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The Cradle is an online news magazine covering West Asian geopolitics from within.
Julani in a suit: How France turned a pariah into a partner
Syria's interim President Ahmad Sharaa’s rise is less a redemption arc than a calculated western project – with France seeking to outmaneuver Russia and reclaim its colonial stake in Syria.
Turkiye 'expects' US-backed Kurds to integrate into new Syrian army
US proxy militias in northeast Syria have stated they will not disarm in response to the dissolution of the PKK in Turkiye
❗️Armed Israeli settler blocks the Deir Sharaf checkpoint west of Nablus in the occupied West Bank, preventing hundreds of vehicles from passing and assaulting their owners.
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❗️Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated during today's NATO talks that Turkiye expects the YPG to be integrated into Syria's military structure.
"In order for stability to be achieved in Syria, there must be a comprehensive government, a single legitimate armed force," he said.
Israel to use facial recognition tech to 'screen' Palestinians in need of aid
The threat of total famine looms over the entirety of Gaza as a result of a months-long blockade imposed by Israel
⭕️ "Today we have an Islamist extremist who is now in charge of Syria."
US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard criticized Syria's interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, while President Donald Trump called him a "young, attractive guy."
❗️Excerpt from Hamas's latest statement:
"The criminal Netanyahu has proven, with his obsessive thoughts of murder and destruction, that he poses a danger not only to our people – but also to the region and the entire world."
❗️15 Palestinians, including 11 children and a woman, killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting a prayer hall in Jabalia camp, north of the Gaza Strip.
(Al Jazeera)
❗️SMEX accuses Samsung of covertly installing spyware-linked app on devices in West Asia and North Africa
Digital rights group SMEX has accused Samsung Electronics of pre-installing the “AppCloud” application—described as malware—on A and M series devices across West Asia and North Africa without user consent or the ability to remove it. The app’s privacy policy, SMEX revealed, is tied to the controversial Israeli firm IronSource, now owned by US-based Unity Technologies, raising serious concerns about surveillance and data exploitation in a heavily targeted region.
SMEX is demanding full transparency from Samsung regarding the app’s data practices, a guaranteed opt-out and uninstall option that does not void device warranties, and a review of Samsung’s regional pre-installation policy. The group has also requested a direct meeting with Samsung’s regional teams to address what it calls a breach of user privacy and digital sovereignty. The full open letter is available via SMEX’s official channels.
❗️Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Ankara today to hold talks with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, as Russian and Ukrainian officials were also set to begin separate peace negotiations in Istanbul.
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Colombia joins China's Belt and Road Initiative
Beijing has pledged to increase its cooperation with Latin America, including providing billions in loans to strengthen regional security
❗️Israeli occupation forces bulldoze home in Tamoun after killing four Palestinians, seize bodies
After killing four Palestinians during a raid in the town of Tamoun, north of the occupied West Bank, Israeli forces deployed a military bulldozer to demolish the house where the victims were besieged and bombed.
The bodies of the four were confiscated by the army, and their families were prevented from approaching the site.
❗️Donald Trump Says US should ‘take’ Gaza, turn it into a ‘freedom zone’
Speaking from Qatar on Thursday, US President Donald Trump said he would support direct American involvement in Gaza, suggesting that the US “take” the besieged territory and transform it into what he called a “freedom zone.”
“I have concepts for Gaza… I’d be proud to have the United States take it, make it a freedom zone,” Trump said, as reported by AFP. Remarks were made as Israel intensifies its military assault and blockade on the Palestinian enclave.
⭕️ US President Donald Trump is scheduled to conclude his visit to Qatar today with an address to American troops before heading to the United Arab Emirates.
According to a Reuters report on Wednesday, the US has a preliminary deal with the UAE permitting the import of 500,000 of Nvidia’s most advanced AI chips annually, beginning this year.
❗️Israeli forces mutilate bodies of executed Palestinians in Tammun
According to Al Jazeera sources, Israeli occupation forces mutilated the bodies of Palestinians they executed during a raid in the town of Tammun, north of the occupied West Bank, before transferring the corpses to an undisclosed location.
HRW reveals Syrian security forces continue 'extorting, mistreating' civilians
Syria’s security and military forces are made up of numerous extremist factions with a track record of war crimes and violent sectarianism
The Nakba was not a moment in history, nor was it an Israeli 'war of independence.'
It was a method of expulsion, theft, and erasure that began before 1948 and continues into 2025 across the entirety of Palestine.
US Treasury 'surprised, confused' by Trump's order to lift Syria sanctions
Washington’s sanctions have targeted Syria for around 14 years, decimating the country’s economy and the daily lives of ordinary Syrians
BREAKING | US President Donald Trump arrives in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
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UPDATE | Five Palestinians were killed by Israeli occupations forces after raiding the town of Tamoun, West Bank, today:
– Saher Jadallah Bsharat
– Reda Farhoud Bani Odeh
– Ibrahim Rafea Bani Odeh
– Wadie Iyad Bani Odeh
– Islam Azmi Bani Odeh
UPDATE | Israel has killed at least 103 Palestinians in strikes across the Gaza Strip since dawn today.
(Medical sources to Al Jazeera)
⭕️ Satellite imagery by Planet Labs PBC reveals ongoing construction in southern Gaza, where Israeli forces are building so-called “aid hubs” as part of a new distribution plan near military bases and outposts.
At least four centers are expected in the south, with one positioned beyond the Israeli-controlled Netzarim Corridor in the north, effectively bisecting Gaza and pressuring Palestinians to relocate southward.
❗️US President Donald Trump reveals that Qatar plans to invest $10 billion over the next few years into Al-Udeid Air Base, located southwest of Doha, which serves as the largest US military base in West Asia.
Speaking to US troops stationed at the base during his visit to the Gulf, Trump also announced that Qatar had finalized defense procurement agreements valued at $42 billion on Wednesday.
❗️Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in Ankara today to hold talks with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, as Russian and Ukrainian officials were also set to begin separate peace negotiations in Istanbul.
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❗️Israeli forces shoot at mother of murdered Palestinian during raid on Tamoun
Israeli occupation forces opened fire on the mother of one of the four Palestinians killed during the raid on the town of Tamoun, in the Tubas governorate of the occupied West Bank. Ambulance crews were rushed to the scene.
Footage from the ground shows the moment of the shooting.
❗️Some of the bodies that were abducted by the Israeli occupation forces in Tamoun were seen being carried by the blade of a bulldozer.
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Trump says nuclear deal with Iran ‘getting close’
Washington has targeted several Iranian individuals and entities with sanctions since the conclusion of the latest round of nuclear talks with Tehran
❗️Israel confirms the death of one settler in the shooting that took place near the Bruchin settlement last night.
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⭕️ At the NATO meeting in Antalya, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan called for a more balanced distribution of defense responsibilities across the alliance. “We share Mark Rutte’s vision — the incoming NATO Secretary General — that we need a security network stretching from Texas to Ankara,” he said.
Fidan also expressed hope that the upcoming Russia-Ukraine talks in Istanbul “will open a new page,” adding that Turkiye will work with NATO allies to support the process through a comprehensive, 360-degree approach to Euro-Atlantic security.
⭕️ UN, European states sign agreement to coordinate foreign support for Lebanese Army
The Lebanese Ministry of Defense, the United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL), and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding yesterday at the Lebanese Army headquarters in Yarze.
The agreement aims to coordinate international support for the Lebanese Armed Forces and is backed by funding from several donor states, including the European Union, Germany, France, Spain, Norway, Denmark, and the Netherlands.