World News
Latest world news and updates
Total: 3486
Israel Raids Southern Lebanon and Seizes Alleged Hamas Ally, Raising Escalation Fears
Israeli forces conducted a ground raid on 9 February in southern Lebanon's Al-Koub area and seized a Lebanese man Israel says is allied with Hamas. The incident, along with reported drone strikes and air raids that injured civilians, underscores the fragile nature of the post-ceasefire frontier and raises the risk of broader escalation between Israel and Lebanese armed groups.
The Troubled Partnership Frays: US–Europe Rift Exposes a New Postwar Reality
Blunt American criticisms at high‑profile international meetings have exposed deepening fractures in US–European relations, driven by economic shifts, divergent values and contested security expectations. The rupture raises questions about NATO’s cohesion, the future of the liberal international order and Europe’s push for strategic autonomy, with broad consequences for global stability and alignment.
Sheinbaum Sends Second Aid Shipment to Cuba and Rebukes U.S. Sanctions as Unfair
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum announced a second humanitarian shipment to Cuba and publicly criticized U.S. penalties on countries that supply oil to the island, calling them unfair. Sheinbaum said Mexico will press for the removal of such sanctions, a stance that signals a more independent regional posture and could complicate relations with Washington.
Palestinians Urge Emergency International Response After Israeli Cabinet Approves Expanded West Bank Measures
Palestinian authorities and Hamas condemned an Israeli security cabinet decision to expand settlements and tighten West Bank control, urging emergency meetings of the Arab League, the OIC and the UN Security Council. Palestinians warn the measures violate international law and undermine prospects for a two-state solution while calling on the international community to take concrete action.
Hamas Rejects Disarmament and Foreign Rule, Widening Rift Over Gaza’s Future
In Doha on Feb. 8, Khaled Meshaal declared that Hamas will not disarm or accept foreign rule in Gaza, framing armed resistance as the right of an occupied people. His stance clashes with Israeli demands for full demilitarization before reconstruction, leaving mediators and donors with a difficult choice between urgent relief and long‑term security assurances.
Why Missiles Alone Won't Topple a Carrier: What the Escalating US–Iran Standoff Reveals About Modern Naval Power
Rising tensions between the United States and Iran have rekindled debate over whether long‑range ballistic missiles can neutralize U.S. aircraft carriers. While intercontinental missiles serve strategic deterrence, they are ill suited to hit moving naval formations; the real threat to carriers comes from more targeted anti‑ship systems and asymmetric tactics in confined waters. The standoff highlights a shift in naval competition: carriers remain central to power projection, but must be defended and complemented by new doctrines and technologies to remain credible in contested littorals.
Largest-Ever US–Japan ‘Iron Fist’ Exercise in Okinawa Signals Deeper Amphibious Integration—and Greater Regional Risk
The 2026 US–Japan 'Iron Fist' amphibious exercise, running 11 February–9 March, is the largest yet and spans 19 sites in and around Okinawa. With deeper operational integration between US and Japanese commands, expanded amphibious forces and sharpened political rhetoric in Tokyo and Washington, the drills both bolster deterrence and raise regional risks of miscalculation.
Netanyahu to Press Washington for Stricter Limits on Iran’s Enriched Uranium and Missile Arsenal
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu will press President Trump to force the removal of Iran’s enriched uranium and to constrain Tehran’s ballistic missile capabilities. Jerusalem’s assessments warn that Iran is dispersing missiles to complicate strikes and that its missile inventory could return to pre‑attack levels, while Israel weighs risks of wider regional retaliation by Hezbollah and the Houthis.
Iran Deploys 'Underground Missile City' and New MRBM, Putting Israel and Gulf Bases in Range
Iran's IRGC says it has placed a new Khorramshahr-4 medium-range missile in underground facilities and opened a fortified 'missile city,' claiming a 2,000 km range that would reach Israel and US bases in the Gulf. The move boosts survivability and signalling leverage but is likely to raise tensions, complicate regional defence planning and challenge arms-control efforts.
Viral Post Teaches 'How to Use a Grenade' — Another Sign of Militarized Online Pop Culture in China
A social-media style post on Huanqiu’s feed that read “Every day one small skill, today we learn grenade use” has drawn attention for normalizing weapons instruction in casual online formats. The item illuminates a wider trend of militarized pop culture in China and raises enforcement and safety questions for platforms and regulators.
Fatal Collapse in Tripoli Exposes Lebanon’s Crumbling Housing Stock
A residential building in Tripoli, northern Lebanon, collapsed on 8 February, killing five people and leaving at least eight rescued from the rubble. The disaster highlights the vulnerability of Lebanon’s ageing housing stock amid prolonged economic decline and weak regulatory capacity.
Beijing Rebukes Tokyo as Japanese Leader Signals Push to Normalize Yasukuni Visits
China’s foreign ministry condemned Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi after she said she was working to create conditions for visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, calling such moves a relapse into militarism on the 80th anniversary of the Tokyo Trials. Beijing framed the issue as central to Japan’s moral responsibility and regional trust, warning that denial of wartime crimes risks repeating them.