Global Pulse

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  • For Indian actor and fitness icon Milind Soman, it’s life as usual at 60

    For Indian actor and fitness icon Milind Soman, it’s life as usual at 60

    At 60 years old, Indian actor and fitness phenomenon Milind Soman continues to embody vitality and wellness, demonstrating that age is merely a number when paired with dedication. The former model, renowned for his iconic appearances in campaigns like ‘Made in India,’ has seamlessly transitioned into his current role as a wellness authority, maintaining a physique that rivals those decades younger.

    Soman’s philosophy centers on fitness as a pathway to longevity rather than mere aesthetics. His daily regimen remains remarkably consistent, featuring 25 leg raises, sumo squats lasting one to two minutes, and the challenging boat pose. This disciplined approach extends to his nutrition, where he prioritizes whole, seasonal foods and light meals that fuel his active lifestyle.

    Beyond personal fitness, Soman’s impact resonates through his creation of Pinkathon, India’s largest women’s running event established to promote health awareness and breast cancer education. His athletic accomplishments are equally impressive, including a Limca Book of Records achievement for running 1,500 kilometers in 30 days during a greenathon event. The pinnacle of his athletic career came in 2015 when he completed the grueling Ironman Triathlon in 15 hours and 19 minutes.

    When asked about his favorite pursuit among modeling, acting, and fitness, Soman unequivocally chooses fitness. His advice for those seeking to improve their physical condition in their 50s and 60s emphasizes gradual progression and the transformative power of consistent effort. ‘Everything you do becomes a learning experience,’ he notes, reflecting his belief that fitness represents an ongoing journey rather than a destination.

  • France tears apart Wales with eight tries and is only unbeaten Six Nations team

    France tears apart Wales with eight tries and is only unbeaten Six Nations team

    CARDIFF, Wales — France delivered a masterclass performance against Wales in the Six Nations Championship on Sunday, securing a historic 54-12 victory that established new benchmarks for dominance in the tournament. The French squad emerged as the competition’s sole undefeated team after two rounds, solidifying their status as favorites for consecutive championship titles.

    The match witnessed an extraordinary offensive display with France scoring eight tries, beginning just 88 seconds into gameplay. This decisive triumph surpassed their previous record victory against Wales—a 51-0 result achieved at Wembley Stadium in 1998. Rather than relying on pure physical dominance, France employed an innovative sevens-style strategy characterized by continuous ball movement, precise offloading, and strategic positioning that systematically dismantled Wales’ defensive structures.

    France’s dynamic approach generated 28 line breaks, preventing Wales from establishing defensive cohesion. The strategy particularly benefited France’s emerging center talents—20-year-old Fabien Brau-Boirie and 22-year-old Émilien Gailleton from Pau Club—both of whom scored tries during the match. Flyhalf Matthieu Jalibert earned man-of-the-match honors with one try and three assists.

    For Wales, the defeat extended their Six Nations losing streak to 13 matches since 2022. The team has conceded 50-plus points in five of their last six home matches, including substantial losses to England (68-14), Argentina (52-28), New Zealand (52-26), and South Africa (73-0).

    The game attracted only 57,744 spectators—the smallest home crowd for Wales since the tournament’s expansion in 2000. Nearly 7,000 tickets remained unsold for Wales’ upcoming match against Scotland, reflecting growing fan disillusionment.

    Wales captain Dewi Lake acknowledged the challenges, stating: “It’s our job to make people want to come and watch games. We’re a side that’s not getting results but all we can ask is that people stick with us, come on the journey with us, because we’re growing as a team.”

    Defense coach Steve Tandy conceded France’s superiority: “If you look at the athletes France have, if we kick a little too far or if there’s an offload, they come alive. You have to tip your hat to France and where they are as a team. For us it’s transitioning, we’re not where we want to be.”

    France secured their bonus-point fourth try before halftime and added four more tries within 17 minutes during the second half. Captain Antoine Dupont was rested before the hour mark as France looks ahead to hosting Italy in Lille next weekend.

  • Hungarian opposition leader Magyar vows to pull Hungary back toward the West in campaign launch

    Hungarian opposition leader Magyar vows to pull Hungary back toward the West in campaign launch

    BUDAPEST, Hungary — In a dramatic shift within Hungarian politics, opposition leader Péter Magyar has launched an ambitious campaign to unseat Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s longstanding government. Speaking before supporters at a Budapest exposition center on Sunday, Magyar declared his center-right Tisza party stands “ready to govern” just 56 days before the crucial April 12 parliamentary elections.

    Magyar, a former insider within Orbán’s nationalist Fidesz party, has rapidly emerged as the most formidable political challenge to Orbán’s 16-year administration. Following an impressive performance in June’s European Parliament elections where Tisza captured approximately 30% of the vote, the party has maintained a consistent lead in independent polls for over a year.

    The opposition leader has conducted an intensive grassroots campaign across Hungary’s traditionally conservative rural heartlands—regions that have historically supported Orbán. Magyar’s platform centers on economic grievances, highlighting Hungary’s status as one of the EU’s poorest nations despite EU membership. He emphasizes stagnant wages, soaring living costs, and systemic corruption that he claims has enriched a small circle of government-connected oligarchs while ordinary Hungarians struggle.

    Foreign policy represents another critical dividing line. While Orbán recently stated that the European Union—not Russian aggression—poses the primary threat to Hungary, Magyar has positioned himself as pro-European. Following meetings with European leaders at the Munich Security Conference, Magyar pledged to end Hungary’s “drifting out of the European Union” and restore Western alliances, though he maintains certain Fidesz policies including border security measures and opposition to Ukraine’s accelerated EU accession.

    Tisza’s comprehensive 239-page governing program outlines ambitious reforms, including recovering billions in suspended EU funds by addressing democratic backsliding concerns, adopting the euro by 2030, and revitalizing Hungary’s deteriorating healthcare and public transportation systems. The party has recruited political newcomers from professional sectors—entrepreneurs, doctors, economists—with international energy expert Anita Orbán (no relation to the prime minister) slated as prospective foreign policy chief and former Shell executive István Kapitány as senior economy official.

    Magyar concluded his campaign launch with a promise of service-oriented governance: “We don’t plan to dominate this country, but to serve it.”

  • Ukraine’s ex-energy minister detained while attempting to leave country

    Ukraine’s ex-energy minister detained while attempting to leave country

    Ukrainian authorities have apprehended former Energy Minister German Galushchenko while attempting to exit the country, marking the latest development in a sweeping corruption investigation that has shaken President Volodymyr Zelensky’s administration. The detention occurred at a border crossing point as Galushchenko reportedly sought to flee via train, though his intended destination remains unspecified.

    The arrest connects directly to Operation Midas, an extensive 15-month anti-corruption probe conducted by Ukraine’s National Anti-Corruption Bureau (NABU) and the Specialised Anti-Corruption Prosecutor’s Office (SAP). Investigators allege Galushchenko participated in a sophisticated $100 million embezzlement scheme within Ukraine’s energy sector, specifically targeting the state nuclear operator Energoatom. The operation uncovered systematic kickbacks ranging from 10-15% of contract values collected from energy contractors.

    This scandal emerges at a particularly sensitive time for Ukraine, as Russia intensifies attacks on energy infrastructure during winter months. The involvement of high-ranking officials in corrupt practices within the vital energy sector has generated substantial domestic outrage.

    The investigation has already produced significant political consequences, including the resignation of Zelensky’s chief-of-staff Andriy Yermak after his residence was searched, though neither he nor the president face direct allegations. Former Deputy Prime Minister Oleksiy Chernyshov was arrested in November on illicit enrichment charges, while businessman Timur Mindich, co-owner of Zelensky’s former TV studio Kvartal95, reportedly fled Ukraine after being named a suspect.

    International observers note that Ukraine’s persistent corruption problems present major obstacles to European Union integration, with anti-graft measures representing a key requirement for membership talks. The scandal has additionally increased pressure from the United States to resume elections, currently suspended under martial law provisions since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022.

    NABU officials indicate Galushchenko is being transported to Kyiv for intensive questioning, with further updates on the Midas case expected shortly. The former minister, who previously served as justice minister before leading the energy portfolio for three years, has consistently denied wrongdoing and pledged to defend himself against all allegations.

  • Israel kills 10 Palestinians in Gaza bombing ahead of ‘Board of Peace’ meeting

    Israel kills 10 Palestinians in Gaza bombing ahead of ‘Board of Peace’ meeting

    Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip resulted in significant casualties over the weekend, with at least 10 Palestinians killed in a series of airstrikes. The attacks, occurring from late Saturday into Sunday, targeted multiple locations across the besieged territory according to reports from Gaza’s Health Ministry.

    The strikes concentrated on both northern and southern regions of Gaza, with four fatalities reported in an attack on a tent shelter housing displaced families near Jabalia. Another five casualties occurred in the Khan Younis area, as confirmed by Palestinian news agency Wafa and Al Jazeera, citing medical sources. Emergency response teams faced substantial challenges reaching affected zones due to the intensity of ongoing bombardments.

    Israel Defense Forces issued a statement characterizing the operations as ‘precise strikes’ conducted in accordance with international law. Military officials claimed the actions responded to what they described as a ‘ceasefire violation’ by Hamas fighters, specifically referencing an incident where ‘terrorists emerged from a tunnel east of the yellow line’—a unilaterally imposed military boundary established by Israeli forces within Gaza.

    These developments occur just days before the inaugural meeting of the ‘Board of Peace’ initiative chaired by US President Donald Trump, scheduled for February 19th. The meeting is expected to include Israel’s foreign minister but will notably lack Palestinian representation. President Trump is anticipated to unveil a multi-billion-dollar reconstruction plan for Gaza and detail proposals for a United Nations-mandated stabilization force.

    The ongoing violence highlights the fragile nature of the current ceasefire arrangement. Palestinian authorities report that Israeli forces have committed over 1,600 violations since the October ceasefire agreement, resulting in 601 Palestinian fatalities. Cumulative figures since the conflict’s escalation in 2023 indicate more than 72,061 Palestinians killed and 171,715 wounded.

    A particularly contentious aspect of the Israeli military strategy involves the continuous westward expansion of the ‘Yellow Line’ boundary, which now encompasses approximately 58% of Gaza’s territory. This advancing demarcation, marked by yellow concrete blocks placed within civilian districts, has triggered repeated displacement of Palestinian families and drawn condemnation from human rights organizations.

    The Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor has characterized Israel’s use of the boundary system as ‘illegal seizure and systematic plundering of the resources of occupied territory’ in violation of international law. Concurrently, Wafa reports continued demolition operations by Israeli bulldozers in Gaza City, with artillery shelling targeting the al-Tuffah neighborhood in the city’s eastern sector.

  • Cold gold! Britain wins its first Olympics title on snow

    Cold gold! Britain wins its first Olympics title on snow

    LIVIGNO, Italy — In a stunning upset that rewrites British Winter Olympics history, Charlotte Bankes and Huw Nightingale captured gold in the mixed snowboardcross event on Sunday. This victory represents Britain’s first-ever gold medal won on snow in the 102-year history of the nation’s Winter Games participation.

    The breakthrough performance marks multiple historic milestones: not only is this Britain’s inaugural snow-surface gold, but it also represents the first time the nation has won multiple titles at a single Winter Olympics. The gold adds to the skeleton title secured by Matt Weston just two days earlier, bringing Britain’s total Winter Games gold count to just 15 in over a century of competition.

    What makes this victory particularly remarkable is the underdog status of the British pair. Seeded 13th out of 16 qualifying teams, Bankes and Nightingale had posted disappointing individual results just days earlier—13th and 26th place finishes in their respective events. Yet in the team format, everything coalesced perfectly on the Livigno course under sunny Italian skies.

    The mixed snowboardcross event, introduced just four years ago, features a unique relay-style format where four teams race simultaneously down the mountain. The first team to cross the finish line in the four-team final claims gold after three elimination rounds.

    Nightingale, emotional after the victory, stated: ‘The singles were tough but now there are tears of joy. GB on a whole is doing great on the snowboard side. We want to keep it going and inspire little kids to do it as well, and maybe one day they can get a gold medal.’

    The achievement shifts attention from Britain’s most famous Winter Olympians—ice dancers Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean who won gold in 1984—to a new generation of snow sports athletes making history on different terrain.

  • Trump says Board of Peace will unveil $5 billion in Gaza reconstruction pledges at inaugural meeting

    Trump says Board of Peace will unveil $5 billion in Gaza reconstruction pledges at inaugural meeting

    WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that his newly established Board of Peace has obtained commitments totaling $5 billion for the reconstruction of war-torn Gaza, alongside pledges of thousands of personnel for international stabilization and police forces in the territory. The formal announcement is scheduled for Thursday during the board’s inaugural meeting in Washington.

    In a social media statement, Trump proclaimed the board would become “the most consequential International Body in History,” though he withheld specific details regarding contributing nations. However, Indonesia’s military independently confirmed preparations to deploy up to 8,000 troops by June’s end for potential humanitarian and peacekeeping operations in Gaza—marking the first concrete commitment to the Republican president’s initiative.

    The reconstruction challenge remains monumental, with joint estimates from the United Nations, World Bank and European Union projecting costs approaching $70 billion to rebuild the coastal enclave after extensive damage from over two years of Israeli bombardment.

    The ceasefire agreement central to this effort mandates an armed international stabilization force to maintain security and oversee the disarmament of Hamas—a critical condition for Israel. Despite this requirement, few nations have demonstrated willingness to participate in such a force thus far.

    While the U.S.-brokered ceasefire from October 10 has reduced the most intense fighting between Israel and Hamas, intermittent Israeli airstrikes and skirmishes persist along military-controlled zones.

    The Board of Peace, initially conceived as a mechanism to address the Israel-Hamas conflict, has evolved into a broader instrument for global crisis resolution, reflecting Trump’s ambition to reshape the post-World War II international order. This development coincides with apparent efforts to circumvent traditional multilateral institutions like the United Nations.

    Notably, many European allies and other traditional partners have declined participation, expressing skepticism that the board might function as a potential rival to the UN Security Council. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, despite recent White House discussions with Trump, is not expected to attend Thursday’s gathering at the recently renamed Donald J. Trump U.S. Institute of Peace—a facility currently embroiled in litigation following the administration’s seizure of the think tank and dismissal of most staff last year.

  • Off-trail avalanche kills 2 skiers and injures 1 in northern Italy

    Off-trail avalanche kills 2 skiers and injures 1 in northern Italy

    A deadly off-piste avalanche struck the Mont Blanc massif near the Italy-France-Switzerland border on Sunday, resulting in two fatalities and one critical injury. The incident occurred in the renowned Couloir Vesses freeride zone within Courmayeur’s upper Val Veny region, according to official reports from Italy’s Alpine Rescue service.

    Emergency responders mobilized fifteen rescue specialists, three dog units, and two helicopter teams in a comprehensive search operation. Despite being transported to a medical facility in serious condition, one of the initially injured skiers succumbed to injuries sustained in the avalanche.

    This tragedy coincides with a separate avalanche event in Trentino where another skier experienced partial burial but was successfully extricated by fellow group members. These incidents follow a disturbing pattern of mountain accidents, with Alpine Rescue reporting thirteen fatalities among backcountry enthusiasts during the first week of February alone.

    Meteorological conditions have created particularly hazardous circumstances across the Alpine region. Recent storm systems have deposited fresh snow atop weak foundational layers, while powerful winds have formed unstable snowcaps along the mountain crescent spanning France, Switzerland, and Austria. Courmayeur, the picturesque Olympic venue town of approximately 2,900 residents located 200 kilometers northwest of Milan, now faces renewed scrutiny regarding mountain safety protocols during high-risk periods.

  • ‘Politics aside’: Top Pakistan ex-cricketers call for urgent treatment for Imran Khan’s vision loss

    ‘Politics aside’: Top Pakistan ex-cricketers call for urgent treatment for Imran Khan’s vision loss

    Prominent Pakistani cricket icons have issued urgent appeals for former national captain Imran Khan to receive immediate medical attention amid reports of severe vision deterioration in his right eye. Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, both legendary fast bowlers who played under Khan’s leadership, have publicly called for authorities to prioritize the 73-year-old’s healthcare needs regardless of political considerations.

    According to ESPNcricinfo reports, Khan has been experiencing significant vision loss attributed to an eye infection that developed during his extended solitary confinement. Medical professionals familiar with the case indicate the condition requires specialized treatment to prevent permanent damage.

    Wasim Akram, expressing profound concern on social media platform X, described the situation as ‘heartbreaking’ and emphasized Khan’s pivotal role in his cricketing development. ‘I sincerely hope the authorities take this seriously and ensure he receives the best possible medical care,’ Akram stated, adding wishes for ‘strength, a speedy recovery, and a full return to good health.’

    Waqar Younis echoed these sentiments while acknowledging Khan’s dual legacy as both sporting hero and philanthropist. ‘Putting politics aside, our national hero who gave us our greatest glory on the sporting field, a cancer hospital which helped so many, including my own mother, is suffering a health emergency,’ Younis noted in his public appeal.

    The former prime minister’s family has consistently raised concerns about inadequate medical attention during his incarceration since August 2023. Khan’s son, Kasim Khan, recently claimed his father retains only 15% vision in his right eye, attributing this deterioration to ‘922 days of solitary confinement, medical neglect, and deliberate denial of proper treatment.’

    Government officials have denied allegations of medical negligence, maintaining that Khan receives appropriate care according to standard prison protocols. The situation continues to draw international attention to Pakistan’s treatment of high-profile political detainees and the intersection of healthcare with judicial proceedings.

  • Saudi Arabia suspends Umrah agency over accommodation lapse for pilgrims

    Saudi Arabia suspends Umrah agency over accommodation lapse for pilgrims

    Saudi authorities have imposed regulatory sanctions against an Umrah travel agency following confirmed failures in providing mandatory accommodation services to Egyptian pilgrims. The Makkah Region Governorate confirmed the suspension on February 14, 2026, noting that immediate alternative lodging arrangements were secured for affected pilgrims.

    This enforcement action represents the latest development in Saudi Arabia’s comprehensive quality control campaign within the religious tourism sector. The Kingdom recently suspended approximately 1,800 foreign travel agencies for service quality violations, granting a 10-day remediation window exclusively addressing new visa issuance limitations.

    The Saudi government maintains rigorous oversight of pilgrim activities through integrated monitoring systems tracking all aspects of religious travel—from visa processing and transportation logistics to accommodation standards. This holistic approach ensures operational efficiency, crowd management optimization, and enhanced pilgrim safety throughout their spiritual journey.

    Industry professionals from the UAE have observed increasing regulatory scrutiny targeting agencies that offer visa processing without comprehensive service packages including approved hotel accommodations and transportation. Saudi regulations explicitly require pilgrims to utilize government-approved hotels specifically designated for Umrah travelers, with strict compliance enforcement mechanisms.

    This regulatory environment reflects Saudi Arabia’s commitment to elevating service quality standards within its multi-billion dollar religious tourism industry, which hosts millions of pilgrims annually undertaking the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca.