Global Pulse

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  • Rights groups press lawmakers to scrap provision to merge US and Israeli militaries

    Rights groups press lawmakers to scrap provision to merge US and Israeli militaries

    A coalition of 56 civil rights and advocacy organizations has launched a formal push to persuade congressional leaders to remove a contested policy provision from the upcoming 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that would deepen institutional military technology cooperation between the United States and Israel. The demand was delivered in a public letter addressed to the top leaders of both the House and Senate Armed Services Committees, a copy of which was reviewed by Reuters.

    The provision, numbered Section 219 in the House-passed version of the annual defense policy bill and re-designated Section 1217 in the separate Senate version, would formalize a new permanent framework called the United States–Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative. This framework would create formal structures for joint development ventures, technology licensing agreements, and co-production partnerships based on U.S. soil. The House version of the full NDAA advanced out of the lower chamber in July, and the legislation now awaits a full vote and reconciliation in the Senate.

    Signatories to the critical letter include prominent global and domestic groups such as Amnesty International, the National Lawyers Guild, and a coalition of both Arab-American and Jewish-American advocacy organizations. In the text of the letter, the groups argue that expanding Israeli influence within the U.S. defense technology ecosystem carries severe risks, at a moment when U.S. strategic interests increasingly diverge from Israeli policy and public opinion across the U.S. has shifted sharply against unconditional military support for the Israeli government.

    The letter explicitly condemns Israeli actions in the Gaza Strip and ongoing settler violence in the occupied West Bank, accusing Israel of widespread violations of international humanitarian law. The groups argue these documented violations should rule out any expansion of formal military cooperation between the two nations. The push to remove the provision comes as the existing 10-year memorandum of understanding granting Israel $3.8 billion in annual U.S. military aid is set to expire in 2028, opening up broader debates about the future shape of U.S. security assistance to Israel.

    The push to strike the provision is not limited to advocacy groups: a bipartisan group of House lawmakers already attempted to remove the text via amendment earlier this year. The amendment, introduced by Republican Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Democratic Representative Ro Khanna of California, failed to advance to a floor vote before the House passed its version of the NDAA.

    The legislative process for the annual NDAA, which must pass to fund all Pentagon operations for the coming fiscal year, requires both chambers to reconcile their differing versions into a single compromise text before it can be sent to the president for signature or veto. The Senate version of the provision, introduced by Democratic Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Republican Senator Ted Budd of North Carolina in a bipartisan push, goes further than the House text: while the House version only requires the U.S. Secretary of Defense to appoint an executive agent to coordinate bilateral efforts, the Senate version mandates ongoing formal consultation with the Israeli Minister of Defense on cooperation efforts.

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has framed the initiative as a transformative shift that would move Israel beyond its status as a recipient of U.S. foreign aid to a full, equal strategic partner. Crucially, once codified, the permanent cooperation framework could not be unilaterally withdrawn by future U.S. presidents, locking in the bilateral integration for decades. While many elements of the close defense cooperation outlined in the provision already exist in practice through long-standing Pentagon agreements with Israel, the text would codify this collaboration into law and grant Israel formal input into U.S. defense and national security decision-making processes.

    The provision was first introduced in the House by Texas Republican Representative Ronny Jackson, who served as former President Donald Trump’s White House physician during Trump’s first term. Jackson, who retained his senior Navy rank during the Biden administration after it was briefly lowered following allegations of inappropriate sexual comments and alcohol-related misconduct, saw the language adopted into the final House bill.

    Under the terms of the proposed initiative, the U.S. Secretary of Defense would be required to formalize joint cooperation across a range of high-priority technology areas: counter-drone systems, missile and air defense, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and cyber and electronic warfare. The explicit policy goal of the provision is to reduce Israel’s long-term dependence on direct U.S. foreign military aid. Within one year of the provision entering into force, the Secretary of Defense would be required to submit a public report to Congress detailing all activities carried out under the initiative and their ongoing assessment.

    Beyond the 56 groups signing the Thursday letter, another Washington-based policy advocacy group, A New Policy — co-founded by former State Department whistleblower Josh Paul — has already publicly called for lawmakers to vote down the initiative, warning it poses direct risks to U.S. national security. In a detailed policy brief, the group argued the framework exposes sensitive U.S. military capabilities to heightened counterintelligence risks, normalizes the use of technologies developed in the context of occupation and civilian harm, puts U.S. defense companies at a competitive disadvantage relative to Israeli firms, and deepens U.S. legal and reputational exposure without any clear strategic justification, while also reducing transparency around ongoing U.S. military support for Israel.

    Israel currently remains the largest single recipient of U.S. foreign military assistance, receiving billions of dollars annually in commitments that were first negotiated during the Obama and Biden administrations.

  • Watch: Inside court as Lindsay Clancy’s lawyer asks judge to remove juror

    Watch: Inside court as Lindsay Clancy’s lawyer asks judge to remove juror

    The high-profile triple-murder trial of Lindsay Clancy has reached a critical juncture, as the defendant’s legal team made a notable courtroom request to remove one seated juror from the panel. On-record footage captured the in-court proceeding where Clancy’s defense lawyer formally presented the motion to the presiding judge, marking a new development in a case that has drawn widespread public attention.

    Following the submission of the motion, the jury has now moved into its seventh consecutive day of closed-door deliberations, as panelists continue weighing evidence and testimony to reach a unanimous verdict in the killings of three young children. Court observers note that the extended deliberation period signals the complexity of the case and the seriousness with which jurors are approaching their decision-making responsibility. No immediate ruling on the defense’s juror removal request has been reported as of the latest updates from the courthouse.

  • Kenya’s chai tea lovers are not happy as the nation’s cows run dry

    Kenya’s chai tea lovers are not happy as the nation’s cows run dry

    For Kenyans, milky spiced chai is far more than just a popular drink: it is a cultural staple woven into every part of daily life, from morning breakfast tables to business meetings and social gatherings. Millions of people reach for multiple cups of this warm, creamy brew every day. Today, however, that beloved tradition is under threat as a nationwide milk shortage has left supermarket dairy shelves nearly empty, forced retailers to ration purchases and hike prices, and put unprecedented strain on small food businesses that rely on steady milk supplies.

    The national government has pointed to prolonged drought as the primary driver of the recent supply collapse, noting that parched conditions have drastically shrunk available pasture for dairy cattle and crippled overall production. Even the country’s dairy industry regulator has acknowledged the severity of the crisis, confirming widespread “supply constraints” and critically low stock levels that are unusual for this East African nation, which is one of the continent’s top milk producers.

    The shortage is already hitting small business owners hard. Muthoni Macharia, who runs a casual restaurant in the capital city of Nairobi, normally purchases more than 70 packets of fresh milk each week to meet customer demand for chai. For the past week, she has spent her days scrambling to track down scarce supplies, losing business when she cannot meet her customers’ expectations. “If they come in groups, and there’s no milk tea, you see that’s a loss for me,” Macharia explained, adding that the shortage is most disruptive during the busy morning rush hour. While a handful of customers accept black tea as a substitute, most refuse, leaving her with lost sales and unhappy regulars.

    Kenya boasts a long-standing, robust commercial dairy sector, and industry data ranks Kenyans among the highest per capita consumers of milk in Africa, with pasteurized fresh milk dominating urban markets and raw and fermented milk more common in rural areas. That makes the current shortage all the more shocking for consumers, and it has sparked widespread public frustration — even giving rise to unsubstantiated conspiracy theories that supermarkets are deliberately hoarding supplies to drive up profits.

    Official data from the Kenya Dairy Board (KDB), the government regulator that oversees the dairy sector, confirms a steady downward trend in supply: formal milk deliveries to processors dropped 3.7% between June and July, falling from 84.4 million litres to 81.3 million litres, and preliminary data shows an even steeper decline in August. The Consumer Federation of Kenya (Cofek), the country’s leading consumer advocacy group, says the supply contraction has been ongoing since the start of 2025, caused by two interconnected factors: delayed seasonal rains that have cut grazing land, and a 45% spike in the cost of commercial animal feed.

    Fresh milk prices have already jumped from 70 to 80 Kenyan shillings ($0.54 to $0.62) per litre, and Cofek argues that the current crisis was both predictable and largely avoidable. The organization blames state dairy processor New KCC and KDB for failing to properly process and store last year’s milk surplus into powdered milk, a buffer that processors typically convert back to liquid milk to offset low fresh milk supplies during dry seasons. “Had these buffers been in place, today’s supply shock would have been substantially cushioned,” Cofek said in a statement. The group has called on the government to implement an emergency recovery plan, including feed subsidies for smallholder dairy farmers, tax waivers on animal feed inputs, and aggressive price monitoring to crack down on opportunistic price gouging and unnecessary rationing.

    In response to public outcry, KDB managing director William Maritim has framed the shortage as a “temporary supply constraint”, stressing that milk remains available to consumers overall. He did acknowledge that short-shelf-life fresh pasteurized milk has been far more impacted than longer-lasting UHT milk, which is less popular with most Kenyan consumers.

    Shoppers in Nairobi who spoke to the BBC expressed growing anxiety about rising costs and unreliable supplies. Bernard Abok, an office worker who shops for groceries after work, said unpredictable stock and constant price hikes have become a constant frustration. “Sometimes when I go to the supermarket I find there is none. When I do find some, the price has gone up. Today it is this price, tomorrow it has gone up again,” he said. Patricia Gathoni, a mother, said she has already been forced to stretch scarce milk by adding water for her children, and warned she will have to completely rethink her family’s diet if prices continue to climb.

    Earlier this week, senior agriculture ministry officials held emergency talks with Kenya’s dairy processors association to address the crisis. The government has committed to immediate interventions to support farmers, stabilize supply and protect consumers from unfair price hikes. Jonathan Mueke, the ministry’s top livestock development official, said the immediate priority is getting affordable feed to struggling dairy farmers, including allowing duty-free imports of yellow maize for animal feed.

    Looking beyond the immediate crisis, the government is also developing long-term policy solutions to address Kenya’s recurring cycle of dairy gluts and shortages. During periods of oversupply, excess milk often goes to waste because farmers lack adequate storage and processing capacity, leaving them forced to sell perishable milk for far below market value. To fix this structural gap, Mueke said the government is considering creating a dedicated stabilization fund to support milk preservation and storage during surplus periods, to be drawn on during dry seasons when supplies fall short. The administration is also planning to temporarily import milk from neighboring countries to quickly ease the current shortage, a move that could bring much-needed relief to Kenya’s legion of chai lovers who have been forced to go without their favorite drink.

  • Girl group Katseye are missing two members, but their tour still dazzles

    Girl group Katseye are missing two members, but their tour still dazzles

    Global pop breakout sensation Katseye turned London’s O2 Arena into a sea of screaming fans this week, delivering a high-energy sold-out performance that cemented their status as one of pop music’s most exciting new acts – even with two founding members absent on health-related hiatus. Only four of the group’s six original members – Megan Skiendiel, Yoonchae Jeong, Lara Raj and Daniela Avanzini – made it to the UK capital, but the missing personnel did nothing to dampen the crowd’s roaring enthusiasm.

    Long before the four women stepped into the spotlight under a cascade of laser lights to open their set with the Brazilian funk-infused hit *Hootie Frutti*, fans filled the arena and erupted into deafening screams as the group’s music videos played on the venue’s giant screens. That electric energy barely dipped over the three-hour performance, marking Katseye’s first full UK concert and only the second stop on their debut headline Wildworld world tour. With chart-topping streams that have made them the most listened-to act on YouTube UK right now, the O2 show proved that the multinational group’s star power remains undimmed despite the temporary departures of singers Manon Bannerman and Sophia Laforteza.

    While the stage did feel noticeably emptier without the two missing members, the remaining four worked tirelessly to cover the gaps, whipping the crowd into a frenzy with a string of bass-driven pop anthems intercut with jaw-dropping choreographed dance breaks. After launching into their opening number, Yoonchae, the band’s youngest member, asked the crowd: “Are you happy to see us?” – a question that had already been answered by the non-stop cheers that greeted the group’s entrance. “I think you guys are our loudest crowd ever, literally,” marveled Megan Skiendiel mid-set, with Lara Raj adding, “This crowd is unbelievable.”

    The depth of the band’s connection with fans was on full display throughout the night. Even though the tour is only two dates old, every lyric, dance step and stage moment was already familiar to the audience, thanks to pre-show teases and content shared across social media. The crowd even erupted in a cheer of relief when Daniela Avanzini nailed a difficult lift during the choreography for *Gabriela* – a moment that carried extra weight after her dance partner dropped her during the tour’s opening night in Dublin. Daniela walked away from the Dublin incident without any injuries, and her flawless execution in London was met with celebration from fans.

    For Katseye, this rapid rise to global adoration and intense public scrutiny has come in an extraordinarily short timeframe. Formed in Los Angeles in 2023 through the online reality competition *The Debut: Dream Academy*, a joint project between South Korean entertainment giant Hybe – the company behind global supergroups BTS and Le Sserafim – and U.S. label Geffen Records, home to Olivia Rodrigo and The Rolling Stones, the group was selected from more than 120,000 initial applicants, with just six contestants making the final line-up. Trained under the rigorous, performance-focused K-pop system, the group broke through in 2025, first with their high-energy electro hit *Gnarly*, then following it up with the smooth, soulful ballad *Gabriela* that showcased Daniela’s Cuban-Venezuelan heritage.

    London’s O2 audience skewed heavily young, with lines for candy concessions stretching longer than those for the bar, and dozens of fans screaming when Megan asked how many were attending their very first live concert. Fans waved branded lightsticks in unison, mirrored every one of the group’s choreographed moves, and many even dressed up to show their dedication to the band. Many attendees wore bindis, a nod to Lara’s intentional celebration of her South Asian heritage through her public aesthetic, while one fan dressed as a courgette – a playful reference to a viral offbeat line from the group’s track *Internet Girl*, “Eat zucchini.” The contagious energy of the crowd extended even to the parents accompanying their children, with many grown-up fans just as engaged in the performance as the teen and young adult audience. Even pop legend Melanie C of the Spice Girls is an open fan, having hosted a Q&A with the group during their first UK visit last October, and praising them to the BBC earlier this summer: “They’re incredible girls. They’ve got great music, they’ve got a great work ethic, and they’re really beautiful, you know? Obviously, they’ve had a little drama, as happens with all bands, but they work so goddamn hard.”

    That “drama” of course refers to the back-to-back hiatus announcements that sidelined two of the group’s founding members this year. The turbulence began in February, when Swiss-Ghanaian singer Manon announced she would step back from the group to “focus on her health and wellbeing.” The announcement came after Manon revealed to BBC News that the group had been targeted with racist abuse and death threats, while many fans also pointed to the group’s grueling touring and recording schedule, raising concerns that the members were being overworked. Manon shared an update with fans in April saying she was having “positive conversations” with the group’s management, though not before removing all references to Katseye from her Instagram biography.

    Just a few months after Manon stepped back, group leader Sophia Laforteza announced her own hiatus to protect her “mental health and wellness.” “You can’t pour from an empty cup,” she shared in a social media post. “It’s important to care for yourself.” While fans had hoped Sophia would be able to return in time for the European leg of the Wildworld tour, that did not come to fruition. Her mother has publicly reassured fans that the break is only temporary: “Don’t worry, this is for her own good,” she told ABS-CBN News. “This is what I love about her management. They realise when the girls are tired. It’s a good thing that she is resting so that she’s stronger when she comes back.”

    Temporary health-related hiatuses for K-pop idol groups are not without precedent, as the intense training and non-stop performance schedule of the industry often takes a toll on member well-being. In 2023 and 2024, Lia of popular girl group Itzy took more than a year off to receive treatment for extreme anxiety, while Moka of Hybe labelmates Illit is currently on an extended break for the same reason. In a nod to both members and K-pop tradition, Katseye retained Manon and Sophia’s place in the London performance: Sophia’s pre-recorded vocals were kept in tracks including *Mean Girls* and *Pinky Up*, while Manon’s lyrics were split among the remaining four performing members, as her pre-dates the current tour’s production and rehearsal cycle.

    The opening night in Dublin also brought controversy, after fans accused the entire group of lip-syncing the entire set. But the London performance put those rumors to rest: all four members performed with live microphones throughout the entire show, with a backing track to reinforce vocals during high-energy dance numbers, a standard practice for large-scale pop shows. On slower, more stripped-back tracks like *Tonight I Might* and *My Way*, the group proved they hold their own as live vocalists. Lara’s solo performance of *unloveu* – introduced proudly as the first Katseye track written by a member of the group – balanced raw power and emotional vulnerability, hinting that the group has far more artistic range than their signature catchy, accessible pop hits.

    Other standout moments of the set included Daniela’s gravity-defying aerial split dance break leading into *Gabriela*, and Megan’s high-energy techno-inspired closer for *Pinky Up*. For Yoonchae, the night’s highlight was *Time Lapse*, which gave her the chance to sing in her native Korean while interacting with fans in the pit – a moment that was only slightly interrupted by Lara’s quick safety warning: “Keep your hands to yourselves and don’t throw any gifts on the stage for our safety.”

    The show closed on a defiant, high-energy note, with *Iconic By Mistake* – the group’s response to a widespread online hate campaign – followed by an extended, reimagined leather-studded rock remix of their breakout hit *Gnarly*. All in all, the performance was a stunning display of confidence and poise from a group that could have easily been thrown off course by two unexpected member departures. As the group waved goodbye to the London crowd, Yoonchae promised fans: “This is not a goodbye. We’ll come back.” After a performance like this, the iconic Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury Festival would be a more than fitting next stop for the rising pop stars.

    Following their second London show, Katseye will continue the Wildworld tour across the UK, stopping in Manchester before moving on to mainland European dates, currently scheduled to run through the end of 2026. The group was also nominated for Best New Artist at the 2026 Grammy Awards, capping off their rapid rise to global stardom.

  • Tensions flare as judge declines to remove holdout juror in Lindsay Clancy trial

    Tensions flare as judge declines to remove holdout juror in Lindsay Clancy trial

    One of the most emotionally charged criminal trials in recent U.S. history has hit a new impasse, as a Massachusetts judge has refused to dismiss a holdout juror who stands accused of ignoring binding court instructions on the legal standard of reasonable doubt. The case, which has captured national public attention, centers on 36-year-old Lindsay Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse who faces three counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of her three young children — 5-year-old Cora, 3-year-old Dawson, and 8-month-old Callan — at the family’s Massachusetts home in January 2023.

    Clancy does not dispute that she strangled her children in the family home’s basement, but her legal team has mounted an insanity defense, arguing she was experiencing severe postpartum psychosis at the time of the killings and was unable to discern right from wrong. Clancy herself was left paralyzed from the waist down after jumping from a second-floor window of her home immediately following the deaths, and she has attended recent court proceedings from a wheelchair.

    After six days of deliberations spanning roughly 35 hours, the nine-woman, three-man jury remains deadlocked, marking the third time the panel has notified the court of its inability to reach the required unanimous verdict. What makes this latest development unprecedented in the trial is the open division among jurors: the jury forewoman submitted a formal note to presiding Judge William Sullivan alleging that one member of the panel refused to follow the court’s written and verbal instructions on reasonable doubt, the strictest standard of proof in the U.S. legal system.

    This revelation sparked tense, dramatic exchanges in the Plymouth courtroom. Clancy’s lead defense attorney, Kevin Reddington, immediately filed a motion to dismiss the holdout juror, arguing that a juror who refuses to abide by the court’s legal instructions cannot fairly participate in deliberations. The prosecution, led by assistant district attorney Jennifer Sprague, pushed back against the request, setting off an animated sidebar discussion between the two legal teams and the judge that was not audible to reporters present. Court observers noted clear exasperation in Reddington’s body language and facial expressions throughout the exchange.

    Judge Sullivan opted to interview each juror individually to assess the situation before issuing his ruling, reminding the entire panel after the private questioning that a unanimous guilty verdict can only be handed down if every member of the jury believes the prosecution has proven Clancy’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. In the end, the judge ruled that the holdout juror would remain on the panel, stating that it would be inappropriate for the court to insert itself into the internal dynamics of jury deliberations by taking sides in the deadlock.

    Following the ruling, Reddington appeared visibly frustrated and upset, and reporters observed him consoling Clancy, wrapping an arm around her as the court adjourned. Speaking to reporters after the session, Reddington confirmed that his motion to remove the non-compliant juror had been denied, and declined to confirm an 11-1 split reported by the jury forewoman, saying he had no insight into the lone juror’s specific position. Prosecutor Sprague, for her part, endorsed Judge Sullivan’s decision, noting that the court has no way to evaluate the substance of internal juror deliberations, nor should it attempt to do so.

    The court is scheduled to revisit the deadlock issue first thing Friday morning. If the jury ultimately fails to reach a unanimous verdict, Judge Sullivan will be required to declare a mistrial, leaving prosecutors to decide whether to pursue a second trial against Clancy. A conviction on the first-degree murder charges would result in an automatic sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. If the jury accepts Clancy’s defense and finds her not guilty by reason of insanity or lack of criminal responsibility, she would instead be committed to a state psychiatric facility for treatment.

    This case has drawn widespread public attention for its devastating context, shining a new light on the risks and impacts of severe postpartum mental illness in the United States. For anyone experiencing emotional distress or suicidal thoughts, support is available through global mental health organizations including Befrienders Worldwide, with additional resources listed for UK residents on the BBC Action Line.

  • Is India’s internet boom running into an undersea problem?

    Is India’s internet boom running into an undersea problem?

    Fueled by ultra-affordable data plans, India has rapidly emerged as one of the world’s largest and fastest-growing internet markets, boasting more than one billion broadband subscribers as of late 2025. Behind this digital success story, however, lies a critical, underreported vulnerability in the physical infrastructure that powers the nation’s global connectivity: an overconcentration of critical intercontinental submarine cables in one small stretch of Mumbai coastline, paired with aging infrastructure, a lack of domestic repair capacity, and bureaucratic bottlenecks that threaten to derail India’s ambitious digital and AI-driven growth plans.

    The core risk is concentrated in a mere six-kilometer stretch along Mumbai’s Arabian Sea coast near Versova, a densely populated northwestern neighborhood of the city. Of India’s total 18 intercontinental submarine cables— the invisible optical fiber highways that carry 99% of global cross-border data traffic as light pulses across 1.4 million kilometers of ocean floor worldwide— at least 13 come ashore within this tiny geographic zone. Combined, these cables carry up to 95% of India’s total international bandwidth destined for Europe, Africa, and West Asia.

    Anwesha Sen, a researcher at the Takshashila Institution, an Indian public policy think tank, warns that this extreme geographic concentration creates an existential critical vulnerability. If multiple cables were cut at the same time, whether by accidental damage or intentional disruption, the vast majority of India’s westbound connectivity would be severely impacted. While modern cable architecture does allow for traffic to be rerouted through other landing points across India’s southern coast, such as Chennai and Kochi, experts note that even minor performance degradation—increased data latency—can carry devastating financial costs for key sectors including banking, national stock exchanges, cloud service providers, and government communications networks. AI infrastructure, which depends on constant high-volume, high-speed data transfers, is uniquely sensitive to even small disruptions to connectivity.

    This vulnerability points to a larger paradox at the heart of India’s digital transformation: while the country now accounts for roughly 20% of global data consumption and ranks among the world’s largest internet markets, it controls only a tiny fraction of the global undersea cable infrastructure that powers this digital activity. Data from the Broadband India Forum (BIF) shows that India is connected to just 3% of the world’s total submarine cable network, and hosts only 21 of the roughly 1,900 active and planned cable landing stations (the coastal facilities that connect undersea cables to onshore terrestrial networks) globally—equal to just 1% of the world’s total capacity. “We need to grow the number of cable landing stations several fold,” says Aruna Sundararajan, BIF chairperson.

    Compounding the overconcentration risk is the age of India’s existing cable network. A recent analysis from the Takshashila Institution found that 11 of India’s 18 international submarine cables are more than 20 years old, rapidly approaching the standard 25-year nominal operational lifespan for these systems. While routine faults are far more common than deliberate sabotage—with an estimated 150 to 200 cable disruptions annually worldwide, most caused by commercial fishing activity, dragging ship anchors, natural seabed hazards, or equipment failure—India has a second major gap in its preparedness: it has no domestic submarine cable repair vessels. All repair work in Indian territorial waters requires bringing in foreign vessels from ports in Dubai or Singapore, which must then obtain multiple operating licenses before work can begin, adding weeks of delay to an already time-sensitive process.

    Amajit Gupta, group CEO and managing director of Lightstorm, a leading Indian digital infrastructure firm, explains that this dependence on foreign repair capacity is the most impactful structural weakness facing India’s connectivity network. “The bigger structural issue for India isn’t rerouting capability—it’s repair capacity. That combination – dependence on foreign repair capacity and regulatory lead times – represents the real bottleneck,” he says. Gupta points to the 2024 Red Sea shipping and cable disruptions as a case study of how unplanned outages can create cascading delays, when global traffic had to be rerouted thousands of miles east through Singapore to reach North American networks.

    Beyond repair gaps, India also faces a growing mismatch between exploding demand for international bandwidth driven by AI and data center expansion, and the slow pace of new subsea cable development. Government data shows that India’s installed data center capacity has grown more than fourfold since 2020, jumping from 375MW to 1,575MW today, as companies rush to build computing capacity to power domestic AI model development and global cloud services. All of these facilities rely on fast, reliable subsea connectivity to global networks, but planning and deploying a new submarine cable system takes between five and six years total, meaning new capacity cannot keep up with the rapid growth of data center demand.

    Sundararajan identifies fragmented governance and bureaucratic red tape as the single biggest barrier to expanding India’s subsea infrastructure. No fewer than 16 separate government agencies across telecom, defense, home affairs, shipping, port authorities, environmental bodies, and state governments are involved in approving new cable projects and repair operations. Just constructing a single new cable landing station requires roughly 50 separate clearances across more than a dozen ministries. “A core issue is fragmented governance, not a lack of technical capability,” she says. Sundararajan recommends that India’s Department of Telecommunications be designated as the lead central agency, with a single-window approval system to cut wait times for repair vessel permits and new project approvals. She also calls for the government to pre-approve multiple cable landing sites across India’s east and west coasts as well as island territories, so developers do not need to start the approval process from scratch for every new project—an approach that has helped Singapore become a leading regional cable hub through predictable regulation and streamlined processes.

    Pooja Bhatt, an associate professor at OP Jindal Global University, notes that the mismatch between India’s digital ambitions and its inadequate core infrastructure can no longer be ignored. “Given its young demographics and ‘Digital India’ aspirations, it makes sense for the nation to build and maintain its own internet infrastructure for security and governance purposes,” she says. The Indian government has already taken one small step to address the issue, officially designating submarine cable systems as critical national telecommunications infrastructure, a classification that industry leaders hope will unlock faster approvals, support the development of a domestic repair fleet, and enable the creation of legally protected zones around cable routes to reduce the risk of accidental damage from fishing and anchoring.

    Emerging technologies may also help reduce risk over time: Distributed Acoustic Sensing, a new monitoring tool, can turn existing optical fibers into distributed sensors that detect vibrations from ships, anchors, or underwater vehicles, allowing operators to identify potential threats before a cable is severed. But industry leaders agree that the most critical fixes are low-tech: expanding the number of geographically dispersed cable landing stations, streamlining regulatory approval processes, protecting existing cable routes, and building a domestic fleet of repair vessels.

    Gupta notes that connectivity naturally clustered around Mumbai for decades, thanks to existing demand and infrastructure, but that this historic concentration is exactly the risk that the industry must move away from. “But that concentration is exactly the risk the industry needs to design away from,” he says. The shift to greater diversity is already underway: four new submarine cable systems are currently being commissioned across India, with three more in advanced planning stages. One of the new projects, I-2SEA, led by a Lightstorm-led consortium connecting India to Malaysia and Singapore, will feature two separate landing points in India: one at Machilipatnam, which creates a shorter route to the major technology hub of Hyderabad, and a new landing site in South Chennai, adding much-needed geographic diversity to existing networks.

    For a country that consumes data at one of the fastest rates in the world and is racing to build capacity for an AI-driven economy, the physical infrastructure that powers its global connectivity remains surprisingly fragile. While India is rapidly expanding its data center capacity and positioning itself as a global digital leader, the open question remains whether it can upgrade its subsea cable network, landing station capacity, and repair ecosystem fast enough to keep pace with its own ambition.

  • Could robots be the future of theme parks?

    Could robots be the future of theme parks?

    For decades, theme parks have relied on roller coasters, themed character meet-and-greets, and elaborate live shows to draw millions of visitors annually. Now, a new project in South Korea is pushing the boundaries of leisure entertainment by asking a forward-thinking question: could robots become the core of the next generation of theme park experiences?

    At the center of this experimental shift is Galaxy Robot Park, a sprawling 16,500-square-meter purpose-built venue that showcases how robotic technology can be integrated into leisure attractions. Unlike traditional theme parks that blend human staff and mechanical rides, this innovative park centers cutting-edge robotics as its main draw, with one of the most popular showcases featuring humanoid robot performers choreographed to dance to chart-topping K-pop hits. The synchronized, precise movements of these robots offer a one-of-a-kind spectator experience that cannot be replicated by human performance teams, drawing curiosity from both tech enthusiasts and casual theme park visitors.

    This venture represents a growing global trend of integrating advanced automation and artificial intelligence into the entertainment and leisure sectors. Theme park operators around the world have been testing robotic elements for years, from automated ride systems to interactive robot guides, but Galaxy Robot Park is one of the first full-scale venues dedicated entirely to robot-centric attractions. Industry analysts point out that the experiment could reshape how theme parks design experiences, offering lower long-term operational costs for venue owners while opening up new possibilities for performances and interactions that push the limits of what human performers can do. At the same time, the project raises questions about the future of human employment in the leisure sector, and how audiences will respond to an entirely robot-driven leisure experience.

  • Kyrgios given one-month ban for positive cocaine test

    Kyrgios given one-month ban for positive cocaine test

    Controversial Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has cleared his suspension and is eligible to return to professional competition, after accepting a one-month ban triggered by a positive cocaine test from a June tournament.

    The 31-year-old, whose ranking has plummeted to 918th in the world after years of injury struggles, was first placed on a provisional suspension on August 4, following a routine out-of-competition sample collected at the Mallorca Open that tested positive for benzoylecgonine, a well-documented metabolite of cocaine.

    Kyrgios did not dispute the finding during his investigation with the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA). He confirmed to investigators that he consumed cocaine during a late-night visit to a nightclub in Magaluf in the early hours of June 20, just two days before his first-round singles match at the Mallorca Open. He ultimately lost that match in straight sets to fellow Australian Adam Walton.

    After an independent expert consultation, the ITIA confirmed that Kyrgios used the banned substance outside of official competition, a ruling that supported a reduced penalty. While the maximum possible suspension for the offense was three months, the ban was cut to one month after Kyrgios committed to and enrolled in a formal treatment program for substance use. His suspension officially concluded on September 3, making him immediately eligible to return to tour events. In addition to the suspension, Kyrgios has been stripped of his 6,570 euro (approximately £5,650) prize money from the Mallorca Open.

    When the positive test was first announced, Kyrgios pledged to step away from social media and public life for the 28-day suspension period to “focus on getting myself right.” This season, the former world No. 13 has only competed in four singles matches, as persistent knee and wrist injuries have sidelined him for most of his schedule since the 2022 Wimbledon final. His most recent competitive appearance was in men’s doubles at this year’s Wimbledon, where he and partner Alexander Bublik exited in the opening round.

    In a public statement released shortly after his initial suspension, Kyrgios acknowledged that years of recurring injuries have taken an immense toll on both his physical and mental health. “My body hasn’t been able to do what my mind expects it to do,” he wrote on Instagram. “Coming to terms with being near the end of my career has been harder than I ever imagined. None of that excuses what I did.”

    Cocaine is categorized as a prohibited stimulant and substance of abuse on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) official banned list.

    Kyrgios has long been one of the most polarizing figures in men’s professional tennis. He has faced widespread criticism for repeated on-court misconduct, including multiple large fines for racket-smashing, verbal outbursts, obscenities, and arguments with umpires. Off the court, his history of controversy includes a 2023 admission of assaulting a former girlfriend in 2021, a case that ended with no criminal conviction, and multiple accusations of misogynistic remarks. Most recently in 2024, he faced backlash for sharing a post from controversial influencer Andrew Tate, though he later stated he had gone to great lengths to distance himself from Tate, who has openly described himself as a misogynist.

    Kyrgios was also an outspoken critic of the anti-doping rulings in two high-profile cases involving top tennis players Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek, labeling the handling of those cases “disgusting” for the sport and calling the global tennis integrity system “awful.” Notably, his one-month ban matches the length of suspension given to Swiatek, and is two months shorter than the three-month ban handed to Sinner, a outcome that aligns with Kyrgios’ own prior criticism of lenient penalties for top players.

    The timeline of Kyrgios’ cocaine use places it less than 24 hours before the official start of the Mallorca Open singles draw on June 21, even though his first match was not held until June 22. The ITIA granted the reduced penalty after Kyrgios provided official documentation confirming he had paid for and started his treatment program on August 28.

    Despite his immediate eligibility to return, Kyrgios has struggled to remain competitive on tour since his historic run to the 2022 Wimbledon singles final, where he lost in four sets to Novak Djokovic. He has undergone reconstructive knee and wrist surgery in the years since that run, and has only won two of the eight total matches he has competed in since the start of 2023. Beyond his 2022 Wimbledon singles final appearance, Kyrgios holds seven ATP Tour singles titles, and won the 2022 Australian Open men’s doubles title alongside compatriot Thanasi Kokkinakis. He has also spoken openly about his long-standing struggles with mental health, revealing that he genuinely contemplated suicide and spent time in a London psychiatric facility following an early loss at Wimbledon in 2019.

  • US diplomat Boulos won’t name ‘at least 12 countries’ involved in Sudan war

    US diplomat Boulos won’t name ‘at least 12 countries’ involved in Sudan war

    The ongoing civil conflict in Sudan, which erupted in April 2023 and has already spawned the world’s most severe humanitarian catastrophe, has drawn direct or indirect military involvement from at least a dozen foreign nations, a senior White House advisor for African and Arab affairs has revealed. Massad Boulos, a Lebanese-born American diplomat whose son is married to former President Donald Trump’s daughter Tiffany, laid out the widespread regional meddling in an exclusive interview with the BBC’s *Focus on Africa* program, though he declined to publicly name the intervening states.

    In his comments, Boulos emphasized that nearly every neighboring country in the Northeast African region has taken on some level of participation in the conflict, whether that means deploying military resources directly to one of the warring parties or enabling weapons transfers and militia movements across shared borders. “As for the military support, this is done currently by all the neighbouring countries in addition to some other regional actors. This is really very sad,” Boulos told the program. He went on to confirm that the total number of countries providing military backing to either the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) or the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) stands at roughly 12, adding that the identities of these backers are already an open secret in international diplomatic circles. “We are not going to go into names at this time, but I think they are well known,” he said.

    When pressed on why the U.S. has declined to publicly name the external backers of Sudan’s warring factions, Boulos deflected the question and refocused on Washington’s core diplomatic push: a push to impose a full, nationwide arms embargo on Sudan that would cut off all weapons flows to both sides of the conflict.

    Right now, only a limited UN arms embargo is in place, restricted solely to Sudan’s vast western Darfur region – the historic stronghold of the RSF and its predecessor militia, the Janjaweed, which carried out a genocidal campaign that killed hundreds of thousands of civilians in the early 2000s. That 20-year-old targeted embargo is set to expire on September 12, creating a narrow window for UN diplomats to craft a broader, more effective regulatory framework.

    According to reporting from Middle East Eye (MEE), the UN Panel of Experts tasked with monitoring the existing Darfur embargo submitted its final assessment report to the UN Security Council on July 13, and the document includes substantial new evidence confirming repeated violations of the embargo by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE has repeatedly and publicly denied providing any support to the RSF throughout the 16-month-long conflict. However, multiple independent sources – including UN experts, international human rights organizations, and MEE’s own on-the-ground reporting – have documented consistent Emirati military backing for the RSF, which is led by former Janjaweed commander Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo and has been formally accused of genocide in Darfur by multiple international bodies.

    Weapons serial numbers traced from battlefield recovered hardware, public flight tracking logs, and testimony from dozens of regional sources all confirm that the UAE routes military supplies to the RSF through third-party transit points in Libya, Chad, Ethiopia, and the self-declared independent state of Somaliland. The latest Panel of Experts report also adds new granular detail to longstanding public accusations that the UAE contracted Colombian mercenaries to fight alongside RSF forces on the ground in Sudan, MEE has learned.

    When asked directly about the accusations against the UAE during his BBC interview, Boulos confirmed he holds regular diplomatic meetings with Emirati officials, including talks held just one week prior to the interview. He added that Emirati officials “deny any direct involvement” in arming the RSF, suggesting that any weapons transfers that do occur are the unapproved actions of independent traders rather than official state policy. “There might be some traders or whatever that are doing these sorts of supplies, providing supplies to both sides, but again we are not here to go into these details,” Boulos said.

    While the UAE backs the RSF, public reporting confirms that other foreign powers have aligned with the opposing SAF. Egypt and Turkey are the two largest military backers of the Sudanese regular army, with Turkish diplomatic and military sources confirming to MEE that Ankara supplies the SAF with unmanned combat drones, artillery ammunition, and advanced air defense systems. Turkish drone operators have also deployed directly to Sudanese territory to carry out offensive operations, and both Turkey and Egypt have launched airstrikes against RSF weapons convoys operating in the remote desert border triangle where Sudan, Libya, and Egypt meet.

    Boulos told the BBC that a full nationwide arms embargo would impose a complete ban on the sale, transfer, and delivery of all weapons and military equipment to any party in the Sudanese conflict. “We have to act, we have to do something about it and that’s why I talked to the members of the Security Council about it,” he said, though he acknowledged that the proposal faces major barriers to passage at the UN Security Council. Russia has already used its veto power to block similar embargo proposals in recent months, leaving the diplomatic effort on uncertain ground.

    Boulos framed the push for a full embargo as an urgent response to a sharp recent escalation in external military support for both warring sides. “This call came in the context of the increasing levels of military support that we have seen to both warring parties in the recent weeks and months. There’s a tremendous increase to both sides,” he explained.

    The conflict between the SAF and RSF, which broke out over a disputed plan to integrate the two forces into a unified national military ahead of a planned transition to civilian rule, has displaced more than 10 million Sudanese and left millions more on the brink of famine, making it the world’s worst humanitarian disaster in decades.

  • Transplanted pig kidney works in US man’s body for record 271 days

    Transplanted pig kidney works in US man’s body for record 271 days

    A groundbreaking development in organ transplantation has set a new record: a kidney harvested from a genetically modified pig has functioned normally in a human patient for 271 days, the longest successful duration ever recorded for this experimental procedure, according to medical teams at Mass General Brigham in the United States. The case, recently published in the *Lancet* medical journal, offers a glimmer of hope amid a persistent global crisis of organ donor shortages that leaves thousands of patients waiting for life-saving treatment every year.

    The recipient of the experimental transplant was 66-year-old Tim Andrews, who was living with end-stage kidney disease caused by type 2 diabetes. Like thousands of patients across the United States and the United Kingdom, Andrews faced a years-long wait for a human donor kidney. He was told it could take up to seven years to reach the top of the transplant waiting list, while the average life expectancy for a patient on long-term dialysis is just five years. “I had a little bit of a shortage of time… it becomes very depressing,” Andrews recalled of his ordeal before the procedure. When offered the option of a pig kidney xenotransplant—an organ sourced from another species—he described the opportunity as “hope” and the “light at the end of the tunnel.”

    The transplant was performed on January 25, 2025. From the moment surgeons connected the pig kidney to Andrews’ blood vessels, the organ began working to filter his blood, eliminating the immediate need for regular, time-consuming dialysis appointments that had upended his daily life. The pig kidney continued to function without critical failure for 271 days, a new global benchmark for the field of xenotransplantation. Although early signs of immune rejection were detected, clinicians successfully managed the reaction by adjusting Andrews’ immunosuppressant medication. Eventually, after approximately six months, the pig kidney began to fail as inflammation developed and damage accumulated in its blood vessels. It was removed in October 2025, after which Andrews returned to short-term dialysis for 82 days. In January 2026, he received a donor human kidney, which has continued to function well as of the latest clinical updates.

    Notably, clinicians report that the pig kidney’s failure was not triggered by the acute antibody-mediated immune rejection that has doomed early xenotransplant attempts. The exact cause of the organ’s decline remains under investigation, marking a key area for future research.

    Pigs have long been identified as the most promising candidate species for human xenotransplantation: their organs are roughly the same size as human organs, and controlled farming of pigs for medical use has been refined over decades of research. However, using unmodified pig organs in humans triggers an immediate, devastating immune response, where the body identifies the foreign tissue and launches an attack that destroys the organ within minutes. To overcome this barrier, researchers developed genetically modified Yucatan miniature pigs, with 69 genomic edits designed to “humanize” their organs:
    – These edits remove molecular markers on pig cells that the human immune system recognizes as foreign
    – They add human genetic material that acts as biological camouflage, hiding the pig tissue from immune detection
    – Additional modifications disable endogenous retroviruses embedded in pig DNA, eliminating the risk of cross-species viral infection

    Mass General Brigham’s transplant team emphasizes that their successful 271-day outcome proves that genetically modified pig kidneys can act as a life-saving “bridge” for patients waiting for a human donor organ. For patients like Andrews, this bridge means freedom from the relentless cycle of dialysis while they wait, and a far higher chance of surviving long enough to receive a permanent human transplant.

    Dr. Leonardo Riella, from the center for transplantation sciences at Mass General Brigham, framed the ongoing organ shortage as a public health crisis. “We are working really hard to bring hope and we truly feel that xenotransplantation can be an alternative for patients who don’t have a living donor where we could potentially bypass dialysis and get them to a transplant,” he said.

    g the milestone, the research team’s published analysis acknowledges that the case highlights both the enormous promise of xenotransplantation and the critical challenges that remain to be solved before the procedure can become widely available to patients in need. Across the globe, 100,000 people are currently waiting for a kidney transplant in the U.S. alone, with only around 25,000 transplants performed annually. More than 7,000 patients are on the UK’s kidney waiting list, making the search for alternative organ sources a pressing public health priority.