Global Pulse

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  • France woos Anglophone Africa at a summit in Kenya

    France woos Anglophone Africa at a summit in Kenya

    As France finalizes its full military withdrawal from West African nations, a move widely interpreted as a signal of its waning traditional influence across the African continent, Paris is launching a revised model of engagement with African nations at the two-day Africa Forward Summit kicking off Monday in Nairobi, Kenya. Co-hosted by France and Kenya, this gathering marks the first time France has held such a major Africa-focused summit in an English-speaking African nation, representing a deliberate strategic shift toward expanding ties with non-Francophone countries under a new framework billed as a ‘partnership of equals’.

    For decades, France maintained a system of economic, political, and military dominance over its former African colonies, a network of influence widely known as Françafrique that included stationing thousands of French troops across the region. Growing criticism from African leaders and opposition movements, who decried the approach as condescending and overly interventionist, eventually forced Paris to pull back the bulk of its deployed forces from West Africa and the Sahel. Today, Paris is seeking to reframe its role on the continent through this new policy direction, with the recently ratified Kenya-France Defense Cooperation Agreement laying out the roadmap for its future engagement.

    More than 30 heads of state and government from across Africa, including delegations from longstanding Francophone nations, are in attendance for the summit. Arriving in Kenya a day ahead of the summit’s official opening Sunday, French President Emmanuel Macron sought to soften tensions with West African leaders who pushed for France’s military exit, noting that while Paris may hold policy disagreements with some West African governments, ‘never disagrees with the people.’

    The new bilateral defense pact with Kenya, signed in October 2024 by Kenyan Defense Minister Soipan Tuya and French Ambassador to Kenya Arnaud Suquet, was ratified by Kenya’s national parliament on April 8 this year. That same month, Kenya also moved to ratify similar defense cooperation agreements with the Czech Republic, China, and Italy, part of the East African nation’s broader strategy of expanding multilateral security ties at a moment when many Sahel nations are expelling foreign military presences to reclaim full national sovereignty.

    The defense agreement has not been without controversy, however. Kenyan civil society organizations have raised sharp criticism of provisions that grant French troops broad immunity from domestic Kenyan law for on-duty offenses, a provision that echoes controversial terms in a decades-long defense pact with the United Kingdom that has left multiple serious crimes committed by British personnel against Kenyan civilians difficult to prosecute. Most notably, the 2012 murder of 21-year-old Kenyan woman Agnes Wanjiru, who was last seen in the company of a British soldier near a UK training base in central Kenya’s Nanyuki, and the 2021 deadly Lolldaiga ranch fire linked to British military training activities, have become high-profile examples of the harms caused by these broad immunity clauses. It took more than a decade for Kenyan courts to order the extradition of the British soldier charged in Wanjiru’s killing, a process delayed for years by the legal protections in the UK-Kenya defense pact.

    Defending the new agreement and Kenya’s broader strategy of security partnerships, Nelson Koech, chair of Kenya’s parliamentary defense committee, emphasized that the pacts with advanced militaries deliver tangible benefits: access to specialized military training and critical intelligence-sharing opportunities that will strengthen Kenya’s own national defense capabilities. Koech rejected claims that the agreements amount to a ‘surrender of sovereignty’, noting that updated provisions in the new pacts require foreign personnel to face Kenyan prosecution for serious violent offenses including murder. Even so, the immunity provision for most on-duty offenses remains unchanged, mirroring the controversial structure of the UK agreement. Roughly 800 French military personnel arrived in Kenya aboard a French navy ship one month ahead of the summit, the first deployment under the new defense cooperation framework.

  • Thailand’s ex-PM Thaksin released from prison

    Thailand’s ex-PM Thaksin released from prison

    Bangkok, Thailand – Thailand’s divisive and long-dominant political figure Thaksin Shinawatra walked free from Bangkok’s Klong Prem Central Prison on Monday, eight months into a one-year sentence, opening a new chapter of uncertainty for the country’s already turbulent political landscape.

    The 76-year-old former telecommunications tycoon and two-time prime minute was granted parole as part of a national early release program for elderly inmates, a decision announced by Thailand’s Department of Corrections last month. Following his release, Thaksin was fitted with a court-mandated electronic monitoring device at a local probation office, and will remain on probation until September. Under the terms of his release, he is barred from leaving Bangkok without official government approval.

    Outside the prison walls, hundreds of Thaksin’s most loyal supporters gathered in the signature red shirts that have become a symbol of his populist political movement, waiting to catch a glimpse of the leader they have backed for more than two decades. As he exited the facility, Thaksin embraced his daughter Paetongtarn Shinawatra – herself a former Thai prime minister – and other family members, with supporters breaking into chants of “we love Thaksin” to welcome his release. Speaking to reporters from the back window of his car after arriving at his Bangkok residence, Thaksin said he felt “relief” after what he described as an eight-month “hibernation” behind bars.

    Thaksin’s political influence has shaped Thai politics for 20 years, positioning his populist political bloc – which evolved into the current Pheu Thai party – as the most consistent electoral force in 21st-century Thailand. Members of the Shinawatra political dynasty have held the office of prime minister four times, drawing unwavering support from working-class and rural voters across the country. For the entirety of his political career, however, Thaksin has been locked in a bitter power struggle with Thailand’s pro-military, pro-royalty conservative elite, who have long viewed his populist appeal as a direct threat to the country’s traditional social and political order.

    This long-running rivalry remains a defining factor of Thaksin’s post-prison future. Analysts note that the former prime minister still faces multiple outstanding criminal cases, a reality that may deter him from jumping back into high-profile political activism that could trigger new legal prosecution. Despite this, his release has already reshaped the dynamics of Thailand’s current ruling government, which includes Pheu Thai as a key coalition partner alongside conservative Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul.

    The road to Thaksin’s early release has been marked by controversy and public suspicion. He first returned to Thailand from 15 years of self-imposed exile in August 2023, shortly after Pheu Thai concluded negotiations to form a new ruling coalition. Upon his return, he was convicted on corruption and abuse of power charges and sentenced to eight years in prison, but was immediately transferred to a private hospital suite on purported medical grounds rather than being held in a standard prison cell. A royal pardon later reduced his sentence to one year, but the Supreme Court ruled in September 2024 that Thaksin had not suffered from a life-threatening health condition, meaning his time in the hospital could not count toward his sentence, ordering him to serve the remainder of his term behind bars.

    That unusual path to prison stoked widespread allegations of backroom deals and special treatment for Thaksin, accusations that have continued to shadow Thai politics as he re-enters public life. In February 2025, Pheu Thai turned in its worst electoral performance in the party’s modern history, sliding to third place in national voting and casting doubt on the long-term viability of the Shinawatra political dynasty. But the party’s role in Anutin’s ruling coalition has kept open the door for a potential Thaksin comeback.

    Political observers are split on what Thaksin’s release means for Thai politics moving forward. Wanwichit Boonprong, a political science lecturer, noted that for die-hard Thaksin supporters, the former prime minister’s freedom will likely give a short-term boost to Pheu Thai, as supporters see the party’s de facto leader back in public life. At the same time, he argued, Thaksin’s long-time conservative rivals will rally around Prime Minister Anutin, who holds the trust of the traditional elite that Thaksin has long challenged. Those conservatives, Wanwichit said, will push aggressively to ensure Thaksin stays on the political sidelines.

    Anutin struck a conciliatory tone with the former prime minister following his release, telling reporters he was happy for Thaksin and his family. “He returns home with a smile,” Anutin said, adding that he would not rule out a future meeting between the two leaders, noting “Bangkok is not that big. Meeting with people we know and respect is not strange.”

    Members of Thaksin’s family have pushed back against speculation that he will immediately re-enter political competition. Paetongtarn Shinawatra told reporters earlier this week that the family had not discussed political matters during their recent prison visits. Thaksin’s nephew Yodchanan Wongsawat, who led Pheu Thai’s electoral ticket in February’s vote, currently holds a cabinet position as minister of higher education in Anutin’s administration.

    Thaksin is one of more than 850 Thai inmates approved for early release under the government’s program for elderly and low-sentence prisoners, but his release is by far the most politically consequential, leaving political analysts and voters across Thailand waiting to see what the polarizing former leader will do next.

  • US national on repatriation flight tests positive for hantavirus

    US national on repatriation flight tests positive for hantavirus

    A deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard the expedition cruise ship MV Hondius has triggered a coordinated global repatriation operation, with multiple nations arranging emergency evacuations after three passengers died and new positive cases were detected among returnees. The vessel, which completed a voyage through South America, is currently anchored off the coast of Tenerife in Spain’s Canary Islands, where authorities have overseen the gradual disembarkation of more than 90 international passengers since Sunday.

    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services confirmed Monday that one American national returning on a government-chartered repatriation flight tested positive for hantavirus, while a second passenger is experiencing mild symptoms consistent with the infection. Out of an abundance of caution, both patients were transported in specialized biocontainment units during the flight. All 17 U.S. citizens on the charter, plus one British national residing in the U.S. who joined the evacuation, are now undergoing comprehensive clinical assessment and further screening at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Seven additional U.S. passengers returned to the country earlier and are currently under active monitoring by public health officials in their home states. Officials from the U.S. have emphasized that the risk of a large-scale community outbreak remains extremely low.

    Three passengers have already died from complications linked to the outbreak: a Dutch couple and a German woman, two of whom have been officially confirmed to have contracted hantavirus. The Andes strain of hantavirus, which the World Health Organization (WHO) suspects infected passengers during a stop in South America, is most commonly carried by rodents, but limited human-to-human transmission is possible. Typical symptoms of infection include high fever, extreme muscle fatigue, body aches, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea and progressive shortness of breath.

    The outbreak has sparked public disagreement between global health leaders and U.S. public health officials over safety protocols. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has warned that the U.S. decision to deviate from WHO-recommended guidelines carries potential public health risks. The global health body has mandated a 42-day isolation period for all passengers disembarking the MV Hondius. However, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, acting head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), pushed back against the strict measures, saying he sought to avoid unnecessary public panic. He noted that human-to-human transmission of the virus is rare, and it should not be managed using the same strict protocols implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Photographs captured Sunday showed disembarking passengers donning full personal protective equipment, including blue medical gowns, bouffant caps and surgical face masks, as they entered the port of Granadilla de Abona in Tenerife. Multiple countries have launched their own repatriation and quarantine operations for their citizens:
    – French health authorities confirmed a French passenger who returned to Paris tested positive for hantavirus, and is currently in isolation as her health condition deteriorates. She was one of five French nationals on board the ship, and contact tracers have already identified 22 close contacts who are being monitored.
    – A charter flight carrying 20 British nationals landed at Manchester Airport on Sunday, with all passengers transported to Arrowe Park Hospital in Merseyside for a 72-hour precautionary isolation period. No passengers have reported symptoms so far, though two other British citizens with confirmed hantavirus are receiving treatment in the Netherlands and South Africa respectively.
    – Fourteen Spanish nationals repatriated to Madrid are currently undergoing mandatory quarantine at a military hospital, with two additional evacuation flights scheduled for Monday afternoon.
    – A separate flight carrying 26 passengers and crew, including eight Dutch nationals, landed in the Netherlands on Sunday. Six passengers are scheduled to travel to Australia, while another 18 will be repatriated to the Netherlands on additional flights. Both of these final flights will also carry passengers from other nations that did not arrange their own independent repatriation missions.

  • BBC tours England and Argentina’s World Cup training grounds

    BBC tours England and Argentina’s World Cup training grounds

    As the 2022 FIFA World Cup approaches, British Broadcasting Corporation has launched an exclusive on-the-ground reporting series that takes football fans behind the scenes of competing nations’ pre-tournament preparation, with a focus on the training facilities built for two leading contenders: England and Argentina.

    In the first installment of the series, BBC sport correspondent Will Grant traveled to Kansas City to inspect and test the playing surface that will serve as England’s primary training base when the Three Lions enter camp ahead of their World Cup campaign. England, captained by star striker Harry Kane who is chasing his first major international trophy following the team’s 2018 World Cup semi-final finish and 2020 European Championship runner-up finish, is widely regarded as one of the top contenders to lift the trophy in Qatar.

    The on-site report from Kansas City gives fans an early look at the conditions the team will experience as they build match fitness and tactical cohesion ahead of their opening group stage match. The BBC also confirmed that additional reporting from Argentina’s secluded training grounds will follow in coming days, giving supporters of both global football powerhouses unprecedented access to their pre-tournament preparations that are typically closed off to the general public.

    For football fans around the world, this behind-the-scenes access builds anticipation for the start of the tournament, offering unique insight into the work that goes into preparing a top national side for the biggest stage in global football.

  • Healthcare heavyweight CSL plunges to nine-year low, dragging down the ASX

    Healthcare heavyweight CSL plunges to nine-year low, dragging down the ASX

    On a volatile trading session for Australia’s equity markets, two separate events combined to push benchmark indexes lower: a sharp selloff in the healthcare sector driven by a major biotech firm’s impairment announcement, and a sudden jump in global oil prices triggered by a social media post from former US President Donald Trump derailing hopes of a Middle East peace breakthrough.

    The benchmark ASX 200 closed 42.60 points, or 0.49%, lower at 8701.80, while the broader All Ordinaries index retreated 38.10 points, or 0.42%, to settle at 8942.40. Eight of the 11 tracked market sectors finished the day in negative territory, with only the energy and mining sectors bucking the downward trend. The Australian dollar edged slightly higher, gaining 0.08% to trade at 72.38 US cents by market close.

    The single biggest drag on the market came from the healthcare sector, which plummeted 6.47% overall following a major announcement from CSL, the sector’s largest Australian-listed heavyweight. The global biotech firm revealed in a 90-day operational review that it would record an additional $US5 billion ($A6.9 billion) in non-cash impairment, on top of the $US1.5 billion impairment it already recognized during its first-half financial results. The news sent CSL shares tumbling 15.96% to $100.75, marking one of the worst single-day trading performances in the company’s history and pushing the stock to a near nine-year low. Other healthcare stocks also felt the spillover: Sigma Healthcare slid 0.35% to $2.84, and New Zealand-based medical device manufacturer Fisher & Paykel dropped 0.21% to $28.94.

    Adding further downward pressure on Australian equities was a sudden surge in global crude oil prices, sparked by a post on Donald Trump’s Truth Social platform that rejected a proposed peace framework with Iran. In the post, Trump wrote, “I have just read the response from Iran’s so-called ‘Representatives.’ I don’t like it – TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE.” The blunt dismissal of progress in negotiations immediately roiled energy markets, where pricing has long been highly sensitive to geopolitical instability in major oil-producing Middle Eastern regions. By the close of global trading, Brent Crude surged 3.9% to settle at $US105 ($A145) per barrel, while U.S. benchmark West Texas Intermediate climbed 4.6% to hit $US99.78 ($A138) per barrel.

    Josh Gilbert, lead APAC analyst for global investment platform eToro, explained that oil volatility will remain tied directly to diplomatic developments in the region for the foreseeable future. “The core issue is still firmly on the table, which is that the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed, and every failed negotiation is a reminder that there is no quick fix to the biggest supply disruption in history,” Gilbert noted. “We continue to see strong swings in the oil price, and that’s unlikely to change in the near term.”

    Against the broader market downturn, a handful of sectors posted solid gains. Australia’s largest iron ore miners outperformed, even amid the oil price shock: BHP closed 0.66% higher at $58.33, Rio Tinto gained 0.60% to $179.79, and Fortescue Metals rose 0.71% to $21.42. The energy sector also closed in positive territory, led by a rally among Australian uranium producers: Paladin Energy jumped 5.76% to $13.21, Deep Yellow gained 4.62% to $1.81, and Boss Energy climbed 6.47% to $1.48.

    Several individual companies posted strong gains on the back of positive corporate announcements. Metcash, a leading Australian wholesaler of food, liquor and hardware, surged 6.57% to $2.92 after it upgraded its full-year underlying net profit after tax guidance to a range of $268 million to $270 million. Out-of-home advertising firm oOh!media also rallied 7.1% to $1.35 after confirming it had received an unsolicited takeover proposal from U.S.-based infrastructure investment firm I Squared Capital. Among banking stocks, ANZ fell 0.17% to $35.90 as the lender went ex-dividend for its partially franked interim dividend of 83 cents per share, which will be paid out to registered shareholders in the coming weeks.

  • Party’s over: China tells fans to end birthday blowouts for sport idols

    Party’s over: China tells fans to end birthday blowouts for sport idols

    China’s top sports governing body has issued a formal call for sports fans to curb extravagant, large-scale birthday celebrations for elite national athletes, warning that such events carry multiple downsides ranging from resource waste to disruption of competitive preparation. The new guidance comes amid a broader nationwide push to rein in what state outlets have labeled “toxic fandom” — a pattern of obsessive behavior around public figures that has increasingly spilled into the country’s professional sports circuit.

    The trend of over-the-top birthday tributes is not unique to China, with fans across neighboring East Asian markets like South Korea and Japan long organizing large-scale public events to mark favorite celebrities’ special days. In China, this practice has recently extended to popular national sports stars, most notably table tennis world champion Sun Yingsha. When Sun turned 25 in November, fans across the country pulled together a multi-city celebration: dedicated birthday messages were displayed on giant digital billboards in major commercial districts, a custom drone show was staged, and dozens of fan meetups packed public shopping malls.

    But that level of lavish fan activity has now drawn official pushback. On Sunday, state media outlets reported that a senior unnamed manager from China’s General Administration of Sport issued a recent public appeal urging supporters to maintain a rational perspective on their favorite athletes, and to stop organizing or taking part in large-scale organized birthday events.

    “Such activities not only consume large amounts of social and public resources, they also easily interfere with the focused preparations athletes are making for upcoming competitions,” the official stated, according to China’s state-owned national broadcaster CCTV. The official also noted that in many cases, event organizers use athletes’ personal images and likenesses without formal permission, which can violate the athletes’ own publicity and intellectual property rights. Instead of putting together costly offline celebrations, fans should focus on supporting athletes through their performance in official competitions, the official added.

    The guidance is the latest step in a broader crackdown on toxic fandom in China’s sports space. In recent years, growing adoration for high-profile sports stars has led to increasing levels of obsessive fan behavior, including unwanted intrusion into athletes’ private personal lives and recurring cycles of cyberbullying directed at rival fans or even the athletes themselves. State media has repeatedly called out this harmful pattern of behavior, and regulatory authorities have made repeated public vows to rein it in across the entertainment and sports industries.

  • Starmer pledges to bring Britain closer to the EU as he fights calls for his ouster

    Starmer pledges to bring Britain closer to the EU as he fights calls for his ouster

    LONDON – Barely two years after sweeping into office in a landslide victory, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is battling to save his leadership after catastrophic results across last week’s local elections in England and devolved legislative votes in Scotland and Wales. The poor showing, widely framed as an unofficial public referendum on Starmer’s premiership, has triggered growing calls within his own Labour Party for him to step down, prompting the prime minister to push back publicly on Monday with a defiant speech aimed at winning over sceptics both inside his party and across the British electorate.

    In his address to party members and activists in London, Starmer struck a resolute tone, vowing to prove all doubters wrong, tackle the UK’s most pressing challenges head-on, and rebuild a sense of national hope. A core pillar of his plan to reset his government, he announced, is forging closer alignment with the European Union, a decade after the UK voted to leave the bloc, and repositioning Britain as a central player in European affairs. “I know I have my doubters and I know I need to prove them wrong, and I will,” Starmer said. He added that he would demonstrate to millions of Britons frustrated by a failing status quo that his government prioritizes their interests, warning that a victory for Nigel Farage’s hardline anti-immigration Reform UK would send the country down a “dark path” and frame the current moment as “a battle for the soul of our nation.”

    Despite Starmer’s defiance, his position remains deeply fragile. Dozens of Labour MPs have now publicly called on him to outline a clear timeline for his departure, and even senior party figures have openly criticized his leadership. Among the most prominent critics is former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, a powerful Labour figure long viewed as a potential leadership challenger. While Rayner stopped short of explicitly demanding Starmer’s resignation, she issued a blunt rebuke on Sunday, stating that “what we are doing isn’t working, and it needs to change.” She accused Starmer of overseeing a “toxic culture of cronyism” and urged the government to return to core Labour and social democratic values to ease the crippling cost of living crisis facing working British households, adding that “this may be our last chance” to course-correct.

    The scale of Labour’s electoral defeat has plunged the party into widespread internal gloom. Since taking office less than two years ago, Starmer’s popularity has plummeted amid a string of unmet promises and high-profile missteps. His government has failed to deliver on pledges of robust economic growth, repair overstretched and underfunded public services, or bring meaningful relief to households struggling with persistent cost of living pressures. It has also been hobbled by repeated policy missteps and last-minute U-turns on key issues including welfare reform, and damaged further by Starmer’s deeply controversial decision to appoint scandal-plagued former politician Peter Mandelson, a known associate of disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, as UK ambassador to the United States.

    Last week’s election results laid bare the growing fragmentation of Britain’s traditionally two-party political system, long dominated by Labour and the Conservative Party. Labour was squeezed from both the left and right, shedding significant votes to Farage’s right-wing Reform UK and the left-leaning eco-populist Green Party.

    Starmer is pinning his hopes of regaining political momentum on his Monday speech and a ambitious slate of new legislative plans that King Charles III will outline during the State Opening of Parliament on Wednesday. In his address, Starmer reaffirmed that his government would prioritize strengthening Britain’s energy, economic and defense security while advancing policies to build a fairer society.

    A centerpiece of his new policy agenda is rebuilding ties with the EU, which the UK formally left in 2020, four years after the narrow 2016 Brexit referendum victory for the leave campaign. Starmer’s government has already moved to roll back some of the trade barriers that have imposed heavy burdens on British businesses since Brexit took effect, and the prime minister announced plans to secure a new youth mobility agreement that will allow young British people to work across European countries for multi-year stints. Starmer emphasized that his government will be “defined by rebuilding our relationship with Europe,” though he has repeatedly ruled out pursuing full re-entry to the EU, or rejoining the bloc’s single market or customs union – changes that economists argue would deliver major benefits to British businesses.

    While no high-profile potential challengers – including Rayner, Health Secretary Wes Streeting and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham – have yet publicly called for Starmer’s resignation, grassroots pressure for a leadership contest continues to build. Unlike many other parliamentary systems, UK political parties can change their leader mid-term without triggering a full national general election, creating a clear pathway for ousting an incumbent prime minister.

    Josh Simons, a formerly backbench Labour MP who was once a loyal Starmer ally, wrote in The Times of London that the prime minister has “lost the country” and “should take control of the situation by overseeing an orderly transition to a new prime minister.” Former junior minister Catherine West has gone a step further, announcing that she will attempt to trigger a formal leadership contest if Starmer fails to deliver a convincing reset speech. West acknowledged she currently lacks the 81 MP signatures required to force a contest, but her move is widely seen as an attempt to pressure higher-profile party figures to publicly challenge Starmer’s leadership. Echoing the growing consensus among critics, West said “Working people sent us a message, we have to listen to that, and we have to change and we have to do it quickly.”

  • French woman evacuated from cruise ship tests positive for hantavirus

    French woman evacuated from cruise ship tests positive for hantavirus

    In recent developments linked to a global cruise evacuation operation, two passengers from the MV Hondius have tested positive for hantavirus, with one of the patients in declining health, French health authorities confirmed this week. French Health Minister Stephanie Rist shared updates with public broadcaster France-Inter on Monday, noting that the first confirmed case is a French national who was repatriated to Paris alongside four other compatriots on Sunday. The patient first began exhibiting noticeable symptoms during the return flight to the French capital, and after being admitted to a local hospital, her condition deteriorated overnight, according to Rist’s statement.

    The MV Hondius anchored off the coast of the Canary Islands earlier this week following reports of potential hantavirus exposure among those on board, prompting an international repatriation effort organized by multiple national governments. On Sunday, the first groups of passengers began departing the vessel for home aboard military and government-chartered aircraft. The disembarkation process, which was still ongoing as of Monday, saw passengers escorted from the ship to the shore of Tenerife by emergency personnel wearing full-body protective suits and filtration respirator masks to reduce the risk of virus transmission.

    Global health authorities have issued guidance for handling the evacuated passengers, with the World Health Organization recommending that all former passengers from the MV Hondius undergo close medical monitoring following their return. In response to this guidance, many countries have implemented mandatory quarantine measures for every passenger repatriated from the vessel. Late on Sunday, United States health officials confirmed a second positive case: an American national who was among 17 passengers being flown to a medical facility in Nebraska for monitoring and treatment. Unlike the French patient, this American case is currently asymptomatic, officials reported.

  • Groundbreaking: ‘Controlled’ quakes triggered under Swiss Alps

    Groundbreaking: ‘Controlled’ quakes triggered under Swiss Alps

    Deep beneath the snow-capped peaks of the Swiss Alps, a team of European scientists has pulled off a world-first seismology experiment: intentionally triggering thousands of small, controlled earthquakes to unlock long-held secrets of tectonic activity that could one day prevent dangerous man-made quakes across the globe.

    The ambitious project, led by Domenico Giardini, a geology professor at Switzerland’s prestigious ETH Zurich, is hosted at the custom-built BedrettoLab, a cutting-edge underground research facility carved into a 5.2-kilometer ventilation tunnel that connects to the iconic Furka railway tunnel. Accessible only via specially modified electric vehicles navigating damp, dark passages beneath 1.5 kilometers of solid mountain rock, the lab offers a one-of-a-kind setting to observe fault activity up close — a stark departure from traditional seismological research, where scientists typically install monitoring sensors along known faults and wait for natural quakes to occur.

    For the second iteration of the experiment, dubbed Fault Activation and Earthquake Rupture (FEAR-2), dozens of researchers from across European institutions spent four days in late April executing a carefully planned procedure: they pumped 750 cubic meters of water into pre-drilled boreholes targeting an existing geological fault, with the goal of prompting a magnitude 1 earthquake. Unlike common misconceptions, the team did not create a new fault; instead, the water injection only lubricated existing fractures to encourage natural movement. For safety, no personnel remained in the tunnel during the active phase of the experiment, with all operations remotely controlled from ETH Zurich’s main laboratory 100 kilometers to the north.

    During the experiment, the research team experienced a brief moment of disruption when a sudden power cut hit the underground tunnel, forcing scientists in Zurich to scramble to resolve the issue. The glitch was resolved quickly, and water pumping resumed within minutes. When the trial concluded, the results exceeded many expectations: the team had successfully induced around 8,000 distinct seismic events along the target fault, as well as unexpected activity along secondary faults running perpendicular to the main fracture. Event magnitudes ranged from -5 to -0.14, falling just short of the team’s 1.0 magnitude target, a outcome Giardini called a resounding success.

    Never before has a controlled seismic experiment been conducted at this scale and depth, Giardini explained. Even the smaller events generated by the trial offered unprecedented data that no previous laboratory study has been able to collect. Even the smallest measured events hold valuable insight: Giardini noted that the largest induced quake, at magnitude -0.14, would generate a 1.5 G acceleration strong enough to lift a person standing near the fault off the ground into the air. Crucially, no seismic activity was detected at the surface, and Giardini emphasized that the trial added only one percent additional seismic risk to the region, making it completely safe for local communities.

    The groundbreaking work carries major implications for global industrial safety. Researchers note that unplanned induced seismicity has caused major damage around the world in recent decades, from large quakes linked to fracking wastewater disposal in Texas to the 5.4 magnitude 2017 Pohang earthquake in South Korea, which was triggered by unregulated water injection at an experimental geothermal power plant that damaged thousands of buildings. Giardini argues that by mastering the mechanics of controlled fault movement, scientists can develop better safety guidelines for all kinds of underground activity, from mining to geothermal energy development. The team plans to build on the current findings and run a second trial in June, adjusting injection parameters to hit their target magnitude 1 goal and collect even more detailed data on fault rupture dynamics. As Giardini puts it, the core goal of the research is not to create earthquakes, but to learn how to avoid dangerous accidental quakes: “If we master how to produce quakes of a certain size, then we know how not to produce them. We need to learn how to do underground activity more safely.”

  • Bangladesh reach 93-2 at lunch on Day 4, lead Pakistan by 115 in first Test

    Bangladesh reach 93-2 at lunch on Day 4, lead Pakistan by 115 in first Test

    On the fourth day of the opening Test cricket fixture between Bangladesh and Pakistan, the hosts entered the lunch interval at 93 runs for the loss of two wickets, extending their overall lead over the visiting side to a solid 115 runs. The steady, determined batting performance from captain Najmul Hossain Shanto and veteran batter Mominul Haque laid the foundation for Bangladesh’s advantageous position after an early collapse put the team on the back foot early in the second innings.

    Bangladesh began the day smoothly, resuming their second innings at 7 runs without any losses. However, Pakistan’s fast bowling attack struck twice in quick succession to flip the early momentum. Pace bowler Mohammad Abbas trapped opener Mahmudul Hasan leg before wicket for a score of 5, breaking the first opening partnership. Shortly after, fellow pacer Hasan Ali claimed the second wicket, dismissing Shadman Islam for 10. Islam was caught off guard by an unexpected extra bounce from the delivery, and Saud Shakeel secured a clean catch at gully to end the batter’s innings. By the 11th over of the second innings, Bangladesh had been reduced to just 23 runs for two wickets, putting the hosts in a precarious position.

    Facing a potential collapse, Shanto and Mominul stepped up to rebuild the innings, repeating the stubborn rearguard performance they had delivered in Bangladesh’s first innings. The pair put together an unbeaten 70-run partnership for the third wicket, frustrating Pakistan’s bowling attack and dragging the hosts back into a commanding position. At the lunch break, Shanto – who had already notched up a century in Bangladesh’s first innings – remained unbeaten on 34 runs, while Mominul was also not out on 37 runs, holding firm against the tourists’ pressure.

    The solid second innings partnership puts Bangladesh on track to set a challenging target for Pakistan to chase in their final innings. Looking back at the match’s earlier proceedings, Bangladesh posted a strong first innings total of 414 after being bowled out, claiming a 27-run first innings lead after dismissing Pakistan for 386. Offspinner Mehidy Hasan was the star of Bangladesh’s first innings bowling performance, taking a five-wicket haul to dismantle the tourists’ batting line-up.