment that cannot be solved by hoarding alone.

A Mexican navy vessel has delivered humanitarian supplies to Cuba, a symbolic breach of the U.S. embargo that has constrained the island for more than six decades. The shipment underscores growing Latin American willingness to challenge Washington’s policy and raises the question of whether regional actors can erode the embargo’s practical effectiveness through solidarity and alternative supply lines.

A viral post from China Military Vision highlighting a professional PLA cook unit does more than astonish internet users: it signals the Chinese military's emphasis on logistics, soldier welfare and image management. Such human-centred content both reassures domestic audiences and points to broader modernization priorities.

The UK has deployed six F-35B fighters to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus to bolster the defence of its sovereign base areas amid heightened US‑Iran tensions. The move coincided with Oman‑mediated talks between Washington and Tehran and a simultaneous White House announcement of tariffs targeting countries that trade with Iran, leaving the region in a delicate balance between diplomacy and deterrence.

The Chinese PLAAF’s Bayi aerobatic team performed at the Singapore Airshow on 7 February, offering a high-profile demonstration of pilot skill that serves both public-relations and strategic signalling purposes. The appearance underlines Beijing’s use of airshow diplomacy to project professionalism, advance defence-industry ties, and normalize its military presence in Southeast Asia.

Iran’s army chief vowed to defend national sovereignty while highlighting a military pivot toward precision, range, networking and AI. The remarks mix deterrent signalling to external rivals with a message of internal cohesion under Supreme Leader Khamenei.

The UN Secretary‑General welcomed the resumption of talks between Iran and the United States, a move that opens a modest diplomatic window. While symbolic and potentially stabilising for the region, meaningful progress will face significant political and technical hurdles and is likely to be slow and incremental.

Following indirect, Oman‑hosted talks with US interlocutors, Iran’s foreign minister Alaghaqi set two firm red lines: the country will not surrender its right to enrich uranium and will not negotiate its missile programme. The comments narrow the scope for a comprehensive deal and point toward limited, technical confidence‑building measures rather than a broader arms‑control bargain.

China’s J-10 fighter has evolved rapidly from the original J-10A through a limited J-10B run to the more capable J-10C, which now serves both combat and public diplomacy roles through the BaYi aerobatic team. The shift reflects fast advances in domestic radar and avionics — notably the move from passive to active phased‑array radars — and signals China’s ability to field large numbers of modern, multirole fighters.

The United States and Iran held indirect talks in Muscat on February 6 that both sides called a constructive start, but Tehran rejected any outright ban on uranium enrichment and Washington concurrently imposed sanctions on Iranian oil-related actors. The meeting, welcomed by regional states and the UN, took place amid intense military posturing and a narrow window for diplomacy, leaving outcomes uncertain.

A UN World Food Programme convoy was hit by a drone near El Obeid in North Kordofan, killing at least one person and injuring others, as drone incidents mount across Sudan. The attack, blamed by local medics on the Rapid Support Forces, highlights how the conflict’s spread into Kordofan and the growing use of drones endanger humanitarian operations and worsen an already dire relief situation.

Xiaomi’s robotics team unveiled TacRefineNet, a tactile‑only pose refinement model that can reduce grasping errors to millimetre precision without cameras or 3D object models. Demonstrated in both simulation and real‑world tests on automotive parts, the open publication of technical details could accelerate industrial adoption—provided hardware durability and generalisation challenges are addressed.

Omdia forecasts that the semiconductor industry will surpass $1 trillion in revenue by 2026, propelled primarily by a storage-led recovery and stronger AI deployment. The rebound is heavily concentrated in memory chips, while non-memory segments show only modest growth, raising questions about cycle concentration and supply-chain risk.

A public photograph confirms the J-15T carrier fighter is operationally paired with the supersonic YJ-15 anti-ship missile, signalling a meaningful upgrade in China's carrier-based strike capability. The combination enhances the PLA Navy's tactical ability to threaten large surface ships, while practical constraints and modern allied defenses temper its reach.

A Chinese Academy of Sciences team has developed a liquid‑nitrogen‑cooled calcium‑ion optical clock with a total systematic uncertainty of 4.4×10⁻19, claimed as the best reported so far. The result advances ultra‑precise timekeeping with implications for geodesy, navigation and a prospective redefinition of the second.

GAC has launched pre‑sales for the 2026 Trumpchi M8 HEV with two trims priced at ¥229,800 and ¥249,800, targeting family and executive MPV buyers seeking fuel efficiency without charging. The move reflects a broader strategy by Chinese automakers to expand hybrid offerings as a practical complement to plug‑in and pure electric models.

GAC Motor has launched pre-sales for the 2026 Trumpchi M8 HEV with two trims priced at ¥229,800 and ¥249,800, signaling a hybrid‑first strategy for its flagship MPV. The move reflects broader market dynamics in China where hybrids provide a practical bridge between conventional cars and fully electric models amid shifting incentives and consumer preferences.

Iran and the United States held indirect nuclear talks in Muscat on Feb. 6 that both sides described as a promising start but paused ‘‘temporarily’’ for consultations. Tehran insisted the dialogue remain limited to the nuclear file and rejected a precondition to cease uranium enrichment, while Washington emphasized diplomacy but kept military options visible.

Family members of Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic‑bomb survivors and both cities’ councils have protested proposals by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government to revise the "no‑import" element of Japan’s Three Non‑Nuclear Principles. The protests underline the moral authority of hibakusha and foreshadow a contentious domestic and diplomatic debate over Japan’s nuclear posture and its role under the US security umbrella.

At the Singapore Airshow, China’s AVIC showcased 26 advanced aircraft types with the J‑35A stealth fighter model centre stage, presenting a system‑level approach that mixes new manned fighters, export models and a multi‑layered family of UAVs. The exhibition was aimed at converting recent technological advances into export contracts and broader influence by offering turnkey, tiered packages that combine combat and emergency‑response capabilities.