Ruben Vardanyan, one of the former leaders of the so-called Armenian regime in Azerbaijan's Karabakh region, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison by a Baku military court.

He was convicted on charges including financing terrorism, participating in illegal armed groups, and war crimes.

Vardanyan, a former Russian citizen who moved to Karabakh in 2022, was detained in September 2023 while attempting to leave for Armenia after Azerbaijan’s anti-terror operation.

Source: Haber Global

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Turkish President Erdogan:

A new war targeting Iran would benefit no one — our region would lose.

We have clearly told all parties that Türkiye opposes any military intervention against Iran.

Turkish President Erdogan:

We have never been colonialists.

We see Africans as brothers and friends.

Our Africa policy is based on mutual respect and equal partnership.

Turkish President Erdogan

The world is changing — how long can the EU remain captive to narrow agendas?

Removing ideological barriers to Türkiye’s integration would strengthen Europe itself.

Attitudes that exclude Türkiye ignore global realities.

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Turkish Bayraktar TB3 UCAVs successfully flew in extreme winter conditions over the Baltic Sea during NATO’s Steadfast Dart 2026 exercise, the only aircraft able to operate in the harsh weather in the exercise.

Operating from TCG ANADOLU, the TB3 took off and landed autonomously in -5°C temperatures, heavy snow, and strong winds.

Other aircraft reportedly could not fly due to weather conditions.

NEW: Ukraine retook 201 sq km last week — its fastest battlefield gain since mid-2023 — reportedly exploiting Russian communication breakdowns after Moscow’s forces lost access to Starlink.

The advance happened about 80 km east of Zaporizhzhia, where Russia had been making gains since summer 2025.

Russia’s frontline units lost effective Starlink access in December after SpaceX restricted terminals to authorized Ukrainian use.

Pro-Russian channels previously reported serious coordination failures after the cutoff, which may have created openings for Ukraine’s rapid advance.

Source: UNITED24

Russia says the Starlink shutdown had zero impact on its military operations in Ukraine.

Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexey Krivoruchko and communications chief Valery Tishkov told state TV that Russian command-and-control systems were not affected.

They claim Starlink was used only by “certain units” and mainly to “mislead the enemy,” not for core battlefield communications.

Germany’s Chancellor Merz is now openly questioning the future of the joint Franco-German FCAS fighter jet project, and hints Berlin could walk away:

This isn’t a political quarrel. We have a real problem in the requirement profile.

The French need a nuclear-capable and carrier-capable aircraft… The Bundeswehr doesn’t need that for now.

If we can’t solve that, then we can’t maintain the project.

He also signaled Germany could look at other European partners if talks fail.

Source: Politico

Nigeria’s Data Protection Commission opened an investigation into Temu over suspected violations of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.

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BIG: The U.S. may be closer to war with Iran than most people realize, and it could happen soon if nuclear talks fail.

Trump administration has built up major military forces in the region, including two aircraft carriers, hundreds of jets, and 150+ cargo flights of weapons.

Just in the past 24 hours, another 50 fighter jets — F-35s, F-22s and F-16s — headed to the region.

Officials say this wouldn’t be a small strike, it would look like a weeks-long war, possibly joint with Israel.

One Trump adviser put it bluntly:

The boss is getting fed up… I think there is a 90% chance we see kinetic action in the next few weeks.

Israel is reportedly preparing for war “within days,” though some U.S. officials say strikes could still be weeks away.

Source: Axios

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India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has given DRDO a 5-year deadline to develop an indigenous fighter jet engine, amid delays in imported engines for the Tejas:

Assume your 20 years have already ended — now you have only five years left.”

We have to achieve in these five years what other countries take 20 years to do.

Source: The Tribune

Ukraine has paused additional orders of Germany’s HX-2 strike drones after frontline tests revealed launch failures, missing AI features, and vulnerability to electronic warfare.

According to a German military presentation reviewed by Bloomberg, some drones:
— Failed to take off
— Lacked promised AI guidance features
— Struggled under Russian jamming

Germany will not place follow-on orders unless Ukraine formally renews interest.

Source: Defence Blog

France is ready to make major concessions — including large-scale local production and possible reciprocal defense deals — to secure India’s planned purchase of 114 Rafale fighter jets worth over €30 billion.

India approved the purchase, but “details… are still ongoing.”

Most jets are expected to be built in India, with reports saying at least 90 could be produced locally.

India wants tech transfers and integration rights for its own systems.

France may favor India’s Pinaka rocket system in return — seen as a goodwill gesture.

Source: Le Monde

Armenia's PM Pashinyan says Armenians have long viewed events “through Zatulin’s eyes” and urges voters in 2026 to decide whether to trust their own judgment or return to an old political “cycle” that, in his view, ended badly in 2023.

From the 1830s… until October 2022–23, we all… have seen through Zatulin’s eyes.

In 2026, Armenians must choose whose vision they trust — their own eyes, or Zatulin’s eyes?

He warns against re-entering a historical “cycle… that started in the 1850s and ended in 2023.”

NOTE: Pashinyan is referring to Russian MP Konstantin Zatulin, a longtime pro-Armenian voice in Moscow who strongly backed Armenia on Karabakh — but later clashed with Pashinyan and was banned from Armenia in 2022.

Germany plans to massively expand its foreign intelligence agency’s powers, fearing the U.S. could halt intelligence sharing under Trump.

Berlin wants the BND to gain authority for sabotage, offensive cyber ops, AI surveillance and broader espionage, rolling back strict post-WWII limits.

German Chancellor Merz:

Old certainties have been devalued… the BND should operate at the very highest level.

Source: Politico

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett:

Beyond our borders there's millions of people that want to kill us.

They want to kill us. They want to rape our women, murder our kids, and destroy the Jewish State.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett:

At this moment, I assert that roughly seven out of 10 Palestinians in Gaza and the PA want to murder all of the Israelis.

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett:

They're not going to love us. The aspiration that the world will love Israel, it's not going to happen.

What we need is that our enemies fear us, our friends respect us, and everyone needs us.

We tried the love us thing for about 3,000 years. Didn't work.

Indian Prime Minister Modi meets with Google CEO Sundar Pichai.

French President Macron:

Free speech is a pure bullshit if nobody knows how you are guided through this so-called free speech—especially when it is to be guided from one hated speech to another hated speech.

I just want to have a transparent road through these different speeches, and I want, by the way, to have a sort of public order.

I want to avoid a racist speech, hated speech, and so on.

Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias is introducing a new arms procurement doctrine that includes a built-in “Türkiye clause.”

The goal: ensure that major weapons systems Greece buys cannot also be sold to Türkiye.

Sources say Dendias wants contracts to include a written guarantee preventing suppliers from selling the same platforms to Ankara — otherwise, “there is no point in spending billions.”

The move follows frustration over Germany selling Type 214 submarines to both Greece and Türkiye, which Athens believes “changed the balance of power in the Eastern Mediterranean.”

Dendias had previously warned Berlin that such sales could benefit “a country that, although a NATO member, has issued a casus belli against Greece.”

Now, as Greece explores new submarine deals (Germany, France, Italy, South Korea, Sweden competing), the Türkiye factor will be decisive, alongside a requirement for 25% Greek industrial participation in each program.

Source: IN