Ukrainian shotgun drone targeting Russian drones and a Russian soldier.

Russian children in training "to fight and kill Ukrainians".

A cardboard cut-out of Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic in Iran, inspecting soldiers.

BIG: China is swiftly constructing specialized barges for amphibious landings, raising concerns over potential action against Taiwan.

Naval News reports at least five of these vessels are being built at the Guangzhou Shipyard.

With 120-meter-long road bridges, they can deliver heavy military equipment like tanks directly onto previously inaccessible beaches, potentially enabling large-scale assaults.

Source: CovertShores, Naval News

NEW: Biden administration plans stricter export controls on advanced AI chips to maintain U.S. leadership and block adversaries like China and Russia from accessing critical technologies.

The new rules divide countries into three tiers:

1. Tier 1: U.S. and 18 allies, including Germany and Japan, with full access.
2. Tier 2: Most countries face limits of 50,000 GPUs but can exceed them under a “validated end user” (VEU) designation by meeting U.S. standards.
3. Tier 3: Adversaries like China face near-total bans.

Türkiye likely falls under Tier 2, with its AI chip access dependent on compliance with U.S. rules.

Chipmakers, including Nvidia, criticized the policy, warning it could harm economic growth and bypass proper industry consultation.

Source: Bloomberg

IS praised the New Year’s Day truck attack in New Orleans that killed 14 but stopped short of claiming responsibility.

In a digital bulletin, the group said the attacker was “influenced by Islamic State rhetoric” spread online.

While not directly referencing New Orleans, the bulletin included a photo of the truck and mentioned the attacker, along with a reference to his Meta glasses.

Serbia canceled some arms contracts with Russia due to sanctions, Serbian Army Chief of Staff Milan Mojsilović says.

Despite the sanctions, Belgrade has secured stable and flexible supplies of Russian weapons and parts through licensed production in other countries.

Mojsilović stated that Serbia’s Army can now “conduct high-level maintenance and repair parts for much of this weaponry.”

He acknowledged that arms imports from Russia are “currently almost impossible,” with some contracts canceled and others postponed in hopes of normalization.

Polish Defense Minister dismissed Major General Artur Kępczyński, head of the Support Inspectorate, following a scandal over missing anti-tank mines.

The mines, lost since June 2024, were found in an IKEA warehouse after officials contacted the military. Local media allege Kępczyński concealed the issue from superiors.

The mishap occurred when soldiers failed to unload a shipment of over 1,000 tons of explosives, and false records were filed.

An investigation is ongoing, with no comments from Kępczyński or the Defense Ministry.

Source: Politico

Sudanese army and allied forces recaptured the town of Um al-Qura after three days of fighting against the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the army said. Umm al-Qura, located 20 km east of Wad Madani, the capital of Jazirah state.

NEW: Iran, facing the collapse of its “Axis of Resistance” in Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen, and Syria, is preparing to deploy troops to Armenia to secure its northern borders according to Azerbaijan-based @caliber_az_official.

Iran views the growing EU, US, and NATO presence in Armenia, now seen as a Western outpost, as a threat.

In contrast, Azerbaijan maintains an independent foreign policy, with no foreign military presence that could threaten Iran.

President Ilham Aliyev stressed to Iran’s National Security Council Secretary Ali Akbar Ahmadian on January 8 that regional issues should be resolved by regional states, rejecting outside interference.

Ahmadian later warned Armenia’s Pashinyan administration, demanding the cancellation of NATO and EU cooperation.

If Armenia complies, military cooperation with Iran may follow, including troop deployments.

Armenia, lacking peace with Azerbaijan and strained ties with Türkiye, now faces a pivotal decision.

Russia is now focusing on Libya after the fall of Assad in Syria. Moscow is sending troops and advanced weaponry, such as S-300 and S-400 systems, to support Haftar in eastern Libya.

Experts believe Russia is seeking to maintain its influence in Africa, particularly the Sahel, and to disrupt Western interests. Concerns over Russia's growing presence in Libya have been voiced by NATO and the EU, as Moscow faces increased competition from Turkey, Egypt and the UAE.

Libya's complex politics and visibility, making it harder to operate covertly as it did in Syria. Nevertheless, Moscow is determined to find a new way to protect its interests in the region.

Source: Al Monitor

Lotfollah Dezhkam, the Friday prayer leader of Iran's Shiraz:

We will turn the White House into a Hosseiniyah, and the godless U.S. leaders can be sure this promise will come true.

Trump, like Carter, will die, taking his wish to harm our system to the grave.

Unknown individuals broke into a U.S. Army warehouse in California, stealing three Humvees, 18 bayonets, and machine gun equipment.

Dutch investigations revealed that Syrian activist Mazen al-Hamada, a refugee in the Netherlands and outspoken critic of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, was lured back to Syria by a spy posing as a refugee.

The spy, Majed A, promised him safety but collaborated with Syrian intelligence to deceive anti-regime refugees under the guise of reconciliation.

Hamada, previously tortured in Sednaya prison after a 2012 arrest, fled to the Netherlands and became a vocal activist.

Despite warnings, he returned to Syria in 2020, was re-arrested, and later found dead in a military hospital in December 2024.

Source: MEE