Iranian highway billboard recruiting civilians for paramilitary sniper training.

"Do you know how to use this?" next to a Dragunov rifle, with an SMS signup number.

Run by the Janfada People's Units, a Basij-linked volunteer militia program.

China is building what appears to be the world's first mothership designed to deploy giant submarine drones, spotted at a Shanghai shipyard.

The ship has a well-deck, a lowering cradle system, and an internal hangar that could hold around four uncrewed submarines.

China already has two types of XXLUUVs (35m and 45m long) under testing — 6 to 8 times the size of the US Navy's Orca drone sub.

H I Sutton at Naval News says the only plausible explanation is a combat drone submarine mothership, not research.

China is now well ahead of any other country in fielding full-sized unmanned submarines.

Kremlin says Trump's proposal for a ceasefire on energy targets between Russia and Ukraine is "a good idea."

NEW: Trump envoy John Coale says the U.S. has urged banks to unfreeze Belarusian assets.

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa:

I think there was perhaps no country in the world subjected to this quantity of sanctions — Syria, perhaps, and North Korea.

There were so many sanctions, some of them dating back to 1979.

There are even entire generations that have never experienced financial transactions, bank guarantees and things like that.

Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa:

Through mediation carried out by Prince Mohammed bin Salman and President Erdogan with President Trump, a historic decision was taken and the sanctions on Syria were lifted.

I believe Syria was born again after the sanctions were lifted, and the road opened before it.

What remains now is policy, procedures, and making the right and sound choices so that this Syrian project can move forward, God willing.

Kremlin:

Russia believes space should remain free of weapons and hopes for broad international support for the complete demilitarization of space.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan:

We are pleased to follow the recent developments toward reaching a final peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia, as well as Azerbaijan’s constructive attitude on this matter.

We also believe that, with the completion of this process, a new period of cooperation will begin in our region.

We want the South Caucasus to be known not for conflicts, but for peace, transportation, energy, trade and economic development.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan:

Iran's security, stability and prosperity naturally directly affect our region. In this respect, we want the existing conflict to be resolved through diplomatic means as soon as possible.

The increasing mutual attacks in the recent period are seriously undermining peace efforts. These actions, which are increasing tensions in the region, must end immediately.

At the same time, safe, uninterrupted and free passage through the Strait of Hormuz must be allowed, and the pre-war status quo must be restored as soon as possible.

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Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Russia-Ukraine war:

The war itself has truly shifted over the past year from a war of attrition to a war of destruction.

There is now no place that is not being targeted. We are also seeing civilian casualties steadily increase.

As a nation that knows war and knows how to fight, we said from the very beginning where this would lead.

This will escalate increasingly. Geographically, methodically and in terms of targets, unfortunately, this is the point we have reached.

This needs to stop to prevent it from spreading further and causing more disasters.

Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Russia-Ukraine war:

From time to time, there are statements about the possibility of the war spilling over not only in the Black Sea, but also into other European countries.

God forbid, we do not even want to think about this, let alone voice it. The geographical expansion of the war is the last thing we want to see.

China's Foreign Ministry:

We oppose any arms race in outer space or any attempts to weaponize it or turn it into a war zone.

We urge the U.S. to stop expanding its military buildup in outer space and safeguard global strategic stability with concrete actions.

Japan’s ASDF lost an RQ-4B Global Hawk surveillance drone over the Sea of Japan, about 50 km north of Tottori.

Possible wreckage has since been spotted, and the ASDF now presumes the drone crashed.

The unarmed ~$120 million+ drone was not on a training flight, though its mission remains undisclosed.

China unveiled a lightweight, modular net launcher for non-lethal suspect capture at 5–15 meters, deployable by hand or mounted on drones, UGVs and robot dogs.

The system fires a UHMWPE net that tightens and tangles as the target struggles, allowing police to immobilize suspects without approaching them or using firearms.

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Boris Johnson on Russia-Ukraine war:

This is fundamentally an imperial war. This is about Russia’s sense of its history.

It’s about Russia’s sense that there’s no possibility of a Russian future or a Russian empire or Russian dignity without Ukraine. And that is an absolute disaster.

And the only way to fix the problem of Ukraine is for the West to be clear about the future of Ukraine, and we’re still not doing that.

Boris Johnson:

Ukraine wants to be part of the West. They want to be part of NATO. They want to join our clubs.

We’ve got to allow that to happen. If we’re serious, we’ve got to make that happen.

We’ve got to stop pussyfooting around about this thing.

We will only get this thing done when we deliver the Ukrainians the clarity that they need about their destiny.

Boris Johnson:

I don’t know what we gain — and I don’t know what Ukraine gains — by more strategic ambiguity.

I think the whole problem for Ukraine is that the status of Ukraine has been ambiguous.

You say we shouldn’t worry about escalation. But why are we not offering Ukraine membership of NATO? Why not?

Because we’re worried about provoking Putin, right? Well, what a load of bollocks. I mean, it’s the same mentality.

You know, we’re either serious about them being a free, sovereign, independent country capable of making their own choices and joining their own organizations, or we’re not.

Boris Johnson on Putin:

There is a risk that he will end up in a situation where the Russian propaganda will be directed at Ukrainians saying, "You were not allowed into the Western clubs." That's the real risk.

I think that we’ll have a ceasefire after immense suffering, and Putin will be able to say, "I told you so," to the Ukrainian people.

If we are going to break our promises to Ukraine, which I devoutly hope we aren’t, then we need a better plan than we’ve got at the moment.

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