Good morning! It’s Wednesday, January 29, 2025, and we’re back with your midweek briefing on defense and global affairs. Here’s what’s making headlines today.
Kim Doubles Down on Nukes as Trump Offers Talks
Kim Jong Un isn’t backing down on his nuclear ambitions. North Korean state media reported Wednesday that Kim has vowed to continue expanding the country’s nuclear program “indefinitely,” even as newly re-elected US President Donald Trump signals he wants to restart diplomacy.
During a visit to a nuclear-material production facility, Kim warned that an “inevitable” confrontation with hostile nations is coming and called 2025 a “crucial year” for strengthening North Korea’s nuclear forces.
His remarks follow Pyongyang’s latest weapons test—a strategic cruise missile launch—just days after Trump returned to office on January 20.
Despite Trump’s past meetings with Kim and his recent praise of the North Korean leader as a “smart guy,” relations between the two Koreas remain tense.
North Korea has ramped up its missile tests, defying UN sanctions, while justifying its nuclear buildup as necessary for self-defense against the US and its allies.
With both leaders known for their unpredictable moves, the world will be watching to see if diplomacy—or escalation—takes center stage in the months ahead.
US Trains Philippine Troops on Missile System, China Reacts
The Philippines is ramping up its military capabilities with the help of the US, and China isn’t happy about it.
Next month, a Philippine Army platoon will start training on the US Typhon mid-range missile system, a move that’s sure to raise tensions with Beijing.
The missile system was first deployed in the northern Philippines last year for joint exercises, but it was never removed—something China sees as a direct provocation.
The training, led by US Army Pacific forces, will introduce new Philippine troops to the system’s capabilities ahead of this year’s Salaknib joint exercises.
While no missile launches are planned, the training will focus on operational readiness and logistics, including testing how easily the system can be moved to strategic locations.
China has strongly opposed the Typhon’s presence, accusing the Philippines of stoking an “arms race” and regional instability.
But Philippine military officials argue that the system enhances their ability to defend their maritime territory—particularly in the South China Sea, where tensions with China have been rising.
With the US and the Philippines deepening military ties and Beijing issuing fresh warnings, the region’s geopolitical landscape is getting even more heated.
Taiwan Tracks Suspicious Chinese Ships Near Undersea Cables
Taiwan is keeping a close eye on 52 suspicious Chinese-owned ships that could pose a risk to its undersea telecom cables.
The concern? These ships, which fly flags of convenience from countries like Mongolia, Cameroon, and Sierra Leone, may be part of a broader strategy by China to disrupt Taiwan’s communications in a potential conflict.
Earlier this month, Taiwan’s coast guard briefly detained a Cameroon-flagged vessel suspected of damaging an international cable.
Now, authorities have identified 15 high-risk ships, with five considered the biggest threats due to their extended time near Taiwan’s waters.
If these vessels loiter, slow down, or anchor near sensitive areas, Taiwan plans to warn them via radio—and if they don’t leave, the Coast Guard will intervene, collect evidence, or even board the ships.
With China repeatedly threatening to seize Taiwan, protecting these undersea cables is a critical national security priority.
After all, a well-placed cable cut could cripple Taiwan’s communication links, just as it did to Matsu’s islands in 2023, when two telecom lines were severed.
Sudan’s Crisis Deepens as Fighting Drives Families from Homes
Sudan’s humanitarian crisis is getting worse, with thousands of families fleeing North Darfur over just two days as paramilitary forces step up their attacks.
The UN migration agency reported that nearly 4,000 households were displaced from villages around El-Fasher between January 25 and 27, following looting and arson by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF).
The RSF, locked in a brutal war with Sudan’s army since April 2023, has captured every major city in Darfur except El-Fasher, which it has been trying to seize for months.
Last week, the group issued an ultimatum demanding government forces leave the city, but Sudan’s military and allied groups have fought back, leading to intense artillery shelling in residential areas.
The situation is dire. A drone attack on El-Fasher’s only working hospital last Friday, allegedly carried out by the RSF, killed 70 people and drew international condemnation.
Meanwhile, famine is tightening its grip—over 1.7 million people are displaced in North Darfur, with extreme food shortages affecting millions.
Some displacement camps are already in famine conditions, and the crisis is expected to spread further by May.
With tens of thousands dead and over 12 million people uprooted, Sudan’s war is fueling the world’s worst displacement crisis, and there’s no end in sight.
Russian Officials Visit Syria, Seek to Secure Military Bases
For the first time since Bashar al-Assad’s downfall, a Russian delegation has touched down in Damascus.
The visit, reported by Russian news agencies Tuesday, includes senior officials like Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and Putin’s special representative on Syria, Alexander Lavrentyev.
Moscow was one of Assad’s biggest supporters, backing him militarily since 2015. But after his unexpected ouster in December, he and his family fled to Russia, leaving the Kremlin scrambling to protect its interests in Syria.
The top priority? Holding onto Russia’s naval base in Tartus and its air base at Khmeimim—Moscow’s only military footholds outside the former Soviet Union.
Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, heads the Islamist group Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), which Russia officially designates as a terrorist organization.
However, Sharaa has been sending mixed signals, recently saying Syria and Russia still have deep strategic ties, given Moscow’s long-standing role in arming and maintaining Syria’s infrastructure.
Meanwhile, US and Ukrainian diplomats have already met with Syria’s new government, adding to the geopolitical chess game now unfolding in the region.
Russia Captures Key Village as Ukraine Fights to Hold the Line
Russia’s military keeps inching forward in Ukraine, with its latest advance taking the village of Dvorichna in the northeastern Kharkiv region.
The village, once home to 3,000 people, has changed hands before—seized by Russia early in the war, reclaimed by Ukraine in a counteroffensive, and now back under Moscow’s control.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces are locked in fierce battles in Chasiv Yar and Toretsk, two strategic towns in the Donetsk region.
Russian troops are pressing hard, bombarding Ukrainian positions with relentless artillery fire—140 shells in Chasiv Yar and over 80 in Toretsk—as they try to break through.
The fighting isn’t limited to the front lines. Russian airstrikes and drone attacks have hit multiple regions, including Kyiv, Odesa, and Kharkiv, leaving at least eight civilians wounded.
In Odesa, a school was damaged, and in Kharkiv, a massive fire broke out after a drone strike on a factory.
With Russia’s firepower outmatching Ukraine’s and troops advancing on key positions, Ukraine is fighting hard to hold the line. But the war’s momentum appears to be shifting—at least for now.
Sources: News Agencies
