TV News LIES

Emirati scholar Abdulkhaleq Abdulla has called Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu a "war criminal" who is wholly unwelcome in the United Arab Emirates, after the country's foreign ministry issued a statement denying that Netanyahu ever came to visit UAE ruler Mohammed bin Zayed al-Nahyan. 

Netanyahu made a "secret" visit to the UAE in March, amid the US-Israeli war on Iran, his own office said in a statement on Wednesday.

"There is no welcome whatsoever for a war criminal and the killer of Gaza's children on the pure soil of the Emirates," Abdulla, who is a non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, DC, wrote on X on Thursday.

"The visit that Netanyahu is talking about is a fabrication from his sick imagination, and it is well known that he is a prolific liar who released this lie to serve opportunistic electoral purposes."

In a statement, the UAE foreign ministry said its "relations with Israel are public and conducted within the framework of the well-known and officially declared Abraham Accords, and are not based on non-transparent or unofficial arrangements".

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Chinese President Xi Jinping is using the issue of Taiwan to exert power over President Trump as the two leaders seek to tackle a number of hot button issues during this week’s high stakes summit in Beijing.

During their bilateral meeting on Thursday, Xi told Trump the “entire relationship” between Washington and Beijing would be put in jeopardy if the “Taiwan question” is not handled well, according to the Chinese foreign ministry.

Additionally, China referred to Taiwan as “the most important issue in China-U.S. relations” in a readout following the meeting.

The White House, on the other hand, did not mention Taiwan once in its readout of the meeting, and Trump notably did not respond to questions from reporters on the topic when he was greeted by Xi.

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Yuri Ushakov, an aide to Vladimir Putin, asserted on May 10 that any settlement regarding the war in Ukraine will “stand still” unless Kyiv withdraws its military from the Donbas. Despite this rigid ultimatum, Ushakov expressed confidence that the US has not abandoned the diplomatic track, predicting that Donald Trump’s envoys, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, will soon return to Moscow for further talks.

The Kremlin has signaled that diplomatic efforts to end the war will face a continued deadlock unless Ukraine agrees to a total military withdrawal from the Donbas region.

Speaking to Russian state media, Presidential Aide Yuri Ushakov emphasized that Russia’s stance on territorial control remains unchanged. “A settlement in Ukraine without the withdrawal of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) from Donbas will stand still even after 10 rounds of negotiations,” Ushakov stated, adding that he believes Kyiv will eventually be forced to “realize” this necessity.

Despite the harsh rhetoric regarding territorial concessions, the Kremlin appears to remain open to the diplomatic channel established by the Trump administration.

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The 1974 Carnation Revolution in Portugal that overthrew the country's dictatorship and led to independence for its African colonies was sparked off by the airing of Portugal's Eurovision entry for that year, E depois do adeus ("And After the Farewell"), by Paulo de Carvalho.

In 2009, authorities in Azerbaijan interrogated 43 people after they voted for Armenia's entry in the contest that year, while Ukraine and Russia regularly jibed at each other over the latter's invasion until Russia was expelled in 2022.

But arguably the biggest political controversy in the contest has been around Israel's participation since the beginning of the genocide in Gaza in October 2023.

"For me, this is first and foremost about the devastating humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the enormous loss of civilian lives," Emmelie de Forest, winner of the 2013 Eurovision song contest, told Middle East Eye.

"But it’s also about what it means when cultural institutions try to completely separate themselves from political reality. I don’t think music exists outside the world around us."

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The Hungarian Parliament held its inaugural session on Saturday, May 9, ushering in a new political era as the Tisza party, led by Péter Magyar, officially took control of the legislature and formed a new government., 444 reported.

The session saw the Tisza party exercise its new absolute majority to elect Ágnes Forsthoffer as the Speaker of Parliament. In her first act in the role, Forsthoffer ordered the European Union flag to be re-displayed on the parliament building – an ornament that had been removed by the previous administration 12 years ago.

Following the confirmation of his 16-ministry cabinet, Péter Magyar took the oath of office and delivered his first address as Prime Minister. He stated that his administration had received a mandate from the Hungarian people to “open a new chapter” and lead the country into a “freer, more humane, and more hopeful era.”

“We promise to ensure that what unites us is stronger than what divides us,” Magyar told the assembly. Outside the parliament, the central square was reported to be packed with thousands of citizens who gathered to mark the end of the “Orbán era.”

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President Volodymyr Zelensky said Ukraine and Russia have agreed to carry out a large‑scale prisoner exchange involving 1,000 detainees on each side, marking a major humanitarian step amid the ongoing war.

The agreement was reached through US‑mediated negotiations, with preparations for the exchange already underway, Zelensky said on Friday in a post on Telegram.

“Ukraine is consistently working to return its people from Russian captivity,” Zelensky said, emphasizing that humanitarian considerations remain central to Ukraine’s position.

The exchange is expected to coincide with a temporary ceasefire from May 9 to May 11, days that align with Russia’s Victory Day celebrations.

Zelensky said Ukraine’s decisions regarding security and military posture are guided by a principle of reciprocity, but that the return of prisoners takes precedence.

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