Author: thaobh.leo@gmail.com

Iran Press TV Monday, 16 February 2026 6:47 PM Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem says the Lebanese resistance movement does not seek war, but stands fully prepared to defend Lebanon and deliver a decisive response to any act of aggression by its enemies. “We in Hezbollah do not want war and are not seeking it; but we won’t surrender and we’re ready to defend,” Sheikh Qassem said as he delivered a televised speech broadcast from the Lebanese capital, Beirut, on Monday. “There is a big difference between confronting aggression and initiating a war. We are ready to defend. We will…

NATO’s SNMG1 is pictured on patrol in the Arctic in late 2025. NATO has established ‘Arctic Sentry’ to enhance NATO’s integrated presence across the region. Credit: NATO Maritime Command NATO has launched its ‘Arctic Sentry’ activity as it seeks to strengthen its presence across the Arctic and High North region. The activity is a multi-domain effort designed to further strengthen the alliance’s Arctic and High North posture and to build a persistent NATO presence in the region. ‘Arctic Sentry’ is being established under NATO’s Allied Command Operations (ACO), which is responsible for the planning and execution of all alliance exercises,…

Iran Press TV Monday, 16 February 2026 7:09 AM Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Varsen Aghabekian Shahin has stated that achieving peace with Israel is “not possible” as long as Palestinian rights are being violated by the occupying regime, emphasizing that international law needs to be upheld and one-sided actions must cease. “Peace with Israel under conditions of constant violation of Palestinian rights is not possible,” Shahin said on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference on Sunday. She contended that unilateral Israeli measures in the occupied Palestinian territories, including the West Bank and East al-Quds, like unlawful…

Former UFC women’s featherweight champion Cris Cyborg didn’t take long to roast Ronda Rousey after news broke of her MMA comeback. UFC Hall of Famer Ronda Rousey will make her first MMA appearance in 10 years against fellow women’s MMA pioneer, Gina Carano, on May 16th in Los Angeles. This will mark Rousey’s first MMA fight since a loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207. Rousey’s MMA comeback is one of the most intriguing storylines of 2026. The fight will take place under the Most Valuable Promotions banner after Rousey’s attempt to get the bout booked in the UFC failed.…

Anschütz has delivered and commissioned its SYNAPSIS Integrated Navigation and Bridge System (INBS) for the first vessel of the Brazilian Navy’s new Tamandaré-class frigate programme. Tamandaré, the first of four ships built by SPE Águas Azuis at TKMS Estaleiro Brasil Sul in Itajaí, is scheduled to be incorporated early this year and marks an important milestone in one of Brazil’s most advanced naval shipbuilding programmes. Designed as a modern multi‑role frigate, the first Tamandaré-class vessel provides broad operational capability, ranging from maritime security and patrol duties to support for joint and international missions. Its mission profile places high demands on…

As a second American aircraft carrier races to the Middle East, Iran says it has briefly closed portions of the Strait of Hormuz for live-fire military exercises as it continues negotiations over its nuclear program with U.S. officials Tuesday in Geneva. After weeks of threats aimed at Iran’s leaders by American President Donald Trump, the Associated Press calls the strait closure “a further escalation in a weekslong standoff that could ignite another war in the Middle East.” Rewind: The U.S. joined Israeli attacks against Iran during a single-morning assault last June. The operation, called “Midnight Hammer,” used F-22 and F-35 aircraft…

For the last four years, policymakers in Washington and European capitals have been consumed by a single question: how to respond to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Their focus is understandable. Russia’s attack on its neighbor is the greatest threat to European security since U.S. and Soviet tanks stood off in Berlin over 60 years earlier. As a result, NATO allies have sent Ukraine hundreds of billions of dollars in military, economic, and humanitarian assistance to prevent it from losing the war and collapsing. The Europeans have received waves of refugees and, together with the Americans, enacted tough sanctions against…

The United States Air Force has announced a revised acquisition plan for the LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program, confirming that a major restructuring effort will be completed by the end of 2026, with initial operational capability targeted for the early 2030s. The update was released by the Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs […]

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) will acquire three Beechcraft King Air aircraft from the United States to enhance its maritime domain awareness and strengthen its search and rescue (SAR) capabilities. PCG commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan signed the Letter of Offer and Acceptance for the aircraft during a bilateral meeting with US Assistant Secretary of War for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs John Noh in Manila on Feb. 16. The acquisition will be funded through the US Foreign Military Financing program. The PCG has not yet disclosed the cost or specific variant of the aircraft. In a statement, the PCG said the…

A coalition of more than 30 federal employee unions last week urged senators to reject President Trump’s nominee to a top position enforcing federal sector labor law over his lack of experience in the field and past antipathy toward collective bargaining rights.Last September, Trump nominated Charlton Allen to serve as general counsel for the Federal Labor Relations Authority. Per Allen’s website, he is a conservative lawyer, political consultant and occasional pundit, who served for seven years as a North Carolina industrial commissioner.The FLRA general counsel is responsible for investigating and prosecuting alleged unfair labor practices and other disputes between federal…