Older women face a lower chance of fertility treatment working, even when using young donor eggs – with a marked drop-off from around the age of 49, new research suggests.

Experts studying 1,774 women say the findings challenge the idea that donor eggs can fully “reset” the reproductive clock, but should not put older couples off trying.

Women aged 49 and over had double the risk of miscarriage than those aged 35 to 40, and were also less likely to get pregnant.

Researchers believe age-related changes in the womb lining may be the cause and could be treatable in the future.

It might be possible to find ways to predict, prevent or improve womb age, they say.

Lead researcher Dr Beatrice Crestani, from an assisted reproduction medical institute in Italy, external, says that reproductive ageing has been seen as an ovarian issue, and that if you replace older eggs with younger donor ones, you “reset” the reproductive clock.

“Our findings suggest the picture is more complex,” adds Dr Crestani.

In the study, women in their mid to late 30s had a 54% chance of getting pregnant with donor eggs and IVF treatment; that fell to around 43% for those aged 49 or older.

Live birth rates declined from 46% to 32%, while miscarriage rates increased from 24% to 38%.

The researchers also noticed age-related changes to the womb lining or endometrium – where a fertilised egg or embryo implants to grow – in the older women.

While the thickness was similar, the condition declined with age.

Dr Crestani added: “These findings should not discourage women from pursuing donor-egg treatment, because success rates remain meaningful even at advanced ages.

“However, patients should be counselled that donor eggs cannot completely eliminate the effects of reproductive ageing, particularly beyond 49 years.”

In the study, the live birth rate was around 80% for women aged 35-40 and 62.5% among those aged 49 or older who transferred all available embryos.

People are walking along this busy main road as merchants sell fruit and household goods from small stalls.

This city scene is perhaps unremarkable, were it not for the fact that the fear of gang violence amongst the population has frequently scared people off the streets of the capital.

It is estimated that at least 26, sometimes heavily armed, gangs control perhaps up to 90 per cent of Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas fomenting terror amongst Haitians through violence, summary executions, extortion and kidnappings for ransom and preventing commerce by blocking the free flow of goods. 

Since the beginning of the year, gang violence has left more than 2,300 people dead and more than 1,100 injured.

What is different now is the mounting of patrols by a new UN Security Council-backed force called the Gang Suppression Force, or GSF, the base for which is located just a few blocks from the Boulevard du 15 Octobre.

On Tuesday, the UN Secretary-General António Guterres toured the base during a visit to Port-au-Prince.

“Their deployment offers a real opportunity to curb violence and restore the authority of the State,” he told journalists after the visit. “We have no right to waste this opportunity.”

He added that “gangs must be disarmed and dismantled and their members reintegrated – in a Haitian-led process,” reiterating that security alone is not enough, “it must be accompanied by political progress.”

The GSF is receiving logistical, operational and technical support, including the supply of rations, medical care, and transportation from the recently established UN Support Office in Haiti (UNSOH).

It plays a critical role in enabling the force to operate effectively, in its main tasks to neutralize gangs, protect vulnerable populations, and support humanitarian access.

“The objective is clear: to degrade the operational capacity of gangs to a level that Haitian institutions can sustainably manage,” the GSF head Jack Christofides told the Security Council in April.

It’s base, known as Camp Vertières, is in the process of being equipped to receive some of the 5550 personnel, which the Security Council mandated. Troops deployed from multiple countries are currently living on base and offices are being established in shipping containers. 

Years of instability

Haiti has suffered years of instability. Gang violence has contributed to some 1.5 million Haitians fleeing their homes.

Millions more Haitians require humanitarian support as poverty deepens, while the country has not had an elected president since the last incumbent, Jovenel Moïse, was assassinated in July 2021.

During his visit to Haiti, the UN chief also spoke to people who had been forced to flee due to gang violence. 

“I met families who have lost everything and yet are holding on, together, with a courage and a dignity that command admiration,” Mr. Guterres said. “These families did not ask for my sympathy. They are waiting for action.”

Renewed hope

Despite the challenges Haiti faces, there is renewed hope that as the GSF builds towards its mandated operational capacity, it will be able to make a positive difference to the everyday lives of Haitians, working alongside Haiti’s security forces.

The start of foot patrols and the establishment of forward operating bases across Port-au-Prince and outside the capital, will provide a greater sense of security to Haitians and help bring some normality back to their daily lives.

However, the GSF is expected to have a deeper and longer-lasting impact.

Working with countries in the region to disrupt the supply of guns and ammunition, by focusing more on border crossings and maritime smuggling routes, as well as interrupting financial flows to armed groups, it aims to ensure that gangs can no longer wage war.

Indifference of world to Haiti’s plight

“For the first time in many years, there’s finally some light at the end of the tunnel,” said Mr. Guterres at the end of his visit. “Haiti has a chance to turn a corner – but only if the international community assumes its responsibilities. Let’s be clear: gangs have been terrorizing Haiti. Institutions have been weakened,” he added.

“But the biggest disgrace is indifference, the indifference of a world that has looked away.”

If the partnership between the Haitian authorities, the GSF and the United Nations to tackle Haiti’s unprecedented security situation is a success then even more people will return with confidence to Boulevard du 15 Octobre and other parts of the capital.

According to HRW, the mercenaries were then trained in UAE military facilities in Ghiyathi and Al Wathba before covert deployment to war zones in Sudan where gross human rights violations such as mass extrajudicial killings, rape and gang rape, sexual slavery, looting and destruction of civilian infrastructure were allegedly committed.

In remarks to the Geneva-based international body, High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk called for urgent action to preserve the 2018 peace agreement between the Government and opposition to prevent fragmentation and retaliatory cycles that could spark a return to all-out civil war. 

He described the human rights situation as among the world’s forgotten crises. 

“We are at a dangerous point, when rising violence is combined with deepening uncertainty over South Sudan’s political trajectory, as the peace agreement comes under severe strain,” he warned. 

Civilians under attack 

Since December, both Government and opposition forces and their allied militias have launched attacks on residential areas in seven states, including Jonglei, where more than 280,000 people have fled their homes. 

The High Commissioner’s office, OHCHR, documented that 189 civilians were killed in January, and many more injured, as rights violations and abuses surged by 45 per cent over the previous month. 

“Civilians are bearing the brunt of a spike in indiscriminate attacks, including aerial bombardments, deliberate killings, abductions and conflict-related sexual violence,” he said. 

Military discipline lacking 

Mr. Türk noted that on both sides, “military discipline appears to have collapsed” in Jonglei and Eastern Equatoria state “where troops have demonstrated a near total disregard for civilian protection.” 

He said the recent escalation comes against a backdrop of rising tensions and civilian deaths throughout the past year.  More than 5,100 people were killed or injured in 2025, according to OHCHR – a 40 per cent increase over 2024.  The death toll included two UN staff members. 

OHCHR also monitored more than 250 individual cases of conflict-related sexual violence, though the true number of women and girls affected is likely much higher.  

Opposition forces and their allies also abducted 550 civilians, representing “a disturbing increase”. 

Hate speech, humanitarian crisis 

The rising tensions are characterized by hate speech and incitement to violence targeting entire communities and ethnic groups, the rights chief said.  

He highlighted an audio recording, authenticated by the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), in which “a senior military official urged his forces to spare no lives, and to destroy civilian homes, livestock, and property.”  

Mr. Türk also addressed the dire humanitarian situation, with millions requiring assistance, and the war across the border which has brought an influx of refugees and returnees, as both are “intrinsically linked to rising insecurity and wider human rights violations and abuses.”  

Code red for human rights 

In concluding his remarks, Mr. Türk stated that “human rights monitoring provides a warning system” and it “is flashing red for South Sudan.” 

He called for an immediate end to the hostilities and urged the warring parties to recommit to inclusive dialogue. 

Over 1.3 million fleeing Sudan face uncertainty 

Well over 1.3 million mainly South Sudanese people have returned to the country after fleeing Sudan’s ongoing war, the UN migration agency, IOM, reported on Friday. 

In an update from Juba, the agency’s Deputy Director for Operations, Ugochi Daniels, stressed that South Sudan is one of the most displacement-affected countries in the world, although the situation rarely features in the world’s media. 

“Nearly 10 million people require humanitarian assistance and more than 2.3 million people are displaced within the country,” she told journalists in Geneva via video. “Over the past two months alone, over 250,000 people have been displaced and yet this has hardly been registered on the international scene.” 

Aid workers killed 

The development follows an alert on Monday for the people of South Sudan issued by the UN’s top aid official, Tom Fletcher. Ahead of that warning, three aid workers were killed earlier this month in Jonglei and Upper Nile states. 

Fighting has been reported in both of those northeastern states between government forces and those loyal to Vice-President Riek Machar, who is on trial for treason and remains under house arrest. 

The violent insecurity has severely hampered humanitarian access, with UN aid operations suspended in parts of Upper Nile and northern Jonglei states. In some case, river corridors are being used to deliver food and nutrition relief where needs are greatest. 

Access appeal 

“We have received assurances of improvements in access, but the reality is that it’s fragile,” IOM’s Ms. Daniels said. “There may be access today, not access tomorrow. There’s huge impact on our operations.” 

She noted that in Bentiu, the country’s largest displacement site, more than 109,000 people live surrounded by floodwaters and are “increasingly exposed” to the impacts of climate change. 

To counter this, IOM has supported flood mitigation efforts with the South Sudanese Government and the World Bank which have led to successful land reclamation. 

 

Freshly back from a visit to the country UN Women’s Chief of Humanitarian Action Sofia Calltorp told reporters in Geneva of the suffering inflicted upon families left without heating, electricity and reliable shelter amid brutal winter conditions. Sixty-five per cent of Ukraine’s energy generation capacity has been destroyed by deliberate attacks.

“Those energy blackouts, they are not just technical disruptions,” she said. “They directly undermine women’s safety, protection and economic security.” 

Ms. Calltorp explained that extended darkness, lack of street lighting and disrupted transport “severely restrict women’s mobility and increase exposure to harassment and accidents.”

Many Ukrainian women work in sectors that are the hardest hit by extended power cuts, such as education, health, social services and retail, and are now losing their jobs, the UN Women official said.

No electricity, no school, no salary

“In Kyiv, in a heated tent that had been set up to support citizens, I met with Irina… She told me: ‘No electricity means no school for my children and no electricity means no job for me. It means no salary.’”

UN Women reported that 2025 was the deadliest year of the conflict for women so far and that since 24 February 2022, more than 5,000 women and girls have been confirmed killed and 14,000 injured, with the real toll likely far higher.

Despite the challenges, Ukraine’s women are “carrying the country forward” and women-led organizations are at the heart of humanitarian response, Ms. Calltorp said. They provide vital protection, psychosocial support, emergency assistance and livelihood opportunities to hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians – yet they are now under serious threat because of funding cuts.

One in three women-led organizations warned that they may not survive beyond six months, according to a recent survey focused on the impact of cuts in foreign assistance

“Due to the funding reductions in 2025 and 2026, these organizations in Ukraine are projected to lose at least $53.9 million by the end of the year,” said UN Women’s representative in Ukraine Sabine Freizer Gunes. “If this continues, an estimated 63,000 women in 2026 will lose access to services” such as support for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence.

“There will be more women in need of psychosocial and legal support. There’ll be less political participation for women, less economic opportunity and less economic growth in Ukraine. Weakening women’s organizations at this moment risks weakening the entire humanitarian and recovery architecture of Ukraine,” Ms. Freizer Gunes said. 

Vulnerable groups hit hard by attacks on energy infrastructure

Turning to the broader humanitarian impact of the energy crisis, Jaime Wah, Deputy Head of Delegation for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) in Ukraine, said that when the power goes out “it is often the most vulnerable who carry the consequences.” 

“For older people, people with disabilities and those with chronic illnesses, this is life-threatening,” she insisted.

Speaking from Kyiv, Ms. Wah said that while “cold homes increase illness,” the psychosocial toll of the power outages is “equally serious.” 

“Prolonged darkness, isolation and constant uncertainty are exhausting communities,” she stressed. “Many people have experienced traumatic events, yet access to specialized mental health and psychosocial support remains limited.”

The conflict’s devastating toll on health is further deepened by attacks on healthcare which are “severe and widespread” in Ukraine, World Health Organization (WHO) spokesperson Christian Lindmeier said.

In the past four years WHO has verified more than 2,870 confirmed attacks, resulting in 233 deaths and 937 injuries among healthcare workers and patients. 

“Facilities operate beyond surge capacity, with the workforce depleted and infrastructure damaged,” Mr. Lindmeier warned.

The WHO spokesperson also said that the reported number of people with disabilities has increased by nearly 390,000, or more than 10 per cent, since February 2022. 

Beyond this figure, “it’s the support [for people with disabilities] that is missing, the freedom of movement for people, the lack of supplies.” 

“The numbers are one thing. The story behind [them is] a much bigger one,” he insisted.

The U.S. Navy has successfully completed the third and final planned flight test of the Harpoon Block II Update (HIIU) Obsolescence Update program, marking a major milestone in sustaining one of the world’s most widely deployed anti-ship missile systems while extending its relevance for modern, multi-domain warfare.

The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) announced that the test was conducted on January 16, 2026, at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake and across the Point Mugu Sea Range in California. The event was carried out by the Precision Strike Weapons (PMA-201) program office in close coordination with Boeing and other industry partners.

For the final test flight, the U.S. Navy employed one of Boeing’s instrumented F-15SA aircraft to launch the AGM-84 Harpoon Block II Update over the Point Mugu Sea Range. The successful demonstration confirmed the missile’s ability to execute a complex coastal strike mission against a representative land-based target, completing the three-event test series designed to validate the HIIU across its full operational envelope.

Notably, the aircraft used in the final test was F-15 12-1002, one of three highly instrumented F-15SA (Saudi Advanced) aircraft operated by Boeing from its Palmdale, California facilities. While the F-15SA is primarily flown by the Royal Saudi Air Force, these instrumented jets are routinely used by Boeing and U.S. defense organizations for weapons integration, flight testing, and certification activities.

The F-15SA holds a unique position within the Eagle family. Alongside South Korea’s F-15K Slam Eagle, it is one of only two F-15 variants cleared to employ the AGM-84 Harpoon anti-ship missile and its land-attack derivative, the AGM-84H/K Standoff Land Attack Missile-Extended Range (SLAM-ER). This made the Saudi-configured F-15SA an ideal platform for the Navy’s final HIIU test event.

Although the U.S. Air Force does not operate Harpoon or SLAM-ER on its F-15E Strike Eagle fleet, the aircraft’s size, payload capacity, and advanced avionics make it a valuable surrogate test platform for demonstrating air-launched maritime and coastal strike capabilities.

According to NAVAIR, the January 16 test “demonstrated a successful Coastal Target Suppression mission against a representative land target, with all test objectives met based on preliminary assessments.”

During the event, the Harpoon Block II Update was released from the F-15 at approximately 12,000 feet above ground level. Following launch, the missile descended to an initial waypoint altitude of around 5,000 feet before proceeding toward the target area. Throughout the flight, the weapon executed multiple altitude changes designed to simulate a realistic coastal engagement profile, before performing a steep terminal dive just prior to impact.

This flight profile highlights the evolution of the Harpoon from a pure sea-skimming anti-ship missile into a more flexible strike weapon capable of navigating complex littoral environments. While the original Harpoon was optimized to detect and engage surface combatants using its active radar seeker, the Block II configuration added a GPS-aided navigation system that enables attacks against fixed land targets in coastal regions.

The ability to pre-program multiple waypoints allows the missile to avoid known threat areas, terrain features, or friendly forces, while still retaining its radar seeker for terminal guidance when required.

The land-attack capability of the Harpoon was first demonstrated more than two decades ago. In 2001, Boeing conducted initial tests showing that a modified Harpoon Block II could strike coastal land targets with high accuracy using GPS guidance.

To achieve this, Boeing incorporated a low-cost inertial measurement unit derived from the Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) program, along with software, mission computer elements, an integrated GPS/Inertial Navigation System, and a GPS antenna borrowed from the SLAM-ER. By coupling GPS/INS guidance with the existing active radar seeker, the missile gained the ability to navigate precisely to a target search area, even in environments where radar-only guidance might be degraded.

The seeker can be instructed to search specific areas while avoiding others, increasing survivability and reducing the risk of collateral damage in cluttered coastal zones.

HIIU: A Near-Total Internal Redesign
While the Harpoon Block II’s operational concept is well established, the Harpoon Block II Update Obsolescence Update represents a significant internal modernization rather than a simple software refresh.

NAVAIR has described the HIIU as a near-total redesign of the missile’s internal components, replacing aging electronics and subsystems that were becoming increasingly difficult to sustain due to obsolescence. Many of the original Harpoon components date back decades, creating supply chain challenges and driving up maintenance costs.

Testing of the HIIU variant began in 2025 and was structured around three progressively complex flight events. The first test, conducted in mid-2025, focused on validating basic guidance and aerodynamic performance following the internal redesign. The second event demonstrated the missile’s ability to engage a moving maritime surface target, confirming that the updated electronics did not degrade the Harpoon’s core anti-ship role.

The third and final test, completed in January 2026, confirmed effectiveness against a land-based target, completing the full mission set envisioned for the HIIU.

According to NAVAIR, system-level flight testing for the Harpoon Block II Update Obsolescence Update is now nearly complete, with initial deliveries to the fleet planned for later this year.

Program Leadership Highlights Industry-Government Teamwork
“This milestone reflects the strength of the integrated government and industry team and their commitment to delivering reliable, relevant capability to the fleet,” said Capt. Sarah Abbott, PMA-201 program manager.

Her remarks underscore the Navy’s broader approach to weapons modernization: extending the service life and operational relevance of proven systems while balancing cost, risk, and the need to field advanced capabilities quickly.

For many allied and partner nations, Harpoon remains a cornerstone of maritime strike doctrine, deployed from ships, submarines, and aircraft. Ensuring that the missile remains supportable and effective well into the future is therefore not only a U.S. Navy priority, but also a key concern for numerous foreign operators.

The involvement of the F-15 in the HIIU test also highlights a lesser-known aspect of the Eagle’s evolution. Originally designed as a pure air superiority fighter, the F-15 later expanded into the multirole domain with the F-15E Strike Eagle and its derivatives.

While the Strike Eagle family is best known for deep strike, close air support, and interdiction missions, certain export variants have carved out a niche in the maritime strike role.

At present, only the Royal Saudi Air Force’s F-15SA fleet and the Republic of Korea Air Force’s F-15K fleet routinely employ anti-ship weapons such as Harpoon and SLAM-ER. Saudi Arabia operates the AGM-84L Harpoon Block II, while South Korea fields the AGM-84H SLAM-ER, giving both air forces a long-range, stand-off capability against surface and coastal targets.

This capability distinguishes them from the U.S. Air Force’s F-15E fleet, which does not carry Harpoon or SLAM-ER as part of its standard inventory.

Operational use of Harpoon from the F-15 is rarely seen in public. One notable exception occurred in 2021, when Saudi F-15SAs employed Harpoon missiles during a joint Pakistani–Saudi exercise. In that event, multiple weapons were reportedly fired after a long-distance flight from Saudi Arabia to a launch area off the coast of Pakistan, demonstrating both range and expeditionary maritime strike capability.

Such exercises provide valuable insight into how regional air forces envision the use of air-launched anti-ship missiles in contested environments, particularly in chokepoints and littoral regions.

Qatar has also been linked to potential Harpoon integration. Following Doha’s procurement of the F-15QA Ababil, reports suggested that Qatar was working to acquire the AGM-84L Block II. The F-15QA is derived from the F-15SA design and therefore includes many of the same systems and growth provisions, including the potential for an anti-ship role.

However, it remains unclear whether Qatar ultimately acquired Harpoon missiles, and no public confirmation has been made regarding operational integration.

Even without Harpoon, the U.S. Air Force’s F-15 fleet may eventually gain a powerful anti-ship capability of its own. In 2025, NAVAIR announced its intention to negotiate a contract for integrating the AGM-158C-1 Long Range Anti-Ship Missile (LRASM) on both the F-15E Strike Eagle and the F-15EX Eagle II.

Compared to Harpoon, LRASM represents a generational leap. Developed by Lockheed Martin, the missile is designed for operations in highly contested environments and incorporates low-observable shaping, advanced sensors, and autonomous targeting features. The manufacturer states that LRASM has a range in excess of 200 nautical miles, or roughly 370 kilometers, significantly outranging most legacy anti-ship weapons.

Integration of LRASM would provide the F-15 with a flexible, long-range, advanced anti-surface capability capable of holding high-value maritime targets at risk while operating outside the reach of many enemy air defenses.

Despite the emergence of newer systems like LRASM, the successful completion of the Harpoon Block II Update Obsolescence Update program demonstrates that legacy weapons can remain operationally relevant when thoughtfully modernized.

For the U.S. Navy and its partners, HIIU ensures that Harpoon remains a credible option for both maritime and coastal strike missions, particularly in scenarios where numbers, interoperability, and cost-effectiveness matter as much as cutting-edge stealth.

The January 16 test not only validates the technical success of the HIIU effort, but also reinforces the continuing importance of adaptable, multi-mission weapons in an era defined by complex littoral operations and evolving maritime threats.

China’s confirmation that its export-configured J-10CE fighter jet has achieved its first combat victory marks a pivotal moment in modern aerial warfare, signalling both the maturation of Chinese aerospace engineering and a structural shift in the global fighter aircraft market amid intensifying great-power competition.

The announcement by the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense (SASTIND), which included the J-10CE’s battlefield performance among China’s Top 10 National Defence Science and Technology Achievements for 2025, represents the first official acknowledgement that a Chinese-exported combat aircraft has decisively engaged and defeated advanced Western-origin fighters in live combat.

“In mid-May, the country’s export-oriented J-10CE fighter jet achieved its first combat victory, shooting down multiple aircraft in air combat without suffering any losses itself,” SASTIND said in a statement. The wording is notable not only for its clarity, but also for the fact that it constitutes a state-endorsed validation of Chinese air-combat lethality, rather than an unverified foreign military claim or media report.

Amplified by state outlets including Xinhua and ECNS, the disclosure emerged from the brief yet highly consequential Indo-Pakistani aerial confrontation known as Operation Sindoor, an episode that compressed decades of theoretical debate over beyond-visual-range (BVR) combat into a matter of days.

According to Pakistani accounts, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) J-10CE fighters neutralised multiple Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft without losses of their own. If accurate, the engagement represents the first instance in which Chinese avionics, sensors, missiles, and networked combat doctrine were tested against Western platforms in a peer-level air battle.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar underscored the broader implications when he said that PAF fighters had brought down Rafales and that “they [the Chinese] were pleased,” a remark widely interpreted as evidence of how closely Beijing monitored the operational performance of its export flagship under real combat stress.

The implications extend far beyond the subcontinent. For dozens of air forces reassessing procurement strategies, the J-10CE’s combat debut reshapes calculations about cost-effective alternatives to Western fighters that increasingly exceed USD 100 million per unit.

More critically, China now possesses one of the most powerful marketing assets in the global arms trade: battlefield validation. Historically, real combat performance has been the single most influential factor driving fighter aircraft export success, often outweighing technical specifications on paper.

As geopolitical fragmentation deepens and arms embargoes proliferate, the J-10CE’s performance positions China as a credible, combat-proven supplier capable of challenging entrenched Western and Russian dominance across multiple regions.

The Chengdu J-10CE is the culmination of nearly four decades of Chinese aerospace ambition. Originally conceived during the Cold War as a lightweight interceptor, the J-10 has evolved into a multirole combat aircraft capable of contesting advanced fourth-plus-generation Western fighters.

Developed by Chengdu Aircraft Corporation under the Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), the programme reflects Beijing’s long-term strategy to eliminate reliance on foreign combat aircraft while building an export-oriented defence industrial base.

The export-configured J-10CE incorporates structural refinements, upgraded avionics architecture, and enhanced weapons integration compared with earlier domestic variants. These upgrades enable it to function as a fully networked node within modern sensor-fusion and integrated air-defence environments.

Powered by the WS-10B Taihang turbofan, producing roughly 113 kilonewtons of thrust with afterburner, the aircraft can exceed Mach 2.0 and achieve a combat radius of more than 1,150 kilometres. Its delta-canard design, paired with a digital fly-by-wire system, provides high manoeuvrability while preserving energy during BVR engagements.

Central to its sensor suite is the KLJ-7A active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar, reportedly capable of tracking multiple targets beyond 150 kilometres and guiding several missiles simultaneously via secure datalinks.

With 11 hardpoints and a payload capacity of up to seven tonnes, the J-10CE can carry advanced air-to-air missiles, precision-guided munitions, and stand-off weapons. Its integration with the PL-15 BVR missile—believed to have a range exceeding 200 kilometres—fundamentally alters engagement geometry by compressing adversary reaction time.

Crucially, all of this comes at an estimated unit cost of USD 40–50 million, dramatically undercutting Western rivals while offering comparable lethality on paper.

Pakistan’s decision to procure the J-10CE in 2020 followed a reassessment triggered by the 2019 Balakot crisis, when Islamabad identified gaps in its long-range air-combat deterrence relative to India’s acquisition of the Rafale.

By May 2025, the Pentagon’s China Military Power Report confirmed the delivery of 20 J-10CE aircraft to Pakistan, with a total order of 36 expected by early 2026. The fighter now forms a cornerstone of Pakistan’s evolving air doctrine, supplementing the JF-17 Thunder and enabling the retirement of ageing Mirage III and V fleets.

PAF Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu described the aircraft as a “strategic equaliser,” highlighting its role in restoring deterrence along the Line of Control.

Operational integration focused heavily on BVR proficiency, sensor fusion, and cooperative engagement with ground-based early warning and air-defence systems, including Chinese-supplied surface-to-air missiles. By 2022, operational squadrons had reportedly achieved full mission readiness.

Operation Sindoor in mid-May 2025 marked a rare real-world confrontation between Chinese-exported airpower and Western-origin fighters. Triggered by cross-border incidents and escalating retaliatory strikes, Indian aircraft—including Rafales—conducted deep penetration missions.

Pakistan scrambled J-10CEs to intercept, marking the first documented use of Chinese AESA-equipped fighters and long-range missiles against Western platforms in combat.

Pakistani officials claim a lopsided kill ratio, asserting that multiple Indian aircraft were downed without PAF losses. Indian responses were cautious, with anonymous sources acknowledging aircraft losses while attributing them to intelligence failures and underestimation of Pakistan’s BVR capabilities.

Fragments identified as PL-15 missiles recovered near crash sites have been cited as circumstantial evidence supporting Pakistani claims, though full independent verification remains limited.

Regardless of contested details, the engagement has altered perceptions. In South Asia, it compresses Indian decision-making timelines and reinforces Pakistan’s deterrence posture. Analysts say it raises questions about survivability in environments dominated by long-range sensors and missiles.

Beyond the region, the episode has implications for Taiwan, the Middle East, and Africa—areas where Chinese doctrine emphasises layered denial and long-range engagement.

For Beijing, the J-10CE’s validation strengthens defence diplomacy and bolsters claims of technological self-reliance. SASTIND explicitly noted that the achievement enhances the “international competitiveness” of Chinese aviation products.

Interest in the aircraft has reportedly intensified from Egypt, Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Iran, and Bangladesh, driven by budget constraints, sanctions risk, and the appeal of combat-proven systems without political conditionality.

China’s confirmation of the J-10CE’s maiden combat triumph marks a watershed in global air-combat history. It signals that Chinese aerospace systems have crossed a critical threshold—from theoretical challengers to combat-validated alternatives—reshaping assumptions about air superiority, deterrence, and the future balance of power in the global fighter market.

Beyond tactics, the episode underscores a broader shift: air dominance in the coming decades will hinge less on platform pedigree and more on the effectiveness of integrated, networked kill chains. For defence planners worldwide, the message is clear—the era of unchallenged Western monopoly in high-end air combat is drawing to a close.

EPA

Vulnerable position

EPA

Series of setbacks

Reuters

The Security Council meets in emergency session in New York at the top of the hour to address the US rendition of Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas, a move that has sent shockwaves through the region and beyond with the UN Secretary-General declaring that a “dangerous precedent” has been set. At stake are core principles of international law, sovereignty and the Council’s authority to respond to sudden escalations that risk regional instability. Follow the historic meeting live below from the UN Meetings Coverage team, and UN News app users can click here.

Iranian state television has confirmed the first officially acknowledged death linked to nationwide protests that erupted last week over rising living costs and economic hardship. A member of Iran’s security forces was killed during unrest in western Lorestan province, according to a regional official cited on Thursday (Jan 1).

State TV reported that a 21-year-old member of the Basij paramilitary force from the city of Kouhdasht was killed late Wednesday during clashes with demonstrators. The broadcaster quoted Said Pourali, deputy governor of Lorestan Province, as saying the young man died after being attacked by what officials described as “rioters” while attempting to maintain public order.

“This individual was killed while defending security during the unrest,” Pourali said. He added that 13 police officers and Basij members were injured during the demonstrations in Kouhdasht, largely due to stone-throwing by protesters.

The confirmation marks the first official fatality since protests began on Sunday. Demonstrations initially started peacefully in the capital, Tehran, where shopkeepers staged strikes to protest soaring prices, declining purchasing power, and prolonged economic stagnation. Over the following days, unrest spread to several other cities, gaining momentum after students at at least 10 universities joined demonstrations on Tuesday.

The Basij, a volunteer paramilitary force affiliated with Iran’s powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), is frequently deployed to help police protests and enforce public order. During previous waves of unrest, state media have routinely referred to demonstrators as “rioters” or agents of foreign influence, while opposition groups describe the protests as spontaneous expressions of economic frustration.

President Masoud Pezeshkian acknowledged the depth of public discontent on Thursday, urging government officials to address worsening economic conditions. Speaking at an event broadcast on state television, Pezeshkian warned that failure to improve living standards would have grave moral consequences.

“From an Islamic perspective, if we do not resolve the issue of people’s livelihoods, we will end up in hell,” he said, in unusually blunt remarks that underscored mounting pressure on the administration.

Iran’s authorities declared Wednesday an unexpected bank holiday, officially citing the need to conserve energy during cold weather amid fuel shortages. While no official connection was made to the protests, the timing raised questions as demonstrations intensified in several cities. Iran’s weekend begins on Thursday, with Saturday being a long-standing national holiday, effectively limiting public activity for several days.

The country’s prosecutor general said on Wednesday that peaceful economic protests were legitimate but issued a stern warning against violence or unrest. “Any attempt to turn economic protests into a tool of insecurity, destruction of public property, or implementation of externally designed scenarios will inevitably be met with a legal, proportionate and decisive response,” he said.

State-linked Tasnim news agency reported on Wednesday evening that seven individuals had been arrested for alleged ties to groups “hostile to the Islamic Republic” based in the United States and Europe. The report claimed they had been tasked with provoking violence during demonstrations, though it did not specify when the arrests took place or provide further details.

Iran’s economic troubles have deepened over the past year. The national currency, the rial, has lost more than one-third of its value against the US dollar, accelerating inflation and eroding household incomes. According to the Statistical Centre of Iran, the official inflation rate stood at 52 percent year-on-year in December, intensifying public frustration after years of high prices, sanctions-related pressure, and sluggish growth.

As protests continue to spread, the death of a security force member raises concerns that the unrest could escalate further, testing the government’s ability to contain demonstrations while addressing deep-rooted economic grievances.