Global Pulse

作者： admin

  • Marathon brothers run Ireland in race to find dementia cure

    Marathon brothers run Ireland in race to find dementia cure

    Just 24 hours after crossing the finish line of the London Marathon carrying a 25-kilogram fridge on his back to draw global attention to a devastating inherited disease, 30-year-old Jordan Adams kicked off an even more ambitious extreme challenge: running one full marathon a day for 32 days across every one of Ireland’s 32 counties, on both sides of the Irish border, to raise money for dementia research. The effort is deeply personal for Jordan and his 25-year-old younger brother Cian, who is supporting the run by cycling most of the route alongside him—both men carry a genetic mutation that gives them a 99.9% chance of developing the same early-onset frontal temporal dementia (FTD) that killed their mother when she was just 52.

    The Adams family’s battle with FTD stretches back more than a decade. In 2010, their mother Geraldine, a native Irish woman with family roots across the country, was diagnosed with the rare familial form of the disease at just 47 years old. Overnight, 15-year-old Jordan, 9-year-old Cian, their older sister, and their father stepped into the role of full-time caregivers, a responsibility they held until Geraldine’s death in 2016. Two years later, devastating genetic testing confirmed what the family had feared: Jordan carried the harmful MAPT gene mutation linked to the condition, and Cian soon received the same positive result. The brothers are expected to develop aggressive, terminal symptoms when they reach their 40s, leaving them in a race against time to accelerate research that could deliver a life-saving cure. To date, 12 members of their Irish extended family have died from the disease, including their grandmother. That history is why the pair chose Ireland for their latest challenge: to honor the relatives they have lost to FTD and raise awareness of the growing dementia crisis across the country.

    Jordan’s viral London Marathon fridge stunt, which he completed hand-in-hand with Cian, was designed to cut through public indifference and shine a spotlight on FTD. Calling the experience surreal, Jordan said that sharing the challenge with his brother—who shares both his diagnosis and his mission—made the achievement feel like a tribute to their late mother. This is not the first extreme endurance campaign the so-called “FTD brothers” have organized: two years ago, they completed a multi-marathon run across the entire United Kingdom, and Jordan previously conquered seven marathons in seven days as part of an earlier fundraising drive.

    As a physiotherapist, Cian has led the brothers’ six-month training plan for the Irish challenge, building strength, conditioning, and endurance to prepare Jordan’s body for 32 straight days of 42-kilometer runs. “We’ve put together a solid plan over the last six months, focusing on strength and conditioning, plyometrics, and targeted running training to get Jordan in the best shape possible,” Cian explained ahead of the run, adding that early on, Jordan’s legs have held up well to the strain. Unlike the London run, Jordan will not carry the 25kg fridge during the Irish challenge, saving his energy for the month-long daily effort. The pair launched the Irish run in County Antrim in Northern Ireland on Monday, and will finish in Dublin on May 28, with crowds of local supporters turning out at every stop to cheer them on.

    The brothers’ ultimate fundraising goal is £1 million to honor their mother and fund research into treatments and a cure for dementia that could ultimately save their lives. After the viral attention from the London Marathon stunt, they are already nearly halfway to their target. Half of all proceeds from the campaign will go to the Alzheimer Society of Ireland (ASI), which supports dementia patients and families across the country.

    Carol Molloy, a leader with the ASI’s local branch, highlighted the urgent need for more funding and awareness: currently, around 64,000 people in Ireland live with dementia, and roughly one in 10 receive a diagnosis of young-onset dementia before the age of 65. By 2050, that total number is projected to jump to nearly 150,000 as populations age. “What Jordan and Cian are doing is amazing, we are so grateful,” Molloy said of the brothers’ work.

    Dozens of local people affected by dementia have joined the brothers for portions of the daily marathon routes, standing in solidarity with their mission. Sean McFadden, a 50-year-old runner from Letterkenny who recently lost his father to dementia, is planning to run the entire route alongside the pair. “It’s a hard disease. For me today to be able to join in with the boys, it’s quite special,” McFadden said ahead of starting his run. “We have to hold our hearts out to the two lads and hope everything goes well.”

  • The AP Interview: Ukraine bets on battlefield AI as the race for weapons autonomy intensifies

    The AP Interview: Ukraine bets on battlefield AI as the race for weapons autonomy intensifies

    As Ukraine defends itself against a larger, better-resourced invading force, the accelerated integration of artificial intelligence into military operations has become an existential priority for the nation, according to a senior Ukrainian defense AI leader. Even as full battlefield-wide AI integration remains a multi-year goal, the technology is already delivering tangible advantages to Kyiv’s frontline forces.

  • Police say they believe abducted child was murdered as body found in Outback

    Police say they believe abducted child was murdered as body found in Outback

    A devastating search operation in Australia’s Northern Territory Outback has taken a grim turn, with law enforcement confirming they have located what they believe to be the remains of a 5-year-old Indigenous girl abducted from her home, as the hunt for her accused killer intensifies across remote desert terrain.

    Identified only as Kumanjayi Little Baby out of respect for cultural traditions, the non-verbal child was last seen late on Saturday night, when she was settled into bed at Old Timers Camp, a government-designated Aboriginal town camp located on the outskirts of Alice Springs, just before midnight. She was reported missing shortly after, triggering a large-scale multi-agency search that drew together local community volunteers and specialized police units.

    Northern Territory Police announced Thursday that search teams had recovered the body of a young child in the area. Formal forensic testing is currently ongoing to formally confirm the child’s identity and establish the exact cause of death, law enforcement officials confirmed.

    The primary suspect in the case is 47-year-old Jefferson Lewis, a man who investigators say is a distant relative of the girl. Lewis was released from prison just six days before Kumanjayi disappeared, and he vanished from the area around the same time the child was reported missing. He has a long documented criminal history, with repeated prior convictions for domestic and family violence-related offenses that saw him cycle in and out of correctional facilities for years. Eyewitnesses reported seeing Lewis holding hands with the young girl late on the night she vanished.

    Detective Superintendent Peter Malley, the lead investigator on the case, told reporters Wednesday: “We believed he has murdered this child.” He added that forensic investigators have already connected Lewis to the scene: a piece of children’s underwear recovered near the camp tested positive for DNA from both Kumanjayi and the suspect.

    The search effort has stretched across hundreds of square kilometers of harsh, remote bush and desert surrounding the camp. Dozens of local community members have joined the operation, alongside specialized police resources including a canine search unit, drone surveillance teams, and a police helicopter to cover the vast, sparsely populated terrain.

    Investigators noted that Lewis has no access to modern communication tools, no active bank account, and no vehicle, leading them to believe he has received assistance from third parties to evade capture. Law enforcement has issued a public appeal for any member of the community with information about Lewis’s possible location to contact authorities immediately.

    In a statement to the press, Northern Territory Police Commissioner Martin Dole confirmed that Kumanjayi’s family has been notified of the discovery of the child’s body. “Our thoughts are firmly with them at this devastating time,” Dole said. “This is an incredibly distressing development. This is the worst possible outcome.”

    Closing out the press briefing, Malley issued a direct message to the fugitive: “And I say to Jefferson Lewis, we’re coming for you.”

    Ahead of the report, Australian Broadcasting Corporation issued a content warning for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers, noting that the article references the death of an Indigenous person.

  • The Bank of England is expected to keep interest rates on hold as it weighs the impact of Iran war

    The Bank of England is expected to keep interest rates on hold as it weighs the impact of Iran war

    LONDON – As geopolitical turbulence from the Iran war ripples through global energy markets, the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee is widely projected to hold its benchmark interest rate steady at 3.75% when it announces its latest policy decision on Thursday. Policymakers are treading carefully amid ongoing uncertainty over the conflict’s long-term economic fallout, particularly after Tehran effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz – a critical global oil chokepoint through which roughly 20% of the world’s crude oil supplies flow during periods of peace.

    Before the outbreak of hostilities between the U.S.-Israel coalition and Iran on Feb. 28, financial markets had been pricing in a potential interest rate cut, with analysts forecasting that U.K. inflation would ease back to the central bank’s 2% target by spring. That outlook has been completely upended by the conflict, which has sent global energy prices surging and forced policymakers across major economies to rewrite their economic projections.

    While the majority of the nine-member policy panel is expected to back a rate hold, insiders and economists suggest one or two members could push for a 25-basis-point hike as a preemptive strike against mounting inflationary pressure. Economists also note the committee is likely to signal that future rate increases remain on the table if the Middle East conflict – currently held in check by a fragile ceasefire – fuels further upward pressure on U.K. consumer prices.

    Sandra Horsfield, a senior economist at global investment firm Investec, emphasized that the economic fallout from the conflict remains acute, with no clear path forward for geopolitical stability in the region. “The repercussions of the conflict are still keenly felt and uncertainty about how the situation could evolve also remains high,” Horsfield noted.

    Beyond the immediate rate decision, all eyes will be on the central bank’s quarterly economic forecast, released alongside the policy announcement, and the subsequent press conference led by Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey. These projections will be the first published since the war began, and economists broadly expect the bank to upgrade its inflation forecasts while downgrading estimates for GDP growth.

    New official data released last week already underscored the inflation threat the conflict has brought to the U.K. Annual consumer price inflation rose to a three-month high of 3.3% in March, up from 3% in February, driven largely by a sharp spike in gasoline and diesel prices stemming from global energy supply disruptions. Economists warn inflation could climb even higher in coming months, potentially hitting 4% as elevated energy costs flow through to household utility bills and broader consumer prices.

    Unlike the energy price shock that followed Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine – which pushed U.K. inflation to a four-decade peak above 11% – most analysts do not expect a return to those extreme levels this time around. Oil and gas prices have not seen the same dramatic spike, and interest rates are already far higher than they were two years ago, which acts as a brake on broad price growth.

    Even so, Bank of England policymakers are closely monitoring for secondary inflationary effects, such as wage increases as workers adjust to higher prices, which could lock in elevated inflation long after the immediate energy shock fades. They are also waiting to see what measures Britain’s Labour government will roll out to buffer households and businesses from rising costs.

    Treasury Chief Rachel Reeves has already acknowledged that the conflict has derailed the government’s progress on easing the cost of living for U.K. households. “This is not our war, but it is pushing up bills for families and businesses,” Reeves said, confirming that the Middle East crisis has thrown U.K. economic policymaking off its pre-war trajectory.

  • ‘Next Iran’?: Turkey accelerates 60,000 tonnes aircraft carrier amid Israel tensions

    ‘Next Iran’?: Turkey accelerates 60,000 tonnes aircraft carrier amid Israel tensions

    While global headlines have focused heavily on U.S. military activity in the Strait of Hormuz, a quieter but strategically significant development is unfolding at Turkish shipyards: the accelerated construction of MUGEM, Turkey’s first fully domestically built aircraft carrier. The project, which only formally launched in August 2025 with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in attendance, is already outpacing initial timelines, surprising regional and international defense observers.

    Last week, Turkish Naval Forces Commander Admiral Ercüment Tatlıoğlu confirmed that the vessel’s hull will be completed nearly a year ahead of the original schedule, with the entire carrier projected to be finished by the end of 2026 and fully operational by 2030. When complete, MUGEM will be the largest warship ever constructed in Turkey, boasting a 60,000-ton displacement and a total length of 285 meters. These specifications put it ahead of France’s Charles de Gaulle, the Mediterranean’s current largest flagship, which measures 261 meters and displaces 42,500 tons. Designed with a short take-off system, the carrier will be capable of hosting up to 60 aircraft, a mix of domestically produced platforms following Turkey’s 2019 expulsion from the U.S.-led F-35 stealth fighter program.

    The push to speed up MUGEM’s construction comes against a backdrop of rising geopolitical friction in the Eastern Mediterranean, with Ankara facing increasing alignment among regional rivals Israel, Greece, and Greek-administered Cyprus. Tensions between Turkey and Israel have escalated sharply in recent months, with senior Israeli political figures, including popular opposition leader Naftali Bennett – a likely candidate for future prime minister – publicly framing Turkey as “the next Iran” in recent international appearances. Following two rounds of direct conflict between Israel, Iran, and the U.S., Ankara has already accelerated a slate of domestic defense projects, including air defense systems, unmanned military platforms, and the domestic KAAN fifth-generation fighter jet program.

    Defense analysts widely frame the carrier’s accelerated development as a direct response to shifting regional security dynamics. “The warming relations between Greek Cyprus and Israel have turned their alignment into an increasingly effective and aggressive posture,” explained Meysune Yasar, an academic specializing in Turkish naval power, in an interview with Middle East Eye. “Turkey is becoming increasingly isolated in the Eastern Mediterranean, making this aircraft carrier both an additional military capability and a core strategic necessity.” Unlike previous Turkish naval projects focused on coastal defense, Yasar notes that Ankara views MUGEM as a strategic deterrent against potential hostile state actors in the region, even as the vessel is designed for open-sea operations.

    Plans for a Turkish domestic aircraft carrier are not a new development, with early conceptual work stretching back to the 1990s. Former Turkish navy admiral Yankı Bağcıoğlu told MEE that the Turkish navy first developed a blue-water deployment concept in 1993, which included plans for light aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships, and transatlantic power projection capabilities. The project only moved from concept to formal development around 2017, following a comprehensive strategic study on the future of Turkey’s naval forces, when the need for a full-sized carrier moved to the top of Ankara’s defense priorities.

    The expulsion from the F-35 program forced Turkey to restructure its air wing plans for MUGEM, turning entirely to domestic alternatives. Today, the Turkish military plans to deploy a mixed air group consisting of the domestically built stealth-capable Kızılelma unmanned fighter, the Hürjet light combat aircraft, a future naval variant of the KAAN fifth-generation fighter, and the Bayraktar TB3 drone – which already has proven AI-assisted short take-off capability operational on Turkey’s existing drone carrier TCG Anadolu.

    The rapid progress on MUGEM also carries broader implications for Turkey’s role within NATO and European security architecture, according to former Turkish ambassador Alper Coşkun, now a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington. As the U.S. pressures NATO allies to increase defense spending and signals a potential reduction of its security commitment to Europe, Coşkun argues that the carrier will strengthen Turkey’s geopolitical standing and bargaining power within the alliance. “But these capabilities come at a cost,” he noted. “It could also fuel existing regional tensions and trigger new threat perceptions among neighboring states.” Following the 2020 Eastern Mediterranean tensions between Turkey and Greece, France signed a mutual defense pact with Athens, a shift Coşkun says Ankara must manage to avoid unintended escalation with regional and European powers.

    While Israel’s current naval capabilities are largely limited to enforcing the blockade on Gaza and conducting small-scale special operations, defense experts have also raised questions about the survivability of large surface vessels like MUGEM amid modern asymmetric warfare. The 2022 war in Ukraine and recent conflicts involving Iran have exposed critical vulnerabilities of large aircraft carriers to small attack drones and ballistic missiles, most notably demonstrated when an F/A-18E Super Hornet was swept overboard from the USS Harry S. Truman after the carrier executed a high-speed evasive maneuver to avoid Houthi missile fire in the Red Sea last April. American carriers have largely stayed outside the range of Iranian missiles during recent conflicts, a precaution that underscores the risks facing large capital ships in contested waters. To counter these threats, Turkey has designed MUGEM with a layered defense suite including a vertical launching system, close-in weapons systems, and remote weapons systems tailored to asymmetric threats.

    Construction progress has been driven by Turkey’s ability to leverage multiple domestic shipyards to simultaneously manufacture large modular mega-blocks of the vessel, cutting months off the original timeline. In March, Istanbul Shipyard Commander Rear Admiral Recep Erdinç Yetkin told Turkish state television that the prefabricated flight ramp for the carrier has already been completed, and will undergo testing at a domestic airport later this year.

    Beyond the Eastern Mediterranean, Ankara also views MUGEM as a tool to protect Turkey’s expanding overseas interests. Turkey has built a growing military and economic footprint across North Africa – most notably in Libya – and has expanded investments in the Horn of Africa, including energy drilling off Somalia’s coast and plans for a new space launch facility in the country. A fully operational aircraft carrier would provide a flexible power projection capability to safeguard these expanding overseas commercial and strategic interests.

    Despite the broad strategic consensus behind the project, not all Turkish defense experts support prioritizing MUGEM at this stage, even those who support the long-term goal of a domestic carrier. Bağcıoğlu, now deputy chair of Turkey’s main opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP), argues that the timing is ill-advised given Turkey’s current constrained economic resources. He notes that Turkey already operates an airbase in Northern Cyprus that functions as an “unsinkable aircraft carrier” in the heart of the Eastern Mediterranean, and that pressing defense needs should take priority.

    “We should prioritize urgent needs such as the KAAN fighter jet project, since we currently lack sufficient advanced combat jets, as well as expanding air defense systems to protect critical infrastructure and building modern destroyers,” Bağcıoğlu explained. He added that MUGEM will require a full carrier strike group to operate effectively – including accompanying submarines, early warning aircraft, logistics ships, and escort helicopters – capabilities that Turkey does not currently possess. Instead, Bağcıoğlu argues Ankara should first complete construction of eight planned Istanbul-class frigates (only one of which is currently in service) and eight planned Tepe-class anti-air warfare destroyers (only one of which is under construction), while modernizing Turkey’s existing four Barbaros-class frigates. “Once those priorities are addressed, we wouldn’t even need an aircraft carrier,” he said.

    Yasar pushes back on this criticism, arguing that Turkey can phase in funding for all required defense capabilities over time, and that MUGEM will deliver long-term strategic benefits. “I absolutely believe an aircraft carrier will create significant strategic impact in our neighborhood, and it will act as a critical force multiplier for Turkey’s overseas interests in the long run,” she said.

  • Inquiry into antisemitic attack that left 15 dead in Sydney recommends gun reform

    Inquiry into antisemitic attack that left 15 dead in Sydney recommends gun reform

    Canberra, Australia – Six months after a terror attack at a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi Beach left 15 people dead, a landmark government inquiry into surging antisemitism across Australia has tabled its first interim report, calling for immediate national action on tighter firearms regulation to prevent similar atrocities.

    The deadly December 14, 2025, attack was carried out by father and son pair Sajid and Naveed Akram, who used firearms legally registered to Sajid, an Indian-born Australian permanent resident. Authorities have confirmed the assault was inspired by the Islamic State group. Sajid was killed by responding police at the scene, while his son survived his injuries and faces charges including 15 counts of murder, 40 counts of attempted murder, and terrorism-related offenses. Naveed has not entered any pleas to the accusations.

    In response to the attack, the federal government convened the Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion to investigate the rising trend of anti-Jewish hate crimes and develop policy responses. On Thursday, Royal Commissioner Virginia Bell released 14 formal recommendations in the commission’s first interim update, with five of those proposals remaining classified and undisclosed to the public for national security reasons.

    The report explicitly highlights a dramatic spike in antisemitic incidents across Australia dating back to the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, 2023. It further warns that the U.S.-Israeli military strikes on Iran in February 2025 amplified existing security risks for Australian Jewish communities, raising the likelihood of targeted attacks against Jewish people and sites.

    Central to the commission’s unclassified recommendations is a push for sweeping nationwide gun reform. Key proposals include implementing nationally uniform firearms regulations, launching a federally coordinated gun buyback program, restricting non-citizen permanent residents from holding gun licenses, capping individual gun ownership at a maximum of four weapons, and introducing periodic mandatory reviews of all active gun licenses. The federal government has proposed splitting the cost of the gun buyback initiative with Australia’s six states and two territories, though some state governments have already rejected contributing to the program’s funding.

    The current proposed restrictions on gun ownership for non-citizens would have blocked Sajid Akram from legally purchasing or holding firearms prior to the attack, a fact that has underscored the urgency of the commission’s recommendations for national policymakers.

    Addressing reporters following the report’s release, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced that his federal government had committed to adopting all recommendations that fall under federal jurisdiction, and would work collaboratively with state and territorial leaders to advance the full package of reforms. Albanese tied the proposed changes to the 30th anniversary of the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, a mass shooting that killed 35 people and led to one of the world’s strictest national firearms agreements, which effectively banned rapid-fire rifles across the country.

    “Thirty years after that landmark reform, our nation is measurably safer because of the hard choices we made then,” Albanese said. “This new reform is equally necessary, and I will continue to engage constructively with state and territory leaders to deliver it.”

    Albanese emphasized that while the inquiry confirms risks to Australian Jewish communities have grown, it found no urgent overhauls to existing security frameworks are required to maintain public safety. He noted that rising antisemitism is not unique to Australia, but a global trend that demands coordinated government action. To that end, the federal government has already allocated AU$102 million (equivalent to roughly US$73 million) to upgrade security infrastructure at Jewish community sites, including synagogues, schools and community centers. These funds are administered by the Executive Council of Australian Jewry, the peak representative body for Australian Jewish communities.

    Alex Ryvchin, co-chief executive of the council, described the inquiry’s interim report as a critical milestone in addressing the widespread trauma the Bondi Beach attack left in the Australian Jewish community. “Our community carries deep trauma, and there are still many unanswered questions about what happened,” Ryvchin told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. “This is an important first step toward the day when Jewish Australians can gather for Hanukkah, for any community event, and feel safe, knowing they will not be targeted. That is the goal we are working toward, and it will take time to get there.”

    Full public hearings for the royal commission are scheduled to open next Monday, as the inquiry continues its work examining the root causes of rising antisemitism and developing long-term policy recommendations for social cohesion and community safety.

  • Christchurch mass killer loses bid to overturn conviction

    Christchurch mass killer loses bid to overturn conviction

    Nearly seven years after the deadliest terror attack in New Zealand’s modern history, the country’s Court of Appeal has dealt a final blow to the white supremacist perpetrator’s attempt to overturn his convictions and life-without-parole sentence.

    Brenton Tarrant, a 35-year-old Australian-born extremist, is currently serving the remainder of his life behind bars with no possibility of release for the 2019 Christchurch mosque shootings that left 51 Muslim worshippers dead and another 40 injured. The attack, carried out at two separate mosques — Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre — was partially live-streamed by Tarrant to his followers on fringe online platforms, marking a shocking moment of white supremacist violence that rippled across the globe.

    Tarrant originally pleaded guilty to all counts of murder and attempted murder in 2020, avoiding a prolonged public trial that would have forced survivors and victim families to relive the trauma of the attack. In his appeal, heard over a week-long session in February this year, Tarrant argued that his prison conditions at the time of his guilty plea amounted to “torturous and inhumane” treatment, which left him unable to make rational, legally sound decisions. He further claimed that he entered his guilty plea while in an irrational, compromised mental state, and asked the court to throw out both his convictions and his sentence.

    On Thursday, a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeal released a unanimous ruling rejecting Tarrant’s appeal in its entirety. The court wrote that the core facts of Tarrant’s crimes are “beyond dispute”, and that his legal arguments were “utterly devoid of merit”. Judges found that Tarrant’s claims of compromised mental capacity and coercive prison conditions were inconsistent on their face and unsupported by witness testimony, concluding that he had never been coerced or pressured to enter a guilty plea. “He has not identified any arguable defence, or indeed any defence known to the law. We have also rejected his claim that his guilty pleas were the product of him having an irrational state of mind induced by his prison conditions,” the ruling read.

    For family members of the attack’s victims, Thursday’s ruling brings a long-awaited sense of closure after months of renewed trauma triggered by the appeal process. Aya al-Umari, who lost her older brother Hussein in the shootings, told the BBC she felt “pleased and relieved” by the court’s decision, and welcomed the confirmation that justice had been upheld. “I was confident that there were no solid grounds for the appeal, and the decision today confirms that,” al-Umari said. She added that while she had hoped the original sentencing would bring an end to the legal process and allow her and other families to begin healing, the appeal forced survivors to revisit the darkest moments of their trauma. “Hearing the outcome today really gives that reassurance and comfort around the right processes being followed,” she said.

    Beyond the legal proceedings, the 2019 Christchurch attack sparked sweeping policy change across New Zealand. Within one month of the shootings, the country’s parliament passed legislation by an overwhelming majority to ban military-style semi-automatic weapons and key components used to modify prohibited firearms. The government also launched a large-scale gun buy-back scheme, offering financial compensation to owners who turned in newly outlawed weapons in a bid to reduce the country’s overall firearm stock.

    Records of the case show Tarrant, who was born in New South Wales, Australia, relocated to New Zealand in 2017. Prosecutors have confirmed he began planning his attack on the country’s Muslim community shortly after moving. In the hours before he carried out the shootings, Tarrant posted a 74-page manifesto online that laid out his violent white supremacist and anti-Muslim ideology, and he had long engaged with far-right extremist communities on fringe online platforms.

  • China’s factory activity expands for a second month despite shocks from the Iran war

    China’s factory activity expands for a second month despite shocks from the Iran war

    HONG KONG – For the second consecutive month in April, China’s manufacturing sector held onto expansion, defying widespread expectations that rising energy costs sparked by the Iran conflict would drag down industrial output, official data released Thursday shows.

    The National Bureau of Statistics reported that the official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index (PMI), a closely watched gauge of factory sector activity, edged down marginally to 50.3 in April from March’s 50.4 reading. On the 0–100 PMI scale, any reading above 50 signals that activity is expanding rather than contracting. This minor pullback still outperformed the consensus forecast from economists, painting a more resilient picture of Chinese manufacturing than many analysts predicted.

    Breaking down the sub-index components reveals a mixed performance across key metrics: the new orders sub-index slowed to 50.6, down from 51.6 in March, but the production sub-index inched up slightly to 51.4, signaling ongoing output growth amid steady demand.

    Leah Fahy, senior China economist at Capital Economics, noted in a recent research note that elevated global oil prices driven by Middle East tensions have so far failed to dampen China’s industrial momentum. She attributes the recent acceleration in factory output primarily to surprisingly strong export demand, which has continued to prop up manufacturing activity even as domestic headwinds persist.

    Fahy added that the global surge in oil prices has created an unexpected tailwind for China’s clean energy industry. As countries around the world accelerate their transition away from fossil fuels to offset volatile energy prices, demand for green technology has jumped. This benefits Chinese manufacturers, who hold a dominant global position in the production of solar panels, wind turbines, batteries and other clean energy equipment.

    A separate private-sector PMI, compiled by S&P Global in partnership with Chinese credit analysis firm RatingDog, offered an even more optimistic outlook. The survey, which over-samples smaller, export-focused private firms that are often underrepresented in the official reading, recorded a jump in factory activity to 52.2 in April, up from 50.8 in March.

    Additional factors are pointing to potential further strengthening of Chinese exports in the coming months. Earlier this year, a U.S. Supreme Court ruling struck down key parts of former President Donald Trump’s broad tariffs on Chinese goods, leading to a reduction in U.S. duties on many Chinese imports. Fahy notes that this policy shift could open the door to rising Chinese shipments to the U.S. in the second half of the year.

    Planned diplomatic progress may also support trade stability. A long-scheduled visit to Beijing by Trump to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled for next month, which could extend the one-year trade truce that the two leaders agreed to in late 2024.

    China’s broader economic performance also outperformed expectations in the first quarter of 2025, with gross domestic product expanding at an annual rate of 5%, up from the previous quarter’s growth rate and beating the consensus forecast from private-sector economists. Chinese policymakers have set a full-year growth target of 4.5% to 5% for 2025, the lowest annual target set since 1991, reflecting ongoing structural challenges in the world’s second-largest economy.

    One of the most persistent headwinds remains a years-long downturn in the country’s property sector, which has continued to weigh on domestic investment and consumer confidence. Even with soft domestic demand, however, exports have remained a strong pillar of growth: China recorded a record-breaking $1.2 trillion annual trade surplus in 2024, highlighting the global strength of its manufacturing exports.

  • Once on the back foot, Myanmar’s military now looks set to resume offensive in bloody civil war

    Once on the back foot, Myanmar’s military now looks set to resume offensive in bloody civil war

    Just 14 months ago, Myanmar’s military junta found itself on the brink of strategic collapse in the country’s brutal ongoing civil war. An alliance of veteran ethnic militias had pushed junta forces out of vast territories in northern Myanmar, while pro-democracy guerrilla groups and long-standing opposition factions forced the military into defensive positions across nearly every other region of the country. Today, that dynamic has flipped dramatically, reshaping the trajectory of a conflict that has displaced millions and killed tens of thousands since the 2021 military coup.

    Fueled by a massive expansion of its ranks from tens of thousands of newly conscripted troops, the Tatmadaw – Myanmar’s official military – has clawed back significant swathes of territory it lost in 2023, and is now positioning to launch a broad new national offensive. In contrast, the anti-junta resistance movement has been crippled by key defections, internal factional infighting, and crippling supply shortages that have weakened its operational capacity across multiple front lines.

    “I think we’re nearing a crescendo here where the Tatmadaw is going to reassert itself and the large-scale organized resistance movement is going to peter out,” explained Morgan Michaels, a Singapore-based analyst with the International Institute of Strategic Studies who leads the organization’s Myanmar Conflict Map project. “That doesn’t mean scattered armed resistance will disappear entirely – armed resistance will always continue in Myanmar until there’s a comprehensive, negotiated political solution. But the Tatmadaw has retaken the strategic initiative, and every major development now plays to its advantage.”

    Five years of continuous conflict – a timeline that stretches back to the immediate aftermath of the 2021 coup that ousted the elected civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi – has left both anti-junta fighters and the general public deeply war-weary. The conflict has claimed more than 8,000 civilian lives and forced more than 3 million people to flee their homes, according to UN estimates. “There are many saying that the local population doesn’t care much who will win the war, but just want the fighting to stop,” noted Aung Thu Nyein, a Myanmar-based political analyst who currently works in neighboring Thailand, in an interview with the Associated Press.

    Beyond internal fatigue, the resistance has also been undermined by shifting geopolitical pressure from China, which holds massive economic and strategic stakes in Myanmar. Myanmar is a critical supplier of rare earth elements and other key natural resources to Beijing, which has invested billions of dollars in cross-border infrastructure including oil and gas pipelines, mines, and connectivity projects. China is also one of the Tatmadaw’s two largest arms suppliers, alongside Russia, and maintains significant influence over ethnic paramilitary groups that operate along the Sino-Myanmar border.

    Initially, Beijing supported the major October 2023 anti-junta offensive launched by the Three Brotherhood Alliance, a coalition of three ethnic armed organizations (EAOs), because it was angered that the military government had allowed rampant transnational organized crime to spread in border regions. But that support quickly evaporated: China cut off all arms and ammunition supplies to the alliance and pressured its members to halt offensive operations. Today, two of the alliance’s three core members – the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army – have signed Chinese-brokered ceasefires with the Tatmadaw, leaving only the Arakan Army still active in combat in western Rakhine State.

    The anti-junta resistance is split between two broad blocs: the long-standing ethnic minority EAOs that predate the 2021 coup, and newer pro-democracy People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) that formed after the coup, most of which are affiliated with the National Unity Government (NUG), a shadow administration formed by ousted members of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy. Resistance leaders warn that persistent divides between these groups have left them vulnerable to the Tatmadaw’s renewed momentum.

    “Although there is a shared understanding of the need to overthrow the military dictatorship and move toward a future federal union, there are still gaps and differences in overall grand strategy and tactics,” said the Burma Liberation Democratic Front, a pro-democracy resistance group active in Sagaing and Mandalay regions, in a written statement to AP. “There are still differences in positions, perspectives, and approaches. Many continue to hold onto ethnic, regional, and organizational interests and attachments.” The group added that the Tatmadaw is actively exploiting these rifts, pursuing a classic divide-and-conquer strategy to fuel divisions between the public and revolutionary forces, across ethnic lines, and between separate resistance factions.

    On the political front, the Tatmadaw has recently consolidated its international standing, most notably after holding a contested general election earlier this year. The election was widely dismissed by UN experts and Western governments as neither free nor fair, with all major opposition candidates barred from running, but it allowed junta leader Min Aung Hlaing – the senior general who led the 2021 coup – to be sworn in as president earlier this month, adding a veneer of democratic legitimacy to his authoritarian rule. China, which publicly supported the election, was quick to congratulate Min Aung Hlaing and dispatched its foreign minister for an in-person meeting just days after his inauguration. The election also freed up thousands of troops who had been deployed to provide poll security, allowing the Tatmadaw to reallocate those forces to front-line combat operations, Michaels noted.

    One of Min Aung Hlaing’s first acts as president was to announce a new offer of peace talks to all armed resistance groups, including both EAOs and PDFs, though the NUG was deliberately excluded from the invitation. The NUG immediately rejected the offer, denouncing it as a tactic to prolong military rule. The junta’s offer, published in the state-run *Global New Light of Myanmar*, set a July 31 deadline for groups to join talks, and included a caveat that resistance groups may not bring “unrealistic demands” to the negotiating table. No details were provided on consequences for groups that refuse the invitation, and the junta did not respond to requests for comment from AP.

    Even as it extends the offer of talks, the Tatmadaw has continued to press offensive operations across multiple fronts. It is currently conducting a large-scale assault in Sagaing Region aimed at retaking the northern city of Indaw, which fell to PDF forces backed by the Kachin Independence Army last year. At the same time, the military remains on the defensive in eastern Myanmar, where the Karen National Liberation Army is advancing on a key junta stronghold near the Thai border.

    Analysts say Min Aung Hlaing’s peace offer is likely an attempt to revive the decade-old Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement, which brought relative calm to parts of Myanmar by signing on roughly half of the country’s EAOs. For now, however, incremental, localized ceasefires appear to be the junta’s immediate goal. “In the short term if you can agree to ceasefires with some groups, then you can redirect your resources toward other groups that are either unwilling to agree to a ceasefire or that the Tatmadaw is unwilling to agree to a ceasefire with,” Michaels explained. “The Tatmadaw can always accept some degree of opposition and, in fact needs some level of active armed resistance to justify its rule and justify its behavior. But the current level of widespread armed resistance across the country is not tenable for the junta.”

  • US ‘studying’ whether to reduce troops in Germany, Trump says

    US ‘studying’ whether to reduce troops in Germany, Trump says

    A brewing diplomatic spat between US President Donald Trump and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz has taken a sharp new turn, with Trump announcing he is actively evaluating a major drawdown of the thousands of American military personnel permanently stationed across Germany. The development comes just days after Merz publicly lambasted Trump’s handling of ongoing tensions surrounding the Iran war, claiming the United States had suffered a public humiliation at the hands of Iranian negotiators.

    In a public post shared to his Truth Social platform, Trump confirmed that his administration is “studying and reviewing the possible reduction of Troops in Germany, with a determination to be made over the next short period of time.” As of last December, the US maintains a substantial military footprint in Germany, with more than 36,000 active-duty service members deployed to bases distributed across the European nation. The BBC has formally contacted the White House to request additional comment on the potential drawdown, and no further details have been released as of press time.

    Merz first made his critical remarks during an address to university students in the German city of Marsberg this Monday. During the talk, he argued that “the Americans clearly have no strategy” for managing negotiations with Iran. He went on to frame recent diplomatic talks as a demonstration of Iranian negotiating skill, noting “the Iranians are obviously very skilled at negotiating, or rather, very skillful at not negotiating, letting the Americans travel to Islamabad and then leave again without any result.” Merz finished his criticism by claiming the entire United States had been “humiliated” by the Iranian leadership.

    The day following Merz’s remarks, Trump took to Truth Social to push back hard against the German chancellor. In his post, Trump claimed Merz believed it was acceptable for Iran to develop a nuclear weapon and argued the chancellor “doesn’t know what he’s talking about.” He went on to lash out at Germany’s broader standing, writing “No wonder Germany is doing so poorly, both Economically, and otherwise!”

    When asked to respond to Trump’s social media attack during a Wednesday press conference, Merz sought to downplay tensions, telling reporters that “the personal relationship between the American president and myself remains just as good as before.” As of Thursday, the German chancellor has not issued any public comment on Trump’s new announcement that he is considering troop reductions.

    This latest exchange comes amid a months-long pattern of aggressive rhetoric from Trump toward US alliances, particularly the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Over the past two months, the US president has repeatedly threatened to withdraw the United States from the 32-member transatlantic alliance, dismissing NATO as a “paper tiger” and claiming the partnership is a “one-way street” that benefits European nations at American expense.

    Earlier in April, a leaked internal Pentagon email laid out potential punitive measures the US could take against allies that refused to back its military and diplomatic campaign in Iran. One of the most controversial proposals outlined in the document suggested the US could push to suspend Spain from NATO over its public opposition to the Iran campaign. In response to the leak, a NATO spokesperson told the BBC that the alliance’s founding charter “does not foresee any provision for suspension of Nato membership, or expulsion”, making any such suspension legally impossible under the bloc’s current rules.