The Babylon Times

📜 UKRAINIAN DRONES PACK SHOTGUNS TO BLAST RUSSIAN FPVS OUT OF THE SKY Ukrainian forces deploy interceptor drones fitted with shotguns, shredding incoming Russian FPV drones at point-blank range. Video captures the shotgun drones darting at enemy FPVs, unleashing blasts that shatter them mid-air. The ploy lets Ukraine swat down Russian recon and attack drones in frontline scraps. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

📜 EU MP SAYS ISRAEL BUYING UP CYPRUS LAND TO ERASE ISLAND'S CHARACTER Southern Cypriot EU MP Fidias Panayiotou reports Israel snapping up land across Cyprus. Affected spots, he says, no longer even feel like Cyprus. The island's whole character gets a Zionist overhaul, courtesy of these purchases. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

📜 SYRIA LANDS FIRST VISA AND MASTERCARD TRANSACTION IN OVER 15 YEARS Syria pulls off its first Visa and Mastercard deal in more than 15 years, a handy sidestep around the international sanctions that kept it boxed out of the global financial circus. The move reconnects the country to the system after years of that oh-so-generous isolation. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

📜 ISRAELI SECRET AIRBASE HIDES IN IRAQ'S DESERT Satellite imagery exposes an Israeli secret airbase tucked in Iraq's western desert, complete with a 1.6 km airstrip scraped into a dry lake bed. The spot sits about 180 km southwest of Najaf and Karbala, prime real estate for uninvited operations. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

📜 MACRON ADMITS FRENCH LANGUAGE'S HEART NOW BEATS IN CONGO RIVER BASIN, NOT SEINE French President Emmanuel Macron stated the epicenter of the French language has shifted to the Congo River basin. That's where the largest number of French speakers now live, rather than along the Seine River in France. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

📜 GREEK DEFENSE MINISTER BOASTS OF STRONGEST ARMED FORCES IN HELLENISM'S HISTORY Greek Defense Minister Nikos Dendias claims Greece is forging the mightiest military Hellenism has ever seen. He touts a shiny new strategy: homegrown Centaur anti-drone tech, fully Greek-designed to swat those pesky drones. All fresh conscripts get drone and counter-drone training. Oh, and F-35s incoming late 2027 or early 2028, pushing for 200 modern jets—one of Europe's beefiest air forces. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

📜 US AIR FORCE F-35 SQUAWKS 7700 EMERGENCY OVER STRAIT OF HORMUZ A U.S. Air Force F-35 flipped on emergency transponder code 7700 while cruising over the Strait of Hormuz. That "squawk 7700" signals some in-flight mess like mechanical failure, system glitch, or whatever critical headache demands instant attention. No word yet on the jet's fate, crew, or if they sorted their little drama. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

📜 MACRON CALLS ARABIC FRANCE'S NUMBER TWO TONGUE, URGES EGYPTIANS TO CHERISH FRENCH French President Emmanuel Macron stated Arabic is the second most spoken language in France, a "reality" that supposedly needs reminding. He voiced his desire for French to remain cherished among Egyptians. Macron added the Mediterranean is united through this multilingualism. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

📜 NORTH KOREA BAKES NUCLEAR AUTO-RESPONSE INTO CONSTITUTION FOR ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS ON KIM North Korea's amended constitution now demands an automatic nuclear strike if leader Kim Jong-un gets assassinated or incapacitated by foreign attack. Military must launch immediate retaliatory nukes if command over nuclear forces faces threat. The Telegraph reports the update. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

📜 US-FLAGGED CARGO SHIP STRUCK BY MYSTERY PROJECTILE OFF QATAR COAST A British maritime authority reports a cargo ship off Qatar's coast took a hit from an unknown projectile, sparking a fire onboard. The vessel flies the American flag and belongs to an American owner. No further details on the attacker or damage. @TheBabylonTimes

📜 IRANIAN SUBMARINES FULLY OPERATIONAL AND LURKING ON OCEAN FLOOR DURING WAR Iran's army naval force commander announces the "Gulf Dolphins" submarines are fully operational, deployed, and parked on the ocean floor. They pulled off tactical maneuvers amid the ongoing war, then slipped back into the depths to keep up their missions. @TheBabylonTimes

UPDATE:📜 IRANIAN OFFICIALS TELL AMERICANS TO SURRENDER OR FACE DECISIVE SLAPDOWN This comes after his earlier word today that Iran's done with restraint; any hit on Iranian ships triggers a strong, decisive smackdown on American ships and bases. Separately, Brigadier General Abu al-Fadl Shekarchi of Iran's Armed Forces General Staff confirms the initiative's firmly in Iranian hands, with fighters at peak capability—any state poking Iran gets a decisive military reply. @TheBabylonTimes

📜 IRANIAN GENERAL SAYS INITIATIVE IS THEIRS AND PROMISES DECISIVE SMACKDOWN FOR ANY AGGRESSORS Brigadier General Abu al-Fadl Shukarji, spokesperson for Iran's Armed Forces General Staff, declares the initiative squarely in Iranian hands. Fighters' capabilities? Very good level, he says. Any country dumb enough to act against Iran gets a decisive response from those forces. @TheBabylonTimes

📜 IRAN ENDS RESTRAINT PHASE WARNS OF DECISIVE STRIKES ON US SHIPS AND BASES Ibrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for Iran's parliamentary National Security Commission, announced the phase of restraint is over. He made clear any aggression against Iranian ships will trigger a strong, decisive Iranian response hitting American ships and bases. This follows recent statements from Iranian military officials amid the region's escalating tensions. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

📜 IRANIAN ARMY SPOKESMAN SAYS NO TRUST IN ENEMY CEASEFIRES, BOOSTS FORCES AND TARGET LISTS Brigadier General Akbar Akrami Nia, Iranian army spokesperson, laid it out plain: Iran doesn't trust the enemy on any ceasefire talk. So they've ramped up forces, sharpened capabilities, and freshened the target bank to match.

"Iran does not trust the enemy regarding any ceasefire and has therefore worked to strengthen its forces, enhance its capabilities, and update its target bank under these conditions."

@TheBabylonTimes

UPDATE:📜 US OFFICIALS HUSTLE IN MIAMI TO BROKER WAR-ENDING DEAL WITH IRAN VIA QATAR U.S. media reports Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff sat down with Qatar's Prime Minister in Miami yesterday. The meeting pushes ongoing efforts to secure an agreement ending the war with Iran. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

📜 IRAN WARNS COUNTRIES AIDING US WILL FACE STERN RESPONSE Iranian Armed Forces spokesperson Brigadier General Akrami Nia laid it out plain: any country acting against Iran gets a stern smackdown from Iranian forces. He cautioned regional lackeys cozying up to the US military about the fallout. This comes after his prior distrust of enemy ceasefire promises, while Iran beefs up its forces, sharpens capabilities, and refreshes those target lists. @TheBabylonTimes

📜 ARMENIA'S PM DENIES NAGORNO-KARABAKH EVER BELONGED TO ARMENIA Armenia's Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan publicly trashed his country's historical claim to Nagorno-Karabakh. He questioned how it was ever Armenian land, pointing out zero Armenian-built schools, kindergartens, factories, or settlements. Just a few generals controlling wheat fields, he said. "Was not ours," Pashinyan emphasized, dismissing claims of speaking for the dead to grab it. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

📜 TRUMP SMILES AND GESTURES AWAY IN CASUAL VIDEO CHAT Trump shows up relaxed and smiling in the video, chatting lightheartedly while waving his hands around like it's no big deal. He's seated indoors with others nearby, in what looks like some informal hangout or public mingle. No location or real context given. @TheBabylonTimes

📜 IRGC READY TO LAUNCH MISSILES AND DRONES AT US BASES AND ENEMY SHIPS IRGC Aerospace Force Commander Maj. Gen. Seyed Majid Mousavi says their missiles and drones are locked on American bases in the region and enemy aggressor ships, primed for launch on orders. This comes after IRGC Navy warnings that attacks on Iran's oil tankers or commercial vessels will trigger heavy strikes on U.S. bases and enemy ships. All signaling ramped-up readiness amid the usual regional tensions. @TheBabylonTimes