Retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges, former Commanding General of U.S. Army Europe (USAREUR), said that Kaliningrad and Sevastopol would be destroyed “within the first hours” of a full-scale war between NATO/the United States and Russia. Speaking on a Polish television network, he argued, “If Russia attacked Poland in 2025 the way it attacked Ukraine, it would simply be destroyed by NATO's air and ground forces. Kaliningrad would be eliminated in the very first hours. In the very first hours — Kaliningrad would cease to exist. All Russian facilities would be destroyed. Any Russian military facility in Sevastopol — likewise. Therefore, direct comparisons in this case are inappropriate.”

If the Pentagon moves forward with its threat to revoke the credentials of any journalist or media organization that refuses to sign the “pledge” issued today by Defense Secretary Hegseth, it appears that One America News (OAN) may soon be the only outlet left in the Pentagon Press Corps by Wednesday.

Nearly a dozen major news organizations, spanning Conservative and Liberal leanings, including The Atlantic, Associated Press, Axios, CNN, Guardian, Newsmax, New York Times, NPR, Reuters, Washington Post, and Washington Times, have rejected new rules and restrictions imposed on Pentagon journalists by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. These rules, which reporters must pledge to follow by Tuesday or risk losing their Pentagon press passes, have been condemned by the Pentagon Press Association as a First Amendment violation. The association argues the restrictions aim to “gag Pentagon employees and threaten retaliation against journalists seeking unapproved information.” Media outlets view this “pledge” as part of the Trump Administration’s broader efforts since January to curb public access to information about the Pentagon and U.S. Armed Forces. Only One America News (OAN) has agreed to sign the pledge. It’s encouraging to see nearly all major news outlets, regardless of political alignment, united in rejecting this clear assault on First Amendment rights, demonstrating their commitment to journalistic integrity.

Fox News has privately instructed its Pentagon reporters not to comply with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s “ultimatum” issued today, which demands that the Pentagon Press Corps sign a pledge agreeing to new rules and restrictions or face losing their press access within the Department of Defense. Fox aligns with nearly all other news outlets that have publicly rejected these restrictions, arguing they violate Freedom of the Press and the First Amendment. Only One America News (OAN) has agreed to sign the pledge, per Secretary Hegseth’s demand.

Over the past few months, the U.S. State Department has canceled visas for at least 50 Mexican politicians and officials, part of the Trump Administration’s continued efforts to target those suspected of ties to cartels, Reuters reports.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump appears to be reconsidering the 100% tariff on Chinese goods he announced Friday—a move that triggered the stock market’s steepest sell-off since April. In a post on Truth Social today, Trump wrote: “Don’t worry about China, it’s all going to be fine! The highly respected President Xi just had a bad moment. He doesn’t want a depression for his country, and neither do I. The U.S.A. wants to help China, not hurt it!!!” View quoted note →

White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff stated: “I want to acknowledge the crucial role the United Kingdom has played in supporting and coordinating the efforts that brought us to this historic day in Israel. In particular, I wish to commend the outstanding contributions and tireless work of National Security Advisor Jonathan Powell.”

President Trump joined the leaders of Qatar, Egypt, and Turkey for the official signing ceremony of the historic Gaza Peace Deal. He described the agreement as “the biggest and most complex deal ever achieved.”

“Iran’s judiciary, together with all branches of the government, is prepared to confront any unrest and prevent disorder following the activation of the snapback mechanism,” spokesperson Asghar Jahangir said on Sunday.

According to a source who spoke with Asharq, Hamas is demanding the release of seven senior Palestinian militants, including Marwan Barghouti and Hassan Salama.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Hamas has informed Israel that it is holding 20 living hostages and is prepared to begin their release today.

Donetsk resident does donuts near the burning Sigma hypermarket at coordinates (47.9980154, 37.9099007) after a Ukrainian drone strike tonight.

As ceasefire negotiations in Gaza neared completion this week, U.S. President Donald J. Trump reportedly provided Hamas with personal assurances—conveyed through Egypt, Turkey, and Qatar—that he would not permit Israel to abandon the ceasefire and resume hostilities in the Gaza Strip, according to Axios. One official noted that a key turning point came when “Hamas began viewing the hostages as a liability rather than an asset” for future negotiations, combined with direct guarantees from President Trump regarding the creation of a U.S.-led International Stabilization Force (ISF) to be deployed in Gaza. View quoted note →

U.S. President Donald J. Trump has announced a 100% tariff on all goods imported from China, along with new export controls on all critical software, set to take effect on November 1, 2025.

During recent “secret negotiations” with the Trump Administration, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro reportedly offered to open all current and future oil and gold projects to American companies, grant preferential contracts to U.S. businesses, redirect Venezuelan oil exports from China to the United States, and drastically reduce his country’s energy and mining partnerships with China, Iran, and Russia. According to an exclusive report from The New York Times, the U.S. government rejected the proposal and has since suspended all further diplomatic talks with Venezuela.

U.S. President Donald J. Trump stated earlier on Truth Social that “some very strange things are happening in China,” claiming that the country “is becoming very hostile and sending letters to nations around the world announcing plans to impose export controls on every aspect of production related to rare earths—and virtually anything else they can think of, even if it’s not manufactured in China.” President Trump added that he had planned to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping in two weeks at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit in South Korea, but that “now there seems to be no reason to do so,” noting that his administration is considering a “massive increase in tariffs on Chinese products entering the United States.”

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has announced the signing of an agreement between the United States and Qatar to establish a training facility for the Qatari Emiri Air Force at Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho. The facility will be used to train Qatari pilots in flying and operating the F-15QA (Qatar Advanced) fighter aircraft.

The Israel Defense Forces have begun a full-scale withdrawal of troops and equipment to designated positions within the Gaza Strip. Once the partial withdrawal is complete, the IDF will maintain control over approximately 53% of the territory, including a buffer zone along the entire Israel-Gaza border, the Philadelphi Corridor and the Egypt-Gaza border, as well as Beit Hanoun and Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza, a strategic ridge on the eastern outskirts of Gaza City, and significant portions of Rafah and Khan Younis in the south.

The Nobel Committee has announced that the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado for her “tireless efforts to promote democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and her unwavering struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.” View quoted note →

Peru's Congress has voted to oust President Dina Boluarte, citing high crime and poverty rates, following her rise to power after Pedro Castillo's removal in 2022.