Saudi Arabia intercepts drone over Riyadh amid rising Houthi attacks
Saudi Arabia’s air defences have intercepted and destroyed a hostile drone over the Riyadh region, according to the Saudi-led coalition fight...
French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Armenia was presented as an important diplomatic milestone.
According to Le Figaro, Macron’s visit to Yerevan centred on a strategic partnership with Armenia. Defence cooperation was also part of that picture. In 2024, Armenia ordered 36 Caesar howitzers from France.
But exclusive materials obtained by AnewZ raise questions that go beyond the public partnership.
The main question is this: was a deeper, covert military track developing in parallel with diplomacy?
ADS-B flight-tracking data exclusively obtained by AnewZ shows that an Airbus A330-200, registered F-UJCS and belonging to the French Air and Space Force, was moving towards Yerevan on May 4.
The next day, the aircraft flew from Yerevan to Paris. A few hours later, it moved from Paris towards Istres-Le Tubé, a French military air base near Marseille.
These records do not prove what was on board.
But they raise a serious logistics question.
Was this only official transport after the visit?
Or was it part of a wider military support chain?
The same aircraft also appears earlier in other flight-tracking materials linked to Japan and South Korea. Screenshots reviewed by AnewZ show F-UJCS, using the callsign CTM021, moving east from Europe on March 28. It later appears around South Korea and Japan on March 29, April 2 and April 3.
That timing matters.
Macron’s Asia tour ran from March 31 to April 3. On April 1, the French and Japanese defence ministers signed the Japan-France Defence Roadmap. On April 3, Macron and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung agreed to deepen cooperation, including in defence and energy.
Again, this does not prove cargo.
But it places the aircraft within a broader picture linked to defence diplomacy.
Then came the A400M data.
A flight-tracking image from May 11 shows a French military A400M, callsign CTM2025, moving east towards the South Caucasus.
According to information being examined by AnewZ, cargo linked to this route was declared to Georgia as gas cylinders, lithium batteries and chemical substances.
The key question is whether the actual cargo was different.
Could it have included components, assemblies or auxiliary equipment linked to Caesar systems?
That question became more pressing after Caesar howitzers were seen in Yerevan. The systems were reportedly visible during preparations ahead of Armenia’s May 28 Republic Day parade.
Open sources say Armenia signed a contract in 2024 for 36 Caesar systems. Recent footage from Armenia shows those systems during parade preparations.
If these systems are publicly displayed, they are no longer just a contract item.
They become a visible military reality on the ground.
The legal dimension is also significant.
Under the 1944 Chicago Convention, civilian and military aircraft operate under different legal regimes. If military cargo was moved under a false declaration, it would raise serious questions about airspace permission, transit approval and the integrity of civil aviation rules.
There is no final proof at this stage.
Public information points to partnership. Exclusive flight records obtained by AnewZ show movement. Footage shows Caesar systems in Armenia. The cargo declaration issue still requires confirmation.
The key documents remain open: the A400M cargo manifest, Georgia’s transit permission, ICAO compliance records and independent confirmation of what was actually on board.
Until those answers are clear, the case remains open.
Not proven.
But serious enough to demand answers.
The U.S. has approved the sale of 500 Patriot PAC-3 missiles to Ukraine in a deal worth an estimated $2.1 billion, but Kyiv could face years of delays before receiving the weapons it urgently needs to defend against intensifying Russian attacks.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei has ordered Iran's armed forces to respond to any threat immediately and without geographical limits in statements posted to social media platforms on Saturday (31 October).
Demonstrators carrying Iranian flags and placards supporting the hijab gathered outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in London.
A Chinese-made AI chip has matched Nvidia’s H200 in tests conducted by its developer, marking a potential breakthrough in China’s efforts to reduce its dependence on foreign technology.
A hacking group linked to North Korea is widely believed to be behind the theft of $6.3 billion from cryptocurrency giant Binance, a cyberattack that experts describe as the largest cryptocurrency heist on record.
Saudi Arabia’s air defences have intercepted and destroyed a hostile drone over the Riyadh region, according to the Saudi-led coalition fighting in Yemen. No casualties were reported.
Since 2021, only 9 per cent of $8 billion in humanitarian aid for Afghanistan can be traced beyond initial recipients in public records, a Kabul Institute report released on 22 October said. The United Nations says its oversight systems ensure accountability.
Opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan surged by 330 per cent in 2026 despite a four-year ban, the United Nations said on Thursday. Afghan authorities disputed the findings, while Japan urged continued support for farmers seeking alternative livelihoods.
Demonstrators carrying Iranian flags and placards supporting the hijab gathered outside the Azerbaijani Embassy in London.
Central Asia could gain up to $640 million a year from closer energy cooperation, but strained electricity grids threaten to limit those gains, with Kazakhstan particularly exposed to regional power shortages and growing pressure on its network.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment