World News
Latest world news and updates
Total: 501
Blast in Kabul Kills Seven, Including One Chinese National, Raising Questions About Foreign Security in Afghanistan
An explosion in Kabul on 19 January killed seven people, including one Chinese national, and injured several others. The blast near a Sino‑Afghan restaurant has prompted a Chinese embassy security advisory and highlights the ongoing risks to foreign nationals and projects in Afghanistan.
Beijing Says China-Cambodia Crackdown on Cross‑Border Telecom Fraud Is Showing Results
China’s foreign ministry said it has achieved notable results working with Cambodia to combat cross‑border telecom and internet fraud, and that its embassy in Phnom Penh is coordinating with Cambodian authorities after reports of Chinese nationals escaping fraud compounds. The comments underline Beijing’s emphasis on protecting overseas citizens and the diplomatic pressure on Cambodia to act against criminal networks operating on its soil.
Trump’s “Peace Commission” Risks Becoming a U.S.-Led Alternative to the U.N.
The Trump administration’s newly announced “Peace Commission,” initially framed as overseeing Gaza’s transition, has a leaked draft that suggests a global remit and concentrated authority under Trump. The proposal has prompted international unease, legal questions about its mandate beyond Gaza, and criticism for sidelining Palestinian representation while potentially undercutting the U.N.
From Return to Ruins: How West Bank Refugees’ Smallest Right — to Go Home — Has Been Shrunk to a Van and a Promise
Israeli military operations in West Bank refugee camps since January last year have displaced over 40,000 Palestinians, with at least 850 buildings destroyed in Nur Shams, Jenin and Tulkarm by the end of 2025. For many refugees the once-grand political demand of a return to ancestral lands has been hollowed out into a basic plea: permission to return to the makeshift homes inside the camps. The demolitions carry acute humanitarian costs and broader political consequences, potentially entrenching dispossession and complicating any prospects for a negotiated settlement.
A Soldier’s Promise: How a Veteran Kept a War-Time Oath to Care for a Comrade’s Mother for Four Decades
A retired Chinese soldier, Yu Shuirong, has visited the mother of his fallen comrade every month for more than 40 years after making a battlefield pledge in 1984 to care for her. His sustained attention turned a wartime oath into a multigenerational bond that resonates with broader Chinese values of loyalty and filial piety.
EU Emergency Talks Expose Rift Over Response to U.S. Tariff Threats
EU ambassadors held an emergency meeting after U.S. tariff threats tied to the Greenland dispute, but failed to agree on activating the bloc’s strongest countermeasures. A €93 billion tariff list exists as a deterrent, yet internal divisions — notably between France and Italy — left Brussels favoring delay and diplomacy ahead of a possible leaders’ encounter with President Trump at Davos.
Danish F‑35s Extend Arctic Reach in Joint Refuelling Drill with French Tanker over Greenland
Two Danish F‑35 fighters and a French aerial tanker completed a joint refuelling exercise over Greenland on 19 January 2026. The drill highlights NATO interoperability and the logistical importance of air refuelling for sustained operations in the strategically sensitive Arctic region.
Transatlantic Showdown: EU Weighs €93bn Retaliation as Greenland Dispute Escalates
A US push for Greenland and associated tariff threats have prompted the EU to consider a sweeping €93 billion retaliation and to revive a proposed “anti‑coercion” mechanism. Europe seeks to deter Washington’s pressure while avoiding a damaging trade war and managing internal divisions and NATO dependencies.
US Lawmaker Warns Seizing Greenland by Force Would Fracture NATO Ties
A US lawmaker warned that any forcible attempt to seize Greenland would put Washington at odds with NATO allies and damage transatlantic cohesion. Greenland’s strategic position in the Arctic, combined with rising great-power competition, makes respect for sovereignty and alliance consultation essential to regional stability.
Brinkmanship in Brussels: EU Weighs Tariffs on €93bn of US Goods as Greenland Dispute Escalates
The EU is debating reactivating a €93bn list of punitive tariffs and possibly using an anti‑coercion mechanism in response to US threats tied to Greenland. Officials hope the threat of retaliation will strengthen Europe's bargaining position at Davos and generate domestic US pressure to reverse Washington's move.
China Scrambles to 'Stabilize' Births as Population Falls Below 1.41 Billion
China recorded 7.92 million births in 2025 and a population decline of 3.39 million as the government pivoted from loosening birth limits to actively seeking to stabilise new births. A mix of cash subsidies, preschool support and administrative reforms has helped marriages rebound, offering a possible short-term boost to births, but structural demographic forces make a large, rapid reversal unlikely.
Postal Workers Join Minneapolis Protests, Demand ICE Leave After Fatal Shooting of Local Woman
Postal workers in Minneapolis marched to demand that ICE withdraw its agents following the January 7 shooting death of Rayne Nicole Good during an ICE operation. The protests, which link labor concerns to immigrant-rights grievances, intensify scrutiny of ICE tactics and deepen local-federal tensions over enforcement and public safety.