World News
Latest world news and updates
Total: 2303
Taiwan’s Indigenous Submarine Finally Dives After Prolonged Delays, Tests to Continue into Mid‑2026
Taiwan’s first domestically built submarine, Haikun, completed its initial submerged test on 26 January 2026 after a series of delays tied to systems-integration problems. The programme missed its original November 2025 delivery date and now faces additional staged trials with a new handover target around June 2026, leaving questions about the timeline for boosting Taiwan’s undersea deterrent.
Last Men Standing on 101 Heights: How a Small Unit’s Sacrifice Turned the Tide at Heishan
In October 1948 the Northeast Field Army halted and reversed a major Nationalist thrust at Heishan by combining concentrated artillery fires, rapid reserve counterattacks and tenacious small-unit defence on the 101 Heights. The victory played a critical role in the Liaoshen campaign, accelerating the collapse of the Nationalist Ninth Corps and the liberation of Northeast China. The fight at 101 Heights remains a celebrated example in PLA historiography of how tactical resilience and combined-arms action can overcome superior numbers.
China Opens First High‑Speed Link Between Revolutionary Hubs Yan’an and Zunyi, Halving Journey Time
China launched its first direct high‑speed rail service between Yan’an and Zunyi on 26 January, cutting travel time from over 16 hours to just over eight. The new link strengthens a north‑south corridor through Xi’an, Chengdu and Chongqing, boosting red‑tourism, regional connectivity and development prospects for interior revolutionary districts.
Gunmen Storm Football Match in Salamanca, Killing 11 as Guanajuato Violence Escalates
Gunmen opened fire at a football pitch in Salamanca, Guanajuato on 25 January, killing 11 and wounding 12. The attack highlights escalating violence in a state known for cartel turf wars and fuel-theft crimes and raises questions about the effectiveness of local and federal security measures.
Beyond the ‘Kill Line’: Why China’s Institutions Cushion Shocks That Rout U.S. Middle‑Class Households
Chinese commentators have seized on a viral US‑based concept called the “kill line” to illustrate how high fixed costs and financialisation can quickly push American households into destitution. By contrast, China’s mix of rural land rights, large‑scale poverty alleviation, public subsidies and protective financial policies creates institutional buffers that reduce the likelihood of sudden social collapse.
Trump’s 100% Tariff Threat Puts Canada Between Washington and Beijing
A tentative Canada–China trade deal to cut tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles in exchange for restored canola access has prompted President Trump to threaten a 100% U.S. tariff on all Canadian imports. The standoff exposes Canada’s vulnerability to U.S. leverage, China’s growing ambition in the EV market, and the broader strategic contest over trade in North America.
Washington and Baghdad Discuss Moving ISIS Detainees to Iraqi Prisons After Unrest in Northeast Syria
The U.S. State Department reported a January 25 call between Secretary of State Rubio and Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' al‑Sudani about transferring IS detainees from northeastern Syria into Iraqi custody. The talks reflect urgent security concerns after instability in Kurdish-held areas, but transfers would raise legal, logistical and geopolitical complications for Iraq and regional actors.
How an Eight‑Year ‘Most Beautiful’ Awards Program Reveals the PLA’s Priorities: From Steadfast Guards to Chip Warriors
An eighth annual awards ceremony in a PLA Information Support Force brigade shifted honours toward technologists and systems innovators, signalling a clear institutional preference for indigenisation, experimentation and doctrinal renewal. The event and accompanying incentive mechanisms show how the PLA is rewarding risk‑taking and technical breakthroughs as it seeks to build a more resilient, modern fighting force.
Teaching Diplomacy: How China Is Training a New Generation to Tell Its Story
Chinese universities are reframing political education to teach students how to translate national diplomacy into everyday stories and lived experience. Through fieldwork, debates and overseas internships, educators aim to produce a generation able to explain and embody China’s global role in tangible, relatable terms.
China’s 48th Escort Flotilla Demonstrates Blue‑Water Reach with At‑Sea Replenishment off East Africa
China’s 48th escort flotilla completed an underway replenishment between the replenishment ship Taihu and the destroyer Tangshan off East Africa after taking part in the “Peace Will‑2026” exercise. The operation highlights the PLAN’s growing ability to sustain long‑range deployments and maintain a persistent naval presence far from home ports.
Washington Reorders Priorities: Defense Strategy Pivots to the Western Hemisphere and Demands Allies Pay Up
The U.S. 2026 National Defense Strategy reorients American priorities toward securing the homeland and the Western Hemisphere, explicitly protecting strategic corridors from Greenland to the Panama Canal while urging allies to shoulder more defence responsibilities. It downplays naming China as the principal threat and omits Taiwan, opting instead for deterrence measures in the Indo‑Pacific, a stance that has unsettled European, Latin American and Asian partners.
China’s J-15T Adapted for Catapult Launches, Signalling a Step-Change in Carrier Aviation
China has introduced a J-15 variant equipped with a catapult tow bar, allowing it to launch from catapult-equipped carriers. This adaptation signals a broader move toward CATOBAR operations that could enhance payload, range and sortie rates for Chinese carrier air wings, though operational and logistical challenges remain.