标签： Oceania

In a sudden announcement that has shaken the upper ranks of the Trump administration, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard confirmed Friday she will step down from her post, effective June 30, to stand beside her husband as he fights a newly diagnosed rare form of bone cancer. The departure also closes out a turbulent tenure defined by longstanding ideological clashes with the president over his push for war with Iran, a rift that left the nation’s top intelligence coordinator increasingly sidelined from key national security decisions in recent months.

In a public letter to Trump posted to the social platform X, the 45-year-old laid out the deeply personal reason for her exit, writing, “My husband, Abraham, has recently been diagnosed with an extremely rare form of bone cancer. He faces major challenges in the coming weeks and months. At this time, I must step away from public service to be by his side and fully support him through this battle.” Gabbard’s role centered on coordinating global intelligence data and presenting consolidated national security assessments to the president.

President Trump responded to the announcement with praise for Gabbard, one of the only remaining women in his cabinet, via his Truth Social platform. “Tulsi has done an incredible job, and we will miss her,” he wrote, noting that her desire to support her husband through cancer treatment was rightful. He also confirmed that Gabbard’s deputy, Aaron Lukas, will step into the role as acting Director of National Intelligence following her departure.

Gabbard’s appointment to lead the sprawling U.S. intelligence apparatus was controversial from the start. A former Democrat and Iraq War veteran who served in the Army National Guard, her deployment experience shaped a long career of opposition to U.S. foreign military interventions, a stance that put her at odds with administration policy long before the current conflict with Iran. Most notably, she repeatedly voiced public opposition to launching a war against Iran, and grew increasingly isolated from Trump’s inner circle as he moved forward with strikes.

Multiple reports indicate Gabbard was excluded from high-level strategy meetings in the immediate lead-up to the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran launched February 28. After the war began, she repeatedly declined to back key administration justifications for the attack. She refused to endorse Trump’s claim that Iran posed an imminent military threat, the core assessment the administration used to justify the strikes. When testifying before Congress, she emphasized that the final call for military action rested solely with the president. Gabbard also contradicted another key administration justification, confirming U.S. intelligence had concluded Iran was not rebuilding the nuclear enrichment facilities destroyed in joint U.S.-Israeli strikes the previous year.

Beyond her disagreements over Iran policy, Gabbard has long faced criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle over past controversial positions. Her 2017 meeting with deposed Syrian leader Bashar al-Assad drew widespread scrutiny, and she has been accused of spreading Kremlin-aligned propaganda, including false conspiracy theories regarding the war in Ukraine. She also faced cross-partisan suspicion for her support of NSA leaker Edward Snowden, whose disclosures of secret U.S. surveillance programs were widely viewed as compromising American national security.

Beyond her public service, Gabbard, a Hawaii native, was raised in the Hindu tradition by her mother, who converted to the faith; her first name, Tulsi, references a plant considered sacred in Hinduism, and she has been a vegetarian her entire life. She married Abraham, a Hawaii-based cinematographer, after the pair met while filming her campaign advertisements, and he proposed to her during a sunset surf session.

In a powerful display of national solidarity, thousands of Cubans gathered Friday outside the U.S. Embassy in Havana to rally behind 94-year-old former president Raul Castro, who was recently indicted on criminal charges by a U.S. federal court. The gathering, which included current Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel and other senior government officials dressed in military-style fatigues, echoed with the unified chant of “Long live Raul!” as attendees waved large Cuban flags and held up printed portraits of the former leader. The 94-year-old, younger brother of iconic Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro, was formally charged with murder and additional felony counts this Wednesday. The charges stem from the 1996 downing of two civilian aircraft operated by a U.S.-based anti-Castro group, a move widely framed as the latest escalation in the Trump administration’s escalating pressure campaign targeting Cuba’s communist leadership. The aging former leader, whose health has declined in recent years, did not attend the demonstration, which was held at the “Anti-Imperialist Platform” public park located directly across the street from the U.S. diplomatic mission. However, two of his children were on hand to represent the family: Mariela Castro, a prominent national legislator and LGBTQ+ rights advocate, and Alejandro Castro, a key architect of the 2015 historic rapprochement between Cuba and the U.S. negotiated during the Raul Castro administration and former U.S. president Barack Obama’s term. Raul Castro led Cuba for 15 years after assuming the presidency from his ailing brother Fidel in 2006, stepping down from the top post in 2018. His unexpected indictment has amplified widespread anxiety across Cuba that the U.S. could pursue further aggressive action to destabilize the island’s government, capping months of mounting pressure that includes a devastating oil embargo that has strained the country’s economy and critical infrastructure. These fears were amplified by the January arrest of Venezuelan socialist leader Nicolas Maduro, who was taken into custody by U.S. agents at his Caracas residence on drug trafficking charges and extradited to the U.S. to face trial. In her first public remarks from the Castro family since the indictment was announced, Mariela Castro pushed back on speculation that the U.S. would attempt to abduct her father, telling reporters she had no fear of such an outcome. “I am not afraid because I know they will not do it,” she stated, adding that when the former president is asked about the charges, “he smiles like an old guerrilla fighter who knows he’s safe, with one foot in the stirrup, and that no one is going to kidnap him.” The vast majority of attendees were public sector and state enterprise employees, who said their participation was driven by a sense of patriotic duty. Gilberto Gonzalez, a 59-year-old worker at a state-run flour mill, told reporters he joined the rally to stand in solidarity with the former leader. “We are reaffirming the conviction we have to continue fighting and support our General Raul Castro, who has been unjustly accused in the United States,” Gonzalez said. Gerardo Hernandez, a former Cuban intelligence officer who was released from a U.S. prison as part of the 2015 normalization deal, delivered a personal message from Raul Castro to the assembled crowd. The former president “says he thanks our people from the bottom of his heart for their solidarity” and “that as long as he lives, he will continue to lead our people and defend our revolution,” Hernandez told the gathering.

France’s political landscape has been upended by a historic announcement: 37-year-old Gabriel Attal, the youngest person to ever hold the post of French Prime Minister, officially declared his candidacy for the 2025 presidential election on Friday. The centrist contender made his announcement against a backdrop of clear blue skies in the small rural village of Mur-de-Barrez, a strategic choice aimed at addressing longstanding criticism that centrist parties lack deep roots in France’s countryside ahead of a contest that will likely be defined by the battle against the rising far-right National Rally (RN).

In his opening remarks to supporters, Attal pushed back against the stagnation that has come to define mainstream French politics in recent years. “I can’t take this kind of French politics anymore, where it’s just 50 shades of managing decline,” he told the crowd, positioning himself as a fresh alternative to both establishment gridlock and far-right populism. When he took office as Prime Minister in 2024 at age 34, Attal made history as France’s youngest head of government, and his rapid ascent through the political ranks has already drawn widespread comparisons to current President Emmanuel Macron, who won the Elysee Palace at 39 in 2017, becoming France’s youngest head of state since Napoleon. Attal will turn 38 in March, just one month before the scheduled April presidential vote, which Macron will not contest as he steps down after two terms.

Attal’s entry into the race creates a crowded field of high-profile candidates from across the political spectrum. He joins former center-right Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, 55, who now leads his own Horizons party, and 74-year-old hard-left leader Jean-Luc Melenchon as major declared contenders. For the far-right RN, the 2025 election represents the party’s strongest chance to seize the presidency in its history, with either party leader Jordan Bardella, 30, or former candidate Marine Le Pen expected to stand as the party’s nominee.

A product of France’s elite education system and an openly gay politician raised in Paris, Attal has opened up about his personal identity in recent months as he lays groundwork for his campaign. In a book published last month, the candidate dedicated an entire chapter to his partner, Stephane Sejourne, a European Commissioner and former French minister whom Attal describes as “the man of my life.” Attal has also spoken publicly about his mixed cultural background and experiences of prejudice: his father is Jewish, his mother follows Russian Orthodox Christianity, and he has said he has faced both anti-Semitism and homophobia throughout his life and career.

Attal’s short tenure as Prime Minister came to an abrupt end last year when President Macron dissolved the lower house of parliament and called snap legislative elections, a risky political gambit designed to halt the RN’s growing momentum that ultimately backfired spectacularly. The result was months of crippling political deadlock and a hung parliament, where the RN emerged as the largest single party in the legislature. Shortly after the dissolution, Attal formally distanced himself from Macron’s government, clearing the way for his independent presidential bid.

On the campaign trail, Attal already faces stiff competition from within the centrist and center-right space, most notably from Philippe, who led Macron’s first government as Prime Minister and has built a strong independent political base. Current polling consistently shows Philippe performing better than other centrist candidates in a hypothetical runoff against the RN nominee. Still, Attal has wasted no time in positioning himself as a candidate connected to working and rural French voters, a contrast to the common critique that Macron’s Renaissance party is too rooted in Parisian elite circles. “The day we stay locked in Parisian offices, in ministries, is the day politics stops,” Attal said in his launch speech. After entering politics in his early 20s, Attal climbed the ranks quickly: he won a seat in the National Assembly in 2017, the same year Macron was first elected, before going on to serve as government spokesperson, budget minister, and education minister between 2023 and 2024. During his time as education minister, he gained national attention for his work addressing school bullying and his controversial ban on the abaya, a loose full-length garment worn by Muslim women, in public schools.

Closing his launch speech, Attal struck an optimistic tone about France’s future, pushing back against narratives of inevitable national decline. “Having travelled a lot in France and met many French people, I’ve come to a conviction — a very strong one — that our finest chapters are still ahead of us,” he said.

When former U.S. President Donald Trump recently suggested that longstanding American arms sales to Taiwan could be used as a bargaining chip in negotiations with Beijing, it sent shockwaves through global diplomatic circles. For ordinary residents of Taipei, however, the moment has underscored a bleak reality: the island’s security trajectory is ultimately out of their hands.

One week has passed since Trump made the controversial remarks during interviews with Fox News and on Air Force One, and intense speculation continues to swirl over whether decades of consistent U.S. policy toward the democratically governed island could be fundamentally upended. The context of this uncertainty stretches back nearly 50 years, when the United States officially shifted its diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing. Even without formal diplomatic ties, Washington has remained Taiwan’s most critical international security partner and primary arms supplier, a commitment codified in the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act passed by U.S. Congress, which legally requires Washington to provide defensive arms to the island.

Despite widespread anxiety among Taiwanese government officials, who have spent weeks anxiously awaiting Trump’s final decision on a new pending arms package, public reaction on the streets of Taipei has been marked by a quiet, fatalistic calm. Many residents have long held deep reservations about the practical value of additional U.S. weaponry in the face of China’s persistent claims that Taiwan is an inalienable part of its territory, and Beijing’s repeated threats to use force to assert control if necessary.

Nicole Lee, a 46-year-old nurse in Taipei, said she does not believe advanced military hardware would shift the balance of power significantly if a conflict were to break out. “Even if they give us weapons, if we really had to use force against China, I don’t think there would be much we could do,” she explained.

Ben Wu, a 41-year-old delivery driver, echoed Lee’s sentiment, framing U.S. arms sales as little more than a costly “protection fee” for the island. Even with the most advanced weaponry the U.S. can offer, he noted, “it would still be very hard to win” against China’s far larger military force.

To date, Taipei has poured tens of billions of dollars into purchasing advanced U.S. military equipment, including fifth-generation fighter jets, precision high-tech missiles, and reconnaissance drones, all to bolster its defensive capabilities against a potential cross-strait attack. Taiwanese officials have repeatedly reminded the Trump administration of Washington’s binding legal commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act, while top U.S. officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer have publicly insisted that no shift in longstanding U.S. policy toward Taiwan is underway.

Still, many ordinary Taiwanese remain deeply skeptical of Trump’s approach to the issue, with many arguing that the former president prioritizes U.S. interests above all other considerations, with little regard for longstanding alliances or commitments. Cynthia Kuo, a 29-year-old elementary school teacher in Taipei, described Trump as the “kind of person who just says whatever pops into his head.” “So I feel like whatever decisions he makes, he only makes them if he thinks they’re good for the United States,” she said. “He’s not going to take other countries into account.”

A 78-year-old retiree, who requested anonymity to speak freely, said the only certain takeaway from the current situation is that Trump cannot be counted on as a reliable partner for Taiwan. “He’s totally untrustworthy,” she said. “I often feel that Trump is a hooligan in international politics.”

Across age groups, residents of Taipei echoed a shared sense of powerlessness in the face of the current uncertainty. No matter the outcome, the final decisions on the pending arms package will be made in Washington, and any subsequent response from Beijing will be shaped thousands of kilometers away from Taipei. For 22-year-old university student Matt Lin, that reality makes personal anxiety feel pointless. “I’m not that worried,” he told AFP. “Whether we worry or not doesn’t really change anything.”