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  Gaza Talks, Florida Primaries, and ICE Detention 18.08.2026 1год 26хв

  President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner traveled to the region for high level meetings with Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya in Cairo on Sunday followed by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday to discuss the next stages of the so-called ceasefire plan that was announced by President Donald Trump last month.Kushner emerged with no concrete commitments from Israel to the U.S. proposal that Hamas agreed to and instead issued Hamas a 60-to-90-day ultimatum to surrender its weapons before Israel withdraws from Gaza or takes any steps in return. Meanwhile, settlers backed by the Israeli military are increasingly rampaging across the occupied West Bank, attacking Palestinian families and forcing them from their homes. Drop Site’s Sharif Abdel Kouddous is joined by Diana Buttu a Palestinian human rights attorney and former adviser to the negotiating team of the PLO, to talk about the latest.Then, Drop Site’s Julian Andreone is joined by two candidates running in Florida’s primary races today: Elijah Manley and Oliver Larkin, both are challenging entrenched pro-Israel Democratic incumbents, Rep. Jared Moskowitz and Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz respectively. The polls close at 7 p.m. ET today.And Sharif speaks with Tala Alfoqaha and Maria Kari, two members of the legal team for Maryam Tahmasebi, who was arrested by ICE agents in April along with her husband, Eissa Hashemi, and their 16-year-old son. They are all legal permanent residents of the U.S. with valid green cards but they have been held in immigration detention for the past four months allegedly because of something a relative was involved with nearly 50 years ago in Iran. Get full access to Drop Site News at www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe
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  Hormuz at Breaking Point and Remembering Journalists Killed in Gaza 11.08.2026 1год 33хв

  The U.S. war against Iran has transformed into a form of economic siege as U.S. ships blockade Iranian ports and Trump promises a prolonged naval confrontation aimed at forcing Iran to relinquish its control over the Strait of Hormuz. At the same time, Iran is imposing its own retaliatory siege aimed at the U.S. and its allies by striking ships attempting the pass the strait without its permission—vowing not to relent until the U.S. concedes a list of demands including economic compensation to Tehran and military withdrawal from the region.On this week’s episode of the Drop Site News livestream hosts Murtaza Hussain and Ryan Grim discuss the economics of this war of blockades and its impact on the global economy with financial expert Brett Erickson. In the following segment Murtaza and Ryan are joined by colleagues Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Abubaker Abed to discuss the one year anniversary of the assassination of Palestinian journalist Anas al-Sharif and five of his colleagues on August 10, 2025, and the ongoing targeting of Palestinian journalists covering the genocide in the Gaza Strip. Get full access to Drop Site News at www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe
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  The Gaza “Ceasefire” Farce and the Battle for Michigan 04.08.2026 1год 14хв

  Last week, Hamas and President Donald Trump’s so-called Board of Peace announced they had formally agreed to terms addressing the weapons held by the Palestinian resistance. Sources from within Hamas told Drop Site that the issue was contentious and hotly debated internally, but ultimately the group moved forward with a strategy that the ball would now be in the court of Israel, the U.S., and regional mediators to uphold the deal. Almost immediately after the agreement was announced, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would not withdraw Israeli forces, as required by the deal, and intended to continue striking Gaza. Israel has killed more than 1,200 Palestinians since the October 2025 ceasefire was announced and has extended its occupation in total violation of the terms Israel signed and Trump guaranteed. This is part of a longstanding pattern that plays out after Palestinian negotiators accept terms that the U.S. claims will end the war and occupation.On the Drop Site News livestream, Jeremy Scahill speaks with Palestinian academic and analyst Sami Al-Arian about why Hamas agreed to the terms, which include a decommissioning of heavy weapons and military infrastructure in Gaza. They also discuss the future of Palestinian resistance and the upcoming elections, in which Europe and the U.S. have worked with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to create a framework for banning Hamas and other pro-resistance factions from participating.Then, Jeremy and Ryan Grim discuss Tuesday’s primary elections in Michigan and Missouri, including the closely watched race between Abdul El-Sayed and Rep. Haley Stevens. Later, they discuss the 2028 campaign, and the difficulty that could be faced by potential candidate Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who passed on an opportunity to be the leading moral voice of opposition to Israel’s genocide, a decision that continues to be a headwind for her.Subscribe at dropsitenews.com Get full access to Drop Site News at www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe
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  West Bank Settler Terrorism and India’s Gen Z Protest Movement 28.07.2026 1год 5хв

  Armed Israeli settlers backed by the military and government have continued to escalate attacks on Palestinians living in the West Bank in recent weeks, attacking villages and towns amid an ongoing push to assert Israeli sovereignty over the territory. At the same time, there are indications that the “wall of fear” among Palestinians in the West Bank has begun to crumble—as individual Palestinians have engaged in increasingly bold efforts to defend their homes and communities against armed attacks.On this week’s stream, Murtaza Hussain and Maysa Mustafa discuss the situation in the West Bank with Abdaljawad Omar, a professor at Birzeit University in the West Bank.Later in the show, Murtaza discusses the youth-led, “Cockroach Movement” protests in India against corruption and economic inequality with guests Akshay Marathe, former national spokesperson for India’s Aam Aadmi Party, and journalist Meghnad Bose. Get full access to Drop Site News at www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe
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  The Gulf War and the Battle For Michigan 21.07.2026 1год 19хв

  As the U.S. continues to carry out an air campaign against Iran and attempts to wrest back control of the Strait of Hormuz, the war is already reshaping the future of Gulf Arab states that rely on the critical waterway as well as the protection of U.S. military bases in the region.On this week’s stream, Ryan Grim and Murtaza Hussain discuss the impact of the war on the GCC states with Amir Handjani, an analyst on the region and board member at the Quincy Institute.Grim and Hussain also discuss the upcoming Democratic primary races in Michigan with progressive 7th Congressional District candidate Will Lawrence, as well as Michigan political reporter Sam Robinson.Read and subscribe at www.dropsitenews.com. Get full access to Drop Site News at www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe
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  Ro Khanna and Israeli Apartheid, the Iran War, and the Politics of the World Cup 14.07.2026 1год 37хв

  On this week’s stream, Rep. Ro Khanna describes being detained by Israeli settlers backed by the Israeli army in the West Bank earlier this month—and talks about his meetings with Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. Khanna and Drop Site co-founder Jeremy Scahill debate Palestinian armed resistance, the Iron Dome, and Congress’s role.Then: As the FIFA World Cup enters its final week, visiting teams and fans have been subject to discriminatory treatment or bans by the U.S. FIFA has been accused of increasingly corrupt practices, poor officiating in matches has grown into accusations of systemic bias, and the issue of Palestine has been raised. Drop Site’s Sharif Abdel Kouddous speaks with Abdullah Al-Arian, a professor of history at Georgetown University in Qatar and editor of the book “Football in the Middle East: State, Society, and the Beautiful Game” about the politics of the World Cup.Subscribe to all our journalism at dropsitenews.com. Get full access to Drop Site News at www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe
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  Beyond the Battlefield: What Comes Next for the Iran and Gaza Wars 07.07.2026 1год 5хв

  Since October 7, 2023 and the launch of the genocidal war on Gaza, the U.S. and Israel have manufactured a reality in the Middle East—a new reality in which ceasefires have been redefined as a diplomatic cudgel to incapacitate any resistance to Israel’s wars and force surrender. Israel can continue its attacks, claiming self defense, while local, indigenous forces or resistance groups must adhere to not only the terms of the so-called agreements, but also to submit to new and evolving demands.Nowhere has this dynamic this been more pronounced than in the case of the Gaza ceasefire signed in October 2025. On the Drop Site News livestream, Diana Buttu, Palestinian human rights lawyer and a former legal advisor and negotiator for the Palestine Liberation Organization, speaks to Jeremy Scahill about the state of negotiations with Trump’s Board of “Peace.” Buttu and Scahill analyze the latest developments, including Israeli media predictions that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—currently campaigning for re-election—may launch another massive military operation in Gaza.Meanwhile, as millions of people gather in Iran for the multi-day funeral procession for the slain Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the future of the fragile Memorandum of Understanding between Tehran and the Trump administration hangs in the balance. President Donald Trump expressed surprise at the size of the crowds in Iran, saying he thought people hated Khamenei. For Iran’s leaders, the funeral has served as both an act of defiance and a warning to the U.S. and Israel.Vali Nasr, Professor of International Affairs and Middle East Studies at Johns Hopkins, joins Scahill and Murtaza Hussain for a wide-ranging discussion on Khamenei’s life and legacy. Nasr, whose latest book is “Iran’s Grand Strategy: A Political History,” also discusses the state of the Iran MOU, the prospects for a broader agreement and how Iran’s government would navigate attempts by the White House to strip Iran of its negotiating leverage.Subscribe to Drop Site News. Get full access to Drop Site News at www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe
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  Lebanon’s Surrender Agreement: Hezbollah Expert Amal Saad on Beirut’s “Framework” With Israel 02.07.2026 59хв

  In mid-June, the U.S. and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding that was formally intended to bring a halt to the war and open a path for negotiations on a range of issues, including the future of Iran’s nuclear program. Tehran, however, made clear that it would not proceed to any long-term deal unless the U.S. compelled Israel to end its war against Lebanon. Since the signing of the MOU, Israel has maneuvered to ensure its forces can remain entrenched in Lebanon and worked with the Trump administration to delink Hezbollah from the Iran deal. Hezbollah formally entered the war on March 2 and Iran has insisted that the ceasefire must apply not only to Iran, but to southern Lebanon as well. Israel and the U.S., however, embarked on an alternative path aimed at enlisting the Lebanese government as their local partner in a campaign aimed at disarming and dismantling Hezbollah.A subsequent “framework,” signed on June 26, between Israel and Lebanon appears to have succeeded in laying the foundations. The text portrays Hezbollah as an illegal insurgent movement and enables Israeli forces to remain indefinitely in Lebanon until Lebanese Armed Forces enact the “successful disarmament of non-state armed groups and dismantlement of their infrastructure.” Only after this is accomplished, would Israeli occupation forces “progressively redeploy out of the Lebanese territory.”As the U.S. and Iran continue indirect technical talks, there are mounting concerns in Tehran that Trump is simply using the negotiations to prepare for a resumption of the war. Tehran has also said that it will not stand idly by as Israel continues its attacks on Lebanon, pointing out that the MOU explicitly commits the U.S. to end the war.Drop Site’s Jeremy Scahill spoke with Amal Saad, a lecturer on international relations and politics at Cardiff University in the UK who is writing a book on Hezbollah and the Axis of Resistance. In a wide-ranging discussion, Saad offers a comprehensive analysis of the U.S.-Israeli campaign to co-opt the Lebanese government into the war against Hezbollah. They also discuss Iran’s regional and global position in the post-October 7 world, and Saad explains why she believes another war on Iran is inevitable.To subscribe to all our journalism, visit https://www.dropsitenews.com.Support us at https://givebutter.com/support-dropsite. Get full access to Drop Site News at www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe
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  From Lake Lucerne to Lebanon, U.S.-Iran Talks Stumble Forward 23.06.2026 1год 13хв

  The United States and Iran continue to push forward with talks building on their recently signed MOU to end the current war and resolve outstanding differences between the two countries related to sanctions and the Iranian nuclear program. Following the failure of the joint U.S.-Israeli attack against Iran, Tehran has put forward what amount to victors’ terms in ongoing negotiations; including full relief from the U.S. sanctions regime, a recognized right to uranium enrichment, and a permanent ceasefire and Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon. Despite ongoing attempts at foiling the negotiations and restarting the war by Israel and neoconservatives in Washington, the Trump administration has pressed ahead with talks led by Vice President JD Vance. The negotiations now underway are taking place effectively on Tehran’s terms, with the U.S. forced back to the negotiating table after a weeks-long air campaign failed to suppress Iranian ballistic missile strikes and allowed Tehran to to take control of the Strait of Hormuz. Drop Site’s Ryan Grim, Jeremy Scahill, and Murtaza Hussain discuss the recent round of talks in Switzerland, the emerging strategic landscape in the Middle East after the war, and the prospects for a settlement in Lebanon. Additionally, Grim and Hussain discuss today’s primary election in New York and growing challenges to the influence of pro-Israel lobby groups in U.S. domestic politics. Get full access to Drop Site News at www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe
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  The State of War and Diplomacy: Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza 16.06.2026 1год 4хв

  The United States and Iran reached an initial agreement early Monday to extend the ceasefire for 60 days and open the Strait of Hormuz. The text of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) has not been released, but Iran has publicly indicated that the deal includes a permanent cessation of military operations across all fronts, including Lebanon specifically. The signing of the agreement is set for Friday in Switzerland, with U.S. Vice President JD Vance saying he plans to attend and leaving open the possibility President Donald Trump could as well. In the first 24 hours after the MOU was formally announced, the Israeli military carried out drone strikes, artillery fire, ground incursion attempts, and road demolitions across south Lebanon, killing at least three civilians and wounding several others. Despite this, thousands of displaced Lebanese have begun making their way south looking to return to their homes.Drop Site’s Ryan Grim, Jeremy Scahill, Murtaza Hussain, and Sharif Abdel Kouddous discuss the MOU between the U.S. and Iran, its geopolitical implications, how Lebanon is a pivotal part of the deal, and why Palestine is not specifically named in the agreement. Get full access to Drop Site News at www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe
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  Erratic Fury: Trump and Iran—On the Precipice of More War or a Return to Diplomacy 09.06.2026 1год 20хв

  President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed over the past two months that a deal with Iran is imminent. Following an exchange of military attacks between Iran and Israel this week, Trump is treading in familiar narrative waters. Iran has made clear it remains open to a deal and charges that the basic contours of an agreement were in place weeks ago. Trump, Iranian officials charged, sabotaged an agreement by continuing the military blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, striking Iran and allowing Israel to intensify its scorched earth attacks in southern Lebanon. After Iran hit back, launching missiles at Israel in retaliation for Israeli attacks on Beirut, Trump’s tone shifted back to diplomacy.On the Drop Site live stream, Jeremy Scahill and Ryan Grim speak to Mohammad Ali Shabani, editor of Amwaj.Media, about the state of diplomacy and war, as well as Israel’s covert operations in Iran and whether Tehran will continue to define a ceasefire in Lebanon as a red line for any deal. Then, international law expert Maryam Jamshidi and political analyst Negar Mortazavi discuss the future of Iran’s control of the Strait of Hormuz and how international law has been attacked since the Gaza genocide began. Get full access to Drop Site News at www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe
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  Why the Iran Talks Now Hang on Lebanon 02.06.2026 1год 34хв

  Tehran suspended ceasefire negotiations over Israel’s escalating attacks in Lebanon and U.S. strikes on Iranian shipping, as any prospect of a deal grows increasingly remote. Iran’s Foreign Ministry says a permanent Lebanon ceasefire is now a prerequisite for any agreement, while Strait of Hormuz closures send fertilizer and diesel prices soaring.At the same time, Israel is pursuing a systematic campaign to empty entire communities across southern Lebanon and has destroyed approximately 60 villages near the southern border. Amnesty International warns the displacement orders “don’t constitute lawful advance warnings” and amount to the war crime of unlawful transfer.* Drop Site’s Ryan Grim and Maysa Mustafa kicked off this week’s livestream speaking with Dr. Adam Hamawy, a plastic surgeon and U.S. veteran who performed surgeries in Gaza, and is now the frontrunner in New Jersey’s 12th congressional district in a primary where U.S. support for Israel’s wars in the Middle East have been defining issues.* Trita Parsi of the Quincy Institute joined to break down whether the Iran deal is collapsing in real time.* Sean Vitka of Demand Progress discussed Rashida Tlaib’s Lebanon War Powers Resolution and Democratic Party inaction on the war.* And Drop Site contributor Lylla Younes also joined live from Beirut, speaking on her reporting of the ethnic cleansing of southern Lebanon—including her latest report on the Ain Arab village, where soldiers went door to door telling residents: “You either leave right now or you die.”Stay INFORMED on our latest reporting: DropSiteNews.comWATCH our weekly live show, streaming every TUESDAY morning, on Substack, YouTube, and FacebookLISTEN to the show as a podcast on Apple, Spotify, RSS, or wherever you get your podcasts.SUBSCRIBE to Drop Site News. Our reporting is FREE, and we are committed to keeping it that way.To help support our work, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription, it’s what fuels our reporting: https://www.dropsitenews.com/subscribeDONATE to support Drop Site's independent journalism. Help us continue our work with a tax-deductible contribution at donate.dropsitenews.com. Get full access to Drop Site News at www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe
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  U.S.-Iran Negotiations in the Balance, Israel Escalates Attacks Against Gaza and Lebanon 26.05.2026 1год 12хв

  Iran on Tuesday denounced U.S. strikes a day earlier as a sign of “bad faith and unreliability” as negotiations for a framework for a deal to end the war hang in the balance. The U.S. military confirmed that it had struck vessels near the southern Iranian port city of Bandar Abbas on Monday in what called “self-defense strikes,” while Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said it shot down a MQ-9 Reaper drone that entered Iranian airspace. Meanwhile, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and Central Bank Governor Abdolnaser Hemmati traveled to Doha on Monday evening for continued talks with mediators.A senior Iranian official told Drop Site on Friday that Tehran had put forward a set of terms as a framework for a deal, including the provisional reopening of the Strait of Hormuz—contingent on an end to the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, the release of billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets, and a plan to compensate Iran for damages incurred in the war. The official also stated that the Iranian framework would require an agreement to permanently end the war first, followed by immediate negotiations to reach a deal over the nuclear program.Drop Site’s Jeremy Scahill speaks with Dr. Foad Izadi, professor of American studies and international relations at University of Tehran, about the latest. Sharif Abdel Kouddous and Jeremy also speak with Eyad Amawi of the Gaza Relief Committee in Deir al-Balah about the escalating Israeli assault on Gaza and the growing hunger crisis. Sharif also discusses the latest in Lebanon as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu escalates Israeli attacks, and Jeremy outlines how President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace has unilaterally rewritten the Gaza ceasefire agreement in an effort to compel Palestinians to surrender their liberation cause and institutionalize Israeli domination over the future of the Gaza Strip. Get full access to Drop Site News at www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe
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  The State of Trump’s Iran Quagmire and a Look at the War in Sudan 19.05.2026 1год 45хв

  As President Donald Trump struggles to find a path to declare victory in his war of choice against Iran, he now claims he called off a resumption of military attacks he said were planned for Tuesday.Trump announced Monday that a planned military strike on Iran had been postponed at the personal request of the leaders of Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates, because “serious negotiations are now taking place, and that, in their opinion, as Great Leaders and Allies, a Deal will be made, which will be very acceptable to the United States of America, as well as all Countries in the Middle East, and beyond.”While Iranian leaders said they are engaged in good faith negotiations, they have also said they have their own red lines and are prepared for a resumption of the war. Drop Site’s Jeremy Scahill and Negar Mortazavi of the Center for International Policy discuss the latest developments.Then, Ryan Grim discusses how the war in Sudan has become the world’s largest humanitarian crisis while receiving far less global attention than Gaza or Ukraine.Researcher Nathaniel Raymond, executive director of the Humanitarian Research Lab at the Yale School of Public Health, said the conflict has entered a new phase defined by drone warfare, with both the Sudanese army and the RSF increasingly targeting civilian infrastructure as the rainy season begins. He also warned that the RSF is militarily fragile and heavily dependent on UAE supply lines, arguing that pressure campaigns targeting the UAE’s business ties—especially through the NBA and Manchester City—could have more impact than diplomacy.Humanitarian and world-renowned photographer Misan Harriman stressed the need for athletes, celebrities, and protest movements to connect Sudan to broader anti-war and anti-colonial struggles alongside Gaza and Congo.FOLLOW Drop Site News for more independent news on war and politicsStay INFORMED on our latest reporting: DropSiteNews.comWATCH our weekly live show, streaming every TUESDAY morning, on Substack, YouTube, and FacebookLISTEN to the show as a podcast on Apple, Spotify, RSS, or wherever you get your podcasts.To help support our work, please consider upgrading to a paid subscription, it’s what fuels our reporting: https://www.dropsitenews.com/subscribeDONATE to support Drop Site's independent journalism. Help us continue our work with a tax-deductible contribution at donate.dropsitenews.com. Get full access to Drop Site News at www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe
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  China Is Scaling Up its Military. Is It Preparing for War? 08.09.2025 46хв

  The Chinese government held a major military parade in Beijing on September 3, commemorating the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II. The parade followed an international strategic and economic conference in China bringing together leaders from across Eurasia, including Russia, India, Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, and North Korea.The event highlighted China’s growing influence as a military power, as well as a defense exporter. Although China has been seen as a producer of low-end manufactured goods, its role in the global economy has radically shifted. In addition to making high-quality electric cars and consumer goods, Chinese factories are producing drones, ballistic missiles, tanks, and aircraft that are as good, or better, than those built by Western defense companies. And the scale is staggering.The Trump administration considers the Chinese Communist Party its primary adversary. And there have been concerns that the two countries may soon clash, including over control of the island of Taiwan.This week, Drop Site’s Murtaza Hussain is joined by Steve Hsu, a theoretical physicist, technologist, and analyst of Chinese military developments. Hsu is also the host of the podcast “Manifold.”Listen above or on the Drop Site News channel on Apple, Spotify, RSS, or wherever you get your podcasts. Subscribe to get Drop Site's journalism in your inbox: https://www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe. Get full access to Drop Site News at www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe
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  VIDEO: Serbia at the Crossroads 23.08.2025 15хв

  BELGRADE, SERBIA—On August 12, 2025, in the cities of Vrbas and Bačka Palanka, Serbia, several hundred people took to the streets to protest against the repression by the regime of President Aleksandar Vučić. That evening, pro-government supporters attacked demonstrators, throwing stones and frozen water bottles and targeting them with fireworks. The protestors retaliated, throwing objects back at Vučić’s supporters. The police did not intervene, though they were also struck several times.These events sparked outrage, in part because the police stood by and allowed the violent attacks by Vučić’s supporters against the demonstrators, and on August 13, people in several Serbian cities protested in front of the ruling party’s offices. The police responded with force, and since then, clashes between protestors and police have continued across Serbia. Almost every night, the streets of the capital, Belgrade, and other Serbian cities are filled with police deploying tear gas and armored vehicles on one side, and regime opponents on the other.The roots of the uprising stretch back to November 1, 2024, when a concrete canopy weighing over 300 tons collapsed at the railway station in Novi Sad, killing 16 people. This canopy had been officially reopened just four months earlier after reconstruction.This tragic event sparked a wave of protests across Serbia, led by a segment of the population previously considered the most indifferent to social and political issues in the country—university students. They swiftly formed the core of a movement waging a campaign for accountability and against corruption and vowing to drive Vučić from power.Arrests of protesters, particularly students, are ongoing.Vučić has ruled Serbia for 13 years. A veteran of Serbian politics who served as information minister under the government of Slobodan Milošević in the 1990s, Vučić is well known for his ability to calibrate his positions to maintain strategic alliances with both the U.S. and its adversaries. Although the country officially remains on the path to joining the European Union and enjoys warm relations with the Trump administration, Vučić also maintains close ties with Russia and China.Vučić is conducting talks with the EU regarding the status of Kosovo, which formally declared independence from Serbia in 2008. His government sends weapons to both Ukraine and Israel and Belgrade reportedly signed a recent deal with the Israeli weapons technology firm Elbit Systems worth $1.6 billion for long-range rockets, drones, and surveillance systems. Rio Tinto—a powerful mining company that environmentalists accuse of causing pollution and other environmental damage in addition to allegations of mistreatment of workers—plans to open a mine in a lithium- and boron-rich area of Serbia called Jadar. Just over two months ago, the European Commission declared the Jadar project one of strategic importance for the EU.Vučić’s opponents call him an autocrat and dictator, claiming that corruption in the country has never been higher. They cite as an example the cost of the Paris Olympics last year—€10 billion—and compare it with the projected costs for Serbia’s EXPO, scheduled to be held in Belgrade in 2027, which is expected to cost nearly €18 billion.According to recent polls, Vučić’s popularity is on the decline and he has rejected calls for new elections, despite the country being in deep political crisis.Dušan Čavić and Dušan Šaponja, cohosts of the popular Serbian YouTube documentary news program Marka Žvaka produced this report for Drop Site News explaining how Serbia once again has found itself at the political crossroads. Get full access to Drop Site News at www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe
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  China’s Communist Party, Its Rise, and the Looming New Cold War 27.07.2025 37хв

  The U.S. remains the most powerful single nation in the world, but it is not the most powerful in every region. While the U.S. remains mired in numerous wars in the Middle East, it is facing a rapid challenge from the People’s Republic of China. In recent history, China has become a major economic, technological, and political power—even taking the place of the U.S. as the dominant economic actor in many parts of the world.The U.S. and China in recent years have transformed from erstwhile partners into fierce rivals that many fear is rapidly transforming into a new Cold War. As their rivalry grows, some observers warn that the economic decoupling now taking place between Washington and Beijing could be a prelude to a direct military clash over Taiwan in the years to come.Understanding the history and future of China is more important than ever. The central figure in Chinese politics today is the country’s leader and Communist Party chief Xi Jinping. But to understand Xi’s rise and contemporary Chinese politics, an even more interesting figure may be his father, Xi Zhongxun.The elder Xi was a leading figure in the Chinese Communist Party during the revolutionary era and a close associate of Mao Zedong. Like many Chinese officials of that generation, he suffered purges and repression, in the midst of a century of suffering that touched nearly the entire Chinese population, including his family and children.Drop Site’s Murtaza Hussain is joined by Joseph Torigian, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution, and the author of the new book: “The Party's Interests Come First: The Life Of Xi Zhongxun, Father Of Xi Jinping.”Listen above or on the Drop Site News channel on Apple, Spotify, RSS, or wherever you get your podcasts. Get full access to Drop Site News at www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe
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  Turkey Marches Towards Authoritarianism as It Becomes a Global Power 06.06.2025 38хв

  Protests have taken hold of Turkey in recent months, as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan continues to consolidate more and more power in the country. Recently, Erdogan’s government arrested a major political opponent, Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, leading to widespread demonstrations.As Erdogan consolidates power, the government is engaging in a new peace process with left-leaning Kurdish groups that have long maintained an insurgency against the state. Simultaneously, Turkey has been expanding its influence in Syria, Ukraine, the Mediterranean, and even Western Europe.Erdogan has led Turkey for over two decades, reshaping the country from its republican roots into a more right-wing, nationalist, and Islamist state. To discuss the history of Turkey, its political evolution, and recent developments, Drop Site’s Murtaza Hussain is joined by Selim Koru. Koru is the author of “New Turkey and the Far Right: How Reactionary Nationalism Remade a Country” and an analyst at the Ankara-based Economic Policy Research Foundation of Turkey. Listen above or on the Drop Site News channel on Apple, Spotify, RSS, or wherever you get your podcasts. Get full access to Drop Site News at www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe
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  Trump Heads to the Mideast as Gaza Starves, Student Protests Grow, India-Pakistan Tensions Rise 13.05.2025 1год 37хв

  Amid Israel’s ongoing bombardment, famine conditions, and the near-total collapse of humanitarian assistance in Gaza, on Monday, May 12, the Israeli military assassinated renowned Palestinian journalist Hassan Eslayeh in an airstrike on Nasser Hospital, where he was receiving treatment.The next day, Israeli forces killed 12-year-old Mohammed Bardawil, an eyewitness who had testified to the Israeli military’s execution of fifteen paramedics, rescue workers, and UN staff in Rafah in March 2024. Mohammed had told investigators that some of the paramedics were shot at point-blank range—“from one meter away.”After his administration met directly with Hamas to negotiate the release of U.S.-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander, Trump arrived in Riyadh on May 13, kicking off a four-day Middle East tour. Following his stop in Saudi Arabia, Trump is expected to visit Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. He has claimed the trip will secure “$1 trillion” in investment for the U.S.Meanwhile, calls to end U.S. support for Israel’s apartheid and genocide continue, as campus protests spread and escalate nationwide. On May 7, pro-Palestinian demonstrators occupied the main library at Columbia University. Around eighty people were arrested, and some students have been suspended.This week also saw a dramatic military escalation between India and Pakistan—the most intense in decades—marked by drone and missile exchanges. The hostilities have now paused under a fragile ceasefire.Tune in to hear Drop Site’s journalists and correspondents break down these developments and more—and check back every Tuesday to stay informed. Get full access to Drop Site News at www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe
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  Trump Declares Economic War on China 11.04.2025 47хв

  President Donald Trump once said that “trade wars are good, and easy to win.” Now he seems intent on testing that thesis, erecting some of the most massive trade barriers in recent world history. The tariffs are already reshaping the global economy. But they will have the most strongest impact on the U.S. relationship with China, which now faces the most extreme tariff barriers of any country—a true declaration of economic war against Beijing. Drop Site’s Murtaza Hussain is joined by Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, founder of the think tank the Bourse and Bazaar Foundation, to discuss. Get full access to Drop Site News at www.dropsitenews.com/subscribe