Roketsan CEO Murat Ikinci:

Türkiye has the largest and strongest defense supply chain in Europe.

Roketsan’s serial production capacity is not a capability that exists only within the company; we produce together with more than 2,000 domestic suppliers

These companies can rapidly provide very high sub-component production capacity when needed—this capability does not currently exist in Europe.

After being overthrown and fleeing Syria in December 2024, Bashar al-Assad is living a quiet, luxurious exile in Russia, largely cut off from politics and public life.

He is reportedly studying Russian and brushing up on ophthalmology, his original profession, more out of personal interest than necessity.

Assad and his family are believed to live in Moscow’s elite Rublyovka district, supported by wealth shielded from western sanctions.

Despite their comfort, they remain isolated, with Russian authorities restricting Assad from media or political activity.

Asma al-Assad, who was receiving cancer treatment in Moscow, has reportedly recovered.

Their children are adapting to life among Moscow’s elite, studying, shopping and travelling frequently to the UAE, though permanent relocation there appears unlikely.

Source: The Guardian

DR Congo: AFC/M23 rebels seized Makobola town and Kasekezi village in South Kivu after clashes with pro-government Wazalendo militias, advancing from the Uvira axis.

Kremlin:

The issue of a legally binding document on Kyiv’s non-accession to NATO is a cornerstone of the negotiations.

The Alliance of Sahel States (AES) said the fate of the 11 Nigerian soldiers detained in Burkina Faso will be decided after ongoing investigations are concluded.

Burkina Faso: Footage claims new African Corps units arrived in the capital Ouagadougou yesterday.

Ahmed al-Ahmed tackled and disarmed a shooter at Bondi beach because he “couldn’t bear to see people dying,” his family says.

Family members say his actions were purely humanitarian. “He doesn’t discriminate,” his father said. “He would do anything to protect anyone.”

Al-Ahmed, an Australian citizen of Syrian origin, told relatives he has no regrets and believes “God gave me courage.”

DR Congo: Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) fighters killed at least four people and burned the village of Tuonane in Walikale, North Kivu.

Sudan: UAE-backed RSF and SPLM-N reportedly carried out a joint drone attack on the city of Dilling in South Kordofan.

Nigeria: The Air Force struck what it said was an ISWAP position in Borno’s southern Tumbuns, but reports say the vehicles hit belonged to fishermen and civilians were killed.

Ethiopia: The Defense Force says it killed 200 militants in operations in Amhara’s Gojjam zone, as it and Fano forces exchange claims of heavy casualties.

Saudi Arabia executed 340 people in 2025, a new record.

Source: AFP

Volkswagen will stop vehicle production at its Dresden plant, marking the first factory closure in Germany in its 88-year history.

Mali: The army says it killed militants and destroyed several militant bases in air and ground operations across multiple regions between December 12–14.

US negotiators want Ukraine to give up Donetsk and Luhansk as a condition for peace talks with Russia, an official told AFP, but Kyiv is refusing.

John Bolton:

Ukraine needs to lower the draft age from 25 to 18 to get more manpower.

Netanyahu held a meeting with Tom Barrack.

Sudan: Sovereign Council chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan met Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh to discuss Sudan’s latest developments and security efforts.

The White House privately rebuked Netanyahu after Israel killed senior Hamas commander Raed Saad in Gaza, saying the strike violated the U.S.-brokered ceasefire.

The White House warned Netanyahu he was undermining both the ceasefire and Trump’s credibility as its broker.

Israel carried out the strike Saturday without notifying Washington.

Source: Axios

U.S. official to Axios:

Netanyahu has turned over the last two years to a global pariah.

He should ask himself why Sisi refuses to meet him and why five years after the Abraham Accords he still hasn't been invited to visit the UAE.

M23 Says Hundreds of Burundian Soldiers Captured

M23 says it captured hundreds of Burundian soldiers during its latest offensive in eastern Congo. The claim comes days after peace commitments and as rebels signal further advances south.

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