Global Pulse

作者： admin

  • Trump and Xi hold talks but no trade deal agreed

    Trump and Xi hold talks but no trade deal agreed

    When Air Force One touched down in Beijing on Thursday, the carefully choreographed welcome ceremony immediately set the tone for a US-China summit defined as much by deliberate symbolism as by tangible policy outcomes. What followed was more than two hours of closed-door talks between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, a meeting that framed the world’s largest bilateral economic relationship but ultimately failed to deliver the sweeping trade breakthrough many had anticipated.

    The most visually striking departure from standard diplomatic protocol came in the order of deplaning: Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Nvidia chief Jensen Huang stepped off the aircraft ahead of senior White House cabinet members, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Senator Marco Rubio and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer. Both tech leaders remained close to Trump throughout the official welcome at the Great Hall of the People, a placement that carried unavoidable symbolic weight. Musk and Huang represent the most contentious, high-stakes pressure points in the modern US-China economic relationship: electric vehicles, advanced artificial intelligence, and semiconductor manufacturing. Both companies also maintain deep, high-stakes exposure to the Chinese market. Tesla’s global production and revenue rely heavily on its Shanghai Gigafactory and domestic Chinese consumer demand, while Nvidia’s cutting-edge chips are the backbone of the global AI race, and have been the target of strict US export controls designed to block Beijing from accessing advanced computing capabilities. Notably, Huang was not included on the original US delegation list, a last-minute addition that fueled widespread speculation that AI and semiconductor access would hold a more central place in negotiations than previously publicly disclosed.

    Following the talks, both sides offered measured positive framing of the discussions. Trump called the meeting potentially “the biggest summit ever” and described the US-China partnership as “the world’s most consequential economic relationship”, with the White House ultimately characterizing the talks as “highly productive”. For his part, Xi noted that prior bilateral trade negotiations held in South Korea had delivered incremental progress, but paired that acknowledgment with a stark, unprecedented public warning that reshaped the framing of the summit. “If mishandled, the two nations could collide or even come into conflict,” Xi stated of the Taiwan question, according to China’s foreign ministry. This marked a clear shift from past negotiations, where Taiwan was treated as one of several friction points. At this summit, Beijing explicitly framed the Taiwan issue as a core condition for the future of the broader US-China trade and economic relationship. In Beijing’s official readout, Xi emphasized that “the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations”, and confirmed the two sides had agreed to a “new positioning” for ties centered on “constructive strategic stability”.

    Despite the optimistic rhetoric from both sides, no major new trade deals or structural economic agreements emerged from the meeting. The primary tangible outcome was an agreement to uphold the terms of the October trade truce, which saw Washington suspend planned steep tariff increases on a wide range of Chinese goods, while Beijing rolled back restrictions on rare earth exports to the US. Both leaders also agreed to establish a new “Board of Trade”, a permanent bilateral mechanism designed to manage trade frictions without reopening full, high-stakes tariff negotiations. US officials quickly cautioned, however, that extensive technical work remains to be done before the new board becomes fully operational.

    US negotiators had entered the summit hoping to see new commitments for increased Chinese purchases of American goods, with a particular focus on Boeing commercial aircraft, agricultural products, and energy exports. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had publicly predicted that “large Boeing orders” would be announced during the visit, and noted that Beijing had signaled it would expand purchases of US agricultural and energy goods. While Xi told a gathering of US business leaders that China “doors will open wider” and that American firms would have “broader prospects” operating in the Chinese market, no firm, concrete details for new purchase commitments were released. Bessent later downplayed expectations of major new agricultural breakthroughs, noting that many existing soybean purchase commitments were already covered under prior agreements, but added that there remains significant room for China to expand imports of US energy, including liquefied natural gas (LNG). US farmers have long sought greater access to the Chinese market for soybeans, beef, and poultry, a goal that remains unfulfilled with no new progress announced at the summit.

    Technology and advanced semiconductors remain the deepest unresolved divide between the two powers. The Trump administration’s strict export controls on advanced semiconductors and chipmaking equipment, implemented to slow China’s development of frontier AI capabilities, remain fully in place. Beijing continues to push for loosening these restrictions, while criticizing the controls as an unfair effort to constrain China’s industrial and technological development. Beyond economic issues, Trump also sought Chinese cooperation to stabilize global oil markets amid the ongoing Iran conflict. Volatility in oil prices and repeated disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most critical energy chokepoint, have driven up import costs for China and pushed global energy prices higher. Trump had publicly stated he hoped China would use its diplomatic influence to encourage Iran to stabilize energy flows through the strait. Chinese readouts confirmed the Middle East was discussed during the summit, but no details of any new agreements or commitments were released.

    For US multinational corporations, the summit left the status quo largely intact: China remains one of the world’s largest consumer markets, but continues to present a challenging operating environment shaped by strict regulation, bureaucratic red tape, and persistent geopolitical uncertainty. While the meeting laid the groundwork for a new ongoing trade dialogue, analysts note that core frictions ranging from semiconductor controls to Taiwan’s status remain unresolved, leaving the future of the bilateral relationship uncertain.

  • Five Italians die during cave dive in Maldives

    Five Italians die during cave dive in Maldives

    A catastrophic recreational scuba diving incident in the Maldives has claimed the lives of five Italian nationals, marking the deadliest single diving accident in the history of the popular Indian Ocean tourist destination, Italy’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed this week.

    Authorities say the group of divers lost their lives while attempting to explore submerged cave systems off Vaavu Atoll, at depths reaching roughly 50 meters (164 feet). The Maldivian military, which is leading the recovery operation, announced that one victim’s body has already been recovered from a cave located around 60 meters underwater, and the remaining four victims are believed to be trapped within the same cave system. Specialized diving teams equipped with advanced deep-water recovery gear have been deployed to the site, but officials have stressed that the search and recovery mission carries extremely high safety risks for rescuers.

    According to local Maldivian media reports, the five Italian divers entered the water early Thursday morning. When the group failed to resurface at the scheduled time, the crew of their dive boat alerted authorities and launched an initial missing person alert. At the time of the incident, the Vaavu Atoll area, located roughly 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of the Maldivian capital Malé, was experiencing rough sea conditions. Local authorities had already issued a yellow weather warning for small passenger vessels and local fishing crews prior to the dive.

    Among the victims are members of Italy’s academic marine science community: the University of Genoa confirmed that the group included one of its veteran marine biology professors, the professor’s daughter, and two early-career researchers from the institution. In an official statement posted to the social platform X, the university offered its “deepest condolences” to the families, friends, and colleagues of the deceased, calling the incident an immeasurable loss for the global marine research community.

    While the Maldives draws millions of diving and snorkeling enthusiasts each year for its crystal-clear waters and vibrant coral reef systems, serious fatal diving accidents remain relatively uncommon, though a small number of fatal incidents have been recorded in recent years. In December 2024, a highly experienced British female diver drowned during a dive off the resort island of Ellaidhoo; her husband died five days later after developing a sudden illness linked to the incident. Earlier in 2024, a Japanese lawmaker died while snorkeling in Lhaviyani Atoll, another popular tourist region in the archipelago.

  • Hundreds of illegal motorbikes bulldozed in New York City crime crackdown

    Hundreds of illegal motorbikes bulldozed in New York City crime crackdown

    New York City has launched a high-stakes crackdown on unregulated two-wheeled vehicles, crushing hundreds of illegally operated motorbikes and mopeds in a dramatic show of force targeting linked criminal activity. The operation comes in direct response to a devastating tragedy that shook the Brooklyn community last month, when a 7-month-old infant was killed by a stray bullet fired during an incident connected to an unregistered moped, city officials confirmed.

    For months, New York law enforcement has documented a rising pattern of criminal actors leveraging unlicensed motorbikes and mopeds to facilitate illegal activity, from drug trafficking to reckless street activity that endangers innocent bystanders. These unregistered vehicles, often uninspected and unlicensed, allow perpetrators to evade police detection and escape quickly after committing crimes, creating a persistent public safety hazard across the city’s five boroughs.

    The mass destruction of seized illegal vehicles marks a significant escalation in the city’s ongoing effort to root out this threat. Officials emphasized that the operation is not an isolated action, but part of a sustained strategy to crack down on vehicle-related crime and prevent further senseless loss of life, particularly for vulnerable residents going about their daily lives. The killing of the 7-month-old child, an entirely innocent victim caught in crossfire, has galvanized city leaders to accelerate these enforcement efforts and send a clear message that the use of unregulated vehicles to enable violent crime will not be tolerated.

    Community leaders have echoed the city’s commitment, noting that the tragedy highlighted the urgent need for stronger action against illegal motorbike operation. While some transportation advocates have raised questions about enforcement tactics, the overwhelming public response to the infant’s death has underscored broad support for measures that improve public safety for New Yorkers of all ages.

  • Netanyahu’s boast of secret visit to UAE sparks awkward denial from Abu Dhabi

    Netanyahu’s boast of secret visit to UAE sparks awkward denial from Abu Dhabi

    In a dramatic development that has thrown the already fragile normalization alliance between Israel and the United Arab Emirates into the global spotlight, conflicting official claims over an alleged secret summit between the two nations’ leaders emerged on May 13, 2026, deep amid Israel’s ongoing war against Iran. The stark disagreement between Jerusalem and Abu Dhabi has also drawn sharp condemnation from Tehran, which has directly accused the Gulf state of complicity in the military campaign against it.

    The chain of events began when Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office made an unprecedented public announcement confirming that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had traveled secretly to the UAE for a closed-door meeting with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan, held weeks into Israel’s Operation Roaring Lion, the official codename for its military offensive against Iran. The Israeli statement framed the unpublicized meeting as a historic breakthrough in bilateral relations between the two signatories of the 2020 Abraham Accords, the first normalization deal between Israel and a Gulf Arab state.

    Within hours, however, the UAE’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a categorical rebuttal of the Israeli claim. In an official statement posted to social media, the Emirati foreign ministry denied all reports of a Netanyahu visit, as well as claims of any Israeli military delegation being hosted on UAE territory. The statement emphasized that all formal relations between the UAE and Israel are conducted openly under the framework of the officially declared Abraham Accords, with no place for non-transparent or off-the-books arrangements. It added that any claims of unannounced visits or undisclosed agreements are completely baseless unless confirmed via an official statement from Emirati authorities, and called on international media outlets to uphold professional standards of accuracy and avoid spreading unvetted information or misleading political narratives.

    Despite the UAE’s full denial, multiple independent sources and evidence have backed the core of the Israeli claim. Unnamed Israeli and Arab sources cited by Middle East Eye place the meeting on March 26, held in the oasis city of Al-Ain, located near the UAE-Oman border. Independent open-source intelligence checks corroborate this timeline: on March 27, one day after the alleged meeting, Haaretz national security and open-source editor Avi Scharf posted to social media noting that two Israeli business jets, regularly used for very important person (VVIP) special travel, had landed in Al-Ain on March 26 and returned to Israel just four hours later that same evening. Subsequent independent flight tracking data confirmed that two jets departed Tel Aviv for Al-Ain on the afternoon of March 26 and returned to Israel overnight. Risk advisory firm Basha Report further identified the two aircraft as a Bombardier Global Express XRS registered in the Isle of Man and a Bombardier Global 6000 business jet. Additional unconfirmed reporting even claims that Mohammed bin Zayed personally drove Netanyahu from the airport to the meeting palace in his own private vehicle.

    This is not the first reported high-level Israeli-Emirati contact during the war: The Wall Street Journal has previously reported that Mossad Director David Barnea has made at least two trips to the UAE since the outbreak of hostilities for war coordination purposes. Middle East Eye attempted to request additional clarification from the UAE foreign ministry on its denial but received no response by the time of publication.

    The disagreement over the meeting comes against a decades-long backdrop of quiet cooperation between the UAE and Israel that predates their 2020 formal normalization. As the first Gulf state to normalize ties with Israel, the UAE has developed extensive joint military and intelligence partnerships with Israel and the United States, including a shared intelligence-sharing platform codenamed Crystal Ball designed to boost regional intelligence capabilities. Even before formal diplomatic relations were established, Israeli military and intelligence officials helped the UAE construct a network of security outposts across islands in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, operating under the radar for years.

    Alon Pinkas, a veteran Israeli diplomat who served as an advisor to four Israeli foreign ministers, noted that the long-running quiet cooperation predating formal normalization means the current public disagreement over the meeting is unlikely to cause permanent, irreversible damage to bilateral ties — particularly given widespread expectations that Netanyahu will leave office before the end of 2026. That said, Pinkas acknowledged that the ongoing war on Iran has already strained the relationship, as the UAE and much of the region now view Israel as an aggressive force driving regional destabilization.

    The economic and security costs of the war have fallen disproportionately heavily on the UAE, a reality acknowledged even by senior U.S. officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Iran has targeted Gulf states it views as sympathetic to Israel and the U.S. in retaliation for the offensive, and the UAE has absorbed more missile attack damage than Israel itself since the war began in late February. While Israel deployed Iron Dome air defense batteries and operating personnel to the UAE to help defend against Iranian strikes — deepening practical security cooperation — the war has still hit the UAE’s core economic interests hard: its vital tourism sector has suffered sharp declines, and capital flight has hit the major financial hubs of Dubai and Abu Dhabi, even as the country maintains an alternative oil export route bypassing the Strait of Hormuz.

    On Thursday, the diplomatic fallout expanded when Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi used a BRICS summit meeting in New Delhi to directly accuse the UAE of being complicit in the war against Iran. Araghchi noted that he had previously avoided naming the UAE publicly to preserve regional unity, but confirmed that the UAE was directly involved in the aggression against Tehran, and failed to issue any condemnation of the offensive when it first launched.

    Despite the public dispute and war-related strains, regional analysts expect the bilateral relationship between Israel and the UAE to continue deepening in the long term. Jalel Harchaoui, a leading expert on regional political economy, told Middle East Eye that the UAE remains committed to the core strategic logic of the Abraham Accords it adopted in 2020, even amid the heavy costs it has incurred since the outbreak of the war. Harchaoui argues that the damage the UAE has sustained will not shift its overall strategic course, and that the country will likely double down on its normalization partnership with Israel moving forward.

  • Dior nods to Hollywood’s Golden Age with Cruise collection

    Dior nods to Hollywood’s Golden Age with Cruise collection

    French luxury fashion powerhouse Dior has brought old-school Hollywood glamour back to life with its highly anticipated 2027 Cruise collection, marking the brand’s first Cruise show under newly appointed creative director Jonathan Anderson. The star-studded event unfolded at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), where the iconic house wove together nods to Tinseltown’s golden era, California’s iconic natural beauty, and Dior’s decades-long historic relationship with cinema. A-list attendees from across the entertainment industry packed the venue, including singers Sabrina Carpenter and Miley Cyrus, and screen legends Al Pacino, Jeff Goldblum, Anya Taylor-Joy and Macaulay Culkin, all gathering inside LACMA’s newly opened David Geffen Galleries for the glitzy affair.

    Event designers transformed the museum’s striking concrete architectural curves into a atmospheric set straight out of a mid-century classic detective film, complete with vibrant vintage automobiles and moody, cinematic lighting. When models stepped out from a soft smoky haze to take their turns on the runway, they wore designs awash in warm, vibrant hues of golden yellow, rich purple and tangerine orange. The collection’s concept was rooted in a legendary chapter of Dior and Hollywood history, drawing inspiration from the iconic demand actress Marlene Dietrich made to director Alfred Hitchcock ahead of filming 1940s classic *Stage Fright*: “No Dior, no Dietrich!”

    True to the spirit of Dietrich’s legendary on-screen wardrobe, Wednesday evening’s show balanced unapologetic glamour with a core thread of female empowerment. Floral motifs emerged as a defining design element across the collection: a scattering of bright daffodils burst from the hem of one flowing skirt, while cascading red-orange poppy petals— a nod to California’s beloved state flower— spilled down the silhouette of a structured evening gown. Tailored outerwear also took a prominent turn on the runway, rendered in dramatic tones of jet black, shimmering gold and metallic silver. One standout piece, a tailored gray-striped coat, featured geometric shadow patterns that mirrored the effect of light slanting through vintage Venetian blinds, pulling directly from the visual language of 1940s black-and-white cinema. Even the brand’s iconic accessories joined in the theme: a reimagined version of Dior’s classic saddle bag drew design inspiration from mid-century American automobiles, perfectly complementing the collection’s nostalgic premise.

    Many guests in attendance highlighted the collection’s thoughtful nostalgic tone, praising Anderson’s juxtaposition of design influences that created loose, fluid silhouettes far from the heavily cinched shapes Dior is historically known for, echoing the elegant styles of 1940s Hollywood. Anderson, who previously served as artistic director for Spanish luxury brand Loewe, stepped into his expanded role at Dior in June 2025, making history as the first designer since founder Christian Dior himself to oversee the brand’s three core lines: women’s wear, men’s wear, and haute couture. Since taking the role, he has debuted a critically acclaimed first menswear collection in June 2025, a first women’s wear collection that received more mixed reception that October, an extravagant second menswear collection in Paris this past January, and a punk-inflected, floral-accented debut haute couture collection that stayed true to Anderson’s well-known rebellious creative identity.

    Just as Dior itself has deep ties to the film industry— the brand earned an Oscar nomination in 1955 for its costume work on *Indiscretion of an American Wife*— Anderson has already built strong connections to modern Hollywood, having created custom costumes for the 2024 hit sports drama *Challengers*, directed by Luca Guadagnino and starring Zendaya. Dior’s annual Cruise, or resort, shows are known for being hosted in rotating iconic locations around the globe, bringing the luxury brand’s transitional designs to new audiences each year. Last year’s presentation was held in Rome, following previous shows in Scotland and Mexico, while the brand’s last Cruise show in Los Angeles dated back to 2017, making this week’s event a notable homecoming for the label on the West Coast.

  • Emails show FBI Director Kash Patel’s Hawaii trip included ‘VIP snorkel’ at a Pearl Harbor memorial

    Emails show FBI Director Kash Patel’s Hawaii trip included ‘VIP snorkel’ at a Pearl Harbor memorial

    Controversy has engulfed FBI Director Kash Patel after an undisclosed exclusive snorkeling excursion at the hallowed USS Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, was uncovered through government emails obtained by the Associated Press, adding to a growing pattern of scrutiny over his blend of official work and personal leisure during taxpayer-funded travel.

    Last August, Patel made a planned stop in Hawaii to tour the FBI’s Honolulu field office and meet with local law enforcement on his way to official engagements in Australia and New Zealand. What the FBI did not disclose in its public statements was that after concluding his business in Oceania, Patel returned to Hawaii for two additional days, during which he took part in the coordinated military VIP snorkeling trip around the sunken USS Arizona, a military cemetery that holds the remains of more than 900 U.S. sailors and Marines killed in the 1941 Japanese attack that drew the United States into World War II.

    Snorkeling and recreational diving are almost universally prohibited at the site, which is managed jointly by the U.S. Navy and the National Park Service. Only a small number of authorized groups are permitted access: marine archaeologists and National Park Service crews conducting routine condition surveys, and divers facilitating the interment of USS Arizona survivors who choose to be buried alongside their former shipmates. Since at least the Obama administration, a tiny, select group of high-ranking dignitaries with direct oversight responsibility for the memorial have been quietly granted exceptions, though neither the Navy nor the Park Service has released details on how often these excursions occur or who receives approval.

    Interviews with former officials and individuals familiar with the site’s protocols confirm that no FBI director dating back to at least 1990 has ever requested or received permission to snorkel at the memorial. One anonymous former government diver told the AP that granting access to a non-memorial official like Patel is highly unusual, as the activity poses unique physical risks, and creates unnecessary security, safety, and logistical burdens at one of the nation’s most sensitive historic sites.

    The revelation of the undisclosed trip has reignited criticism of Patel’s leadership, which has been dogged for more than a year by questions over his inappropriate use of government resources. Most recently, in February, Patel faced backlash after video emerged of him partying in a locker room with the U.S. men’s Olympic hockey team following their gold medal win at the Milan Winter Olympics. Patel has defended that appearance, claiming it was tied to a pre-planned cybercrime investigation with Italian law enforcement.

    Stacey Young, founder of Justice Connection — a coalition of former federal prosecutors and agents that advocates for the Department of Justice’s institutional independence — condemned the excursion. “It fits a pattern of Director Patel getting tangled up in unseemly distractions — this time at a site commemorating the second deadliest attack in U.S. history — instead of staying laser-focused on keeping Americans safe,” Young said.

    The Navy confirmed the outing in a statement to the AP, though it was unable to identify who originally approved or arranged the trip. Navy spokesperson Captain Jodie Cornell noted that all participants were instructed not to make contact with the sunken wreckage and received a full briefing on the site’s status as a sacred cemetery. The service called Patel’s excursion “not an anomaly” but declined to share details on how frequently similar VIP trips are organized. The National Park Service, for its part, said it was not involved in coordinating the trip and declined all further comment.

    Reactions to the excursion have been split among veterans and family members of the USS Arizona’s fallen crew. Hack Albertson, a Marine veteran who participates in annual authorized dives to survey the wreck on behalf of the Paralyzed Veterans of America, called the trip inappropriate. “It’s like having a bachelor party at a church. It’s hallowed ground,” Albertson said. “It needs to be treated with the solemnity it deserves.”

    By contrast, some leaders of groups representing survivors’ families said they did not object to rare official excursions, though many expressed frustration that family members of fallen crew members are routinely denied the same access. Deidre Kelley, national president of the Sons and Daughters of Pearl Harbor Survivors, noted that no original survivors of the attack remain alive, writing, “I have not heard of anyone who would object to these visits as they are very rare.”

    Former acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller, for whom Patel served as chief of staff during the final months of the Trump administration, confirmed he had snorkeled at the site during an official visit years ago, describing the trip as a “somber and meaningful historical tour” rather than a recreational activity. Miller added that Patel did not join him on that earlier excursion.

    Flight tracking data shows the FBI director’s official Gulfstream G550 jet remained in Hawaii for two nights after Patel’s official business concluded, before flying onward to Las Vegas, where Patel maintains his permanent residence. The FBI has defended the overall Hawaii trip as part of Patel’s official national security engagements, noting that top military commanders at Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam routinely host senior U.S. officials on official travel. The bureau has declined to answer specific questions about the snorkeling excursion or what other activities Patel conducted during his two extra days on the island.

    This is not the first controversy to arise from Patel’s August trip to Oceania. After opening the FBI’s first standalone office in Wellington, New Zealand, Patel faced criticism when it was revealed he had gifted local police and intelligence leaders 3D-printed replica pistols that are illegal to possess under New Zealand’s gun control laws.

    The Associated Press’s investigative team obtained records of the excursion through a public records request, with additional reporting contributed from correspondents in Honolulu and New York.

  • Israel closes Al-Aqsa for Muslims amid mass settler raids and ‘Flag March’

    Israel closes Al-Aqsa for Muslims amid mass settler raids and ‘Flag March’

    On Thursday, ahead of the annual and highly controversial ‘Flag March’ through Jerusalem’s Old City, Israeli security forces enacted sweeping restrictions that barred the vast majority of Palestinian Muslim worshippers from accessing the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, while providing heavy armed protection for large-scale incursions by ultranationalist Israeli groups into the holy site.

    The entire Old City, located in Israel-occupied East Jerusalem, was placed under a near-complete lockdown to make way for the planned marches and incursions. Palestinian-owned commercial establishments across the area were forced to close their doors, and local Palestinian residents were ordered to remain confined to their homes.

    In an anonymous interview with Middle East Eye, a staff member from the Jerusalem Islamic Waqf — the Jordanian-administered body that oversees Al-Aqsa Mosque under longstanding regional arrangements — noted that security barriers and entry restrictions were stricter than at any point in recent memory. From the moment of pre-dawn morning prayers, Israeli authorities implemented harsh control measures at every entry gate to the compound, one of the most sacred sites in Islam.

    Israeli forces conducted invasive searches of all worshippers attempting to reach the mosque, confiscated identification documents from many, and enforced sweeping age-based bans: all Palestinian men under the age of 60 and all Palestinian women under the age of 50 were barred entry entirely. Local sources confirmed to Middle East Eye that worshippers were physically assaulted, shoved, and beaten by security personnel at multiple mosque gates. By the time pre-dawn prayers concluded, the vast majority of Palestinians had been cleared from the compound, leaving only a small contingent of Waqf staff on site.

    Shortly after the clearance, large groups of ultranationalist Israelis entered the compound under full police protection. By mid-morning, at least 800 Israelis had carried out incursions into the site, with additional groups scheduled to enter throughout the day. During the incursions, multiple participants performed openly Jewish religious rituals and prayers, and raised Israeli flags across the mosque’s central courtyard.

    The Al-Aqsa Mosque compound sits on a plateau known to Muslims as Haram al-Sharif and to Israelis as the Temple Mount. For Muslims, Al-Aqsa is the third-holiest site in Islam, while Jewish tradition holds the plateau was the location of the ancient First and Second Temples. A centuries-old status quo agreement, formally recognized by the international community, designates the entire compound as an exclusively Muslim place of worship, with full administrative authority over access, prayer, and maintenance granted to the Islamic Waqf.

    In recent years, however, the Israeli government has steadily eroded this long-standing arrangement. It has permitted near-daily incursions by ultranationalist settler groups and allowed public Jewish prayer on the compound, while systematically sidelining the Waqf’s governing authority. Thursday’s incursions included several high-profile Israeli political figures: Ariel Kallner, a sitting member of parliament from the ruling Likud party, and Yitzhak Wasserlauf, Israel’s current minister for peripheral development from the far-right Otzma Yehudit party led by Itamar Ben Gvir. Speaking after his entry to the compound, Wasserlauf claimed that ‘Jews no longer walk around the Temple Mount like thieves and no longer need to hide.’

    The large-scale incursions come as Israel marks ‘Jerusalem Day,’ a national holiday commemorating Israel’s 1967 occupation of East Jerusalem and its subsequent annexation of the territory. Alongside the raids on Al-Aqsa, the day’s events include the polarizing Flag March, which travels through the Old City, including through Palestinian-majority neighborhoods. The march has a well-documented history of racist, anti-Muslim chants, physical assaults on Palestinian residents, and vandalism of Palestinian property.

    This year’s Jerusalem Day celebrations run from sunset Thursday through nightfall Friday, an unusually timed schedule that sees the events overlap with Nakba Day — the Palestinian commemoration of the 1948 ethnic cleansing of more than 750,000 Palestinians by Zionist militias during the establishment of the state of Israel. The overlap also falls on a Friday, the holiest day of the week for Muslim prayer, when Israeli authorities have historically suspended incursions into Al-Aqsa to allow for weekly communal prayers.

    Despite this long-standing practice, a group of senior ministers and members of parliament from Israel’s ruling coalition have submitted an official appeal to the national police commissioner demanding that Israeli groups be allowed to enter the compound’s yards on Friday. In a joint letter signed by top officials including Justice Minister Yariv Levin, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and Energy Minister Eli Cohen, the politicians argued that ‘it is unacceptable that on the day marking the liberation of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount, Jews will be completely denied access to the holiest site for the Jewish people.’

    A Palestinian Jerusalem resident, speaking anonymously to Middle East Eye, expressed widespread fear among local communities that the raids will proceed on Friday, further cementing Israeli control over the contested holy site. Ir Amim, an Israeli human rights organization focused on protecting equality and accessibility in Jerusalem, has issued a strong condemnation of what it describes as growing official government backing for the Temple movement, a coalition of ultranationalist groups that organizes daily incursions into Al-Aqsa and openly calls for the destruction of the existing mosque to make way for a Jewish Third Temple.

    ‘Against the backdrop of the sweeping government support they now enjoy, Temple activists may in the coming days attempt to forcibly enter the complex, damage Muslim holy sites, or carry out attacks against Palestinians in and around the area,’ Ir Amim warned earlier this week. ‘When the police – who are meant to uphold public order – openly declare their support for the Temple movement, there is little left to restrain those groups from acting in such a manner.’

  • Deschamps unveils France’s star-studded World Cup squad and hands Robin Risser surprise call-up

    Deschamps unveils France’s star-studded World Cup squad and hands Robin Risser surprise call-up

    France national team manager Didier Deschamps has officially named his 26-man squad for the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup, headlined by a wealth of elite attacking talent and a surprise maiden call-up for breakout Lens goalkeeper Robin Risser, who has capped a breakthrough domestic season with a spot in the world’s most prestigious international tournament.

    The 26-year-old Risser has been one of the standout revelations of the recent Ligue 1 campaign, cementing his place as one of the top shot-stoppers in France’s top flight. Earlier this week, he was honored with the Ligue 1 Goalkeeper of the Season award for his key role in helping Lens secure the league’s second-best defensive record. He will join the squad as the third-choice goalkeeper behind starter Mike Maignan and backup Brice Samba. Speaking to French broadcaster TF1 following the announcement, Risser expressed overwhelming emotion at his selection. “I’m full of pride, it’s something incredible,” he said. “I can’t find the words. It’s just extraordinary. It was one of my dreams.”

    Heading into the June 11 to July 19 tournament co-hosted by Canada, Mexico and the United States, France enters as one of the pre-tournament favorites, targeting a third men’s World Cup title to add to their 1998 and 2018 honors. Drawn in Group I, Les Bleus will kick off their campaign against Group stage opponents Senegal, Iraq and Norway.

    Deschamps’ squad boasts one of the most dangerous attacking corps in the tournament, led by global superstar Kylian Mbappé and 2024 Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé. The talented forward group also includes exciting young prospects Désiré Doué, Michael Olise, Rayan Cherki and Maghnes Akliouche. Notably, Crystal Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta earned a spot in the final 26, beating out 2022 World Cup semi-final hero Randal Kolo Muani, who made a last-minute addition to France’s squad in Qatar four years ago and nearly secured legendary status after hitting a late match chance in the final against Argentina, which France lost on penalties.

    Several high-profile players missed out on selection, including Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga and Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier. Chevalier has been unable to secure regular first-team minutes since losing his starting spot to new signing Matvey Safonov at the club, and has not featured in competitive action since late January. Explaining his selection criteria, Deschamps emphasized current form and playing time as the deciding factors. “The main criteria is sporting performance,” Deschamps said. “I understand that Lucas Chevalier may be disappointed, but he hasn’t played for several months anymore. At the time when he could have had some playing time, he didn’t get any.” Lens winger Florian Thauvin, who was nominated for Ligue 1 Player of the Season this year, also missed out on a call-up.

    This World Cup will mark the final tournament for Deschamps, who took charge of Les Bleus in 2012 and led the side to the 2018 World Cup title and a runner-up finish in 2022. He confirmed earlier this year that he would step down from his role following the 2026 tournament. “It’s a special feeling. I did many things today for the last time,” he said. “The most important thing is today and tomorrow. We are focused on the World Cup.”

    Former French World Cup-winning captain Zinedine Zidane is widely expected to take over the national team role following Deschamps’ departure. Zidane has not held a senior coaching position since concluding his second successful spell at the helm of Real Madrid, where he led the Spanish giants to three UEFA Champions League titles and two La Liga crowns.

    Full France 2026 World Cup Squad:
    – Goalkeepers: Mike Maignan, Brice Samba, Robin Risser
    – Defenders: Lucas Digne, Malo Gusto, Lucas Hernandez, Théo Hernandez, Ibrahima Konaté, Jules Koundé, Maxence Lacroix, William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano
    – Midfielders: N’Golo Kanté, Manu Koné, Adrien Rabiot, Aurelien Tchouaméni, Warren Zaire-Emery
    – Forwards: Maghnes Akliouche, Bradley Barcola, Rayan Cherki, Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise, Marcus Thuram

  • Canada weighs buying Turkish drones it sanctioned in 2019

    Canada weighs buying Turkish drones it sanctioned in 2019

    Seven years ago, Canada triggered a major shakeup in Turkey’s defense manufacturing sector when it imposed a full arms sales ban on the country, a response to Ankara’s cross-border military incursion into northern Syria. Two of Turkey’s most prominent drone developers, industry leaders Baykar and Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), bore the brunt of the trade restriction, as both firms relied entirely on specialized electro-optical (EO) and infrared (IR) surveillance cameras built by Canadian defense manufacturer Wescam for their unmanned aerial vehicles.

    Cut off from their primary supply source, Turkish defense contractors were forced to rapidly pivot, launching aggressive campaigns to source alternative components from both global and domestic producers. Today, that forced self-sufficiency has paid off: Turkey now boasts a robust cohort of local manufacturers capable of producing the same high-end EO/IR cameras once imported exclusively from Canada.

    Now, in a striking reversal of policy, the same Western nation that cut off Turkey’s drone component supply is now in preliminary discussions to purchase Turkish-made military drones, multiple insiders have confirmed to Middle East Eye. An anonymous official familiar with the negotiations noted that Canada is specifically seeking medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) drones to boost its national surveillance capabilities.

    While the source emphasized that talks remain in their earliest stages and may never result in a finalized deal, the shift in diplomatic and policy tone under Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is impossible to miss. Middle East Eye has reached out to the Canadian embassy in Ankara for official comment on the negotiations, with no response issued as of publication.

    The policy shift was echoed publicly by senior Canadian officials in recent weeks. During a panel discussion held in Istanbul last week, Canadian Secretary of State for Defence Procurement Stephen Fuhr announced that Ottawa was eager to expand bilateral defense collaboration with Turkey in sectors where Ankara has built globally recognized competitive advantages. In a subsequent interview with Defense News, Fuhr specifically named drone technology, counter-drone systems, and ammunition production as priority areas for new partnership.

    Fuhr added that Canada is open to structured co-development projects rather than simple off-the-shelf purchases, a model that would allow Canada to accelerate its defense capability growth without investing years of time and billions of dollars in building a domestic drone program from the ground up.

    Ankara has a long track record of embracing this collaborative framework: Turkish defense firms have already established similar localized co-production drone partnerships with the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Ukraine in recent years.

    One official familiar with Canada’s strategic calculations told Middle East Eye that the shift can be traced back to shifting reliance on U.S. defense cooperation, with the change in posture indirectly tied to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s reshaping of transatlantic security arrangements. The official noted that Carney’s government no longer has full confidence in the long-term security guarantee provided by Washington, pushing Ottawa to diversify its defense supply chains. “Canadians don’t want to rely on American weapons anymore; they would like to diversify,” the source explained.

    Fuhr echoed this sentiment during his Istanbul appearance, noting that the United States, Canada’s southern neighbor, has moved away from the long-standing defense trade norms that Ottawa relied on for decades. That shift has forced Canada to speed up efforts to strengthen its own independent defense capabilities, he added. Currently, Ottawa is already rolling out billions in new defense spending to meet NATO’s requirement that member states allocate 2% of annual GDP to defense. It also recently announced plans to launch a national drone innovation hub at the country’s National Research Council, backed by a $105 million investment over three years.

    Diplomatic momentum for deeper bilateral defense ties is building quickly. Carney is already scheduled to travel to Turkey for the NATO summit set to take place in Ankara this July, but multiple officials confirmed that the prime minister is also planning a standalone formal bilateral visit to the country in October. During that October visit, multiple defense cooperation initiatives are expected to be officially launched, including the drone development and procurement projects currently under discussion.

    “You will see our prime minister coming here a couple of times in the near future to demonstrate how interested we are and how committed we are to working more bilaterally with Turkey moving forward,” Fuhr told the Istanbul panel.

    Fuhr also outlined the core urgency driving Canada’s push for rapid collaboration: the growing mismatch between shrinking defense technology cycles and the slow pace of traditional domestic procurement. “One of the military’s biggest frustrations with the defence industry was how long it takes to develop new capabilities, especially as technology cycles continue to shrink while procurement cycles grow longer,” he said. “You end up with something that is slow and irrelevant. So we are very motivated to move quickly, and I see signs that our partners are working quickly as well, and I’m seeing tangible results from that.”

  • ‘We didn’t die’: Pilot recounts crash landing in Atlantic with 10 aboard

    ‘We didn’t die’: Pilot recounts crash landing in Atlantic with 10 aboard

    For a veteran pilot with 25 years of aviation experience, Ian Nixon had never encountered a crisis as harrowing as the mid-flight failure that left him and 10 passengers adrift for hours in the Atlantic Ocean off Florida’s eastern shore. What was meant to be a routine 20-minute inter-island flight across the Bahamas turned into a fight for survival on Tuesday, when one critical system failure cascaded into total disaster: first the navigation system cut out, followed by the aircraft’s radio, then one engine failed, and seconds later, the second engine went silent.

    Speaking to CBS News, U.S. news partner to the BBC, Nixon recalled the terrifying silence after the radio stopped working: “I wasn’t able to reach anybody on the radio for a while. I tried to call Freeport, I tried to call Miami radio. I don’t know if they were hearing me, but I didn’t get a response.”

    The flight was traveling from Marsh Harbour on the Bahamas’ Abaco Islands to Freeport on Grand Bahama. Left with no safe landing option and rapidly losing altitude, the Bahamian pilot executed a last-resort emergency maneuver known as ditching, landing the disabled aircraft in open water approximately 175 miles (289 kilometers) north of Miami. In that first moment after the plane hit the waves, Nixon said his overwhelming emotion was relief. “Once I hit the water, my first thought was, ‘We didn’t die,’” he shared.

    In the aftermath of the crash, all 11 people on board escaped the sinking plane and climbed onto a single inflatable life raft, where they would wait five hours for rescue. As the group drifted under open sky, Nixon worked to keep the passengers calm and hopeful, repeating reassurances that rescuers would arrive within minutes.

    That promise nearly proved prophetic when a passenger called out that they could hear a distant sound cutting through the air. It was a rescue helicopter from the U.S. Air Force Reserve’s 920th Rescue Wing, which had been diverted from a routine training mission after the plane’s emergency locator transmitter broadcast a distress signal to the U.S. Coast Guard, triggering the large-scale search operation.

    When rescuers spotted the life raft, Captain Rory Whipple said the toll of hours adrift was already clear: “They had already been in the raft for about five hours. You could tell just by looking at them that they were in distress – physically, mentally and emotionally.”

    The rescue team raced against a tight deadline, needing to pull all 11 survivors on board before their helicopter ran low on fuel and required refueling. For the crews involved, the outcome was nothing short of extraordinary. “I have not known anyone to survive a ditching in the ocean,” said Major Elizabeth Piowaty, an aircraft commander who took part in the mission. “And, from what I’ve seen, I mean, for all those people to survive is pretty miraculous.”

    All 11 survivors were transported to a hospital in Florida for evaluation. Only three people sustained minor injuries, and everyone escaped with their lives. Passenger Olympia Outten described the overwhelming joy of being rescued, saying: “Everybody was rejoicing to know that we get saved because we thought we were going to die. That was a scene that was just like it was a movie.”

    Bahamian aviation authorities have launched a formal investigation to determine what caused the sequence of system and engine failures that led to the crash, with no further details on potential causes released as of initial reports.