Global Pulse

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  • France issues arrest warrants for French-Israeli women accused of inciting genocide

    France issues arrest warrants for French-Israeli women accused of inciting genocide

    French judicial authorities have initiated a significant legal proceeding by issuing arrest warrants for two French-Israeli women, Nili Kupfer-Naouri and Rachel Touitou, for their alleged involvement in obstructing humanitarian aid convoys destined for the Gaza Strip. The warrants, reported by Le Monde, form part of a broader investigation into French citizens participating in activities that disrupt critical aid deliveries during the ongoing conflict.

    Kupfer-Naouri, who leads the organization Israel Is Forever, and Touitou, an activist associated with the group Tsav 9, face accusations of complicity and incitement to genocide. The judicial action follows formal complaints submitted by French-Palestinian citizens and human rights organizations urging prosecution of dual nationals directly involved in hampering lifesaving assistance during Gaza’s humanitarian crisis.

    The case gains international context as Tsav 9 has been designated a ‘violent extremist Israeli group’ by the U.S. Department of State in June 2024 for systematically blocking, harassing, and damaging humanitarian aid convoys. According to investigations, group members employed tactics including road blockades, truck vandalism, and destruction of vital supplies, with a particularly severe incident occurring on May 13, 2024, when members looted and burned two aid trucks near Hebron in the West Bank.

    Touitou has publicly criticized the French justice system, alleging biased prioritization of complaints from pro-Palestinian organizations. Conversely, complainants have welcomed the warrants as a necessary step toward accountability. The French Jewish Organisation for Peace (UJFP) emphasized that the warrants reflect the serious nature of ‘collaboration in genocide’ through concrete actions.

    The international response has extended beyond judicial measures, with Meta suspending Tsav 9’s Facebook and Instagram accounts in May 2024 for organizing raids on aid convoys, and the European Union imposing sanctions on the group for exacerbating human suffering and committing serious human rights abuses in Gaza.

  • Trump says Republicans ‘should take over the voting’ and ‘nationalise’ US elections

    Trump says Republicans ‘should take over the voting’ and ‘nationalise’ US elections

    In a recent podcast appearance that has stirred significant political controversy, former US President Donald Trump called for Republicans to “nationalize” American elections while reiterating his unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential race. Speaking on the show hosted by former deputy FBI director Dan Bongino, Trump advocated for Republican control over voting processes in at least fifteen unspecified jurisdictions.

    The controversial remarks arrive shortly after Federal Bureau of Investigation agents conducted a court-authorized operation at the Fulton County Election Hub in Georgia, examining records from the previous presidential election. Trump referenced this development during the interview, suggesting that “interesting things” would emerge from the investigation.

    Trump connected his proposal for federalizing election mechanisms to his immigration agenda, asserting that Republicans must deport undocumented immigrants to secure future electoral victories. “If Republicans don’t get them out, you will never win another election as a Republican,” he stated.

    Despite losing Georgia to President Joe Biden by a narrow margin in 2020, Trump maintained during the interview that he had actually won “in a landslide,” repeating baseless allegations of illegal voting. These claims persist despite two failed criminal cases in Georgia related to alleged election interference, both of which Trump denied any wrongdoing in.

    The FBI raid prompted strong reactions from local officials, with Fulton County Commissioner Mo Ivory characterizing it as “an assault on your vote.” Adding to the unusual nature of the event, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard confirmed her presence during the operation, stating that Trump had personally requested her attendance. In a letter to senators, Gabbard explained her involvement fell under her authority to coordinate intelligence related to election security.

    The intelligence director also acknowledged facilitating a brief phone conversation between Trump and FBI agents conducting the raid, noting that the former president merely thanked them for their work without asking questions or issuing directives—an unusual occurrence given typical separation between law enforcement operations and presidential communication.

  • Spain considers social media ban for under-16s, joining others in Europe

    Spain considers social media ban for under-16s, joining others in Europe

    In a significant move to safeguard young people from digital harm, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced Tuesday that Spain will implement a nationwide ban on social media access for children under 16. The declaration came during Sánchez’s address at a Dubai summit where he criticized major technology corporations for permitting the proliferation of illegal content including child sexual abuse materials and nonconsensual sexualized deepfakes.

    “Contemporary children are navigating digital territories they were never equipped to traverse independently,” Sánchez stated. “This era of willful ignorance must conclude.”

    Spain now aligns with several nations implementing similar protective measures. France recently legislated to prohibit social media access for those under 15, with enforcement scheduled for the upcoming September academic term. Australia has pioneered the world’s first comprehensive social media prohibition for under-16s, making platforms legally accountable for minor users. Denmark has established comparable restrictions for users under 15, while the United Kingdom is considering analogous protective measures.

    The Spanish initiative will mandate social media companies to implement robust age verification mechanisms—moving beyond self-declaration systems to establish effective digital barriers. Current platform policies typically set minimum age requirements at 13, though enforcement remains inconsistent across the industry.

    Spain’s prohibition will integrate into existing digital protection legislation for minors currently under parliamentary consideration. Government officials indicate the measure could receive approval as early as next week, though the minority left-wing coalition faces legislative challenges. While the far-right Vox party criticized the proposal as potentially limiting criticism of the government, the center-right Popular Party indicated support, having proposed similar restrictions previously.

    Concurrently, Spain has joined five European nations in forming what Sánchez termed a “coalition of the digitally willing” to coordinate multinational social media regulation. Additional measures include criminalizing algorithmic manipulation that amplifies illegal content and establishing executive liability for failure to remove criminal materials from digital platforms.

    “The myth of technological neutrality must be dispelled,” Sánchez emphasized during his summit address. Both regulatory enhancements will require parliamentary ratification to modify Spanish law.

  • Ethiopia PM hits out at Eritrea over atrocities in Tigray

    Ethiopia PM hits out at Eritrea over atrocities in Tigray

    In a dramatic parliamentary address, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has publicly condemned Eritrean military forces for committing widespread atrocities during the devastating Tigray conflict that ravaged northern Ethiopia from 2020-2022. This marks the first official admission from Addis Ababa regarding Eritrea’s involvement in mass killings, specifically referencing the November 2020 Aksum massacre that Asmara had consistently denied.

    The Prime Minister detailed how Eritrean troops, who fought alongside Ethiopian government forces against Tigrayan rebels, engaged in systematic destruction across multiple cities including Adwa, Aksum, Adigrat and Shire. According to Abiy’s testimony, these operations included wholesale demolition of residential properties, looting of civilian possessions, destruction of industrial infrastructure, and seizure of manufacturing machinery.

    This condemnation represents the latest deterioration in the volatile relationship between these Horn of Africa neighbors, whose alliance has historically oscillated between cooperation and hostility. The current tensions stem partly from Ethiopia’s persistent quest for Red Sea access through Eritrean territory and recent allegations of shifting allegiances in Tigray.

    The 2022 Pretoria Agreement that formally ended the Tigray conflict excluded Eritrea as a signatory, with Asmara having opposed the peace deal for not achieving the complete military defeat of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). Independent investigations by organizations including Amnesty International had previously documented extensive human rights violations during the conflict, with Eritrean forces accused of some of the most severe atrocities.

    The timing of Abiy’s statement coincides with renewed regional tensions, including a five-day suspension of passenger flights between Addis Ababa and Tigrayan cities following recent clashes in western Tigray. These developments have raised concerns among international observers about potential renewed hostilities in the region where the African Union estimates approximately 600,000 lives were lost during the two-year war.

  • Intl students experience Chinese New Year celebration in Shanghai

    Intl students experience Chinese New Year celebration in Shanghai

    In a vibrant cultural exchange initiative, nearly 100 international students from Shanghai’s universities gathered at Siping Cinema in Yangpu district on February 2nd for an immersive Lunar New Year experience. The event, strategically timed before the Spring Festival celebrations, offered foreign scholars a deep dive into traditional Chinese customs through interactive activities.

    The celebration featured two distinctive cultural showcases: the launch of six specially designed blind boxes containing traditional artifacts and a hands-on calligraphy workshop. Under expert guidance, participants crafted personalized Spring Festival couplets and practiced writing the symbolic Chinese character “fu” (福), representing good fortune and happiness.

    The cultural program culminated with the premiere screening of “The Moon is Yours,” a documentary directed by Fudan University alumna Wu Bei. This cinematic project represents a three-year ethnographic study initiated in September 2022 by Fudan University’s School of Journalism. The film tracks the academic and personal journeys of six international students from diverse national backgrounds and academic disciplines during their time in China.

    Elijah Knowles, a 24-year-old Wushu scholar from the United States studying at Shanghai University of Sport, characterized the event as emblematic of Shanghai’s multicultural richness. “This celebration perfectly encapsulates the ‘plenty of everything’ experience that Shanghai offers international students,” Knowles remarked, highlighting the city’s capacity for cultural integration and educational hospitality.

    The event demonstrates Shanghai’s ongoing commitment to promoting cultural understanding and creating meaningful connections between international students and traditional Chinese festivals through experiential learning opportunities.

  • ‘New kind of humanity’: UAE minister urges governments to rethink roles at WGS opening

    ‘New kind of humanity’: UAE minister urges governments to rethink roles at WGS opening

    DUBAI – At the opening session of the 2026 World Governments Summit, UAE Minister of Cabinet Affairs Mohammad Al Gergawi issued a compelling call for global governments to fundamentally reimagine their operational structures to address what he termed a ‘new kind of humanity’ shaped by technological revolution.

    Addressing a capacity audience at Madinat Jumeirah on Tuesday, Minister Al Gergawi identified four transformative forces rapidly redesigning global society: artificial intelligence, advanced medicine, brain sciences, and digital environments. He asserted these forces represent not merely technological advancement but a fundamental shift in human evolution itself.

    ‘After every revolution, there was a redefinition of government,’ Al Gergawi stated. ‘The question today is: are governments designed for the man of tomorrow or the man of yesterday?’

    The minister warned that governments worldwide are confronting Generation Z – a demographic raised in an era of instant access and constant connectivity projected to constitute 40% of the global workforce by 2040. He urged leaders to transcend bureaucratic inertia and focus on proactive future design, noting that historical precedence shows some governments adapt and lead while others fall behind.

    In his detailed analysis, Al Gergawi outlined how each disruptive force is reshaping civilization:

    Artificial intelligence is evolving from mere computational tool to cognitive partner, with medical diagnostics already demonstrating AI’s capacity to enhance – and potentially replace – human expertise. He projected AI’s computing power will increase 800,000 to one million times within the next decade, creating entirely new decision-making paradigms.

    Advanced medicine, particularly genomics and predictive health technologies, is moving toward pre-birth disease identification. These developments promise not only extended lifespans but improved quality of life, necessitating comprehensive overhauls of labor markets, pension systems, and social policies.

    Brain science breakthroughs are revolutionizing human capability, with neural implant technologies already enabling experimental subjects to control devices through brain signals. The minister cited Neuralink’s implantable brain-computer interfaces as evidence of rapid advancement in this field.

    Digital environments have connected over 5.5 billion people worldwide, creating a borderless global village that has fundamentally altered human identity, attention spans, and social behavior through multiple digital personas.

    ‘This new era is a historical opportunity for governments to redefine themselves,’ Al Gergawi concluded. ‘Their first and true role is to serve mankind.’

  • UAE Lottery website restored after temporary outage impacting some users

    UAE Lottery website restored after temporary outage impacting some users

    The UAE’s premier national lottery platform has successfully restored its digital services after experiencing a significant technical interruption that lasted approximately two hours on Tuesday morning. The outage, which commenced in the early hours of February 3, 2026, temporarily prevented certain users from accessing the official lottery website and related services.

    Company representatives swiftly addressed the situation through their social media channels, confirming that technical specialists were conducting comprehensive investigations into the system malfunction. During the disruption period, prospective players encountering access difficulties received official guidance to either attempt reconnection at a later time or utilize alternative internet service providers.

    For users requiring immediate assistance, the organization maintained accessible support channels including a dedicated helpline (800 2365) and email support (support@theuaelottery.ae). The lottery administration expressed gratitude toward its user base for their patience and understanding throughout the resolution process.

    Established in late 2024 under the regulatory supervision of the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA), the UAE Lottery represents the nation’s first and exclusively licensed national lottery program. Operated by The Game LLC, the platform features diverse gaming options including the flagship Lucky Day weekly draw alongside various instant-win scratch cards and rapid-play formats, offering participants the opportunity to win substantial monetary prizes.

    The organization has implemented robust responsible gaming protocols in collaboration with Takalam, an artificial intelligence-driven mental health support platform. These measures include continuous monitoring of participant behavior and proactive intervention mechanisms to ensure ethical gaming practices among eligible residents aged 18 and above.

  • Restored angel fresco resembling Italian PM Meloni sparks investigation

    Restored angel fresco resembling Italian PM Meloni sparks investigation

    Italian authorities and Catholic Church officials have initiated a formal investigation into controversial restoration work at Rome’s Basilica of St Lawrence in Lucina following allegations that a fresco angel bears the likeness of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.

    The cultural controversy emerged when Italy’s leading newspaper La Repubblica published comparative images showing a recently restored cherub holding a map of Italy that appeared to resemble the conservative leader. The side-by-side photographs demonstrated significant facial alterations from the original 2000 fresco.

    Culture Minister Alessandro Giuli has dispatched technical experts to examine the artwork and determine the exact nature of the modifications. Simultaneously, the Diocese of Rome expressed profound disappointment, clarifying that while aware of conservation efforts following water damage, they had received assurances that no substantive changes would be made to the chapel’s artwork.

    Eighty-three-year-old artist Bruno Valentinetti, who created the original fresco and conducted the restoration, vehemently denied the allegations. “The restored face is identical to what I painted twenty-five years ago,” he stated through AGI news agency. “Who perceives any resemblance to Meloni?”

    Prime Minister Meloni responded with characteristic humor on Instagram, posting: “I’m definitely not like an angel” accompanied by laughing emojis, effectively dismissing the controversy.

    Parish priest Monsignor Daniele Micheletti expressed bewilderment at the attention, noting that historical frescoes frequently contained contemporary references. “Artists traditionally incorporated various elements into their religious works,” he remarked.

    The political opposition demanded immediate investigation, with Democratic Party representative Irene Manzi labeling the situation “unacceptable” and the Five Star Movement warning against art becoming “propaganda instrumentation.”

    The Diocese subsequently announced that Cardinal Baldo Reina, the Pope’s Vicar for Rome, would lead the inquiry to establish accountability. Church authorities emphasized their commitment to protecting both artistic integrity and spiritual heritage from inappropriate exploitation.

    The Basilica of St Lawrence in Lucina, dating to the 4th century, contains numerous significant artworks and remains an important site for both religious worship and cultural tourism.

  • Somali woman executed for murdering a child in a case that sparked outrage

    Somali woman executed for murdering a child in a case that sparked outrage

    In an unprecedented judicial development, the semi-autonomous Somali region of Puntland has carried out the execution of a woman convicted of murdering her teenage domestic worker. Hodan Mohamud Diiriye, 34, faced a firing squad in Galkayo on Tuesday following her conviction for the brutal beating death of 14-year-old Saabirin Saylaan.

    The case, which concluded with a death sentence at the end of last year, represents the first female execution in over a decade under Puntland’s retaliatory sentencing system. The murder occurred in November when Saylaan, an orphaned child worker, succumbed to injuries sustained during what investigators described as “routine physical abuse” during her two-month employment with Diiriye’s family.

    Evidence presented during trial included disturbing audio and video recordings recovered from the perpetrator’s phone, documenting systematic violence against the victim. In one particularly chilling audio clip, Diiriye could be heard stating: “I’m enjoying your pain.” A post-mortem examination confirmed multiple injuries and deep stab wounds consistent with prolonged torture.

    The execution was conducted under the Islamic legal principle of “qisas,” which allows victims’ families to demand capital punishment rather than accept financial compensation. Mudug regional governor Faysal Sheikh Ali confirmed that representatives from both families witnessed the sentence carried out, in accordance with local decree requiring enforcement of Islamic law in such cases.

    The case has ignited widespread public outrage and prompted calls for enhanced child protection measures across Somalia, where abuse often remains unreported, particularly within extended family structures. Hundreds of protesters marched through Galkayo carrying signs demanding “Justice for Saabirin” and calling for accountability in domestic worker abuse cases.

    Community leaders, activists, and elders have subsequently advocated for strengthened legal protections for vulnerable children and domestic workers, highlighting systemic vulnerabilities within the current framework.

  • Look: UAE YouTuber Anas Bukhash meets Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan

    Look: UAE YouTuber Anas Bukhash meets Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan

    In a discreet meeting that escaped widespread media attention, prominent Emirati media personality Anas Bukhash recently hosted Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh Khan during his private visit to Dubai. The founder of the influential AB Talks podcast shared visual documentation of their encounter through his Instagram platform, offering followers a glimpse into their exclusive gathering.

    The social media post featured multiple photographs and a atmospheric video sequence capturing their meeting at what appears to be a secluded desert resort. One particularly striking image shows the two personalities posing together against a backdrop of traditional Arabian ambiance, while accompanying footage depicts camels traversing the desert landscape. Bukhash poetically described the experience as a ‘life cocktail’ in his caption.

    This meeting occurred shortly after Khan’s prominent appearance at the Dubai Mall Global Fashion Awards on January 30, where the actor received the Global Style Icon honor in recognition of his extraordinary three-decade cinematic career and international influence. The award ceremony generated significant social media excitement and featured a notable interaction between Khan and Mohamed Alabbar, the visionary developer behind Dubai’s iconic Burj Khalifa.

    Bukhash, recognized as a pioneering force in the regional media landscape, established his influencer marketing agency in 2014 and has since developed AB Talks into one of the Middle East’s most respected interview platforms. His podcast distinguishes itself by revealing the authentic, human dimensions of public figures through conversations with internationally renowned personalities including Netflix co-founder Marc Randolph, Lebanese entertainment icon Nancy Ajram, and celebrated fashion designer Elie Saab.

    The encounter underscores the strong connections between Indian cinema and the UAE, where Khan maintains a residential property and frequently visits. Bukhash’s established reputation for conducting meaningful dialogues with global influencers positions this meeting as a significant cultural moment within the regional entertainment industry.