Global Pulse

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  • NASA releases picture of ‘Earthset’ shot by Artemis crew

    NASA releases picture of ‘Earthset’ shot by Artemis crew

    Fifty-seven years after one of the most influential space photographs in human history changed how humanity sees its home planet, NASA has released a new historic image captured by the Artemis II crew: a striking view of ‘Earthset’ as our world dips beyond the bleak gray lunar horizon.

    The image was taken from the Orion capsule, which is carrying four astronauts on the first crewed lunar flyby mission in more than 50 years, marking a major milestone for NASA’s long-term Artemis program. The frame mirrors the 1968 ‘Earthrise’ shot that forever shifted public perspective on our planet, captured by Apollo 8 astronaut Bill Anders during humanity’s first crewed mission to orbit the Moon.

    Both NASA and the White House shared the new ‘Earthset’ image on the social platform X, alongside a brief caption from the White House that framed the moment as a historic first: “Humanity, from the other side. First photo from the far side of the Moon. Captured from Orion as Earth dips beyond the lunar horizon.”

    The Artemis II crew, made up of NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, and Victor Glover, plus Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, is currently completing a 10-day looping mission around the Moon that lays critical groundwork for the program’s target: the first crewed lunar landing in more than 50 years, currently scheduled for 2028. Over the course of the mission, the astronauts have shared detailed, vivid observations of the lunar surface’s rugged features, and have already witnessed other rare astronomical events. Alongside the ‘Earthset’ image, the White House also released a NASA-captured photo of a deep space solar eclipse, where the Moon passed directly between the Orion capsule and the Sun — a sight the administration noted “few in human history have ever witnessed.”

    The original 1968 ‘Earthrise’ image remains a cultural touchstone for space exploration. During Apollo 8’s 10 orbits of the Moon (which, like Artemis II, did not include a surface landing), Anders snapped the iconic frame that showed Earth’s vivid blue oceans and continents glowing brightly against the endless black of deep space, framed by the desolate gray foreground of the lunar horizon. The shot has consistently ranked among the most influential photographs ever taken, and was included in Life magazine’s 2003 landmark collection *100 Photographs That Changed the World*. The new ‘Earthset’ image carries on that legacy, offering a fresh perspective of our home planet from the lunar neighborhood as NASA works to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon.

  • One gunman killed and two injured in shooting at Israeli consulate in Istanbul

    One gunman killed and two injured in shooting at Israeli consulate in Istanbul

    In a brazen daylight attack that has sent shockwaves across Turkey, a shootout near the Israeli consulate in Istanbul’s central Besiktas business district left one suspected gunman dead and two others wounded, with two police officers also sustaining non-life-threatening injuries in the confrontation. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has condemned the incident as an unforgivable act of terrorism, vowing to prevent such attacks from eroding public confidence in the country.
    Turkish Interior Minister Mustafa Ciftci confirmed early details of the attack, noting that the two responding police officers only suffered minor injuries: one was grazed in the ear and the other shot in the leg, with neither facing critical health risks. Investigative updates show the three attackers traveled to Istanbul from the northern Turkish city of Izmit using a rented vehicle, and two of the three suspects are biological brothers.
    The killed gunman has been identified by the interior ministry as Yunus E.S., who authorities say has confirmed links to a terrorist group that exploits religious ideology. Turkish officials widely understand this reference to point to the Islamic State (IS) group, though no militant organization has yet released a statement claiming responsibility for the attempted assault.
    Early initial reports from law enforcement incorrectly stated two attackers had been killed, but Istanbul Governor Davut Gul later issued an official clarification confirming only one attacker died in the shootout. The two wounded suspects, identified as Onur Ç and Enes Ç, remain in custody as interrogations continue. Governor Gul added that the attackers carried out the assault using a combination of rifles and handguns.
    In a key contextual detail, the attack unfolded at a consulate that has sat empty for two and a half years. No Israeli diplomatic personnel have been stationed in Turkey since relations between Ankara and Tel Aviv deteriorated sharply over the ongoing Gaza war, and Gul confirmed no Israeli staff were present on site during the incident.
    Social media footage captured the chaotic scene of the attack, showing the moment one armed suspect was shot down by responding police officers. One witness quoted by Reuters described sustained, loud gunfire that continued for 15 to 20 minutes across the busy central district. In the hours after the shootout, heavy police reinforcements flooded the area, with multiple police vans deployed and the entire block cordoned off while forensic teams processed the crime scene.
    Authorities have confirmed that extensive digital communications between the three suspects were uncovered during initial evidence collection, and Turkey’s justice ministry has launched a full formal investigation to unpack the full plot and any potential wider networks connected to the attack. Addressing the nation, Erdogan struck a firm tone, insisting that “We will not allow the climate of trust in Turkey to be damaged by such vile and timed provocations as today’s.”

  • Afghanistan says peace talks held in China to end fighting with Pakistan have been constructive

    Afghanistan says peace talks held in China to end fighting with Pakistan have been constructive

    Months of deadly cross-border clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan that have killed hundreds, displaced tens of thousands, and sparked global alarm have moved toward diplomatic resolution, with Afghanistan confirming that recently concluded peace talks hosted in China have yielded productive, constructive discussions. The negotiations, which opened in early April in Urumqi, a city in western China, were arranged at Beijing’s invitation to de-escalate a conflict that reignited in February, ending a previous Qatari-brokered ceasefire reached the previous October. This latest round of fighting has been the most intense between the two neighboring South Asian nations in recent years.

    The scale of the humanitarian damage from the clashes has become increasingly clear. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) confirmed via a post on social media platform X Tuesday that the conflict has forced more than 94,000 people from their homes. Since fighting flared in February, roughly 100,000 residents in two Afghan districts near the shared border have been completely cut off from basic services and outside aid, with no safe passage for evacuation or supply deliveries. Tensions reached a devastating peak in mid-March, when a Pakistani airstrike targeted a facility in Kabul that Afghan authorities identified as a drug treatment center. Kabul’s officials claimed the strike killed more than 400 people, a toll Pakistan rejected, arguing its operation targeted legitimate military infrastructure.

    The international community has grown increasingly concerned about the instability, particularly given the border region’s long-standing history of hosting transnational militant groups including al-Qaida and the Islamic State group. The core dispute driving the ongoing clashes centers on long-running Pakistani allegations that the Afghan Taliban administration, which seized control of Afghanistan in 2021 following the U.S.-led military withdrawal, provides safe haven to Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the Pakistani Taliban militant group that carries out frequent deadly attacks inside Pakistan. The TTP is organizationally separate from the Afghan Taliban but maintains close allied ties to the ruling group in Kabul, which has repeatedly denied Pakistani claims that it harbors TTP fighters. At the height of the current conflict, Pakistan formally declared it was waging “open war” against militant positions inside Afghanistan, and has conducted multiple cross-border airstrikes, including strikes near the Afghan capital.

    Even as diplomatic talks proceeded in Urumqi, Kabul continued to accuse Pakistan of carrying out repeated cross-border shelling that killed and injured Afghan civilians. Pakistan has not yet issued an official response to these latest allegations. Zia Ahmad Takal, deputy spokesman for Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry, announced via a post on X Tuesday that his country’s foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met separately with China’s ambassador to Afghanistan this week. During the meeting, Muttaqi formally thanked Beijing for organizing and hosting the negotiation, as well as extending gratitude to Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates for their earlier mediation work between the two sides. Takal added that Muttaqi acknowledged the productive, constructive dialogue that had occurred so far in the China-hosted talks, and expressed hope that small disagreements over interpretation would not block further progress toward a lasting ceasefire. To date, official public comments on the negotiations have been scarce, as the talks are being held between mid-level delegations from both nations.

    Meanwhile, Pakistan’s top military leadership reaffirmed its hardline stance on counterterrorism operations this week. During a high-level commanders’ meeting chaired by Pakistan Army Chief Field Marshal Asim Munir, senior military officials vowed to continue ongoing counterterrorism sweeps until what they described as “militant safe havens” are eliminated and “the use of Afghan territory against Pakistan” ends. The military’s official statement from the meeting noted that commanders reviewed the full scope of Pakistan’s current internal and external security landscape. It added that “terrorist proxies” operating on behalf of “external sponsors,” along with all of their facilitators, will be pursued and eliminated “relentlessly and without exception.”

    The resurgence of large-scale fighting in February broke a ceasefire that had been brokered by Qatar back in October 2023, when an earlier round of cross-border clashes killed dozens of people, including soldiers, civilians, and suspected militants. This cycle of violence followed a familiar pattern: Afghan forces launched cross-border retaliatory attacks after Pakistan conducted airstrikes inside Afghan territory earlier this year, triggering the full-scale escalation that has drawn international attention to the volatile border region.

  • In Brazil’s capital, Indigenous leaders rally as land disputes and mining pressures grow

    In Brazil’s capital, Indigenous leaders rally as land disputes and mining pressures grow

    In the heart of Brazil’s capital Brasilia, thousands of Indigenous representatives from 200 distinct communities across the nation gathered this Tuesday for the 22nd iteration of the Free Land Encampment, the country’s largest annual Indigenous mobilization. Marching along the Esplanade of the Ministries toward Three Powers Square — the central district housing Brazil’s presidential palace, Congress, and Supreme Court — demonstrators came together to push back against the encroachment of corporate agribusiness, logging, and mining projects on their constitutionally protected ancestral territories.

    Organized under this year’s theme “Our future is not for sale, and the answer is us,” the gathering coincides with a rising tide of land-related violence and tension across Brazil, including ongoing violent disputes targeting the Pataxo people in Bahia state and widespread unrest in the Amazon basin over the past several months. An estimated 7,000 attendees began arriving in Brasilia over the weekend, setting up camp in an open-air cultural space and holding preliminary assemblies to align their shared demands ahead of the main march. When Indigenous leaders asked the assembled crowd whether they were satisfied with the federal government’s progress on demarcating Indigenous land, and with the actions of Congress and the Supreme Court, every question drew a resounding chorus of “no.”

    The march also places direct pressure on President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, a leftist leader who campaigned on a platform of strengthening Indigenous land rights and environmental protection after four years of rollbacks under his predecessor, but has drawn sharp criticism for moving forward with oil exploration and other resource extraction projects that contradict those core promises. With Lula widely expected to run for re-election this October, Indigenous leaders say they are demanding a seat at the table for policy decisions that shape the future of their communities.

    “Congress, the Supreme Court, and the president make decisions about our lives without ever hearing our voices,” explained Alessandra Korap, a Munduruku Indigenous leader and 2023 Goldman Environmental Prize winner, as she joined the march. “They often consult one or a handful of Indigenous people and claim we all agree to a new waterway, a railroad, or a mining project. When we stand united like this, no one can speak for us — we are here to deliver our own message.”

    The mobilization follows a string of recent actions across the Amazon that have yielded mixed results for Indigenous communities. In February, thousands of protesters including Korap held 33 days of demonstrations outside a Cargill facility in Para state, successfully pushing Lula to revoke a decree that would have allowed private concessions for Amazonian waterways. Just weeks earlier, however, a federal court approved licensing for a massive Canadian-led gold mining project operated by Belo Sun in Para, prompting months of continuous Indigenous-led protests in the state capital of Altamira.

    As demonstrators marched on Tuesday, dressed in traditional headdresses and cultural body paint and chanting unified calls for land sovereignty, movement leaders emphasized that even with incremental gains under the Lula administration, Indigenous rights remain under growing threat from agribusiness, mining, and energy interests that dominate national politics. Dinamam Tuxá, executive coordinator of the Articulation of Indigenous Peoples of Brazil, noted that Brazil’s current political and economic context demands sustained, unified action from Indigenous communities. “Lawmakers have already advanced multiple bills that would weaken constitutional protections for our lands and reinterpret long-standing land rights to open more territories to extraction,” Tuxá explained. “With global demand for oil, gas, and critical minerals rising, these economic interests are putting unprecedented pressure on our territories.”

    The contradiction at the heart of Lula’s policy agenda remains a central point of tension for the movement. Lula was invited to attend the Free Land Encampment, but had not confirmed his attendance as of Monday afternoon. While members of his administration, including Indigenous Peoples Minister Eloy Terena, have confirmed they will participate in policy hearings during the week-long gathering, Lula has continued to argue that economic development and environmental conservation can coexist, even as he approves new extraction projects opposed by Indigenous and environmental groups.

    Recent judicial action has added new urgency to the movement’s demands. In February, Supreme Court Justice Flávio Dino ordered Congress to pass formal legislation regulating mining activity on Indigenous territories within two years. In his ruling, Dino acknowledged that illegal mining is already widespread on Indigenous lands, carried out with pervasive violence and disregard for environmental protections, and affirmed that the Cinta Larga people, whose territory spans the Amazonian states of Mato Grosso and Rondonia, retain the right to conduct mining on their own land if they comply with environmental rules and secure broad community approval. Under current Brazilian law, all mining and mineral exploration on Indigenous territory requires congressional approval in addition to community consultation.

    But legal and environmental advocates warn that a Congress dominated by agribusiness and pro-extraction lawmakers will almost certainly draft legislation that undermines Indigenous sovereignty. Renata Vieira, a lawyer with the non-profit Instituto Socioambiental, called the push to open Indigenous territories to formal mining one of the most severe threats facing Indigenous communities in modern Brazil. “Any legislation coming out of this current Congress will be deeply harmful to Indigenous rights,” Vieira said.

    Beyond the immediate fight for Indigenous sovereignty, the protection of Indigenous territories is widely recognized by climate scientists as one of the most effective strategies to curb Amazon deforestation. The Amazon, the world’s largest tropical rainforest, acts as a critical global carbon sink that regulates global climate patterns, and researchers warn that continued large-scale forest loss could accelerate dangerous levels of global warming. Data from 2022 collected by MapBiomas, a network of non-profit land-use tracking organizations, underscores the impact of Indigenous stewardship: over 30 years, Indigenous territories lost just 1% of their native vegetation, compared to a 20% loss on private land across Brazil.

  • Kanye West controversies – how did we get here?

    Kanye West controversies – how did we get here?

    Once hailed as one of the most transformative and groundbreaking hip-hop artists and producers of the 2000s and 2010s, Kanye West — who now goes by the name Ye — has built a decades-long career marked by unparalleled creative innovation and a seemingly endless string of damaging, offensive controversies. Now, that history of bigotry has led to the cancellation of one of the UK’s most anticipated summer music events after the British government barred the rapper from entering the country.

    West launched his career behind the scenes, crafting chart-topping production for A-list stars including Jay-Z and Alicia Keys before stepping into the spotlight as a solo artist. His 2003 debut single *Through the Wire* became an instant classic: written from a hospital bed and recorded with his jaw wired shut after a near-fatal car crash, the track announced West as a bold new voice in rap. Over the next 15 years, he cemented his legacy, pushing creative boundaries with hits like *Stronger*, *Gold Digger*, and *Heartless* that redefined what hip-hop could sound like. But for almost as long as he has been in the public eye, his career has been repeatedly derailed by impulsive behavior, offensive rhetoric, and hateful statements that have alienated fans and destroyed professional partnerships.

    Controversy has followed West since the early days of his fame. In one of the most infamous moments in awards show history, he interrupted Taylor Swift’s 2009 MTV Video Music Awards acceptance speech to insist Beyoncé deserved the honor for Best Female Video. Four years before that, he deviated from his script during a Hurricane Katrina relief telethon, famously stating that then-President George W. Bush “doesn’t care about black people” — a comment that while divisive, resonated with many who shared the sentiment. But as time went on, West’s statements grew more shocking and harmful. In 2016, he drew widespread backlash for a social media post declaring “BILL COSBY INNOCENT !!!!!!!!!!” at a time when the comedian faced dozens of allegations of drugging and sexual assault. Cosby was later convicted of one count of sexual assault (though the conviction was later overturned), and in March 2026, a civil court ordered him to pay $59.25 million in damages to a victim assaulted more than 50 years prior.

    Two years later, West sparked global outrage during an appearance on TMZ when he claimed that centuries of chattel slavery of African Americans “sounds like a choice.” The comment, which ignored the brutal, forced history of chattel slavery in the United States, led to widespread calls for accountability, with many social media users urging the rapper to revisit basic American history. West later attempted to walk back the comment, claiming his words had been misinterpreted and that he was referring to ongoing mental oppression, but the damage was done.

    A 2022 fashion show in Paris marked a turning point in the erosion of West’s professional standing. The artist, who had built a second high-profile career as a fashion designer with his Yeezy brand, walked out at his SZN 9 show wearing a t-shirt emblazoned with the “White Lives Matter” slogan, a phrase widely recognized as a direct rebuke of the Black Lives Matter movement. Anti-racism organizers condemned the display, and a subsequent photo of West alongside conservative commentator Candace Owens, both wearing the shirts, amplified the outrage.

    The controversy quickly escalated when West published a private text exchange with fellow hip-hop icon Sean “Diddy” Combs, in which he claimed Combs was “controlled by Jewish people” — echoing centuries-old harmful antisemitic conspiracy theories. The post got West’s Instagram account suspended, prompting him to move to Twitter (now X) where he declared he would go “death con 3 On Jewish people.” The comment got him banned from the platform as well, with both social media companies citing violations of hate speech policies. By the end of 2022, nearly all of West’s major professional partners had cut ties: fashion house Balenciaga, talent agency Creative Artists Agency, JPMorgan Chase, Gap, and long-time footwear partner Adidas all dropped the rapper. Adidas reported that ending the partnership would cost the company a net loss of £217 million in 2022.

    West’s ex-wife Kim Kardashian addressed the controversy at the time, acknowledging West’s bipolar disorder diagnosis and noting that “those who are close with Kanye know his heart and understand his words sometimes do not align with his intentions.” However, medical experts have pushed back on framing West’s hate speech as a product of his mental illness. “Bipolar disorder is absolutely not synonymous with racism and there’s nothing about mental illness that creates racism or hate,” Amy Elizabeth West, a professor of clinical pediatrics and psychology at USC Keck School of Medicine, explained in 2022. “Those are all entirely separate behaviours that he happens to have in addition to having bipolar disorder.”

    Later in 2022, West announced he would run for U.S. president in 2024, a bid that never materialized after his 2020 presidential run earned him just 60,000 votes nationwide. Months later, he appeared on a podcast hosted by far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones, where he declared “I see good things about Hitler” and claimed the Nazi leader had added value to the world. The comment drew universal condemnation, and West was again banned from Twitter. Just months later, he was banned once more after posting a symbol combining a swastika and the Star of David.

    West first issued an apology to the Jewish community in December 2023, posting a statement in Hebrew to Instagram saying he “sincerely apologise[s]” and that it was “not my intention to hurt or demean, and I deeply regret any pain I may have caused.” But the apologies did not end the controversy. In February 2025, West drew new outrage after starting to sell t-shirts printed with swastikas, prompting commerce platform Shopify to shut down his online store. Three months later, he released a track titled *Heil Hitler*, claiming that a child custody battle and frozen assets had pushed him toward Nazism. The track was banned from all major streaming platforms and in Germany under the country’s strict hate speech laws, but it spread widely on social media, and West was subsequently barred from entering Australia over the content.

    In January 2026, West issued a second public apology, taking out a full-page ad in *The Wall Street Journal* stating “I am not a Nazi or an antisemite” and “I love Jewish people.” He attributed his past harmful actions to bipolar disorder, writing that episodes of the condition left him “disconnected” and unable to recall many of his offensive statements, adding “It does not excuse what I did though.”

    Months later, event organizers announced West would headline London’s 2026 Wireless Festival, a three-night headline set scheduled for July that sparked immediate public and political backlash. In response, West updated his *Wall Street Journal* open letter, saying he would “be grateful” to meet with members of the British Jewish community “to listen” and that he would “show change through my actions.” The Board of Deputies of British Jews said it was open to a meeting, but on the condition that West cancel his planned performances.

    The controversy ultimately led to the full cancellation of the 2026 Wireless Festival after the UK government formally blocked West from entering the country over his history of hate speech and offensive behavior.

  • French train driver killed, 16 injured in a railway crossing crash

    French train driver killed, 16 injured in a railway crossing crash

    A devastating collision between a French high-speed train and a military equipment truck at a northern France level crossing has left the train engineer dead and 16 passengers and crew injured, local authorities confirmed Tuesday. The crash took place in the town of Bully-les-Mines, along the busy passenger rail corridor connecting the coastal city of Dunkirk to the French capital Paris.

    Emergency response teams were dispatched immediately to the accident site after the collision was reported. Regional administration officials confirmed that among the 16 injured, two people are in critical condition. All more than 200 passengers on board the train were safely evacuated from the scene with no additional fatalities reported.

    An on-site photographer from the Associated Press documented extensive damage to both vehicles: the front facade of the high-speed locomotive was heavily crumpled in the impact, while the truck also suffered catastrophic destruction. The rail line was fully closed to all traffic while emergency response and investigation teams worked through the site, leaving the stranded train resting on the tracks.

    Prosecutor Etienne Thieffry announced that authorities have taken the truck driver into custody and launched an aggravated manslaughter investigation into the incident. As of Tuesday, Thieffry noted that it remains too early to draw definitive conclusions on the root cause of the crash.

    Jean Castex, CEO of France’s state-owned national railway operator SNCF, told reporters that preliminary checks confirmed the level crossing’s barrier system was operating normally at the time of the collision, ruling out an immediate mechanical failure of the crossing infrastructure as the cause of the accident.

  • Rare Chinese mergansers spotted on Yalu River

    Rare Chinese mergansers spotted on Yalu River

    A stunning wildlife discovery has been made along the Yalu River in Northeast China’s Jilin province, where local photographers have documented a flock of rare Chinese mergansers, one of the world’s most threatened bird species. \n\nThe sighting, which took place in Maxian township, Ji’an city, captured the graceful birds both soaring through the sky in a synchronized display and gliding along the rocky Yalu River shoreline in search of food. The images and video footage, collected by local wildlife photographer Zhu Guimin, offer a rare glimpse of a species that has long hovered near the brink of extinction.\n\nClassified as a national first-level protected wild animal by China’s government, the Chinese merganser—also called the scaly-sided merganser—holds a spot on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List as an endangered species. With an evolutionary history stretching back millions of years, the bird has earned the popular nickname “living fossil” among conservation biologists and wildlife enthusiasts alike. \n\nConservation experts note that sightings of large flocks of the species in their natural breeding grounds along the Yalu River are increasingly encouraging, signaling that ongoing ecological restoration efforts along the transboundary waterway have helped improve the bird’s natural habitat. The Yalu River, which forms the border between China and the Korean Peninsula, has remained one of the few remaining intact breeding habitats for the vulnerable species, thanks in large part to lower levels of industrial pollution and reduced human disturbance in recent decades.

  • US Para Nordic ski team has new home with US SKI & Snowboard fresh off winning 10 golds in Italy

    US Para Nordic ski team has new home with US SKI & Snowboard fresh off winning 10 golds in Italy

    Fresh off a historic medal haul at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Paralympics, the U.S. Para Nordic Ski Team — which encompasses cross-country skiing and biathlon — is entering a new era of institutional support, after U.S. Ski & Snowboard and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) announced Tuesday that the squad will now be managed under the national governing body’s umbrella. The integration marks the latest step in a broader push to expand Para sport programming within U.S. Ski & Snowboard, following the return of Paralympic Alpine skiing and snowboard squads to the organization’s oversight in 2023. Prior to this latest move, the U.S. Para Nordic Team had operated under direct USOPC management since 2014. The timing of the shift could not be more favorable, coming just weeks after the team turned in a dominant performance in Italy, walking away with 10 gold medals from the Games. Standout para athletes Oksana Masters and Jake Adicoff led the charge, each securing four gold medals individually, including a shared victory in the mixed relay event. For Masters, the win cemented her status as one of the most decorated Paralympians in U.S. history, bringing her total medal count across Summer and Winter Games to an extraordinary 24. Under the new structure, Para Nordic athletes will gain access to a full suite of support resources previously unavailable to the squad under USOPC management. These benefits include entry to U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s state-of-the-art Center of Excellence in Park City, Utah, as well as dedicated full-time coaching, travel funding, advanced sports science support, registered dietitian services, marketing guidance, and career development resources for athletes. Masters, who has led the team’s success for more than a decade, expressed enthusiasm for the new partnership, framing the shift as a critical new chapter for the program. “It’s exciting to think about the future and the added visibility and resources that can come with it,” Masters said in an official statement announcing the move. “We’re proud of everything we accomplished to date, and we’re motivated to carry that legacy forward as we begin a new chapter with U.S. Ski & Snowboard.” Sophie Goldschmidt, president and CEO of U.S. Ski & Snowboard, echoed that optimism, noting that the organization is eager to leverage its existing infrastructure to help the Para Nordic team build on its already impressive track record of global success. “We look forward to working together to support their goals and continue building upon their success on the world stage,” Goldschmidt said. The integration comes as U.S. Paralympic winter sports continue to gain institutional investment and mainstream attention, following record-breaking medal performances at the 2026 Milan Cortina Games that have highlighted the talent and dedication of the nation’s para athlete community.

  • Trump warns ‘whole civilization will die’ in Iran if ultimatum expires

    Trump warns ‘whole civilization will die’ in Iran if ultimatum expires

    In an escalation of bellicose rhetoric against Iran that has sent shockwaves through the global political landscape, former and current U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a catastrophic warning: if Tehran fails to comply with his sweeping demands by a Tuesday midnight GMT deadline, an entire Iranian civilization faces permanent annihilation. The stark threat marks a new peak in weeks of escalating military pressure led by the United States and its regional ally Israel, which have already carried out sustained airstrikes against Iranian military sites, eliminated top Iranian military and political leadership, and left critical segments of the country’s infrastructure in ruins.

    Early Tuesday, Trump doubled down on his aggressive posture in a post to his Truth Social platform, issuing one of the most extreme threats of the ongoing conflict. “A whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” he wrote. While he offered few specific details on what a full-scale U.S. attack would entail, Trump has already outlined plans to target civilian infrastructure, threatening to bomb Iran’s bridges, power grids and other critical public facilities back to the “Stone Age”.

    The core demand at the heart of Trump’s ultimatum is that Iran end its de facto closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the strategically critical narrow waterway that carries a large share of the world’s global oil and commodity trade. Rejecting incremental de-escalation, Trump dismissed a circulating temporary ceasefire proposal as insufficient on Monday, leaving no room for partial compromise. Iran has already pushed back firmly against U.S. pressure, with state media reporting that Iranian authorities refuse to accept anything less than a full, permanent end to the ongoing war, rather than a temporary pause in hostilities.

    Despite his apocalyptic rhetoric, Trump appeared to leave a narrow opening for a last-minute diplomatic breakthrough. “Now that we have Complete and Total Regime Change, where different, smarter, and less radicalized minds prevail, maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen, WHO KNOWS? We will find out tonight,” he added in his Truth Social post.

    Critics across the political spectrum have decried Trump’s threats as a blatant violation of international law. On Monday, Trump confirmed that if his deadline passes without Iranian compliance, U.S. forces would begin systematically destroying every bridge across Iran and crippling every major power plant – a planned attack that military and legal experts widely condemn as a clear-cut war crime. Leading Congressional Democrat Chuck Schumer, the Senate Minority Leader, was among the most vocal critics, condemning the president’s words in a post to X. “This is an extremely sick person,” Schumer wrote. “Each Republican who refuses to join us in voting against this wanton war of choice owns every consequence of whatever the hell this is.”

    The Trump administration’s campaign of pressure received backup from Vice President JD Vance, who doubled down on the threat during a diplomatic visit to Budapest, where he met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Even as Vance acknowledged that the U.S. has “largely accomplished its military objectives” to date and suggested further negotiations were possible ahead of the deadline, he delivered an ominous warning to Tehran. “They’ve got to know we’ve got tools in our toolkit that we so far haven’t decided to use,” Vance told reporters. “Trump will decide to use them if the Iranians don’t change their course of conduct.”

    Sustained airstrikes have continued across Iran since the U.S.-Israeli bombing campaign began on February 28. On Tuesday, Iranian officials confirmed that the country’s primary oil export terminal, located on Kharg Island, has come under fresh attack, adding to the growing damage to the country’s energy sector and broader economy.

  • Sinner and Alcaraz start fast on Monte Carlo clay in race for No.1

    Sinner and Alcaraz start fast on Monte Carlo clay in race for No.1

    The 2025 men’s tennis clay court season kicked off its first Masters 1000 event in Monte Carlo on Tuesday, with the sport’s two top superstars Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz delivering dominant opening-round wins to fuel their tight, high-stakes battle for the ATP world number one ranking ahead of the French Open.

    With Olympic sprint legend Usain Bolt watching from the stands of the Monte-Carlo Country Club, the top two-ranked players turned in clinical performances that sent them smoothly into the tournament’s second round. Second-ranked Sinner, the Italian powerhouse who enters the clay swing in red-hot form, took just 64 minutes to blow past France’s Ugo Humbert in a lopsided 6-3, 6-0 victory. Shortly after, world No. 1 and defending Monte Carlo champion Carlos Alcaraz followed Sinner onto center court, wrapping up a 6-1, 6-3 win over Argentina’s Sebastian Baez 69 minutes after the opening first serve.

    This clay season carries extra significance for Sinner, who is still chasing his first ATP Masters 1000 title on clay and gunning to knock Alcaraz off the top spot in the global rankings. The Italian comes into Monte Carlo fresh off a historic unbeaten Sunshine Double in March, where he claimed back-to-back titles at the Indian Wells and Miami Open without dropping a single set. Tuesday’s win extended his winning streak at 1000-level events to an impressive 18 matches.

    Speaking after his victory, Sinner acknowledged the challenge of adapting his game to his first clay tournament of the season. “It was a good performance from my side. The first clay event is never easy. You have to change your game style a little bit, how you approach certain situations. I come here with good feelings but, at the same time, not many expectations,” he said.

    Against Humbert, a player he had not faced in five years, Sinner took a handful of games to find his rhythm on the red dirt. He broke Humbert’s serve in the fifth game to take control of the first set, closing it out 6-3. The second set was a complete rout: Sinner dropped zero games, sweeping Humbert aside 6-0 in just 23 minutes. He will next face the winner of the match between Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo and Czech qualifier Tomas Machac.

    For Alcaraz, the opening win marked a promising return to his favored surface after a long hard-court stretch. The 21-year-old Spaniard admitted he had been eager to get back on clay. “It’s been almost one year since the last match I played on clay. To be honest, I missed it. I missed getting myself dirty a little bit,” he said. Last clay season, Alcaraz dominated the surface, claiming three titles from four tournaments including the Monte Carlo crown, with his only defeat coming in the Barcelona final.

    Alcaraz’s path to retaining the world number one ranking is already an uphill battle, as ranking regulations reset points after 12 months, and Sinner has no points to defend from Monte Carlo this year. After his opening win, Alcaraz openly acknowledged that Sinner’s ascent to the top spot is only a matter of time. “I’m going to lose the number one in the world. I don’t know if it’s going to be in this tournament or the next one. It is going to be really difficult to defend all the points and even if I do, Jannik is going to add some points in this tournament. Number one is not on my mind but to be my best on clay and let’s see how the clay court season is going to be,” Alcaraz explained.

    The Spaniard’s performance against Baez even exceeded his own expectations. He sailed through the first set, hit a small rough patch in the second, then closed out the match by winning the final seven consecutive points to seal victory. “A really good start to the tournament for me. I surprised myself with the level. I thought I was going to play a little bit worse,” he said. Alcaraz will next meet either Argentina’s Tomas Etcheverry or France’s Terence Atmane in the second round.

    The 2025 clay season already carries extra narrative weight after last year’s dramatic Roland Garros final, where Sinner — returning from a doping ban that sidelined him for the start of the clay swing — pushed Alcaraz to a five-hour, five-set epic. Sinner held a two-set lead and three championship points before ultimately falling to the Spaniard, setting the stage for a rematch that could come at any point during the clay swing, including Monte Carlo.