Global Pulse

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  • Amjad Youssef, key perpetrator of Tadamon massacre, arrested in Syria

    Amjad Youssef, key perpetrator of Tadamon massacre, arrested in Syria

    Nearly 12 years after one of the most documented war crimes of the Syrian civil war, a central perpetrator of the 2013 Tadamon massacre has been taken into custody by Syrian authorities, marking a milestone in the new government’s push to hold former regime actors accountable for mass atrocities.

    Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab confirmed the arrest of Amjad Youssef, a former intelligence officer under the ousted government of Bashar al-Assad, in a post on X on Friday, describing the detention as the outcome of a successful targeted security operation. A senior security source told state-run Sana news agency that Youssef was apprehended in the al-Ghab region of Hama, a rural area in western Syria.

    The massacre that Youssef is linked to unfolded on April 16, 2013, in the working-class Tadamon neighborhood of Damascus, an area originally built in 1967 to resettle Syrians displaced from the Golan Heights after Israel’s occupation of the territory. Long a diverse, multi-communal home to Druze, Sunni, Alawi, Turkmen and Palestinian communities, Tadamon became a target of harsh reprisal from the Assad regime after residents joined widespread peaceful pro-democracy protests in 2011.

    On that April day in 2013, Assad regime soldiers and affiliated militiamen forced 288 captives into a pre-dug earthen pit, subjected them to humiliation and mockery, then executed them at point-blank range. Seven women and 15 children were among those killed, according to footage captured by the perpetrators themselves that was leaked to the public in 2022. The graphic video showed blindfolded, bound detainees being marched to the edge of the pit before being shot, making it one of the most concrete and detailed pieces of evidence confirming war crimes committed by the former Assad administration.

    Witness testimony collected by independent outlet Middle East Eye confirms that the execution pit in Tadamon was not a one-off atrocity. For nearly a decade after the 2013 massacre, targeted killings and mass executions continued in the roughly one-square-kilometer kill zone overseen by Assad’s military intelligence and the pro-regime paramilitary National Defence Forces, with the regime’s operations headquartered in a local building residents dubbed the “chess house” for its distinctive chequered tilework. Neighbors report women abducted from local mosques were brought to the facility to be sexually assaulted, and regime forces acted with complete impunity in the area.

    “I cannot count how many they killed. Everyone here in Tadamon lived in terror,” Abdul-Rahman Saud, a lifelong Tadamon resident and witness to repeated mass killings, told Middle East Eye in December 2024, after Assad’s regime fell to a rebel offensive led by current Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. “Everyone loved each other but the regime made us hate each other. If they saw on your ID that you were originally from a Sunni area like Idlib or Deir Ezzor, that was enough to kill you.”

    The 2022 leak of the massacre footage proved critical to advancing accountability efforts. The video allowed investigators to identify key suspects, including Youssef, and has been integrated into the new Syrian government’s ongoing legal efforts to bring perpetrators of mass atrocities during the civil war to justice.

  • The wide-brimmed Sombrero galaxy is revealed in all its splendor by a telescope in Chile

    The wide-brimmed Sombrero galaxy is revealed in all its splendor by a telescope in Chile

    CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – One of the night sky’s most iconic and beloved celestial objects, the distinctive Sombrero Galaxy, has been revealed in unprecedented detail in a breathtaking new image released by U.S. astronomers.

    The image, published Friday by the U.S. National Science Foundation’s NOIRLab, is the result of years of work to process data gathered four years earlier by a powerful telescope based in Chile. While observational data of the galaxy was collected years ago, full color processing that brings out subtle celestial features was only finalized this week, producing the sharpest view of the galaxy ever created.

    Formally cataloged as Messier 104, this striking spiral galaxy gets its common name from its unique hat-like shape, marked by a bright central bulge and a sweeping dark dust lane that creates the silhouette of a wide-brimmed sombrero hat. Sitting roughly 30 million light-years from Earth, it ranks among the largest members of the Virgo constellation galaxy cluster, spanning an estimated 50,000 light-years across – a distance equivalent to roughly 300 trillion miles.

    The new high-resolution image captures extraordinary detail that has never been so clearly visible to ground-based observation. Most notably, the galaxy’s faint, glowing outer halo of stars is revealed to be nearly three times the size of the main galactic disk that forms the iconic “hat” shape.

    Mounted on the telescope, the Dark Energy Camera, an instrument designed to map deep space and study the force accelerating the universe’s expansion, also picked up a faint, extended stream of stars streaming away from the galaxy’s southern edge. Researchers conclude that both this star stream and the expanded outer stellar halo are not native to Messier 104. Instead, they are leftover debris from a collision between the Sombrero Galaxy and a smaller neighboring galaxy that occurred billions of years ago, when the smaller galaxy was torn apart and absorbed by the larger one.

    First discovered by astronomers back in the 1700s, the Sombrero Galaxy has long been a favorite target for both professional stargazers and amateur astronomers. This new processed image offers scientists a fresh opportunity to study galactic growth through merger and collision, a key process that shapes the evolution of galaxies across the universe.

    This report was produced by The Associated Press Health and Science Department, which receives funding support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP retains full independent responsibility for all content published.

  • Pirates hijack oil tanker off the coast of Somalia

    Pirates hijack oil tanker off the coast of Somalia

    After nearly a decade of sharp decline following coordinated international anti-piracy interventions, pirate activity off the coast of Somalia has reemerged as a critical threat to regional maritime security in recent years. The latest and most high-profile incident has underscored the growing risk: armed pirates have seized the oil tanker *Honour 25*, carrying 17 crew members and thousands of barrels of fuel, while it transited waters roughly 30 nautical miles from the Somali shore.

    Multiple regional security sources confirmed to the BBC that six armed assailants boarded and took control of the vessel late Wednesday. Shipping tracking data from ShipAtlas details the tanker’s weeks-long route ahead of the hijacking: it departed Berbera Port, located in the self-declared independent region of Somaliland, on February 20. Shortly after the outbreak of cross-border conflict tied to the U.S.-Israel Iran tensions, the *Honour 25* reached waters near the United Arab Emirates, then loitered near the Strait of Hormuz entrance before reversing course on April 2 to head for Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital.

    Puntland regional security officials, the governing body for Somalia’s semi-autonomous northeastern territory, confirmed the tanker was carrying 18,500 barrels of oil destined for Mogadishu. Following the hijacking, the vessel has been anchored near the Somali coast between the coastal fishing towns of Xaafun and Bander Beyla, under full pirate control. Additional reinforcements have since joined the hijacking party: five more armed men have boarded the *Honour 25*, according to anonymous regional sources. Investigators currently believe the hijackers launched their attack from a remote, unpatrolled stretch of coastline near Bander Beyla, though it remains unclear how the group was able to intercept and overwhelm the tanker without detection.

    The 17-person crew on board includes 10 Pakistani nationals, four Indonesians, one Indian, one Sri Lankan, and one Myanmarese national. No reports on their condition have been released to date.

    This hijacking comes amid a well-documented resurgence of piracy in the Indian Ocean region off Somalia’s coast. Once the global epicenter of maritime hijacking, the area saw pirate attacks drop to near-zero after 2011, when international naval coalitions launched widespread anti-piracy patrols and vessel security mandates. Over the past three years, however, attacks have rebounded, with fishing trawlers, cargo container ships, and now large oil tankers targeted by armed groups.

    The seizure of a fuel tanker bound for Mogadishu is expected to exacerbate already severe economic strain in the capital. Local fuel prices have already tripled in the wake of regional conflicts linked to escalating tensions between Iran and the U.S.-Israel alliance, and renewed fears of disrupted shipping will almost certainly push prices higher and deepen public anxiety.

    As of Thursday, neither formal Somali national government authorities nor the European Naval Force – the multinational body that coordinates official anti-piracy operations in Somali territorial waters – has issued an official statement confirming the hijacking or outlining next steps for response.

  • Title race in Portugal has Porto and Villas-Boas leading mentor Mourinho at unbeaten Benfica

    Title race in Portugal has Porto and Villas-Boas leading mentor Mourinho at unbeaten Benfica

    As European domestic football seasons enter their final four weeks, the most captivating and history-making title fights are unfolding not in the continent’s big-five power leagues, but across smaller national competitions, with a personal mentor-mentee rivalry driving the drama in Portugal.

    At the center of Portugal’s tight title chase is a unique subplot: Andre Villas-Boas, president of FC Porto, is competing directly against his one-time coaching mentor Jose Mourinho, now manager of Porto’s closest rival Benfica. Villas-Boas’ journey back to his boyhood club has been full-circle: at 24, he joined Mourinho’s backroom staff at Porto, where the pair delivered back-to-back UEFA Cup and Champions League titles in 2003 and 2004. He followed Mourinho to Chelsea and Inter Milan before launching his own high-profile coaching career, mirroring Mourinho’s path with stops at Porto, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Zenit St. Petersburg and Marseille before retiring from coaching in 2021.

    In 2021, at 46, Villas-Boas was elected president of Porto, and in just two years, he has revived the club’s domestic title fortunes. Back in 2011, as a 33-year-old head coach, Villas-Boas led Porto to a domestic treble of league, cup and Europa League crowns. Now, 13 years later, he is on track to deliver Porto’s first league title in four years, even after Benfica lured Mourinho out of his role at Fenerbahce last September, shortly after Mourinho’s side suffered a Champions League qualifying exit at the hands of Benfica.

    With four matchdays remaining, Porto holds a seven-point lead over Benfica, a margin that defies expectations given Benfica has gone unbeaten through the entire domestic league season so far. However, Benfica could even finish outside the top two: Sporting CP sits just one point behind Benfica with a game in hand, putting the Lisbon side firmly in contention for second place. Porto only needs six points from its final four fixtures, none of which come against its top title rivals, and kicks off its final run of games on Sunday away to Estrela da Amadora.

    Villas-Boas said the pair hold no bad blood amid the title fight, telling Italian sports daily *Gazzetta dello Sport*, “We are competing for the championship but we respect each other. Mourinho has taught me a lot and sometimes we exchange messages.” He added of his own connection to the club, “Mine at Porto is a story that I’m proud of. I want to keep on giving more satisfaction to the fans.” The Porto president pinned much of the club’s 2024 success on head coach Francesco Farioli, who has rebuilt his reputation after a catastrophic collapse at Ajax last season, where he blew a nine-point lead over PSV Eindhoven in the final five matches to lose the Eredivisie title. “I want him to win more than I won with Porto,” Villas-Boas said of Farioli. “He’s the coach that will take us into the future.” Veteran 41-year-old defender Thiago Silva, who returned to Porto midseason from Brazil 19 years after he first left the club, has also been a key leader for the side this season.

    Portugal’s title race is far from the only historic fight unfolding outside the top five leagues. In Scotland, Heart of Midlothian (Hearts) is 90 minutes away from ending one of the longest and most painful title droughts in world football. The Edinburgh-based club has led the Scottish Premiership for almost the entire season, and has not won the top-flight title since 1960. For 40 straight seasons, the Old Firm pairing of Glasgow giants Celtic and Rangers have split every league title between them, a duopoly that traces back to a heartbreaking last-day collapse for Hearts in 1986, when the Edinburgh side conceded two late goals in the final 10 minutes of the season to hand Celtic the title on goal difference.

    Entering the final split of the 12-team league, where the top six sides play each other once more to close the season, Hearts holds a one-point lead over Rangers and a three-point lead over Celtic. Rangers are the in-form side, but face tough back-to-back away fixtures at Hearts and Celtic between May 4 and 10, while Hearts will travel to Celtic for the final match of the season on May 16, leaving open the chance for another title-deciding final day showdown.

    In Switzerland, newly promoted side Thun is on the cusp of the most unlikely title win in the club’s 128-year history. Thun, which was formed in 1898, has never won the Swiss top-flight title, but holds a 14-point lead over second-placed St. Gallen with just five matches remaining. If Thun defeats Lugano at home this Saturday, they will seal the historic crown, while St. Gallen does not play until Sunday against Young Boys, leaving Thun in full control of its own destiny.

    In Turkey, Galatasaray is on track to extend Fenerbahce’s title drought to 12 straight seasons. Galatasaray holds a four-point lead over Fenerbahce with four matches left, and only needs to avoid defeat in this Sunday’s Istanbul derby against Fenerbahce to move one step closer to the crown.

    Austria has already seen a historic end to a long title reign: Red Bull Salzburg’s 10-year consecutive run of Austrian Bundesliga titles ended in 2023, and the club has started the championship playoff round with back-to-back home losses, leaving current leaders Sturm Graz well positioned to claim a second straight crown.

  • Pakistani astronauts begin training at China space center

    Pakistani astronauts begin training at China space center

    In a landmark milestone for China-Pakistan aerospace cooperation and international space collaboration, two Pakistani astronauts arrived at the Astronaut Center of China in Beijing on Friday to kick off joint training with their Chinese counterparts, according to official confirmation from the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

    In an official statement announcing the start of training, CMSA expressed its expectation that the Pakistani astronauts will soon turn their long-held national space ambition into reality, carrying the Pakistani public’s decades-old spaceflight dream and the enduring friendship between the two Asian nations to China’s Tiangong Space Station, nicknamed the “Heavenly Palace” in Chinese.

    The two trainees, Muhammad Zeeshan Ali and Khurram Daud, are the first international astronaut candidates to receive training at China’s dedicated astronaut facility. Over the coming months, the pair will complete a structured program of specialized training modules before undergoing formal competency assessments. Following the evaluation process, one candidate will be selected to serve as a payload specialist on an upcoming Chinese crewed mission to Tiangong, making history as the first non-Chinese astronaut to visit the Chinese orbiting outpost.

    For Pakistan, the mission carries extra national significance: if the collaboration proceeds successfully, the selected astronaut will become the first Pakistani national ever to reach Earth’s orbit, fulfilling a long-held national goal for the country’s space program.

    The current training program is the outcome of a bilateral agreement signed 14 months prior, in February 2025, between CMSA and Pakistan’s Space and Upper Atmosphere Research Commission in Islamabad. That agreement laid the formal institutional and operational groundwork for joint cooperation in the selection and training of Pakistani astronauts for a mission to Tiangong.

    Completed after more than a decade of development, Tiangong stands as one of the largest and most technologically advanced space structures ever placed in low Earth orbit. It is currently the only active space station in the world that is independently designed, constructed and operated by a single country. Since the station reached full operational capacity, it has hosted 10 consecutive crews of Chinese taikonauts, supporting hundreds of scientific experiments across a wide range of space research disciplines.

  • Xizang yak delivers region’s first recorded natural triplets

    Xizang yak delivers region’s first recorded natural triplets

    In a groundbreaking, never-before-documented event for the region, an 8-year-old female yak in Driru County, Xizang Autonomous Region, has given birth to three healthy, naturally conceived calves, marking the first officially recorded natural yak triplet birth in Xizang’s history.

    As of the latest update, both the mother yak and her three newborns are in stable, good condition. The young calves are nursing normally and have already acclimated smoothly to Xizang’s harsh high-altitude, low-temperature environment, a testament to their hardiness.

    Animal husbandry researchers explain that yaks are evolutionarily adapted to single-calve pregnancies, making a natural triplet birth an extraordinarily rare occurrence. This unprecedented birth is far more than a curious local oddity: it sheds new light on the outstanding genetic characteristics of Xizang’s indigenous yak breeds, and serves as tangible evidence of the region’s improving ecological environment and widespread adoption of standardized, science-based grazing management practices over recent years.

    In response to this rare event, local agricultural and animal husbandry authorities have moved quickly to implement regular professional health checks and customized care plans to protect the mother and her triplets. Scientific teams will also conduct long-term follow-up genetic studies on the three calves, aiming to unpack the biological mechanisms behind this unusual reproductive outcome and inform advances in local yak breeding programs.

    Researchers and industry analysts note that this milestone discovery carries substantial value for the future of Xizang’s yak industry. Insights gained from the triplets could help livestock scientists optimize yak breed lines, improve overall reproductive efficiency for the species, and drive the high-quality development of Xizang’s signature animal husbandry sector, a core source of income for many local herding communities.

  • Joint engineering faculty strengthens China-Azerbaijan education ties

    Joint engineering faculty strengthens China-Azerbaijan education ties

    Early this week, a landmark milestone in bilateral educational cooperation between China and Azerbaijan was reached as a new joint engineering faculty, co-founded by China’s Beijing University of Chemical Technology (BUCT) and Azerbaijan’s Baku Engineering University (BEU), officially opened its doors in Baku, Azerbaijan’s capital. Launched on Monday, this collaborative academic initiative marks the first Chinese-led undergraduate-level educational institution ever established in Azerbaijan, creating a foundational platform for cross-border knowledge sharing and institutional partnership. The new faculty offers five specialized undergraduate programs: chemistry, polymer materials and engineering, biotechnology and bioengineering, computer science and technology, and mechanical engineering, process equipment and control engineering.

    Students who successfully complete all program requirements and meet graduation standards will receive accredited double bachelor’s degrees from both partnering institutions. Beyond academic training, the joint faculty has set three core long-term goals: cultivating high-skilled professionals with global perspectives, deepening bilateral collaboration in teaching practice, scientific research, and academic faculty exchanges, and advancing mutual cultural and educational learning between the two nations.

    Tan Tianwei, president of BUCT, noted that China-Azerbaijan bilateral relations have continued to strengthen in recent years, with growing people-to-people exchanges that have laid a solid, enabling foundation for this cross-institutional educational partnership. He expressed his expectation that the current undergraduate collaboration will expand over time to include postgraduate training programs and joint scientific research projects between the two universities.

    Yagub Piriyev, president of BEU, framed the new joint faculty as a tangible, practical outcome of innovative educational cooperation, aligned with the consensus reached by the heads of state of both countries on strengthening bilateral higher education collaboration. He added that as China-Azerbaijan ties grow closer, Azerbaijani students hoping to pursue further study in China should prioritize learning the Chinese language and gaining deeper understanding of Chinese history, to become active contributors to ongoing cross-border educational exchange between the two institutions.

    Emin Amrullayev, Minister of Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, also offered his remarks at the inauguration, sharing his hope that BUCT and BEU will continue to expand collaboration in scientific research and doctoral level education, lifting the bilateral educational and scientific partnership to new heights.

    To provide context, BUCT was founded in 1958 and is designated as one of China’s national “Double First-Class” universities, a top-tier academic designation reserved for China’s leading higher education institutions. Today, BUCT has evolved into a key comprehensive university with strong foundational strengths in natural sciences, robust engineering research and training capacity, and a diverse range of distinct academic disciplines spanning management, economics, law, literature, education, philosophy, and medicine. BEU, by comparison, is a newer public institution established in 2016, created by the Azerbaijani government to strengthen the country’s domestic engineering and technical education sector to support national economic and technological development.

  • Mandelson under formal investigation by EU’s anti-fraud office

    Mandelson under formal investigation by EU’s anti-fraud office

    A new chapter has opened in the expanding scandal surrounding ties between high-profile political figures and convicted late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as the European Union’s official anti-fraud watchdog has launched a formal investigation into former EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson.

    Mandelson, who was already forced out of his post as UK Ambassador to the United States in September 2025 when the full scope of his long-standing personal relationship with Epstein came to light, now faces scrutiny over alleged misconduct that dates back to his four-year tenure as EU trade commissioner from 2004 to 2008. The European Commission first referred the allegations to the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) roughly two months ago, and OLAF confirmed in a statement Friday that investigators have now obtained sufficient information to move forward with a full formal probe.

    The investigation’s formal mandate covers all of Mandelson’s term as a European Commission member, and is restricted to actions involving staff and officials of EU institutions. OLAF’s primary focus will center on communications and interactions between Mandelson and Epstein that occurred during his time as EU commissioner, but additional unconnected allegations have also emerged that stretch beyond this period. Leaked email correspondence has linked Mandelson to Epstein during the 2010 eurozone sovereign debt crisis, with claims that Mandelson provided the disgraced financier advance confidential warning of a massive €500 billion eurozone bailout package designed to contain Greece’s debt crisis and stop its spread across the bloc. Earlier this year, newly uncovered email exchanges between the two men prompted the UK’s Metropolitan Police to open a separate criminal investigation into claims Mandelson leaked market-sensitive information while he served as UK Business Secretary, a post he held after leaving Brussels in 2008 until 2010.

    While Mandelson has not issued a public statement on the new OLAF investigation, BBC sources confirm he has repeatedly denied any criminal wrongdoing and has stated he never acted out of personal financial gain in any interactions with Epstein.

    OLAF officials have clarified that the body does not hold direct prosecutorial authority. If the investigation uncovers evidence of criminal activity, the case will be referred to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office for further action. The agency’s core remit covers probes into fraud involving the EU budget, alongside corruption and serious misconduct by EU institutional officials. After concluding an investigation, OLAF can issue binding recommendations for sanctions to relevant EU authorities, which can range from judicial and financial penalties to administrative or disciplinary action. One of the most significant potential disciplinary outcomes is the revocation of the former commissioner’s EU pension, a benefit that former Commission members are entitled to receive after leaving office.

    Investigators now plan to conduct a full review of all available relevant documents, including the recently unearthed email correspondence, and carry out IT forensic analysis to verify the authenticity and context of materials. OLAF noted that given the passage of more than 15 years since the end of Mandelson’s tenure as commissioner, it remains unclear how much complete evidence will be available, and the agency declined to confirm whether additional allegations have been received since the initial referral in February.

    The scandal continues to send shockwaves through UK politics, where questions persist about how Mandelson’s appointment as US ambassador was approved. Earlier this week, Sir Olly Robbins, the former top civil servant at the UK Foreign Office, told lawmakers he faced inappropriate pressure to rush through Mandelson’s nomination and appointment to the ambassadorship, despite growing concerns about his long-standing links to Epstein.

  • Xizang weaving cooperative turns tradition into rural income

    Xizang weaving cooperative turns tradition into rural income

    Nestled in the rolling pastoral landscapes of China’s Xizang Autonomous Region, a small community weaving initiative has evolved from a dormant local skill into a powerful engine that drives both cultural preservation and inclusive rural economic growth, turning generations-old handcraft traditions into a stable, growing source of income for local women.

    For centuries, Gangba Village has built its cultural identity around two core pillars: animal husbandry and traditional handweaving. Passed down from mother to daughter through countless generations, local women have long mastered the craft of weaving hand-knotted Tibetan rugs and the iconic bangdan, a traditional woven apron worn as part of local cultural attire. For decades, however, these cherished skills were confined to household production, never scaled to reach broader markets. This isolation severely capped their economic potential, leaving the future of both the craft and the community’s livelihood uncertain.

    The first shift toward change came in 2015, when local villagers established the Gangba Village Weaving Cooperative. Launching with a modest initial seed fund of just 16,000 yuan, equivalent to roughly $2,340, the cooperative struggled to gain momentum for nearly a decade. Outdated operational structures, limited market access, and weak management systems kept growth stagnant for years. A transformative turning point arrived in 2024, when targeted external support – including guidance and resources from a government-backed village development work team – helped the cooperative overhaul its operations. Leaders worked to modernize production processes, open new national sales channels, and strengthen professional business management practices that aligned with modern market demands.

    Stewarded by local community leaders Basang Tsering and Tashi Lhamo, the cooperative has since grown into a dynamic, community-owned social enterprise. Local artisan weavers have adapted their time-honored traditional techniques to fit modern consumer preferences, creating a diverse product line that includes handwoven rugs, soft wool scarves, and custom woven car accessories. Each piece retains the distinct cultural character of Xizang weaving while integrating contemporary design aesthetics that resonate with today’s consumers.

    The cooperative’s homegrown “Gangba Weaving” brand has gradually built a strong reputation beyond village borders, now reaching mainstream consumer markets in the regional capital of Lhasa and creating steady new local employment opportunities that did not exist a decade earlier. By 2025, the cooperative’s accessible training programs and flexible work arrangements – designed to accommodate caregiving and family responsibilities – had already helped eight local women achieve full financial independence, while allowing them to remain close to their families and communities.

    Far more than just an economic development project, the cooperative represents a growing, successful model for safeguarding intangible cultural heritage through adaptive innovation. With concrete plans to expand production and reach national and international markets in coming years, the people of Gangba Village are working to share their centuries-old weaving tradition with global audiences, while continuing to lift community livelihoods and sustain their unique cultural identity for future generations.

  • Battle lines drawn over EU’s next big budget

    Battle lines drawn over EU’s next big budget

    Fresh divisions have erupted among European Union leaders as they kick off high-stakes negotiations over the bloc’s next seven-year budget, setting the stage for weeks of tense bargaining between net-contributing frugal states, institutional leaders and pro-spending blocs. The talks, held Friday in Nicosia, Cyprus, come as EU institutions race to lock in a final agreement for the 2028-2034 budget cycle by the end of 2026, well ahead of pivotal national elections across the bloc next year. Last year, the European Commission tabled a €2 trillion ($2.3 trillion) spending plan that would cover everything from common agricultural policy subsidies to cross-border research initiatives, representing a notable increase over the bloc’s current long-term budget. That proposal has already drawn sharp pushback from the EU’s biggest net contributors, led by the so-called “frugal four” core members Germany and the Netherlands, who have drawn a clear line in the sand against the proposed spending increase. Ahead of Friday’s opening talks, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz rejected calls from France for higher collective debt to fund expanded spending, arguing that the EU must prioritize targeted spending cuts in non-critical areas to make room for new priorities rather than raising overall outlays. “We will be setting new priorities. This means that we will also have to reduce spending in the European budget in other areas,” Merz told reporters ahead of the closed-door discussions. Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten echoed that hardline position, saying the commission’s proposed total “needs to be significantly reduced.” For the Netherlands, one of the largest per-capita contributors to the EU budget, an unchecked increase in national contributions would be “unacceptable,” he added. Reaching a final deal will require compromise not just among member states, but also between EU national governments and the European Parliament, which must sign off on any final long-term budget agreement. EU leaders have prioritized wrapping up talks by the end of 2026 to avoid political disruption from 2027 national elections, most notably in France, where a far-right election win could complicate efforts to pass a budget deal. The commission’s proposal includes a key provision requiring the EU to begin paying off tens of billions of euros in annual debt accumulated during the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic recovery program, a requirement that many EU lawmakers oppose, with some pushing to extend the debt repayment timeline. Parliamentary leaders have also thrown their weight behind a push for new bloc-wide taxation of large global technology firms to generate fresh revenue, rather than leaning entirely on increased contributions from member states or cutting existing spending programs. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola emphasized Friday that the bloc needs new revenue streams to cover existing debt obligations, telling reporters in Nicosia: “We cannot solve all the crises and the difficulties we are facing. We need new money to service old debt, and that is something that we will ask the member states to look at.” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen echoed that position, framing the creation of new tax-based revenue streams as “indispensable” for the bloc’s fiscal stability. “Without them, the choice is stark. It’s either higher national contributions or it’s lower spending capacity,” she told a press conference following the opening round of talks. Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin, whose country will take over the rotating EU Council presidency from Cyprus in July, warned that negotiations would be grueling and require give-and-take from all sides. “There will have to be compromise,” Martin said. “Some think the budget is too high as it is. Others think it’s not high enough.” With the deadline for a 2026 agreement fast approaching, European Council President Antonio Costa stressed that the bloc faces a collective responsibility to strike a deal on time. “The clock is ticking,” Costa said after Friday’s opening talks concluded. “We have a collective responsibility to reach an agreement by the end of the year.”