World News
Latest world news and updates
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Iran Says It Has a Deal Plan but Doubts U.S. Intentions Ahead of Geneva Talks
Iran says it has a negotiation plan ready for Geneva talks with the United States but expresses skepticism about U.S. commitment, noting Washington has accepted that Iran will not be required to halt enrichment or export nuclear material. Tehran also seeks to exclude missile and broader regional issues, particularly concerns about Israel, from the nuclear agenda.
Why Iran Has Few Friends: The Three Contradictions That Keep It Isolated
Iran’s limited friendship network stems from three intertwined contradictions: its revolutionary export and proxy strategy, the trade-off between security confrontation and economic dependence, and transactional ties with major powers rather than deep alliances. Domestic factionalism and fragile regional detente make lasting normalization unlikely, with consequences for regional stability and global policy choices.
Founder of APA Hotels Who Published Nanjing Massacre Denial Dies, Leaving a Controversial Legacy
Toshio Motoya, founder of APA Hotels and a prominent funder of Japan's right wing, has died aged 82. He was best known internationally for placing books in hotel rooms that denied the Nanjing Massacre and contested other wartime histories, a stance that sparked regional outrage and lasting reputational damage for his company.
Three US Service Members in Japan Arrested in Theft Cases, Raising Local Tensions Over Base Conduct
Three US service members stationed in Japan have been arrested on suspicion of theft, including two Marines from Iwakuni suspected of a series of thefts possibly exceeding ¥10 million and a Marine in Okinawa accused of taking a patron's bag worth about ¥780,000. The incidents revive local tensions over US bases, spotlight questions of troop discipline, jurisdiction, and local accountability under the Status of Forces framework.
Israeli Airstrike in Lebanon’s Bekaa Kills at Least Four, Raising Fears of Wider Escalation
An Israeli airstrike on 15 February struck a vehicle in Majdal Anjar, in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, killing at least four people. Israel said it targeted members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad; the attack underscores the risk that localized strikes will escalate tensions along Lebanon’s border with Israel and Syria.
Munich Aftermath: Transatlantic Alliance Intact but the Old Order Is Dead
At the Munich Security Conference, warm rhetoric from the U.S. masked deep policy disagreements that have hollowed out the post‑Cold War transatlantic order. European leaders, while publicly affirming ties with Washington, are openly exploring greater strategic autonomy — including talks about a shared or independent nuclear deterrent — in response to perceived U.S. unpredictability.
IAEA Chief Holds Technical Talks with Iran Ahead of Renewed Geneva Nuclear Talks
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi said he held technical discussions with Iran's foreign minister Araghchi to prepare for a second round of indirect U.S.–Iran nuclear talks in Geneva on February 17. The IAEA's engagement aims to settle verification details ahead of political negotiations that remain divided over sanctions relief and sequencing.
Trump Suspends China Tech Bans to Rescue April Visit — But Taiwan Arms Sales Could Still Derail Talks
President Trump has paused several US sanctions and restrictions on Chinese tech and transport firms in a bid to salvage a planned April visit to Beijing. Beijing has signalled that only a credible US shift on Taiwan — including freezing large arms sales and stronger public commitments to the one-China framework — would secure high-level engagement.
Night Watchers of Beijing’s Spring Festival: How Fire Crews Keep a Megacity Safe While Families Reunite
Beijing firefighters forgo Spring Festival reunions to staff mobile posts and micro fire stations, maintaining strict rapid-response standards that have reduced true fire incidents despite rising call volume. Their mix of routine inspections, public education and decentralized preparedness keeps densely populated neighbourhoods safe during the holiday surge. The story highlights a governance model that relies on disciplined personnel and community-level resources, offering lessons for other megacities balancing celebration and urban safety.
From Architect to Abandoner: How US 'Exit Storm' Is Rewiring Global Order
The Trump administration’s post‑2025 campaign of withdrawing from dozens of international organisations marks a strategic pivot from multilateral stewardship toward selective engagement and parallel institution‑building. The policy mixes large exits from soft governance bodies with sustained or increased investment in hard security instruments, producing greater fragmentation, trust deficits with allies, and a more contested global governance landscape.
Munich Aftermath: A Frayed Transatlantic Order and Europe’s Drift Toward Strategic Autonomy
The 62nd Munich Security Conference exposed widening fissures in transatlantic relations: conciliatory rhetoric from the United States masked hardline policy demands, while European leaders signalled growing interest in strategic autonomy — including preliminary talks on nuclear deterrence. The old post–Cold War order that sustained U.S.–Europe cooperation is fraying, forcing Europeans to weigh deeper defence integration against continued reliance on American security guarantees.
Israeli Airstrike in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley Kills at Least Four, IDF Says It Targeted Islamic Jihad Members
An Israeli airstrike on Feb. 15 hit a vehicle near the Syrian border in Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley, killing at least four people. The IDF said it targeted Palestinian Islamic Jihad members in Majdal Anjar, a development that raises the risk of wider escalation in a fragile border zone.