Global Pulse

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  • Israeli PM says he was treated for early-stage prostate cancer

    Israeli PM says he was treated for early-stage prostate cancer

    JERUSALEM — In a surprise public announcement made on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that he received complete treatment for early-stage prostate cancer detected after a routine surgical procedure in late 2024, and that no trace of the malignancy remains in his body today.

    Details of the prime minister’s health status were outlined in an annual medical report published by his official office. The report explains that Netanyahu underwent a scheduled operation in December 2024 to address a benign prostate condition. During post-operative follow-up examinations, medical teams identified a small malignant lesion, measuring less than one centimeter in size. The cancer was confirmed to be at an early stage, with no evidence of it spreading to other parts of the body.

    Netanyahu emphasized in his announcement that the malignant spot has been successfully treated and has since disappeared entirely. Taking to the social media platform X, the prime minister wrote, “I am healthy,” adding that he remains in “excellent physical condition” to carry out his official duties.

    According to Netanyahu, when the lesion was discovered, his medical team presented two possible paths forward: ongoing regular monitoring or immediate active intervention. He said he made the decision to move forward with treatment without delay to eliminate the health risk.

    The Israeli leader also explained the two-month delay in making the diagnosis and treatment public. He stated that he held off on releasing the information to prevent the Iranian government from exploiting the news for what he described as “false propaganda” amid the ongoing active conflict between Israel and Iran.

  • Beijing Tongren Hospital sells ophthalmic dataset to pharma firms

    Beijing Tongren Hospital sells ophthalmic dataset to pharma firms

    In a landmark development for medical data collaboration and pharmaceutical innovation, Beijing Tongren Hospital, a leading Chinese medical institution specializing in ophthalmology, has announced the completion of the world’s first legally compliant transaction of a full-dimensional ophthalmic follow-up dataset, with agreements signed with two major drugmakers: China’s Hengrui Pharmaceuticals and German multinational Bayer.

    Hospital president Yuan Jin detailed that the sold dataset is drawn from the facility’s comprehensive multi-dimensional, fully structured quantitative ophthalmic database, which has been constructed around anonymized health records from a 100,000-strong patient population. The dataset covers full-cycle clinical follow-up information for all common high-prevalence eye diseases, including keratopathy, dry eye syndrome, myopia, glaucoma, cataracts, and diabetic retinopathy.

    Unlike fragmented medical data collections, this integrated dataset combines multiple layers of clinically valuable information: patient demographic characteristics, confirmed clinical diagnoses, adopted treatment plans, long-term post-treatment follow-up records, and standardized ophthalmic imaging results. This rich, multi-faceted real-world data is expected to fill critical gaps in ophthalmic drug development, supporting not only early-stage new drug research but also post-marketing efficacy evaluations, medical insurance access assessments, and the training of clinical artificial intelligence tools focused on eye health.

    To address growing global concerns around medical data privacy and regulatory compliance, the transaction was conducted through two established, authoritative Chinese platforms: the National AI Application Pilot Base for the Medical Sector and the Beijing International Big Data Exchange. Prior to the transaction, all sensitive personal identifiable information was fully removed and anonymized, aligning with China’s strict personal health information protection regulations and eliminating privacy risks for former patients.

    Beijing Tongren Hospital emphasized that the core goal of this pioneering transaction is to advance ophthalmic medical research and ultimately improve treatment outcomes for patients living with eye diseases around the world. This milestone is widely expected to set a regulatory and operational precedent for future compliant medical data transactions that balance innovation, public health benefit, and patient privacy protection.

  • Sustainable development is new growth driver: SCO book

    Sustainable development is new growth driver: SCO book

    On Thursday, a landmark new blue book focused on the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) was officially unveiled in Beijing, framing sustainable development as a powerful new engine for inclusive growth across the member bloc. The publication, *Sustainable Development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization: Building a Better Homeland Together*, was jointly released by the China Institute of International Studies (CIIS) and the China Shanghai Cooperation Organization Research Center.

    This release marks two notable milestones for the research institutions: it is the first entry in CIIS’ new country and regional studies series, and it stands as the seventh blue book produced by the China SCO Research Center since the series launched.

    Aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, the blue book documents that the SCO has delivered measurable, tangible progress across a wide range of sustainable development priority areas. These include poverty reduction, expanded access to education, green growth initiatives, digital economy expansion, cross-border infrastructure connectivity, vocational skills training, cross-border e-commerce development, and multilateral energy cooperation. According to the report, these collective achievements have injected robust, sustained momentum into economic and social development across the entire SCO region.

    One of the most distinctive features of this year’s blue book is its inclusive authorial structure: it features contributions from leading scholars from across SCO and partner states, including Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Azerbaijan. These diverse input offer nuanced, varied perspectives on the unique priorities and expectations of different member states when it comes to advancing cross-bloc sustainable development cooperation. As a result, the publication serves as a critical, multi-vantage window into how the broader international community assesses the SCO’s evolving role in global and regional affairs going forward.

    In opening remarks at the launch event, Li Ziguo, secretary-general of the China SCO Research Center and director of CIIS’ Department for Eurasian Studies, outlined the complex geopolitical context shaping the SCO’s current agenda. Li noted that the bloc operates today amid a turbulent external landscape, characterized by rising global instability and persistent, recurring regional tensions. At the same time, he emphasized that shifting global dynamics—including the growing influence of emerging economies and the rapid acceleration of digital transformation and artificial innovation—are reshaping the global order and creating new opportunities for cooperative progress.

  • Colombia’s leader visits Venezuela for key talks with acting President Delcy Rodríguez

    Colombia’s leader visits Venezuela for key talks with acting President Delcy Rodríguez

    CARACAS, VENEZUELA – In a high-stakes diplomatic step that marks a new chapter in strained bilateral relations, Venezuelan acting president Delcy Rodríguez hosted Colombian head of state Gustavo Petro at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas on Friday. This long-awaited encounter marks the first in-person meeting between the two leaders since U.S. forces detained former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro and his wife during a raid on their residence in January.

    The summit was scheduled to cover a sweeping range of bilateral priorities, including cross-border migration management, joint defense cooperation, frontier security, industrial partnership and expanded bilateral trade. The meeting was originally supposed to take place last month at the two countries’ shared border, but both administrations suddenly called off the gathering with only a vague reference to “force majeure”, offering no further details and saying the talks would be rescheduled for a later date.

    Leading up to Friday’s palace meeting, Petro confirmed his delegation includes senior military and law enforcement commanders, who will join negotiations on coordinated border security initiatives with their Venezuelan counterparts. Discussions will center heavily on the strategically and socially vulnerable Catatumbo region, a contested border zone where competing armed factions have clashed for years to control territory and illicit smuggling routes. Petro emphasized that close intelligence sharing between the two nations is non-negotiable, warning that a lack of coordinated information risks deadly mistakes: “bombs land in the wrong places … and end up killing civilians.”

    Relations between Bogotá and Caracas have been fractured for years, following the disputed 2024 Venezuelan presidential election that triggered widespread anti-government protests and a brutal government crackdown. Following the contested vote, Petro refused to recognize Maduro as the legitimate president of Venezuela, though he opted to keep formal diplomatic channels open with the Caracas administration.

    The Colombian government has framed Friday’s meeting between Petro and Rodríguez as an effort to “contribute to a resolution of Venezuela’s political crisis”. Still, analysts say it remains unclear what tangible progress the talks can deliver. Ronal Rodríguez Durán, a researcher with the Venezuela Observatory at Colombia’s Universidad del Rosario, noted that Petro’s ability to exert influence as a mediator is sharply constrained by the fact that his presidential term is set to end in August 2026. The future trajectory of Colombia-Venezuela relations will also depend heavily on which candidate wins the upcoming Colombian presidential election and shapes the country’s foreign policy moving forward.

  • International students join Chongqing University’s language and book day

    International students join Chongqing University’s language and book day

    On April 23, 2026, a date that marks both International Chinese Language Day and World Book Day, Chongqing University hosted a full day of immersive cultural events designed to advance the global outreach of Chinese language learning and build a lasting campus culture centered on reading. Held within the walls of one of the institution’s main library facilities, the gathering brought together more than 70 attendees, a diverse group that included international students hailing from countries across the globe alongside domestic Chinese learners and educators.

    The event’s schedule centered on interactive activities crafted to bridge cultural divides and deepen mutual understanding through shared engagement with language and literature. Attendees took part in structured themed performances and open reading exchanges, creating space for organic cross-cultural dialogue that extended far beyond surface-level interaction. A dedicated working session focused on expanding collaborative resource sharing between Chinese and international academic study platforms, with participants diving into bilingual reading exchanges that showcased the skills of visiting international students, many of whom delivered moving recitations of classic Chinese prose.

    One of the day’s most memorable discussions came from an unexpected pair: Wu Jiaming, a junior student at the university’s Meishi Film Academy, and Jeerapairojkul Supatcha, a Thai graduate student from Bangkok pursuing a master’s degree in International Chinese Education. Together, they explored how core philosophical concepts from the ancient Chinese text *Tao Te Ching* can be applied to modern everyday life, drawing connections between centuries-old wisdom and contemporary personal and professional challenges.

    Following the literary exchanges, professional librarians from Chongqing University led a practical training session for attendees, introducing the group to leading authoritative literature databases spanning both Chinese and international academic collections. The session included hands-on demonstrations of cutting-edge AI-powered literature search tools, with tailored guidance to help students leverage campus library resources more effectively for their research and personal reading goals.

    A standout highlight of the full-day celebration was a hands-on intangible cultural heritage experience, where participants got the chance to create and fly hand-painted traditional Chinese kites. The activity gave both domestic and international students an up-close, tangible encounter with the artistry and cultural depth of long-standing Chinese traditions, moving beyond textbook learning to immersive cultural engagement.

    To cap off the day’s events, organizers awarded honorary certificates to students who stood out for their contributions to performances and reading exchanges, recognizing their effort and engagement in celebrating the dual occasion. The event overall served as a vivid example of how academic institutions can foster cross-cultural connection, expand global access to Chinese language and culture, and nurture a lasting love of reading among diverse student communities.

  • Keir Starmer suggests he will ban Iran’s IRGC in ‘next parliament’

    Keir Starmer suggests he will ban Iran’s IRGC in ‘next parliament’

    ### Keir Starmer Outlines Plan to Proscribe Iran’s IRGC After Arson Attack on London Synagogue
    During a visit to a London synagogue targeted in an arson attack linked to suspected Iranian-aligned actors, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has publicly committed to advancing legislation that would ban the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) in the first weeks of the upcoming new parliamentary session. The announcement comes as the country grapples with a rising tide of antisemitic violence targeting Jewish community sites, and as Starmer’s Labour government faces mounting political headwinds just two weeks out from nationwide local elections.
    Speaking alongside Chief Rabbi Sir Ephraim Mirvis at Kenton United Synagogue, Starmer opened by emphasizing deep alarm over the growing presence of hostile, Iran-supported groups carrying out coordinated attacks on UK soil. “I am very worried about the influence of Iran-backed groups carrying out attacks in the UK,” the prime minister stated during the visit. Two teenagers, aged 17 and 19, have already been taken into custody in connection with the Kenton synagogue arson, which authorities are investigating as a potential antisemitic and state-aligned attack.
    When pressed by attendees on whether a proscription order for the IRGC would move forward, Starmer clarified that formal banning of the organization requires new parliamentary legislation, a step his administration intends to introduce immediately after the opening of the next parliamentary session in coming weeks. “In relation to malign state actors more generally, proscription does need legislation in order to take necessary measures, and that is legislation that we’re bringing forward as soon as we can,” he explained. “We go into a new session in a few weeks’ time, and we’ll bring that legislation forward.”
    The arson attack on the Kenton synagogue is one of a string of recent assaults on Jewish cultural and religious centers across the UK, a surge that has sparked urgent alarm over the security of the country’s estimated 260,000-strong Jewish community. Many political commentators and senior officials have drawn a connection between these attacks and escalating regional tensions stemming from the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. An online group calling itself Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia has claimed responsibility for the string of attacks, though analysts have yet to independently verify the group’s claimed ties to Iran or the authenticity of its claim.
    Starmer highlighted ongoing law enforcement action to address the violence, noting that counter-terrorism police are working in close partnership with the Community Security Trust (CST), the leading Jewish community safety organization, to hold perpetrators accountable. “It’s very important that we’re able to show the criminal justice system can react effectively and efficiently here,” he said, adding that eight suspects have already been charged and one person convicted in connection with recent attacks.
    As of publication, Middle East Eye has not received a response from the UK Home Office to requests for confirmation on whether preliminary steps to proscribe the IRGC have already been initiated. Requests for comment were also sent to the Iranian Embassy in London, with no reply received.
    The prime minister’s synagogue visit unfolds against a backdrop of severe political vulnerability for his Labour government. Two weeks prior to nationwide local elections, multiple polls and political analysts forecast that Labour will face heavy losses to a array of competing parties, including the left-wing Green Party, right-wing Reform UK, and regional nationalist parties. Compounding this pressure is an ongoing political scandal tied to the appointment of Peter Mandelson, a former senior Labour figure with documented ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, as UK ambassador to the United States. Multiple British media outlets have reported that widespread election losses could force Starmer to step down from his post.
    Political observers point to the UK government’s unwavering support for Israel amid the ongoing military campaign in Gaza as one of the core factors driving a sharp decline in public support for Labour across the country.

  • Israeli police cut Palestinian flag from lecturer’s kippah after detaining him

    Israeli police cut Palestinian flag from lecturer’s kippah after detaining him

    In an incident that has ignited fierce debate over civil liberties and state overreach in Israel, a Jewish academic was detained by Israeli police last week for wearing a traditional kippah embroidered with both the Israeli and Palestinian flags, with officers ultimately cutting out the Palestinian emblem before releasing him, local media has confirmed. The confrontation unfolded on Monday in Modi’in, a centrally located Israeli city, according to an account shared publicly by the detainee, Alex Sinclair, a lecturer at Jerusalem’s Hebrew University.

    Sinclair detailed the encounter in a public Facebook post, noting that he was quietly working from a local neighborhood cafe when an agitated ultra-Orthodox man approached him, yelling that his head covering violated Israeli law. Sinclair explained that he had worn the dual-flag kippah for nearly 20 years as a deliberate expression of his beliefs, and tried to de-escalate the situation by inviting the man to discuss the issue. The man refused to engage, however, and threatened to call law enforcement to the scene.

    To Sinclair’s shock, officers arrived at the cafe just five minutes later. The two responding officers immediately informed him that the kippah was illegal and that they intended to seize it, he recalled. The pair frisked Sinclair before transporting him to a local police station, where he was held in a holding cell for approximately 20 minutes. When he was taken into custody, Sinclair said, he was told he could leave without his kippah, and when he demanded the return of his personal property, an officer handed it back with the Palestinian flag portion cut cleanly out of the fabric.

    “She’d taken my possession, a religious ritual object, something that is very dear to my heart, and destroyed it,” Sinclair wrote, alongside public before-and-after photos of the damaged kippah. The lecturer said the encounter left him “shaken, angry and depressed,” warning that the incident is a clear symptom of a broader erosion of basic civil rights across the country under the current Israeli administration. “It’s hard not to say that this is the kind of thing that fascist regimes do,” he said. “It’s hard not to feel worried and anxious and frankly devastated that this is the direction that Israel is moving in.”

    The incident comes amid a years-long tightening of restrictions on public displays of the Palestinian flag pushed forward by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right government, which took office in late 2022. The campaign to restrict the flag is spearheaded by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who issued a formal order to Israeli police in January 2023 mandating that all Palestinian flags be removed from public spaces across the country.

    Just last month, Israeli newspaper Haaretz revealed that police had arrested an Israeli citizen of Palestinian descent for displaying the Palestinian flag inside of her own private home. Her family later told reporters that officers forced her to step on the Palestinian flag and hold an Israeli flag for photographs.

    For Sinclair, the attack on his kippah demonstrates that Ben Gvir’s crackdown has escalated far beyond public policy, now encroaching on individual religious identity. “Ben Gvir’s unlawful crackdown has escalated to the point where the Palestinian flag was being banned from my head — my kippah, my religious identity itself,” he said.

    Israeli police confirmed that a complaint over the incident has been filed with the Police Internal Investigations Department, but declined to provide any additional comment on the encounter when contacted by reporters.

    Opposition political figures and civil rights organizations have uniformly condemned the incident, with some calling for a full criminal investigation into the officers’ conduct. Gilad Kariv, a Knesset member from the opposition Israeli Democrats party, highlighted the hypocrisy of the incident in a post on X. “If police officers were to cut off a Jewish man’s kippah in any other country in the world, there would be an outrage here,” Kariv wrote. He added that the encounter “points to a profound institutional failure within the Israeli police,” arguing that some officers have “completely lost their professional ethos, their commitment to serving the public, and their loyalty to the law.” Kariv called for the officers involved to face a criminal probe and civil legal action over their actions.

    The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), one of the country’s leading independent human rights groups, joined the call for a full investigation. “Once again, the Israel Police is acting in line with the minister’s agenda and contrary to the law,” the organization said in a formal statement referencing Ben Gvir. “This is sheer madness and absurdity, and a serious violation of autonomy, freedom of expression, liberty, freedom of religion, and dignity. There is no legal ban on displaying the Palestinian flag or its various forms in the public sphere.”

  • Shanghai Ocean University celebrates diverse cultures

    Shanghai Ocean University celebrates diverse cultures

    On a vibrant spring Friday on its Shanghai campus, Shanghai Ocean University brought global cultures together under one roof, hosting its eighth annual International Culture Festival alongside Chinese Language Day to celebrate the rich tapestry of backgrounds that make up its student community. The day-long event filled campus grounds with interactive experiences from across the globe, featuring authentic international cuisines, live traditional performances from multiple regions, and immersive cultural exhibitions that let attendees explore global heritage firsthand.

    Addressing the gathered students and organizers, Jiang Min, vice-president of Shanghai Ocean University, reflected on the institution’s seven-decade legacy of welcoming global learners. Over 71 years of international education programming, the university has hosted students from 116 different countries around the world, building a long-standing tradition of cross-cultural exchange that shapes its academic community today.

    Jiang emphasized the university’s commitment to fostering global harmony, expressing her hope that every international student studying at the institution would embrace their role as a cultural envoy. Through their connections and experiences, she noted, students can help turn the vision of harmonious coexistence and shared prosperity across all five continents into a tangible reality.

    For Benter Anyango, a Kenyan doctoral student completing her research at the university, the event is a reflection of the far-reaching impact of studying in China. Beyond the classroom, Anyango explained, the experience of studying at Shanghai Ocean University offers international students far more than academic knowledge and expanded professional networks. It equips them with the unique tools and perspective needed to build meaningful bridges between less economically developed nations, growing emerging economies, and the world’s most advanced economic powers, creating connections that drive mutual progress long after graduation.

  • Sinologists trace Su Dongpo’s footsteps in Yixing

    Sinologists trace Su Dongpo’s footsteps in Yixing

    Between April 21 and 22, a cohort of leading sinologists from North America, Europe and Latin America — including Canada, Italy and Mexico — embarked on a immersive cultural journey through Yixing, a scenic county-level city administered by Wuxi in eastern China’s Jiangsu province, to walk in the footsteps of one of China’s most celebrated literary giants, Su Dongpo.

    Better known by his courtesy name Su Dongpo, Su Shi (1037–1101) was a towering Song Dynasty poet, calligrapher, and statesman whose works remain a cornerstone of classical Chinese literature centuries after his lifetime. For Su, Yixing held a deeply personal significance: the city has long been hailed as the great writer’s “second hometown,” where he spent extended periods of time, drew profound creative inspiration from its misty mountains and winding waterways, and composed dozens of enduring poems that reflect his love for the region’s natural beauty and tranquil lifestyle.

    During their two-day visit, the international scholars engaged in a full schedule of cultural and academic activities: they joined in-depth literary exchanges centered on Su Dongpo’s legacy in Yixing, meandered through the sprawling, emerald Yixing Bamboo Sea that once stirred Su’s poetic imagination, explored the otherworldly geological formations of the famous Shanjuan Cave, and even gathered to recite some of the master’s most beloved classic poems firsthand. The trip offered these global experts on Chinese culture a rare, on-the-ground opportunity to connect with the historical settings that shaped one of China’s most iconic literary figures, deepening their understanding of Su Dongpo’s life, work, and enduring influence on Chinese cultural identity.

  • Watch: Demonstrators display 20,000 teddy bears for missing Ukrainian children

    Watch: Demonstrators display 20,000 teddy bears for missing Ukrainian children

    A powerful public demonstration has taken shape in the heart of Washington, D.C., where thousands of soft, stuffed teddy bears line a public space to draw international attention to a heartbreaking humanitarian crisis. Organizers of the installation placed exactly 20,000 teddy bears on display, each one carefully chosen to stand in for a single child that Ukrainian authorities confirm has been forcibly abducted and transferred to Russia amid the ongoing full-scale invasion.

    The visually striking exhibit aims to cut through mainstream news cycles and bring the personal toll of the conflict directly to the American public and policymakers based in the U.S. capital. Unlike formal diplomatic statements, the installation uses a universally accessible symbol of childhood innocence to make the abstract scale of the crisis tangible: each empty bear represents a child torn from their family, separated from their home, and held outside of Ukraine’s borders against international law.

    Ukraine’s government has repeatedly documented what it calls mass forced deportations of minors, a practice that human rights organizations have condemned as a violation of the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law. Russian authorities have previously denied claims that the transfers are involuntary, framing the actions as efforts to rescue children from conflict zones. The D.C. demonstration is one of the most high-profile public displays outside of Ukraine to highlight the fate of the missing children, calling for global pressure to secure their safe return to their home country and families.