Global Pulse

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  • China warns of digital AI ‘token’ risks

    China warns of digital AI ‘token’ risks

    As artificial intelligence integration accelerates across China’s digital economy, a core technical component of large AI models has quickly moved from behind-the-scenes infrastructure to the center of a national security alert, as authorities warn of widespread fraud, data theft and systemic risks tied to the unregulated handling of AI tokens, known locally as ciyuan.

    Defined as the smallest unit of data processed by large generative AI models, tokens serve multiple critical functions in modern digital ecosystems. Beyond measuring computing power usage for AI services ranging from text generation to image and video editing, tokens also act as digital credentials for identity verification, access control to protected platforms and payment authorization for AI API calls. Their rapid proliferation has mirrored the boom of China’s generative AI sector, with official data showing average daily token call volumes surpassed 140 trillion as of March 2026 — a more than 1,000-fold increase from the start of 2024.

    This explosive growth caught the attention of China’s Ministry of State Security, which released a public warning on April 8 detailing three major categories of token-related threats facing individual users and national infrastructure alike: token theft and hijacking, unauthorized forgery and tampering, and large-scale fraudulent investment schemes.

    Unencrypted tokens, the ministry explained, are highly vulnerable to exploitation through common cyber threats including malware injections, coordinated network attacks and connections over insecure public networks. Once stolen, tokens allow criminals to impersonate legitimate users, gain illegal access to sensitive personal and institutional data, and carry out unauthorized financial transactions without detection. For platforms with insufficient verification protocols, attackers can also easily forge or alter token credentials to bypass built-in security checks, gaining entry to restricted systems.

    Fraudulent schemes have emerged as one of the most pervasive threats to the general public, as scammers capitalize on low public awareness of what tokens actually are. On popular social media platforms, bad actors have been promoting low-cost token packages, unlimited usage plans and unauthorized token agency resale schemes, marketing tokens as a high-profit investment opportunity similar to the hyped virtual currency schemes of previous years. Many of these promotions use standardized, persuasive scripts to frame the emerging “token economy” as a quick path to wealth, when the operations are actually pyramid schemes designed to recruit new participants rather than generate legitimate returns.

    Huang Daoli, a senior researcher at the Third Research Institute of the Ministry of Public Security, noted that what was once a niche technical term confined to AI development circles has now become a foundational building block of China’s digital economy. “In practice, tokens are used to measure generative AI computing power and bill API calls,” Huang explained. “In many applications, they also serve as credentials for identity verification and access control, giving them simultaneous technical, transactional and security functions.”

    With daily usage already crossing the 140 trillion threshold, Huang emphasized that token security risks can no longer be dismissed as isolated, minor technical issues. “If token security is breached at scale, the impact may spill over from personal privacy violations and individual financial loss to broader threats to national data security and even overall economic security,” she warned.

    Scams that repackage tokens as legitimate investment products exploit the public’s limited technical understanding, Huang added, and pose direct risks to personal privacy and identity security. Widespread token forgery, meanwhile, could undermine data governance protocols in critical sectors including government administration and financial services, creating systemic risks for the country’s digital infrastructure.

    China already has a robust legal framework in place to govern digital security, including existing cybersecurity and data protection laws that cover token-related activities. According to Huang, the top priority moving forward is strengthening enforcement of these rules, particularly through tighter identity management and increased oversight of unregulated high-risk API resale markets.

    Both the Ministry of State Security and industry experts have issued clear guidance for the public to avoid token-related risks. Authorities stress that tokens function exclusively as digital credentials for AI services, not as investable financial products. Users are advised to steer clear of get-rich-quick token schemes, only access AI services through verified trusted platforms, and strictly protect token credentials and account passwords just as they would for online banking tools.

    Huang emphasized that tokens should be classified as highly sensitive digital assets on par with critical payment tools. “The key is to change the mistaken belief that an API key is merely a trivial technical parameter,” she said. “It should be treated as what it is: a critical data asset that requires rigorous protection.”

  • Slimmer, sleeker marathons see survival of fittest

    Slimmer, sleeker marathons see survival of fittest

    When 22,000 runners line up at Beijing’s Tian’anmen Square this Sunday for the capital’s annual Half Marathon, they will step into a rapidly changing landscape for long-distance running events across China. This shift, driven by new safety and quality standards, has already rolled out at high-profile spring races in Wuxi and Wuhan, setting a new benchmark for how marathons are organized and experienced nationwide.

    Ahead of the Beijing race, the Chinese Athletics Association released the 2025 China Marathon Races Blue Book on April 4, which laid out the tangible effects of the regulatory overhaul. For the first time in the modern boom of Chinese marathons, the total number of marathon-related events across the country dropped significantly in 2025, falling to 594 from 696 recorded in 2024. This marks the sport’s first large-scale industry “slimdown”, as authorities cull unregulated, low-quality events to raise overall standards.

    But fewer events do not equal a shrinking industry. The blue book data reveals that the economic impact and overall quality of remaining events have grown sharply. A-class certified events alone generated a direct economic output of 18.51 billion yuan (equivalent to $2.68 billion) in 2025, drove a total national economic benefit of 45.4 billion yuan, and supported more than 183,000 jobs across related sectors from hospitality to retail.

    Shen Hui, an associate professor in the Department of Physical Education at Southeast University and an international-level athletics judge, explains that marathons have long outgrown their identity as purely competitive sporting events. Today, they function as multifaceted platforms that drive local city tourism, polish regional brand images, stimulate domestic consumer spending, and fuel broad-based economic development.

    Interviews with industry insiders deeply involved in event execution show a clear industry trend toward more standardized, refined, and accountable event management. “While gaps still remain between cities with different infrastructure foundations, and some small niche events still struggle with limited resources, the overall direction is undeniable,” Shen noted. “The sector is moving from rough, scattershot growth to precise, intentional operation, and from perfunctory event planning to responsible, participant-centered organizing.”

    Analysis of 284 A-class certified events included in the blue book confirms this trend: the intentional reduction in event quantity has directly sparked a surge in overall quality, reshaping not only the experience for long-distance runners but also the contributions marathons make to urban economies and national public health across China.

  • In Congo, an unconventional Christian movement has existential lessons for the troubled nation

    In Congo, an unconventional Christian movement has existential lessons for the troubled nation

    KINSHASA, DRC — For half a century, one of the most influential religious and liberation movements in modern African history has operated in relative global obscurity, even as it grew to count millions of followers across the continent and beyond. Its founder, Simon Kimbangu, spent 30 years behind bars, dying in exile after Belgian colonial rulers labeled his work a threat to their rule. Today, as the Democratic Republic of Congo grapples with its worst territorial crisis since independence in 1960, Kimbangu’s legacy of nonviolent, homegrown Black liberation is being reclaimed as a guiding light for the nation.

    Kimbangu, a former lay Baptist catechist, launched his ministry in 1921, when what is now the DRC was the personal colony of Belgium’s ruling monarchy, its rubber, timber, and mineral resources plundered to rebuild Europe after World War I. Rejecting colonial representations of God as a white European figure, Kimbangu framed the divine through the traditional Kikongo deity Nzambi, positioning himself as God’s earthly envoy and the Black embodiment of the Holy Spirit. His message of self-determination and spiritual liberation drew tens of thousands of oppressed Congolese plantation workers, who flocked to his base in the small village of Nkamba, southwest of Kinshasa, seeking healing and hope.

    Alarmed by the movement’s rapid growth, colonial authorities arrested Kimbangu after just five months of public ministry, charging him with inciting insurrection. Though sentenced to death, Belgium’s King Albert I commuted the sentence to life imprisonment, and Kimbangu was exiled more than 1,600 kilometers to what is now Lubumbashi in the country’s southeast. He died in prison in 1951 at the age of 64, never having tasted freedom after his arrest. Today, only a handful of official photos exist, showing a bald, stern-faced prisoner in plain, austere prison garb.

    Against all odds, the movement Kimbangu founded survived and thrived. Officially named the Church of Jesus Christ on Earth Through the Prophet Simon Kimbangu, it is now estimated to have between 6 and 17 million members, most based in the DRC, with congregations as far afield as Belgium. Nkamba, the small village where Kimbangu began his work, is now recognized as the church’s spiritual seat, dubbed the “New Jerusalem” by believers, who make regular pilgrimages there to honor their founder. In 2023, the Congolese government officially designated April 6 a national public holiday, Kimbangu Day, to celebrate his lifelong struggle for African self-consciousness and liberation. Many Congolese now draw parallels between Kimbangu and Nelson Mandela, noting both endured decades of imprisonment for fighting oppression, even as Kimbangu remains largely unknown outside Central Africa.

    Distinct from both traditional Christianity and imported African religious movements, the Kimbanguist Church has retained its core founding principles of independence, nonviolence, and equity. It prohibits polygamy, a practice widely accepted in many Congolese communities, prioritizes peaceful conflict resolution, and invests heavily in local schools and community social programs. Unlike many older Christian denominations in the region, it also elevates women to positions of senior leadership, a practice rooted in the critical role Kimbangu’s wife Marie Muilu played in keeping the movement alive during her husband’s three decades of imprisonment. “Women are ministering in the church. They have a key role to play because the church is so thankful for what the wife of Simon Kimbangu did when her husband was in prison,” explained André Kibangudi, a senior church elder. “We should have more female leadership.”

    Today, as Congo confronts a devastating armed rebellion in its eastern provinces, Kimbangu’s legacy has taken on new urgency. Since January 2025, the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group has seized control of Goma, the largest city in North Kivu, and occupied much of the mineral-rich province, displacing hundreds of thousands of civilians and stoking fears of national fragmentation. President Félix Tshisekedi, who has positioned his administration as a champion of Congolese sovereignty, has courted the Kimbanguist movement, and his prime minister, Judith Suminwa, is a member of the church, a reflection of the group’s massive political influence and voter base. Tshisekedi has recently offered U.S. companies unprecedented access to eastern Congo’s untapped mineral reserves, estimated to be worth more than $24 trillion, in exchange for American support to counter the M23 rebellion. The move has drawn fierce criticism from activists and opposition figures, who warn it risks eroding Congolose sovereignty and intensify great power competition for resources in the region, where Chinese firms already dominate mineral extraction.

    For Congolese analysts and religious leaders, the current crisis demands a return to Kimbangu’s core values of self-sacrifice and commitment to collective liberation. “The first challenge for African leaders, or Congolese leaders, is that they are not free,” said Bwatshia Kambayi, a prominent Congolese historian and former higher education minister who has drawn parallels between the struggles of Mandela and Kimbangu. “African leaders, they do not realize that they have a slavery mindset. We are independent, but we are not free.” Kambayi argues that today’s Congolese political elite, many of whom prioritize personal wealth over public good, have fallen far short of Kimbangu’s example: “The elite running Congo are poor men who want to live as rich people. This is not the fight of Simon Kimbangu. None of them has reached the level of fighting for people’s freedom, for people’s liberty.”

    Kimbanguist pastors across the country echo that sentiment, framing the movement’s nonviolent, community-centered ethos as a model for a nation divided by conflict. “What Congo’s leaders can learn from Kimbangu is that the guy didn’t work for himself. He sacrificed himself to free people who had been in slavery, who had been suffering,” said Paul Kasonga, a Kimbanguist pastor who serves millions of adherents in Mongala province. For ordinary believers, Kimbangu’s message of liberation for all Congolese remains as urgent today as it was a century ago. “The lesson that people can learn from the church is that the prophet, the founding prophet, fought for people’s rights,” said Toussaint Mungwala, a Kimbanguist pastor in Kwilu province who converted to the movement from Catholicism in the 1980s. Even decades after his death, Kimbangu’s unheralded struggle continues to shape the identity and future of the Congolese nation.

  • Bronny James sets up father LeBron in Lakers win

    Bronny James sets up father LeBron in Lakers win

    The NBA’s regular season delivered a one-of-a-kind milestone this week, as 19-year-old Bronny James recorded the first son-to-father assist in league history, finding his 41-year-old father LeBron James for an easy breakaway dunk during the Los Angeles Lakers’ 119-103 victory over Pacific Division rival Golden State Warriors. The historic play marked the second time the father-son duo have made NBA history in the span of a month: just four weeks prior, LeBron notched the first father-to-son assist against the Brooklyn Nets, cementing their place as the first parent-child pairing to share the court in NBA history.

    In the Warriors game, LeBron turned his 26 points into a dominant offensive performance, adding 11 assists to lead the Lakers to a critical late-season win. Young Bronny held his own against the playoff-bound Warriors, putting up 10 points and three assists of his own. Both the Lakers, now fourth in the Western Conference, and the 10th-place Warriors have already locked in their spots for the 2026 postseason, which tips off on April 18.

    The night brought a slate of other consequential late regular season matchups across the league. The New York Knicks pulled out a 112-106 win over the Boston Celtics, with Josh Hart leading all scorers with 26 points. The result puts mounting pressure on the Celtics, who enter the final two games of the regular season second in the Eastern Conference standings, while the Knicks climb to third. The Toronto Raptors earned a comfortable 128-114 win over the Miami Heat, and the Houston Rockets held off the Philadelphia 76ers 113-102 to boost their own playoff positioning. For teams already eliminated from postseason contention, the Chicago Bulls defeated the Washington Wizards 119-108, and the Indiana Pacers cruised to a 123-94 win over the Brooklyn Nets.

    Off the court, women’s basketball reached a major expansion milestone this week, with the Women’s National Basketball Association board of governors approving three new expansion franchises in Cleveland, Detroit, and Philadelphia that will grow the league to 18 teams by 2030. The Cleveland team will be the first of the three to take the court, making its debut in the 2028 WNBA season, with Detroit joining the league in 2029 and Philadelphia following a year later in 2030.

    The latest expansion marks the latest in a series of growth moves for the WNBA, which has added four new franchises in a five-year window. The Golden State Valkyries are set to make their debut in 2025, with the Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire launching their inaugural seasons this coming year. The 2026 WNBA regular season is scheduled to tip off on May 8 and run through September 24, kicking off what will be a historic period of growth for the league.

  • South Korean minister vows to expand legal remedies for adoptees and other rights victims

    South Korean minister vows to expand legal remedies for adoptees and other rights victims

    GWACHEON, South Korea — In a rare, frank acknowledgment of historical state wrongdoing, South Korean Justice Minister Jung Sung-ho has announced sweeping new measures to expand access to justice for survivors of government-sanctioned human rights abuses, most notably the mass, fraudulent overseas adoption scheme operated under decades past military regimes. Speaking to a group of journalists at a roundtable discussion Thursday, Jung used blunt, uncharacteristically strong language for a top South Korean official, describing the country’s mid-to-late 20th century overseas adoption program as nothing less than “forced child trafficking.” He added that the national government will largely stop appealing court rulings that favor abuse survivors seeking financial compensation for state misconduct. The announcement marks a major shift from decades of legal obstruction that has left many verified victims fighting for redress for years.

    The issue of fraudulent Korean adoptions has reemerged as a national reckoning after South Korea relaunched its Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) in February, following the expiration of the body’s original investigative mandate last November. Hundreds of Korean adoptees now residing in Western countries have already submitted requests for the TRC to investigate their cases, seeking official confirmation of government responsibility that they can use as legal backing for damage claims against the state or private adoption agencies that facilitated their adoptions. The first iteration of the TRC had already concluded that the South Korean government bore clear accountability for a corrupt adoption system rife with systemic fraud and misconduct. Backed by military leaders who saw the program as a tool to cut public welfare spending and reduce population growth, state-authorized private agencies systematically falsified children’s birth records, fabricated consent documentation from biological parents, and obscured their true origins to speed up international placements.

    Prior to Jung’s announcement, victims who secured favorable court rulings after being recognized by the TRC often faced years of prolonged litigation, as state prosecutors routinely appealed positive rulings on the grounds of expired statutes of limitations or questioned the conclusiveness of the commission’s findings. That pattern is now set to change. Under a new law that came into force in February, survivors of verified state abuses have a three-year window to file damage claims even if the original statute of limitations for their case has already expired. Last week, Jung’s ministry — which represents the South Korean government in all civil legal claims against the state — announced it would withdraw time-limit-based appeals in more than 800 ongoing cases, and Jung confirmed Thursday that the same cooperative approach will be extended to adoptees’ future lawsuits. “Once the truth commission firmly establishes the basic facts (regarding the abuses), we intend to cooperate to ensure the process moves swiftly,” Jung stated.

    The push for greater accountability builds on an apology issued by South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, a close political ally of Jung, for the historic adoption abuses last October. While the new framework clears major legal barriers for many survivors, some adoptees and advocates still point to ongoing delays in processing direct compensation claims. Yooree Kim, who was sent to a French adoptive family in 1984 without her biological parents’ consent and has spoken publicly about abuse at the hands of her adoptive parents, is one of the adoptees who has filed for compensation under South Korea’s State Compensation Act. This law theoretically allows survivors to secure damages without extended, costly court battles, but the Justice Ministry has missed its statutory 4-week deadline to rule on Kim’s and other adoptees’ claims, leaving them waiting more than six months for a decision, according to Choi Jung Kyu, a lawyer representing the group of adoptees. Jung responded to these concerns by saying he would order ministry officials to address backlogs and delays, though he stopped short of creating a new, standalone expedited process as some advocates have demanded.

    Between the 1970s and early 2000s, South Korea facilitated the overseas adoption of roughly 200,000 Korean children, with annual placements peaking at more than 6,000 per year throughout the 1980s. At the time, the country was ruled by an authoritarian military government that framed rapid population growth as a major barrier to its ambitious economic development goals, and framed international adoption as a low-cost solution to reduce public welfare spending. The original TRC’s findings align with an independent investigation published by the Associated Press and PBS Frontline, which drew on thousands of government documents and dozens of survivor interviews to expose how South Korea’s government, Western adoption intermediaries, and receiving countries collaborated to move children overseas despite widespread documentation of corrupt and illegal procurement practices.

    Beyond addressing the legacy of adoption abuses, Jung also outlined the government’s new commitments to root out human trafficking and forced labor in South Korea’s agricultural sector, particularly at remote salt farms off the country’s southwest coast, where decades of abuse against vulnerable migrant workers have drawn widespread international criticism. These efforts have gained new urgency in recent weeks, after the Trump administration launched investigations into dozens of countries accused of failing to curb forced labor, a move that paves the way for new tariffs and trade restrictions. The policy shift came after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Trump’s earlier emergency power-based tariffs, clearing the way for this new enforcement structure. Last year, the U.S. already blocked all imports from one major South Korean salt farm over well-documented claims of slave labor, marking the first punitive trade action taken against the long-running abuse crisis in the country’s salt industry.

    Jung said the South Korean government will strengthen its enforcement of anti-trafficking and labor laws, including directing prosecutors to pursue harsher criminal penalties for violators and increasing regulatory oversight of businesses that hire foreign migrant workers. “We cannot monitor every corner of the private sector, but I think we are capable of supervising these matters more thoroughly than almost any other country,” Jung said.

  • This coat cost $248 in illegal tariffs. Will he ever get the money back?

    This coat cost $248 in illegal tariffs. Will he ever get the money back?

    When Massachusetts personal trainer Alex Grossomanides ordered a French down jacket last year, he thought he had locked in a solid deal. That excitement quickly faded when a $400 bill for tariffs and processing fees landed in his inbox — a charge that came close to matching the purchase price of the coat itself. The unexpected cost stemmed from a little-known detail: the parka was manufactured in Myanmar, which at the time fell under a 40% US tariff rate, adding $248.04 in duties alone. Months later, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the controversial 40% tariff and dozens of other levies first introduced by former President Donald Trump, triggering what is set to become the largest tariff refund program in U.S. history. But even as authorities prepare to launch the repayment process, thousands of consumers and small business owners like Grossomanides fear they will never see their money returned.

    The court’s ruling only extends eligibility for refunds to importers who paid the duties directly to U.S. Customs. This narrow scope excludes the vast majority of people who ultimately bore the cost of the tariffs through indirect channels: higher retail prices, hidden processing fees, and supply chain markups. Grossomanides, who paid his tariff through global shipping firm DHL, says he wants to believe he will recoup his funds, but he has received no communication from the company and is not optimistic. “They should be refunding people,” the 37-year-old said. “It’s all my money and I took the hit for it, which I don’t think is fair.”

    In March, the U.S. Court of International Trade ordered U.S. Customs and Border Protection to return the more than $160 billion in duties the federal government collected from the invalidated tariffs, opening the door for roughly 330,000 direct importers to claim back at least a portion of their costs. Fears that the Biden administration would challenge the court order have not come to pass, and customs officials working on the program say the refund portal is scheduled to go live this month, with a progress update due to the Court of International Trade on April 14. Even so, economic analysts warn that fully reversing the financial damage of the tariffs is functionally impossible. Multiple independent studies confirm that most importers already passed the bulk of tariff costs on to consumers in the form of higher prices — a cost shift that the court’s ruling does nothing to address.

    For small businesses across the country, the pain is particularly acute. Sue Johnson, owner of Sue Johnson Lamps, a small lighting design firm based in Berkeley, California, says her business suffered a major blow when the tariffs forced her mica supplier to double the price of the raw material she uses for her Art Deco-inspired lamp designs. Despite the Supreme Court ruling, Johnson says she has no expectation of receiving any compensation for the extra costs she absorbed. “Maybe big direct importers will get repaid, but I have no hope they’re going to refund me,” she said.

    Small importers note that the issue is far more complex than the refund program acknowledges. While many raised prices to offset tariff costs, most could not raise them enough to cover the full expense, eating into already thin profit margins. Beyond direct duty costs, the tariffs triggered a cascade of secondary financial harm: many small businesses took on high-interest debt to cover unexpected duty bills, lost sales from price-sensitive customers, and spent thousands of dollars on administrative work just to navigate the claims process. Kacie Wright, who works for Houghton Horns, a small Texas-based importer of musical instruments, told a forum hosted by small business advocacy group We Pay the Tariffs that even if her firm ultimately receives a refund, it will not make the business whole. “Just making sure our business was lined up to receive a refund has been costly, requiring more than six months of back-and-forth with customs officials to properly register in the agency’s online system,” Wright explained.

    Jared Slipman, chair of the tax department at law firm Obermayer, which advises dozens of small businesses on the refund process, says U.S. Customs has placed the full burden of gathering documentation and filing claims on the claimants themselves. For many small businesses, Slipman says, the administrative requirements are so burdensome that many will conclude the potential payout is not worth the time and cost of applying. Other businesses, he predicts, will be forced to file additional litigation just to recoup the funds they are owed. Most of all, Slipman says, ordinary consumers get the worst end of the deal. “It may very well be the case that this is an orchestrated theft from the American consumer… and that would be very unfortunate,” Slipman said.

    For consumers like James Tak, a 41-year-old Washington resident who paid a $24 tariff fee to UPS last year when he received a shipment of video games as a gift from a friend in Japan, even small charges add up. Tak says he understands that processing refunds for millions of indirect payers would be a logistical nightmare, but he still believes he is owed his money back. “I just think it’s money I shouldn’t have to pay,” Tak said.

    A small number of shipping firms, including global logistics giant FedEx, have publicly stated they intend to pass any refunds they receive back to the consumers and small businesses that originally paid the charges. But most importers have issued only vague, limited promises, especially for firms that passed tariff costs through to consumers as general price hikes rather than separate line-item charges. The dispute over unclaimed refunds has already sparked a wave of class-action lawsuits against major U.S. retailers and brands, including warehouse club Costco, eyewear maker EssilorLuxottica (parent company of Ray-Ban), and activewear brand Fabletics, founded by actress Kate Hudson. Fabletics previously broke out tariff charges as a separate line item on customer receipts, leading plaintiffs to accuse the firm of “unjust enrichment” — collecting extra tariff costs from customers and now standing to collect the same funds again from the federal government.

    Adrian Bacon, head of litigation at the Law Offices of Todd Friedman, which brought the class-action suit against Fabletics and is investigating multiple other firms, says while government watchdogs like the Federal Trade Commission typically handle consumer protection issues, the involvement of federal trade policy means private legal action is the only available avenue to force companies to pass refunds on to consumers. That has not stopped current Trump administration officials from weighing in on the debate. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer last month called on companies that receive “windfall” refunds to pass the money on to workers in the form of performance bonuses. Last February, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent cast doubt on the likelihood that ordinary consumers would ever see any of the refund money. “I got a feeling the American people won’t see it,” Bessent said.

  • Djibouti holds presidential election with longtime ruler favored for a sixth term

    Djibouti holds presidential election with longtime ruler favored for a sixth term

    In the tiny Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti, presidential polling got underway on Friday, setting the stage for what analysts widely predict will be another term in office for the country’s 26-year incumbent leader Ismaïl Omar Guelleh. The 78-year-old Guelleh, who has governed Djibouti’s population of roughly 1 million since 1999, stands poised to claim a sixth consecutive term after national legislators eliminated the country’s previous presidential age cap last year.

    Guelleh’s path to reelection has been largely unobstructed. In the 2021 presidential contest, he secured nearly 99% of the popular vote, and this year he faces only one challenger: Mohamed Farah Samatar, a one-time member of Guelleh’s ruling party. Political analysts widely characterize the race as lacking meaningful competitive tension, a pattern that has defined Djibouti’s electoral politics for years. Opposition blocs have regularly boycotted national elections, citing systemic restrictions on political organizing and civil liberties. Critics maintain that the country’s political system is tightly controlled by the ruling establishment, while government officials counter that centralized governance has delivered consistent stability to a region plagued by conflict and unrest.

    Guelleh’s rise to the presidency followed the retirement of his uncle, founding leader Hassan Gouled Aptidon, cementing a decades-long family-led political order that remains the backbone of Djibouti’s public life today.

    Beyond its internal politics, Djibouti holds outsized global strategic importance, thanks to its location along the critical shipping corridor connecting the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. It currently hosts foreign military bases for major global powers including the United States, China, France, and Japan. Economic activity in the country relies heavily on two core revenue streams: income from hosting these military installations, and port service fees for landlocked neighboring Ethiopia, which depends on Djibouti’s infrastructure for nearly all its international trade.

    Yet this narrow economic model leaves Djibouti uniquely vulnerable to external disruptions. Overreliance on Ethiopia’s port usage means any economic or political volatility in Addis Ababa directly impacts Djibouti’s national income. The ongoing crisis of shipping insecurity in the Red Sea has further amplified these risks, while growing great power geopolitical competition in the region and high levels of national debt, much of it owed to China, have added long-term uncertainty to the country’s outlook.

    The election was monitored by regional observer delegations from the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the Horn of Africa’s leading regional bloc. Speaking to the Associated Press, Mohamed Husein Gaas, a senior analyst with the Raad Peace Research Institute, framed the elimination of presidential age limits as a move rooted in preserving the status quo rather than expanding democratic contestation. Gaas noted that while the change has sparked widespread concern about democratic backsliding in Djibouti, foreign powers are almost certain to prioritize political stability over democratic progress, given the country’s non-negotiable role in securing Red Sea trade routes and regional security at a time of escalating Middle East tensions.

  • Singer Delta Goodrem follows in Celine Dion’s footsteps to Eurovision

    Singer Delta Goodrem follows in Celine Dion’s footsteps to Eurovision

    LONDON, May (AP) — When the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest kicks off in Vienna, one contestant will step onto the world’s biggest live music stage with unique ties to two of pop music’s most legendary names, and a decades-long connection to the contest itself: Australian singer-songwriter Delta Goodrem.

    With a career spanning more than two decades, Goodrem is far from an unknown contender on the Eurovision roster. The multi-award-winning artist has racked up over nine million album sales worldwide and claimed the top spot on music charts across eight countries, making her one of the most commercially successful participants in this year’s event. While Australia sits thousands of miles outside of Europe, the country has received an official invitation to compete every year since 2015, extending the contest’s global reach beyond its traditional continental boundaries.

    For Goodrem, Eurovision feels like a full-circle moment, rooted in the influences that shaped her into the artist she is today. Long before she was tapped to represent Australia, she had close ties to two former Eurovision participants. As a young artist rising to fame after her stint on the iconic Australian soap opera *Neighbours*, Goodrem penned the track *Eyes on Me* for Celine Dion — the Canadian icon who took home Eurovision’s top prize in 1988 while representing Switzerland. She was also mentored by the late, globally beloved Olivia Newton-John, who represented the United Kingdom at the 1974 Eurovision contest.

    “Growing up, Olivia Newton-John and Celine Dion were two of my greatest loves in music,” Goodrem shared in an interview with the Associated Press in London. “I don’t think I would be the musician I am today without the influence from the two of them. And they have both been a part of that stage from different countries.”

    Goodrem even has a friendly connection to another competing act this year: San Marino’s entry features British star Boy George, who previously worked alongside Goodrem as a fellow judge on Australia’s hit televised singing competition *The Voice*. The playful pre-existing rivalry between the two has followed them to the Eurovision stage.

    “I’ve got my eyes on him. I’m watching him,” Goodrem joked. “I was so excited and couldn’t stop laughing … it’s so playful that Boy George was like, ‘I’m coming to Eurovision!’”

    Goodrem will take the Vienna stage with her powerful original ballad *Eclipse*. When asked when she first became aware of Eurovision, she noted the contest has long been part of Australian pop culture consciousness, and that national interest grew exponentially after Australia joined the competition 11 years ago.

    “It’s been a bit omnipresent where you sort of heard it in the air. And I guess obviously Australia’s been in for 11 years. So we became a lot more actively like Team Australia. But growing up, you always were, you know, enamored with this incredible iconic stage and it’d always find its way to us,” she said.

    Goodrem, a self-described proud patriot, said representing Australia at Eurovision feels like a natural extension of the work she has done throughout her career. “I feel that as well and I’ve always been very patriotic and very true to the love I have for Australia and it feels like they’re all celebrating, we’re all sort of there together on this journey,” she added. When asked how competitive she is, the singer confirmed she is coming to the contest to give her performance everything she has.

    The path to her Eurovision participation began unexpectedly the year prior, when Goodrem was living in London and experienced the contest’s electric energy firsthand. She said when asked if she would ever compete, she jumped at the open invitation. “(Last year) I was doing my couple of shows here (in London) and I had sort of got to experience the energy of Eurovision on the ground and I just thought it was palpable, it was incredible and I was watching all the programs and it was really exciting and somebody had asked me, ‘would you do Eurovision?’ And I said, ‘I’m always open’ … You never know where your path’s leading, just if it feels right.”

    Addressing questions about political tensions that have followed the contest, including calls for boycott this year, Goodrem emphasized that music has always been a unifying force for her. “I really am a true believer that throughout my career, coming to my show, I’m about unifying — music for me is a moment where we’re all singing the same song. And I believe in that, and I have my whole life, that it’s very healing, music has a real power. So I sort of focus on the power of music being a unifying space and a place that can wrap around people’s lives and their soundtrack and that’s where it sits for me,” she explained.

    She also welcomed plans to launch Eurovision Asia, scheduled for September later this year, saying “The more music the better. I think that’s so exciting. That means I get to immerse myself in the music in September for Eurovision Asia.”

    When asked about her planned stage production for *Eclipse* — which features sand in the official music video — Goodrem teased a playful, patriotic twist, saying “Yes, you’re thinking I should bring Australian sand, you know, that’s very patriotic. I start a little beach on stage, look up at the moon for “Eclipse.” I definitely am really excited to bring it to life.”

    If she takes home the top prize, Goodrem says she is fully open to hosting the next year’s contest in Australia, even entertaining the idea of a co-hosting arrangement if that proves more practical. “Sure. Yeah, yeah! Look, I don’t know those logistics yet but I’m open to the conversation … If you would like to vote for me then I’m happy to talk about if we could like have it here or if, you know, I’m happy to do a deal.”

  • Zelenskyy says Ukrainian forces shot down Shahed drones in Middle Eastern countries during Iran war

    Zelenskyy says Ukrainian forces shot down Shahed drones in Middle Eastern countries during Iran war

    In a groundbreaking public disclosure that illuminates Ukraine’s expanding global defense partnerships, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has confirmed that Ukrainian military forces have shot down Iranian-designed Shahed drones during active operations across multiple unspecified Middle Eastern countries. The mission, Zelenskyy explained, is rooted in shared experience: Kyiv is helping regional partners counter the exact same unmanned weapons that Russia has relentlessly deployed against Ukrainian civilian and energy infrastructure since the start of its full-scale invasion.

    Zelenskyy first shared details of the operations with reporters on Wednesday, with a media embargo holding the announcement until Friday. He emphasized that these were not routine training exercises or simulated drills, but live defensive action. Ukrainian personnel used domestically produced interceptor drones, a system that has already been battle-tested in defending Ukrainian airspace against the Shahed drones Russia launches on a near-daily basis.

    “This was not about a training mission or exercises, but about support in building a modern air defense system that can actually work,” Zelenskyy stated. The operations took place ahead of the tentative ceasefire reached this week between Iran, the United States and Israel, the Ukrainian leader confirmed. While he declined to name the specific host countries involved, Zelenskyy noted that Ukrainian personnel operated across several nations to reinforce local air defense capabilities. He had previously revealed that 228 Ukrainian defense experts were already deployed to the Middle East region.

    In exchange for this defensive support, Zelenskyy said Ukraine receives tangible benefits that strengthen its own war effort: weapons systems designed to protect critical energy infrastructure, supplies of crude oil and diesel fuel, and in some arrangements, direct financial support. The agreements, he argued, do more than just fill immediate gaps: they shore up Ukraine’s long-term energy stability and lay the groundwork for Kyiv to expand its role as a formal exporter of defense technology and expertise to global partners.

    “We are helping strengthen their security in exchange for contributions to our country’s resilience,” Zelenskyy said. “This is far more than simply receiving money.”

    The public confirmation of Ukraine’s Middle East operations comes at a delicate moment, as widespread concerns have grown that escalating conflict in the region will draw international focus and divert critical Western military aid away from Ukraine, particularly the air defense interceptors Kyiv relies on to fend off Russian drone and missile strikes. But Zelenskyy sought to ease these worries, noting that international support for Ukraine’s air defense remains steady. He confirmed that a new shipment of missiles for U.S.-provided Patriot air defense systems arrived in Ukraine in recent days, and that Kyiv continues to work closely with all allies to maintain robust air defense coverage across the country.

    In additional remarks, Zelenskyy revealed that he has extended an open invitation to U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to visit Kyiv, an offer extended before the recent Middle East ceasefire took hold. “I told them: ‘Come to us, and then go to Moscow. Let’s hold a trilateral meeting in this format,’” Zelenskyy recounted. He said the pair were receptive to the idea, but ultimately chose not to travel far from U.S. President Donald Trump at this time. It remains unclear whether the visit will still take place, or if any potential talks would be moved to a neutral third country, he added.

    On the diplomatic front, Zelenskyy said Ukraine is actively finalizing security guarantee proposals to present to the United States, and holds out hope that diplomatic progress can be made. To date, U.S.-led talks have failed to advance on core issues, with Washington’s policy focus having shifted to the Middle East even as Russian and Ukrainian forces remain locked in intense positional combat along the roughly 1,250-kilometer front line stretching across eastern and southern Ukraine.

    In a separate policy note, Zelenskyy called on Western allies to fully reimpose all sanctions on Russian crude oil, warning that any loosening of restrictions would allow Moscow to continue funding its war machine and offload critical energy assets. He pointed out that Russia has already seen a major boost in energy revenue, driven by spiking global oil prices triggered by recent damage to Gulf energy infrastructure and Iran’s temporary blockage of the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most critical chokepoint for global oil shipments.

  • Judge dismisses claim Adelaide woman tried to mow down boyfriend in alleged row over hot chip

    Judge dismisses claim Adelaide woman tried to mow down boyfriend in alleged row over hot chip

    A highly unusual criminal case out of South Australia, which gained viral attention for its alleged connection to a fight over a single hot chip, has concluded with the accused woman walking free from court after the most serious charge against her was dismissed.

    Charlotte Harrison, 36, faced one count of dangerous driving endangering life, a felony charge that carried significant potential prison time, connected to a February 2023 incident on Melbourne Street in North Adelaide. The case had been winding through the South Australian legal system for more than three years before reaching its conclusion at Adelaide’s District Court on Friday.

    According to Harrison’s former partner Matthew Finn, the confrontation began when he asked to eat Harrison’s last hot chip from a takeaway chicken order, triggering a heated argument that escalated into dangerous driving. That widely shared narrative never made it into the official court proceedings, however, with no mention of the salty snack during Harrison’s trial.

    After reviewing CCTV footage of the crash, Judge Paul Muscat rejected the claim that Harrison’s driving rose to the level of endangering life, openly scoffing at the prosecution’s framing of the incident. “I do not believe that is driving in a manner that is so dangerous it could cause fear or intimidation to others,” the judge told the court. “It is more typical of driving without due care and attention.”

    Harrison entered guilty pleas to two lesser misdemeanor charges: reckless and dangerous driving. The more serious charge of driving endangering life was formally dismissed by the court.

    In his sentencing ruling, Judge Muscat found that Harrison had already served more than enough time in punishment for her offenses. The court confirmed Harrison had already spent nine days in custody on remand and 23 days on home detention following her arrest, a period the judge said exceeded any appropriate sentence for the two minor convictions. As a result, Judge Muscat convicted Harrison on the two counts but imposed no additional fines, prison time, or other penalties.

    Speaking to reporters outside the courtroom after the ruling, Harrison pushed back hard on the viral narrative about the hot chip dispute. “There was never any chips and I never intended to harm or hurt anybody,” she said. Harrison confirmed she had driven recklessly, reversing her vehicle into another car before colliding with a power box, and accepted responsibility for that driving offense. “I drove in a manner that was reckless, reversed into a Yaris,” she told reporters.

    Harrison added that the three-year legal process had been a major burden, and she was relieved to have the case resolved to move forward with her life. “I feel really relieved to have all that behind me, it has been quite a journey,” she said. “I understand the elements of the charge, it was a driving offence, but the narrative that Mr Finn played up did not really play to it. I wanted to resolve this so I could move on with my life.”

    She also offered an apology to bystanders who witnessed the 2023 incident. “I am sorry to anyone that witnessed the event that day,” she said. In a lighthearted comment to reporters, she added, “Thank you for the soap that I got when I was on remand.”

    The case laid bare how sensational salacious details can overshadow the actual facts of a criminal incident, with the hot chip claim turning a routine reckless driving case into a viral news story. Harrison’s acquittal on the serious charge confirms that the court found no evidence to support the claim that she intended to harm her former partner by attempting to run him over.