Global Pulse

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  • Good Friday across Latin America brings faith into the streets

    Good Friday across Latin America brings faith into the streets

    Across the length and breadth of Latin America, millions of Catholic faithful gathered on Good Friday to mark one of the holiest days on the Christian calendar, reviving centuries-old traditions of public processions, solemn ceremonies, and acts of penance that honor the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Even as religious demographics have shifted across the region in recent decades, these deeply rooted observances drew crowds of devotees spanning multiple generations, underscoring the enduring power of faith in public life.

    In Antigua Guatemala, the UNESCO-listed colonial gem tucked beneath towering, active volcanoes in southern Guatemala, the city’s annual Holy Week celebrations kicked into their most solemn phase at dawn. Dozens of penitents, locally known as cucuruchos, clad in flowing purple and white robes, processed slowly along the city’s iconic cobblestone streets under the rising sun. Other participants bore gilded, centuries-old religious images of Jesus, passing through neighborhoods packed with onlookers who have traveled from across the country and beyond to witness the event. Antigua hosts more than 15 separate processions throughout Holy Week, each with its own distinct history and devotional purpose.

    For 63-year-old Marcos Bautista, the occasion is a lifelong family tradition, stretching back to when he was an infant carried in his father’s arms. “To describe Holy Week in Antigua, there are no words that can capture what it feels like,” he shared. “It’s a feeling that, just by speaking about what Jesus has done in our lives, moves me deeply.”

    In Bolivia, this year’s Good Friday held particular political and cultural significance, marking a break from a nearly 20-year precedent of government leaders avoiding public religious events. Under Bolivia’s secular constitution, national leaders refrained from official participation in religious ceremonies between 2006 and 2025. But President Rodrigo Paz, who took office last November, broke with that tradition in recent weeks by attending Palm Sunday Mass carrying a ceremonial palm frond, and traveled to the southern city of Tarija to join Good Friday observances this year. In the capital La Paz, local government officials and military marching bands joined public processions, where hooded penitents carried the Holy Sepulcher through downtown streets.

    Antonio Santamaría, a participant who carried a religious image of Jesus during the procession, welcomed the shift in government engagement. “I’m glad everyone is here now,” he said. Bolivia remains a majority Catholic nation, with strong overlapping Indigenous spiritual traditions that shape many local religious practices. A longstanding household custom of eating only fish on Good Friday and preparing up to 12 dishes to represent Jesus’ 12 apostles has faded in recent years, however, as the country grapples with a sustained economic crisis that has strained household budgets.

    In neighboring Ecuador, where roughly 80% of the population identifies as Catholic, processions unfolded in every major urban center. In the capital Quito, the annual “Jesús del Gran Poder” procession drew more than 150,000 faithful, who packed the streets of Quito’s historic center, filling the air with chants and prayers as they accompanied the centuries-old image of Jesus carrying the cross.

    Just across the border in Colombia, thousands of devotees made the steep climb up Monserrate Hill, a 3,100-meter peak that overlooks the capital Bogotá, to attend a special Good Friday Mass at the hilltop basilica. Similar observances, including dramatic reenactments of the Stations of the Cross that retrace Jesus’ final journey to crucifixion, were held in towns and cities across the country.

    In Mexico, home to nearly 100 million Catholics, communities also marked the day with deeply rooted local traditions. In the central town of Atlixco, in the state of Puebla, the famous “Procession of the Chained” drew crowds of onlookers. Masked penitents walked the route bound in heavy iron chains, with pieces of cactus pressed into their skin as an act of penance. For participants, the ritual serves two purposes: some take part to atone for sins, while others walk to fulfill a vow in thanks for answered prayers and miracles. “It’s very beautiful, very sad,” said Marcela Ramírez, a homemaker who attended the procession. “It’s a kind of reverence, and you have to come and accompany them.”

    While demographic data from 2024 surveys conducted by Pew Research Center and Latinobarómetro confirms that the share of Latin Americans who identify as Catholic has declined over the past two decades, the faith remains the largest religious affiliation across the region. Even in countries where that share has fallen, more than 60% of adults still identify as Catholic in nations including Peru and Argentina, keeping these large-scale public Good Friday traditions alive for new generations.

  • Unanswered questions remain after Australia’s most wanted fugitive killed in standoff

    Unanswered questions remain after Australia’s most wanted fugitive killed in standoff

    After seven months of one of the largest and most intensive manhunts in Australian history, the search for Dezi Freeman — the fugitive who killed two police officers in August 2025 — ended on Monday in a fatal standoff at a remote rural campsite, leaving a community grappling with partial closure and lingering unanswered questions.

    Weeks earlier, investigators had publicly stated they strongly believed Australia’s most wanted man had died while evading capture in the rugged mountain bushland where he vanished shortly after the double shooting. Freeman, a well-known conspiracy theorist and self-identified “sovereign citizen” who went by the alias Desmond Filby, fled into the dense bush near the small Victorian town of Porepunkah immediately after ambushing two officers who arrived at his property to execute a search warrant over historical child sex abuse allegations.

    The operation concluded on a remote farm in Thologolong, a tiny community located near the border of Victoria and New South Wales. According to Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush, officers maintained a 24-hour covert stakeout of Freeman’s ramshackle campsite, set up inside disused shipping containers, before calling on him to surrender. “We gave him every opportunity to come out peacefully and safely. He didn’t take that option,” Bush confirmed to reporters.

    Local media reports, citing unnamed police sources, state that after three hours of negotiations, Freeman emerged from one of the containers at approximately 8:30 a.m. local time, armed with a weapon stolen from the two slain officers. Multiple police snipers fired simultaneously, killing him at the scene.

    The outcome came as a profound shock to Thologolong’s small local population of just 22 residents. The land where Freeman set up camp is owned by elderly farmer Richard Sutherland, who has been staying in Tasmania for months, according to his brother and neighbor Neil Sutherland. Sutherland confirmed the property owner had no connection to Freeman and did not share his extremist beliefs. In recent weeks, some local road signs were found graffitied with Freeman’s name, which local cattle farmer Janice Newnham told the BBC she had dismissed as a tasteless April Fool’s Day prank. Newnham added she remains skeptical any local resident knew of Freeman’s hiding place, noting that in the tiny tight-knit community, “everyone seems to know what everyone else is doing.”

    From the early days of the manhunt, Freeman’s intimate knowledge of the local alpine terrain and off-grid survival skills gave investigators a major disadvantage, explained Dr. Vincent Hurley, a former police hostage negotiator and current policing lecturer at Macquarie University. Unlike urban fugitives, who leave traceable digital footprints from mobile phones, travel and financial transactions that can be tracked via modern tools like facial recognition, Freeman operated in an unpopulated wilderness with no digital footprint. “There was no easy way to actually try and track him down because they literally just had to go searching through the bush, and that’s pretty, pretty rare,” Hurley said.

    The only comparable recent case in Australia was that of Malcolm Naden, who evaded capture for nearly seven years in New South Wales before being arrested in 2012. But unlike Naden, who left a clear trail of broken into properties and temporary campsites, Freeman left no trace of his movements for seven months. That complete lack of evidence has led police to conclude the fugitive received outside help to stay off the grid.

    “We’re keen to learn who, if any – but we suspect some – assisted him in getting away from Porepunkah… if anyone was complicit, they will be held accountable,” Bush told reporters. While it is physically possible to walk the 150-kilometer route from Porepunkah to Thologolong, investigators consider this extremely unlikely: the trail crosses rugged, heavily forested mountain terrain, with extreme temperatures ranging from sub-freezing in winter to 40 degrees Celsius in summer, conditions that make independent travel and survival nearly impossible. Police sources also indicate Freeman likely only arrived at the Thologolong campsite recently, after severe bushfires swept through the region in January, burning within a kilometer of the property and forcing a full evacuation of the area that saw constant emergency service and air patrol activity.

    Physical evidence from the campsite further supports the theory of outside assistance. Photos published by local media show recently installed air ducts fitted to the shipping container Freeman hid in, a modification that would likely require multiple people to complete. Three camping chairs and an open case of beer found at the site also suggest Freeman was not alone at the camp. Police have closely monitored Freeman’s family throughout the manhunt, who have publicly condemned his actions; his wife was reportedly shocked by the news of his discovery, having long believed he was already dead.

    Hurley said he believes any accomplices are almost certainly fellow sovereign citizen believers, who reject the authority of government and law enforcement. No ordinary local would support Freeman after the brutal killing of two officers, he argued, adding that Freeman was known to be a loner with few close connections outside his ideological circle. Hurley also believes the tip that led police to Freeman’s hideout did not come from within the sovereign citizen movement, whose members are deeply anti-police and unlikely to cooperate. For Freeman himself, Hurley added, surrender was never a realistic option: “Being captured alive, that would be the ultimate humiliation and betrayal to him as a person. For the duration of the time he was at large, he was symbolically giving the middle finger to the police all over Australia.”

    Many key questions about the manhunt and Freeman’s seven months on the run may never be answered, Bush has hinted. The investigation into potential accomplices is still in its early stages, and the police chief confirmed that while investigators received information that led them to the hideout, details of how the tip was obtained will remain confidential. Notably, no one has come forward to claim the AU$1 million reward offered for information leading to Freeman’s capture, and Bush said all details related to the reward and the investigation’s final phase will remain “absolutely confidential.” Adding, “I’m quite sure we’ll never be sharing those details.”

  • Israel prevents worshippers from marking Good Friday at Holy Sepulchre

    Israel prevents worshippers from marking Good Friday at Holy Sepulchre

    Jerusalem’s holiest Christian site, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, hosted a dramatically truncated Good Friday service this year, led by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem Pierbattista Pizzaballa, after sweeping Israeli access restrictions across the Old City of occupied East Jerusalem barred all public attendance.

    Traditionally, the annual Liturgy of the Passion of Christ at the basilica — widely venerated by Christians as the exact location of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and burial — draws thousands of worshippers from across the globe. This year, however, only roughly 15 clergy members were permitted to participate in the ceremony. The restrictions that shuttered the site to the public also impacted Al-Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam, extending sweeping access limits across all major religious sites in the Old City.

    The limited Good Friday service follows a similar scaled-down Holy Thursday gathering led by Pizzaballa at the same church just one day prior. During his remarks at the Good Friday service, the patriarch drew direct links between the restricted worship, rising regional volatility tied to the recent US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, and growing threats to religious freedom in the holy city.

    “Outside, the doors of the Holy Sepulchre are closed,” Pizzaballa told the small gathering of clergy. “War has turned this place into a refuge, an inside cut off from an outside weighed down by tension.”

    The restrictions on worship come on the heels of a controversial incident that sparked global outcry just weeks earlier, when Israeli forces blocked Pizzaballa from reaching the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Palm Sunday services. The patriarch and Father Francesco Ielpo, Custos of the Holy Land, were both denied entry to the site — a step that Jerusalem church authorities called unprecedented in centuries. Officials noted that the unprecedented denial of access to senior Catholic leaders set a dangerous precedent and ignored the spiritual sensibilities of more than 2 billion Christians worldwide who turn their focus to Jerusalem during Holy Week.

    The incident drew immediate official condemnation from multiple European governments, including France, Spain and Italy. Facing mounting international backlash, Israeli police announced that they would allow a “limited prayer framework” for the Good Friday and Easter observances, though restrictions remained far stricter than in any prior year in recent memory.

    Even with the adjusted limited access, many Palestinian Christians have expressed frustration with both the Israeli restrictions and the response from senior church leadership. Speaking to Middle East Eye on condition of anonymity over safety concerns, one Palestinian shopkeeper in the city argued that Pizzaballa should have taken a more public stand against the entry block for Palm Sunday. The shopkeeper said the patriarch should have challenged the blocking Israeli soldiers, and even held open-air prayers in the street if necessary, adding that church leaders were wrong to enter into negotiations with Israeli authorities over access to sites that fall under occupied territory.

    Israel has occupied East Jerusalem, including the Old City, since the 1967 Six-Day War, a occupation that the International Court of Justice reaffirmed in a 2024 ruling is illegal under international law. Since the launch of the US-Israeli assault on Iran weeks ago, the Old City has remained almost entirely closed to non-resident visitors. Israeli forces have maintained permanent checkpoints at all entry gates, strictly controlling access to all key religious sites.

    Al-Aqsa Mosque has remained fully closed to Muslim worshippers throughout this period, a restriction that was also in place for most of the holy month of Ramadan and during the Eid al-Fitr holiday last month. Israeli officials justify the sweeping access limits by citing public safety concerns linked to potential retaliatory Iranian missile attacks. While debris from intercepted Iranian missiles has caused minor damage in parts of Jerusalem, many Palestinians argue the far-reaching restrictions are actually a deliberate tactic to strengthen Israel’s unilateral control over the occupied Old City, a strategic site with profound global religious significance.

    This report was originally published by Middle East Eye, an outlet that provides independent, in-depth coverage of the Middle East, North Africa and surrounding regions.

  • US fighter jet shot down by Iran came from British base in Suffolk, says IRGC

    US fighter jet shot down by Iran came from British base in Suffolk, says IRGC

    For weeks, public attention has centered on the U.S. use of RAF Fairford in southwest England’s Gloucestershire as a launchpad for bombing missions targeting Iran. Now, a new high-stakes incident has pulled a lesser-known British military installation into the geopolitical crossfire: RAF Lakenheath, a large U.S. Air Force base in eastern England’s Suffolk county.

    On Friday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced its air defense systems had intercepted and shot down an American F-35 fighter jet operating over central Iran, claiming the aircraft belonged to a squadron permanently based at RAF Lakenheath. While U.S. military officials later confirmed to media outlets that an American warplane had indeed been downed in Iranian airspace, they corrected the aircraft type, stating it was an F-15E Strike Eagle rather than the stealth fifth-generation F-35. The UK Ministry of Defense has declined all requests for comment from Middle East Eye on the incident and Lakenheath’s operational role.

    This is not the first time Iranian officials have claimed a U.S. jet shootdown: in late March, Tehran’s claim of downing an F-35 was immediately denied by Washington. Following Friday’s announcement, Tasnim News Agency, an Iranian outlet with close official ties to the IRGC, published purported photos of the downed aircraft’s wreckage. According to the IRGC, a visible “LN” tail code on the debris confirms the jet was part of the 493rd Fighter Squadron under the 48th Fighter Wing, the permanent U.S. Air Force unit stationed at Lakenheath.

    To understand Lakenheath’s role in ongoing U.S. military operations against Iran, it is critical to outline the base’s status. The installation remains property of the UK Ministry of Defense but is leased long-term to the U.S. Air Force, and it hosts the largest American fighter operations on the European continent, centered on the 48th Fighter Wing. Recent weeks have seen a clear and unusual buildup of U.S. air power at the base: five F-35C stealth fighters were spotted landing at Lakenheath on March 24, followed Monday evening by a formation of 12 A-10C Thunderbolt II attack aircraft, commonly nicknamed the “Warthog” for its rugged design. The Warthog is purpose-built as a close air support and “tank buster” platform, and regional military sources report these aircraft have already been used to strike Iranian fast-attack craft and minelaying vessels operating near Iran’s coastline. The U.S. military has refused to confirm or deny these operational reports.

    Local anti-war activists monitoring the base added to the picture of heightened activity, stating that on the morning of April 2, they observed more than 20 military aircraft depart Lakenheath in a coordinated launch. A second Suffolk-based base, RAF Mildenhall, which supports global U.S. Air Force logistics and operations, has also seen a sharp spike in activity over the past week. On March 31, two U.S. EA-37B Compass Call electronic warfare aircraft, designed to disrupt enemy communications and air defenses, were photographed landing at Mildenhall.

    The growing U.S. use of British bases has come alongside a series of policy shifts from the UK government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and growing retaliatory threats from Tehran. In an interview with Times Radio Wednesday, Iranian Ambassador to London Seyed Ali Mousavi confirmed that Tehran is actively evaluating whether to launch retaliatory strikes against British military bases in response to their role in U.S. operations against Iran.

    When the U.S.-led campaign against Iran first began, the UK initially blocked American use of the joint UK-U.S. base at Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean for strike missions. That position changed within 48 hours, when Starmer announced the U.S. would be permitted to use British bases for bomber strikes targeting Iranian missile sites, framing the decision as a purely defensive measure. Two weeks later, Starmer executed a second policy U-turn, approving U.S. use of British bases for broader strikes on Iranian targets to protect commercial shipping transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

    Despite Starmer’s repeated concessions to support U.S. military goals, former President and current U.S. leader Donald Trump has repeatedly launched public attacks against the Prime Minister, even going so far as to suggest the decades-long “special relationship” between the two countries is in serious jeopardy.

    On Thursday, UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper convened a summit of more than 40 nations in London to coordinate a unified international response to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints. Before the IRGC effectively closed the corridor in early March, roughly 20% of the world’s global oil supply transited the strait annually. Following the summit, Cooper stated that the assembled nations would “comprehensively reject” any attempt by Iran to charge commercial vessels fees for passage through the waterway. She added that Iran must “not be allowed” to “hold the global economy hostage” and confirmed that participating nations had discussed the implementation of new, targeted sanctions intended to pressure Tehran to reverse course.

    In a response released Thursday afternoon, Iran’s foreign ministry announced it is working alongside Oman — which declined to attend the London summit — to draft a proposal for a post-war permit system for commercial vessels transiting the strait.

    This report was published by Middle East Eye, a media outlet focused on independent, in-depth coverage of the Middle East, North Africa and surrounding regions.

  • Over 100 US-based legal experts declare Trump’s strikes on Iran as possible war crimes

    Over 100 US-based legal experts declare Trump’s strikes on Iran as possible war crimes

    More than 100 American legal scholars and practicing legal professionals have signed an open letter arguing that the military campaign against Iran launched jointly by former U.S. President Donald Trump and Israel violates core tenets of international law, with multiple military operations rising to the level of potential war crimes. The letter asserts that the campaign was unlawful from its very commencement on February 28.

    “From its initiation, this military offensive stands as a clear violation of the United Nations Charter,” the document reads. “The actions of U.S. armed forces since the campaign began, paired with public remarks from senior U.S. government officials, raise urgent, credible concerns about breaches of international human rights law and international humanitarian law — including the commission of potential war crimes.”

    While the letter centers its criticism on the actions of the U.S. government, it also joins in condemning two distinct sets of unlawful actions: the Iranian government’s violent suppression of internal domestic dissent, and Tehran’s continued unpermitted strikes on civilian infrastructure using explosive ordnance in heavily populated civilian areas.

    The signatories emphasize the foundational importance of the principle that international law must apply equally to all nations, regardless of their global power and influence. They reject the rhetorical framing used by senior U.S. officials that seeks to minimize the importance of international laws governing armed conflict, calling this language “profoundly alarming and dangerously short-sighted.”

    “These claims, particularly when paired with the on-the-ground conduct of U.S. military forces, are eroding the international legal order that our professional lives have been dedicated to building and protecting,” the letter adds.

    The open letter also outlines the far-reaching human and economic costs of the ongoing campaign: it notes the operation has drained between $1 billion and $2 billion from U.S. taxpayers every single day, while inflicting catastrophic harm on Iranian civilians and regional stability across the Middle East. Thousands of civilian lives have been lost, the letter says, while regional ecosystems and national economies have been left severely damaged.

    The legal experts level two core layers of criticism: they challenge both the inherent illegality of the decision to launch the war, and the potentially unlawful conduct of military operations throughout the campaign. First, the group reaffirms a position widely held by legal experts since the offensive began: the attack cannot be justified under the international legal framework governing the right to self-defense.

    “The use of military force against a sovereign state is only permitted in two circumstances: an act of self-defense in response to an actual or imminent armed attack, or explicit authorization from the United Nations Security Council,” the signatories explain. “The Security Council never granted authorization for this attack. Iran never launched an armed attack against either the United States or Israel.” They add that no credible evidence exists to demonstrate that Iran posed an imminent armed threat that would legally justify a pre-emptive self-defense claim.

    Beyond the question of the war’s legality at inception, the letter documents multiple alleged violations of the laws of armed conflict. These include U.S. strikes targeting civilian individuals and infrastructure, among them non-military Iranian politicians, critical energy facilities, and civilian desalination plants that supply drinking water to Iranian communities.

    The letter cites data compiled by the Iranian Red Crescent documenting strikes on more than 67,000 civilian sites across Iran between February 28 and March 23. That tally includes 498 damaged or destroyed schools and 236 health care facilities. The data also confirms that at least 1,443 Iranian civilians have been killed in the joint strikes, including 217 children.

    Of particular note is the February strike on a primary school in the Iranian city of Minab, which killed at least 175 people, the vast majority of whom were young schoolgirls. The letter concludes this strike “likely violates international humanitarian law,” adding that “if evidence confirms that those responsible for the strike acted with reckless disregard for civilian life, it may also qualify as a war crime.” While the Trump administration has denied U.S. involvement in the attack, a preliminary U.S. government investigation has already confirmed that U.S. military forces carried out the strike, and that the school was targeted based on out-of-date intelligence.

    The legal experts also draw attention to inflammatory public remarks made by U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, including his statement that “We will keep pushing, keep advancing, no quarter, no mercy for our enemies.” Under both U.S. military law and longstanding international military law, declaring that no quarter will be given — a policy that means refusing to spare the lives of combatants who have surrendered — is explicitly prohibited. The signatories note that ordering or threatening a policy of no quarter is explicitly classified as a war crime under international criminal law.

    The letter also denounces additional remarks from Hegseth, who has publicly stated the U.S. military does not abide by “stupid rules of engagement,” as well as a comment Trump made in January stating “I don’t need international law.” The experts add that repeated threats from Trump to attack Iranian energy infrastructure would also qualify as war crimes if carried out.

    Under international law, deliberate strikes on civilian energy infrastructure are strictly prohibited, the letter explains. If an energy facility serves both civilian and military purposes, it can only be classified as a legitimate military target if it makes an “effective contribution to military action” and an attack on it would deliver a “definite military advantage.” Regardless of classification, all strikes must adhere to the international legal principles of proportionality and precaution to avoid unnecessary civilian harm.

    The experts also issue a special warning about potential strikes on Iranian nuclear power plants, noting that such facilities require extraordinary care due to the catastrophic risk that a breach could release radioactive material, endangering the lives of millions of civilians across the region.

    Beyond individual strikes and public statements, the legal experts raise broader concerns about policy changes pushed by Hegseth since he took office as U.S. Secretary of Defense that are designed to weaken U.S. compliance with international law. Under his leadership, the letter says, multiple senior military legal advisors have been fired, and the judge advocates-general of the Army, Navy and Air Force have all been replaced. This systemic shakeup has gutted independent legal oversight of U.S. military operations, the experts argue.

    Additionally, Hegseth’s 2026 U.S. National Defense Strategy removes all explicit references to civilian protection and adherence to international law. “We are gravely concerned that the conduct and threats outlined here are causing serious harm to civilians in the Middle East, and that they also contribute to escalating the conflict, damaging the environment and the global economy, and that they risk degrading the rule of law and fundamental norms that protect every nation’s civilians,” the letter states.

    “Public statements by senior officials indicate an alarming disrespect for the rules of international humanitarian law accepted by states, and which protect both civilians and members of the armed forces,” the authors continue. In closing, the group issued a formal call to action: “We urge U.S. government officials to uphold the UN Charter, international humanitarian law, and human rights law at all times, and to publicly make clear U.S. commitment to and respect for norms of international law.”

  • Vietnam’s Israel defence ties complicate historic Palestinian solidarity

    Vietnam’s Israel defence ties complicate historic Palestinian solidarity

    For decades, Vietnam’s public stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been rooted in anti-imperialist solidarity forged by its founding father Ho Chi Minh. Today, that long-standing commitment is colliding with a dramatic shift in Hanoi’s geopolitical and economic priorities, as the Southeast Asian nation builds increasingly close military and trade relations with Israel – creating a visible tension that divides even Vietnamese public discourse.

    Vietnam’s support for Palestinian self-determination traces back to the Cold War era, when both Hanoi and the Palestinian national liberation movement positioned themselves at the forefront of global anti-colonial and Third World liberation struggles. In 1968, Hanoi formalized ties with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), and a year later Ho Chi Minh issued a forceful public condemnation of Israeli aggression, reaffirming unwavering backing for the Palestinian people’s struggle. This solidarity extended far beyond rhetoric: Yasser Arafat, the iconic PLO leader, openly drew inspiration from Vietnam’s revolutionary victory against Western powers, dispatching groups of Palestinian fighters to Hanoi to study the guerrilla warfare tactics that brought victory over French and U.S. forces. For Vietnam, this alliance also carried strategic value: aligning with the Palestinian cause cemented the country’s reputation as a leading voice of anti-imperialism and boosted its standing within the Non-Aligned Movement, according to Carlyle Thayer, emeritus professor at the University of New South Wales and a veteran expert on Vietnamese defence policy. Even in the wake of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack and Israel’s subsequent military campaign in Gaza, Hanoi has stuck to its long-standing positions: it has repeatedly affirmed support for a two-state solution, voted in favor of United Nations resolutions condemning Israeli occupation of Palestinian land, and repeatedly called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

    But Vietnam’s relationship with Israel has evolved dramatically over the past three decades, transforming from distant diplomatic outreach to robust, multi-faceted cooperation rooted in shared strategic interests. Curiously, the two countries’ earliest interactions date back to 1946, when Ho Chi Minh held a brief meeting with David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s future founding prime minister, in Paris, and even floated the idea of hosting a Jewish government-in-exile headquarters in Hanoi. As Zionism evolved into a settler-colonial project, however, Ho Chi Minh and the Vietnamese nationalist movement quickly distanced themselves from Ben-Gurion’s agenda. Full formal diplomatic ties were only established in 1993, and meaningful military cooperation did not emerge until the 2010s, when Hanoi began seeking to diversify its arms suppliers away from its long-time top provider Russia.

    Since that shift, Israeli defence exports to Vietnam have grown exponentially. Today, Israel ranks as Vietnam’s second-largest defence supplier, trailing only Russia, and Vietnam has become one of the top five importers of Israeli arms globally since 2015, according to the Database of Israeli Military and Security Export (DIMSE). Hanoi has acquired a wide range of advanced Israeli military systems in recent years, including Spyder air defence batteries, Heron surveillance drones, and Galil ACE assault rifles produced at a $100 million Israeli-owned manufacturing facility opened in 2011. Most recently, in late January 2026, Vietnam’s defence ministry is reported to have signed a $250 million contract with Israeli state-owned defence giant Rafael Advanced Defence Systems to acquire and locally produce the Spike Firefly loitering munition, also called the “Maoz” suicide drone. While Hanoi has not officially confirmed the deal, Vietnamese state media has already published pieces praising the weapon’s battlefield performance in Gaza – where Rafael has deployed the system to test its capabilities, and has used its operational success in marketing materials to arms buyers around the world, including Vietnam. In 2025, Hanoi finalized a $680 million deal to purchase two spy satellites from Israel Aerospace Industries, marking another major milestone in defence cooperation.

    For Vietnam, Israeli arms hold unique strategic advantages that set them apart from alternative suppliers. Unlike Western weapons, Israeli military sales rarely come with binding political caveats that limit how the systems can be used, and they frequently include generous technology transfer provisions that allow Vietnam to build and modify weapons domestically. Unlike Soviet-designed arms, which Vietnam’s primary potential strategic rival China knows intimately, Israeli systems provide Hanoi with a technological edge in regional disputes. Already, Israeli-made EXTRA coastal rocket launchers have reportedly been deployed to Vietnamese bases in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, according to open-source weapons trackers.

    Defence cooperation is not the only area of growing ties: bilateral economic relations have expanded rapidly in recent years. A bilateral free trade agreement between Hanoi and Tel Aviv entered into force after October 2023, pushing total two-way trade to $3.75 billion in 2025. In January 2026, Israeli airline Arkia launched direct commercial flights between Tel Aviv and Hanoi – a connection that could also carry strategic defence benefits, Thayer notes, allowing for rapid shipment of sensitive small defence components between the two countries.

    This shift toward closer ties with Israel aligns with Hanoi’s modern “bamboo diplomacy” doctrine, a foreign policy framework that prioritizes flexibility, pragmatism, and the advancement of core national interests over ideological alignment. However, the growing defence relationship has sparked criticism from within Vietnam, with many observers arguing that it represents a betrayal of the country’s revolutionary commitment to Palestinian liberation.

    “The Vietnamese state has betrayed a lot of its revolutionary promises in order to chart a more neoliberal relationship,” explained Evyn Le Espiritu Gandhi, an associate professor at UCLA who studies Vietnamese transnational solidarity movements. Since the Doi Moi economic reforms of the 1980s, which shifted Vietnam from a centrally planned economy to a socialist-oriented market system, economic growth has replaced revolutionary ideology as the primary source of legitimacy for the ruling Communist Party, a shift that has reshaped all areas of foreign policy.

    A grassroots pro-Palestine movement has emerged online among Vietnamese youth, operating within the constraints of the country’s tightly controlled civic space. The movement’s core work centers on filling information gaps about the Gaza conflict left by state-aligned mainstream media, and it has gained significant traction on social media platforms. For many young Vietnamese activists, the contradiction between Hanoi’s rhetorical support for Palestine and its deepening military ties to Israel is impossible to ignore. “For me, nationalism is heritage, the memory that we inherit,” one prominent activist with more than 20,000 Facebook followers told Middle East Eye. “But to some, nationalism is development, economy, national defence, regardless of the sacrifice of our anti-colonial history.”

    From the perspective of Hanoi’s pragmatic bamboo diplomacy, there is no inherent contradiction in this balancing act, Thayer argues. “The approach is dialectical,” he explained. Vietnam is willing to defend Palestinian sovereignty on the global stage as long as doing so does not conflict with its core economic and security interests. This flexible, interest-driven approach has guided Hanoi’s recent participation in other high-profile global initiatives, including its decision to quickly join the founding membership of U.S. President Donald Trump’s “Board of Peace”, with Communist Party chief To Lam traveling to the U.S. in February 2026 to attend the group’s first meeting and pledging increased purchases of American goods to strengthen bilateral ties.

    Now, as the United States and Israel expand conflict into Iran, Vietnam’s decades-long pursuit of steady economic growth is increasingly colliding with the anti-imperialist legacy that once defined the country’s global identity – leaving Hanoi to navigate a precarious balancing act between its history and its current ambitions.

  • United Airlines raises bag fees amid rising fuel costs and introduces tiered premium fares

    United Airlines raises bag fees amid rising fuel costs and introduces tiered premium fares

    Starting this Friday, the vast majority of passengers flying with United Airlines will face a $10 increase in checked baggage fees, making the Chicago-based carrier the latest major U.S. airline to pass soaring jet fuel costs — triggered by ongoing conflict in the Middle East — onto consumers.

    Under the new pricing structure, the first checked bag for travel within the U.S., Mexico, Canada and Latin America will now cost $45, while a second checked bag will carry a $55 price tag. This marks United’s first adjustment to baggage fees in two years, the airline confirmed in an official statement. Exceptions remain in place for select passenger groups, who will still retain access to a free first checked bag: these include holders of United co-branded credit cards, top-tier loyalty program members, active-duty military personnel, and passengers seated in premium cabins. Travelers who complete their baggage check-in less than 24 hours before scheduled departure will pay an extra $5 fee on top of the updated rates.

    United’s fee adjustment comes just days after JetBlue implemented its own baggage fee hike, raising prices by up to $9 for peak travel periods. Like United, JetBlue maintains free first bag perks for qualifying customers, echoing a broader industry strategy of keeping base fares competitive by shifting higher costs to optional add-on services that only affect travelers who use them.

    The root cause of this wave of airline fee increases traces back to the month-long Middle East conflict, which has severely disrupted global crude oil supplies. Roughly 20% of the world’s daily oil shipments pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint near the conflict zone, and the instability has sent crude prices swinging dramatically. Since jet fuel is refined directly from crude oil, this volatility has pushed operating costs sharply higher for carriers around the globe.

    Data from energy market intelligence firm Argus Media illustrates the scale of the increase: as of Thursday, the average price for a gallon of jet fuel across four major U.S. aviation hubs — Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York — hit $4.88. That figure is nearly double the $2.50 average recorded just before the conflict began.

    For most airlines, fuel ranks as the second-largest operating expense behind only labor costs. Speaking to investors last month, United CEO Scott Kirby noted that rising jet fuel costs following the outbreak of conflict had already added an estimated $400 million to the carrier’s operating expenses. Top executives at Delta Air Lines and American Airlines reported comparable cost increases at their respective airlines.

    As carriers scramble to offset mounting fuel bills, non-U.S. airlines have already responded by adding fuel surcharges or raising base ticket prices. Industry analysts note that while U.S. carriers are also expected to increase base fares over time, they traditionally rely less on explicit fuel surcharges. Instead, most U.S. carriers are opting to pass higher costs to consumers by raising existing add-on fees or introducing new ones.

    Alongside the baggage fee increase, United rolled out an additional pricing restructuring Friday that extends its unbundled “pay for what you want” fare model — already standard for economy class — to its premium cabin offerings. The new structure will roll out on long-haul international routes, transcontinental U.S. flights, and select services to Hawaii, splitting premium cabin seats into three distinct fare tiers.

    The new entry-level base premium fare offers the lowest upfront price, but strips out common premium perks including advance seat selection and ticket refunds, creating a cheaper access point to premium travel for passengers willing to forgo extra benefits. The mid-tier standard fare adds back the most popular perks: advance seat selection, extra checked baggage allowance, and flexible itinerary changes. At the highest end, the fully refundable flexible tier includes all available perks, catering to travelers who prioritize maximum schedule flexibility and are willing to pay a premium for it.

    United plans to launch the new fare structure in select markets this month, with a full rollout across all eligible routes scheduled for later this year.

  • Female runners conquer mountainous trail in Yunnan

    Female runners conquer mountainous trail in Yunnan

    In late March 2026, against the dramatic, rugged backdrop of Tengchong’s mountainous terrain in southwest China’s Yunnan province, a historic moment unfolded for women’s trail running at the 2026 Mt. Gaoligong Ultra. Chi Lingjie, a 35-year-old runner hailing from Shandong province in northern China, crossed the finish line first to claim the top title in the women’s 168-kilometer race, cementing her victory over one of the world’s most challenging long-distance trail courses.

    Long dismissed for decades as a male-dominated endurance sport, long-distance trail running is undergoing a quiet transformation, as growing numbers of elite and amateur female runners showcase their skill, grit, and stamina on some of the planet’s toughest courses. This year’s Mt. Gaoligong Ultra drew competitors from around the globe, including international runners Sonia Ahuja and Andrea Kooiman from the United States, alongside Ren Chunming, a Yunnan-based car salesperson and amateur runner who also joined the women’s field.

    Beyond the race results, competitors gathered to open up about their personal motivations for pushing their limits in trail running, and the unique strategies that have helped them thrive in a sport long defined by male participation. The event offered a powerful platform to highlight the growing influence and achievement of women in endurance sports, breaking long-held stereotypes about gender and physical endurance. More content including original video interviews with competing runners is available on China Daily’s official platforms.

  • Rapper Gucci Mane kidnapped and robbed by fellow artist, prosecutors say

    Rapper Gucci Mane kidnapped and robbed by fellow artist, prosecutors say

    A high-profile case involving two well-known figures in the American hip-hop industry has sent shockwaves through the music community, after federal prosecutors unveiled details of an alleged armed kidnapping and robbery that targeted star rapper and label founder Gucci Mane earlier this year. Led by signed 1017 Records artist Pooh Shiesty, legal name Lontrell Williams Jr., the brazen attack unfolded at a Dallas recording studio on January 10, according to official court documents. At the time of the incident, Williams was already serving court-ordered house arrest stemming from a prior federal firearms conspiracy conviction.

    Prosecutors lay out that the group orchestrated the ambush under the false pretense of a professional meeting. Once inside the studio, Williams Jr. allegedly confronted Gucci Mane brandishing a black AK-style pistol, holding the rapper captive and coercing him to sign legal documents that would terminate Williams’ contract with 1017 Records. Beyond the contract demand, the suspects reportedly robbed Gucci Mane of multiple personal valuables, including his wedding ring, luxury watch, earrings and a sum of cash.

    Eight other co-defendants joined Williams in the plot, among them his own father, Lontrell Williams Sr. Multiple other people present in the studio during the attack were also targeted, according to the federal complaint. One additional victim was choked and sustained injuries during the attack, losing his own Rolex watch, Louis Vuitton handbag, AirPods and wallet to the robbers. All of the co-defendants are alleged to have drawn pistols to intimidate the victims, who prosecutors say genuinely believed they would be killed before the attackers forced them out of the building to their vehicles.

    In a striking twist, U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould told reporters at a Thursday press conference that just hours after fleeing the studio, multiple suspects flaunted the stolen jewelry on social media for public viewing. Law enforcement operations carried out on Wednesday resulted in eight of the nine total suspects being taken into custody across three cities: Dallas, Memphis and Nashville. All eight suspects are now facing federal kidnapping and armed robbery charges, and none have yet entered formal pleas in court. If convicted on the federal charges, each defendant could face a life sentence behind bars. One suspect remains at large, with investigators currently coordinating with law enforcement partners in Georgia to track down and apprehend the fugitive.

    For context, Gucci Mane is an Atlanta-based hip-hop star who has collaborated with A-list musical artists including Usher, Doja Cat and Drake over the course of his decades-long career. He founded the independent label 1017 Records back in 2007, and signed Pooh Shiesty to the roster in 2020. As of Thursday, representatives for both Pooh Shiesty and Gucci Mane have not issued an immediate public response to requests for comment on the allegations.

  • African leaders call for policy action amid rising energy and food prices

    African leaders call for policy action amid rising energy and food prices

    Against the backdrop of a worsening global economic outlook fueled by ongoing Middle East conflict, leading African and international development institutions have issued a coordinated call for urgent policy intervention to protect African economies and vulnerable households from spiraling energy, food and fertilizer prices.

    The appeal was formally made during the 58th Session of the UN Economic Commission for Africa, held between March 28 and April 3 in Tangier, Morocco, by four major bodies: the African Development Bank, the African Union Commission, the United Nations Development Programme, and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

    In their official warnings, the institutions emphasized that current global shocks linked to the Middle East tensions are spreading far more rapidly and through more concentrated economic channels than previous global disruptions. This accelerated transmission leaves African nations with extremely limited time to adjust their economic policies and mitigate incoming damage, a stark contrast to past crises that gave regional economies more room for maneuver.

    By late March 2026, the impacts of these disruptions were already tangible across every tier of African economies and household finances. Global oil prices have surged by more than 50 percent, while 29 African national currencies have depreciated significantly against major global reserve currencies. This currency weakening has simultaneously driven up the cost of servicing external sovereign debt and the price of importing essential goods including food, fuel, and fertilizer.

    Disruptions to Gulf energy exports have also created critical shortages of ammonia and urea, key fertilizer components, at the worst possible moment: the March to May planting season across most of the continent. The shortage threatens to cut 2026 agricultural output sharply, deepening already widespread food insecurity that disproportionately harms low-income households and African nations that rely heavily on food and energy imports.

    Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, chairperson of the African Union Commission, noted that continued escalation of the Middle East conflict will only further erode global stability, with uniquely severe consequences for energy markets, food security, and long-term economic resilience across Africa, where baseline economic pressures already remain at acute levels.

    Claver Gatete, UN under-secretary-general and executive secretary of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, pointed out that Africa has repeatedly been forced to absorb the impact of major external shocks that the continent did nothing to create. “This moment calls for decisive action, to protect people now, but also to accelerate Africa’s long term push towards energy security, food sovereignty, and financial self-reliance,” Gatete said. “Crises like this reinforce why Africa must finance more of its own future and strengthen regional solutions that build resilience before the next shock hits.”

    To address the immediate crisis, the four institutions laid out a tiered set of policy recommendations. In the short term, they called on African national governments, international development partners, and the private sector to roll out immediate targeted measures to cushion vulnerable households from price shocks and stabilize supply chains for fuel, food, and fertilizer.

    In the medium term, the institutions urged wide-ranging structural reforms to boost regional energy security, expand national social protection programs, and accelerate intra-African trade under the framework of the African Continental Free Trade Area, which is designed to break down long-standing barriers to cross-border commerce across the continent.

    Looking to the long term, the group pushed for stronger domestic resource mobilization across African economies and the establishment of continent-wide African financial safety nets. A key priority named is the accelerated implementation of the African Financing Stability Mechanism, a regional tool designed to help nations respond to future economic shocks before they spiral into full-blown crises.