Global Pulse

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  • Parts of Europe swelter in record May heat as deaths at amateur sports events spur warnings

    Parts of Europe swelter in record May heat as deaths at amateur sports events spur warnings

    An unseasonal, record-shattering heat wave has swept across Western Europe this May, triggering urgent public health warnings from national authorities following two confirmed fatalities linked to extreme heat during amateur sports competitions in France.

    The fatal incidents, both occurring on Sunday, have underscored the growing risks of out-of-season extreme heat as climate change amplifies the frequency of abnormal weather events. French Sports Minister Marina Ferrari released an official statement mourning the death of a 53-year-old male runner who collapsed from a cardiac arrest mid-race in Paris’ 20th arrondissement. First responders were unable to resuscitate the athlete, per local French newspaper Le Parisien. While a formal cause of death has not been finalized, Ferrari highlighted a probable connection to the extreme ongoing heat.

    “The events that took place during Sunday’s running races serve as a critical reminder that sporting activity in extreme heat demands the highest level of vigilance,” Ferrari wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “My deepest condolences go out to the family and loved ones of the runner who lost their life in Paris, as well as to all those who required emergency medical care during Sunday’s events.”

    A second heat-related fatality was reported in the southeastern French city of Lyon on Monday, per local outlet Actu Lyon. A female participant in another Sunday sporting event died after suffering severe heat stroke during competition.

    National meteorological service Meteo France confirmed that this May’s heat wave has broken long-standing monthly temperature records, with thermometers climbing above 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) across most of the country, with the unseasonal heat expected to persist through the rest of the week.

    Across the English Channel, the United Kingdom also joined the list of nations facing record-breaking early heat. London’s Heathrow Airport registered a high of 33.5 degrees Celsius (92.3 degrees Fahrenheit) on Monday, beating the country’s previous May temperature record of 32.8 degrees Celsius (91.4 Fahrenheit) — a mark that was first set in 1922 and later matched in 1944. The record high prompted national officials to declare an official heat wave across multiple regions of the UK, as both local residents and holiday travelers crowded into beaches, public parks and shaded spaces to find relief from the sweltering conditions.

    The U.K. Health Security Agency has issued its first amber heat health alert of 2024, warning the public of elevated risks of heat-related deaths, particularly for vulnerable groups including elderly people, during the hottest peak hours of the day.

    Climate scientists have repeatedly warned that extreme, often deadly weather events are growing more frequent as global average temperatures rise from anthropogenic climate change. Unprecedented heat surges that hit outside the typical summer season, and in regions unaccustomed to early extreme heat, are putting increasingly large numbers of people at risk of preventable heat-related illness and death.

  • White House gunman had previous run-ins with Secret Service, court documents show

    White House gunman had previous run-ins with Secret Service, court documents show

    A shooting incident outside the White House on Saturday evening has left the armed suspect dead and an uninvolved bystander injured, just one month after a separate security scare at the high-profile White House Correspondents’ Dinner. Court records and law enforcement statements have confirmed the shooter was Nasire Best, a resident of Dundalk, Maryland, who had a repeated history of troubling encounters with federal authorities near the presidential residence dating back to mid-2025.

    According to official court documents obtained by law enforcement agencies, Best’s first known confrontation with the United States Secret Service occurred in June 2025, when he blocked a designated vehicle entry lane to the White House complex and told responding agents that he was Jesus Christ, adding that he intended to be taken into custody. Following that incident, Best was ordered to undergo a mandatory mental health evaluation, but the encounter did not result in long-term restrictions that prevented further incursions.

    Just one month after that first incident, in July 2025, Best returned to the White House perimeter and attempted to gain unauthorized access to the secured grounds. He was taken into custody by Secret Service agents and formally charged with unlawful entry onto a federally controlled property. After his initial arraignment hearing, Best was released from custody, but court records show he failed to appear for a scheduled status hearing the following August. This absence prompted the issuance of a no-bond bench warrant that authorized law enforcement to take him into custody on sight, though Best was not apprehended before Saturday’s attack.

    Less than 12 months after the warrant was issued, Best reemerged at a high-traffic Secret Service checkpoint located at the intersection of 17th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue NW, steps from the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, just after 6:00 PM Eastern Standard Time (11:00 PM GMT). He immediately opened fire on the checkpoint, catching off-duty members of the press who were reporting from outside the White House off guard. Video footage captured on scene shows reporters diving for cover and fleeing indoors to escape the gunfire.

    Secret Service officers stationed at the intersection returned fire immediately, striking the gunman. Best was rushed to a nearby local hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. One bystander not affiliated with law enforcement or security operations was wounded during the exchange of gunfire; as of the latest update, the Secret Service has not released additional details regarding the bystander’s identity or current medical condition. No Secret Service officers were injured in the attack.

    At the time of the shooting, former President and current U.S. President Donald Trump was inside the White House complex. Official statements confirm that Trump was unharmed, and no protected individuals or core White House operations were affected by the incident. On Saturday evening, Trump publicly thanked law enforcement for their response via social media, writing: “Thank you to our great Secret Service and Law Enforcement for the swift and professional action taken this evening against a gunman near the White House.”

    Saturday’s shooting comes just one month after another security incident at the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner, where an active shooter scare forced an early end to the event, a mass evacuation of hundreds of attendees, and an emergency evacuation of Trump by Secret Service agents. Photographs taken in the aftermath of Saturday’s attack show visible bullet holes and shattered glass at the nearby White House History Shop, a popular tourist location adjacent to the shooting site.

  • ‘Blistering heat’: Indians warned to stay indoors as temperatures soar

    ‘Blistering heat’: Indians warned to stay indoors as temperatures soar

    A crippling heatwave has swept across northern India, pushing temperatures in the capital city of New Delhi to a sweltering 45°C and prompting official warnings for residents to remain indoors to avoid heat-related health risks.

    The British Broadcasting Corporation’s South Asia correspondent Sumedha Pal reported from the streets of Delhi on Thursday, describing the oppressive conditions that make even short periods of outdoor activity physically taxing. Pal noted that standing exposed to the unrelenting sun for just a few minutes leaves people drenched in sweat, with dry, scorching winds amplifying the discomfort and raising the risk of heat exhaustion or stroke for vulnerable groups, including the elderly, children, and outdoor workers.

    India routinely faces severe heat events each summer, but rising global average temperatures have made recent heatwaves more intense, longer-lasting, and more dangerous than historical averages. Public health officials have repeatedly emphasized the importance of staying hydrated, avoiding unnecessary outdoor travel during peak heat hours between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m., and seeking immediate medical attention for symptoms such as dizziness, rapid heartbeat, or high body temperature. Local authorities have also opened public cooling centers in many neighborhoods to provide relief for unhoused populations and low-income families without access to home air conditioning.

  • How do Muslims perform Hajj?

    How do Muslims perform Hajj?

    Every year, Saudi Arabia welcomes millions of Muslim believers from every corner of the globe for Hajj, the sacred annual Islamic pilgrimage that stands as one of the five pillars of the faith. For 2026, organizers project more than 1.8 million participants from 188 different nations will travel to the Kingdom’s holy sites, with official rites of the pilgrimage set to kick off on May 25. The multi-day ritual culminates in Eid al-Adha, one of Islam’s most important global celebrations, which this year begins on May 27 and runs through May 29, marking a time of joy and reflection for Muslims worldwide, whether they are completing the pilgrimage in person or marking the occasion at home.

    As a core religious obligation, Hajj is required of all adult Muslims who are physically healthy, mentally sound, and financially able to make the journey. At its core, the pilgrimage centers on two foundational ideals: deep spiritual connection and radical unity among all believers. Regardless of nationality, wealth, or social status, all pilgrims follow the exact same rites, gathered in a shared spirit of equality before God. To uphold this ethos, pilgrims maintain a state of ritual purity and simplicity throughout the journey, reflected in their clothing. Men wear two seamless pieces of plain white cloth, while women are encouraged to choose simple, unadorned garments, with no required specific color.

    The formal journey begins before pilgrims even reach the sacred boundaries of Mecca, known as the Miqat. Before entering this zone, pilgrims enter ihram, the sacred state of ritual purity, by stating their clear intention to perform Hajj — a rite called niyah in Arabic. After entering Mecca in a state of ihram, most pilgrims complete an initial circumambulation, called Tawaf, walking seven times counterclockwise around the Kaaba, the ancient black stone structure that is the holiest site in Islam. Next comes the sa’i, a ritual walk between the nearby hills of Safa and Marwa, both located within the grounds of Mecca’s Grand Mosque.

    From Mecca, pilgrims travel together in a mass movement to Mina, a vast purpose-built tent city that stretches across the desert outside Mecca. Saudi authorities have prepared more than 100,000 climate-controlled tents and temporary shelters to accommodate the massive influx of pilgrims for their stay. Pilgrims spend much of their time in Mina in quiet prayer and reflection, before departing at dawn the next day for the most pivotal stop on the pilgrimage: Mount Arafat, also called Jabal al-Rahma, or the Mount of Mercy.

    The day spent at Mount Arafat is the climax of the entire Hajj, regarded as a day of profound forgiveness. Believers gather to repent for their past sins, and Islamic tradition holds that a sincere day of repentance on Mount Arafat leads to full forgiveness of all prior sins. Even Muslims who cannot make the journey to Hajj mark this day with prayer, fasting, and supplication in their home communities.

    After sunset on the day of Arafat, pilgrims travel roughly 9 kilometers to the open area of Muzdalifa, where they spend the night under the open sky in quiet devotion. While in Muzdalifa, they collect 49 small pebbles that will be used for the symbolic rituals that come in the following days of the pilgrimage. Before dawn the next morning, they depart Muzdalifa and return to Mina to begin the rite of rami, the symbolic stoning of the devil. On the third day of Hajj, pilgrims throw seven of their collected pebbles at the largest of three stone pillars called the Jamarat. This ritual commemorates the story of the Prophet Ibrahim, when the devil attempted to tempt him to disobey God’s command to sacrifice his son, and Ibrahim drove the devil away with stones.

    In past decades, overcrowding at the Jamarat site led to deadly stampedes and crushes that killed hundreds of pilgrims. In response, Saudi authorities have undertaken major infrastructure overhauls in recent years, widening walkways, redesigning access routes, and adding modern crowd management systems to improve safety for all participants.

    After completing the first stoning ritual, pilgrims mark the first day of Eid al-Adha, the Feast of the Sacrifice, the second of Islam’s two major annual religious holidays, celebrated by Muslims across the globe. In remembrance of Prophet Ibrahim’s unwavering willingness to obey God’s command, pilgrims complete a ritual animal sacrifice — often arranging for the sacrifice to be carried out on their behalf — and distribute a large portion of the meat to low-income and needy communities around the world. After the sacrifice, male pilgrims trim or shave their heads, while women cut a small lock of their hair, symbolizing spiritual renewal.

    Many pilgrims then return to Mecca to repeat the Tawaf and sa’i rites before heading back to their camps in Mina. Over the next two days, the fourth and fifth days of the pilgrimage, pilgrims return to the Jamarat site to complete the remaining stoning rites, throwing seven pebbles at each of the three pillars each day. Once their time in Mina concludes, pilgrims return to Mecca one final time to perform the farewell Tawaf, another sevenfold counterclockwise circumambulation of the Kaaba, to mark the official end of their Hajj journey.

    The Kaaba, which sits at the center of Mecca’s Grand Mosque, is the direction that all Muslims around the world face for their five daily prayers. Islamic tradition holds that the Kaaba was the first house of worship built on Earth, originally constructed by the Prophet Adam, the first human in Islamic belief, before being reconstructed by the Prophet Ibrahim and his son Ismail centuries later.

    While not a required part of the formal Hajj rites, most pilgrims end their once-in-a-lifetime journey with a visit to Medina, Islam’s second holiest city, to pay their respects at the site of the grave of the Prophet Muhammad. For millions of believers, this year’s Hajj represents a lifelong dream of spiritual fulfillment and connection to a global community of faith.

  • Three arrested over burglaries against high-profile athletes

    Three arrested over burglaries against high-profile athletes

    A multi-national criminal investigation into a years-long burglary spree that targeted the homes of top athletes across the United States and Argentina has resulted in the arrest of three suspects by Chilean law enforcement, officials confirmed this week.

    The coordinated criminal operation, which unfolded between 2024 and 2025, counted Travis Kelce—All-Pro tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs and fiancé of global pop superstar Taylor Swift—among its high-profile victims. When Kelce was out of town for a Chiefs game on October 7, 2024, the gang broke into his home and stole $20,000 in cash. Other well-known athletes targeted in separate break-ins include Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman Linval Joseph and Milwaukee Bucks forward Bobby Portis, in addition to retired tennis legend and 2009 US Open champion Juan Martín del Potro, whose Argentine property was hit earlier this year.

    The investigation breakthrough came last week, when Chilean police took two suspects into custody for the break-in at del Potro’s residence. Evidence collected during that arrest led investigators to a third accomplice, who was apprehended by officers on Saturday. To date, Chilean law enforcement has not released any details on the suspects’ genders, and has also declined to publicly disclose the full list of athletes targeted by the ring.

    Chilean Interpol Commissioner Enrique Gutierrez announced in a video statement acquired by AFP that all three suspects are expected to be extradited to face trial in the jurisdictions where they committed the crimes. “These individuals will face justice in the United States or Argentina,” Gutierrez said, adding that the suspects had no prior notable criminal history within Chile, as the group had specialized exclusively in carrying out cross-border robberies outside of the country.

    Investigative details released by authorities show the gang followed a deliberate, systematic pattern to carry out their burglaries: members first “cased” target properties to map out layout and security systems, then cross-referenced public property records, professional team schedules, and public social media posts from athletes and their families to confirm when homeowners would be away from their residences for extended periods.

    The string of targeted break-ins prompted the U.S. National Football League to issue an official security memo to all league personnel warning athletes to increase precautionary measures for their personal properties as early as last year. The memo explicitly noted that criminals were leveraging open source information to identify empty homes, often timing raids to coincide with game days when players are guaranteed to be traveling or out of town. In February of 2024, seven additional men were charged in connection with the same broader burglary conspiracy, marking earlier progress in the ongoing investigation.

    As of this reporting, the BBC has reached out to both Chilean Interpol and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation for additional comment on the case and the upcoming extradition process.

  • Colombia vote tests leftist rule as violence surges

    Colombia vote tests leftist rule as violence surges

    Colombians will cast their ballots this Sunday in one of the most divisive presidential elections in the country’s recent history, a contest that has been overshadowed by a dramatic spike in organized violence and forces voters to choose between extending four years of historic leftist governance or turning the country sharply to the right.

    Outgoing President Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s first ever leftist head of state, is barred from seeking consecutive re-election, bringing a turbulent close to a term defined by rising insurgent violence, high-profile attacks including car bombings and drone strikes, and the assassination of a sitting presidential candidate. Still, Petro’s administration delivered tangible economic gains for working and low-income Colombians: the national unemployment rate has fallen steadily, driven in part by expanded public sector hiring, and the national minimum wage has been raised significantly.

    That legacy has put Petro’s hand-picked successor, 63-year-old leftist Senator Ivan Cepeda, in the position of poll front-runner heading into election day. The son of a prominent senator murdered by paramilitary groups, Cepeda has campaigned on a promise to expand Petro’s flagship social welfare programs and continue the administration’s signature “total peace” policy of open negotiations with active armed groups, even though the talks have produced few tangible demobilization results to date. For many of Cepeda’s supporters, the Petro administration’s policies have delivered life-changing support. “I give him my vote because my life changed under this government,” explained 23-year-old Bogota design student Natalia Rojas, who benefited from the government’s subsidized higher education program. To avoid a June 21 runoff, Cepeda must win an outright majority of the popular vote, a result most pollsters see as unlikely.

    Most forecasts currently predict Cepeda will advance to a second-round faceoff against 47-year-old right-wing candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, a wealthy lawyer nicknamed “the Tiger” who has never held elected office and run a deeply unorthodox campaign. Known for campaigning in a bulletproof vest, de la Espriella has built his platform on a hardline security agenda that echoes the crackdown implemented by popular Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele – a comparison the candidate has leaned into openly, from his pledge to build large Bukele-style mega-prisons to his similar facial hair style. If elected, de la Espriella has announced he will request direct military backing from the United States to launch a 90-day campaign of airstrikes and aerial crop fumigation targeting cocaine-trafficking armed groups. “What De la Espriella wants is to put the house in order,” said Wilmer Bolivar, a 47-year-old former Colombian soldier and supporter of the right-wing candidate. De la Espriella is locked in a tight battle for second place, however, against centrist opposition Senator Paloma Valencia, who is backed by influential former president and conservative power broker Alvaro Uribe.

    The election has laid bare deep ideological and class divides that have defined Petro’s polarizing tenure. While poorer Colombians have rallied around the government’s expanded social investment and pro-labor policies, the country remains one of the most economically unequal in the Western Hemisphere. Political scientist Alvaro Forero framed the contest as fundamentally rooted in this class divide, telling Agence France-Presse that “this election is marked by class struggle, and that is Petro’s main electoral ammunition.”

    Critics, meanwhile, argue Petro’s governance has been erratic, and that his total peace negotiation strategy allowed armed criminal and insurgent groups that survived the 2016 FARC peace accord to rebuild and expand their territory. Independent experts confirm many groups used the cover of peace talks to strengthen their smuggling and drug trafficking networks, contributing to the wave of violence that has swept the country. Colombia remains the world’s largest producer of cocaine, and the vast majority of current violence is tied to battles over drug trafficking routes between competing armed factions. Human Rights Watch’s Juanita Goebertus called 2025 “a very bad year” for security in the country, noting that kidnappings have more than doubled and internal displacement from violence has hit its highest level in nearly 20 years.

    Every major candidate has faced credible assassination threats throughout the campaign, a reminder of the country’s unstable security environment. The 2024 killing of right-wing candidate Miguel Uribe left many voters anxious about a return to the widespread political violence that marked Colombia’s late 20th century. Rising drug trafficking activity has also badly strained relations between the Petro administration and U.S. President Donald Trump, with the dispute escalating into public mutual insults that nearly upended decades of bilateral security cooperation.

    Regardless of Sunday’s outcome, the next president will inherit a raft of pressing national challenges. Beyond the intractable security crisis, Colombia is facing a ballooning fiscal deficit that has reached 7% of national GDP, driven by lagging tax collection that has not kept pace with Petro’s ambitious social spending programs that were launched to offset a weak post-pandemic economic recovery. As Forero put it, the core question of the election is clear: “What’s at stake is continuing Petro’s change agenda or rejecting it.”

  • Trump demands widespread sign-up to Abraham Accords as part of Iran peace deal

    Trump demands widespread sign-up to Abraham Accords as part of Iran peace deal

    U.S. President Donald Trump has introduced a critical new condition for any finalized peace deal to end the ongoing war with Iran: widespread participation in the Abraham Accords, the 2020 U.S.-brokered agreements normalizing diplomatic ties between Israel and a number of historically hostile regional nations. In a lengthy post shared to his Truth Social platform on Monday, Trump outlined that broad, simultaneous sign-on to the accords should be a mandatory requirement for any Iran peace agreement, following a Saturday conference call with leaders from multiple regional and Muslim-majority nations.

    Trump named the nations discussed on the call as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (a 2020 signatory), Qatar, Pakistan, Turkiye, Egypt, Jordan, and Bahrain (another original 2020 signatory). He acknowledged that one or two nations could have valid reasons to opt out, but argued that broad participation would elevate any Iran deal to a far more historic milestone for regional stability. Calling for immediate action, Trump said Saudi Arabia and Qatar should lead the signing process, warning that nations that refuse to join would demonstrate bad faith and be excluded from the deal entirely.

    In a surprising extension of his demand, Trump even suggested that Iran itself could join the accords if it finalizes an agreement with his administration, writing that it would be an honor to welcome Iran into what he called an unparalleled global coalition. The Abraham Accords, first negotiated during Trump’s first presidential term, have long been billed by his administration as one of its most consequential foreign policy achievements, breaking decades of regional precedent by establishing formal relations between Israel and several Arab states. While diplomats have praised the accords as a foundational step toward broader Middle East peace, they have faced widespread public backlash across much of the region, largely because they do not address the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Saudi Arabia, the most prominent regional power yet to join the accords, signaled as early as November 2025 that it was open to membership only if a clear path toward a two-state solution for Israelis and Palestinians is guaranteed.

    Over the recent U.S. holiday weekend, Trump and his top diplomat Marco Rubio offered conflicting timelines for an Iran deal, at various points suggesting a final agreement was imminent. In his Monday post, however, Trump struck a more measured but optimistic tone, writing that negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran were proceeding nicely. While Trump has framed the deal as either being a robust, meaningful agreement or no agreement at all, Iranian officials struck a more cautious note on Monday, confirming that some progress had been made but adding that a final agreement was not yet close at hand. Following up on the ongoing diplomatic process, Iran’s top negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf arrived in Qatar on Monday for further talks, according to Iranian state media.

  • ‘Hit you like a tonne of bricks’: NSW great backs Blayke Brailey to rip through Queensland’s ruck

    ‘Hit you like a tonne of bricks’: NSW great backs Blayke Brailey to rip through Queensland’s ruck

    A decade after former NSW Blues hooker and Cronulla Sharks legend Michael Ennis first heard rumblings of a pair of promising young brothers rising through the Cronulla development ranks, he believes one of those prospects is poised to deliver NSW a victory in the opening game of the 2024 State of Origin series from the interchange bench.

    Ennis, an eight-time Blues representative and part of the Sharks’ 2016 NRL premiership-winning squad, made his prediction as he teamed up with public health initiative DrinkWise at Accor Stadium on Monday morning, just 48 hours before kickoff of the highly anticipated Origin opener. The event launched a new campaign backed by the New South Wales government, NSW Police Force, the National Rugby League, and local support services, which encourages matchgoing fans and home viewers alike to drink responsibly and maintain respect for other spectators during the game.

    Serving as a DrinkWise ambassador for this year’s State of Origin series, Ennis emphasized the value of creating positive, lasting memories of the sport’s biggest annual interstate rivalry. “It was a privilege to experience State of Origin as a player, but now as a fan and a parent, I want to see the night remembered for great moments on the pitch, and the good times we share off it,” he said. “No matter if fans are watching from home, at local pubs and clubs, or right here at Accor Stadium, we just want to encourage anyone drinking to do so in moderation, enjoy the experience, and show respect to everyone around them. That way, everyone can leave with great memories and hopefully a NSW win.”

    Off the campaign trail, Ennis’s attention quickly turned to the on-field action, where he named Cronulla Sharks dummy-half Blayke Brailey – one of the two brothers he first heard about a decade ago during his final years at the Cronulla club – as the secret weapon that could swing the opener in the Blues’ favor. Brailey, who will make his State of Origin debut off the NSW bench on Wednesday, has worked his way into the representative side after several strong seasons leading Cronulla’s attack, and Ennis said he has watched the young hooker’s growth with pride.

    “I haven’t spoken to Blayke ahead of this debut, but I couldn’t be happier for him,” Ennis said. “Blayke and his brother Jayden were just coming through the youth system when I was finishing up my time at Cronulla, and to see both of them now playing elite NRL footy is fantastic. There was always chatter around the club about how talented both boys were, even back then – when Jayden made his first-grade debut, everyone was already talking about Blayke coming up right behind him.”

    From his early days in the top grade, Blayke Brailey was always tipped as a future Origin-calibre dummy-half, Ennis explained. Over the past few seasons, as he has grown into the starting nine role for the Sharks, he has transformed his game to become a key attacking focal point, rather than just a support player for his teammates. That evolution has helped Cronulla push deep into the NRL finals series in recent campaigns, and Ennis said Brailey has finally found the self-belief to match his proven on-field skill.

    Ennis noted that Brailey’s call-up to the Blues squad is fully deserved, after the hooker gained valuable experience on last year’s Kangaroos Ashes tour, where he got the chance to test himself against Queensland’s star hooker Harry Grant. While Ennis said he does not know exactly how Blues coach Laurie Daley will deploy Brailey from the bench, he is confident the rookie will make a major impact when he comes on to relieve starting hooker Reece Robson late in the first half, when fatigue starts to set in for the starting side.

    “That rotation between Reece and Blayke off the bench is going to be one of NSW’s biggest strengths through the whole series,” Ennis said. “Reece already has that established combination with Blues captain James Tedesco from their time together at the Roosters, but having Blayke’s attacking threat to bring on in the middle part of the game, when fatigue really hits, is going to be a massive asset. Origin fatigue hits you harder than any other football, especially in the first game of the series, and with wet conditions forecast for Sydney on Wednesday, that tiredness will set in even faster. Blayke’s speed and ability to change direction quickly out of the ruck could be exactly what the Blues need to take control of the game.”

    For Ennis, if the Blues can pull off the opening win, he plans to celebrate with a quiet couple of beers of his own – responsibly, of course – watching the young rookie he first heard about a decade ago take the next step in what looks set to be a stellar representative career.

  • Serbian president deepens ties with China while facing pressure from protests at home

    Serbian president deepens ties with China while facing pressure from protests at home

    BEIJING — Against a backdrop of growing domestic political unrest back home, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic concluded high-profile talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday, marking a major milestone in deepening bilateral cooperation between the two nations. The visit comes as Vucic confronts sustained pressure from large-scale anti-government demonstrations that escalated into violent clashes between protestors and riot police in Belgrade over the weekend, where tens of thousands of opponents gathered to voice discontent with his administration.

    According to China’s state-run CCTV, following closed-door talks between the two leaders, they oversaw the signing of over 20 new bilateral cooperation agreements spanning multiple key sectors, including political cooperation, cross-border trade, technological innovation and educational exchanges. In his official remarks during the meeting, Xi emphasized that China and Serbia should ramp up mutual exchanges and collaborative work to elevate their long-standing comprehensive strategic partnership to an unprecedented new level.

    “China supports Serbia in sticking to a development path that fits its own national conditions, and we are ready to deepen exchanges of governance experience with the Balkan nation,” Xi stated, as quoted by CCTV. He also called for expanded joint work in three emerging high-priority areas: artificial intelligence, the digital economy, and green energy, to cultivate new engines of shared economic growth for both countries.

    In a joint bilateral statement released by China’s official Xinhua News Agency, the two countries jointly affirmed that global actors must avoid politicizing human rights issues. They also committed to upholding sovereign equality for all nations, advancing multilateralism, and abiding by the international rule of law in global affairs.

    Vucic reaffirmed that Serbia prioritizes expanding its strategic relationship with China and remains unwavering in its support for all of China’s core national interests, per CCTV reporting. In a further gesture of bilateral goodwill, Xi presented Vucic with China’s Friendship Medal, a top honor bestowed on foreign figures who have made exceptional contributions to friendly relations with China, Xinhua confirmed.

    Vucic’s five-day state visit to China launched on Sunday, and it unfolds as the Serbian leader grapples with the most significant domestic challenge to his administration in years. The current wave of protests was reignited by a deadly train station collapse in November 2024, which became a flashpoint for broader public anger over systemic corruption and lack of governmental transparency in the country. Over the past year, demonstrations have persisted, challenging Vucic’s hard-line governance, and Saturday’s massive turnout in Belgrade made clear that popular dissent remains strong.

    A large share of Serbia’s major infrastructure projects over the past decade have been developed in partnership with Chinese firms, even as the country maintains its formal bid to join the European Union. While pursuing EU accession, Serbia has simultaneously nurtured close diplomatic and economic ties with both China and Russia, a balancing act that sets it apart from many other Balkan states.

    In an opinion piece published by the *South China Morning Post* ahead of his Beijing visit, Vucic pushed back against growing skepticism of China in European political circles. He argued that public discussions of China across Europe are too often skewed by unfounded suspicion and strategic anxiety. “I understand that every major political community must protect its future, but I believe Europe should engage with China not through fear and suspicion, but with confidence and a clear, open willingness to cooperate,” Vucic wrote.

  • Cambodian opposition leader Kem Sokha receives royal pardon for treason sentence

    Cambodian opposition leader Kem Sokha receives royal pardon for treason sentence

    In a surprising development that has drawn both praise and criticism from global rights observers, Cambodian opposition figure Kem Sokha has been released from house arrest via a royal pardon, one month after an appeals court upheld his 27-year treason conviction. The pardon was issued by Senate President Hun Sen, who is serving as acting head of state while King Norodom Sihamoni undergoes extended medical treatment in China.
    Kem Sokha, who has consistently denied allegations that he conspired with the United States to overthrow Cambodia’s government, has been held in some form of detention since his initial arrest in 2017. While the pardon secures his release from carceral restrictions, it does not overturn existing bans that bar him from political participation and international travel for five full years after the conclusion of his original sentence.
    Prime Minister Hun Manet, who succeeded his father Hun Sen in the top executive role in 2023, framed the pardon as a constructive step toward healing national divides and strengthening unity across the country. As of the announcement, Kem Sokha has not issued any public statement on the decision. Earlier on the day the pardon was granted, he had received court permission to visit his ailing 101-year-old mother, and in a social media video captured by his legal team, he stated he would enter the Buddhist monkhood to honor her if granted freedom, and emphasized he held no desire for revenge against those who secured his conviction.
    The 2017 arrest of Kem Sokha, who led the popular opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party, marked the beginning of a widespread government crackdown on independent political organizing and independent media. Just weeks after his arrest, the Supreme Court ordered the full dissolution of the CNRP, clearing the way for Hun Sen’s long-ruling Cambodian People’s Party to win every seat in parliament during the 2018 general election.
    Kem Sokha’s final conviction came in 2023 after years of prolonged pretrial detention, with the prosecution’s core evidence consisting of a video recording of Kem Sokha discussing political strategy with U.S.-based pro-democracy organizations. During his appeal hearing last month, he reaffirmed his innocence, stating he never colluded with any foreign power to harm Cambodian citizens or threaten the country’s territorial integrity.
    Human rights advocates have characterized the pardon as a partial, incomplete step toward redressing a long-standing injustice. Elaine Pearson, regional director for Human Rights Watch, noted that while the release reverses part of the unfair treatment Kem Sokha has faced for more than eight years of arbitrary detention, the ongoing restrictions on his political and civil rights remain unacceptable. Pearson added that all remaining opposition figures and independent activists in Cambodia still operate under constant threat of arbitrary arrest and unwarranted political restrictions, and called on the Cambodian government to fully uphold universal political rights for all citizens.
    Analysts note the pardon is unlikely to produce major shifts in Cambodia’s political landscape. Most other prominent opposition leaders live in exile, and independent political and social activists continue to face broad restrictions on freedom of speech, assembly, and movement. Hun Sen, who led Cambodia as prime minister for 38 years before moving to the Senate presidency in 2023, has long faced international accusations of weaponizing the country’s judicial system to target political critics and eliminate opposition rivals. While the government has repeatedly stated it upholds the rule of law within a democratic electoral framework, courts have a well-documented history of dissolving opposition parties and jailing or harassing their leadership. Critics also argue that little has changed in terms of political repression under the new administration of Hun Manet.