Hegseth:

We are done running a peacetime science fair while our potential adversaries are running a wartime arms race.

Hegseth:

Gone are the days of equitable AI and social justice infusions.

We will not employ AI models that won’t allow you to fight wars.

Department of War AI will not be woke.

It will work for us.

Uganda’s Longest Serving Leader Seeks New Term

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Germany's Merz:

I believe Iran’s leadership is in its “final days and weeks.”

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NEW: Iranians could make international mobile calls Tuesday for the first time since a nationwide communications blackout.

Internet and SMS remain largely cut, with access limited to state-approved sites.

Source: AP

G7 countries and their allies met in Washington to discuss ways to reduce dependence on China for rare earth elements, focusing on alternative supply routes and coordinated policy tools.

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Somalia Cancels UAE Deals Over Alleged Breach of Sovereignty

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Germany's Merz on Iran:

If a regime can only hold on to power by force, then it is effectively at its end.

I assume that we are now seeing the very last days and weeks of this regime here.

It has no legitimacy through elections by the population anyway. The population is now rising up against this regime.

I hope that there is a way to end this conflict peacefully. The Mullah regime must realize this now as well.

And we are in close contact with the Americans.

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NEW: Syrian Army Operations Command issued a warning, declaring a closed military zone after SDF/YPG mobilization.

The area (Maskanah and Deir Hafer) is accused of being a launch point for Iranian suicide drones that struck Aleppo.

Civilians are urged to stay away from SDF positions.

Armed groups are told to withdraw east of the Euphrates.

The army says it will act to prevent further attacks from the area.

South Korea has completed all planned development flight tests of its indigenous KF-21 Boramae fighter jet.

~1,600 accident-free flights over 42 months.

Supersonic flight, AESA radar, weapons firing confirmed.

120 aircraft planned by early 2030s.

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Sudan's Government Reclaims Capital City Khartoum, Driving Out the RSF

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BIG: A Reuters report quotes an unnamed Iranian official saying around 2,000 people were killed in nationwide protests.

The official blamed the deaths on “terrorists”.

NEW: Charalambos Charalambous, chief of staff to Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides, resigned after a leaked video scandal.

The video shows discussions on illegal campaign financing, influence peddling, and helping sanctioned Russians.

Armed robbers disguised as Israel Defense Forces soldiers carried out a gold/jewelry robbery near Hebron.

The suspects threatened victims with weapons and stole valuables worth tens of thousands of shekels.

The IDF quickly said “these are not IDF soldiers” and launched a manhunt.

Israeli media say they were Israeli Arabs, some Bedouin, using military disguises for criminal purposes.

Israeli Merkava tanks fired three shells near a Spanish patrol serving with UNIFIL in southern Lebanon.

Shells landed ~150–380 meters from the peacekeepers; no injuries, but the patrol was forced to withdraw and reported laser tracking.

NATO Chief Rutte says NATO isn't in crisis, "not at all".

Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel on Greenland:

I don’t have the idea that the Greenlanders currently see much value in that.

Host: Could you live with it if the Americans buy Greenland and the Greenlanders also agree to that via a referendum or something?

van Weel: Yes.

Democratic Representative Jimmy Gomez of California has introduced a bill in the U.S. House to block any effort by U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration to acquire Greenland.

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Dutch Foreign Minister David van Weel says the rules-based order isn’t “dead”:

Not in the trash bin… Europe has benefited enormously from it.

We see that the great powers… put their own hard security interests first. We have to learn to think in terms of power again.

Van Weel sees the world moving toward three major power blocs (U.S., Russia, China).

On where Europe should stand, he’s blunt:

“Yes, every day of the week.” (on choosing the U.S. over Russia/China)