Global Pulse

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  • From Nakba to genocide: A Gaza grandmother’s lifetime of loss and resilience

    From Nakba to genocide: A Gaza grandmother’s lifetime of loss and resilience

    At 95 years old, Fatema Obaid carries a lifetime of trauma that few can imagine: she has survived two catastrophic displacement events, watched 70 of her family members killed in ongoing violence, and endured months of Israeli bombardment, systematic starvation, and repeated forced displacement across the Gaza Strip. Yet this grandmother, who first lived through the 1948 Nakba as a young girl, has rejected repeated Israeli military orders to leave Gaza City in the current conflict, warning that fleeing a second time would usher in an even crueler catastrophe than the one she endured 75 years ago.

    Speaking from an unfinished apartment in western Gaza City, where she now shelters alongside her surviving grandchildren, Obaid framed the current violence as an escalation of the displacement and dispossession that began with the 1948 Nakba. “In the first Nakba, it is true that hundreds of thousands lost their land, homes and villages,” she told Middle East Eye in an interview published in 2026. “But in this Nakba, we have lost an entire history. We lost entire families, and entire generations have been destroyed for decades to come. What they could not do in 1948, they are doing now.”

    Obaid was born and raised in Gaza City’s Shujaiya neighbourhood, close to the de facto border between Israel and Gaza that emerged after the 1949 armistice agreement. In 1948, Zionist militias launched widespread attacks on Palestinian towns and villages across historic Palestine, forcibly expelling some 750,000 Palestinians—roughly 75 percent of the territory’s Palestinian population—to make way for the creation of the state of Israel; an event widely categorized by scholars as ethnic cleansing. Obaid and her family were temporarily displaced for several months that year, but eventually returned to their home in Shujaiya, which remained outside Israeli control after the 1949 ceasefire.

    More than 75 years later, Obaid has found herself reliving the same trauma of displacement, but this time with far greater brutality. She draws a sharp line between the 1948 catastrophe and the current war, arguing there is no comparison between the two events.

    Obaid’s experience mirrors that of generations of Palestinians in Gaza. In 1948, tens of thousands of expelled Palestinians flooded into Gaza, expecting to return to their homes within days when the fighting ended. Instead, the enclave became a permanent, overcrowded refuge for displaced families. Today, around 1.6 million Palestinian refugees and their descendants—approximately 73 percent of Gaza’s total population—reside in the strip.

    Since the start of Israel’s military campaign in October 2023, Obaid has been displaced more than 10 times. Her childhood home in Shujaiya and the entire surrounding neighborhood have been reduced to rubble, now incorporated into an Israeli-imposed no-go zone. “I have lived in Shujaiya since I was born. Even after marrying my cousin, I moved only a few streets away,” she recalled. “We fled for a few months in 1948 but eventually returned. Only during this Nakba did we lose our homes, our neighbourhood and all of eastern Gaza. They bombed our house and killed more than 70 members of my family—my sons, grandchildren, nephews, their children and many others from our extended family.”

    Historical records place the Palestinian death toll from the 1947–1949 Nakba between 13,000 and 15,000. By comparison, Israeli forces have killed more than 72,000 Palestinians in Gaza over the past two years of the current campaign, with nearly two million residents displaced. Even after the recent ceasefire agreement, around 1.5 million Palestinians remain uprooted, most living in unsanitary makeshift tent camps across southern Gaza.

    Shortly after Obaid was forced to flee Shujaiya for another part of Gaza City in October 2023, the Israeli military issued repeated mass expulsion orders ordering all northern Gaza residents to move south. When hundreds of thousands refused to comply, UN experts concluded that Israel imposed systematic starvation as “a savage weapon of war” to force Palestinians out of their territory. For months, Gaza City residents were cut off from basic supplies including wheat flour and clean drinking water, and the UN-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification officially declared famine in Gaza City in August 2025.

    Even amid this unrelenting hardship, Obaid has refused to leave Gaza City. “There were days when we could not find even a sip of water,” she said. “We counted every sip we drank, could barely find food, and were forced to flee from one place to another each time. It destroyed my health, but I did not want to leave Gaza City. I did not want to be buried outside it at the end of my life. I did not want to relive a catastrophe we have endured for nearly eight decades.”

    Back in her Shujaiya home, Obaid had spent more than 80 years curating a collection of personal mementos that carried her life story: her long white wedding dress, the jackets and clothing of her late husband who died 20 years ago, cooking pots and gifts from her family and in-laws, and decades of personal savings. Every last one of these items was lost when she was forced to flee in panic. “Every time we fled, we fled in terror. We had no time to gather any belongings. We couldn’t even take a bottle of water with us. I escaped wearing only this same dress,” she said.

    The only possession that survived both cataclysms is a pair of simple earrings that her father gave her as a young girl before the 1948 Nakba. “I have kept them all these years. I could never sell them or replace them, because they were once held in my father’s hands. They carry his memory with them. I never take them off, and that is why they have survived with me,” she explained. “They are the only thing left from before the Nakba. They survived two Nakbas, while so many members of my family were killed. These earrings are still alive.”

    Obaid is among the dwindling number of remaining first-hand witnesses to the 1948 Nakba still living in Gaza who have lived through the current genocide. Since October 2023, Israeli attacks have killed at least 4,813 elderly Palestinians in Gaza, and many more have died from hunger, untreated chronic illness, and the total collapse of Gaza’s healthcare system amid Israel’s ongoing blockade and repeated forced displacement orders.

    “People laugh when I say only one and a half of my sons are still alive; one who survived, and the other who was severely injured and is currently unable to walk,” Obaid said. She reflected on a lifetime marked by loss: her mother died shortly after she was born, and she has endured a lifetime of hardship, repeated displacement, and the death of most of her family. “At this age, I have lost my sons and many members of my family, endured starvation, and suffered repeated displacement,” she said. “But nothing is more painful than being uprooted from your own land and knowing that, after all these years, you will die in displacement.”

  • Trump says he ‘made no commitment either way’ to Xi on Taiwan

    Trump says he ‘made no commitment either way’ to Xi on Taiwan

    Following two days of high-stakes bilateral talks in Beijing between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the long-simmering Taiwan issue has once again taken center stage in U.S.-China relations, with Trump emerging with an intentionally ambiguous position that leaves key questions about Washington’s policy unanswered.

    Traveling back to Washington aboard Air Force One, Trump confirmed to reporters that the topic of Taiwan dominated a large portion of his discussions with Xi. For decades, China has claimed the self-governing island of Taiwan as an inalienable part of its sovereign territory, and Beijing has repeatedly declined to rule out the use of military force to assert its control. Trump told reporters that Xi directly raised the question of whether the United States would come to Taiwan’s defense in the event of a conflict, a core query that cuts to the heart of cross-strait and U.S.-China tensions. In response, Trump said he avoided taking a clear position, telling Xi: “I don’t talk about that.”

    The biggest immediate uncertainty created by the talks centers on a previously approved U.S. arms sales package to Taiwan, a deal that drew fierce condemnation from Beijing when it was announced late last year. The $8 billion package includes cutting-edge military hardware, from advanced rocket systems to a range of offensive and defensive missiles. Trump confirmed that he and Xi debated the proposed sale at length during the summit, and announced that he has not yet made a final decision on moving forward with the transfer. “I will make a determination over a fairly short period,” the U.S. president said, noting he plans to hold a conversation with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te before finalizing his choice.

    Washington’s long-standing approach to the Taiwan question has long required a delicate diplomatic balancing act. U.S. law formally mandates that the United States provide Taiwan with the necessary capabilities to defend itself, and the island has been an unofficial U.S. ally in the Indo-Pacific for decades. At the same time, successive U.S. administrations have worked to nurture diplomatic and economic ties with Beijing, avoiding explicit moves that would trigger full diplomatic rupture with China. This fragile balance has come under growing strain in recent years, as China has significantly expanded large-scale military exercises around Taiwan, stepping up pressure on the island’s government and stoking regional anxiety that has caught Washington’s attention.

    According to Chinese state media coverage of the closed-door talks, Xi framed the Taiwan issue as the single most consequential matter shaping the future of U.S.-China ties. Xi warned that if the question is mismanaged, it could lead to direct confrontation and even open conflict between the two global powers. When asked by reporters whether he believed a conflict over Taiwan could break out between the United States and China, Trump downplayed the risk. “No, I don’t think so. I think we’ll be fine,” he said, adding that “[Xi] doesn’t want to see a war.” Trump also emphasized that Xi holds firm views on the issue, saying Xi “feels very strongly” about the island and does not support any move toward formal Taiwanese independence. Repeating his ambiguous position, Trump stated: “I made no commitment either way” on the core policy questions around Taiwan.

    When pressed directly by reporters on whether the United States would defend Taiwan if it came under military attack, Trump again refused to give a clear answer. “I don’t want to say that. I’m not going to say that,” he said. “There’s only one person that knows that. You know who it is? Me.” He reiterated that Xi had directly asked him about the defense question during their bilateral meeting, and he had once again declined to outline a clear position.

    For its part, Taiwan’s foreign ministry moved quickly to respond to the outcomes of the summit. Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung stated that the island’s diplomatic team had been closely monitoring all discussions between Trump and Xi throughout the summit, and that Taiwan has maintained open, steady lines of communication with the United States and other international partners. Lin said Taiwan’s priority is to ensure that its long-standing relationship with the United States continues to deepen in a stable manner, and that all of Taiwan’s core national interests are protected. He reaffirmed that Taiwan has consistently positioned itself as a defender of peace and regional stability in the Indo-Pacific, and placed blame for rising cross-strait tensions on Beijing, accusing China of escalating regional risk through what he called “aggressive military actions and authoritarian oppression.”

    The summit’s outcomes leave the future of U.S. policy toward Taiwan unclear, with observers across the globe waiting for Trump’s upcoming decision on the arms sales package to signal which direction Washington will lean on the issue in the coming months.

  • Trump says China agreed to buy 200 Boeing planes and signaled interest in as many as 750

    Trump says China agreed to buy 200 Boeing planes and signaled interest in as many as 750

    Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One while returning from his bilateral summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, former U.S. President Donald Trump made a surprise announcement Friday: U.S. aerospace giant Boeing is set to secure its first major sale to China in nearly a decade, anchored by a 200-aircraft order. Trump added that the preliminary agreement includes a Chinese reservation for up to 750 Boeing aircraft total, a deal he framed as a key win from the high-stakes Beijing meeting.

    Neither the Chinese government nor Boeing has issued an official statement confirming the proposed transaction, which would mark a critical turning point for the U.S. manufacturer, for whom China was once a core pillar of long-term global growth. Boeing Chief Executive Kelly Ortberg was among the cohort of top American business leaders who traveled with Trump to China, part of a broader delegation pushing to expand U.S. goods and services access to the massive Chinese market. Trump also noted the deal would deliver secondary gains to industrial conglomerate General Electric, which he says will supply between 400 and 450 aircraft engines for the order. GE Aerospace CEO H. Lawrence Culp also joined the presidential trip, but the company has not issued any immediate comment on the reported agreement.

    The Trump administration has centered Boeing as a key asset in its broader strategy to revitalize American manufacturing in recent years, a push that already delivered large commercial jet orders from Qatar and Saudi Arabia during a 2023 Middle East presidential visit. Still, the lack of formal confirmation from all involved parties has left industry analysts cautious about the actual scope of any potential agreement. Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the German Marshall Fund’s Indo-Pacific program, noted that while many observers hoped the Xi-Trump summit would produce concrete, public deal announcements, the trip ended with deep uncertainty over the actual terms of any bilateral commercial agreements.

    “All we have right now is the announcement the president made to the world that China agreed to this,” Glaser told reporters during a Friday media briefing. “We really have to wait for official numbers from Boeing or the Chinese government to confirm this. This is not an isolated case—we still have no concrete details on reported agreements for soy, liquefied natural gas, and beef either.”

    For Boeing, a breakthrough in China could not come at a more pivotal moment. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, roughly one in every three narrowbody aircraft Boeing delivered globally went to Chinese operators. But that business collapsed sharply as geopolitical tensions drove a steady deterioration in U.S.-China trade relations over the past several years. Even ahead of the summit, Ortberg expressed optimism that any broad trade deal reached between Trump and Xi would open a meaningful new opportunity for Boeing, noting that the administration has prioritized supporting the company’s international growth efforts.

    Ortberg stepped into the CEO role in 2024, a year marked by cascading crises for the 108-year-old manufacturer. In January 2024, an Alaska Airlines-operated 737 MAX suffered a mid-flight emergency when a door plug blew off the fuselage shortly after takeoff from Portland, Oregon, triggering widespread public and regulatory scrutiny over allegations of systemic production and quality control failures at the company, which sent its financial position under growing strain. Months later, the U.S. Department of Justice reopened a criminal investigation into Boeing linked to two deadly fatal 737 MAX crashes that killed 346 people between 2018 and 2019. The case ultimately concluded with a deferred agreement that saw Boeing pay an additional $1.1 billion in fines, victim compensation, and commit to sweeping internal safety and quality overhauls.

    To cap off the turbulent year, more than 30,000 machinists at Boeing’s 737 MAX assembly facility in Renton, Washington, staged an eight-week work stoppage that stretched through the fall of 2024, disrupting production lines and piling further financial pressure on the already struggling company.

  • The misread storytelling behind Xi Jinping’s speeches

    The misread storytelling behind Xi Jinping’s speeches

    For decades, widespread misunderstanding of China has persisted across much of the Western world. Mainstream public discourse and media coverage too often fixate on a simplistic “China threat” framework, with critics routinely focusing on perceived flaws in China’s political system and debates over personal freedoms while overlooking how China has risen to become a global power capable of competing on the world stage alongside the United States. At the root of this persistent disconnect, experts argue, is a long-standing habit of filtering China’s actions through a strictly Western-centric lens that fails to capture the domestic context and framing of Chinese policy.

    A striking example of this divergent interpretation can be seen in how upcoming summits between sitting U.S. presidents and Chinese leadership are covered: while Chinese audiences receive summit coverage framed around diplomatic cooperation and mutual respect, Western analysts often dissect every word from China’s leader for hidden agendas, coded threats, and veiled provocations. This narrow approach, however, leads many analysts to overlook the intentional rhetorical tools the Chinese government uses to explain and legitimize its actions to both domestic and global audiences.

    A new collaborative research project led by scholars from the University of Sydney and France’s Gustave Eiffel University offers a fresh, innovative framework for unpacking China’s grand strategy: close analysis of the intentional political storytelling woven into top Chinese leadership’s major public addresses. This work fits into a growing body of modern scholarship that frames contemporary geopolitics as increasingly a contest of competing narratives, where global powers shape global and domestic perceptions through how they tell stories about themselves and other nations.

    To conduct their analysis, the research team examined four key major speeches delivered by Chinese President Xi Jinping between 2021 and 2023, treating each address as a structured narrative and dissecting its core plots, central characters, and linguistic choices to uncover the underlying strategic messaging behind the text.

    Political storytelling is far from a modern innovation. As far back as ancient Athens and Rome, statesmen relied on deliberate, powerful rhetoric to persuade their audiences, with the philosopher Aristotle formalizing rhetoric’s three core persuasive pillars: logical argument (logos), emotional appeal (pathos), and speaker credibility (ethos). Modern rhetorical theorist Kenneth Burke expanded this work, arguing that shared rhetoric builds collective purpose between leaders and their publics, but can also be used to draw dividing lines between in-groups and out-groups. Communications scholar Michael Kent later built on this foundation to identify 20 recurring “master plots” that storytellers across cultures and eras have used to craft compelling, persuasive narratives, including core arcs like quest, adventure, transformation, rivalry, and sacrifice.

    Applying Kent’s master plot framework to Xi’s speeches, the research team identified five core recurring narrative arcs that consistently shape official Chinese strategic messaging:

    First, the adventure plot. In Xi’s 2021 speech marking the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party, he recounts how the Chinese people waged a courageous struggle to lift the nation from the peril of foreign occupation and internal collapse. This narrative frames China’s modern rise as a generations-long collective journey toward national strength and shared prosperity, marked by repeated setbacks and hard-won breakthroughs. It leans on shared national memories of hardship and endurance to build collective solidarity among domestic audiences.

    Second, the quest plot. Xi’s addresses consistently frame China’s modern development as a collective quest toward the difficult, unprecedented goal of national rejuvenation, led exclusively by the Chinese Communist Party. In his 2022 report to the 20th National Party Congress, Xi emphasized that China’s path forward has no pre-written instruction manual or off-the-shelf template, framing the nation’s effort as an unprecedented historical undertaking. This narrative is designed to inspire unified national purpose, patriotic sentiment, and collective pride among domestic listeners.

    Third, the transformation plot. In his 2023 address to the 14th National People’s Congress, Xi outlined China’s historic transformation from a nation humiliated by foreign interference to a country that has stood up, grown prosperous, and now emerged as a strong global power, framing national rejuvenation as an inevitable historical outcome. Unlike generic stories of change, this transformation narrative positions China’s rise as a natural, organic evolution built on decades of gradual reform and collective sacrifice by the Chinese people.

    Fourth, the rivalry plot. This narrative centers on framing both internal and external threats to China’s stability and sovereignty. In two of the four speeches analyzed, Xi referenced ongoing efforts by foreign powers to “blackmail, contain, blockade, and exert maximum pressure on China,” drawing connections to the historical period of foreign domination that caused widespread suffering for the Chinese people. In the 100th anniversary CCP speech, Xi warned that any power that attempts to undermine China’s interests will “find themselves on a collision course with a great wall of steel forged by over 1.4 billion Chinese people.” This narrative reinforces the message that China must remain united and vigilant against outside pressure.

    Fifth, the narrative of collective and international goodwill. Unlike romantic love plots, this arc centers on the loyalty, dedication, and gratitude the Chinese leadership holds for supporters both at home and abroad. For example, in the 100th anniversary speech, Xi extended heartfelt thanks to global communities and individuals who have extended friendship to the Chinese people and supported China’s efforts in revolution, development, and reform.

    This intentional narrative messaging carries powerful impact for domestic Chinese audiences. It is reinforced consistently across state media, popular cultural products, and national patriotic education curricula to reach the widest possible audience. The recurring contrast between past national hardship and modern national strength helps shape public perception of China as a peaceful but resolute global actor.

    For international audiences, unpacking these narrative frameworks also offers critical insight into how China frames its own actions and anticipates its future policy responses. For example, China’s consistent narrative of historical humiliation and the centrality of defending national sovereignty helps explain the country’s uncompromising stance on the Taiwan issue, and reinforces the Chinese Communist Party’s domestic legitimacy on the question of territorial integrity. Importantly, the research team notes that this narrative framing does not predetermine that military conflict over Taiwan is inevitable: any future decision on the issue will depend on a wide range of strategic factors, including careful risk calculation, China’s deep economic interdependence with the global economy, and the catastrophic potential consequences for the entire region and its people.

    Narrative analysis alone cannot fully predict or explain every Chinese policy choice, as complex strategic and economic calculations remain central to all major decisions. However, the framework offers a rare, clear window into the core strategic thinking of China’s top leadership – an insight that is particularly valuable for understanding policy direction in China’s political system.

  • Norway defends its decision to cancel missile system sale to Malaysia

    Norway defends its decision to cancel missile system sale to Malaysia

    In a move that has triggered sharp diplomatic pushback from Kuala Lumpur, Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed Friday it has pulled export licenses for a advanced naval missile system destined for Malaysia, citing new restrictions that limit sales of its most sensitive defense technologies exclusively to allied nations and close strategic partners.

    The revoked licensing blocks delivery of the Naval Strike Missile (NSM) system and its accompanying launcher components, which were earmarked for Malaysia’s ongoing littoral combat ship initiative, a core part of the Southeast Asian country’s broader naval modernization agenda. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has issued a stern warning that the unilateral reversal of a finalized contract risks eroding long-term trust in European defense suppliers among countries in the Indo-Pacific.

    Responding to questions from the Associated Press, the Norwegian foreign ministry explained that the policy shift comes amid sweeping changes to the European and global security landscape over recent years. To adapt to these new conditions, Oslo has implemented strengthened oversight frameworks for defense technology exports, resulting in the new restriction: “Exports of some of the most sensitive Norwegian-developed defense technologies will be limited to our allies and closest partners. It is regrettable that this affects Malaysia.”

    Malaysia first signed the procurement contract for the NSM anti-ship missile system back in 2018 with Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace AS, Norway’s leading state-affiliated defense contractor. The missiles were designed to be integrated onto Malaysia’s new fleet of modular littoral combat ships, which are intended to boost the country’s maritime surveillance and coastal defense capabilities.

    Anwar revealed Thursday that he had already conveyed Malaysia’s formal strong protest during a direct phone call with his Norwegian counterpart, Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. He emphasized that Oslo’s last-minute cancellation would not only undermine Malaysia’s military operational readiness, but also create lasting uncertainty about the reliability of European defense partners if signed, legally binding agreements can be overturned without warning.

    In blunt remarks, Anwar pushed back against the unilateral decision: “Contracts are not confetti to be scattered in so capricious a manner. If European defense suppliers reserve the right to renege with impunity, their value as strategic partners flies out the window.”

    The Norwegian foreign ministry confirmed that Støre had walked through the reasoning behind the policy shift during his conversation with Anwar. Despite the export restriction, the ministry reiterated that Norway “greatly values its relationship with Malaysia” and remains committed to maintaining ongoing cooperation and open constructive dialogue with Malaysian government authorities.

    To date, Malaysia has already disbursed 95% of the total contract value to the Norwegian contractor. Malaysian officials confirmed this week that the government is currently reviewing all available legal pathways to address the canceled delivery, including pursuing formal compensation claims for losses incurred from the policy change.

  • BRICS ministers fail to issue a joint statement over differences on conflict in the Middle East

    BRICS ministers fail to issue a joint statement over differences on conflict in the Middle East

    NEW DELHI – A key two-day gathering of foreign ministers from the BRICS bloc wrapped up in the Indian capital on Friday, falling short of the traditional outcome of a unified joint statement. The failure to reach a consensus was attributed to deep-seated differing perspectives on the ongoing Middle East crisis among some member states, host India confirmed in an official statement released after the meeting. This breakdown in collective agreement has laid bare the growing strains holding the bloc together at a time when BRICS is actively working to expand its global geopolitical influence.

    India’s official statement noted that despite the inability to agree on a unified text, all BRICS members did present their individual national stances and exchanged a broad spectrum of views across multiple priority topics. These discussions covered core principles of national sovereignty, global maritime security, and the critical need to protect both civilian infrastructure and innocent civilian lives amid the turmoil in the Middle East.

    A detailed footnote added to the Indian statement further specified that one member state had formal reservations over key portions of the draft text addressing the ongoing conflict in Gaza and the evolving security situation in the Red Sea and the strategic Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a critical global shipping chokepoint connecting the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea.

    BRICS, which was originally founded with five core emerging economies, has expanded significantly in recent years. The bloc now counts 10 full members: Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Ethiopia, Egypt, Iran, the United Arab Emirates and Indonesia, the latest addition to the grouping.

    Internal rifts within the bloc have become increasingly pronounced amid the escalating regional tensions across the Middle East, particularly sharp divisions between two recent joining members, Iran and the United Arab Emirates. On the first day of the meeting Thursday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi took a hard line, calling on all BRICS member nations to formally issue a condemnation of the United States and Israel over what he labeled as “unlawful aggression” in the region. He also urged fellow member states to push back against what he described as the improper politicization of multilateral global institutions.

  • Authorities search waters in the Maldives for 4 Italians killed in a cave dive after 1 body found

    Authorities search waters in the Maldives for 4 Italians killed in a cave dive after 1 body found

    A devastating scuba diving accident in a remote deep underwater cave off the Maldives has left five Italian divers dead, with rescue teams launching a dangerous, high-priority search operation Friday to recover the four remaining missing bodies. The tragedy unfolded Thursday morning, when the group — which included one certified diving instructor — set out to explore an uncharted cave system near Alimathaa in the Vaavu Atoll, an area marked by extreme depth that even experienced divers avoid under normal circumstances.

    Initial reports confirmed the divers failed to resurface by midday Thursday, triggering an immediate large-scale search and rescue deployment. Maldivian authorities mobilized coast guard vessels, search aircraft, and specialized dive teams to the accident site, where they recovered the first victim’s body from approximately 60 meters (200 feet) below the ocean surface late Thursday. An initial search sweep for the remaining four divers, who are believed to be trapped inside the deep cave, returned no results.

    Maldivian presidential spokesperson Mohamed Hussain Shareef emphasized the extreme risks of the search area, noting that the cave reaches such extreme depths that even divers with top-tier commercial equipment do not attempt entry. Italy’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the accident occurred while the group explored cave systems at around 50 meters (164 feet) depth, adding that the full circumstances of the fatal incident remain under active investigation.

    Complicating recovery efforts, a yellow weather alert was already in effect for the region Thursday, with rough ocean conditions and poor water visibility persisting into Friday. Search teams were scheduled to conduct a preliminary assessment dive Friday to map access to the cave, but adverse weather could push back the recovery timeline, Italian officials confirmed. Italy’s ambassador to the Maldives has already joined the search mission on-site, and a specialist Italian diving expert has been deployed to assist Maldivian coast guard and search vessels with the operation. Maldivian officials have stated they will not hesitate to request additional international support if the complex mission requires it.

    The Italian Embassy in the Maldives has been in direct contact with the victims’ families, who have been updated on the status of the recovery mission and are receiving consular assistance. As of Friday, no further details on the identities of the victims have been released to the public, and the joint investigation into the accident is ongoing. The Maldivian government has maintained regular communication with Italian authorities throughout the response to the incident.

  • Xi takes Trump on tour of Communist Party’s seat of power in Beijing

    Xi takes Trump on tour of Communist Party’s seat of power in Beijing

    The final stop of former U.S. President Donald Trump’s two-day Beijing visit was a rare guided tour of Zhongnanhai, the centuries-old heavily secured compound that houses China’s top leadership, with Chinese President Xi Jinping serving as his host. The high-profile excursion capped a trip defined by elaborate diplomatic pageantry, though concrete details of finalized policy agreements between the two global powers remained largely undisclosed.

    Coming on the heels of escalating tensions over bilateral trade and tensions surrounding the Iran conflict, the summit saw both leaders adopt a notably conciliatory tone. Trump described his time in China as “incredible,” while Xi framed the meeting as a step forward in building a “new bilateral relationship.” During a stroll through the compound’s landscaped grounds, the pair stopped to admire blooming Chinese roses, and Xi promised to send cuttings of the flowers to Trump, a gesture the U.S. president welcomed enthusiastically.

    Nestled just kilometers from central Beijing, the 14th-century Zhongnanhai compound holds a status equivalent to the White House in U.S. politics. Originally built as a secondary imperial retreat for Chinese emperors, the site is celebrated for its scenic lakes, sprawling manicured gardens, and centuries-old historic trees. It has served as the central headquarters of China’s Communist government since 1949, and today ranks among the country’s most politically symbolic landmarks. For foreign dignitaries, an invitation to tour the compound is widely interpreted as a marker of high honor and close bilateral ties.

    When Trump asked how many foreign leaders had previously been granted access to the compound, Xi noted that such invitations remain “extremely rare.” Past visitors include Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who toured the site the previous year. Several U.S. presidents have also received invitations dating back decades: Richard Nixon during his groundbreaking 1972 visit, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama all toured the compound during their time in office.

    During the tour, Trump paused to admire what he called “the most beautiful roses anyone has ever seen” and mature ancient trees, which Xi confirmed were between 200 and 400 years old. When Trump expressed surprise at their longevity, Xi added that even older 1,000-year-old specimens can be found across China.

    Hours before the Zhongnanhai walk, Fox News aired a pre-recorded exclusive interview with Trump, where he praised Xi as “warm” and “very sharp.” In the interview, Trump claimed Xi had pledged that China would not supply military weapons to Iran, though he added that Xi noted China would continue purchasing large volumes of Iranian crude oil and supported keeping the Strait of Hormuz open to global shipping.

    While Chinese officials have not issued a formal public response to Trump’s specific claims, the country’s foreign ministry released a general statement confirming that Beijing has been working behind the scenes to facilitate an end to the Iran conflict, confirming that Chinese diplomats are pushing for Tehran to enter negotiations. As Iran’s largest crude oil buyer and biggest overall trade partner, China holds unique economic and political leverage over Tehran – a lever the Trump administration had hoped Beijing would use to advance its diplomatic goals ahead of the summit.

    Though a fragile temporary trade truce was a core item on the summit agenda, the Iran issue had grown into a more pressing priority in the months leading up to the meeting. Even so, Trump told reporters that trade talks between the two sides had progressed “better than last time.” The U.S. delegation included a cohort of American business leaders, who Trump said were in Beijing to finalize commercial agreements and help create new jobs back in the United States.

    Trump publicly claimed China had agreed to purchase U.S. crude oil, 200 new commercial jets from Boeing, and large volumes of U.S. agricultural products. However, when asked to confirm these deals during a press briefing later that day, China’s foreign ministry declined to comment on the specific agreements. Chinese officials have only referenced “a series of new consensuses” reached between the two leaders without elaborating on the content of any deals.

    Independent policy analysts note that China’s global economic standing has expanded steadily in recent years, as Beijing has diversified its trade partnerships beyond the U.S. to insulate itself from the impact of U.S. tariffs. Trump’s visit came on the heels of high-profile trips by leaders from Britain, Canada, and Germany, all of whom traveled to Beijing to expand bilateral trade ties.

    Following the conclusion of the Beijing summit, Trump extended an invitation to Xi to visit the White House for a second summit in September, a date that has already been added to the official diplomatic calendar. Closing out his visit after the Zhongnanhai tour, Trump told reporters: “You’re gonna walk away hopefully very impressed, like I’m very impressed with China.”

  • WWII legacy honors peace and friendship

    WWII legacy honors peace and friendship

    When discussions turn to World War II concentration and internment camps, Auschwitz, the haunting symbol of Nazi atrocities in Europe, immediately comes to mind for most people. Half a world away, however, in China’s eastern Shandong Province, sits a lesser-known site that holds a equally powerful story of suffering, courage, cross-cultural solidarity and enduring hope for peace: the former Weihsien Internment Camp, now preserved at the Courtyard of the Happy Way in Weifang.

    The site’s origins stretch back to 1882, when an American missionary built a sprawling complex that housed a church, school, and hospital. After Japan launched its full-scale invasion of China during World War II, the occupying Japanese military seized the property and repurposed it into an internment camp to detain non-Chinese citizens from Allied nations. Established in retaliation for the United States’ internment of Japanese and Japanese American civilians following the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, the camp would go on to hold more than 2,000 civilians from 30 different Allied countries, making it the largest Allied civilian internment camp in Asia during the war.

    Unlike the extensively documented Nazi concentration camps of Europe, the Weihsien Internment Camp’s history has remained largely out of global public consciousness, even for descendants of those who were imprisoned there. For Professor John Stanley, a history scholar at Pennsylvania’s Kutztown University, this forgotten chapter of World War II became a life-long research passion, sparked by a 1991 trip to the site with his father, Charles A. Stanley, who had been interned at Weihsien as an infant. Imprisoned alongside his parents at 10 months old in 1943, Charles remained in the camp until it was liberated by US soldiers and a Chinese translator in August 1945. Like many other survivors, Charles never spoke of his experience growing up; the trauma of internment led generations of survivors to leave this painful chapter of their lives unspoken.

    Stanley’s 1991 visit was originally organized to dedicate a memorial to Eric Liddell, the legendary 1924 Olympic 400-meter gold medalist who died of illness in the camp due to severe shortages of food and medical care. That trip ignited Stanley’s broader interest in Chinese and East Asian history, and he has spent decades uncovering the details of daily life in the camp and the critical role local Chinese residents played in supporting the imprisoned civilians.

    Among the detainees were several prominent figures, including Arthur W. Hummel Jr., who would later go on to serve as the second United States Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China. Hummel successfully escaped the camp months before liberation with help from local Chinese rescuers. Stanley’s research highlights that the support local residents provided went far beyond escape aid: it kept internees hopeful as the war dragged on and outside news grew increasingly scarce.

    Most famously, local residents risked harsh punishment, even death, to smuggle scarce food and supplies into the camp through an informal underground network referred to as the “black market.” While eggs were the most common contraband thrown over the camp’s walls, Stanley even documented accounts of a live chicken being smuggled in to feed hungry detainees.

    Zhang Zhiren, a Europe-based writer who spent years researching the camp for his book *Weihsien West Civilians Concentration Camp: 1943-1945*, says the quiet bravery of local Chinese people who risked their lives to help is the most moving part of the camp’s history. His book details the harsh conditions detainees faced: overcrowding, malnutrition, inadequate medical care that led to the deaths of at least 31 internees, and complete isolation from outside news. It also documents the selfless acts of solidarity from nearby residents who, despite facing their own hardship under Japanese occupation, chose to help the trapped foreigners.

    One of the most notable stories of courage centers on Zhang Xingtai, a local villager who worked as a latrine cleaner inside the camp. Japanese guards dismissed him as an unthreatening ordinary farmer, but Zhang secretly operated as a critical information lifeline for internees cut off from the outside world. Working alongside his son, he smuggled outside news into the camp and carried notes from internees out — and it was the pair that secretly spread the word of Japan’s surrender to detainees days before the formal liberation, at enormous risk to their own lives.

    Tragedy is also part of this story: Zhang documents the death of a local Chinese child who was electrocuted on the camp’s perimeter fence while attempting to deliver food to starving internees. Japanese guards refused to allow the child’s family to retrieve his body, leaving the small body caught on the electric wire as a grim warning.

    “What strikes me most is that the people of Weifang did not care what nationality the internees were,” Zhang explained. “They only knew that people were suffering, and they had a duty to help. This simple kindness crossed all lines of war and national borders.”

    As the decades passed after the war, survivors remained largely silent about their experiences, and the camp’s history began to fade from collective memory. Today, as the number of living survivors dwindles, Zhang and other researchers are working to preserve this shared history for future generations. Zhang notes that the story of mutual aid between Chinese civilians and foreign internees 80 years ago serves as a powerful example of shared humanity in the face of war, perfectly embodying the vision of a global community with a shared future.

    The importance of this history has not gone unrecognized. In 2021, International Cities of Peace, a global non-profit dedicated to advancing the international peace movement, designated Weifang as the 308th International City of Peace — only the second Chinese city to receive the designation, after Nanjing. This year marks the fifth anniversary of that designation, and International Cities of Peace chair J. Frederick Arment has praised Weifang for its intentional work to heal historical trauma and turn a site of suffering into a beacon of hope for future peace.

    In 2024, to mark the 45th anniversary of formal diplomatic relations between China and the United States, the story of the Weihsien Internment Camp reached a new international audience through a special traveling exhibition hosted in San Francisco. Stanley attended the opening as a representative of survivors’ descendants, and he praised Weifang’s ongoing work to preserve the camp’s original buildings and share its story with global audiences.

    “These efforts show a real commitment to raising public awareness of the true human cost of war, and why we must work to avoid it whenever possible,” Stanley said. Speaking to the enduring relevance of the camp’s legacy today, he expressed hope that remembering this story would encourage global leaders to prioritize diplomacy and collaborative conflict resolution through international institutions, rather than turning to violence or coercive pressure to resolve disputes.

  • Indonesia’s first giant panda cub, Rio, is growing and healthy before his public debut

    Indonesia’s first giant panda cub, Rio, is growing and healthy before his public debut

    CISARUA, Indonesia — The very first giant panda cub ever born in Indonesian territory has passed a routine health assessment, with veterinary specialists confirming the young animal is developing steadily and in excellent health, just weeks ahead of his first public appearance at the Indonesian Safari Park outside Jakarta.

    Named Satrio Wiratama and affectionately nicknamed Rio by caretakers, the 169-day-old cub has already hit key developmental milestones: he can walk independently, climb onto his mother’s back for play, and has begun nibbling on nutrient-rich bamboo shoots. He currently weighs 10 kilograms, or 22 pounds, putting his growth slightly ahead of the average pace for giant panda cubs his age, particularly when it comes to tooth development.

    On Friday, veterinary teams carried out comprehensive checks of Rio’s sensory functions, including hearing and vision. All tests confirmed his senses are fully active, leaving veterinarians optimistic about his ability to adapt to the presence of crowds when he opens to visitors later this month.

    “What matters most is that all of Rio’s senses are functioning properly,” explained Bongot Huaso Mulia, the lead veterinarian monitoring Rio’s growth. “He can already process changes in his environment, assess new surroundings, and adapt to the presence of more people, even tolerating moderate levels of noise. We will continue his gradual acclimation training to prepare him for public viewings.”

    Rio was born on November 27 to 15-year-old parents Hu Chun and Cai Tao, who arrived in Indonesia in 2017 as part of a 10-year giant panda conservation partnership between Indonesia and China. The pair reside in a purpose-built enclosure, called the Panda Palace, at the Cisarua park located 70 kilometers, around 43 miles, outside Jakarta in West Java. The 5,000-square-meter hilltop facility features a three-tier living space, an elevator, dedicated sleeping quarters, on-site medical facilities, and separate indoor and outdoor play areas for the bears.

    The two adult giant pandas have already developed a large following among Indonesian wildlife enthusiasts, and Rio’s birth sparked even more excitement across the country. Panda fans have flooded the park’s social media channels with requests for an early public appearance, making Rio’s debut one of the most anticipated local wildlife events of the year.

    Rio’s name carries symbolic weight, representing the shared hope, resilience, and joint conservation commitment between Indonesia and China for protecting endangered species. As a global icon of wildlife conservation and China’s unofficial national mascot, giant pandas have long played a role in diplomatic exchange through Beijing’s international loan programs, a practice widely referred to as “panda diplomacy.”

    Giant pandas are notoriously difficult to breed in captivity, so every successful birth is a major milestone for global conservation efforts. Fewer than 1,900 giant pandas remain in the wild, scattered across the mountainous habitats of China’s Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu provinces. Rio was conceived through artificial insemination, a rare success that carries important implications for research.

    According to Aswin Sumampau, president director of Taman Safari Indonesia, Rio’s birth does more than just add a new beloved member to the park’s panda family. It also contributes valuable new genetic data on giant pandas that will advance collaborative research between Indonesian and Chinese conservation scientists.

    “This is the moment we have all waited years for,” Sumampau noted. “It is a small but meaningful victory for our team. We successfully bred a species that is extremely challenging to reproduce in captivity. To put this achievement in perspective, no giant panda cubs have been born in any ex-situ conservation facility around the world for the past two years. Taman Safari is proud to have achieved this milestone.”