World News
Latest world news and updates
Total: 2262
Images of Destruction in Tehran’s Heart Raise Stakes for Regional Escalation
State media photographs show damaged buildings near Tehran’s Revolution Square after an aerial strike on March 4, underscoring a worrying escalation by bringing violence into Iran’s capital. The strike raises political, regional and economic stakes by increasing the risk of retaliatory measures and broader instability in the Middle East.
Stranded and Resilient: How Chinese Workers in the Middle East Are Weathering a Sudden Regional War
A sudden escalation of hostilities in late February exposed thousands of Chinese expatriates in the Middle East to direct risk, testing both their contingency plans and regional authorities’ crisis-management. While some evacuated via flights and overland routes, many stayed, citing stable supplies and government support; the incident highlights the need for more resilient business models and deepens the strategic significance of the Gulf as a tested hub for Chinese trade and investment.
Washington Threatens 15% Global Import Duty This Week, Renewing Trade Uncertainty for China and Allies
U.S. officials indicated a temporary global import duty could rise from 10% to 15% imminently, a move designed to replace tariffs the Supreme Court found legally unsupported. The administration says it will seek to reinstate higher, more defensible tariffs within five months using other trade statutes, a plan that has unsettled markets and alarmed trade partners.
Chopping Wood and Buying Time: How Germany Is Paying to Keep Its Industry and Climate Goals Alive
Germany’s energy shock since the Russian gas cutoff has forced a costly rebalancing: households are reverting to wood stoves while the state bankrolls industry and presses ahead with decarbonisation. Berlin’s mix of emergency purchases, subsidies, and long‑term investments in heat pumps and green hydrogen aims to reconcile security, affordability and climate goals — a socially and fiscally intensive experiment whose outcome will shape Europe’s industrial future.
U.S. and Israel Renew Strikes on Iran’s Underground Missile Sites, Satellite Imagery Shows
Satellite imagery and analysis indicate U.S. and Israeli strikes have renewed focus on Iran’s underground ballistic missile facilities, including sites rebuilt after June 2025 attacks. The use of B‑2 bombers with large penetrator warheads signals an effort to reach buried infrastructure, but eliminating such capabilities without ground forces is unlikely to be decisive.
Lost Wartime Letters, Found Across Borders: How 300+ Korean War Notes Are Returning to Chinese Families
A South Korean scholar digitised over 300 handwritten letters sent by Chinese volunteers in the Korean War and posted them online, prompting Zhejiang University alumni and local veterans' bureaus to track down and return copies to families. So far seven published letters have produced six successful reunions, highlighting the power of transnational archival cooperation and the enduring personal cost of the 1950–53 conflict.
South Korea Deepens Defence Ties with the Philippines — Quiet on the South China Sea
South Korea and the Philippines upgraded ties during President Lee Jae‑myung’s state visit, signing memoranda that expand defence cooperation from arms sales to sustainment, AI and critical minerals. Lee avoided public mention of the South China Sea, underscoring Seoul’s careful balancing between deepening security ties in Southeast Asia and managing relations with China.
France and Germany Forge Closer Nuclear Deterrence Partnership, Signalling a New Phase in European Security
France and Germany have launched a high‑level partnership to coordinate nuclear deterrence, combining French nuclear capability with German conventional forces and broader European cooperation. Paris will stop publishing detailed nuclear force numbers and inaugurates a doctrine of “forward deterrence” that offers partners increased participation in deterrent exercises, while both governments say the move is meant to complement NATO rather than replace it.
China’s Boao Forum Secretary-General Urges Ceasefire and Multilateralism as Middle East Escalates
Zhang Jun, Boao Forum secretary-general and CPPCC member, urged an immediate halt to military actions in the Middle East and called for renewed dialogue and strengthened multilateral governance. He warned that the recent US–Israeli strikes against Iran risk broad economic and humanitarian fallout and stressed global interdependence and the need to uphold the UN Charter.
Bureaucracy and Underfunding Threaten Europe’s Defence Tech Edge — and Its Strategic Autonomy
A Roland Berger study finds Europe’s defence-innovation system underfunded, fragmented and too risk‑averse to keep pace with rivals. The consultancy calls for flexible procurement, deeper industry‑defence integration and coordinated EU funding to prevent a loss of strategic autonomy.
Macron Rejects US–Israel Strikes on Iran, Sends Carrier Group to Secure Straits and Suez
President Macron has publicly rejected recent US and Israeli military action against Iran as unlawful and deployed the carrier Charles de Gaulle and escort ships to the eastern Mediterranean to help secure key maritime chokepoints. Paris says it is forming an "alliance" to protect global trade routes amid growing regional instability and rising energy and shipping risks.
Iran Accuses US and Israel of Striking Natanz, Urges IAEA to Condemn ‘Illegal’ Attack
Iran has accused the United States and Israel of conducting two strikes on the Natanz nuclear facility and has asked the IAEA to condemn the attacks. Tehran stresses its programme is peaceful, vows legal action, and signals defensive measures while the incident heightens risks of escalation and complicates diplomatic efforts over its nuclear activities.