Latest news for 6 January 2026

CHINA

No graphite for you.

Effective immediately, Beijing has just banned the export of ‘dual use’ goods to Japan — ie, anything that could benefit Japan’s military, beyond actual arms. The (very) lengthy list of impacted sectors includes aerospace, comms, chemicals, critical minerals, machinery, chips, and electronics. (SCMP)

Comment: It’s another remarkable escalation in China’s ongoing spat over a single phrase by Japan’s new PM back in November, when she noted that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan could have big implications for Japan — we explored the saga here.

UKRAINE

Spy reshuffle.

Vasyl Malyuk, who orchestrated last year’s spectacular Operation Spiderweb hits on strategic bombers deep in Russia, has stepped down as head of Ukraine’s main internal security service (the SBU) following pressure from President Zelensky. He’ll stay on as the SBU’s head of unconventional warfare. (Guardian)

Comment: The ‘why’ here is unclear, with theories ranging from “the president just wants fresh faces” through to “the president is sidelining potential election rivals”. On that second theory, Zelensky also just removed his other star spymaster (the young Budanov), pulling him closer as his new chief of staff, which brings us to the third theory: “Malyuk’s downfall was orchestrated by Zelensky’s *former* chief of staff.”

NORTH KOREA

Celebration bangs.

While you were popping off those champagne corks, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un rang in the new year by popping off some ballistic missiles. Sunday’s illegal test launches came just hours before the democratic South’s president left for China, where the autocratic North will be on the agenda (more below). The tests also come just before Kim’s next big Workers Party congress in January or February, the first in five years. (EuroNews)

FRANCE

Meet me in Paris.

The ‘Coalition of the Willing’ (… to do what?) is due to meet in Paris today (Tuesday) — the 35 Ukraine-friendly countries are discussing potential security guarantees for Ukraine, as part of ongoing peace talks. France’s Macron says he’s expecting “concrete commitments” from the group. (EuroNews)

MALAYSIA

International outcry.

India, France, and Malaysia have threatened X (né Twitter) with legal action after its Grok chatbot started allowing users to digitally denude folks when prompted. Elon Musk has pledged to crack down on the phenomenon. (The Independent)

ARGENTINA

Lower risk.

A key metric tracking Argentina’s sovereign risk has hit its best level in seven years, as investors continue to trust President Milei’s market-friendly policies in the wake of last year’s surprise mid-term electoral success. (Bloomberg $)

GUINEA

Broken promise.

General Doumbouya, who initially pledged not to run in elections after he seized power in a 2021 coup, has now claimed a North Korean-esque 87% win in last week’s elections. (ABC)

Comment: We recently explored Guinea’s world-changing new iron ore operation, which has continued to shrug off the political intrigue for now.