Global Pulse

作者： admin

  • Europe’s extreme heat would be impossible without climate change, scientists say

    Europe’s extreme heat would be impossible without climate change, scientists say

    This June, a historic, day-and-night heatwave has seared across Western and Southern Europe, bringing dangerous triple-digit temperatures and oppressive humidity to millions of people. A groundbreaking rapid attribution study released Friday by the international climate research collective World Weather Attribution (WWA) has delivered a definitive conclusion: this record-breaking extreme heat event could not have occurred without the influence of human-caused climate change.

    The research, which analyzes the current heat dome-fueled heatwave that began spreading across the continent on June 18, draws stark comparisons between modern climate conditions and historical heat patterns. Scientists found that an identical heat event would have been virtually impossible to occur in the climate conditions that existed 50 years ago, in 1976. Compared to the baseline of just 20 years ago, this type of extreme heat is now 200 times more likely to occur.

    To put these temperature shifts in context, the study team compared current temperatures to two major historic European heat events, 1976 and 2003, which were previously regarded as extreme benchmarks. Researchers estimate that a comparable heatwave in 1976’s cooler climate would have registered 3.5°C (6.3°F) lower during daytime hours and 2.4°C (4.3°F) lower at night. Even as recently as 2003, the same event would have been 2°C (3.6°F) cooler during the day and 1.3°C (2.3°F) cooler after sunset.

    “The increase in temperatures was so dramatic that we would have expected to have never seen this event in the 1976 climate,” explained lead author Theodore Keeping, a climate scientist at Imperial College London’s Centre for Environmental Policy. “And it would also still have been very, very rare, even 23 years ago in 2003.”

    WWA, a European-based collaborative network of climate scientists focused on linking extreme weather to climate change, has pioneered rapid event attribution studies since 2015. Their work examines how much of the increased risk of extreme events can be traced back to climate change driven by fossil fuel emissions. While the organization’s rapid studies have not completed full peer review, they rely exclusively on methodology that has already passed peer review, giving their findings broad scientific credibility. For this analysis, the team combined observed on-the-ground temperature data with weather forecast modeling to assess the full scope of the heatwave.

    Beyond just air temperature, the study measured combined heat stress, a metric that accounts for both temperature and humidity and directly reflects dangerous strain on the human body. The analysis found that 45 percent of the 850 cities across 30 European countries included in the study have already broken, or are on track to break, all-time records for heat stress. Keeping noted that this combination of extreme heat and high moisture makes the current event far more dangerous than a dry heatwave, as it impairs the body’s ability to cool itself through sweating.

    In the researchers’ assessment, this marks the most severe heatwave ever recorded in Northwestern Europe, and the most intense humid heat event ever documented in the region.

    Europe is uniquely vulnerable to this type of extreme heat, due to its faster rate of warming compared to the global average. Data from the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service confirms that Europe has warmed at twice the global average rate since the 1980s, making it the fastest-warming continent on Earth. A 2023 WWA study found that roughly 1,500 excess deaths were tied to a climate change-fueled European heatwave last summer alone.

    Much of the continent also lacks critical infrastructure to handle sustained extreme heat. Most residential and public buildings across Western Europe do not have widespread air conditioning, leaving millions without a reliable way to cool down after the sun sets. Unusually high overnight temperatures during this heatwave have prevented people from recovering from daytime heat exposure, amplifying health risks.

    In response to the crisis, national weather agencies across France, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom and other impacted countries have issued the highest-level red heat alerts. Major sporting events, school sessions, public transit operations and tourist attractions have been restricted or canceled to reduce heat-related risks. France, which has born the brunt of the current heatwave, recorded its hottest all-time national temperature this week, and has already reported 40 drowning deaths as people flocked to bodies of water to find relief from the heat.

    Remarkably, researchers found that the current El Niño ocean warming cycle in the Pacific has had no measurable impact on this specific heat event. This June’s heat also follows on the heels of an unprecedented record-breaking heatwave that hit Europe in May 2024, marking an early start to the extreme heat season that typically does not arrive until July and August.

    Some outside climate experts say the WWA study may actually understate the role of climate change in driving the extreme heat. Michael Mann, a prominent climate scientist at the University of Pennsylvania who was not involved in the research, noted that the study’s findings are reasonable, but similar attribution analyses have consistently underestimated how much climate change amplifies extreme heat events.
    “If anything, this latest assessment — and all similar assessments — are actually underestimating the role that climate change is playing here,” Mann said, pointing to his own separate research on climate change-driven heat stress amplification in North America.

    For Keeping and the WWA team, the findings of the study send a clear message to policymakers and communities: extreme heat events like this are no longer rare anomalies, and urgent action is needed both to adapt to unavoidable warming and cut the carbon emissions that are driving climate change.
    “We need to expect them to happen. They’re only going to become more frequent in the near term,” Keeping said. “We also need to address the source of climate change as well. And that is very simply carbon emissions from burning fossil fuels.”

  • Watch: Elephant smashes through bus windscreen during attack

    Watch: Elephant smashes through bus windscreen during attack

    Dramatic new footage has emerged capturing a terrifying encounter between a wild elephant and a passenger bus in Sri Lanka, leaving onlookers stunned and highlighting the growing tensions between expanding human communities and native wildlife populations.

    The video, recorded by a passenger on board the vehicle, documents the exact moment the massive pachyderm launched its assault against the bus, which was transporting a group of air force service members at the time of the incident. In the clip, the elephant can be seen charging directly at the front of the bus before delivering a powerful blow that completely shattered the vehicle’s front windscreen. The force of the impact sent glass fragments flying across the passenger cabin, sending the air force personnel on board scrambling for safety.

    While official reports have not yet released details on any serious injuries stemming from the attack, the incident has reignited conversations across Sri Lanka about human-elephant conflict, a longstanding issue that has grown more frequent in recent years. As agricultural development and residential expansion continue to encroach on the natural habitats of Sri Lanka’s wild elephant populations, more of the animals are wandering into populated areas and along major transportation routes, leading to more frequent dangerous encounters.

    Conservation experts note that Sri Lanka is home to roughly 7,000 wild elephants, and an average of more than 200 people and 400 elephants die each year as a result of human-elephant conflict across the island nation. This latest high-profile incident, captured on camera for the world to see, is expected to push policymakers to revisit existing strategies for mitigating conflict and protecting both human and elephant lives.

  • Spain’s Luis de la Fuente reconnects with Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa at the World Cup

    Spain’s Luis de la Fuente reconnects with Uruguay coach Marcelo Bielsa at the World Cup

    GUADALAJARA, Mexico — Ahead of a do-or-die Group H World Cup clash on Friday, two of soccer’s most respected coaching minds have opened up about their decades-long connection, as European champion Spain and South American powerhouse Uruguay prepare to battle for the top spot in their group at Guadalajara Stadium.

    For Uruguay, the stakes could not be higher: a defeat would almost certainly send the South American side packing from the tournament, while a win would secure their place in the knockout stage. Only three points will be enough for Marcelo Bielsa’s side to avoid an early exit, with a draw leaving their fate hanging on other group results.

    Spanish manager Luis de la Fuente, 65, has made no secret of his long-standing admiration for his 70-year-old Argentine counterpart, tracing his respect back to a formative period in his coaching career more than a decade ago. In the early 2010s, when de la Fuente was just starting to build his profile in top coaching circles ahead of taking charge of Spain’s youth national teams, he spent five months studying Bielsa’s methods daily when the latter was manager of Spain’s Athletic Bilbao.

    “I’m an admirer,” de la Fuente told reporters on Thursday. “I’ve followed his entire career closely. During his time at Athletic, I went to watch every single training session for five or six months, and I learned more from him than I can say. I have recordings of every one of those sessions. He’s been a true innovator for the modern game in so many ways. I’ve been fortunate enough to stay in touch with him over the years, and we’ve had private conversations about the sport we both love. This is the first time we’ve ever faced each other as opposing managers, and for me that’s an honor and a real pleasure.”

    Bielsa, however, downplayed his influence on de la Fuente’s work, praising the distinct, highly successful style de la Fuente has crafted with the Spanish national side. “It seems to me that the unique brand of soccer he has developed with Spain, and the important work he has done there, doesn’t really reflect my own coaching style,” Bielsa said. “The style of play Spain produces is far more beautiful than anything I have achieved with my own teams. The truth is, what he has accomplished with Spain is genuinely admirable.”

    De la Fuente for his part acknowledged that both coaches have evolved their approaches over the past decade, adapting to the shifting demands of modern men’s soccer. “Marcelo has grown and changed, just like every coach has,” he explained. “Back when I watched him at Athletic, he had the team playing spectacular soccer, but he was very strict about man-to-man marking across the entire pitch. I don’t think he holds to that as strictly today. His greatest strength has always been building his system around the players he has available. You can’t implement a tactical idea if you don’t have the right players to execute it, and he has always understood that better than anyone.”

    Heading into Friday’s match, de la Fuente’s Spain is already well positioned to advance to the knockout round, but only a win will lock in first place in Group H. The Spanish manager confirmed he has already settled on his starting lineup, hinting that the dominant 4-0 win over Saudi Arabia in his side’s second group match meant there was “no invitation to make changes” to the starting eleven. Spain opened their tournament with a 0-0 draw against Cape Verde.

    Young forwards Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams are still expected to see limited minutes, however, after missing extended time with the squad due to injury earlier in the competition.

    Bielsa framed the upcoming match as a do-or-die final for his Uruguayan side, where every small detail will decide the outcome. “This game will be like a cup final,” he said. “You have to take every single detail into account, and the fight for every meter of pitch, every loose ball, will be at maximum intensity.”

  • Rescues and prayers a day after Venezuelan earthquakes

    Rescues and prayers a day after Venezuelan earthquakes

    One day after a pair of powerful back-to-back earthquakes rocked Venezuela, rescue teams are working tirelessly across affected regions to search for survivors even as communities across the country come together to grieve and offer prayers for those impacted by the disaster. Reporting from the capital city of Caracas, BBC correspondent Vanessa Silva has documented the immediate aftermath of the tremors, which have left communities reeling from structural damage, disrupted basic services, and widespread uncertainty.

    Emergency response crews have fanned out across hardest-hit neighborhoods, clearing rubble from collapsed buildings and checking damaged infrastructure to locate any people trapped following the quakes. Local volunteers have joined official rescue efforts, bringing supplies, medical support, and comfort to displaced residents who have been forced to leave their damaged homes. Across Caracas and surrounding areas, residents have gathered in small groups to share information about missing loved ones and offer prayers for the recovery effort, creating a wave of collective solidarity amid the chaos.

    The successive tremors caught many residents off guard, with aftershocks continuing to keep communities on edge in the hours following the initial quakes. Authorities have urged residents to remain cautious as assessment teams work to map the full scale of damage to homes, roads, and public facilities. As the rescue operation moves into its second day, the focus remains on pulling survivors from damaged structures and providing critical aid to thousands of people affected by the seismic event.

  • Against the odds at the World Cup, New Zealand is a win away from its first knockout berth

    Against the odds at the World Cup, New Zealand is a win away from its first knockout berth

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia – As the final round of group-stage matches at this year’s expanded 48-team FIFA World Cup kicks off, most lower-seeded squads that entered the tournament with high hopes have already seen their knockout-round dreams dashed. But for New Zealand’s All Whites, a shocking twist in Group G has left the underdog side one full 90 minutes away from making history.

  • Majority of US voters think Iran war ‘not worth it’, new poll finds

    Majority of US voters think Iran war ‘not worth it’, new poll finds

    Two major new public opinion polls from the United States and Israel have revealed widespread dissatisfaction with the outcome of the 2025 US-Israeli military campaign against Iran, just months after the signing of a 60-day cessation of hostilities agreement between Washington and Tehran. The findings paint a stark picture of shifting geopolitical attitudes among voters in both countries, underscoring deep divisions along partisan lines in the US and broad consensus against the war in Israel.

    The conflict began on February 28, when former US President Donald Trump launched joint military operations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, framed as a mission to eliminate what the leaders called an imminent threat from the Iranian regime. Stated core objectives included the total destruction of Iran’s nuclear program and key military infrastructure, with Trump also positioning the campaign as a path to regime change, telling the Iranian people they would have a generational opportunity to take control of their government. Despite the assassination of long-time Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and dozens of other top Iranian officials, the regime change effort collapsed: Khamenei was succeeded by his son Mojtaba, who reportedly survived the strike that killed his father despite severe injury. In the end, the US publicly conceded it had failed to eliminate Iran’s ballistic missile program — another core war aim — and even formally acknowledged Iran’s right to maintain the program.

    The resulting Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which paused active hostilities for 60 days to allow negotiations on a permanent end to the war, has triggered a sharp reversal in US public opinion toward the conflict, according to a new national survey from Quinnipiac University. Overall, 60 percent of registered American voters say the US military campaign against Iran was “not worth it”, with dramatic partisan splits shaping the results: 93 percent of Democratic voters and 66 percent of independent voters view the war as unjustified, while 75 percent of Republican voters still say the conflict was worth waging. Scepticism extends to the diplomatic truce itself: 59 percent of all US voters report they are either “not so confident” or “not confident at all” that the MoU will lead to a lasting peaceful resolution. Once again, partisan views diverge sharply, with 76 percent of Republicans saying they hold at least some confidence in the deal’s success.

    Across key security outcomes, even partisan gaps shrink: 61 percent of all US voters believe Iran remains likely to develop nuclear weapons, a view held by a majority of voters in both major US political parties. The war has also shifted public views of US global standing, with 45 percent of voters concluding the conflict has left the United States weaker on the world stage.

    Public anger has been fueled by tangible economic harm resulting from the war: after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz at the outbreak of hostilities, the three-month campaign cost the US an estimated $60 billion in direct military spending, according to reporting from Middle East Eye, and pushed average US household fuel costs up by more than $447 annually. The poll also captured a steady shift in US public attitudes toward Israel, America’s key partner in the conflict: 48 percent of US voters now say the US is too supportive of Israel, the highest share recorded since Quinnipiac began tracking the question in 2017. That view is held by just 20 percent of Republicans, compared to 66 percent of Democrats and 55 percent of independents.

    The Quinnipiac poll surveyed 1,165 registered US voters between June 18 and 22, carrying a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points.

    In Israel itself, public sentiment toward the war outcome is even more overwhelmingly negative, according to a joint survey conducted by the Agam Institute and Hebrew University of Jerusalem. Fully 92 percent of Israeli respondents believe Iran emerged as the winner of the conflict, and 86 percent hold a negative view of the final truce agreement. Eighty-three percent say the campaign has weakened Israel’s long-term national security, a view echoed by many current and former Israeli political and military leaders who warn the outcome represents a pivotal blow to Israel’s regional influence.

    Seventy-two and a half percent of Israelis reject Netanyahu’s public claims that the war delivered significant gains and eliminated an existential threat to the country, a sentiment that has fueled growing uncertainty over the Prime Minister’s political future. Only 12 percent of respondents say Israel achieved all of its stated war objectives: 56 percent rate Netanyahu’s management of the campaign as poor or an outright failure.

    Notably, broad discontent with the war outcome has not translated to support for withdrawing Israeli forces from southern Lebanon, a key sticking point in ongoing US-Iran negotiations. Tehran has insisted the ceasefire cannot become permanent until Israel ends airstrikes in Lebanon and withdraws all troops from positions inside southern Lebanese territory, where Israel says its campaign targets Iran-aligned militant group Hezbollah. Even so, 48 percent of Israeli respondents support continuing the military campaign in Lebanon, with most of that group saying they back the operation even if it sparks a confrontation with the Trump White House.

    The Israeli poll surveyed 3,644 Israelis aged 17 and older between June 17 and 20, with a weighted sample designed to reflect the full Israeli population and a maximum sampling error of 2.2 percent at a 99 percent confidence level.

  • Delayed rains bring water shortages to cities and uncertainty to farms across India

    Delayed rains bring water shortages to cities and uncertainty to farms across India

    India is grappling with a cascading national crisis driven by a delayed, underperforming southwest monsoon, bringing acute water shortages to its largest commercial hub Mumbai and threatening the livelihoods of millions of small-scale farmers across rural regions, according to leading climate scientists and meteorologists.

    The annual monsoon, which typically arrives across South Asia in early June to nourish crops and replenish water supplies, has grown increasingly erratic in recent decades as global temperatures rise. This year, the weather system reached Mumbai roughly two weeks behind schedule, and experts warn that the combination of El Niño — the Pacific Ocean warming pattern that disrupts global weather systems — and long-term planetary heating has set the stage for scattered, insufficient rainfall across most of the country.

    Even after this week’s early downpours in Mumbai, the city’s critical reservoirs remain at dangerously low levels, prompting local authorities to implement strict water rationing to preserve supplies for essential use. Municipal water access has been cut off to commercial construction sites, private swimming pools, and other non-essential operations, forcing construction projects to scale back work amid the shortage. Long queues now stretch for hours at public water distribution points, where residents wait to collect just enough water for their daily needs.

    “To collect just 10 liters (2.6 gallons) of water, I have to wait for two hours. I have to go to work, take care of my children and make sure there is water at home,” said Aishah Khan, a 33-year-old Mumbai domestic worker, echoing the frustration of millions of city residents. Local government data shows Mumbai currently holds only a 40-day reserve of stored water, and forecasters say even significant rainfall over the coming week will not be enough to fully replenish depleted reserves.

    The crisis extends far beyond urban centers, hitting India’s agricultural sector — which supports more than 90 million smallholder farmers, most working plots of less than 2.5 acres — particularly hard. In northern rural states including Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, key growing regions for millet, soybeans, and wheat, farmers have been forced to delay critical sowing operations that typically wrap up by mid-July. Many already face mounting debt from rising input costs and disrupted supply chains, and fear a poor monsoon will push them into financial ruin.

    “We are unable to plant our seeds without the rains coming. Already, we’re suffering losses. I think it’s worse this year than previous years,” said Suresh Kumar, a millet farmer in Uttar Pradesh. His neighbor Kedar Sirohi, a soybean and wheat grower in Madhya Pradesh, added, “I’m very worried but we have no choice but to wait and see now.” Farmers add that poor rainfall compounds existing pressures, including fertilizer supply disruptions linked to global conflict and trade policies they say offer little financial protection for small producers.

    Climate experts say this year’s erratic monsoon aligns with long-term trends driven by human-caused climate change. For centuries, the South Asian monsoon followed a predictable pattern: a southwest monsoon from June to September that delivered steady, sustained rainfall, followed by a smaller northeast monsoon in late autumn. But rising concentrations of greenhouse gases from fossil fuel combustion have warmed the atmosphere, allowing it to hold more moisture pulled from the Indian Ocean. This shift has broken the historic pattern, replacing steady rainfall with a cycle of intense, destructive flooding followed by long, parched dry spells.

    “The Indian monsoon is becoming more variable as a result of global warming,” said Akshay Deoras, a meteorologist at the University of Reading in the U.K. who has studied Indian weather systems for more than 10 years. “We are seeing wet spells becoming more extreme and dry spells are more prolonged.” Deoras noted that the current national rainfall deficit, which stands at 42% according to the India Meteorological Department, is too large to be reversed even by weeks of average rainfall in already affected regions. He added that it is unlikely Mumbai’s reservoir levels will see a substantial improvement even with expected rain over the next 10 days.

    The India Meteorological Department confirms that El Niño and unseasonably dry winds from northwest India have stalled the monsoon’s northward advance, and forecasts that total rainfall between June and September will remain well below the long-term average. India ranks among the 10 countries most vulnerable to climate change impacts, according to 2023 data from European climate nonprofit Germanwatch.

    As the crisis deepens, experts argue that long-term resilience depends on urgent investment in water infrastructure and conservation. India is already the world’s largest extractor of groundwater, pumping more of the underground resource than the United States and China combined, per a 2022 United Nations report. Around 70% of the country’s total water use comes from groundwater sources, and years of over-extraction paired with more frequent dry spells have caused water tables to drop dramatically across the nation.

    “Poor rainfall does not have to translate into water stress if planning and governance systems are strengthened,” said Abhiyant Tiwari, a climate and health expert at the New Delhi office of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) India. “Investing in water conservation, restoring urban water bodies and protecting smaller village ponds should be high priorities at both national and local levels.”

    Vivek Grewal, a hydrogeologist at Bengaluru-based WELL Labs, noted that the gap in resilience between farmers with access to groundwater reserves and smallholder farmers entirely dependent on monsoon rainfall widens with every dry year. “Every year there are bad rains, it exhausts the groundwater buffer,” Grewal explained. “In the cities, authorities expect reservoirs to get filled with a good monsoon but when that doesn’t happen there is an immediate impact.”

    The Associated Press contributions from Rafiq Maqbool in Mumbai and Rajesh Kumar Singh in Lucknow supported this reporting.

  • Row over alleged theft of donations from India’s landmark Ram temple

    Row over alleged theft of donations from India’s landmark Ram temple

    Two and a half years after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the sprawling Ram Temple in Ayodhya, one of Hinduism’s most sacred sites, the shrine has become the center of a bitter public controversy over claims that tens of millions of rupees in devotee donations have been misappropriated.

    The temple’s location carries decades of charged religious and political history. The new structure, built across 2.7 acres in the flashpoint northern Uttar Pradesh city, replaced the 16th-century Babri Masjid mosque, which was torn down by Hindu nationalist mobs in 1992. That demolition triggered countrywide religious riots that left nearly 2,000 people dead. Following a years-long legal battle, India’s Supreme Court granted the disputed site to Hindu petitioners in 2019, clearing the way for construction of the Ram temple. Since its formal opening in January 2024, the three-story temple complex — which includes six smaller shrines — has cemented its place as one of India’s most visited pilgrimage destinations, drawing an estimated 50 million annual visitors, with between 70,000 and 80,000 devotees arriving on ordinary weekdays, and crowds swelling to three times that size on weekends and major religious festivals.

    The current controversy stems from claims of mishandling of cash, jewelry, gold, and silver that devotees leave as offerings in roughly 35 donation boxes scattered across the temple grounds. Managed by the independent Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, the temple reported an annual income of 3.27 billion rupees (approximately $35 million) for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, making it one of India’s highest-earning religious sites. The first allegations of misconduct came from Mahipal Singh, a former supervisor of the trust’s accounting team who has emerged as the whistleblower in the case. Singh has publicly stated he was removed from his position after raising internal concerns about the handling of cash offerings and precious gifts. When contacted by BBC Hindi, Singh declined to comment further, citing death threats and overwhelming pressure, saying, “I have received death threats. I am under immense pressure and stress. I am not in a position to say anything. Whatever I have said in public so far, please accept it as my word.” A former local legislator has gone on to claim more than 70 million rupees (around $740,000) in donations have gone missing.

    Trust officials have forcefully denied all allegations of wrongdoing. In a public video statement posted to Facebook, the trust’s general secretary Champat Rai explained that all donation counting processes, conducted in a dedicated counting room with participation from trust trustees, workers, and assigned employees from the State Bank of India, are subject to regular internal audits. “This work continues for several days. This is what is happening nowadays. No-one has noticed any discrepancy yet,” Rai said.

    The long-running religious dispute over the Ayodhya site has fundamentally shaped modern Indian politics. The campaign to reclaim the land for a Ram temple was a central rallying cry for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that fueled the party’s rise to national power in the 1990s, and construction of the temple was a core election promise that helped Modi secure a third term in 2024 general elections. That political history has turned the embezzlement claims into a major national political issue. Opposition parties have openly called on Modi and the BJP, which holds power both nationally and in Uttar Pradesh, to answer for the allegations. Samajwadi Party leader and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav first brought the claims to widespread public attention on June 7, demanding transparency and a formal investigation. His party’s Ayodhya Member of Parliament Awadhesh Prasad has gone further, calling for trust members to be suspended during any investigation and for an inquiry overseen by the courts. Even some local BJP leaders have joined calls for a full probe into donation management practices.

    Longtime Ayodhya residents have expressed widespread shock and disappointment over the claims. Vijay Lakshmi, a local resident, told BBC Hindi: “The offerings are meant for the temple’s upkeep and for the welfare of pilgrims. It’s not meant for people to take home.” Another local, Santosh Puri, called the allegations “a fatal blow to our religion.” While some locals said they found it hard to believe long-time trust associates would engage in misconduct, many described the claims as a stain on the temple and the government, demanding urgent action to prevent future abuses.

    In response to growing public and political pressure, the Uttar Pradesh state government formed a three-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the allegations. The SIT submitted an interim report to the government this week and requested additional time to complete its full inquiry, with no official findings released to the public to date. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has called on anyone with evidence to share it with investigators, saying the inquiry will uncover the full facts and urging devotees to avoid pre-judging the outcome. “People who had waited centuries for the construction of the Ram temple can wait a few more days for the SIT to complete its work,” Adityanath said.

    Despite the state-led investigation, there is growing public and legal pressure to transfer the probe to India’s federal Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) under court supervision. Multiple petitions have already been filed in the Allahabad High Court and the Supreme Court of India requesting a formal criminal complaint and judicial oversight of the investigation. A prominent senior Indian Supreme Court lawyer has even written directly to the prime minister, chief minister, and chief justice of India urging a CBI probe to restore public faith. “These were not ordinary commercial receipts, but sacred offerings,” the lawyer wrote. “Any diversion or embezzlement of funds constitutes a profound betrayal of the faith reposed by millions of devotees in one of the most sacred institutions of Hindu faith.” As the inquiry proceeds, the controversy continues to test public trust in one of India’s most politically and religiously significant institutions.

  • Brian Brobbey and the Dutch roll in the rain to a 3-1 win over Tunisia to top World Cup Group F

    Brian Brobbey and the Dutch roll in the rain to a 3-1 win over Tunisia to top World Cup Group F

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. — In a rain-soaked Group F World Cup clash at Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday night, the Netherlands secured their spot in the tournament’s knockout round as group winners, riding two Tunisia own goals and a third strike of the competition from Brian Brobbey to a comfortable 3-1 victory.

    Heading into the final matchday of group play, the Netherlands sat level on points at the top of Group F with Japan. However, Japan could only scrape out a 1-1 draw against Sweden in Arlington, Texas, leaving the Dutch side in first place. The result sets up a mouthwatering Round of 16 matchup for Virgil van Dijk and his squad against Group C runner-up Morocco on Monday, while Japan will face a far stiffer test against defending champions Brazil in the first knockout round.

    For Tunisia, the contest was a dead rubber, with elimination already confirmed after two opening defeats. The North African side, branded the Eagles of Carthage, had been in turmoil since the tournament kicked off: they sacked head coach Sabri Lamouchi immediately following a 5-1 opening loss to Sweden, and French manager Hervé Renard stepped in amid widespread reports of internal tension and squad infighting. A 4-0 defeat to Japan in their second match did nothing to reverse the team’s downward spiral, and Thursday’s result extended Tunisia’s winless run across major tournaments to six consecutive matches.

    The chaos that defined Tunisia’s campaign summed itself up in the opening minutes of the match. Denzel Dumfries drove a low cross across the six-yard box, and Tunisian captain Ellyes Skhiri, attempting a clearance to divert the ball away from goal, accidentally deflected it into his own net to give the Netherlands an early lead.

    Brobbey doubled the Dutch advantage just six minutes later, after the Oranje won a free kick 25 yards from goal. The 6-foot-5 Van Dijk, a towering presence in the box, directed a pinpoint header across the goalmouth, where Brobbey was perfectly placed to chip the ball over Tunisia goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen for his third goal of the tournament.

    Tunisia finally got on the board in the 54th minute, when Hazem Mastouri redirected a corner kick past Dutch goalkeeper to cut the deficit to 2-1. But any hopes of a comeback were extinguished eight minutes later, when Jan Paul van Hecke’s header from another Dutch corner glanced off the head of Tunisian’s Anis Slimane and bounced into the back of the net for the Dutch’s third, and second own goal for Tunisia.

    From that point, the Netherlands controlled the remainder of the match, as a steady first-half drizzle gave way to a heavy second-half downpour. Threats of thunderstorms had loomed over the venue all week, and a lightning warning briefly interrupted the pre-match “Oranje fanwalk” for supporters heading to the stadium. Once the all-clear was given, thousands of Dutch fans decked in their iconic bright orange kits packed into Arrowhead Stadium, turning the stands into a sea of orange that drew comparisons to Midwest deer hunting season.

    For the Netherlands, a nation famous for producing football legends including Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten, this tournament represents another shot at ending a long-running near-miss curse: the Oranje have reached the World Cup final three times in their history, only to finish as runners-up every time, most recently in a heartbreaking extra-time loss to Spain in the 2010 final, earning them the unwanted nickname of the best men’s national side never to lift the trophy.

    Their 2024 campaign got off to a slow start too, with a 2-2 draw against Japan in their opening group fixture. But a dominant 5-1 win over Sweden, with two goals each from Brobbey and Cody Gakpo, has built critical momentum for the side as they enter the knockout stage of the competition. For Tunisia, the final match was just a chance to put a disastrous campaign behind them, ending their World Cup run with three defeats from three matches.

  • ‘We could call it racist’ – Ivory Coast boss sad at Schweinsteiger comments

    ‘We could call it racist’ – Ivory Coast boss sad at Schweinsteiger comments

    A major controversy has erupted around the 2026 FIFA World Cup after Ivory Coast men’s national team manager Emerse Fae accused former Germany international midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger of making potentially racist comments about African football, in the wake of the Elephants’ historic first-ever qualification to the World Cup knockout stage.

    Schweinsteiger, the 2014 World Cup winner with Germany, made the remarks while working as a pundit for German public broadcaster ARD ahead of Germany’s Group E clash against Ivory Coast on June 20. When asked to break down Ivorian playing style, the former Bayern Munich star described the side as playing “a bit African football”, adding it was “a bit unorthodox, a bit wild, a bit perhaps also not so conditioned by tactics” and warned Germany to prepare for their unpredictable approach.

    Those comments drew sharp criticism from Fae after his side secured their spot in the round of 32 with a 2-0 victory over Curacao in Philadelphia on Thursday, which locked in second place in Group E behind Germany. Speaking to reporters after the historic result, the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations-winning manager said he was deeply disappointed by Schweinsteiger’s words, arguing they reflected outdated, harmful stereotypes about African soccer.

    “Schweinsteiger was a very good player; I have always loved him as a midfielder and the way he understood football,” Fae told journalists. “When I heard his comments, I was disappointed in the man. It is odd he would speak that way. We could call it racist, if we were calling a spade a spade. I don’t agree with him, but I have no other solution other than to work with things as they are. All I can show is that on the pitch African teams are not just physical, we are technical and tactical. I can only hope it is a clumsy statement, rather than something going on in his mind. If that’s what he thinks, he is free to do so.”

    Fae also suggested the remarks may have been a deliberate attempt to stir controversy and grab headlines, rather than an offhand mistake. The comments have already sparked debate across German media, with high-profile football figure Jurgen Klopp, former Liverpool manager, declining to weigh in on the dispute when asked during a World Cup appearance in New York on Wednesday.

    “Now you want to carry on the subject. No, no, I have no chance. I have no chance to answer this question,” Klopp told reporters. “Everybody likes it so you bring me in this situation. It’s not my job that everybody likes it, but this is a serious subject, and I don’t even know what is appropriate to say. For African people it’s one thing, for other people it’s another thing, and I’m not here.”

    Despite falling 2-1 to Germany in their final group stage match, Ivory Coast secured their knockout place with earlier wins over Ecuador and Curacao. The Elephants will face either Group F winners France or runners-up Norway in their first knockout round match on June 30 in Arlington, Texas, as they chase further history at this expanded 48-team World Cup.