Global Pulse

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  • Rayhan Thomas takes major leap toward PGA Tour with gritty Q-School breakthrough

    Rayhan Thomas takes major leap toward PGA Tour with gritty Q-School breakthrough

    Dubai-based professional golfer Rayhan Thomas has achieved a significant career milestone by securing his advancement to the Final Stage of the Korn Ferry Tour Qualifying School. The 26-year-old Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club representative demonstrated exceptional composure under pressure at The Landings, Deer Creek course in Savannah, Georgia, finishing with a four-round total of 13-under-par (275) that placed him in a tie for 15th position.

    Thomas’s performance throughout the qualifying tournament showcased remarkable mental fortitude and strategic discipline. After posting rounds of 67, 71, and 67, he closed with a steady 70 on the Tom Fazio-designed par-72 layout. His final round proved particularly impressive, featuring 16 pars against only two bogeys while maintaining position exactly on the qualifying threshold throughout the day.

    The Dubai-born golfer, who represents his Indian heritage, acknowledged the intense pressure of the qualifying environment. ‘It was a tight squeeze at the end, but it was a huge relief,’ Thomas stated afterward. ‘I hit a lot of greens, did not hole much with my putter, but that is what Qualifying School is all about – surviving and advancing.’

    Thomas now progresses to the decisive Final Stage in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, where the 72-hole tournament will be contested across TPC Sawgrass’s Dye’s Valley Course and Sawgrass Country Club from December 11-14. The stakes couldn’t be higher: the top five finishers will receive full PGA Tour playing privileges for the 2026 season, while the next 40 players and ties will secure full Korn Ferry Tour membership.

    Supported by sponsors including Hero, Wilson, Cadillac, and Dubai Basketball, Thomas carries substantial momentum into the final qualifying stage. His achievement marks a potential historic breakthrough, as he could become one of the very few golfers from the Middle East region to obtain full PGA Tour status with a top-five finish in Florida.

  • National Guardsman ‘slowly healing’ after being shot in Washington DC

    National Guardsman ‘slowly healing’ after being shot in Washington DC

    A West Virginia National Guardsman critically wounded in a November ambush shooting near the White House is demonstrating significant signs of recovery, according to official statements. Staff Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, 24, sustained severe head injuries during the November 26th attack that claimed the life of his colleague, 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom.

    West Virginia Governor Patrick Morrisey relayed optimistic updates from Wolfe’s family, noting the soldier’s head wound is progressively healing and that he’s gradually returning to his normal appearance. Medical professionals anticipate the Air Force staff sergeant will require approximately two to three additional weeks of acute care treatment.

    The shooting incident occurred when Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan national and former counterterrorism soldier in a CIA-backed unit, opened fire on National Guard personnel. Law enforcement authorities have charged Lakanwal with first-degree murder and assault with intent to kill.

    Governor Morrisey participated in a Friday evening vigil at Musselman High School in Inwood, West Virginia, where Wolfe was formerly a student. During the gathering, a pastor read aloud a heartfelt message from Jason and Melody Wolfe, the soldier’s parents, who expressed both their enduring faith and gratitude for worldwide support despite acknowledging the lengthy recovery ahead.

    Earlier medical reports indicated Wolfe had responded to nursing staff with a thumbs-up gesture and demonstrated toe movement capacity, suggesting positive neurological responses.

    The shooting has prompted significant policy repercussions, with the Trump administration citing the incident as justification for enhanced immigration enforcement measures. These include the cancellation of citizenship ceremonies for immigrants from 19 countries previously affected by travel restrictions, including Afghanistan.

    Wolfe was among 2,000 National Guard members deployed to the capital in August as part of immigration and crime reduction initiatives targeting Democratic-led urban centers. Following the attack, President Trump called for an additional 500 troops to be dispatched to Washington DC.

  • Guggenheim Abu Dhabi architect Frank Gehry dies at 96

    Guggenheim Abu Dhabi architect Frank Gehry dies at 96

    Frank Gehry, the revolutionary architect whose audacious designs transformed city skylines from Abu Dhabi to Bilbao, passed away Friday at 96. His death was confirmed by chief of staff Meaghan Lloyd, who noted the visionary succumbed to a brief respiratory illness at his Santa Monica residence.

    Gehry’s career spanned seven decades, marked by spectacular structures that challenged architectural conventions. His iconic Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao—hailed by Vanity Fair’s expert panel as the most significant architectural work since 1980—exemplified his genius for creating buildings that appeared both collapsing and magnificently alive. The late Philip Johnson, himself an architectural titan, declared it “the greatest building of our time” and Gehry “the greatest architect we have.”

    Beyond the Bilbao masterpiece, Gehry’s portfolio included the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Facebook’s California campus, Paris’ Fondation Louis Vuitton, Prague’s Dancing House, and New York’s 8 Spruce Street tower. Each project demonstrated his unparalleled ability to manipulate form, space, and materials into breathtaking artistic statements.

    Born Frank Owen Goldberg in Toronto to Polish Jewish parents on February 28, 1929, Gehry developed an early fascination with architecture through childhood creations built from wood scraps. After studying at the University of Southern California and briefly attending Harvard, he changed his surname at his wife’s suggestion to counter anti-Semitism in the architectural world.

    His 1989 Pritzker Prize recognition cemented his professional standing, but the 1997 Bilbao Guggenheim catapulted him to international stardom. Despite criticism that his designs prioritized form over function—with the Disney Hall labeled “deconstructionist trash” by some—Gehry remained philosophical: “You kind of say, ‘At least they’re looking!’”

    French billionaire Bernard Arnault paid tribute to Gehry’s enduring legacy, noting his “unparalleled gift for shaping forms” would continue inspiring Louis Vuitton and LVMH brands. Beyond architecture, Gehry designed furniture, jewelry, watches, and even a signature vodka bottle and Lady Gaga’s avant-garde headpiece.

  • Europe forges ahead with Big Tech crackdown with X fine, defying Trump

    Europe forges ahead with Big Tech crackdown with X fine, defying Trump

    The European Union is intensifying its regulatory offensive against major technology corporations, demonstrating unwavering commitment to its digital governance framework despite mounting pressure from the United States government. In a significant escalation of enforcement actions, EU authorities have imposed substantial penalties on Elon Musk’s X platform while initiating fresh investigations into other tech giants.

    On Friday, the European Commission levied a €120 million fine against X for violations of EU online content regulations, marking the latest in a series of aggressive enforcement moves. This action follows September’s unexpected €2.95 billion penalty against Alphabet’s Google, signaling Europe’s determined implementation of its landmark digital legislation.

    The enforcement drive centers on two pivotal regulatory instruments: the Digital Markets Act, designed to constrain the market dominance of Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Booking.com, and ByteDance; and the Digital Services Act, which mandates enhanced responsibility from major platforms in combating illegal and harmful content.

    The U.S. administration has responded with forceful opposition, connecting reductions in steel import tariffs to weakened EU digital regulations and directing diplomatic personnel to launch an extensive lobbying campaign against the laws. This transatlantic tension has created an unprecedented standoff between traditional allies over digital governance philosophy.

    EU Antitrust Chief Teresa Ribera has emphatically rejected American criticisms, asserting Europe’s sovereign right to regulate its digital markets. “It is our duty to remind others that we deserve respect,” Ribera declared at a recent event. “I am in charge of defending well-functioning digital markets in Europe, and it is not related at all with any type of joint conversation.”

    Legal experts observe that while initial U.S. threats caused concern, their impact appears to be diminishing. Daniel Mandrescu, a competition law professor at Leiden University, noted: “The EU Commission’s investigation into Meta indicates that political pressure is rapidly losing strength—the rule of law is simply not negotiable.”

    The confrontation reaches beyond immediate fines into fundamental philosophical differences. Ribera has articulated that competition law represents “an essential pillar of open, fair, and sustainable markets” that should never serve as “a bargaining chip in trade negotiations or a tool for protectionism.”

    Current testing grounds for EU resolve include Google’s proposed concessions regarding its advertising technology practices and Meta’s AI integration in WhatsApp, which regulators fear could disadvantage competitors. A decision on Google’s proposal is anticipated early next year, while the Meta investigation commenced Thursday with potential orders to halt certain AI feature implementations.

    Rupprecht Podszun, Director at the Institute for Competition Law, characterized the situation as demonstrating “new vigour in EU enforcement” that creates binding obligations against backtracking. The ongoing cases will serve as critical litmus tests for Europe’s ability to maintain regulatory independence amid significant international pressure.

  • Egyptologists uncover 225 ‘exceptional’ figurines in pharaoh’s tomb

    Egyptologists uncover 225 ‘exceptional’ figurines in pharaoh’s tomb

    In a groundbreaking archaeological breakthrough, French Egyptologists have unearthed a remarkable collection of 225 ancient funerary figurines within a royal tomb at the Tanis necropolis in Egypt’s Nile Delta. The discovery, made by a team led by renowned Egyptologist Frédéric Payraudeau in early October, represents the first such find in the Tanis burial grounds since 1946.

    The meticulously arranged green figurines, known as ushabti, were designed to serve the deceased in the afterlife. What makes this discovery particularly extraordinary is that more than half of these ancient artifacts depict female figures—a rare occurrence in Egyptian archaeology. The figurines were found carefully positioned in a star formation around a trapezoidal pit with additional horizontal rows at the bottom.

    The excavation team worked tirelessly for ten days to carefully extract all 225 artifacts, even continuing through the night with special lighting to preserve the integrity of the discovery. The royal symbols inscribed on the figurines have finally resolved a long-standing archaeological mystery, confirming the tomb’s occupant as Pharaoh Shoshenq III, who ruled Egypt from approximately 830 to 791 BC.

    Egyptian authorities, including Dr. Mohamed Ismail Khaled, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Archaeology, have hailed the discovery as a decisive breakthrough that confirms the Tanis archaeological site still holds numerous undiscovered secrets. The findings also reveal previously unknown patterns within the burial chamber, providing valuable new insights into ancient Egyptian burial practices during this historical period.

  • Taiwan is inalienable part of China’s territory: SCO Secretary-General

    Taiwan is inalienable part of China’s territory: SCO Secretary-General

    In an exclusive written interview with Xinhua, Shanghai Cooperation Organization Secretary-General Nurlan Yermekbayev delivered a firm reiteration of the international consensus regarding Taiwan’s status, emphasizing that “the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China” and that “Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory.”

    The senior diplomat’s statements came specifically in response to recent erroneous remarks by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi concerning Taiwan, which he contextualized within concerning patterns of Japanese right-wing forces attempting to revive militaristic ideologies. Yermekbayev anchored his position in historical precedent, noting that SCO member states first affirmed this position on Taiwan during their landmark 2002 summit in St. Petersburg.

    Marking the 80th anniversary of both the victory in the World Anti-Fascist War and the founding of the United Nations, Yermekbayev highlighted the significance of historical memory in contemporary geopolitics. He referenced the September 1 statement issued during the SCO Tianjin Summit, where leaders collectively warned that “ignoring historical lessons is bound to lead to grave consequences” and that preserving objective historical truth remains essential to preventing the recurrence of past tragedies.

    The Secretary-General articulated the SCO’s unwavering commitment to fundamental international principles, including mutual respect for national sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity, alongside the non-interference in internal affairs. These principles, enshrined in both the UN Charter and SCO Charter, form the bedrock of the organization’s approach to global governance and conflict prevention.

    Yermekbayev concluded with a sobering reminder that member states bear “a shared responsibility for both the past and the future” to ensure future generations are spared from the scourge of war, positioning the SCO as a guardian of both historical truth and future peace.

  • ‘We’ve lost everything’: Australia wildfire rips through homes

    ‘We’ve lost everything’: Australia wildfire rips through homes

    A ferocious bushfire has inflicted severe damage upon a coastal community situated north of Sydney, Australia, leaving a trail of destruction and multiple residences obliterated. The blaze, which rapidly escalated due to prevailing weather conditions, tore through the area with little warning for residents.

    Emergency services responded to the crisis as the fire front advanced, threatening local infrastructure and forcing swift evacuations. Preliminary reports from the scene indicate that several properties have been completely destroyed, with others sustaining significant damage. The incident has triggered a coordinated response from firefighting units battling to contain the spread and protect surrounding neighborhoods.

    Affected residents have expressed profound shock and distress, with many recounting narrow escapes and the complete loss of personal belongings. Community support networks are mobilizing to provide immediate assistance, including temporary accommodation and essential supplies for those displaced by the disaster. Authorities have launched investigations into the fire’s origin while continuing to assess the full extent of the damage across the impacted region.

  • Dubai Police warn of accident on Emirates Road; traffic delays expected

    Dubai Police warn of accident on Emirates Road; traffic delays expected

    Dubai Police issued an official traffic advisory on Saturday, December 6th, 2025, warning motorists of significant delays on Emirates Road following a reported traffic accident. The incident occurred during morning hours, creating substantial traffic obstruction on the vital roadway connecting Dubai and Sharjah.

    According to authorities, the collision specifically affected the Emirates Street section heading toward Sharjah, prompting immediate police response and traffic management measures. The police communication, disseminated through official social media channels, did not specify the nature or severity of the accident but confirmed the resulting traffic disruption.

    In their public statement, Dubai Police emphasized heightened safety precautions for commuters traveling through the impacted zones. Motorists were advised to exercise extreme caution, reduce speeds, and maintain safe following distances while approaching the affected area. The authority further suggested that drivers consider alternative routes where possible to minimize congestion and ensure smoother transit.

    The timing of the incident during weekend morning traffic potentially amplified its impact on travel patterns across the emirate. Emirates Road serves as a critical arterial route for inter-emirate commuting, meaning the accident likely affected numerous travelers between Dubai and Sharjah.

    No additional details regarding vehicle involvement, potential injuries, or estimated clearance time were immediately provided in the initial alert. The police department typically provides subsequent updates as accident response and clearance operations progress.

  • Dubai BlueChip scam estimated at Dh400 million; 10 bank accounts of owner frozen

    Dubai BlueChip scam estimated at Dh400 million; 10 bank accounts of owner frozen

    Authorities have significantly expanded their probe into the massive BlueChip investment fraud case, now estimated at approximately Dh400 million ($109 million), following the dramatic capture of its Dubai-based mastermind. Ravindra Nath Soni, the alleged architect of the sophisticated financial scheme, was apprehended in Dehradun on November 30th after an extensive 18-month manhunt, culminating when investigators tracked a food delivery order to his hideout.

    Indian police officials have confirmed the freezing of at least ten bank accounts linked to Soni across multiple cities, with the investigation now extending beyond traditional banking channels into complex cryptocurrency transactions and informal hawala networks. Kanpur Police Commissioner Raghubir Lal revealed that forensic accounting has uncovered transactions worth Rs970 crore layered through numerous accounts before being converted into digital currencies via international partners.

    The case has taken on transnational dimensions with the identification of twelve overseas associates, primarily based in Dubai, who allegedly facilitated the movement of illicit funds. Commissioner Lal emphasized that the operation’s scale far exceeds initial estimates and now presents potential national security concerns due to the anonymous, cross-border nature of the financial movements.

    Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Anjali Vishwakarma indicated that India’s Enforcement Directorate, the country’s premier financial crimes agency, is poised to join the investigation once preliminary financial mapping is complete. The probe will incorporate advanced financial forensics and digital analysis to trace the complex money trail.

    The collapse of BlueChip in March 2024 left numerous investors across the UAE facing devastating losses, with many losing life savings after the company’s Bur Dubai office abruptly closed. Victims who were promised monthly returns of 3 percent found themselves with bounced checks and unanswered calls as the operation vanished overnight.

    Legal experts stress that recovering the misappropriated funds will require unprecedented international cooperation. Mumbai-based lawyer Dr. Sujay Kantawala emphasized the necessity of worldwide asset tracing and freezing measures, noting that given the sophisticated layering techniques employed, a coordinated multinational task force may be essential for any meaningful financial recovery for victims.

  • US becomes major source of gun violence in Caribbean: report

    US becomes major source of gun violence in Caribbean: report

    A comprehensive regional investigation has revealed the United States as the dominant supplier of illicit firearms driving escalating violence across Caribbean nations. The landmark report, collaboratively produced by multiple international agencies, documents systematic weapons trafficking operations primarily originating from American sources.

    The study titled “Pathway to Policy: Firearms Trafficking and Public Health in the Caribbean” was jointly released on December 2nd by the Caribbean Community Implementation Agency for Crime and Security, the Caribbean Public Health Agency, and the Small Arms Survey research organization. Their findings present compelling evidence linking the region’s worsening security situation directly to firearms proliferation from US channels.

    According to empirical data collected between 2017 and early 2025, law enforcement agencies in Caribbean countries intercepted at least 29 illegal weapons shipments, with 27 tracing directly back to United States origins. The report highlights that maritime shipping routes serve as the primary conduit for transporting weapons from US ports to Caribbean destinations.

    Geographic analysis identifies Florida and Georgia as particularly significant source regions, accounting for nearly 70% of firearms seized in six Caribbean nations including the Bahamas and Jamaica. The document characterizes American gun stores, illegal weapons traffickers, and port transportation systems as integral components of this cross-border smuggling network.

    The proliferation has catalyzed multiple public health crises across the region, including increased recruitment of minors into armed gangs, hospital shootings, and intensified gang violence. Researchers conclude with urgent policy recommendations for US authorities to strengthen firearms export supervision and enhance port inspection protocols to combat the deteriorating security situation.