Michaela Thompson, an unemployed mother in the San Fernando Valley, relies on federal assistance to afford the specialized baby formula her 15-month-old daughter needs because of a feeding disorder. At $47 for a five-day supply, it’s out of her reach otherwise.
But with the federal shutdown blocking upcoming disbursements of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits — previously known as food stamps — Thompson said she doesn’t know how she’s going to fill her daughter’s bottles.
“It feels like the world is kind of crumbling right now,” she said. “I’m terrified for my family and my daughter.”
Millions of low-income families who rely on SNAP benefits to put food on the table in California and across the country — about 1 in 8 Americans — are confronting similar fears this week, as federal and state officials warn that November funds will not be issued without a resolution to the ongoing federal shutdown and Congress shows no sign of a breakthrough.
Gov. Gavin Newsom and state Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta announced Tuesday that California is joining other Democrat-led states in suing the Trump administration to force SNAP payments through the use of contingency funds, but the litigation — even if successful — won’t prevent all the disruptions.
Army Spc. Jazmine Contreras, center, and Pfc. Vivian Almaraz, right, of the 40th Division Sustainment Brigade, Army National Guard, Los Alamitos, help workers and volunteers pack boxes of produce at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank on Friday.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
It is already too late for some of the 5.5 million California residents — including 2 million children — who rely on such benefits to receive them in time to buy groceries after Friday, when many will have already used up their October benefits, state officials said. Advocates warned of a tidal wave of need as home pantries and CalFresh cards run empty — which they said is no longer a risk but a certainty.
“We are past the point at which it is possible to prevent harm,” said Andrew Cheyne, managing director of public policy at the organization End Child Poverty California.
About 41.7 million Americans were served through SNAP per month in fiscal 2024, at an annual cost of nearly $100 billion, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
State officials, local governments and nonprofit organizations are scrambling to get the word out to families and to redirect millions of dollars in emergency funding to stock more food at local food banks or load gift cards for the neediest families, but many say the capacity to respond is insufficient — and are bracing for a deluge of need.
“People really don’t understand the scale and scope of what is happening and the ripple effect it will have on the economy and with people just meeting their basic needs,” said Angela F. Williams, president and chief executive of United Way.
Already, United Way is seeing an uptick in calls to its 211 centers nationwide from people looking for help with groceries, utility bills and rent, Williams said. “There’s a critical crisis that has been brewing for a while, and it’s reaching a fevered pitch.”
Cheyne said many families are well aware of the looming disruption to aid and scrambling to prepare, including by going to state food banks for groceries. Newsom has activated the National Guard to help handle that influx in California.
However, Cheyne said many others will likely find out about the disruption while standing in grocery store checkouts.
“We anticipate a huge surge in people extremely upset to find out that they’ve literally shopped, and the groceries are in their cart, and their kids are probably with them, and then they get to the checkout, and then it’s, ‘transaction denied: insufficient funds.’”
Children and older people — who make up more than 63% of SNAP recipients in California — going hungry across America is a dire enough political spectacle that politicians of both parties have worked aggressively to prevent it in the past, including during previous government shutdowns. But this time around, they seem resigned to that outcome.
Members of the military and their families receive food donated by Feeding San Diego food bank on Friday.
(Sandy Huffaker / AFP / Getty Images)
Republicans and Democrats have been unable to reach a deal on the budget impasse as Democrats fight Republicans over their decision to slash healthcare subsidies relied on by millions of Americans. With no end in sight to the nearly month-long shutdown, federal workers who are either furloughed or working without pay — including many in California — are facing financial strain and increasingly showing up at food pantries, officials said.
A deluge of SNAP recipients will only add to the lines, and some food bank leaders are becoming increasingly worried about security at those facilities if they are overwhelmed by need.
Pointing fingers
In a statement posted to its website Monday, the Department of Agriculture wrote that Senate Democrats had repeatedly voted not to restore the SNAP funds by passing a short-term Republican spending measure.
“Bottom line, the well has run dry,” it said. “We are approaching an inflection point for Senate Democrats.”
The Trump administration had said Friday that it cannot legally dip into contingency funds to continue funding SNAP into November, even as it uses nontraditional means to pay for the salaries of active-duty military and federal law enforcement.
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) walks through Statuary Hall at the Capitol on Tuesday.
(Samuel Corum / Bloomberg / Getty Images)
The administration has used tariff revenue to temporarily fund the Women, Infants and Children Nutrition Program, which serves about 6.7 million women and children nationally, though it is unclear how long it will continue do so. The California Department of Public Health said the state WIC program, which supports about half of all babies born in California, should “remain fully operational through Nov. 30, assuming no unexpected changes.”
On Capitol Hill, negotiations to end the shutdown have mostly ground to a halt. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) once again refused to call House members back into session this week, sparking criticism from Democrats and some Republicans who want to negotiate a deal to reopen the government. In the Senate, negotiations remain at a stalemate.
Senate Democrats, meanwhile, have relentlessly blamed President Trump and his administration for causing the disruption to food aid, just as they have blamed the president for the shutdown overall.
“Donald Trump has the power to ensure 40 million people don’t go hungry during the shutdown. But he wishes to inflict the maximum pain on those who can least afford it. He won’t fund food. But he’s happy to build a golden ballroom,” Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) wrote Monday on X.
Schiff was referring to a $250-million ballroom Trump has planned for the White House, which he recently set into motion by demolishing the historic East Wing.
A member of the U.S. Navy waits in line to receive food from volunteers with Feeding San Diego food bank.
(Sandy Huffanker / AFP / Getty Images)
State and local responses
States have responded to the looming cut in different ways. Some have promised to backfill SNAP funding from their own coffers, though federal officials have warned they will not be reimbursed.
Newsom has stood up the National Guard and directed tens of millions of dollars to state food banks, but has made no promises to directly supplement missing SNAP benefits with state dollars — despite advocacy groups calling on him to do so.
On Friday, dozens of organizations wrote a letter to Newsom and other state officials estimating the total amount of lapsed funding for November to be about $1.1 billion, and calling on them to use state funds to cover the total amount to prevent “a crisis of unthinkable magnitude.”
Carlos Marquez III, executive director of the County Welfare Directors Assn. of California, said counties and other local agencies are responding in a number of ways, including making contributions to local food banks and looking for ways to redirect local funds — and find matching philanthropic dollars — to directly backfill missing SNAP benefits.
Los Angeles County, which has about 1.5 million SNAP recipients, has already approved a $10-million expenditure to support local food banks, its Department of Children and Family Services has identified an additional $2 million to redirect, and its partners providing managed care plans to SNAP recipients have committed another $5 million, he said.
He said his group has advocated for Newsom to declare a statewide emergency, which would help equalize the response statewide and allow for mutual aid agreements between wealthier and poorer areas.
He said his group also is advocating for the state to begin using school lunch programs to direct additional food to families with younger children at home, and to work with local senior care facilities to make sure elderly SNAP recipients are also being helped.
What comes next?
Williams, of United Way, said the organization’s local chapters are “looking for partners on the ground” to provide additional support moving forward, as needs will persist.
“It seems like every day the needs just become more and more pressing, and I’m concerned, honestly, not only about the economic toll that is being taken on individuals, I’m concerned about the mental health and emotional toll this is taking on people,” Williams said. “My hope is that people from all sectors will step up and say, ‘How can we be good neighbors?’”
On Friday, National Guard troops began a 30-day deployment at the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, where they are sorting produce and packing food boxes. Due to “heightened concern” in the community about the military’s role in Trump’s immigration crackdown, the troops will be working in warehouses and not interacting directly with the public, said Chief Executive Michael Flood.
Flood said there has already been a surge in demand from laid-off federal workers in Los Angeles, but he’s expecting demand to increase markedly beginning Saturday, and building up distribution capacity similar to what was in place during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic — which seemed odd, considering “this is a man-made disaster.”
“It doesn’t have to happen,” Flood said. “Folks in D.C. can prevent this from happening.”
Global markets were buoyed on Monday morning by expectations of another Fed rate cut and growing optimism that the US and China are moving closer to a trade deal, following comments from President Donald Trump.
The optimism wiped out gains in safe-haven assets such as gold futures and boosted stock exchanges across the globe.
Yet, leading European benchmark indexes opened mostly flat, except for Milan’s FTSE MIB, which was up by 0.61%. Madrid IBEX 35 also gained 0.37% by around 11:00 CEST.
At the same time, European benchmark STOXX 600, as well as the FTSE 100 in London, remained nearly flat. The DAX in Frankfurt gained 0.15% while Paris’ CAC 40 lost less than 0.1%. This came after credit rating agency Moody’s changed France’s outlook from stable to negative on Friday.
Investors in Europe are closely watching for signs of economic health, with one of the strongest indicators — the first reading of the eurozone’s third-quarter GDP — due on Thursday.
On the same day, the European Central Bank (ECB) is scheduled to hold its monetary policy meeting. Given that inflation in the bloc has remained around the bank’s 2% target, the ECB is expected to hold interest rates steady this week for its third straight meeting. The key deposit rate has been at 2% since June.
US-China relations
Across the globe on Monday, US futures were mostly up in pre-market trading. This came as Asian shares rallied too, with Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 topping 50,000 for the first time.
Later this week, the US President has a scheduled meeting with the Chinese leader Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (known as APEC), to discuss the trade deal between the world’s two strongest economies.
US and Chinese officials confirmed on Sunday that they had reached an initial consensus for Trump and President Xi Jinping to finalise during a meeting later in the week.
“I have a lot of respect for President Xi,” Trump told reporters after visiting Malaysia for a summit of Southeast Asian nations, where he reached preliminary trade agreements with Malaysia, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam.
“I think we’re going to come away with a deal,” Trump said.
And investors see it as a strong signal. According to Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management: “This isn’t just photo-op diplomacy. Behind the showmanship, Washington and Beijing’s top trade lieutenants have quietly mapped out a framework that might, just might, keep the world’s two largest economies from tearing up the field again.”
The enthusiasm brought about a shift in risk-taking among investors, demonstrated by a fall in gold futures. The safe-haven asset’s continuous contract fell by almost 2% on Monday morning, as an ounce was priced at $4,055.50.
The euro and Japanese yen remained flat against the US dollar. One euro was traded at $1.1638, while the greenback cost ¥152.8070. The British pound climbed 0.26% against the US dollar, and the rate was at $1.3345.
Crude oil prices fell after European markets opened, with both benchmarks trading nearly 1% lower. The US benchmark WTI crude’s price was $61.06 a barrel, and Brent was at $65.47.
In other dealings, leading cryptocurrencies were up. CoinDesk’s Bitcoin Price Index (XBX) gained 4.86% and climbed to $115,395.34. Ethereum cost $4,171.84, up by 4.82% on Monday morning in Europe.
Another Fed rate cut on the cards, coupled with Big Tech reports
Wall Street hit record highs on Friday, after lower-than-expected inflation numbers from the US fuelled further hope that the Federal Reserve is about to cut interest rates further this Wednesday.
The data on inflation was encouraging because it could mean less pain for lower- and middle-income households struggling with still-high increases in prices. Even more importantly for Wall Street, it could also clear the way for the Federal Reserve to keep cutting interest rates in hopes of giving a boost to the slowing job market.
The Fed just cut its main interest rate last month for the first time this year, but it’s been hesitant to promise more relief because lower rates can make inflation worse, beyond boosting the economy and prices for investments.
Meanwhile, a flood of big tech companies’ earnings is on its way this week, with Microsoft, Meta and Google-parent Alphabet reporting on Wednesday. Apple and Amazon’s numbers are due to be released on Thursday.
Better-than-expected profits could fuel hopes for steady growth in the US. Information is scarce about the current state of the world’s biggest economy due to the prolonged government shutdown.
These two market leaders have increased their dividends for a combined 115 years.
It’s impossible to predict with certainty whether a recession is coming, but certain developments sure make it more likely. President Donald Trump’s tariff policies could lead to increased prices and plunge the economy into a downturn. The recent government shutdown, especially if it drags on, could lead us directly into a recession.
Of course, that may not happen, but it’s not a bad idea for investors to prepare for that possibility by investing in stocks that are well-equipped to perform well during recessions. Here are two great examples: Walmart(WMT 0.41%) and Johnson & Johnson(JNJ 0.42%).
Image source: Getty Images.
1. Walmart
Some might point out that Walmart, one of the leading retailers in the U.S., is facing challenges. Trump’s tariffs are increasing the company’s expenses and forcing it to pass these costs on to customers, which in turn affects purchasing decisions. How will Walmart handle a full-blown recession when the purse strings get even tighter? In my view, the company will be just fine. Walmart has performed well for decades, generating steady revenue and profits even if the economy is not doing well.
The past is no guarantee of future performance, but Walmart’s core business remains well-equipped to handle significant challenges. The company’s retail footprint in the U.S. is one of the strongest. Roughly 90% of Americans live within 10 miles of one of the company’s stores. So, for most U.S. consumers, Walmart is a convenient option.
Even if people become more price-sensitive during recessions, Walmart remains a great option. The company’s size grants it significant negotiating power when purchasing items from suppliers. This allows it to pass these cost savings to customers. Even in an inflationary environment due to tariffs, Walmart should remain one of the lower-cost options compared to its peers, who would be dealing with the same challenge.
Furthermore, the company has become even more convenient by doubling down on its e-commerce efforts. Walmart has one of the largest e-commerce footprints in the U.S., ranking second only to Amazon.
It’s not just its size: Walmart is the second cheapest (again, behind Amazon) online retailer in the U.S. So, whether online or in its stores, Walmart should continue to offer competitive prices, making it a top option for shoppers looking to spend as little as possible.
Lastly, Walmart is an excellent dividend stock. The company is part of the elite group of Dividend Kings that have raised their payouts for at least 50 consecutive years — Walmart’s streak is at 53.
Opting to reinvest the dividend helps smooth out market losses. That’s another reason why Walmart is an incredible investment option when preparing for a recession.
2. Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson is a leading healthcare giant. It offers products and services, such as pharmaceutical drugs, for which demand is not heavily dependent on the state of the economy. Johnson & Johnson has a diversified pharmaceutical portfolio across several therapeutic areas, including some of the biggest, such as oncology and immunology. Despite losing patent protection for one of its biggest growth drivers, Stelara — an immunosuppressant — in the U.S. this year (and in Europe last year), the company has continued to post strong financial results.
In the second quarter, the company’s revenue increased by 5.8% year over year to $23.7 billion. Johnson & Johnson’s adjusted earnings per share declined by 1.8% year over year to $2.77, due to several factors, including the effect of acquisitions. Nevertheless, this is nothing to be worried about.
Overall, Johnson & Johnson is performing well, and it should continue to do so. The company’s navigation of the Stelara patent cliff shows its ability to overcome these meaningful challenges for drugmakers. Johnson & Johnson’s medtech business enhances its operations with greater diversity. With the company working on the promising Ottava robotic-assisted surgery (RAS) system, it could capitalize on this massive growth opportunity over the long run as the RAS market remains underpenetrated.
Furthermore, with recent developments in the pharmaceutical industry, tariffs may not be as significant a problem for Johnson & Johnson. The company will face some headwinds, including legal challenges, but its robust balance sheet enables it to effectively navigate those obstacles.
Finally, Johnson & Johnson is also a Dividend King, having achieved 62 consecutive years of dividend increases. The company is an excellent choice to get you through a recession.
Prosper Junior Bakiny has positions in Amazon, Johnson & Johnson, and Walmart. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon and Walmart. The Motley Fool recommends Johnson & Johnson. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Google said it plans to lay off dozens of workers at its Sunnyvale offices, following job reductions at other large tech firms.
Google notified the California Employment Development Department on Monday that it will lay off 50 workers in Sunnyvale, according to a notice obtained by The Times.
Tech companies are cutting jobs in preparation for a possible recession, as well as anticipating efficiencies gained from artificial intelligence, said Rob Enderle, principal analyst at Oregon-based advisory services firm Enderle Group.
“We’re preparing for a bit of a downturn and companies often like to cut ahead of bad news like that so they can keep their financials solid,” he said.
In August, Salesforce said it cut 4,000 support roles due to AI helping automate tasks. Other tech businesses, including Intel, Microsoft and Meta have also reduced staff while investing more in AI this year.
CNBC reported on Wednesday that Google laid off more than 100 people in design-related roles in its cloud division.
In Google’s notice that it filed with the state, the jobs affected by the cuts included roles in user experience, software engineers and business program managers. The layoffs in the cloud division were first reported by Business Insider.
“AI is pretty good at coding right now and anything to do with design … as long as someone can describe what it is they want, that significantly increases the productivity of the folks you have in design,” Enderle said. “Unless you’re increasing the workload just as dramatically, you’re going to have too many people.”
Google, which is based in Mountain View, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Times staff writer Queenie Wong contributed to this report.
The 27-year-old has been in the wars this time around as well, breaking a bone in her hand.
However, a less serious injury, earlier in the season, means she feels part of a group expedition, rather than a rehabbing soloist, as she works towards a different outcome.
“It’s all fine and I’m very healthy right now,” she said.
“This time around, I’m able to connect with the team much better and climb that mountain with everyone.”
Mitchell has told his players that the priority in Mont-de-Marsan is performance, rather than extending their current winning streak to a 27th match.
After England trounced Spain at home last weekend, Dow is expecting a bracing evening in south-west France, one that will steel a near full-strength side for challenges to come.
“I love the French crowd. They’re here for the dramatics, they’re here for the entertainment,” she said.
“It’s really important for us that we don’t look to our left and right, and we look forward as a team.
“All these things that can be thrown at us are really important for us to grow and handle, because it means when things do get tougher, we’ll be able to handle them as well.”
If they slip up in France, it doesn’t mean they won’t reach the summit in September. It might actually help them do so.
With the City Section now having more girls flag football teams (93) than 11-man teams (71), the growing popularity of the sport is clear. But the sport faces a huge challenge when official practice begins on Aug. 8 — rule changes.
Confusion among all the stakeholders — coaches, players, officials, parents — is certain to take place in the early games.
That was evident during a meeting on Wednesday. City Section coaches received a briefing from Nelson Bae, the section’s rules interpreter. There were so many questions that City Section commissioner Vicky Lagos had to halt them or the meeting would have lasted for hours. Coaches were told to submit their questions later.
A national rulebook was established by the National Federation of State High School Assns. and some of the changes are massive, such as the addition of punting and screen blocking.
“Crazy stuff is going to happen,” Bae told the coaches. “All of us are going to have to adjust. I’ve already seen some things, ‘This is going to be a problem.’”
Screen blocking could be a vocal point of confusion because, as Bae said, penalties could be called on every play similar to holding in 11-man football. No contact is allowed when blocking but deciding who made the contact and who receives the penalty will be the judgment call that could have parents yelling in the bleachers if they don’t understand the correct interpretation.
Coaches are having to train players not to use their hands and rushers can’t run into moving screens or a penalty is supposed to be called.
“Go around,” Bae advised.
It will be confusing in early games, particularly until everyone adjusts.
There will be four playoff divisions, up from three last season, as the sport enters its third season in the City Section.
Coaches have been seeking out soccer players to serve as punters. Prepare for the unexpected this fall.
Demolition operations being conducted by Israel in Gaza’s southern Rafah Governorate have been stepped up sharply, an investigation by Al Jazeera’s Sanad investigations unit has found.
Israel’s defence ministry has announced a plan to relocate 600,000 people into what observers say would be “concentration camps” in the area in southern Gaza, with plans to expand this to the Strip’s entire population.
Sanad’s analysis of satellite imagery up to July 4, 2025, shows the number of demolished buildings in Rafah rising to about 28,600, up from 15,800 on April 4, 2025, according to data from the United Nations Satellite Centre (UNOSAT).
This means that approximately 12,800 buildings were destroyed between early April and early July alone – a marked acceleration in demolitions that has coincided with Israel’s new push into Rafah launched in late March 2025.
‘Humanitarian city’
Israel’s defence minister, Israel Katz, told reporters on Monday that an initial 600,000 Palestinians living in the coastal al-Mawasi area would be transferred to Rafah, the location for what he called a new “humanitarian city” for Palestinians, within 60 days of any agreed ceasefire deal.
According to Katz, the entire civilian population of Gaza – more than 2 million people – will eventually be relocated to this southern city.
A proposal seen by Reuters carrying the name of the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) detailed plans for a “Humanitarian Transit Area” in which Gaza residents would “temporarily reside, deradicalise, re-integrate and prepare to relocate if they wish to do so”.
The minister said Israel hopes to encourage Palestinians to “voluntarily emigrate” from the Gaza Strip to other countries, adding that this plan “should be fulfilled”.
He also stressed that the plan would not be run by the Israeli army, but by international bodies, without specifying which organisations would be implementing it.
Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) – which has been banned by Israel – warned against the latest mass forced displacement plan.
“This would de facto create massive concentration camps at the border with Egypt for the Palestinians, displaced over and over across generations,” he said, adding that it would “deprive Palestinians of any prospects of a better future in their homeland”.
Israeli political commentator Ori Goldberg told Al Jazeera that the plan was “for all facts and purposes a concentration camp” for Palestinians in southern Gaza, meaning that Israel is committing “what is an overt crime against humanity under international humanitarian law”.
(Al Jazeera)
“It should be taken very seriously,” he said, and questioned the feasibility of the task of “concentrating the Palestinian population in a locked city where they would be let in but not let out”.
The sheer scale of the destruction, and some exceptions
For now, Rafah, which was once home to an estimated 275,000 people, lies largely in ruins. The scale of Israeli destruction since April this year is particularly apparent when examining specific neighbourhoods of Rafah.
Sanad has identified six educational facilities that have been destroyed, including some located in the Tal as-Sultan neighbourhood, west of Rafah City.
However, satellite data shows that several key facilities have been spared; 40 educational institutions – 39 schools and one university – are intact. Eight medical centres also remain standing.
Sanad has concluded that this noticeable pattern of selective destruction strongly suggests that the preservation of these facilities in Rafah is unlikely to be a coincidence.
Rather, it indicates that Israel aims to use these sites in the next phase of its proposed plan to displace the entire population of Gaza to Rafah.
The spared educational and medical buildings already serve as critical humanitarian shelters for tens of thousands of displaced Palestinians.
The war’s initial wave of displacement from northern to southern Gaza resulted in an overwhelming influx of people into the 154 UN facilities across all five governorates of the Gaza Strip, including schools, warehouses and health centres.
According to UNRWA’s Situation Report in January 2024, these facilities were by then sheltering approximately 1.4 million displaced people, an average of 9,000 people per facility, while an additional 500,000 people were receiving support from other services.
The report also notes that in some shelters, the number exceeds 12,000, four times their intended capacity.
According to UNRWA’s latest report on July 5 this year, 1.9 million people remain displaced in Gaza.
Satellite imagery analysis of the Rafah area from May 2024 to May 2025 reveals that Israeli forces carried out a two-phase operation in Rafah, including in areas which had been designated for humanitarian aid distribution.
Phase One began with the launch of a military offensive in May 2024, during which most buildings in targeted zones in most of eastern Rafah and parts of western Rafah were demolished.
Phase Two, which began in April this year, involves the continued demolition of remaining residential buildings. This phase also included land levelling and the construction of access roads to facilitate the operation of these aid centres.
British Israeli analyst Daniel Levy told Al Jazeera that Israel intends to use Rafah “as a staging post to ethnically cleanse, physically remove, as many Palestinians as possible from the landscape”.
The distribution of aid, which is now under the monopoly of the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which is run by private US contractors guarded by Israeli troops, is also “a premeditated part of a plan of social-demographic engineering to move Palestinians – to relocate, displace and kettle them,” Levy said.
Ceasefire talks
Katz’s announcement came a day after Netanyahu arrived in the US to meet US President Donald Trump, as the latter pushes for a deal to end the war in Gaza and bring back the remaining Hamas-held captives.
Netanyahu stressed his opposition to any deal that would ultimately leave Hamas in power in Gaza. “Twenty living hostages remain and 30 who are fallen. I am determined, we are determined, to bring back all of them,” he told reporters before boarding his plane. He added, however: “We are determined to ensure that Gaza will no longer constitute a threat to Israel.”
“That means one thing: eliminating Hamas’s military and governing capabilities. Hamas will not be there,” he said.
An Israeli negotiating team was in Doha this week for indirect talks with Hamas. Trump said on Tuesday that Israel had accepted the latest ceasefire proposal, which provides for the release, in five separate stages, of 10 living and 18 dead captives, in exchange for a 60-day ceasefire, an influx of humanitarian aid to the Strip and the release of many Palestinian detainees currently held in Israeli prisons.
Palestinians gather to collect what remains of relief supplies from the GHF distribution centre, in Rafah on June 5, 2025 [Reuters]
Hamas gave what it called a “positive” response to the proposal, stressing its reservations about the temporary nature of the proposed truce and making some demands.
Netanyahu’s office called Hamas’s stipulations, concerning aid mechanisms and Israel’s military withdrawal, “unacceptable”.
Ethnic cleansing: the ‘end game’
A sticking point remains Israel’s control of the Morag Corridor, just north of Rafah, which would allow Israel to control and isolate Rafah, facilitating the implementation of the mass expulsion plan.
In his remarks on Monday, Katz said Israel would use a potential 60-day ceasefire to establish the new “humanitarian zone” south of the corridor, and that the army would hold nearly 70 percent of Gaza’s territory.
Gideon Levy, Israeli columnist for Haaretz, told Al Jazeera negotiations were unlikely to result in more than a temporary ceasefire, whith the release of Israeli captives and Palestinian prisoners, as “Netanyahu doesn’t want an end to the war.”
While Trump could pressure his ally into a permanent deal, the US president does not seem inclined to pull his weight, observers say.
“The end game is an ethnic cleansing,” Levy said. “Will it be implemented? I have my doubts.
“But they are already preparing the area, and if the world is passive and the US gives its green light, it might work.”
Israeli soldiers bound Mohamed Yousef’s hands behind his back as they dragged him to a military camp near the occupied West Bank’s Masafer Yatta, a collection of Palestinian villages in Hebron governorate, in late June.
With him were his mother, his wife and two sisters, arrested on their land for confronting armed Israeli settlers.
Settlers often graze their animals on Palestinian land to assert control, signal unrestricted access and lay the groundwork for establishing illegal outposts, cutting Palestinians off from their farms and livestock.
Yousef knew this, so he went out to defend his farm when he saw the armed settlers.
But as is often the case, it was Mohamed, a Palestinian, who was punished. At the military camp, he was left with his family in the scorching sun for hours.
While Mohamed and his family were released the next day, they fear they will not have the means to defend themselves for much longer.
“The police, the [Israeli] army and settlers often attack us all at once. What are we supposed to do?” Yousef said.
The Israeli military did not respond to Al Jazeera’s request for comment on the incident.
Useful pretext
Things might be about to get worse for Yousef and his family, who, along with about 1,200 other Palestinians, could soon be expelled from their lands.
On June 17, during the zenith of Israel’s war on Iran, the Israeli government submitted a letter, a copy of which has been seen by Al Jazeera, to the Israeli High Court of Justice that included a request by the army to demolish at least 12 villages in Masafer Yatta and expel the inhabitants.
The Israeli army argued that it has to demolish the villages to convert the area into a military “firing” or training zone, according to Palestinian and Israeli human rights groups.
However, a 2015 study by Kerem Novat, an Israeli civil society organisation, found that such justifications are a ruse to seize Palestinian land. From the time Israel occupied swaths of the West Bank in the 1967 war, it has converted about one-third of the West Bank into a “closed military zone”, according to the study.
And yet, military drills have never been carried out in 80 percent of these zones after Palestinians were dispossessed of their homes.
Palestinians carry their belongings as they are forced to leave their homes after Israel issues demolition orders for 104 buildings in Tulkarem, occupied West Bank on July 3, 2025 [Faruk Hanedar/Anadolu]
The study concluded that the military confiscates Palestinian land as a strategy to “reduce the Palestinian population’s ability to use the land and to transfer as much of it as possible to Israeli settlers”.
Yousef fears his village could suffer a similar fate following the state’s petition to the High Court.
“I have no idea what’s going to happen to us,” Mohamed told Al Jazeera. “Even if we are forced to leave, then where are we supposed to go? Where will we live?”
Rigged system
Many fear the Israeli High Court will side with the army and evict all Palestinians from “Firing Zone 918”, a battle that has been ongoing for decades.
Israeli courts have played a central role in rubber-stamping Israel’s policies in the occupied West Bank, described as apartheid by many, by approving the demolition of entire Palestinian communities, according to Amnesty International.
The communities currently at risk were first handed an eviction notice and expelled in 1999, and told that their villages had been declared a military training zone, which the army dubbed “Firing Zone 918”.
The army claimed that the herding communities living in this “zone” were not “permanent residents”, despite the communities saying they lived there long before the state of Israel was formed by ethnically cleansing Palestinians in 1948, an event known as the Nakba.
With little recourse other than navigating an unfriendly Israeli legal system to resist their dispossession, the communities and human rights lawyers representing them initiated a legal battle to stop the evictions in Israeli district courts and the High Court.
In 2000, a judge ordered the army to allow the communities to return to their villages until a final ruling was issued.
Human rights lawyers have since filed countless petitions and appeals to delay and hinder the army’s attempt to expel the villagers.
“The [Israelis]…have been trying to expel us for decades,” said 63-year-old Nidal Younis, the head of the Masafer Yatta Council.
Then, in May 2022, the High Court ordered the expulsion of eight Masafer Yatta villages. The court ruled that the inhabitants were not “permanent residents”, ignoring evidence that the defence provided.
“We brought [the court] artefacts, photo analyses and ancient tools, used by the families for decades, that were representative of permanent residence,” said Netta Amar-Shiff, one of the lawyers representing the villagers.
“But the court dismissed all the evidence we brought as irrelevant.”
Expediting demolitions
Amar-Shiff and her colleagues filed another case in early 2023 to argue that military drills must, at the very least, not result in the demolition of Palestinian villages or the expulsion of inhabitants in the area.
The legal battle, and others, is now being upended by the Israeli army and government’s request to evict and demolish all the villages in the desired military zone, said Amar-Shiff.
In an attempt to fast-track that request, the Civil Planning Bureau, an Israeli military body responsible for building permits, issued a decree on June 18 to reject all pending Palestinian building requests in “Firing Zone 918”. The United Nations and Israeli human rights groups have been notified of the new decree, although it has not been published on any government website.
Across Israel and the occupied West Bank, Palestinians and Israelis need to obtain building permits from Israeli authorities to build and live in any structure.
An Israeli policeman stands by as a bulldozer demolishes the house of Fakhri Abu Diab, in Silwan, occupied East Jerusalem, February 14, 2024 [Ammar Awad/Reuters]
According to the Israeli human rights group Bimkom, Palestinians in Area C, the largest of three zones in the occupied West Bank that were created out of the 1993 Oslo Peace Accords, are practically always denied permits, while permits for Israeli settlers are almost always approved.
Palestinians in Masafer Yatta still submitted many building requests, hoping the administrative process would delay the demolition of their homes.
However, the Central Planning Bureau’s recent decree, issued to align with the army’s prior announcement, supersedes all these pending requests and paves the way for an outright rejection of all of them, facilitating more ethnic cleansing, according to activists, lawyers and human rights groups.
Once the decree is published, lawyers representing Palestinians from “Firing Zone 918” will have to go to the High Court for a final and definitive ruling, which is expected within a few months.
“There are many judges in the High Court who will either dismiss this case on its face or not order the army to stop demolitions until they rule,” Amar-Shiff told Al Jazeera.
Meanwhile, settlers and Israeli troops are escalating attacks against Palestinians living in the area.
Sami Hourani, a researcher from Masafer Yatta for Al-Haq, a Palestinian human rights organisation, said the Israeli army has confiscated dozens of cars since declaring its intent to ethnically cleanse the villages.
He added that the army is arresting solidarity activists trying to visit the area, as well as helping settlers to attack and expel Palestinians.
“We are in an isolation stage now,” Hourani told Al Jazeera, adding that the villages in Masafer Yatta are under siege and cut off from the outside world.
“We are expecting the army to carry out massive demolitions at any moment.”
As if the Garfield vs. Roosevelt sports rivalry needed any more incentive to excite its fans, both schools are preparing to unveil their new football stadiums and fields this fall after having no home games last season while construction took place.
Final work could be finished by the end of this month. The Los Angeles Unified School District paid for improvements as part of campus modernization projects paid for by bonds.
The vew of Roosevelt’s new football stadium and grass field.
(Crystal Powell)
The stadium has new bleachers, press box, concession stands, scoreboard, all-weather track and grass field.
“To all the seniors, it’s going to be a blessing to play at home,” coach Ernesto Ceja said.
Roosevelt got an a new stadium, with new bleachers, press box, scoreboard, concession stands and grass field.
(Crystal Powell)
Roosevelt is scheduled to have five home football games and open the stadium against Lawndale on Aug. 28.
The new Garfield scoreboard.
(Garfield HS)
Garfield’s $8 million stadium project includes a new all-weather field, track, scoreboard, goal posts and concrete home bleachers.
Garfield had some memorable mud games on its dirt and grass field through the years. The first home game will be against Bakersfield on Aug. 28.
Despite the new fields, the annual Garfield vs. Roosevelt football game that usually draws the largest crowd in the Southland will once again be played at a neutral site on Oct. 24. Last year’s game was at SoFi Stadium. This year’s game site has yet to be decided. It’s been played at East L.A. College for years.
Hamilton also has a new stadium set to be unveiled this fall with a new press box and bleachers.
Emmerdale’s Natalie J Robb and Mike Parr teased some massive scenes on the way in the coming months, with cast on the ITV soap told to prepare for ‘a lot of night shoots’
20:30, 26 Jun 2025Updated 20:42, 26 Jun 2025
There’s huge scenes guaranteed on Emmerdale in the coming months(Image: ITV)
There’s huge scenes guaranteed on Emmerdale in the coming months, with one star teasing multiple night shoots have been advised.
As the ITV soap prepares to film the big crossover with Coronation Street, set to air early 2026, cast members are about to find out who is involved and what happens. With filming and planning taking place months in advance, cast members on both soaps are soon to learn which characters will feature in the epic soap twist.
Plenty of stars from both soaps are desperate to be involved, all hoping their characters will be present in the milestone episodes. While only one episode will feature the crossover, the impact will be felt for the entire week and then some.
As the plans are finalised, cast members will soon prepare to film the big scenes and the storylines surrounding them. Speaking exclusively to The Mirror, Emmerdale’s Moira Dingle actress Natalie J Robb shared her hopes to take part.
Not only that, but she confirmed that huge episodes were guaranteed, as there were “a lot of night shoots” planned. With night shoots often come dramatic and blockbuster scenes.
Emmerdale’s Natalie J Robb and Mike Parr teased some massive scenes on the way(Image: Getty Images)
We do know there will be a massive stunt, so it’s likely this is why the night filming has been agreed. Cast members will have to prepare for the big scenes, with Natalie hinting at what’s ahead.
She told us: “It is really exciting. It is the first time it has ever been done I think the audience will like it. We have to trust the writers. There is gonna be a lot night shoots.”
Natalie went on: “We don’t know any of the stories or what characters are involved just yet, but I’m hoping to be part of it.” Ross Barton actor Mike Parr then pointed out that some Emmerdale and Corrie actors have done both soaps.
Referencing his co-star Oliver Farnworth who plays villain John Sugden, he joked about whether the Corrie characters would recognise him, or if John was still Oliver’s Corrie character Andy. He said: “Is he still that character in that one or did he die?
Ross Barton actor Mike Parr then pointed out that some Emmerdale and Corrie actors have done both soaps(Image: Mike Marsland/WireImage)
“There’s so much room for what could happen and the ways it can go. I am so glad it’s happening and everyone wants to be involved, but not everyone can be. It’s exciting times but nobody knows anything yet.”
It comes as the pair also teased “danger” on the way following next week’s arrival of new villain Ray. Mike said of actor Joe’s casting: “I grew up watching that guy. One of my friends were also up for the part and I wanted to support him, but when I found out Joe had got it I knew he would be good. It’s good, it’s exciting.”
Natalie also had her say, before hinting that Moira’s brother Mackenzie could be at risk. She told us: “He is good. It’s all in the eyes. He’s very menacing and very scary. There is going to be a lot of danger, but it’s good. It’s shaken it up a bit.”
The secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, promises that forces will continue their immigration crackdown in an effort to “liberate” Los Angeles, pushing back at criticism that sending the United States military into the city was unwarranted and illegal.
“We have more assets now, today, than we did yesterday. We had more yesterday than we did the day before, so we are only building momentum,” Noem said during a news conference in the city. “This is only going to continue and be increased until we have peace on the streets of Los Angeles.”
As Noem was speaking, a US Democratic senator from California, Alex Padilla, was forcefully ejected from the room while trying to make himself heard – a removal that was swiftly condemned by other Democrats.
Padilla’s office said that once outside the room, the senator was pushed to the ground and handcuffed. He was later released.
President Donald Trump’s decision to dispatch troops to Los Angeles over the objections of California Governor Gavin Newsom has prompted a national debate about the use of the military in law enforcement operations on US soil.
Some 700 US Marines will be on the streets of the city by Thursday or Friday, the military has said, to support up to 4,000 National Guard troops in protecting federal property and federal agents, including on immigration raids.
Noem defended the use of National Guard troops and Marines alongside ICE agents and other federal personnel, saying Trump “has the right to utilise every authority that he has”.
The state of California is seeking a federal court order later today that would stop troops from “patrolling the streets of Los Angeles” and limit their role to protecting federal personnel and property. California’s lawsuit ultimately seeks to rescind Trump’s order to deploy the National Guard to the area.
US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem holds a news conference in Los Angeles, California, US, June 12, 2025 [Aude Guerrucci/Reuters]
In a court filing on Thursday, California argued that the federal government has already violated the law by having National Guard troops assist ICE agents in immigration raids.
Noem said federal officers have arrested more than 1,500 people and that the department has “tens of thousands of targets” in the region.
She said the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) was investigating whether there are financial links between the protests and political advocacy groups, something of which there has been little evidence.
Trump’s parade
On Saturday, Americans likely will see split-screen images of US troops on the streets of two major cities: Los Angeles, where troops are guarding federal buildings, and Washington, where soldiers, accompanied by tanks and other armoured vehicles, will rumble down Constitution Avenue in a rare public display of military might to celebrate the army’s 250th anniversary.
Nearly 2,000 protests against the parade, which is taking place on Trump’s 79th birthday, are planned around the country in one of the biggest demonstrations against Trump since he returned to power in January.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said Thursday he has ordered the deployment of more than 5,000 Texas National Guard troops, along with more than 2,000 state police, to help local law enforcement manage protests against Trump and the continuing federal immigration raids.
Abbott’s announcement did not detail where the troops were sent, but some were seen at a protest Wednesday night in downtown San Antonio near the Alamo. That protest drew hundreds of demonstrators but did not erupt into violence.
“Peaceful protests are part of the fabric of our nation, but Texas will not tolerate the lawlessness we have seen in Los Angeles in response to President Donald Trump’s enforcement of immigration law,” Abbott said. “Anyone engaging in acts of violence or damaging property will be arrested and held accountable to the full extent of the law.”
Mayors in San Antonio and Austin have said they did not ask for Abbott to mobilise the National Guard to their cities.
Missouri Governor Mike Kehoe on Thursday also activated the state’s National Guard “in response to civil unrest”.
“We respect, and will defend, the right to peacefully protest, but we will not tolerate violence or lawlessness in our state,” Kehoe said in a statement on the governor’s website. “While other states may wait for chaos to ensue, the State of Missouri is taking a proactive approach in the event that assistance is needed to support local law enforcement in protecting our citizens and communities.”
A member of law enforcement disperses people as protests against federal immigration sweeps continue, in downtown Los Angeles, California, on June 11, 2025 [David Ryder/Reuters]
The Los Angeles protests began last Friday in response to a series of immigration raids in the city. Trump, in turn, called in the National Guard on Saturday, then ordered the deployment of Marines on Monday.
“Los Angeles was safe and sound for the last two nights. Our great National Guard, with a little help from the Marines, put the LA Police in a position to effectively do their job,” Trump posted on social media on Thursday.
State and city officials say Trump is exaggerating what is happening in the city and that local police have the situation under control. The protests have been largely orderly but occasionally punctuated by violence, mostly contained to a few blocks.
Police said demonstrators at one location threw commercial-grade fireworks and rocks at officers on Wednesday night.
Another group of nearly 1,000 demonstrators was peacefully marching through downtown when police suddenly opened fire with less lethal munitions in front of City Hall.
Limits sought
Trump is carrying out a campaign promise to deport immigrants, employing forceful tactics consistent with the norm-breaking political style that got him elected twice.
The administration has circulated images showing National Guard troops protecting immigration agents who were arresting suspected undocumented migrants – a permissible function for the troops under federal law.
But the state argues those Guard troops have crossed the line into illegal activity under the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits the military from participating in civilian law enforcement.
“For example, photos posted on social media by ICE depict heavily armed members of the National Guard standing alongside ICE agents during arrests,” California said in its latest court filing.
Unless a judge intervenes, the military’s role likely will grow to include “detention, interrogation, and other activities that are practically indistinguishable from urban policing operations”, the filing asserts.
The Trump administration said in a Wednesday court filing that the judge should not restrict the military’s activities in Los Angeles.
“Neither the National Guard nor the Marines are engaged in law enforcement. Rather, they are protecting law enforcement, consistent with longstanding practice and the inherent protective power to provide for the safety of federal property and personnel,” the administration wrote.
US Army Major-General Scott Sherman, who commands the task force of Marines and Guardsmen, told reporters the Marines will not load their rifles with live ammunition, but they will carry live rounds.
Protesters react on the ground during a clash with law enforcement officers at a protest against federal immigration sweeps, in Los Angeles, California, on June 11, 2025 [David Swanson/Reuters]
No one wants to be delayed, or for their flight to be suddenly cancelled, but in such ‘worst case’ events travel experts urge passengers to store two items in their hand luggage
Air travellers are encouraged to pack a change of essential apparel in their hand luggage(Image: Getty Images/Westend61)
Travellers have been urged to pack two essential items people nearly always put into their suitcase instead.
The team at Flash Pack, the social travel platform, has created an extensive list of the key items you should keep in your hand luggage. Apart from your passport and travel documents, there are two basic but noteworthy items they think you should be adding to your carry-on bag.
These are a pair of socks and spare pair of underwear. Flash Pack writes: “While nobody wants their hold luggage to be delayed, we always prefer to live by the old adage of ‘prepare for the worst, hope for the best.’ Hedge your bets and pack an extra pair of socks and underwear in your carry-on.”
An change of socks and underwear can also come in hand if your flight has been significantly delayed or diverted unexpectedly. While some airports have showers you can use, switching out these items can be a small relief after a gruelling travel day.
Flash Pack also advised travellers to pack valuables like jewellry and headphones in their hand luggage(Image: Getty Images)
The hand luggage checklist also notes that passengers may want to have noise-cancelling headphones and a blanket on hand. Both of these items are must-packs for germaphobes as its now common knowledge that airlines repackage and redistribute these items.
While the checklist advises passengers to pack a portable charger in their hand luggage, you should double check the guidelines of your airline before doing this. That’s because recent incidents have led many airlines to enforce stricter regulations around the carry of power banks.
The extra precautions stem from the fact that power banks use lithium-ion batteries, which are known to be highly flammable and difficult to extinguish. South Korea’s transport ministry’s initial investigation of the Air Busan incident even found a scorched power bank in an overhead luggage compartment where the fire was first observed.
Keep in mind that aeroplane blankets are often reused(Image: Getty Images)
Essential medications should also always been packed in your hand luggage. Again, travellers should double-check their airline’s specific guidelines around the carry of liquid medications as you may be asked to present a prescription or note from a healthcare professional.
One final noteworthy item you will want to carry is a reusable water bottle, which can be filled up before boarding. Flight attendants have disclosed that the hot water provided on planes may not be the most sanitary so you should come prepared with your own aqua.
Full checklist for carry-on essentials from Flash Pack:
Giovanni Pernice’s ex girlfriend has been eyed up to become one of this years islanders, in the ‘most dramatic series yet’, after dating the former Strictly dancer last year
Jessica Clarke Digital Reporter
22:14, 08 Jun 2025Updated 23:19, 08 Jun 2025
Giovanni Pernice’s ex girlfriend eyed up for Love Island(Image: Giovanni Pernice’s ex girlfriend eyed up for Love Island)
Giovanni Pernice‘s ex girlfriend, Molly Brown, has reportedly been eyed up for a summer of love in the Love Island villa to find a new romance. The 26 year old, who dated the Strictly star for several months last year, has reportedly been approached by ITV producers.
Molly and Giovanni began dating at the beginning of 2024 but split after a few weeks before rekindling their relationship until July. The couple were together while allegations were being made by Amanda Abbington against Giovanni regarding his actions on Strictly.
The allegations reportedly grew too much for the couple, and they went their separate ways. A source claimed that Molly could ‘spill the beans’ on her previous relationship.
They teased: “TV execs love a famous ex and the chance for Molly to spill the beans on the biggest scandal for their rival channel the BBC was very tempting.”
Giovanni Pernice’s ex girlfriend, Molly Brown, has reportedly been eyed up for a summer of love in the Love Island villa (Image: mollybrownxox/instagram)
The source added to The Sun: “She could feature later in the series if show action allows, but ITV do speak to hundreds of singles every year to ensure there’s a wide cast ready for every storyline.”
Former Strictly star Giovanni is now in a relationship with actress Bianca Guaccero. The new couple first crossed paths during the Italian version of Strictly, and their relationship grew from there. They appear to be loved up in recent snaps shared to their social media from a romantic holiday in Barbados.
The reports follow this year’s summer series of Love Island being dubbed the most dramatic series yet. The 12th series of the reality show is set to premiere on June 9 on ITV2, promising to bring more drama and twists. Returning as host, Maya Jama has hinted at unprecedented twists and explosive moments that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats
Former Strictly star Giovanni is now in a relationship with actress Bianca Guaccero(Image: Instagram/ @giovannipernice)
Mike Spencer-Hayter, also known as Love Island’s boss, has already teased that week one will hold never-seen-before twists, as well as revealing that they have a whole two weeks planned out, which isn’t a usual occurrence. He has also hinted that the huge twist could be related to this years bombshells.
He sparked speculation that the bombshell could be international as he told The Sun: “Something big is coming in week one. We’ve got a really big week one planned. It’s hard to say what we’re doing without saying it. It’s not a celebrity. We’ve not seen it before.”
Returning as host, Maya Jama has hinted at unprecedented twists and explosive moments that will keep viewers on the edge of their seats(Image: ITV)
He added: “There will be things happening for the first couple of days we’ve not done before and certainly in week one. During that week, there’s something incredibly big we’ve never done before. Hopefully, we can do it. It’s quite experimental.”
The boss also admitted to breaking the rules of tradition by planning further ahead. He said: “We’ve mapped out two weeks, which we don’t usually do, to be honest. So we’ve got two weeks planned and one very, very big thing that’s never been done ever on Love Island. Globally.”
June 1 (UPI) — China criticized the United States on Sunday for having a “Cold War mentality” after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth appeared to warn that the U.S. is prepared to go to war to prevent China from dominating the Indo-Pacific region in a speech Saturday.
“Hegseth deliberately ignored the call for peace and development by countries in the region, and instead touted the Cold War mentality for bloc confrontation, vilified China with defamatory allegations, and falsely called China a ‘threat,'” a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“The remarks were filled with provocations and intended to sow discord. China deplores and firmly opposes them and has protested strongly to the U.S.”
Hegseth had delivered his remarks during the International Institute for Strategic Studies Shangri-La Dialogue event in Singapore. He said the Indo-Pacific region is the United States’ “priority theater” and won’t allow China to push it and its allies out of the region.
China retorted Sunday that “no country in the world deserves to be called a hegemonic power other than the U.S. itself.”
“To perpetuate its hegemony and advance the so-called ‘Indo-Pacific strategy,’ the U.S. has deployed offensive weaponry in the South China Sea and kept stoking flames and creating tensions in the Asia-Pacific, which are turning the region into a powder keg and making countries in the region deeply concerned,” the Foreign Ministry spokesperson said.
Hegseth had also said that China was “preparing to use military force” to alter the balance of power in the region and appeared to indicate that the United States would step in to defend Taiwan if China were to attack it.
Mainland China and the island of Taiwan, among other islands, were ruled by the Republic of China before the ROC lost the Chinese Civil War in the early 20th century to the Chinese Communist Party, which established the new government of the People’s Republic of China in October 1949.
The ROC in turn established a temporary capital in Taipei on the island of Taiwan, a former Japanese territory, in December 1949 that served as the seat for China at the United Nations until it was replaced by the People’s Republic of China in 1971 when foreign countries switched their diplomatic relations.
China views self-governed Taiwan and its 23 million residents as a wayward province and has vowed to retake it by force, if necessary. Many supporters of Taiwan have since argued that it is already an independent sovereign state separate from mainland China, which has never controlled Taiwan.
Tensions between the United States and China started to grow during the administration of President Joe Biden in 2022 when then-U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosivisited Taiwan, sparking a military response from the Chinese government and increased drills in the Taiwan Strait. In 2022, a four-star general predicted that the U.S. and China could be at war by the end of this year.
After returning for his second term, President Donald Trump‘s administration has escalated tensions with China, particularly related to trade tariffs that appear now to be expanding into broader military and diplomatic arenas.
For example, the Pentagon has increased naval patrols in contested areas of the South China Sea and bolstered military partnerships with allies including Japan, Australia, and the Philippines.
“The Taiwan question is entirely China’s internal affair. No country is in a position to interfere. The U.S. should never imagine it could use the Taiwan question as leverage against China,” the Foreign Ministry spokesperson said. “The U.S. must never play with fire on this question.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says nations must prepare for war to ensure peace amid Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific region during the International Institute for Strategic Studies Shangri-la Dialogue Defence Summit in Singapore on Saturday. Photo by How Hwee Young/EPA-EFE
May 31 (UPI) — The United States and its allies won’t allow China to dominate the Indo-Pacific region, but do not seek war, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Saturday morning in Singapore.
He addressed regional concerns while speaking during the International Institute for Strategic Studies Shangri-La Dialogue event in Singapore.
Hegseth said the Indo-Pacific region is the United States’ “priority theater” and won’t allow China to push the United States and its allies out of the region, the Department of Defense announced Friday in a news release.
Instead, deterrence will be the primary tool by which the United States and its allies will counter any aggressive moves made by China, particularly in the South China Sea and against Taiwan.
“As our allies share the burden, we can increase our focus on the Indo-Pacific,” Hegseth said, adding that the region is the nation’s “priority theater.”
He said the futures of the United States and its allies in the Indo-Pacific depend on each other.
“We share a vision of peace and stability, of prosperity and security,” Hegseth said, “and we are here to stay.”
Common sense and national interests with guide policy making in the region, while respecting mutual self-interests.
President Donald Trump is working to get European nations to do more to increase their respective national security interests instead of largely relying on the United States.
As European nations do more to protect themselves, Hegseth said the United States will be better able to focus on matters in the Indo-Pacific region and do more to thwart Chinese aggression.
“This enables all of us to benefit from the peace and stability that comes with a lasting and strong American presence here in the Indo-Pacific,” Hegseth said.
That presence won’t come at a cost for the nation’s allies, though.
“We are not here to pressure other countries to embrace and adopt our politics or ideology,” Hegseth told the audience. “We are all sovereign nations.”
He said the United States does not “seek conflict with communist China.”
But the United States “will not be pushed out of this critical region,” Hegseth added. “And we will not let our allies and partners be subordinated and intimidated.”
He said China’s leaders are “preparing to use military force to alter the balance of power in the Indo-Pacific,” including occupying Taiwan.
Any move by China to take over Taiwan, which China has claimed as part of its sovereign state, would trigger “devastating consequences” for the region and the world, Hegseth told the audience.
“The threat China poses is real, and it could be imminent,” he said, adding that the United States and its allies must be prepared with “urgency and vigilance.”
If deterrence doesn’t work and a fighting war is inevitable, “we are prepared to do what the Department of Defense does best: to fight and win decisively,” Hegseth said.
The best way to ensure peace is to prepare for war, “but we have to do this quickly,” he said. “We have no time to waste.”
May 28 (UPI) — The Trump administration ordered a hold on any new interviews of foreign student visa applications as it expands the vetting of applicants’ social media accounts.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced Wednesday in a social media post that he is “announcing a new visa restriction policy that will apply to foreign officials and persons who are complicit in censoring Americans.”
Politico, NBC News and CBS News previously reported that Rubio issued a cable to all U.S. Embassies and consular agencies Tuesday to request the hold, in which he wrote that “Effective immediately, in preparation for an expansion of required social media screening and vetting, consular sections should not add any additional student or exchange visitor (F, M, and J) visa appointment capacity until further guidance is issued septel, which we anticipate in the coming days.”
“Septel” is State Department shorthand for “separate telegram.”
The cable also states that “consular sections will need to take into consideration the workload and resource requirements of each case prior to scheduling them going forward,” and that the main concern should be in regard to “services for U.S. citizens, immigrant visas, and fraud prevention.”
Politico said the cable alluded to the search for anti-Semitism and material that would indicate potential terrorist activity.
In a speech Rubio recorded for the Foreign Minister’s Conference on Combating Antisemitism, held Wednesday at the World Holocaust Remembrance Center in Jerusalem, he spoke on behalf of the State Department’s Office of the Special Envoy to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism.
“Those who call to boycott Israel are calling for the boycott of their Jewish neighbors and classmates,” Rubio said. “We have implemented a vigorous new visa policy that will prevent foreign nationals from coming to the United States to foment hatred against our Jewish community.”
Rubio further posted online Wednesday that “Foreigners who work to undermine the rights of Americans should not enjoy the privilege of traveling to our country. Whether in Latin America, Europe, or elsewhere, the days of passive treatment for those who work to undermine the rights of Americans are over.”
The Trump administration previously imposed requirements for screening the social media of returning students who participated in protests in support of Palestinians opposing Israel’s war in Gaza.
