Global Pulse

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  • Queensland reveals plans for new $11bn Gladstone oil refinery amid national fuel crisis

    Queensland reveals plans for new $11bn Gladstone oil refinery amid national fuel crisis

    A week after a destructive fire damaged one of Australia’s only two remaining operational oil refineries, Queensland’s state government has launched a proactive, home-grown plan to strengthen the nation’s fuel security amid a growing national supply crisis. The proposal, unveiled Friday by Queensland Premier David Crisafulli, comes just days after the Wednesday night blaze that tore through VIVA Energy’s Geelong refinery, leaving only Ampol’s Lytton facility in Brisbane fully operational across the country.

    Crisafulli confirmed that state authorities are already in active discussions with multiple project backers to develop a new refinery in Queensland’s industrial Gladstone region, a move designed to let Australia take greater control of its domestic fuel supply chain. “For a long time, I have highlighted that Queensland needs to control its own energy destiny — that means we need to drill, refine and store our own fuel right here,” the premier stated during the announcement. “Today I can confirm we are in formal talks with several proponents to build a fuel refinery here in Queensland. We have the right regulatory framework, the right approach, and we are open for investment.”

    The proposal lands as Australia confronts a growing national fuel crisis, triggered by escalating geopolitical tensions between the United States and Iran in the Middle East that have disrupted global energy supply chains. The country’s refining capacity has shrunk drastically over the last three years: two major facilities in Kwinana, Western Australia and Altona, Victoria closed permanently in 2021 and were converted into import-only storage terminals, leaving just the Geelong and Lytton plants online. This recent fire at Geelong has amplified concerns about overreliance on imported fuel and exposure to global market volatility.

    When pressed for a concrete timeline for the Gladstone project, Crisafulli declined to share a specific completion date, framing the initiative as a long-term investment in national energy resilience. “This is a long-term vision for fuel security,” he said. “We also have critical work to deliver in the short and medium term to address immediate supply risks.”

    Queensland Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie added that the state government is prioritizing speed for the project, having already directed Economic Development Queensland and the state’s Coordinator-General to fast-track all approval processes. “I have instructed these agencies to move every possible obstacle out of the way for the companies we are talking to, to fast-track approvals, secure suitable land, and get this refinery built as quickly as possible,” Bleijie explained.

    One proponent already confirmed to be in talks is Resilient Energy Australia, whose chair David Goodwin told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that the group has put forward a $11 billion proposal for the Gladstone site. If completed, the facility would have the capacity to process 210,000 barrels of crude oil per day, with between 60 and 70 percent of output dedicated to diesel. The refinery would also produce other critical fuel products including automotive gasoline, aviation gasoline, kerosene and jet fuel to meet domestic demand across multiple sectors.

  • Avengers reassemble and Top Gun flies back – Hollywood studios preview their new movies

    Avengers reassemble and Top Gun flies back – Hollywood studios preview their new movies

    The global film industry’s most anticipated annual preview event, CinemaCon, kicked off this week in Las Vegas, drawing A-list stars, award-winning directors, and studio executives to the stage to share exclusive first looks at the biggest upcoming blockbusters and franchise installments. Footage and trailers screened at the invite-only industry gathering often reach fans days or even weeks before they are released online, making the event a must-watch for movie lovers around the world. Here are all the most groundbreaking announcements and first looks that made headlines out of this year’s convention.

    As the conference drew to a close on Thursday, Disney pulled back the curtain on the first full official trailer for the highly anticipated next chapter of the Avengers franchise, *Avengers: Doomsday*. The four-minute clip gave fans their first on-screen look at Robert Downey Jr.—who portrayed fan-favorite hero Iron Man in 2019’s *Avengers: Endgame*—stepping into the role of iconic masked villain Doctor Doom. The upcoming film, scheduled to hit theaters on December 18, 2026, unites a sprawling cast of both legacy and new Marvel characters. Footage showed a tense action sequence between Channing Tatum’s Gambit and Simu Liu’s Shang-Chi, plus a return of Patrick Stewart as the X-Men’s Professor Xavier, who delivers a foreboding warning: “Something’s coming, something we may not be able to deter.” Chris Evans also reprises his role as Steve Rogers, aka Captain America, who appears before Chris Hemsworth’s Thor as Mjolnir flies directly into Rogers’ hands. Speaking to the packed CinemaCon crowd, Evans explained his decision to return to the role: “I said I would only come back if there was a real reason. And in Doomsday, there is a very real reason that these heroes need Steve Rogers.”

    Paramount Pictures made one of the week’s most exciting announcements, confirming that global superstar Tom Cruise will reprise his role as Pete “Maverick” Mitchell in *Top Gun 3*. Josh Greenstein, Paramount’s president of motion picture distribution, told attendees that the sequel to 2022’s record-breaking *Top Gun: Maverick* is “officially in development with a script well under way.” The 2022 installment earned a staggering $1.5 billion at the global box office, delivering a much-needed boost to struggling theater chains as audiences began returning to cinemas in droves following the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cruise was already on-site earlier in the week to preview his upcoming dramatic departure from action roles, *Digger*, where he portrays a gray-haired oil baron forced to clean up the environmental disaster he created.

    Fresh off her critically acclaimed, Oscar-nominated performance in *Wicked*, pop superstar Ariana Grande is shifting gears to comedy in the next installment of the beloved *Meet The Parents* franchise, *Focker In-Law*. Grande will star opposite original leads Ben Stiller and Robert De Niro in the follow-up, which shifts focus to the next generation of the franchise’s iconic family dynamic. Where Stiller’s character Greg spent the first film fighting to earn his girlfriend’s father’s approval, the new movie will see Stiller’s son navigate the same tension, with Grande playing his love interest. The first official trailer for the film premiered at CinemaCon and has already been released to the public online.

    Acclaimed director Christopher Nolan is set to make his first return to cinemas since 2023’s Oscar-winning Best Picture *Oppenheimer* with a sweeping adaptation of Homer’s ancient Greek epic *The Odyssey*. The film stars an all-star ensemble cast including Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, and Zendaya. Nolan treated CinemaCon attendees to an exclusive early screening of the film’s iconic Trojan Horse sequence, which has not yet been released to the public, though a full trailer dropped online ahead of the event. Explaining what drew him to the centuries-old story, Nolan told the crowd: “It’s a story that has fascinated generation after generation for 3,000 years. It’s not a story, but the story. I wanted to grab the exciting opportunity of bringing it to a modern cinema audience.”

    The cast and crew of the hit *Dune* franchise, including leads Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and Jason Momoa, joined director Denis Villeneuve on stage to introduce an exclusive seven-minute opening sequence from the franchise’s third installment. Villeneuve told the audience that *Dune: Part Three* will have a very different tone from its predecessors, framing it as more of a tight thriller than the sprawling epics of the first two films. “It’s more action-packed, faster-paced, and more emotional,” he explained. Variety’s on-site reporter echoed that description, writing that “things get violent, loud and deadly, fast.” A full trailer for the film launched online last month, and the movie is set to premiere on the exact same day as *Avengers: Doomsday*—December 18, 2026—setting up what film fans have already dubbed the “Dunesday” box office showdown between two of the year’s biggest releases.

    A posthumous project for late *Top Gun* star Val Kilmer has sparked new industry debate about the use of artificial intelligence in Hollywood, after filmmakers used AI to recreate Kilmer’s performance for the upcoming film *As Deep As The Grave*. Kilmer was cast in the role of a Catholic priest in the American West before his death in 2025, but he never got the chance to film his scenes. With full approval from Kilmer’s family, filmmakers used AI technology to generate a digital performance of the actor, and the first trailer premiered at CinemaCon. The clip shows Kilmer’s digital counterpart at multiple points in his character’s life, ending with a haunting line delivered to a young child: “Don’t fear the dead, and don’t fear me.” While the visual quality of the AI recreation has been widely praised as convincing, the project has amplified longstanding concerns among Hollywood performers and creatives that AI could eventually replace human actors in mainstream productions.

    Amazon MGM Studios also shared a cautious update on the future of the legendary James Bond franchise, confirming that the studio is taking its time to find the right actor to step into the iconic role of 007. “I know you’re all wondering when we’re going to announce who’s playing James Bond,” said Courtenay Valenti, head of film at Amazon MGM Studios. “Please know that we’re taking the time to do this with care and deep respect. It is the dream of a lifetime for all of us to bring audiences this next chapter, and it’s a responsibility we don’t take lightly. What I can tell you is this: When you pair one of the most beloved franchises in history with a world-class film-making team… you’re setting the stage for something that’s truly worthy of the Bond legacy. That film is coming, and when the time is right, we’ll have much more to share.”

    Beloved marmalade-loving bear Paddington is set to return for a fourth big-screen adventure, StudioCanal confirmed at CinemaCon. The character has already spawned three hit feature films and a record-breaking West End musical, which took home multiple Olivier Awards just last weekend. While few plot details have been revealed, Studiocanal chief executive Anna Marsh confirmed that “world-renowned comedy writers” are already attached to the project.

    Sixteen years after *The Social Network* chronicled the founding of Facebook, screenwriter Aaron Sorkin is stepping into the director’s chair for a follow-up focused on the 2021 Facebook whistleblower leak, titled *The Social Reckoning*. *Succession* star Jeremy Strong will portray Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, joining a cast that also includes Mikey Madison and Wunmi Mosaku. “There isn’t a life that Facebook’s algorithm hasn’t touched, and that influence has shaped everything. So it’s time to say more,” Sorkin told the CinemaCon crowd. The trailer was screened exclusively for convention attendees and has not been released to the public. The film is scheduled for a October 2026 release, positioning it perfectly for upcoming awards season consideration.

    Fresh off his Oscar win for Best Actor for *Sinners*, Michael B. Jordan is set to star in and direct a modern reimagining of the 1999 heist classic *The Thomas Crown Affair*, itself a remake of the 1968 original starring Pierce Brosnan. The first trailer premiered at CinemaCon, giving attendees their first look at Jordan in the lead role, alongside co-stars Adria Arjona, Lily Gladstone, and Aubrey Plaza.

    Comedy legend Mel Brooks delighted the crowd by unveiling the official title for the long-awaited sequel to his 1987 Star Wars parody *Spaceballs*, titled *Spaceballs: The New One*. Multiple original cast members will return for the follow-up, including Brooks himself, George Wyner, Daphne Zuniga, and Bill Pullman. The film also marks the return of Rick Moranis, one of the biggest box office stars of the 1980s and 1990s, who has not appeared in a live-action feature film for nearly 30 years. According to Variety’s on-site reporting, the first trailer spoofs everything from modern *Star Wars* installments to *Avatar* and *Harry Potter*.

    A new biographical drama *I Play Rocky*, which chronicles the turbulent production of 1976’s iconic boxing classic *Rocky*, premiered its first trailer at the convention. Rising star Anthony Ippolito portrays a young Sylvester Stallone during the film’s development, and the performance earned early praise from attendees for Ippolito’s accurate capture of Stallone’s signature mannerisms, posture, and speech patterns.

    After the 2024 film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s *It Ends With Us* became a surprise box office hit (overtaking headlines for the public fallout between co-stars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni), another of Hoover’s bestselling novels is getting the big-screen treatment: *Verity*. The thriller will star Dakota Johnson, Josh Hartnett, and Anne Hathaway. It follows a struggling young writer who is hired to finish the remaining books of a famous author after a mysterious accident leaves her incapacitated, only to uncover a dangerous unfinished manuscript that hides dark secrets.

    The hit modern *Jumanji* franchise is returning for another installment, with leads Kevin Hart, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and Jack Black announcing the new film’s title: *Jumanji: Open World*. “We’re pumped about being back,” Hart told the crowd. Johnson added that the production has kept the original dice that appeared in the 1995 *Jumanji* film starring Robin Williams, saying: “Robin, as we like to say, this one’s for you.”

    Disney also shared a slew of additional announcements during its CinemaCon presentation, including the first footage from *Toy Story 5*, the fifth installment of the decades-long animated franchise. Footage showed longtime leads Woody and Buzz Lightyear teaming up (and bickering) to save their fellow toys from a new digital threat named Lilypad. Original voice actors Tom Hanks and Tim Allen took the stage together, joking about the 30 years that have passed since the first *Toy Story* film: “We looked at a video of us doing the first one – we look like our grandchildren,” Allen joked. Dwayne Johnson also previewed footage from Disney’s upcoming live-action *Moana* remake, while Queen Latifah shared a first look at *Ice Age: Boiling Point*. Disney also screened new clips from *The Devil Wears Prada 2*, which sees Meryl Streep reprise her legendary role as frosty fashion editor Miranda Priestly. Director Jon Favreau also introduced the opening scene of his upcoming new *Star Wars* feature, *The Mandalorian and Grogu*.

  • War in the Middle East: latest developments

    War in the Middle East: latest developments

    A fragile 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon came into force at midnight local time on Thursday, marking a critical pause to weeks of cross-border conflict that has stoked fears of a wider regional war. The truce, brokered with U.S. mediation, comes hours after a deadly Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon and intense last-minute exchanges of fire along the border, leaving casualties on both sides.

    Hours before the ceasefire deadline, an Israeli strike on the southern Lebanese town of Ghazieh killed at least seven people and wounded 33, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. Lebanese state media labeled the attack a “massacre against civilians”, with search and rescue operations still underway to pull survivors from rubble. In northern Israel, rocket fire from Hezbollah positions wounded two people, one seriously, in the towns of Karmiel and Nahariya, Israel’s national emergency service Magen David Adom confirmed.

    Despite official warnings from the Lebanese army urging residents of southern Lebanon to avoid returning to their war-damaged homes, dozens of families loaded their belongings into packed cars and began traveling south along Lebanon’s coastal highway before dawn, crossing the remains of a bridge destroyed in earlier Israeli bombing as soon as sunrise broke.

    The ceasefire agreement has drawn mixed official reactions across the region and globally. U.S. President Donald Trump, who announced the truce earlier this week, took to his Truth Social platform Thursday to urge Iran-backed militant group Hezbollah — which has fought Israeli forces along the border since launching rocket attacks in support of Iran last month — to uphold the pause in hostilities. “I hope Hezbollah acts nicely and well during this important period of time,” Trump wrote, adding that honoring the truce would be a “GREAT moment for them if they do. No more killing. Must finally have PEACE!” Trump also confirmed that the ceasefire explicitly includes Hezbollah, and announced he will invite Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to the White House for diplomatic talks in the coming weeks.

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu framed the 10-day truce as a potential opening for a “historic peace agreement” with Beirut, but reaffirmed that the full disarmament of Hezbollah remains a non-negotiable precondition for any long-term deal. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam formally welcomed the ceasefire announcement, while a Hezbollah member of parliament told AFP that the group would respect the truce as long as Israel halts all attacks on its operatives — though Hezbollah has not issued an official formal statement endorsing the agreement. Iran, Hezbollah’s primary backer, also welcomed the truce. Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei confirmed in a Telegram post via state news agency IRNA that the Lebanon ceasefire is part of a broader earlier ceasefire understanding between Iran and the U.S. mediated by Pakistan, agreed to pause the current wave of regional conflict.

    On the Iranian nuclear front, Trump told reporters at the White House that Tehran has agreed to hand over its entire stockpile of enriched uranium, which the U.S. argues could be repurposed to build nuclear weapons. “They’ve agreed to give us back the nuclear dust,” Trump said, adding that Washington and Tehran are “close” to a final peace deal to end six weeks of open conflict.

    In the first hours of the ceasefire, Lebanon’s army reported that “several Israeli acts of aggression” have already occurred, accusing Israel of violating the terms of the truce. The violations have raised new concerns that the fragile 10-day pause could collapse before it can pave the way for longer-term diplomatic talks to end the months-long border conflict.

  • Japan’s presence in overseas drill raises concern

    Japan’s presence in overseas drill raises concern

    In a historic shift that marks the first time Japanese combat-capable forces have returned to Philippine territory since the end of World War II, Tokyo has deployed hundreds of Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) personnel to join large-scale joint military exercises hosted by the United States and the Philippines, a move that has drawn sharp criticism from regional security experts for accelerating Japan’s remilitarization and abandoning long-standing post-war security constraints.

    This year’s deployment represents a dramatic escalation from Japan’s observer-only participation in the same drills in 2025. For the 2026 iteration of the annual Salaknib and Balikatan exercises — the largest annual joint drills conducted by the U.S. and Philippines, covering maritime security, amphibious operations, humanitarian response and combat training — Japan has sent 420 armed GSDF troops, who will take part in active defensive operation training scenarios. This departure from Tokyo’s previous limited non-combat roles in multilateral exercises comes 81 years after the close of World War II.

    Regional security analysts warn that the deployment signals Japan has effectively broken free of the constraints imposed by its post-war pacifist constitution and its long-stated “exclusively defense-oriented” security principle, putting the country on a clear path of military expansion and buildup in the Asia-Pacific.

    Associate researcher Liu Shuliang from the Tianjin Academy of Social Sciences described the deployment of combat troops to Philippine exercises as an unprecedented post-WWII milestone for Japan. The move, he explained, reflects a deliberate shift in Tokyo’s security policy, a gradual loosening of restrictions tied to its exclusively defense-oriented doctrine, and a clear acceleration of national remilitarization. Beyond policy shifts, Japan’s growing participation in overseas joint drills demonstrates the country has successfully eroded both domestic legal limits and public opinion barriers that previously blocked overseas military engagement, allowing it to pursue expanded military influence across the Asia-Pacific.

    Liu outlined the clear strategic intent behind the combat-focused participation: the drills both help Japan adapt to the evolving requirements of modern informationized and intelligent warfare, and advance efforts to reinforce containment of China in the South China Sea and broader Western Pacific region. He added that Japan’s increasingly active role in these exercises threatens to erode the long-standing military balance that has preserved regional peace.

    This deployment is only the latest in a series of moves that confirm Tokyo’s shifting defense posture. In recent months, Japan has deployed long-range cruise missiles to bases in Kumamoto and Shizuoka prefectures, and the ruling Liberal Democratic Party has continued its high-profile push to revise the country’s pacifist post-war constitution.

    “Accelerated remilitarization and expanded military capabilities bring inherent risks to regional stability,” Liu noted. “Growing scale and frequency of overseas joint drills increase the chance of accidental encounters and strategic miscalculation, which in turn could spark a regional arms race and push Asia-Pacific states into a self-reinforcing security dilemma.”

    Zhang Yun, a professor of international relations at Nanjing University, echoed these concerns, pointing out that Japan is actively shifting from a purely defense-oriented force structure to one that combines both offensive and defensive capabilities. Tokyo’s ongoing investments in operational and counterstrike capabilities, paired with its growing focus on projecting military power across the Asia-Pacific, stand to have profound destabilizing impacts on regional strategic balance, he explained.

    Zhang added that Japan is actively embedding itself in the U.S.-led alliance framework, deepening military and bilateral cooperation with U.S. regional allies, and advancing the development of small-scale exclusive multilateral security blocs. In practice, experts say, this move sees Japan align with U.S. strategic priorities to build a more militarized exclusive bloc in the Asia-Pacific, while expanding its own military footprint and influence across the region — a dynamic that risks worsening regional tensions and undermining long-standing peace.

    This shift fits into a broader evolution of Japan’s security philosophy that has played out over the past decade, Zhang explained. From a posture of passive defense, Tokyo has moved to proactive overseas military engagement, transitioning away from its post-war identity as a peace-oriented nation to one that maintains full capabilities for offensive military operations abroad.

    In response to this accelerating remilitarization trajectory, experts emphasize that regional states must maintain heightened vigilance. The decades of peace and prosperity that Asia has enjoyed have been built on a foundation of cooperative security, and the future of the Asia-Pacific must continue to be rooted in open dialogue and shared development, Zhang noted.

    Liu called on regional nations to strengthen multilateral security dialogue, uphold the ASEAN-centered regional security architecture, and push back against efforts to build exclusive blocs or incite bloc confrontation aligned with U.S. strategic priorities. “It is essential to advance regional economic integration and strengthen mutually beneficial partnerships through multilateral mechanisms,” Liu said. “We must leverage the benefits of shared development to offset the risks that come with growing security confrontation in the region.”

  • Intl community welcomes Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, urges continued efforts toward peace

    Intl community welcomes Israel-Lebanon ceasefire, urges continued efforts toward peace

    On April 17, 2026, a 10-day ceasefire agreement between Israel and Lebanon officially entered into force, bringing a long-awaited pause to more than a month of devastating cross-border escalation that has killed over 2,000 people. The truce was announced earlier by U.S. President Donald Trump, and its implementation has been met with widespread welcoming reactions from the international community, which has simultaneously called on all involved parties to uphold the terms of the deal and work toward a permanent end to hostilities.

    Stephane Dujarric, chief spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, issued a statement affirming the UN’s support for any action that brings an end to violence and human suffering on both sides of the Blue Line, the demarcation line between Israel and Lebanon. Dujarric also stressed the urgent need for all relevant parties to strictly adhere to the newly implemented ceasefire terms.

    Ahmed Aboul-Gheit, Secretary-General of the Arab League, characterized the truce as an important first step to ease the acute hardship faced by the Lebanese population. He called for immediate compliance from all sides and urged the launch of substantive, good-faith negotiations to lock in a permanent, sustainable ceasefire arrangement.

    According to Iran’s official news agency IRNA, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei also expressed support for the truce, noting that the agreement forms a component of a broader two-week Iran-U.S. ceasefire deal mediated by Pakistan that was designed to halt the wider regional conflict.

    Egypt’s Foreign Ministry framed the ceasefire as a critical intervention to lower soaring regional tensions and put a stop to what it described as Israeli aggression against Lebanese territory. The Egyptian government called on the global community to step up and fulfill its shared responsibility to ensure the truce holds long-term, clear the way for unimpeded delivery of life-saving humanitarian aid, and allow thousands of displaced civilians to safely return to their homes of origin.

    The United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement through the Emirates News Agency, expressing hope that the temporary truce will lay the groundwork for a more stable regional environment and serve as a catalyst for lasting peace. The ministry also reiterated the critical need for sustained, coordinated international action to prevent the resumption of hostilities and mitigate the widespread humanitarian and security fallout that has impacted countries across the Middle East.

    Qatar’s Foreign Ministry echoed these sentiments, describing the ceasefire as a meaningful milestone in de-escalation efforts. The ministry, speaking to Qatar News Agency, expressed hope that the truce will reinforce both regional and global initiatives working toward a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace settlement for the entire Middle East region.

    This latest truce comes after a previous ceasefire that had been in place since November 2024, which was marked by almost daily Israeli airstrikes across Lebanese territory. That fragile agreement collapsed entirely on March 2, when Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets toward Israel in solidarity with Iran, triggering a massive intensification of Israeli air operations across Lebanon that pushed the two sides to the brink of full-scale war. As displaced Lebanese civilians began returning to their home communities over the weekend, crowds gathered in cities including Sidon to celebrate the halt in fighting, though global leaders remain cautious that long-term peace will require sustained diplomatic effort.

  • Brazil’s Lula and Sánchez of Spain headline meetings of progressive leaders in Barcelona

    Brazil’s Lula and Sánchez of Spain headline meetings of progressive leaders in Barcelona

    BARCELONA, Spain – Brazil’s progressive President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva touched down in Barcelona Friday for a high-profile two-day official visit, kicking off a series of multilateral gatherings that bring together like-minded leaders of small and mid-sized nations united by shared concerns over eroding democratic norms and the expanding influence of far-right populism across the globe.

    Lula and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sánchez, both widely recognized as leading standard-bearers of progressive politics across their respective continents, have positioned themselves as vocal critics of the policies and agenda of U.S. President Donald Trump, who has previously imposed and threatened additional punitive tariffs on both of their economies. For years, reactionary political factions and far-right populist movements have gained steady traction across the Americas and Europe, creating a urgent push for coordinated action from centrist and left-leaning democratic leaders.

    The visit opens with a bilateral meeting between Lula, Sánchez and their full cabinet delegations at Barcelona’s historic former royal palace, where the two heads of state are set to sign a series of new bilateral agreements covering economic cooperation, technological innovation and joint social policy initiatives. These one-on-one talks will serve as a precursor to two major multilateral summits scheduled for Saturday, held at Barcelona’s sprawling central conference center, which will draw political leaders from every populated continent.

    The first of Saturday’s gatherings is the fourth edition of the Meeting in Defense of Democracy, a forum first launched by Brazil and Spain in 2024 to facilitate cross-border collaboration against what organizers frame as three core threats to participatory democracy: rising extremism, deepening political polarization, and rampant misinformation. Previous iterations of the summit have been hosted at United Nations headquarters in New York and in Santiago, Chile, in 2024.

    Despite both leaders’ public opposition to many of Trump’s policy choices – including his joint military strike against Iran alongside Israel – Lula pushed back against framing the summit as an explicit anti-Trump rally. Speaking in an interview with Spanish national newspaper El País Thursday, Lula clarified: “This is not going to be an anti-Trump meeting. We are going to discuss the state of democracy, to see what went wrong and what we have to do to repair it.”

    This year’s summit will boast an impressive lineup of attending heads of state and senior leaders, including European Council President Antonio Costa, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, and Colombian President Gustavo Petro, alongside leaders from smaller nations ranging from Uruguay and Lithuania to Ghana and Albania.

    Sheinbaum’s presence at the gathering comes on the heels of a breakthrough in a long-running diplomatic dispute between Madrid and Mexico City, when Spain’s King Felipe VI recently acknowledged that the Spanish conquest of the Americas resulted in widespread abuse against Indigenous peoples, clearing a path for normalized high-level engagement. Sheinbaum, who has emerged as one of the most influential progressive voices in Latin America amid the region’s recent rightward political shift and mounting pressure from the Trump administration, maintains high approval ratings at home and has struck a careful diplomatic balance: preserving functional ties with Washington while firmly pushing back on Trump’s policies that threaten regional sovereignty.

    Following the close of the democracy summit, most attending leaders will remain in Barcelona for the inaugural Global Progressive Mobilization, a new gathering of left-leaning politicians and policy experts hosted at the same venue later Saturday. The initiative grew out of a 2024 conversation between Sánchez and former Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Löfven, now president of the Party of European Socialists, during a meeting of European socialist leaders.

    Both Lula and Sánchez are set to deliver keynote addresses at the mobilization, which is expected to draw 3,000 total attendees including U.S. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy. The event will feature a full schedule of roundtable discussions covering a wide range of progressive priorities, from addressing global wage inequality to developing new strategies to improve progressive electoral performance at the national level.

    The summits cap a busy stretch of international diplomacy for Sánchez, who recently returned from a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping – his fourth trip to Beijing in just over three years. In a striking break with Washington, Sánchez’s center-left government has already closed Spanish airspace to U.S. military aircraft deployed for operations in the Iran war, and has refused to allow the U.S. access to jointly operated military bases in southern Spain for any activities related to the conflict. Earlier this week, Lula also released a public video message expressing “deep solidarity” with Pope Leo XIV, after Trump launched a series of public criticisms of the pontiff following the Pope’s public condemnation of the Iran war.

    Pol Morillas, director of Barcelona-based foreign affairs think tank CIDOB, notes that the dual summits represent a deliberate show of force by mainstream democratic leaders, who have watched far-right populist groups successfully leverage international gatherings to spread their core messages of anti-immigration policy and economic nationalism. Morillas frames the gatherings as aligned with the core argument of Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s widely discussed January speech at the Davos World Economic Forum, which called on global “middle powers” to develop new collective strategies to navigate an increasingly fragmented world dominated by confrontational superpowers.

    Morillas told the Associated Press that Lula, Sánchez and the other participating leaders “share the understanding that the world is not just for the great powers.” The event reflects a growing push among mid-sized and smaller democratic nations to carve out a collective, independent voice on global issues ranging from democratic governance to conflict resolution. AP correspondents Megan Janetsky in Mexico City and Mauricio Savarese in Sao Paulo, Brazil contributed reporting to this article.

  • Turkey, Pakistan could become Israel’s new enemy, analyst says

    Turkey, Pakistan could become Israel’s new enemy, analyst says

    As speculation grows over shifting regional power dynamics in the Middle East and ongoing talks about a potential end to the current conflict against Iran, a prominent Israeli security analyst has thrown out a bold prediction: once Iran steps back from its decades-long role as Israel’s primary arch-adversary, either Turkey or Pakistan will step into that position.

    In an opinion analysis published in Israeli daily newspaper Maariv, analyst Boaz Golani framed the emerging dynamic as a consequence of rapidly changing geopolitical sands across the Middle East. He argues that years of escalating conflict targeting Iran, paired with the country’s collapsing domestic economy, has effectively degraded Tehran’s military capabilities to the point that it can no longer sustain its position as Israel’s main enemy. For more than 30 years under the leadership of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, Iran has intentionally occupied this antagonistic role toward Israel, Golani notes, but that era is rapidly drawing to a close.

    Golani’s analysis narrows the field of potential successors down to two major regional powers: Turkey and Pakistan, which he argues are already the only viable candidates vying for the position. He points to key shared traits that make both suitable candidates for the role: both are large, populous nations, with Turkey counting 85 million residents and Pakistan home to 240 million people. Both have solid Sunni Muslim majorities, are governed by authoritarian regimes deeply tied to military power, maintain large, capable standing armies, and, perhaps most surprisingly, both maintain stable, positive diplomatic relations with the United States – Israel’s closest and most powerful global ally.

    Recent geopolitical developments already lend credence to growing tensions between Israel and each of these nations, particularly Turkey. Over the past week, frictions between Jerusalem and Ankara have spiked sharply, with leaders trading sharp public accusations amid a deepening rift driven by two key flashpoints: Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza and competing geopolitical ambitions for influence in Syria.

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu escalated the verbal clash in a public post on the social platform X, where he accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of violently oppressing Kurdish citizens within Turkey’s own borders and providing safe harbor and support to Iran’s “terror regime” and its regional proxy militias. Netanyahu has ramped up his critical rhetoric toward Turkey in recent months, as Ankara has moved to strengthen its diplomatic and security ties with two of Israel’s close regional partners: Greece and the Republic of Cyprus. Independent regional analysts have echoed Golani’s observation that any future rivalry between Israel and Turkey would likely center on competing interests in Syria, where clashing regional ambitions have simmered beneath the surface for years.

    Pakistan, meanwhile, has already positioned itself as a prominent critic of Israel in recent months. The South Asian nation has taken on a high-profile role as a neutral mediator for global peace talks between the United States and Iran amid the current conflict, and Pakistani officials have repeatedly voiced harsh condemnation of Israeli policy. Just last week, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Asif drew international headlines when he called Israel an “evil” power and “a curse for humanity” in a post on X – a remark that was deleted just hours before U.S. and Iranian diplomatic delegations were set to arrive in Islamabad for Pakistani-mediated peace negotiations.

    In closing, Golani urged Israeli policymakers to begin immediate preparations for a future where one of the two nations emerges as its new primary adversary immediately after hostilities with Iran wind down. “The choice between them is not in our hands, and both options are almost equally bad,” Golani wrote. “The main lever we have in dealing with them is our relationship with the United States, which we must guard with all our might.”

    This report draws from original independent reporting by Middle East Eye, which provides unrivaled, independent coverage of the Middle East, North Africa, and global geopolitical developments.

  • Storm brewing: Melbourne need lightning to strike twice after they slump to fifth loss in a row thanks to emerging Raiders star

    Storm brewing: Melbourne need lightning to strike twice after they slump to fifth loss in a row thanks to emerging Raiders star

    One of rugby league’s most dominant dynasties over the past 20 years is facing its biggest crisis in more than a decade, as the Melbourne Storm’s five-match losing skid has left their long-running finals appearance streak on the brink of extinction following a 26-22 comeback defeat to the Canberra Raiders at GIO Stadium.

    The Storm’s current slump marks the first time the club has dropped five consecutive contests since 2012, the same year they capped off the downturn with a premiership title. But even with Craig Bellamy at the coaching helm, few analysts are predicting a repeat of that unlikely turnaround this time around, after a string of key injuries and off-season departures have finally gutted the roster of the depth and star power that once made the purple-clad side the most feared outfit in the NRL.

    Melbourne got off to a promising start to the 2026 season, opening with two dominant wins to reinforce expectations of another deep finals run. But the rot has set in quickly in recent weeks: opposition sides no longer approach matches against the Storm with the same title-tested trepidation they once did, and the club’s vaunted superstar spine can no longer produce game-changing plays, starved for space by a depleted forward pack and lacking dynamic wide threats that can turn broken plays into points.

    Saturday’s clash actually marked an improvement from Melbourne’s prior outing, a humiliating home loss to the New Zealand Warriors. Fullback Sua Fa’alogo turned in a particularly sharp performance for the Storm, though his night ended early when he was forced from the pitch after a high tackle. Even with the improved effort, however, the Storm’s thin roster cannot compete with the league’s top contenders, leaving Bellamy needing to pull off an all-time coaching miracle to keep the club’s finals streak alive.

    For Canberra, the narrow win marked back-to-back victories, with centre Simi Sasagi turning in the performance of a lifetime to carry the Raiders across the line. A versatile utility who has filled multiple roles for the club over his career, Sasagi has found a permanent home on the right edge this season, and he delivered his best form of the year when it mattered most.

    The match got off to a chaotic start: the Raiders thought they had opened the scoring through Hudson Young just minutes in, only for a Bunker review to disallow the try, a call that sparked widespread outcry across social media. A minute later, Ethan Strange executed a sharp build-up play that put Sasagi over for the game’s opening try, before lock Corey Horsburgh extended Canberra’s lead to 12-0 inside the first 10 minutes.

    But Canberra’s fast start was nearly derailed by a moment of disciplinary madness from Horsburgh. After opening the scoring, the fiery lock lashed out at referee Peter Gough over what he deemed slow ruck speed from the Storm, earning a penalty for dissent while the Raiders held possession. Melbourne capitalized immediately, crossing for a try through Fa’alogo. The incident was far from the first time Horsburgh’s temper has cost his side, after a sin-binning against Cronulla earlier this season opened the door for two Sharks tries; coach Ricky Stuart pulled the lock aside for a quiet word at halftime to address the outburst, though the mistake ultimately did not cost Canberra the win.

    Sasagi stepped up to flip the momentum of the match when the Storm looked poised to pull away. With Canberra trailing and on the ropes, the centre pulled off a game-saving intercept to stop the Storm from opening up a 10-point lead, before throwing a pinpoint offload to send Strange over for a try that leveled the score. He notched a second critical intercept on another Storm attacking drive, finished the night with a team-high 182 running metres, and only missed out on a second assist when a forward pass call negated the play.

    Canberra held on to lock in the win, but the side will now face an anxious wait over the fitness of veteran forward Josh Papalii, who was forced from the match with a left calf injury.

  • 10-day ceasefire between Israel, Lebanon goes into effect

    10-day ceasefire between Israel, Lebanon goes into effect

    After more than a month of brutal cross-border clashes that left thousands dead, a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon officially entered into force at 2100 GMT on Thursday, aligning with the midnight local time threshold between Thursday and Friday. The truce, which was first announced publicly by former U.S. President Donald Trump, marks the first major pause in hostilities between Israeli forces and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah since the deadly escalation began.

    According to official figures from the conflict, more than 2,000 people have lost their lives in the fighting that gripped the border region over the past four weeks. Even in the final hours before the ceasefire took effect, violence continued to unfold on both sides. The Israel Defense Forces confirmed that it carried out a wave of intensive strikes across southern Lebanon in the 24 hours leading up to the truce, hitting more than 380 Hezbollah-linked targets. The military’s strikes targeted Hezbollah militants, rocket launch infrastructure, and group command headquarters, according to the official statement.

    On the Israeli side, Magen David Adom, Israel’s national emergency rescue service, reported that Hezbollah launched a barrage of rockets into Israeli territory during the final pre-ceasefire window. The rocket fire left three people injured, the service confirmed. Even as the truce came into effect, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outlined his government’s security posture for the 10-day period in a pre-recorded video address.

    Netanyahu stated that Israeli forces will maintain a 10-kilometer-wide security zone inside southern Lebanon throughout the ceasefire. Justifying the decision on the basis of pressing Israeli security needs, the prime minister rejected calls for an immediate Israeli withdrawal from the area. He also framed the truce as an unprecedented historic opening for lasting peace between Israel and Lebanon, while reiterating the Israeli government’s longstanding demand that Hezbollah be fully disarmed.

    Pictures from the Lebanese coastal city of Sidon captured jubilant scenes as displaced Lebanese civilians began returning to their homes just hours after the ceasefire took effect, with families loading their belongings onto vehicle roofs to make the journey back to territory they had fled amid the fighting.

  • Ngor Nai: Basketballer pleads not guilty to rape charge, committed to stand trial

    Ngor Nai: Basketballer pleads not guilty to rape charge, committed to stand trial

    A 26-year-old professional basketball player Ngor Nai has formally entered a not guilty plea to a single count of rape during a Friday morning hearing at the Melbourne Magistrates Court, confirming he will contest the allegations at a full trial. The charge against Nai centers on an alleged incident in May of last year, when prosecutors claim he intentionally sexually penetrated a complainant without a condom, and did not hold a reasonable belief that she consented to intercourse without barrier protection.

    Nai has built a notable career across multiple regional and national basketball leagues in Australia and New Zealand. He was a squad member for the Adelaide 36ers during the NBL25 season, and had been drafted to join the Manawatu Jets, a team competing in New Zealand’s top basketball league, for the 2026 season. Prior to these stints, he also played for the Ringwood Hawks and Ipswich Force in Australia’s NBL1 competition.

    When Nai first appeared in court on February 2, the court was informed that the 6-foot-10 forward was in the process of relocating to New Zealand ahead of the 2026 Manawatu Jets season. However, just weeks before the new season was set to kick off on March 27, the Jets announced via social media that the organization and Nai had reached a mutual agreement to separate immediately, ending his contract with the team ahead of his debut. During Friday’s hearing, Nai’s legal aid representative told the court that the player has since returned to Melbourne to reside while the legal process moves forward.

    Nai currently remains on bail, with strict conditions that require him to live at a confirmed fixed address and prohibit him from leaving Australia. His next court appearance is scheduled for May 15 at the County Court, where he will attend a preliminary directions hearing to outline next steps for the upcoming trial.