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Asia
China
Dec 30, 2025, 9:55 PM CET New Pentagon maps show the size and estimated ranges of China's vast missile arsenal. Missiles can reach Taiwan, the Philippines, Japan, Guam, and even the continental US. China's missile branch, known as the People's Liberation Army Rocket Force has received a lot of investment, it has seen substantial growth and capability upgrades amid the country's military modernization. Beijing builds new platforms for conventional and nuclear strike. The latest Pentagon report on China's military offers estimates for the number of launchers and missiles in the Chinese arsenal, including the country's intercontinental ballistic missiles, key parts of its nuclear deterrent. Chinese ICBMs include missiles like the DF-5 and DF-41. The Pentagon estimates China has 550 ICBM launchers and 400 missiles with estimated ranges beyond 5,500 km, the threshold for classification as an ICBM. For China's medium-range ballistic missiles, such as China's DF-21s or hypersonic DF-17, the Pentagon assesses that China has 300 launchers for 1,300 missiles with ranges between 1,000 and 3,000 km. The report also documented increases in the number of launchers and missiles for some notable systems. China's intermediate-range ballistic missiles, like the DF-26 missile, jumped from 250 launchers in last year's report to 300 this year, and the number of IRBMs total went from 500 to 550. The Pentagon highlighted in its report that the Rocket Force could play an important role in a Chinese invasion of Taiwan or other regional conflict. According to the latest report, China's rocket force is prepared to conduct missile attacks against high-value targets, including Taiwan's C2 [command and control] facilities, air bases, and radar sites as well as deter or delay the US or its allies and partners from coming to Taiwan's aid. The Pentagon said that the Rocket Force has continued to rehearse strikes in recent military exercises, including 2024 drills simulating an invasion or blockade of Taiwan. One map in the report shows the estimated reach of Chinese missiles that could be particularly relevant in a fight over Taiwan, weapons such as ship- and shore-launched surface-to-air missiles for knocking out hostile aircraft, as well as anti-ship cruise missiles fired from naval platforms like Chinese destroyers and land-based close- and short-range ballistic missiles. Another Pentagon map shows the estimated reach of China's conventional strike missiles, including the DF-17 and DF-21 MRBMs, the DF-26 IRBM, and the newly fielded DF-27 ICBM, which, like the DF-26 and some DF-21s, has an anti-ship role in addition to land attack. Many of these systems can reach across the first island chain, which includes Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines, while longer-range missiles extend toward the second island chain and beyond. The DF-26 weapon, nicknamed the Guam Express, can be armed with either conventional or nuclear warheads and reach US installations on Guam. It can target US aircraft carriers and other surface ships as well. Bombers, like China's H-6, carrying CJ-20 cruise missiles could threaten parts of Alaska. The DF-27 can range parts of the continental United States. The Department of Defense report also looks at China's nuclear strike options, such as land-based ICBMs and submarine-launched ballistic missiles. This year, at a military parade in Beijing, China unveiled new, previously unseen ICBMs, including the new DF-61 and DF-31BJ. Those weapons, are not included in the Pentagon's assessments. China continues to bolster its nuclear warhead count, estimated at over 600 warheads. The Pentagon still assesses that the Chinese military is on its way to 1,000 warheads by 2030, only a fraction of the US and Russian stockpiles. A Pentagon map estimating the ranges of Chinese missiles available for nuclear strike indicates that three - the DF-5, DF-41, and DF-31 - all have the continental US well within range, while the submarine-launched JL-3 missile can hit most of it from waters near China. Questions remain on the differences in quality and capabilities of Chinese weapons and training compared to the US. The Pentagon also believes China is still navigating the impacts of a vast anti-corruption campaign in the military that has particularly targeted PLARF officials. The campaign could be detrimental if driven by political agendas, or it could deliver long-term improvements if it addresses actual problems within the force. (Source: Business Insider - U.S.)
India
01.01.026 India yesterday officially took over the rotating presidency of the BRICS grouping for 2026. World Bank data shows that the expanded grouping accounts for roughly 49 percent of the global population, 29 percent of worldwide GDP and 23 percent of international trade. In February, Trump cautioned BRICS nations against introducing a shared currency, saying he had warned the bloc that if they want to play games with the dollar, then they're going to be hit with a 100 percent tariff. Facing Trump tariffs, India will likely resist confrontational de-dollarization, and instead promote local currency settlements to maintain strategic autonomy, according to Gandhi, an associate fellow at India’s Vivekananda International Foundation. India will also push for reforms in multilateral institutions like the World Trade Organisation and International Monetary Fund while encouraging dialogue that reduces fragmentation and promotes stability in global supply chains, she was quoted as saying. At the same time, India will also support reform of global governance institutions like the United Nations Security Council, the World Bank and the IMF, Sharma, a senior research fellow at NatStrat, a New Delhi-based think tank said. He said issues such as food and fuel shortages, debt relief and climate finance will be central to India's 2026 BRICS presidency, which could face some challenge from America's G20 presidency. Meanwhile, Pakistan, which is grappling with economic difficulties, has expressed interest in joining the BRICS-backed New Development Bank as it looks to diversify its sources of financing. Islamabad applied for BRICS membership in 2023 with backing from Russia and China. India is likely to push for clearly defined criteria for BRICS membership so that the bloc does not lose its significance due to [any] unplanned expansion, Sharma said. Gandhi echoed that view, noting that New Delhi wants expansion to enhance the bloc’s effectiveness, rather than politically driven admissions. (Source: TRT World - Turkey)
Iran
Friday, January 2, 2026 2:28 PM CET U.S. President Trump wrote on his Truth Social network that Washington was ’locked and loaded’ and ready to intervene if the Iranian authorities kill peaceful protesters in nationwide demonstrations. Shamkhani, political adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei, warned Trump to back off. The people of Iran are well acquainted with the experience of Americans coming to the rescue, from Iraq and Afghanistan to Gaza. Any hand of intervention that approaches Iranian security with pretexts will be severed by a regret-inducing response. Iran’s national security is a red line, not fodder for adventurist tweets, Shamkhani wrote on X. (Source: Politico - U.S.)
(Thursday), Jan 01, 2026, 9:44 am EST Cost-of-living demonstrations broke out on Sunday in Tehran. The protests spread after students from at least 10 universities joined in on Tuesday. Shopkeepers went on strike over high prices and economic stagnation. Protesters and security forces clashed in several Iranian cities today, with six reported killed. The demonstrations are smaller than the last major outbreak of unrest in 2022. Iranian President Pezeshkian has sought to calm tensions, acknowledging protesters' legitimate demands, and he urged the government today to take action to improve the economic situation. Authorities, however, have also promised to take a firm stance, and have warned against exploiting the situation to sow chaos. On Wednesday evening, the arrest of seven people was described as being affiliated with groups hostile to the Islamic Republic based in the United States and Europe. Iran is in the middle of an extended weekend, with the authorities declaring Wednesday a bank holiday at the last minute, citing the need to save energy during the cold weather. The weekend in Iran begins on Thursday, and Saturday is a long-standing national holiday. The inflation rate in December was 52 percent year-on-year, according to the Statistical Centre of Iran, an official body. The national currency, the rial, has lost more than a third of its value against the US dollar over the past year, while double-digit hyperinflation has been undermining Iranians' purchasing power for years. (Source: Barron’s - U.S. / Agence France Presse)
Japan
December 31, 2025 Japan’s deployment of F-15J Fighters was one of the most underrated geopolitical moments of 2025. Japan dispatched F-15J fighters, along with supporting transport aircraft, personnel, and planners, on a tour that took Japanese forces to North America and Europe. The Japanese force visited Canada, Germany, and the United Kingdom for a series of high-profile training exercises aimed at deepening interoperability with NATO partners. The Japanese Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) mission operated out of two different hubs in Europe, RAF Coningsby and Laage Air Base in Germany. The last time an Asian combat force was deployed to Europe - exempting colonial units and the transcontinental Ottoman Empire - was during World War I, when Japanese warships conducted anti-submarine patrols and protected convoys from German and Austrian attacks. Beginning in 1917, 14 Japanese destroyers (with cruisers in support) operated under direct British command out of bases in Malta. These Japanese warships played a key role in protecting British, Australian, New Zealand, and Indian troops aboard. The new era of military cooperation in particular recalls the Anglo-Japanese Alliance (1902–1922), which once linked the two island countries across the Eurasian landmass. The deployment demonstrated that the JASDF’s F-15J fleet has an ongoing modernization program to enhance survivability in contested environments and enable data sharing. The upgrades are also meant to ensure their interoperability with NATO – one of the themes of the September deployment. (Source: The National Interest – U.S.)
Syria
Dec. 31, 2025, 4:02 AM GMT+1 U.S. Central Command, which oversees the Middle East said in a statement on X yesterday that nearly 25 operatives of the islamic state group were killed or captured in Syria this month. The latest operations followed a Dec. 13 ambush that occurred near the ancient city of Palmyra. Two members of the Iowa National Guard and a civilian interpreter from Michigan were killed, while three other U.S. troops and members of Syria’s security forces were wounded. 11 missions were carried out over the past 10 days and followed initial strikes against is weapons sites and infrastructure on Dec. 19, which hit 70 targets across central Syria. In the operations since, the U.S. military and other forces from the region, including Syria, killed at least seven is members and eliminated four weapons caches, to root out the isis threat posed to U.S. and regional security. Adm. Cooper leads the command. A growing collaboration between the United States and Syria’s relatively new government meant that U.S. forces were able to attack is in areas of the country where they previously did not operate. ’The goal, like in Iraq’, is to ultimately hand over the effort fully to the Syrians. The initial retaliatory strike on is targets in Syria included fighter jets from Jordan. (Source: NBC News - U.S.)
Taiwan
30.12.2025 On day 2 of exercise, the impact of the Chinese military's live-fire drill was inside Taiwan's 24-nautical-mile line, according to Taiwan’s Defense Ministry. The ministry also said that 130 PLA aircraft, 14 naval vessels, and eight official ships were operating around Taiwan up until 6 am (2200GMT Monday). 90 out of 130 sorties crossed the median line and entered Taiwan’s northern, central, southwestern and eastern ADIZ (air defense identification zone), it added. Drills involving assaults on maritime targets, anti-air and anti-submarine operations were carried out north, south of island. 'Parts of all five of the drill zones designated by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) for live-fire drills today are within Taiwan's territorial waters,' the Taiwanese military also said. (Source: Anadolu Agency - Turkey)
Turkey
31/12/2025 Turkish authorities have arrested 29 individuals as part of ongoing efforts to combat the terrorist organization isis as the Istanbul Public Prosecutor’s Office has announced. 28 of the suspects are accused of spreading isis propaganda on social media. The detentions followed an investigation by the Istanbul Anti-Terrorism Branch, acting on instructions from the Public Prosecutor’s Office. Counter-terrorism teams carried out coordinated raids across 29 locations early Wednesday, seizing three pistols, ammunition, and organizational documents. Turkish Interior Minister Yerlikaya reported the arrest of 357 suspects across 21 provinces during simultaneous anti-isis raids conducted recently nationwide. (Source: SANA - Syria)
Yemen
Dec 30, 2025 5:27 pm KST Saudi Arabia bombed Yemen's port city of Mukalla today over what it described as a shipment of weapons for the separatist forces of the Southern Transitional Council there that arrived from the United Arab Emirates. The kingdom later directly linked the UAE to the separatists' recent advances in Yemen. Saudi Arabia and the UAE maintain close relations and are members of the OPEC oil cartel, but have competed for influence and international business in recent years. Riyadh and Abu Dhabi had been backing competing sides in Yemen’s decadelong war against the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. Yemen’s anti-Houthi forces declared a state of emergency today, ending its cooperation with the UAE and ordering all Emirati forces within its territory to evacuate within 24 hours. Sudan is another nation on the Red Sea, where the kingdom and the Emirates support opposing forces in that country’s ongoing war. (Source: The Korea Times - South Korea / AP - U.S.)
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