Palestinian-Syrian Journalist Laith Marouf, Executive Director of Free Palestine TV, was arrested while reporting in the field and documenting Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon. He was held for three days, interrogated by Lebanese Military Intelligence, and his electronic devices were seized.

But Marouf noted that, amid public pressure, he was let go, and the officers actually apologized to him and gave him the clearance to report from anywhere in Lebanon. This is especially notable, as today marks the five-year anniversary of the Beirut Port explosion, and there are still far more questions than answers.

Source links: https://pnqk.me/cy4oqa

Follow Laith Marouf on X: https://x.com/TVFreePalestine/ and check out Free Palestine TV: https://www.freepalestine.video/

President Trump now claims Russia has “10 to 12 days” to agree to end the war in Ukraine, or he will impose “severe tariffs.” But Moscow clearly isn’t too worried about Trump’s never-ending threats, as the Kremlin is pointing out that after 3.5 years as the most sanctioned nation in the world, Russia has built up “a certain immunity” to the measures from the West.

Former U.S. Diplomat and Geopolitical Analyst, Jim Jatras, noted that while the U.S. tries to harm the Russians, the Europeans are the ones who continue to pay the price. This especially rings true with the latest trade deal signed by European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, aimed at keeping the U.S. interested in continuing support for the proxy war against Russia, at Europe’s expense.

Source links: https://pnqk.me/1eqs5r

Follow Jim Jatras on X: https://x.com/JimJatras/

After two days of trade talks, Beijing says the U.S. and China have agreed to extend their tariff truce, but now U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is saying, “our Chinese counterparts have jumped the gun a little,” and insisting it’s still up to President Trump to decide whether to go back to triple-digit tariffs.

Carl Zha, a geopolitical analyst and Host of the Silk & Steel Podcast, noted that while Trump wants to bully every country into a trade deal, he’s not going to be able to do that with China, especially when Beijing has the rare earth minerals the U.S. Military needs (and both sides know it).

We also discussed the recent border clashes between Thailand and Cambodia, as China and Malaysia lead the ASEAN group’s push for peace, and the latest conflict in Southeast Asia is much more complicated than it seems.

Source links: https://pnqk.me/gcutkc

Follow Carl Zha on X: https://x.com/CarlZha/ and check out the Silk & Steel Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@carlzha/

The U.S. launched massive military drills focused on war with China in the Pacific theater this week, involving 12,000 personnel from the Air Force and Space Force, and more than 350 aircraft, with the Secretary of the Air Force noting that this exercise is “the first of its kind since the Cold War.”

KJ Noh, a geopolitical analyst and Co-Host of ‘The China Report’ on Breakthrough News, noted that these drills send an ominous warning to the world, as the U.S. prepares for war with China, and the Trump Admin threatens to impose tariffs across Southeast Asia, based on which countries are complying with Washington’s geopolitical plans.

Source links: https://pnqk.me/mhsek4

Netanyahu looked stunned in a photo of the moment he was told of the latest ambush by Hamas, which left several IDF troops dead in Beit Hanoun. Reports say Hamas reconstructed a tunnel in north Gaza, near the boundary with Israel, and were able to plant roadside explosive devices, catching the Israeli soldiers off guard.

Palestinian-Syrian Journalist Laith Marouf noted that while Israel and U.S. are moving forward with their plans to “exterminate the Palestinians,” this ambush from Hamas is a reminder that for all of the genocide Israel has committed, it still hasn’t been able to stop attacks from the Resistance.

Source links: https://pnqk.me/uf0hql

Follow Laith Marouf on X: https://x.com/TVFreePalestine/ and check out Free Palestine TV: https://www.freepalestine.video/

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian spoke out in a recent interview with American Journalist Tucker Carlson, and said he believes Tehran could “easily resolve our differences and conflicts with the United States through dialogue and talks,” amid increased tensions and a fragile ceasefire with the U.S. and Israel.

Iran-based Geopolitical Analyst Ehsan Safarnejad noted that many Iranians were “humiliated” by the rhetoric from Pezeshkian (and his script writers) during the interview, because he failed to stand up for his country and the legitimacy of its civilian nuclear program.

Safarnejad also described the Iranian president’s reliance on diplomacy as a “death sentence,” because the U.S. has spent decades openly planning for war against Iran, and President Trump has already shown that nothing he says can be trusted.

Source links: https://pnqk.me/fazmwt

Follow Ehsan Safarnejad on X: https://x.com/Safarnejad_IR

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu is headed to Washington, DC, for his third meeting with President Trump in less than six months, and Trump is teasing everything from another ceasefire with Hamas in Gaza, to a “permanent deal with Iran.” But the two leaders have already shown they can’t be trusted…

Patrick Henningsen, Journalist and Host of the 21st Century Wire, noted that every time Trump and Netanyahu come together in person, it has been to “plot their next attack,” and the people across the region—from Palestine to Iran—have paid the price when every ceasefire deal and attempt at talks is betrayed by the U.S. and Israel.

Source links: https://pnqk.me/q0vn5n

Follow Patrick Henningsen on X: https://x.com/21WIRE/ and check out his page on Substack: https://patrickhenningsen.substack.com/

Putin is making it clear to NATO that Moscow has no plans to back down from its goals in Ukraine, as the Russian president held calls with Trump and Macron this week to discuss everything from the ongoing proxy war, to tensions in the Middle East.

International Relations and Security Analyst Mark Sleboda noted that while the U.S. may be halting some weapons and ammunitions shipments that were set for Ukraine, due to the Pentagon’s concerns about weapons stockpiles, that doesn’t change the fact the U.S. is continuing its support for the proxy war against Russia in other ways, as it also juggles support for Israel and plans for war against China.

Source links: https://pnqk.me/kwlxw7

The White House confirmed that the U.S. has cut off some planned shipments of weapons and ammunition to Ukraine, claiming they suddenly want to "to put America's interests first." This, after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered a review of U.S. weapons stockpiles, amid increasing concerns about America’s military readiness.

Veteran, Author and Russian Military Expert, Andrei Martyanov, noted that this decision from the Pentagon, along with French President Macron’s call to Russian President Putin for the first time in nearly three years, is a reminder that NATO is panicking. And no increase in defense spending from the alliance is going to change Russia’s gains in its war of attrition against Kiev.

Source links: https://pnqk.me/u5ddcn

Iran and Israel appear to have entered into a ceasefire agreement, after Trump called Netanyahu directly following his latest rant on social media. But how long will it last, when Trump has already proven to Iran that he can’t be trusted?

Iran-based Geopolitical Analyst Ehsan Safarnejad said that when it comes to Iran’s decision to end its retaliatory attacks against the U.S. and Israel: “I don’t think it is a bad decision to go for the ceasefire. I think that it is a moronic one.”

Source links: https://pnqk.me/gpo9nk