Global Pulse

作者： admin

  • Car plows into pedestrians in Italy’s Modena, 8 injured, 4 critically, mayor says

    Car plows into pedestrians in Italy’s Modena, 8 injured, 4 critically, mayor says

    On a regular Saturday in the northern Italian city of Modena, a sudden and shocking incident unfolded that left multiple civilians seriously hurt after a car veered onto a crowded pedestrian sidewalk and struck passersby before crashing into a local shop window. Local authorities confirmed that eight people were hurt in the crash, with four of the victims suffering life-threatening injuries that demanded urgent, advanced medical intervention. No fatalities have been reported as of the latest updates from city officials.

    Modena Mayor Massimo Mezzetti shared detailed accounts of the devastating event with reporters, confirming that one woman was trapped between the out-of-control vehicle and a shop display window, a trauma that left surgeons with no choice but to amputate both of her legs to save her life. The 31-year-old driver, who was born in Bergamo and grew up in Modena’s surrounding province, was quickly taken into custody after civilians nearby intervened to stop him as he attempted to flee the scene. He is currently being held at Modena’s central police headquarters, where investigators are conducting extensive questioning to determine whether he was operating the vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, or if the incident was a deliberate deliberate act of violence.

    According to Mezzetti’s retelling of the sequence of events, the vehicle pulled onto one of the city’s busiest central thoroughfares before suddenly swerving onto the pedestrian sidewalk, striking multiple people and sending several bodies flying through the air before the car collided with the shop’s glass front. Though witnesses told investigators they saw the driver carrying a knife, he did not succeed in stabbing any bystanders before he was detained. That detail has only deepened the questions surrounding what prompted the incident, with local authorities still working to parse whether the event was premeditated, or stemmed from a medical emergency, substance impairment, or other unintended causes.

    All eight injured victims have been transported to receive care at major hospitals in both Modena and nearby Bologna, with the most critical cases airlifted by emergency helicopter to ensure they received treatment as quickly as possible. Multiple layers of Italian law enforcement and emergency response agencies, including local police, the national carabinieri, and financial police, were dispatched to the scene immediately after the crash. The entire area was cordoned off while first responders provided on-site care to injured people before they were moved to hospitals.

    Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni publicly addressed the incident in a social media statement, calling the event “extremely serious” and offering her official solidarity to all the people harmed in the crash and their families. Meloni extended her gratitude to the civilians who stepped in to stop the driver before police arrived, as well as to the law enforcement and emergency medical teams that responded to the emergency. The prime minister added that she has remained in constant contact with local Modena authorities, and made clear that she expects the full weight of accountability to be applied to the suspect regardless of what investigators uncover about his motives.

    Mayor Mezzetti echoed that sentiment, noting that regardless of the root cause of the incident, it represents an uncommonly severe act of harm against innocent civilians. “If it were an attack, it would be even more serious,” he told reporters, as investigators continue to piece together the full context of what unfolded on Modena’s downtown streets.

  • Palestinian activist Ramy Shaath says France is seeking to deport him

    Palestinian activist Ramy Shaath says France is seeking to deport him

    PARIS – A prominent Palestinian-Egyptian pro-Palestinian activist has leveled serious accusations against French authorities, claiming the government is attempting to deport him under the guise of public security threats in retaliation for his vocal advocacy on behalf of Palestinian rights. Ramy Shaath, 54, made the claims in a pre-recorded video statement posted to social media platforms on May 14, arguing that the pending deportation order is not an isolated measure, but part of a wider coordinated effort to muzzle Palestinian voices and their supporters across France.

    Shaath co-founded the grassroots pro-Palestinian group Urgence Palestine shortly after the outbreak of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, a role he says has put him directly in the crosshairs of French officials. He told viewers that the latest action comes after multiple previous legal attempts to target him fell short, leaving authorities to pursue deportation as an alternative tactic to silence his work.

    Born with dual Egyptian-Palestinian citizenship, Shaath has a long track record of nonviolent activism. In 2014, he established the Egyptian national chapter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement, an international campaign focused on pressure against Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. His activism extends beyond Palestinian issues: he participated in Egypt’s 2011 pro-democracy uprising, and has long tied his support for Palestinian rights to opposition to authoritarian rule across the Arab world. He was arrested by Egyptian authorities in 2019, held for more than two and a half years without formal charges in degrading conditions – including a crowded, insect-infested cell and later isolated confinement in a windowless room – before being released in January 2022. His release drew public praise from French President Emmanuel Macron at the time.

    Shaath has deep family ties to France: he is married to a French national, and the couple shares a French-Palestinian daughter. Even with these connections, he says officials have already created significant barriers to his life in the country long before the deportation order was announced. He told reporters he faced extensive delays and hurdles when attempting to renew his French residency permit. Beyond immigration issues, he alleges his bank account was shut down without advance warning and his national health insurance card was suspended, administrative actions that have severely disrupted his ability to hold employment, travel across borders, and access critical medical care.

    As of Tuesday, France’s Interior Ministry has not issued any public response to Shaath’s allegations or answered requests for comment from news outlets. The activist says he and his legal team intend to mount a robust legal challenge to the deportation proceedings, bringing the case before both French national courts and the European Court of Human Rights to defend his right to remain in France and continue his nonviolent advocacy work.

  • Taiwan insists it is independent after Trump warning

    Taiwan insists it is independent after Trump warning

    Fresh tensions have emerged across the Taiwan Strait following remarks by former U.S. President Donald Trump during a Beijing summit, where he cautioned Taiwan against moving ahead with a formal declaration of independence from mainland China. The comments, delivered after two days of high-level talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping, have reignited debate over the long-standing fragile balance of power in one of the world’s most geopolitically volatile regions.

    During post-summit comments, Trump clarified that he had made no binding commitments one way or the other regarding the self-governing island, which Beijing has consistently claimed as an inalienable part of its sovereign territory and has never ruled out seizing by military force. The U.S. leader also noted he would soon make a final decision on a long-awaited $11 billion arms sales package to Taiwan, a deal that has drawn fierce opposition from Beijing.

    The United States is legally obligated under the Taiwan Relations Act to provide the island with the means to defend itself, but successive U.S. administrations have had to balance this unofficial security commitment with the need to maintain formal diplomatic and economic ties with Beijing, which adheres firmly to the one-China principle.

    In response to Trump’s remarks, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te reaffirmed his long-held position that the island already views itself as a sovereign, independent state, meaning no formal declaration of independence is necessary. On Saturday, Lai’s spokesperson, Karen Kuo, emphasized that Taiwan’s status as a “sovereign, independent democratic country” is self-evident. However, she added that Taipei remains committed to upholding the long-standing cross-strait status quo, under which the island neither moves toward formal independence nor accepts unification with mainland China.

    Public opinion data consistently shows that while a large majority of Taiwan’s population identifies as separate from China, most favor retaining the current status quo over any abrupt change to cross-strait relations. Washington’s long-standing official policy remains unchanged: it does not support Taiwanese independence, and its formal relationship with Beijing is based on recognition of a single Chinese government.

    Trump told Fox News in an interview following his meetings with Xi that U.S. policy toward Taiwan had not shifted, and stressed he had no interest in provoking conflict with Beijing. “I’m not looking to have somebody go independent,” he said. “You know, we’re supposed to travel 9,500 miles to fight a war. I’m not looking for that. I want them to cool down. I want China to cool down.”

    Speaking to reporters on his return flight to Washington, Trump added that he and Xi had spoken extensively about the Taiwan issue, but declined to answer questions about whether the U.S. would militarily defend Taiwan in the event of an attack. He noted that Xi holds extremely strong views on the issue of the island, saying “[Xi] doesn’t want to see a movement for independence.”

    Beijing has repeatedly denounced Lai as a separatist “troublemaker” who undermines cross-strait peace, and has ramped up large-scale military drills around Taiwan in recent years. These exercises have significantly raised regional tensions and tested the delicate balance of power that Washington has sought to maintain for decades.

    Trump added that he planned to discuss the pending arms sales deal directly with Taiwan’s leadership, though he avoided referring to Lai by his official title, a long-standing convention for U.S. presidents due to the lack of formal diplomatic relations between the two sides. U.S. presidents traditionally do not hold direct public talks with Taiwan’s sitting leader, as such a step would almost certainly trigger a major diplomatic crisis with Beijing.

    Despite the warning on independence, Taipei expressed gratitude for Trump’s long-standing security support. “Our nation is grateful to President Trump for his continued support for security in the Taiwan Strait since his first term in office,” Taiwan’s presidential spokesperson said. “Taiwan will continue to deepen co-operation with the US to achieve peace through strength, ensuring that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are not threatened or undermined, which serves the common interests of Taiwan, the US, and the global democratic community.”

  • Whale found dead near Danish island after German rescue operation

    Whale found dead near Danish island after German rescue operation

    In a conclusion that has reignited debate over large-scale marine wildlife rescue efforts, a humpback whale that captured German public attention after repeated stranding on the Baltic coast has been confirmed dead near the Danish island of Anholt, between Denmark and Sweden.

    The story of the 12-meter mammal, nicknamed alternately “Timmy” and “Hope” by rescuers and local media, began on March 23, when it first became stranded on a sandbank off Germany’s Poel Island, before re-stranding multiple times on Timmendorfer Beach in Lübeck Bay after an initial escape. After several unsuccessful rescue attempts by German state authorities, officials ultimately called off the official operation, leaving conservationists and the public divided over the whale’s fate.

    The impasse broke when two private German entrepreneurs, Karin Walter-Mommert and Walter Gunz, stepped forward to fully fund an independent rescue mission. The team fit the weak whale with a satellite tracking device, coaxed it into a custom water-filled barge named Fortuna B, and transported it out to the deeper, saltier waters of the North Sea, releasing it in early May. The operation was immediately hailed as a landmark moment by regional officials: Till Backhaus, environment minister for Germany’s northern state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, called the mission a success and an inspiring example of what collective action could achieve for animal welfare across the country.

    But the private rescue sparked fierce controversy even before the whale was released. Leading wildlife conservation organizations warned from the start that the vulnerable, underweight animal faced very low odds of long-term survival. The German Oceanographic Museum pointed out that the whale’s prolonged stay in the low-salinity Baltic waters had already left it severely weakened, putting it at constant risk of drowning even after relocation. The international NGO Whale and Dolphin Conservation added that the extended stranding had caused permanent skin damage from low salinity, arguing that the stressful translocation would only prolong the animal’s suffering rather than save it.

    Weeks after the successful release, a whale carcass was spotted off Anholt Island on Thursday. Confirming the identity took several days, as poor weather conditions initially prevented authorities from accessing the site. On Saturday, the Danish Environmental Protection Agency announced it had verified the carcass was indeed the rescued humpback, and successfully recovered its tracking device.

    Currently, Danish officials say there are no immediate plans to remove the carcass from the coastal area or conduct a necropsy to determine the exact cause of death, as the remains do not yet pose a hazard to local navigation or ecosystems. However, authorities have issued a public safety warning: local residents and visitors are urged not to approach the carcass, as decomposing whale remains can carry zoonotic diseases transmissible to humans. Officials also noted that there is a small risk of a natural rupture driven by buildup of decomposition gases inside the mammal’s body, a common hazard with large beached whale carcasses.

  • Thousands to march in parallel Nakba Day and far-right rallies in central London

    Thousands to march in parallel Nakba Day and far-right rallies in central London

    Central London is preparing for an extraordinary day of overlapping public events this Saturday, as tens of thousands of pro-Palestinian demonstrators gather to mark the 78th anniversary of the Nakba, a separate far-right rally convened by controversial activist Tommy Robinson gets underway nearby, and one of English football’s biggest annual fixtures kicks off just miles north. The convergence of three high-profile, potentially divisive gatherings has prompted London’s Metropolitan Police to launch what it describes as an unprecedented public order operation, deploying more than 4,000 officers to separate the opposing protest groups and prevent violent confrontation.

    The annual Nakba Day march, organized by a broad coalition of advocacy groups led by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign, commemorates a defining historical turning point for the Palestinian people. In 1948, as the state of Israel was established, more than 750,000 Palestinians were forcibly expelled from their ancestral lands, and an estimated 13,000 more were killed by Zionist militias — a catastrophe that Palestinians have memorialized annually for decades. Organizers have issued clear guidance to participants, urging them to avoid any confrontation with the opposing far-right demonstration.

    Robinson, the far-right organizer whose legal name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, will lead his own Unite the Kingdom rally on the same day. His last major event, held in September 2025, drew more than 150,000 attendees, but ended in chaos: far-right participants attacked police officers, chanted virulently anti-Muslim slogans, and left 23 people arrested on public order offences. This Saturday, Robinson’s rally is scheduled to proceed from Kingsway to Trafalgar Square, while the Nakba 78 rally, which was denied permission to march to Trafalgar Square after applying for the route, will travel from Kensington to Pall Mall. Police have structured the plans to keep the two groups on entirely separate routes to avoid clashes.

    Adding to the complexity of the operation, the FA Cup final between Chelsea and Manchester City will kick off at 3pm at Wembley Stadium in north London, requiring additional police resourcing to manage crowds and security for the match.

    To support the massive policing operation, officers have been granted extraordinary stop-and-search powers that allow them to search any individual without reasonable suspicion of a crime. For the first time ever in a UK public order policing operation, live facial recognition technology will also be deployed, though police confirmed the technology will not be used along the official march routes themselves.

    In comments ahead of the protests, Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner James Harman outlined a hardline approach to provocative expression at the gatherings. “We are committed to taking a more assertive approach to chanting and the displaying of phrases on placards or banners that incite hatred or indicate support for terrorism or other forms of extremism,” Harman said Wednesday. He added that in recent months, multiple people have been arrested and charged for calling for intifada at previous protests, with a number of those cases currently working through the UK court system.

    The 78th Nakba Day march marks the first major pro-Palestinian demonstration in the UK since Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s controversial April 30 statement calling for the prosecution of protesters who chant the phrase “globalise the intifada”, a move that drew widespread condemnation from pro-Palestinian advocacy groups across the country. Starmer made the comment in the wake of a April 29 stabbing attack in Golders Green, north London, where two Jewish men and one Muslim man were injured by an assailant who did not use the phrase during the attack. “If you stand alongside people who say globalise the intifada, you are calling for terrorism against Jews,” Starmer said at the time.

    In response, more than 50 prominent British Palestinian and Arab public figures released a joint statement Thursday calling on Starmer to guarantee equal protection for Palestinian and Arab communities from hate crimes during Saturday’s demonstrations. “It is painful to feel that our fears are treated as secondary, or worse, that our peaceful commemoration is viewed only as a policing problem,” the statement read, highlighting widespread concern that the rights of peaceful pro-Palestinian protesters are being disproportionately restricted amid heightened political tensions.

  • Democratic governor under fire over clemency for 2020 election denier

    Democratic governor under fire over clemency for 2020 election denier

    A controversial decision by Colorado Democratic Governor Jared Polis to cut short the prison sentence of former Mesa County clerk Tina Peters, a convicted 2020 election denier, has ignited fierce political backlash across party lines in the United States.

    Peters, a Republican, made national headlines as one of the highest-profile figures prosecuted for efforts to cast doubt on the 2020 presidential election results. In August 2024, a jury found her guilty on seven felony counts connected to a 2021 breach of local election computer systems. The scheme allowed an unauthorized outsider to access sensitive voting equipment and voter records, carried out to support unproven claims that widespread voter fraud cost Donald Trump the 2020 election – a false conspiracy theory Trump has pushed repeatedly since his loss.

    Polis announced the commutation Friday, confirming that Peters will be released on parole in June. The governor had previously characterized her original nine-year prison sentence as excessively harsh, and defended his decision in a detailed public Facebook post. He stressed that he was not issuing a full pardon and never considered one, acknowledging that Peters had clearly broken state law, violated public trust, lied to state election officials, and imposed significant financial costs on Mesa County through her illegal actions.

    “It’s one of my bedrock beliefs that our laws should be applied fairly, and I simply do not believe that was what happened in this case,” Polis wrote. “For a first-time, non-violent offender, this sentence is simply disproportionate.”

    But the move immediately drew harsh condemnation from most of Polis’ fellow Democrats, who argue the commutation undermines American democracy and the rule of law. Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, the state’s top election official, called the decision “an affront to our democracy,” with other leaders warning it could embolden future efforts to undermine public confidence in U.S. elections.

    Senator John Hickenlooper, a Colorado Democrat, posted on X saying he strongly opposed the call to reduce Peters’ sentence, arguing it sends a dangerous message to bad actors seeking to erode election trust and does nothing to stop Trump’s ongoing illegal attacks on Colorado’s election system. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, also a Democrat, described the move as “truly mind-boggling,” adding that “this commutation decision is wrong and is an affront to the rule of law.” The criticism extended to other top congressional Democrats including Senator Michael Bennet, New York Representative Joe Morelle, and Colorado Representative Jason Crow, among others.

    Unusually, the decision also drew anger from some Republicans. Matt Crane, executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association and a registered Republican, said he was “furious, disgusted, and deeply disappointed by the Governor’s decision.” He accused Polis of capitulating to extremist political factions and conspiracy movements that actively work to weaken trust in U.S. democratic institutions.

    Not all Republicans condemned the move, however. Two high-profile conservative congressional Republicans – Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert – praised Polis’ action, calling it “great news” and a “long-overdue step toward justice” respectively. Former President Donald Trump, who had publicly pushed for Peters’ release for months, celebrated the announcement within minutes on social media with a simple, triumphant message: “FREE TINA!”

    On Saturday, Peters released a statement through her attorney to the BBC, expressing public remorse for her actions. “I made mistakes, and for those I am sorry,” she said. “I have learned and grown during my time in prison and going forward I will make sure that my actions always follow the law, and I will avoid the mistakes of the past.”

    The high-profile controversy comes as false 2020 election conspiracy theories continue to shape U.S. political discourse, with Trump again the leading Republican presidential candidate heading into the 2024 general election.

  • France says cruise ship Andes virus matches known South American viruses

    France says cruise ship Andes virus matches known South American viruses

    PARIS – France’s world-renowned Pasteur Institute has completed full genomic sequencing of the Andes virus isolated from a French passenger who fell ill after a voyage on the MV Hondius cruise ship, and confirmed that the pathogen matches well-documented strains already circulating in South America. As of the latest update, researchers have uncovered no evidence of new genetic traits that would increase the virus’s transmissibility or make it more lethal to humans.

    French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist shared the key findings in a public post on X Friday, emphasizing that the sequenced variant aligns with strains currently tracked by public health systems across South America. “At this stage, no element suggests the emergence” of a more transmissible or dangerous form of the virus, Rist wrote.

    Genomic analysis verified that the virus taken from the French patient is an exact match to samples collected from other infected cases on the same vessel, Pasteur Institute officials confirmed. It also bears a very close genetic resemblance to archived Andes virus samples from endemic regions across South America. All virus samples collected from passengers on the MV Hondius are identical to one another, and carry roughly 97% genetic similarity to known Andes strains circulating in South America, including variants found in rodent populations, the natural reservoir for the virus.

    Jean-Claude Manuguerra, head of the Pasteur Institute’s Environment and Infectious Risk unit, explained that the 3% genetic divergence seen in the sequenced samples falls within the expected range of natural viral variation. The small differences do not appear to alter the core biological characteristics of the virus that affect how it spreads or harms human hosts, he noted.

    The French passenger tested positive for Andes virus following her trip aboard the MV Hondius, and has since received inpatient care at a Paris medical facility. French public health officials previously disclosed that the patient was in serious condition when admitted. Currently, virological investigations remain ongoing, conducted in close collaboration between Pasteur Institute researchers, French national health authorities, and global public health partners. Rist added that the full genomic sequencing data will be shared openly with the international scientific community to support global monitoring and research efforts, noting that the new data will improve understanding of the virus and enable more rigorous ongoing public health surveillance.

  • Semenyo’s magic moment fires Man City to FA Cup final win over Chelsea

    Semenyo’s magic moment fires Man City to FA Cup final win over Chelsea

    The 2025 FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium delivered one of the competition’s most memorable individual moments on Saturday, as Ghanaian winger Antoine Semenyo’s audacious late back-flick handed Manchester City a hard-fought 1-0 win over Chelsea, securing the club’s eighth FA Cup title.

    For much of a cagey, scrappy encounter that reflected both sides’ underwhelming domestic campaigns, neither side could find a breakthrough. Chelsea set up in a deep five-man defensive block, ceding long spells of possession to Pep Guardiola’s side while threatening only on rare counter-attacks. Before half-time, the Blues felt hard done by when referee waved away their penalty appeal after forward Joao Pedro was brought down in the box by City defender Abdukodir Khusanov.

    City carved out several promising chances in the first half, all squandered. Erling Haaland, who would later set up the winning goal, fired wide from a tight angle after stealing possession on the edge of the 18-yard box, and saw a stinging first-half strike parried away by Chelsea keeper Robert Sanchez. Just after the break, Semenyo missed a golden opportunity to open the scoring, heading over from six yards out after meeting a well-placed cross from Nico O’Reilly. Chelsea came close to taking the lead just before the hour mark, when Moises Caicedo’s goalbound header was cleared off the line by City holding midfielder Rodri after keeper James Trafford fumbled a corner.

    The match’s decisive magic arrived in the 72nd minute. Haaland made a sharp run down the right flank of the Chelsea penalty area, cutting a low cross back to the edge of the six-yard box. There, Semenyo improvised a sublime, instinctive back-flick that caressed the ball past Sanchez and into the far corner, capping one of the most iconic goals in FA Cup final history.

    The result is especially poetic for Semenyo: the 26-year-old, signed in a January transfer window move from Bournemouth, was born just minutes from Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge stadium in west London. His match-winning strike places him alongside legends of the competition including Ricky Villa, Michael Owen, Roberto Di Matteo and Steven Gerrard in the ranks of players who have scored iconic FA Cup final goals.

    For Guardiola, the title adds another entry to his already legendary tenure at the Etihad Stadium. This is the third FA Cup win of his 10-year reign as City manager, and the 20th major trophy of his time at the club. It also ends City’s two-match losing streak in FA Cup finals, following back-to-back final defeats to Crystal Palace and Manchester United. The FA Cup is also the second piece of silverware City has claimed this season, following a League Cup final win over Arsenal back in March.

    Now, Guardiola turns his attention to the club’s outside shot at a miraculous Premier League title comeback. City have gone 21 consecutive domestic matches unbeaten, but they will sit five points behind league leaders Arsenal if the Gunners beat relegated Burnley at home on Monday. A win for City against former club Bournemouth in their penultimate league fixture on Tuesday would cut the gap back to two points, but Arsenal can secure their first top-flight title since 2004 with a win away at Crystal Palace on May 24.

    The result adds another disappointing chapter to a turbulent campaign for Chelsea. Under interim manager Calum McFarlane, the Blues put up a battling performance but ultimately lacked cutting edge in front of goal, a reflection of a season that has seen them win just one of their last seven Premier League matches. Currently sat ninth in the league table, Chelsea have all but locked out their chances of qualifying for next season’s Champions League. Frustrated fans protested against club owners BlueCo before kick-off, chanting “we want our Chelsea back” to voice their discontent with the team’s recent form.

    Off the pitch, uncertainty continues to surround Guardiola’s long-term future at City. The 55-year-old has just 12 months remaining on his current contract, and has yet to confirm whether he will stay at the club beyond the end of this season. Ahead of his 24th trip to Wembley with City, the Catalan manager joked he was “so disappointed” he has not yet had a stand named after him at the home of English football. If this cup triumph proves to be one of the final chapters of his tenure, Semenyo’s moment of magic has ensured Guardiola will leave with at least one more unforgettable golden memory.

  • Rescue diver dies during search for bodies of Italians who drowned in Maldives caves

    Rescue diver dies during search for bodies of Italians who drowned in Maldives caves

    A devastating double tragedy has unfolded off the coast of the Maldives, where a rescue diver has lost his life during operations to recover the remains of five Italian divers who died in an earlier catastrophic scuba incident. The accident, already marked as the deadliest single diving disaster in the history of the popular Indian Ocean tourist destination, has compounded grief on both sides of the continent.

    The first incident unfolded on Thursday morning, when a group of five Italian divers entered the water at Vaavu Atoll, a remote reef system located roughly 100 kilometers south of the Maldivian capital Male. The group never returned to their departure yacht, the Duke of York, prompting an immediate search and rescue operation. Local authorities confirmed that a yellow weather warning for rough sea conditions was already in effect for the area before the divers entered the water.

    Four members of the deceased group are affiliated with the University of Genoa: ecology professor Monica Montefalcone, her daughter Giorgia Sommacal, and two university researchers. The fifth fatality was Gianluca Benedetti, an experienced diving instructor and boat operations manager contracted for the expedition. As of Saturday, just one body has been recovered from a deep cave system located 60 meters below sea level – twice the maximum depth permitted for recreational scuba diving in Maldivian waters, which is capped at 30 meters. Officials say it remains unclear why the group chose to explore the deep, unregulated cave system.

    The 20 other Italian nationals who remained aboard the Duke of York during the dive were unharmed, and are now receiving consular support from the Italian Embassy in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

    On Saturday, the mission to recover the four remaining bodies claimed a new casualty: Staff Sgt Mohamed Mahdhee, a Maldivian military rescue diver. Government spokesperson Mohamed Hossain Shareef told the BBC that eight rescue divers entered the water that day, but only seven returned to the surface. When fellow rescuers returned to search for Mahdhee, they found he had blacked out at depth. He was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

    Maldives military officials have emphasized that the recovery operation carries extreme risk, worsened by persistent unfavorable weather conditions that have complicated search efforts. Following news of Mahdhee’s death, Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu traveled to Vaavu Atoll to personally oversee ongoing operations and meet with response teams.

    Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani offered his official condolences to the people of Maldives following the second loss of life. “These days of grief for Italy are compounded by the news that one of your brave soldiers… died while attempting to dive to reach the bodies of our fellow Italians,” Tajani said in a statement. “This tragedy unites Italy and the Maldives in grief and respect for the victims.”

  • Man dies following alleged shoplifting incident

    Man dies following alleged shoplifting incident

    A tragic incident unfolding in the heart of Dublin city center has left one man dead and another injured following an alleged shoplifting incident on Friday. According to official updates from Irish law enforcement, the event unfolded shortly before 5 p.m. local time on Henry Street, one of Dublin’s busiest retail thoroughfares.

    Security personnel working in the area took a man in his 30s into custody in connection with the suspected theft at a local retail outlet. As the suspect attempted to escape the scene, he collided with and injured an elderly man in his 80s. First responders transported the older man to Dublin’s Mater Hospital, where medics confirmed he was suffering from injuries that are not considered life-threatening.

    However, the situation took a fatal turn for the detained suspect. Gardaí, Ireland’s national police service, confirmed that the man in his 30s quickly became unresponsive while still at the detention site. Emergency services immediately rushed him to the same Mater Hospital, but medical teams were unable to revive him, and he was officially pronounced dead shortly after arrival.

    In line with standard investigative protocol for such incidents, Gardaí have moved quickly to secure all evidence. The entire incident site was cordoned off immediately after the event to preserve forensic evidence, and specialist forensic teams have now completed their examination of the area. Irish authorities have notified the coroner of the death, and the Office of the State Pathologist has been assigned to conduct a full post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death. The findings from this autopsy will play a critical role in guiding the direction of Gardaí’s ongoing investigation into the incident.

    Per regulatory requirements for deaths involving individuals in detention, the case has automatically been referred to Fiosrú, the Office of the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland, which will oversee the probe to ensure full transparency and accountability throughout the investigation process.