World News
Latest world news and updates
Total: 487
Carrier Group, Missiles and Midnight Diplomacy: Why US‑Iran Tensions Are Back on a Knife‑Edge
The US has massed naval and air assets around Iran, prompting Tehran to declare maximum readiness and Israel to enter heightened alert. While Washington appears to prefer coercive pressure and limited strikes over full‑scale invasion, the risk of miscalculation, proxy escalation and disruption to global energy and shipping routes is elevated.
A Young Veteran on Thin Ice: Fatal Rescue in Shenyang and the Quiet Courage Behind It
Jin Chenglong, a 26-year-old former naval serviceman and medical student, died on 23 January after running across thin ice to save a father and son on Shenyang's Hun River. His quiet record of 13 blood donations, organ-donor registration and a well-used first-aid kit have become touchstones for public admiration and a prompt for policy and safety discussions.
A Costly Gamble: Japan’s Takaichi Retreats After US Demand for Bigger Defence Bill
Japan’s prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, quietly scaled back hawkish rhetoric after a visit from a senior US defence official who urged Tokyo to boost defence spending toward 5% of GDP. The encounter exposed the strain between Washington’s demand for greater burden‑sharing and Japan’s domestic politics, while Beijing’s export controls and military pressure limit Tokyo’s room for manoeuvre.
Trump Picks Kevin Warsh for Fed Chair — a Hawkish Choice That Stokes Market Jitters
President Trump has nominated Kevin Warsh, a former Fed governor and Wall Street banker, to be Federal Reserve chair. Markets moved sharply on the news as investors priced in a more hawkish US monetary stance, while the nomination raises questions about Fed independence and global spillovers from tighter US policy.
The Sentinel Sinkhole: How a $141bn ICBM Upgrade Is Exposing Fault Lines in US Nuclear Renewal
The US LGM‑35A Sentinel ICBM programme has ballooned to roughly $141 billion and triggered a Nunn‑McCurdy breach after costs surged and schedules slipped. Much of the overrun stems from unexpectedly heavy investment in new hardened silos and associated infrastructure, creating risks to the timing and credibility of the US land‑based deterrent.
South Korean C-130 Makes Emergency Landing in Okinawa; Underscores Airlift Maintenance and ROK–Japan Cooperation
A South Korean C-130 experienced an engine power loss and made an emergency landing at a naval base in Okinawa on 30 January while en route to a defence exhibition in Saudi Arabia. Technicians replaced the faulty part, there were no injuries, and the aircraft continued later that day; the incident highlights maintenance issues and practical interoperability among U.S., Japanese and South Korean military facilities.
Iran’s Live‑Fire Drill at the Strait of Hormuz Raises Stakes for Global Energy and US–China–Russia Calculus
Iran has announced live‑fire naval drills in the Strait of Hormuz on 1–2 February, warning it could impose temporary closures and showcasing new capabilities including large numbers of drones. The move raises the risk of disruptions to global oil supplies and tests the responses of the United States, regional actors and potential backers such as China and Russia.
Israel and US Tighten Military Coordination as Washington Poised to Decide on Strikes on Iran
Israel and the United States are closely coordinating possible military action against Iran, with a US decision reportedly possible within days. Israeli officials warn that even limited US strikes on nuclear or missile sites could provoke significant Iranian retaliation and precipitate wider regional escalation, forcing Israel to respond militarily.
Baghdad Erupts Over Washington's Ultimatum: Protesters Decry US Interference After Trump Threatens Aid Over Maliki
President Trump's public warning to cut aid if Nouri al-Maliki returns as Iraq's prime minister sparked two nights of protests outside Baghdad's Green Zone, where demonstrators denounced U.S. interference. The incident highlights enduring Iraqi sensitivity to foreign influence and complicates Baghdad's fragile political balance between internal factions and external patrons.
Tehran Warns of Fallout After EU Labels Revolutionary Guard a ‘Terrorist’ Organization
The EU moved on 29 January to designate Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation, prompting strong condemnations from Tehran that called the decision illegal and dangerous. The move deepens transatlantic alignment on Iran but risks legal, diplomatic and security fallout that could complicate nuclear diplomacy and increase regional tensions.
U.S. Defense Secretary Expected to Miss NATO Meeting, Stoking Transatlantic Tensions
US Defense Secretary Hegseth is reportedly set to skip next month’s NATO defence ministers meeting in Brussels. If true, the absence would compound recent high‑level US no‑shows at NATO gatherings and risk heightening allied doubts about Washington’s commitment to the alliance.
South Korean C-130 Makes Emergency Landing in Okinawa En Route to Saudi Defence Expo
A South Korean C-130 transport made an emergency landing in Okinawa after one engine’s power dropped during a flight to a Saudi defence exposition; technicians replaced the faulty part and the aircraft departed later that day. The diversion, handled without injury, underscores routine maintenance and logistics challenges for long-range military flights and highlights practical benefits of regional basing and defence cooperation.