Global Pulse

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  • The detained anti-colonial activist grabbing attention in West Africa: Who is Kemi Seba?

    The detained anti-colonial activist grabbing attention in West Africa: Who is Kemi Seba?

    Controversial radical Pan-African anti-colonial activist Kemi Seba, 45, is currently behind bars in South Africa following his arrest last week during a sting operation in Pretoria, where authorities allege he was attempting to escape to Europe via Zimbabwe alongside his 18-year-old son and a South African Afrikaner nationalist leader. The detention caps decades of high-profile run-ins with law enforcement across multiple African and European nations, tied to Seba’s unflinching opposition to French post-colonial influence in West Africa and his open alignment with anti-French military juntas in the Sahel region.

    Born Stellio Gilles Robert Capo Chichi in Strasbourg, France, to Beninese parents in 1981, Seba’s ideological trajectory began taking shape during his teenage years, when a trip to the United States exposed him to the black nationalist teachings of the Nation of Islam, the organization once led by prominent civil rights figure Malcolm X. Returning to France at 18, he stepped into a role as a national ambassador for the group, before a subsequent trip to Egypt led him to adopt Kemetism, a belief system rooted in ancient Egyptian theology.

    In 2004, Seba founded Tribu Ka, a radical black segregationist movement that became a vehicle for spreading antisemitic rhetoric. The French government banned and dissolved the organization just two years later, handing Seba a one-month prison sentence for his role in leading the group. Undeterred, he relaunched the movement under the new name Generation Kemi Seba, and in 2008 he was handed a six-month prison sentence, four months of which were suspended, for reestablishing the banned group. Mounting legal and public pressure eventually pushed him to leave France for Senegal following his release.

    Over the next 15 years, Seba built a large and loyal following across West Africa, particularly among young social media users, by centering his activism on ending what he frames as neocolonial French control of the region. A core pillar of his campaign has been the demand to abolish the CFA franc, the currency created by France in the 1940s for its African empire that remains pegged to the euro and backed by the French treasury, used today by 14 West African nations including Benin, Senegal, and Ivory Coast. In 2015, he launched Pan-Africanist Emergency, the NGO he still leads, which frames its mission as advancing black rights, African sovereignty, and social justice while combatting neocolonialism.

    The high point of his anti-CFA activism came in 2017, when he burned a 5,000 CFA franc note at a protest in Dakar to denounce *Francafrique*, the term for France’s enduring post-colonial political and economic influence over its former African holdings. He was arrested immediately after the protest but acquitted days later on a technicality, with thousands of his supporters taking to the streets of Dakar to celebrate his release. A month later, Senegalese authorities, citing threats to public order, deported him back to France.

    Deportations and arrests would become a recurring pattern across the region for Seba, who has been expelled from Togo, Guinea, and Ivory Coast over the past decade for his anti-French organizing and criticism of pro-French regional leaders. He has also been repeatedly detained in Benin, where he has been a vocal opponent of outgoing President Patrice Talon. In 2024, France stripped Seba of his citizenship in response to his activities; he publicly burned his French passport in protest, and just one month later, the military junta that seized power in Niger granted him a diplomatic passport and named him a special advisor to junta leader Brig Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani.

    In the years since a wave of military coups swept the Sahel, bringing anti-French military regimes to power in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso that have cut military ties with Paris and aligned closely with Moscow, Seba has become one of the most visible and polarizing figures in pan-African politics. Chatham House Africa Programme researcher Paul Melly notes that Seba has shifted from early activism marked by widespread accusations of antisemitism to a near-exclusive focus on his anti-French, anti-colonial platform that resonates deeply with growing anti-French sentiment among young West Africans. Critics, including senior French officials, have repeatedly accused Seba of acting as a mouthpiece for Russian propaganda and maintaining ties to the Russian paramilitary group Wagner, claims that Seba has never publicly confirmed. In 2025, French authorities detained him on suspicion of links to Wagner before releasing him without charge.

    Today, Seba faces his most serious legal jeopardy yet. He was arrested in South Africa last week on charges of violating immigration rules, having overstayed his visa by roughly two months after living in the country for five months. South African police confirm Seba is a wanted fugitive in both France and Benin, with extradition proceedings already underway. Benin’s special prosecutor Elonmario Metonou confirmed the country is preparing an official extradition request, after issuing two international arrest warrants for Seba in December 2025. The warrants stem from Seba’s alleged support for a foiled coup attempt against Talon’s government that same month; hours after the coup attempt, Seba published an online video calling the event a “day of liberation” for Benin. Benin has also added an additional charge of money laundering against the activist.

    Two other people were arrested alongside Seba during the Pretoria sting: his son, Khonsou Seba Capo Chichi, and Francois van der Merwe, leader of the Afrikaner nationalist group Bittereinders, who authorities accuse of helping the pair organize their escape to Europe.

    Seba has not yet issued any public comment on the charges against him, but leaders of his organization have pushed back aggressively against Benin’s allegations. Pan-Africanist Emergency international coordinator Hery Djehuty, the group’s second-in-command, told reporters that Benin’s claims will not “stand up to scrutiny,” describing the late addition of money laundering charges as a deliberate fabrication designed to strengthen the extradition request. Djehuty also denied widespread reports that Seba had applied for political asylum in South Africa.

    In an official statement, Pan-Africanist Emergency called on its supporters to remain calm amid what it frames as a coordinated disinformation campaign against Seba led by pro-*Francafrique* media outlets. “Far from weakening him, these manoeuvres only strengthen the legitimacy and scope of his commitment to social justice, sovereignty, and African dignity,” the statement read. “History teaches an immutable truth: you cannot silence a people by breaking its bravest voices. There is an eternal Benin, just as there remains an African DNA of insubordination.”

    Seba’s bail hearing is scheduled to take place on 29 April, with the timeline for any potential extradition still unclear as South African authorities have not yet confirmed which country will receive priority for the request.

  • ‘We don’t come to play’: Is Gawdland’s RuPaul win Asia’s big drag moment?

    ‘We don’t come to play’: Is Gawdland’s RuPaul win Asia’s big drag moment?

    In a landmark moment for global drag culture, 24-year-old Thai performer Gawdland — born Tharathep Thaweephon — has etched her name into the history books as the first Southeast Asian to take home the crown in *RuPaul’s Drag Race UK vs the World*, breaking a long-running glass ceiling for regional performers on the world stage.

    The victory, which caps off a hard-fought competition against fan-favorite queens from seven different countries including the U.S., UK, Canada, Mexico, Germany, Sweden, and the Philippines, fulfills a lifelong dream the drag artist nurtured growing up in the quiet northern Thai town of Lamphun. Long before her rise to international fame, Gawdland carried her regional identity as a core part of her art, a choice that ultimately became her greatest competitive advantage.

    Gawdland, who entered the competition determined to avoid the early elimination fate that felled prominent Southeast Asian predecessors like Thailand’s Pangina Heals in 2022 and the Philippines’ Marina Summers in 2024, leaned fully into distinctly Thai aesthetics for every runway look. Her iconic designs drew inspiration from Lamphun’s ancient temples, and she brought iconic Thai cultural figures to life on stage: she sashayed as a Muay Thai warrior, embodied the vivid energy of a Siamese fighting fish, and reimagined the mythic half-bird, half-woman Kinnaree from Thai folklore. A consistent undercurrent of warrior strength ran through every one of her creations. Initially unsure how much of her Thai identity to center in the global competition, Gawdland credited her stylist and friend Art Arya for pushing her to embrace her roots unapologetically. “She told me that this Thai-ness is exactly what would make me stand out. Our culture, this difference that sets us apart from everyone else,” Gawdland shared. “Once you’re standing on that main stage next to the others, you will be outstanding.”

    That unapologetic authenticity culminated in a viral standout performance of her original track *Firecracker*, during which she interacted with flames bursting from a fireworks prop in a bold, memorable routine. The performance resonated so deeply across Southeast Asia that a group of young Filipino jasmine garland sellers in Manila spontaneously broke into a dance to the track after recognizing Gawdland in public. The 24-year-old queen posted a joyful clip of the encounter, cheering the boys on using the Filipino queer slang term “nakshie” (meaning daughter), a moment that captured the outpouring of regional support that followed her historic win.

    Speaking to BBC Thai after her victory, Gawdland framed the win as far more than a personal achievement. “For me to win this crown, to have this victory, it means the world. It means representation, it means taking up space. It means that we can dream big. We can dream an impossible dream,” she said. “I am the proof of Asian drag excellence. When we do drag in Asia, in South East Asia, we’re not here to play. We’re here to win.” Her greatest hope, she added, is that her victory will inspire marginalized young queer people across the region — like the three young flower sellers in Manila — to pursue their own dreams, no matter how out of reach they may seem.

    While Gawdland’s victory marks a historic milestone for Southeast Asian drag, the community still faces significant structural and social challenges across the region. Home to nearly 700 million people, much of Southeast Asia remains socially conservative, with widespread legal and cultural discrimination against LGBTQ+ communities. Homosexuality is criminalized in Malaysia, and in Indonesia’s Aceh province, same-sex relations are punishable by public caning under Sharia law. Even in the comparatively progressive Philippines, same-sex couples lack formal legal recognition and protections. To date, Thailand is the only nation in the region that recognizes same-sex unions.

    Drag performers across the region also face growing scrutiny as their profile rises. Gawdland herself faced online backlash for wearing an outfit featuring the colors of the Thai flag, while two years prior, Filipina drag artist Pura Luka Vega was arrested after a performance in which she wore a costume portraying Jesus Christ. Though charges were ultimately dropped, the incident sparked widespread conservative outrage in the predominantly Catholic nation. For Gawdland, this scrutiny underscores a core truth of the art form: “Drag is political. It has always been. It’s been that way for a long time. The origins of drag are protest, a refusal to submit to tradition. Society wants us to be men, but no, I’ll be a woman,” she said. “That question — ‘What is she doing? Why is she doing this?’ — that is the very core of drag. It leaves behind a conversation, dialogue, debate.”

    Beyond social and political barriers, the Southeast Asian drag industry also faces systemic underfunding. Gawdland had to raise 1 million Thai baht (approximately $31,000) to cover the costs of competing on *UK vs the World*, pulling together savings from her own performances, support from producers, and contributions from senior drag queens in Thailand. Sakol Sopitachasak, an assistant professor at Bangkok’s Thammasat University who has published research on Thai drag, explained that while the Thai government supports traditional arts, drag rarely qualifies for public funding. “It’s a profession that requires you to put everything into one person. You have to do your makeup, your costumes, be creative, and you have to be able to act, be a good speaker, be funny, be sarcastic… You need so much,” Sakol noted.

    Gawdland’s £50,000 prize for winning the competition, paired with her new title of “Queen of the Mothertucking World,” offers a lifeline not just for her, but for the broader Thai drag ecosystem. She emphasized that booking a single drag queen supports an entire network of behind-the-scenes workers, from costume designers and hair stylists to choreographers and dancers. “Hiring one drag queen goes on and on. Everyone gets paid because we’re essentially a money distributor,” she explained.

    In the weeks since her victory, Gawdland has returned to Thailand for a triumphant homecoming, headlining this year’s Songkran (Thai New Year) celebrations in Bangkok — an event that has become a major draw for LGBTQ+ tourists from across the region. Carried on a throne through crowds of revelers under a central Bangkok train station, the newly crowned queen reflected on the journey that brought her from a small northern town to the global drag throne. Just months earlier, waiting for her flight to London at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport, she said she had worried about how domestic audiences would receive her. But the outpouring of support from Thai fans after the show premiered has erased any doubt. “It’s beyond the word worth it. Every exhaustion, every effort, every tear and drop of blood, every pain, every heartbreak — it all vanished instantly. It is so, so worth it for everything I have now,” she said.

  • A 17th Century ‘supercomputer’ once owned by Indian royalty heads for auction

    A 17th Century ‘supercomputer’ once owned by Indian royalty heads for auction

    A landmark piece of early modern scientific craftsmanship is set to hit the auction block next week at Sotheby’s London, offering collectors and cultural institutions a once-in-a-generation chance to own a historically significant 17th-century brass astrolabe with deep royal Indian roots.

    Described by auction house specialists as potentially the largest intact astrolabe surviving anywhere in the world, this hand-held astronomical device — often dubbed the “smartphone of the pre-modern era” — has never been displayed publicly before, after spending decades in a private collection.

    The astrolabe traces its origins back to early 17th-century Lahore, which was then the preeminent center of astrolabe manufacturing in the Mughal Empire. It was crafted collaboratively by Qa’im Muhammad and Muhammad Muqim, two master artisans from the legendary Lahore School of instrument making, where the closely guarded craft of precision instrument building was passed down through family lines. Only two joint works by the brother artisans are known to exist today; the second, a far smaller example, is held in a museum collection in Iraq.

    The massive instrument was commissioned by Aqa Afzal, a Mughal nobleman of Iranian descent who held senior administrative posts under emperors Jahangir and Shah Jahan and oversaw governance of Lahore. Its extraordinary scale and ornate craftsmanship were intentionally designed to reflect the high status of its patron. Weighing 8.2 kilograms, measuring 30 centimeters in diameter, and standing 46 centimeters tall, the astrolabe is nearly four times the size of a typical 17th-century Indian astrolabe.

    Beyond its size, the piece carries notable cross-cultural significance. Star markers on the device feature traditional Persian names paired with Sanskrit translations etched in Devanagari script, reflecting the multicultural intellectual landscape of Mughal South Asia. It also bears inscribed coordinates for 94 global cities, 38 individually detailed star pointers connected by intricate floral filigree, five precision-calibrated plates, and degree divisions subdivided to one-third of a degree — a level of technical precision unmatched by many earlier astrolabes from the Middle East, which prioritized function over artistic refinement.

    Historically, astrolabes functioned as versatile multi-purpose astronomical tools. First invented in ancient Greece in the 2nd century BCE, the design spread to the Islamic world by the 8th century, before spreading further across South Asia. These layered metallic devices allowed users to map stellar positions, calculate the direction of Mecca, track the movement of celestial bodies, tell time, measure the height of structures or depth of wells, and even calculate calendar dates for astrology. Dr. Federica Gigante, a researcher at the Oxford Centre for History of Science, Medicine and Technology, compares the astrolabe’s versatility to that of a modern smartphone, noting its ability to serve dozens of practical and intellectual functions.

    Gigante added that the Lahore astrolabe’s accuracy is extraordinary, capable of delivering precise measurements of celestial body altitudes that rival only the finest surviving historical instruments, including one built for Persian ruler Abbas II.

    After its creation, the astrolabe entered the royal collection of Jaipur’s Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II in western India. Following the maharaja’s death, it passed to his wife, Maharani Gayatri Devi — one of the most iconic public figures of 20th-century India — before being transferred to a private collection during her lifetime.

    Sotheby’s specialists say the astrolabe’s pristine condition, unbroken royal provenance, and one-of-a-kind scale and craftsmanship are expected to draw intense bidding interest from both global institutional collections and private collectors. The piece is valued at an estimated £1.5 million to £2.5 million, which would shatter the existing auction record for an astrolabe. The current record, set in 2014, was a much smaller Ottoman astrolabe made for Sultan Bayezid II, which sold for just under £1 million.

    Leading up to the 29 April auction, the astrolabe will be on public display for the first time in Sotheby’s London galleries from 24 to 29 April, giving visitors a rare chance to view a masterpiece of Mughal scientific art that has been hidden from public view for centuries.

  • Trump said RFK Jr could run ‘wild’ with health policy. Instead he’s reined him in

    Trump said RFK Jr could run ‘wild’ with health policy. Instead he’s reined him in

    Twelve months ago, U.S. President Donald Trump made a public promise to then-nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: once tapped to lead the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Kennedy would be given free rein to pursue his controversial policy priorities. What began as a politically strategic alliance forged during the 2024 presidential campaign, however, has increasingly fractured amid conflicting policy priorities, congressional scrutiny, and growing frustration from Kennedy’s core base of supporters.

    The partnership between Trump and Kennedy was built around the “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) movement, a spin on Trump’s iconic “Make America Great Again” campaign slogan. Kennedy, a longstanding critic of mainstream public health policy, drew a diverse cross-section of American voters to the Trump ticket: anti-vaccine activists, health-focused parents, environmental advocates, and nutrition enthusiasts who united around shared concerns about vaccine safety, environmental chemical exposure, processed food, and rising rates of chronic disease. For a year, however, cracks in the alliance have widened, with the most visible public tension playing out during days of bipartisan grilling on Capitol Hill earlier this month.

    The most heated exchange of the congressional hearings centered on Kennedy’s public support for a Trump executive order expanding domestic production of glyphosate, a widely used herbicide that Kennedy’s base has spent decades fighting over proven links to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and other chronic illnesses. Democratic Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii pressed Kennedy directly, noting that many of his own Hawaii-based supporters who backed the MAHA agenda felt “hurt, shocked, confused” by his endorsement of the order. Kennedy countered that he had made his personal opposition to the order clear to Trump, but that the president framed the policy as a matter of critical national economic security for the U.S. agricultural sector.

    That tense exchange laid bare a growing pattern: a year into his tenure as HHS Secretary, many of Kennedy’s closest allies and core supporters say he has never received the unfettered access to policy change that Trump initially promised. Early, high-profile changes to national vaccine policy have stalled amid legal pushback and direct White House pressure, and even his work on less controversial health priorities has been hampered by friction with the Trump administration.

    “Kennedy only has so much authority at HHS,” explained Jeff Hutt, former national field director for the MAHA Institute, in an interview with the BBC. “At the end of the day, he’s more of a spokesperson than a change agent, so progress is going to come much slower than anyone expected.”

    In response to queries about growing frustration among MAHA voters, an HHS spokesperson emphasized that Kennedy’s team remains fully focused on the priorities that consistently rank highest for American voters: chronic disease prevention, improved childhood nutrition, higher food quality standards, and expanded access to affordable health care.

    Kennedy’s most significant early policy moves focused on overhauling decades of evidence-based U.S. vaccine policy, a core campaign promise to his vaccine-hesitant base. Shortly after taking office, he dismissed the entire membership of the federal vaccine advisory committee, replacing it with a slate of prominent vaccine skeptics. The reconfigured committee quickly voted to withdraw universal hepatitis B vaccine recommendations for newborns, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) subsequently cut nearly half of the recommended childhood immunization schedule.

    When CDC director Susan Monarez refused to automatically approve the committee’s new recommendations, Kennedy removed her from her post, leaving the nation’s leading public health agency without a permanent leader for more than six months. The policy shifts unfolded as the United States grappled with the worst measles outbreak in 70 years, with more than 4,000 confirmed cases recorded across 2025 and early 2026, including two child deaths in Texas.

    For many in the MAHA base, the vaccine changes represented a long-sought victory, framed as a win for individual patient choice and informed consent. “This just gives families more space and time to make their own decisions about what’s right for their kids,” said Jacqueline Capriotti, a former Kennedy campaign social media strategist who administers a large Facebook group for MAHA moms. “Having open conversations about informed consent, about understanding what you put in your body, is a healthy thing for our country.”

    But that early momentum quickly collapsed. In March, a federal judge blocked nearly all of Kennedy’s vaccine policy overhauls, ruling that the new advisory committee members lacked the required scientific credentials for their roles. HHS has publicly stated it plans to appeal the ruling, but no filing has been made to date.

    Shortly after the ruling, Kennedy allies confirmed to the BBC that the Trump administration ordered him to shift his focus away from vaccine policy entirely ahead of November’s midterm elections. Longtime Republican pollster Whit Ayres noted that the White House came to the conclusion that vocal vaccine skepticism was “political poison,” given that a large majority of American voters continue to support evidence-based vaccination programs.

    Republican campaign advisor Abby McCloskey argued that the court ruling actually worked to the White House’s advantage. “It almost takes it off of RFK Jr’s plate and gives him a valid reason to not talk about it ahead of the election,” she explained. The shift in messaging was obvious during Kennedy’s April congressional testimony, where he surprised many observers by stating that every child should be vaccinated against measles.

    With his vaccine agenda stalled, Kennedy has reoriented his work toward the other core issues of the MAHA movement: chronic disease prevention, food system reform, and environmental safety. He has overseen a complete redesign of the iconic U.S. food pyramid, a change that has drawn mixed reviews from public health experts, and launched a campaign to persuade major food corporations to voluntarily phase out synthetic food dyes.

    Even on these issues, however, friction with Trump has persisted. Beyond the glyphosate executive order that enraged MAHA supporters, Trump’s longstanding support for the fast food industry has clashed with Kennedy’s push for stricter nutrition standards. After pressure from the White House, Kennedy ultimately released a public statement supporting the glyphosate order, citing the agricultural sector’s longstanding reliance on the herbicide.

    Hutt, who remains aligned with the MAHA movement, called the endorsement a necessary compromise rather than a choice Kennedy wanted to make. “I wish he had not done it, and I think that’s how most of our supporters felt,” he said. Zen Honeycutt, founder of the MAHA-aligned advocacy group Moms Across America, said many member moms were “outraged” by the decision, arguing that the order was directly written to benefit large chemical corporations. Even so, Honeycutt said she does not doubt Kennedy’s commitment to protecting children’s health, noting that he faces constant pressure from pharmaceutical, chemical, and food industry lobbying groups that limit his ability to act.

    Polling from Politico suggests that the discontent is widespread: 47% of voters who identify as MAHA supporters believe Trump and Kennedy have not delivered on enough of their campaign promises, compared to just 44% who say they have made sufficient progress. An anonymous HHS official countered to the BBC that blocking glyphosate access would have had “severe” negative economic impacts on American agriculture, adding that the department’s new dietary guidelines prioritize whole fruits and vegetables as a step toward reducing long-term reliance on chemically intensive farming practices.

    Despite repeated policy conflicts, Republican strategists say Trump still views Kennedy as a valuable political messenger ahead of the midterms. Politico reports that Kennedy is expected to campaign as a Trump surrogate in key swing states this fall, and he recently launched a new podcast focused on “fearless conversations with critical thinkers, including independent doctors.” He has also announced two new policy initiatives: a major national research project on the health impacts of microplastic exposure, and a renewed administration-wide focus on reducing rates of chronic disease.

    Even with this new rebranding effort, political analysts remain skeptical that the shift will help the Trump administration win over broader support for the MAHA agenda. “Kennedy is so widely associated with anti-vaccine advocacy that it’s going to be difficult for him to redefine himself in any other way,” Ayres said. McCloskey added that the Trump administration is squandering a unique opportunity to connect with the large, diverse MAHA base of parent voters who care far more about nutrition and children’s health than vaccine policy. “What’s really missing is a clear set of next concrete policy steps that people can rally around,” she said.

    For his core supporters, however, even with all the setbacks, Kennedy has already delivered one major win: he has pushed MAHA’s set of health concerns into the national mainstream, and most long-time backers understand the constraints he faces. “People who supported Bobby [Kennedy] understand that his ability to be a change agent is really limited by how much rope the president gives him,” Hutt said. Even so, he added, Kennedy and his team still do not recognize how much political power their movement already has to shift the national conversation around American health.

  • ‘Eat some Gelato’ – Americans on what the Royals should do during US visit

    ‘Eat some Gelato’ – Americans on what the Royals should do during US visit

    As the United Kingdom’s King Charles III and Queen Camilla prepare for a high-profile four-day state visit to the United States, one item has been repeatedly floated by American members of the public as a must-add to their itinerary: stop for a serving of creamy, homemade Italian-American gelato.

    The royal visit, which marks a key moment of diplomatic exchange between the two longstanding allies, is already set to include one of the most anticipated meetings on the schedule: a formal sit-down with U.S. President Donald Trump. Beyond the planned diplomatic engagements that are designed to strengthen bilateral cooperation on shared global priorities, everyday Americans have been sharing their own informal suggestions for how the royal couple can make the most of their time on American soil, with the suggestion to try a local gelato emerging as a fan favorite.

    Diplomatic state visits between the UK and US have long served as cornerstones for nurturing the special relationship between the two nations, and this upcoming trip comes as both countries work to align on a range of policy areas from trade to global security. While official agendas are typically packed with formal receptions, policy discussions, and ceremonial events, public input on what the royals should prioritize adds a lighthearted, accessible layer to the high-stakes diplomatic event, connecting everyday citizens to the visit beyond what is shared in official press releases.

  • BBC visits Chernobyl ghost city 40 years after world’s worst nuclear accident

    BBC visits Chernobyl ghost city 40 years after world’s worst nuclear accident

    It has been 40 years since the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, still regarded as the most catastrophic nuclear accident in human history. To mark this grim anniversary, BBC correspondent Jessica Parker journeyed into the heart of the exclusion zone to document Pripyat, the once-thriving Soviet city that has stood empty for four decades.

    Pripyat was purpose-built in the 1970s to house workers and their families at the nearby Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, a flagship energy project of the Soviet Union. At its peak, the city was home to nearly 50,000 residents, with bustling schools, hospitals, apartment blocks, and cultural centers that made it a model Soviet community. All of that changed on April 26, 1986, when a safety test gone wrong triggered a massive explosion at the plant’s Reactor No. 4, sending a plume of radioactive fallout across much of Europe.

    Within just 36 hours of the blast, Soviet authorities ordered the complete evacuation of Pripyat, forcing residents to leave almost all of their belongings behind under the promise that they would one day be able to return. That promise never came to pass. Today, Pripyat remains a frozen time capsule of Soviet life, reclaimed gradually by overgrown forests and wandering wildlife. Decades of exposure to the elements have left buildings crumbling, ferris wheels stand idle in an abandoned amusement park built for the May Day celebrations that never happened, and children’s toys still lie scattered in empty schoolyards.

    Parker’s on-the-ground reporting offers a new, intimate look at the long-term consequences of the 1986 disaster, four decades after the world watched in horror as the catastrophe unfolded. The visit also comes amid renewed global attention on the Chernobyl site, following the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine that put the facility at risk of damage from military activity. While radiation levels in most areas of the exclusion zone are now safe for short-term visits, the site remains uninhabitable for long-term human settlement, a permanent reminder of the devastating risks of nuclear energy gone wrong.

  • Trump cancels US envoys’ trip to Pakistan for talks on Iran war

    Trump cancels US envoys’ trip to Pakistan for talks on Iran war

    On Saturday, in a sudden reversal of planned diplomatic negotiations, former President Donald Trump called off a scheduled trip by senior U.S. officials to Pakistan aimed at de-escalating ongoing conflict with Iran — a move that came just hours after an Iranian diplomatic delegation wrapped up its visit to the mediation hub of Islamabad.

    Trump justified the last-minute cancellation by arguing that special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son-in-law and senior advisor Jared Kushner would be wasting valuable time on the mission. “If Iran wants to talk, all they have to do is call,” Trump stated publicly.

    Hours before the cancellation, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi concluded talks with Pakistani mediators, confirming that he had laid out Tehran’s formal position on ending the conflict, but noting that Iran had not yet received clear evidence that Washington was genuinely committed to diplomatic resolution. The diplomatic impasse has persisted even after Trump extended a ceasefire that was originally set to expire on April 22, a move designed to create space for negotiations to move forward.

    The current standoff between the U.S. and Iran stems from two core flashpoints: control of the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most critical chokepoint for global oil trade, and long-running international disputes over Iran’s nuclear program. After the U.S. and Israel launched joint strikes against Iranian targets in February, Iran restricted commercial passage through the strait, through which approximately 20% of the world’s total oil supply transits daily. In response, Washington has bolstered its naval presence in the region and implemented strict measures to block Iranian oil exports.

    When the U.S. trip was first announced on Friday, White House officials claimed that Iran was eager to engage in talks — a characterization Tehran immediately rejected, stating it had no plans for a direct meeting with U.S. negotiators. Despite the collapse of plans for a new round of face-to-face talks, Trump confirmed that the existing ceasefire would remain in place on Saturday. When asked by Axios whether the cancellation meant active combat would resume, Trump replied, “No, it doesn’t mean that. We haven’t thought about it yet.”

    In a series of posts on his Truth Social platform Saturday, Trump doubled down on his criticism of the Iranian leadership, claiming there was “tremendous infighting and confusion” within Tehran’s ruling circles and that “nobody knows who is in charge, including them.” He added, “Also, we have all the cards, they have none! If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!”

    Prior to the cancellation, the White House had noted that U.S. Vice President JD Vance, who led the American delegation during the first round of talks in Islamabad earlier this month, was on standby to join the negotiations if a breakthrough appeared likely. His exclusion from the original planned delegation had already signaled that Washington did not expect major progress from the meeting.

    Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has repeatedly stated that Tehran remains open to good-faith negotiations, but has pointed to U.S. breaches of prior commitments, economic blockades, and military threats as core obstacles to genuine diplomatic progress.

    Pakistan has served as the primary neutral mediator between Washington and Tehran in recent weeks, hosting the first round of U.S.-Iran talks on April 11 that ended without any formal agreement. Araqchi, who is also scheduled to visit Oman and Russia as part of his regional diplomatic tour, described his talks in Islamabad as “fruitful” in a post on X. He reiterated that he had shared Iran’s proposed framework for a permanent end to the conflict, but still awaited proof of U.S. commitment to diplomacy. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif confirmed that the meeting featured a “most warm, cordial exchange of views on the current regional situation,” and Iranian state media reports indicate Araqchi will return to Islamabad after completing his visit to Oman.

    The broader regional conflict remains volatile, with new clashes erupting over the weekend between Israel and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militant group based in Lebanon. On Saturday, at least four civilians were killed in Israeli air strikes on southern Lebanon, according to Lebanon’s state news agency. The Israeli military said the strikes came in response to rocket fire from Hezbollah into northern Israel. Despite a nominal ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah, both sides have continued exchanging fire on a near-daily basis in recent weeks, with each side accusing the other of violating the truce. On Saturday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office confirmed that the Israel Defense Forces had been ordered to “vigorously attack Hezbollah targets in Lebanon.”

    The core dispute over Iran’s nuclear program, which underpins the current U.S.-Iran conflict, remains unresolved: Washington and its allies suspect Iran is actively pursuing a nuclear weapons capability, while Tehran has consistently denied this claim, arguing its program is solely for civilian energy production and medical research, even though it has enriched uranium to near weapons-grade purity.

  • Huangshan’s fish lantern tradition captivates Russian influencer

    Huangshan’s fish lantern tradition captivates Russian influencer

    An 800-year-old traditional Chinese folk art has left a deep and lasting impression on a visiting Russian digital influencer, shining a global spotlight on one of Anhui province’s most cherished intangible cultural treasures. Angelika Romanovskaia, a Russian content creator traveling with a group of international influencers through East China’s Anhui, recently explored Shexian County in Huangshan and encountered the iconic Zhanqi fish lantern tradition that has been passed down through generations of local villagers.

    During her visit to Zhanqi Village, Romanovskaia did not just observe the celebrated craft from a distance — she stepped into the workshop to try her hand at the intricate, age-old lantern-making process, learning the techniques that artisans have refined over hundreds of years. She later joined local performers in the traditional fish lantern dance, a core part of the cultural practice that is held during festivals to bring good fortune and prosperity to the community.

    What struck the Russian influencer most was the unexpected scale of the full-size ceremonial fish lanterns. She described the handcrafted works as surprisingly sturdy in structure while boasting incredible, intricate beauty that cannot be replicated by mass-produced decorations. Reflecting on her experience, Romanovskaia emphasized the urgent need for greater collective efforts to protect and promote this unique cultural heritage, which has survived for more than eight centuries to remain a vibrant part of local life today.

    The visit of international influencers to Anhui’s cultural sites is part of broader efforts to share lesser-known Chinese traditional crafts with global audiences, helping to cross cultural boundaries and build global appreciation for intangible cultural heritage from around the world.

  • China launches Pakistani satellite

    China launches Pakistani satellite

    In a milestone display of aerospace cooperation between China and Pakistan, China has successfully placed the Pakistani remote sensing satellite PRSC-EO3 into its pre-planned orbit, completing a landmark launch mission from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in northern China’s Shanxi Province.

    The mission lifted off at 8:15 p.m. Beijing Time on Saturday, carried aloft by a Long March 6 carrier rocket. Following a standard ascent sequence, the satellite smoothly separated from the rocket and entered its designated orbit, marking a full success for the launch operation.

    Beyond supporting Pakistan’s national space development goals, this mission also carries notable significance for China’s own Long March rocket program. It stands as the 640th flight mission completed across the entire Long March carrier rocket series, underscoring the consistent reliability and maturity of China’s domestic launch vehicle technology after decades of iterative development and real-world testing.

    The launch follows a long track record of collaborative space projects between China and Pakistan, opening new opportunities for Pakistan to advance its capabilities in Earth observation, geographic surveying, and environmental monitoring through access to space infrastructure.

  • Georgia declares state of emergency as wildfires destroy dozens of homes

    Georgia declares state of emergency as wildfires destroy dozens of homes

    A devastating outbreak of wildfires across the U.S. state of Georgia has left a trail of widespread destruction, with official data confirming more than 39,500 acres of land scorched and over 120 residential properties reduced to ash. As blazes continue to spread amid historically dry conditions, state leaders have activated emergency response protocols to mobilize resources and protect at-risk communities.

    The two largest and most destructive blazes, identified as the Pineland Road Fire and the Highway 82 Fire, are concentrated in the state’s southeastern region. Their rapid growth prompted Governor Brian Kemp to issue a 30-day state of emergency covering 91 of Georgia’s 159 counties, unlocking additional state funding and response assets to support local firefighting efforts.

    Georgia Forestry Commission Director Johnny Sabo emphasized the extreme risk facing the state in a recent public video address, noting that parched vegetation has created tinder-dry conditions where even the smallest spark can escalate into a life-threatening inferno in minutes. “We are in extreme drought conditions, and wildfire activity has already surpassed our five-year average,” Sabo added, underscoring that the current outbreak is far beyond what response teams typically handle this time of year.

    Beyond the two major blazes, emergency crews are simultaneously working to contain dozens of smaller fires across the state. On Saturday alone, officials documented 32 new wildfire ignitions that burned a combined 50 acres of land, stretching response resources thin across multiple regions. The outbreak first began on April 18, with Governor Kemp issuing the state of emergency declaration just four days later as blazes began to spread uncontrollably.

    Investigators with the Georgia Forestry Commission (GFC) have already identified likely ignition sources for the two major fires. The Highway 82 Fire, which has burned roughly 7,500 acres to date, is believed to have started when a metallic foil balloon made contact with an overhead power line, generating a spark that ignited surrounding dry vegetation. As of the latest update, the blaze was only 10% contained, leaving nearby communities at continued risk. The far larger Pineland Road Fire, which has scorched 32,000 acres, has been traced to an accidental stray spark generated by a routine welding operation, GFC investigators confirmed.

    In a Friday update posted to the GFC official website, response teams reported that at least 35 minor additional structures have been lost to the Pineland Road Fire, with 187 homes still under immediate threat from advancing flames. To reduce the risk of new ignitions, state officials have implemented a full outdoor burn ban across the 91 counties covered by the state of emergency. The ban prohibits all open burning of waste, agricultural debris, and other unregulated outdoor fires.

    For local families who have already lost their homes, the disaster has brought unimaginable loss. Anna Dudek, a resident whose property was destroyed by the blazes, shared her harrowing experience with CBS News, the BBC’s U.S. media partner. As the Dudek family spotted flames reaching their property line and began packing belongings to evacuate, they quickly moved their children and pets to safety before fleeing. From a distance, Anna monitored her home through a security camera feed connected to her phone, watching in real time as flames engulfed the structure. “When both of my devices went offline, and the screen went black and I couldn’t see anything more, it was so gut-wrenching because then I knew that what I call home was gone,” she told reporters.

    The current wildfire outbreak is not isolated to Georgia, with hundreds of concurrent blazes also burning across neighboring Florida, straining regional firefighting resources across the U.S. Southeast as the region grapples with ongoing severe drought.