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❗️US pushes militarization of 'First Island Chain' during ASEAN defense summit According to a report by Anadolu Agency, US War Secretary Pete Hegseth met with his counterparts from Australia, Japan, and the Philippines today in Cebu City to expand operational military cooperation along the "First Island Chain." Speaking on the sidelines of the 20th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting, Hegseth declared that Washington is advancing "beyond words to practical cooperation" in order to fortify western military posture and enforcement across the Pacific. The high-level talks in the Philippines featured intense US diplomatic pressure to institutionalize an "ambitious" defense framework between Washington and the 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Addressing regional defense chiefs, Hegseth outlined an aggressive strategy aimed at maintaining a western-dominated "balance of power," explicitly pitching joint maritime patrols and forward military readiness under the guise of "peace through strength." While Hegseth held separate bilateral sessions with defense officials from South Korea, India, Singapore, Malaysia, and Vietnam, Chinese Defense Minister Dong Jun notably skipped the Cebu gathering. The absence of Beijing's top military official underscores mounting regional resistance against US efforts to draw Southeast Asian states into multilateral containment alliances targeting China.

‼️At least 14 people have been killed and 15 others injured, including women and children, according to preliminary casualty reports from Al-Masirah following a Saudi airstrike targeting a local market in Yemen's Al-Jawf hours ago.

❗️Kuwait summons Iran envoy after Tehran rejects assassination plot allegations Kuwait summoned Iran’s ambassador on Wednesday to lodge a protest over a statement issued by the Iranian embassy that it said constituted interference in the country’s internal affairs, the foreign ministry announced. Earlier, Iran’s embassy in Kuwait rejected Kuwaiti accusations that Iranian nationals had participated in a plot to assassinate individuals and threaten the Gulf state's security. According to a foreign ministry statement, Kuwait rejected any interference in its courts’ rulings and urged Iran to abide by international law and the UN Charter, particularly the principle of good neighborly relations.

❗️‘Until my last breath’: Macklemore launches 'Free Palestine' tour in Dublin after fallout with Ed Sheeran US rapper Macklemore kicked off his Free Palestine tour in Dublin, Ireland, on Tuesday, pledging to stand with Palestinians and fight for “collective liberation” until his “last breath.” The sold-out opening concert at Dublin's 3Arena drew 13,000 fans, many wearing keffiyehs and Palestinian flags and chanting “Free, free Palestine” throughout the performance. Gaza-based Palestinian journalist and activist Bisan Owda virtually opened the concert, introducing a piece she helped choreograph featuring Palestinian children singing in Gaza, which was screened for the audience. During the concert, Macklemore debuted his new song “Where Is Our Love,” wore a jersey supporting Irish rap group Kneecap, and described the opening night as one of the most powerful and memorable moments of his career. He has pledged to donate proceeds from the tour to organizations supporting Palestinians. The tour follows Macklemore's removal as an opening act for Ed Sheeran after his outspoken support for Palestine during a September concert in New Jersey. Addressing the controversy, Macklemore said the words “Free Palestine” had become more controversial than the suffering that made them necessary, condemning attempts to silence expressions of solidarity with Palestinians. The three-city tour, which also features other pro-Palestinian artists, will continue in Paris and London, with US dates planned for later.

US war on Iran bill exceeds $47bn, excluding military base repair costs: Report The figure covers munitions replenishment, equipment, aircraft losses, and a range of operational expenses

BREAKING | UK Maritime authority warns of active pirate threat in Gulf of Aden According to a maritime advisory issued by the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), military authorities have reported suspicious activity across the Gulf of Aden indicative of an active Pirate Action Group (PAG) operating in the area. Commercial shipping operators received alerts following multiple sightings of suspicious small craft maneuvering in close proximity to merchant vessels transiting the key shipping corridor. In one specific incident, crew members reported sighting a distinctive green and blue boat equipped with two boarding ladders, a grappling hook, and nine individuals on board.

❗️According to an update released by Israel's Central Elections Committee, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing bloc has not yet secured a governing majority following the counting of 77 percent of ballots cast in Tuesday's parliamentary elections. Updated projections place Netanyahu’s coalition at 54 seats, well short of the 61-seat threshold required to command a working majority in the 120-member Knesset.

❗️Turkiye hosts talks to reunify Libya’s rival administrations, no deal reached Turkiye held talks last week between Libya’s rival eastern and western administrations in an effort to reunify the divided country, but the discussions have yet to produce an agreement, a senior Turkish official familiar with the negotiations told AFP on Wednesday. “Discussions have so far focused primarily on military unification, while political unity is expected to be addressed at a later stage,” the official said. The negotiations took place in Ankara and involved military officials representing both administrations, alongside diplomats. Turkiye is mediating between the two sides, the official added. On Friday, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan said the time had come to reunify Libya’s eastern and western administrations, suggesting an announcement could be imminent after he hosted senior European diplomats and regional powers for a meeting in Istanbul. “We have now reached a stage where the conditions are ripe to permanently secure the reunification of the east and the west,” Fidan told journalists. “One of the most important pillars of national unification is how the military units currently controlled separately by both sides will be brought together under a single umbrella,” he added. “God willing, you will soon hear very good news about this from Turkiye.”

❗️Israeli Police, along with the Shin Bet and Israeli military authorities, arrested an Israeli reservist, identified only as a man in his 30s from Tel Sheva, on suspicion of attempting to smuggle approximately 10 kilograms of Captagon pills into the Gaza Strip using a military patrol vehicle, Ynet reports.

❗️Israeli politician calls for Israeli government 'without Arabs' According to a report by The New Arab, former deputy foreign minister Sharren Haskel called for the formation of a right-wing Zionist coalition strictly excluding Palestinian citizens' political parties. Writing on social media, the leader of the fringe Israel First party blamed ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich for driving up voter turnout among Palestinians, accusing them of turning out Palestinian voters "in droves to anti-Zionist parties." Haskel, who established Israel First in July after resigning from her post to protest military draft exemptions for Haredi men, insisted that the country requires a "broad national government" composed exclusively of rival Jewish factions: "Without the Arabs!" Her political platform advocates for a national unity structure independent of both non-Zionist Arab parties and ultra-Orthodox religious blocs, seeking to force a compromise among main-line Zionist lists.

VIDEO | According to local reports, Israeli military authorities recently closed a critical gate in the South Hebron Hills—the sole passage through which thousands of Palestinians commute daily to their villages. Nadav Weiman, Senior Director of Breaking the Silence, pointed out that video footage reveals 'the key' is actually held by Shimon Atiya, a notoriously violent Israeli settler from the illegal Shorashim Farm outpost who was recently issued a restraining order regarding Palestinians. Weiman noted that Atiya, who even opens the gate for Israeli occupation troops, is neither a soldier nor an officer, showing that Israeli settlers run the occupation hand in hand with the military.

❗️Iran denies receiving new peace proposal, rejects Qatar's ‘unacceptable’ ideas: Reuters A senior Iranian official denied on Wednesday that Qatar had presented Tehran with a new proposal to end the war with the United States, allegedly telling Reuters that Qatari mediators had instead brought forward a list of “unacceptable” ideas. The official stressed that Tehran would show no flexibility on the nuclear issue. The remarks contradict an earlier Reuters report, citing an official briefed on the negotiations, that Qatari mediators had delivered a new draft agreement to Iran on Sunday aimed at ending the war, with Tehran expected to respond by the weekend.

❗️Iran warns new Israeli-led escalation will inflict ‘devastating’ shock on global energy markets Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi warned on Wednesday that any new military escalation instigated by Tel Aviv in the Persian Gulf would inflict a “devastating impact” on international energy markets. Writing on social media following the Gas Exporting Countries Forum (GECF) Summit in Moscow, Araghchi stated that potential military disruptions to Persian Gulf energy transit remain a primary security concern for global gas suppliers and consumers alike. The warning was echoed by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian during high-level talks with international delegates in the Russian capital. The Iranian foreign minister's remarks come directly in response to heightened bellicose rhetoric from West Jerusalem and Washington, following an unprovoked US-Israeli joint military offensive launched on 28 February. While attempting to construct a viable parliamentary coalition after razor-thin election results, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu boasted on Wednesday that he sees a "unique opportunity" to partner with US President Donald Trump to eliminate what he termed the "existential threat" of Iran.

❗️Iraqi PM arrives in Damascus for first visit since December 2024 Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi arrived in Damascus on Wednesday, where he was received by Syrian President Ahmad al-Sharaa, Syrian state media reported. The visit marks the first trip to Syria by an Iraqi prime minister since the fall of former president Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. Syrian state television reported that Sharaa welcomed Zaidi and his accompanying delegation at Damascus International Airport. Sharaa and Zaidi also held talks last month in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. In an interview aired on Tuesday by Iraqi television channel Dijlah, Sharaa welcomed Zaidi's visit, stating that “in the past year and a half, something positive has been built in Syrian Iraqi relations, particularly in economic matters.” Sharaa also said that some of the approximately 3,000 Syrian detainees transferred to Iraq had “no connection” to ISIS, adding that efforts were underway to classify the detainees, assess Syria’s responsibility and explore options for repatriating them.

❗️An Israeli soldier stands in front of a church in the southern Lebanese town of Al-Qawzah, whose entrance Israeli occupation forces have blocked with dirt.

❗️Investigation reveals widespread Zionist indoctrination across UK state-funded Jewish schools More than half of the 45 mainstream Jewish schools in the UK explicitly state that teaching children to "love Israel" is a core part of their institutional mission, according to an investigation published by independent journalist Nate Bear. The findings indicate that UK state-funded primary and secondary institutions routinely organize mandatory trips to Israel, display Israeli flags alongside British symbols, and host active Israeli military personnel to address pupils as young as 12—raising serious concerns regarding compliance with Department for Education mandates on political impartiality. The research shows that major institutions such as JFS, the largest Jewish secondary school in Europe, explicitly embed a "love of the state of Israel" within their core curriculum and host former high-ranking Israeli military officials, including former chief of staff Aviv Kochavi. Other institutions, including Hasmonean High School, Immanuel College, and King David Primary School in Birmingham—where over 80 percent of the student body is Muslim—routinely feature visits from occupying troops, prayer sessions focused on Israeli combat forces, and fundraising drives for Israeli state charities. The revelation comes in the wake of a recent UK government taskforce report that attempted to spark public alarm over anti-Zionism in British classrooms based on just 29 survey responses. Uk government oversight services, such as the state-funded inspection agency Pikuach, actively endorse the integration of Zionist ideology into formal education while British authorities enforce strict silence against anti-genocide advocacy, effectively allowing state resources to be used for the political radicalization of British youth.

VIDEO | Israeli occupation forces fire tear gas on Palestinians as they carry out demolition operations in Nablus, in the occupied West Bank.

BREAKING | Yemeni Armed Forces Spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree calls for immediate evacuation of Aden Airport: "Our armed forces call on all individuals inside Aden Airport to evacuate immediately, as a military cargo plane belonging to the Saudi enemy is currently carrying weapons intended to kill the Yemeni people."

❗️US war on Iran costs top $47 billion, 25% above Pentagon estimate The US military has spent more than $47 billion on the war against Iran so far, exceeding the Pentagon’s estimate from July by over 25%, according to War Department data obtained by Reuters. The Pentagon’s latest assessment includes the operational expenses of conducting the war, along with more than $29 billion in projected costs to replenish the munitions used in the war. An additional $6 billion or more would be required to replace military equipment and cover so-called “platform losses,” including aircraft, particularly the numerous drones lost during the war.

❗️A Palestinian man was severely injured overnight after being assaulted by masked Israeli settlers in Masafer Yatta, south of Hebron, in the occupied West Bank. According to Quds News Network, Issa Awad suffered a severe eye injury during the attack by Israeli assailants, with medics expressing concern that he may permanently lose sight in the affected eye