9 February 2026
Somalia-Saudi Arabia
The Somali Defense Ministry announced that Somalia and Saudi Arabia have signed a defense and military cooperation agreement. The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed by Somali Defense Minister Ahmed Moallim Fiqi and his Saudi Arabian counterpart, Prince Khalid bin Salman, in the Saudi capital of Riyadh.
Russia
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov accuses the Trump administration of backing out of the agreement that Ukraine would surrender territory to Russia. Lavrov spoke of the “Anchorage Agreements”, while there were no agreements made. The White House has not made any statement.
Japan
Japan’s snap election on Sunday rewarded Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) with a resounding victory. LDP secured 316 seats by early Monday, comfortably surpassing a 261-seat absolute majority in the 465-member lower house, the more powerful of Japan’s two-chamber parliament. That marks a record since the party’s foundation in 1955 and surpasses the previous record of 300 seats won in 1986 by late prime minister Yasuhiro Nakasone. Takaichi aims to boost Japan’s economy and strengthen its military.
US-Iran
The Trump Administration has told Iran that it expects the Iranian delegation, led by Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, to arrive at their meeting next week “with meaningful substance and concessions,” after Tehran ruled out a total halt to its uranium enrichment during Friday’s talks in Oman.
After the last round of talks, the US announced new oil sanctions on the regime just moments after the talks concluded.
Pakistan
Pakistan is readying to deport nearly 20,000 Afghans back to Afghanistan, who are awaiting US resettlement. This comes after recent Human Rights Watch reports that the Afghan Taliban have been singling out Afghans deported back to the country. Pakistan believes that the US is no longer interested in the Afghan refugees after the shooting of two US National Guard soldiers last year.
Social media wires
Turkish armour arrives in Germany ahead of NATO Steadfast Dart 2026 drills.
ISIS activity increasing in Iraq
Featured Photo: “ISAF providing comfort to Afghan refugees” – Wikimedia Commons, 2026
The Wires Brief is a daily breaking news report incorporating wire service news and social media updates. DefRep cannot verify the authenticity of social media reporters nor the accuracy of social media updates. Feature photos are altered with grayscale.