Global Pulse

分类： society

  • Watch: Texas police rescue baby from car stuck in floodwater

    Watch: Texas police rescue baby from car stuck in floodwater

    A harrowing water rescue unfolded in flood-ravaged Texas this week, after a father made the risky decision to drive his vehicle through a rain-swollen road that had already been submerged by days of heavy downpours. The ill-fated attempt left his car stranded in rushing floodwater, with his infant child still trapped inside, prompting an emergency call to local law enforcement.

    Responding officers arrived quickly at the scene, launching an urgent operation to extract the baby from the waterlogged vehicle before rapidly rising floodwaters could cause further danger. In dramatic footage released by the Texas Police Department that has since circulated publicly, first responders can be seen navigating fast-moving, chest-deep water to reach the stuck car and safely pull the infant to dry ground.

    Following the successful rescue, law enforcement officials have issued a stark public warning to all motorists across the region: never attempt to cross a flooded roadway, no matter how familiar you are with the route or how shallow the water may appear. Statistics consistently show that most flood-related vehicle fatalities stem from preventable attempts to cross submerged roads, and officials are stressing that turning around rather than risking crossing is the only safe choice.

    Thankfully, the outcome of this incident avoided tragedy. Authorities confirmed that neither the adult driver nor the rescued baby suffered any injuries, a result that first responders are calling a best-case scenario after the dangerous misstep.

  • Argentina seizes 700 trafficked marine animals shipped from Kenya

    Argentina seizes 700 trafficked marine animals shipped from Kenya

    In a major breakthrough against the global illegal wildlife trade, Argentine law enforcement and conservation partners have seized more than 700 trafficked marine animals originating from Kenya, all bound for the lucrative international ornamental aquarium pet industry. The high-profile operation, carried out on April 26 at Ezeiza International Airport outside Buenos Aires, brought together multiple specialized stakeholders: Argentina’s Environmental Control Brigade, federal customs officials, the national agricultural health agency, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), and Argentina’s leading marine wildlife rehabilitation organization Fundación Temaikèn.

    The intercepted shipment held a diverse array of tropical marine species highly sought after by private aquarium collectors and exotic pet enthusiasts. Among the creatures confiscated were surgeonfish, puffer fish, lionfish, butterflyfish, octopuses, crabs and starfish, all pulled illegally from Kenyan reef ecosystems, according to conservation officials. Tragically, many of the animals did not survive the grueling 120-hour transcontinental transit, while those that remained alive arrived exhibiting extreme stress, physiological shock, and life-threatening dehydration.

    As the only facility in Argentina equipped to handle large-scale confiscations of exotic marine wildlife, Fundación Temaikèn immediately launched an emergency rescue operation at its campus in Escobar, a city north of Buenos Aires. A team of veterinarians and wildlife care specialists worked nonstop for more than 28 hours to stabilize the surviving animals, modifying existing enclosures and installing 10 purpose-built new tanks fitted with specialized heating, filtration, and water conditioning systems designed to meet the unique needs of tropical marine species.

    “Many of these animals were extracted from reef ecosystems and arrived at the limit of survival, after spending days inside transport bags and boxes before the rescue could be carried out,” explained Cristian Gillet, wildlife director at Fundación Temaikèn, in an official statement. Because each animal was individually packed in hundreds of small plastic bags, rescue teams had to conduct painstaking drip acclimation procedures one animal at a time, gradually adjusting them to the facility’s water conditions to minimize the risk of fatal physiological shock from sudden shifts in temperature and salinity.

    Specialists also implemented a strict triage protocol to prioritize treatment for the most critically weakened animals, while separate teams sorted through the shipment to identify all species and separate living specimens from those that did not survive the journey.

    Wildlife trafficking analysts note that the global trade in ornamental marine species has grown rapidly in recent years, driven by rising consumer demand for exotic pets and custom home aquariums. Conservation organizations have long warned that this unregulated trade inflicts severe damage on already fragile coral reef ecosystems, where wild populations are often overharvested to meet demand, and it carries an extremely high mortality rate for the animals themselves, who suffer extreme conditions during capture and long-distance transit.

    “This is an industrialized crime,” emphasized Christian Plowman of IFAW. “Moving 709 animals comprising 102 species across international cargo routes, packed in bags for 120 hours of transit, is not something done casually. It requires coordination along every link of the chain.”

    Plowman added that this seizure marks the third time in 12 months that Argentine authorities have intercepted a large illegal shipment at the same entry point, a pattern that reveals this airport as an established smuggling corridor for wildlife traffickers. “Traffickers identify and exploit corridors that work until enforcement disrupts the model. This interception — and the two before it — should be understood as intelligence, not just seizures. They are telling us something important about where the networks are operating and how,” he said.

    As of the latest update, all surviving animals remain under round-the-clock specialized care at Fundación Temaikèn, while Argentine authorities work to determine their long-term fate. Investigators have not yet released information about the individuals or criminal networks behind the shipment, and have not announced any arrests to date. Officials from the Kenya Wildlife Service did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the Associated Press, the original reporting agency for this story.

  • Four dead after train hits school bus in Belgium

    Four dead after train hits school bus in Belgium

    A devastating traffic accident has shaken Belgium, after a commuter train collided with a school minibus at a railway crossing in the small Flemish town of Buggenhout on Tuesday morning, leaving four people dead and multiple others injured, senior national officials have confirmed. Among the fatalities are two children, whose deaths have sparked an outpouring of grief across the country and from European leadership.

    Belgium’s Deputy Prime Minister Maxime Prevot was among the first senior officials to confirm the details of the tragedy, sharing the news on social media platform X early Tuesday. “A tragic collision between a train and a school bus took place in Buggenhout this morning. Four people have been killed, including two children,” Prevot wrote.

    Prime Minister Bart De Wever quickly responded to the incident, saying he was deeply shaken by the horrific crash. “I am deeply moved by the horrific accident… My thoughts go out to the affected families,” De Wever posted on social media.

    Pictures from the accident site, located in northern Belgium’s Flanders region, paint a grim picture of the collision’s force: the minibus lies overturned on its side beside the railway track, its structure heavily crumpled, while emergency response teams have erected isolation tents around the crash zone. The passenger commuter train involved in the collision remained stationary on the tracks in the hours after the incident as investigators began their work.

    Local police spokesperson An Berger clarified the full passenger count of the minibus for Belgian media outlets: seven children, one adult supervisor, and the minibus driver were on board at the time of the crash. Crucially, Berger added that no passengers or crew on the commuter train suffered any injuries.

    Frederic Sacre, spokesperson for Infrabel, Belgium’s national rail infrastructure manager, described the extreme force of the impact to reporters from Agence France-Presse. At the time of the collision, the train was traveling at 120 kilometers per hour, roughly 75 miles per hour. “The minibus was thrown about 15 metres (50 feet) into a metal pylon,” Sacre said. To date, that is the most detailed description of the collision’s mechanics released by an official.

    Sacre also shared a key early update on the investigation’s findings, confirming that preliminary review of site footage shows active crossing safety measures were active at the time of the incident. “The barriers at the crossing had been closed and a red light was showing,” Sacre said. Early reports from multiple Belgian media outlets have added that the seven children on board the minibus attended a local school for children with learning disabilities, adding another layer of gravity to the tragedy.

    Senior leaders across the political spectrum, both national and European, have united to offer condolences and support. Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin expressed his profound sorrow over what he called an unthinkable tragedy, writing on X that his thoughts were with the victims and their families. “I wish the injured much strength,” Quintin added, also offering public thanks to first responders and emergency service workers for their rapid response to the crash.

    Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, added her voice to the chorus of condolence, saying she was heartbroken by the news of the collision. “My deepest condolences go out to the victims’ families and their loved ones,” von der Leyen posted on social media. “Today, Europe grieves with Belgium.”

  • Woman allegedly caught on CCTV stealing tip jars from multiple Gold Coast cafes

    Woman allegedly caught on CCTV stealing tip jars from multiple Gold Coast cafes

    A string of brazen tip jar thefts targeting local hospitality businesses on Queensland’s Gold Coast has prompted collective alarm among owners, who are urging community members and fellow operators to stay vigilant after the alleged thief was captured on closed-circuit security footage.

    Over a two-week period, the suspected thief has struck at multiple cafes and food outlets across popular coastal precincts including Broadbeach, Miami, Coolangatta and Kirra, according to accounts from affected business owners. Security camera recordings from the locations paint a clear picture of the alleged offender’s method: she waits until front-of-house staff are distracted by other tasks, then snatches the tip jar in mere seconds before concealing it in her handbag and exiting the premises undetected.

    Chana Murakawa, owner of Goya Cafe, told reporters the theft of her jar that held six months of accumulated customer tips left her team reeling. “Five seconds and she’s gone,” Murakawa said, describing the brazen speed of the alleged crime.

    Roughly an hour after Murakawa’s cafe was targeted, a second nearby business fell victim to the same modus operandi. Days later, another incident was recorded on camera at BSKT Cafe, where owner Sonia Griggins said she and her staff were stunned when they reviewed the footage. “We quickly looked back on camera and couldn’t believe it,” Griggins said. “She’s doing the rounds.”

    Other affected businesses include Beefy’s Pies and Cafe All Sorts, with one theft hitting far closer to home for a local operator. Jennifer Roch, owner of the impacted outlet that was robbed, said the stolen jar was specifically earmarked for 4Paws, a local animal rescue charity. Customer tips and donations had been collected in the jar for months, and Roch confirmed a substantial sum was taken in the theft.

    With multiple businesses left out of pocket after months of accumulated gratuities were stolen in single incidents, affected owners have banded together to issue public warnings. “So we are warning everyone,” Murakawa said. “This lady is dangerous.”

    Queensland Police have been notified of the string of thefts, and authorities are asking any member of the public who recognizes the woman from security footage or has information related to the incidents to come forward to assist with the investigation.

  • Four killed as school minibus collides with train in Belgium

    Four killed as school minibus collides with train in Belgium

    A devastating early-morning collision between a passenger train and a school minibus in the small Belgian town of Buggenhout has left four people dead, including two schoolchildren and two adult staff members, authorities have confirmed. The crash unfolded just after 8 a.m. local time (6 a.m. GMT) at a manned level crossing in the town, which sits northwest of Brussels near the city of Aalst, according to federal police spokesperson An Berger.

    At the time of impact, the minibus was transporting seven children, one driver, and one adult chaperone en route to a local special education secondary school. Berger confirmed that no physical injuries were reported among passengers and crew on the train, though one individual on board received medical care for acute shock following the incident.

    Photographs captured at the accident scene show the mangled minibus resting on its side off the tracks, a stark visual of the tragedy that has shaken the local community. Belgian Mobility Minister Jean-Luc Crucke, who first confirmed that the crossing’s safety barriers were already lowered at the time of the collision, offered his immediate condolences to all those affected. “My first thoughts are with the victims,” Crucke said in a statement shortly after the crash.

    Flemish Education Minister Zuhal Demir also echoed the sorrow of national and regional leaders, sharing her reaction on public social media. “What heartbreaking news,” Demir wrote. “My thoughts are with all the victims, their families and everyone closely involved.” Local emergency services rushed to the scene immediately after the collision to extract casualties and secure the area, with investigations into the exact cause of the crash now underway.

  • Several hurt in a crash between a train and a minibus, Belgian police say

    Several hurt in a crash between a train and a minibus, Belgian police say

    BRUSSELS – A dramatic collision between a passenger train and a minibus transporting children has left multiple people injured in northern Belgium, federal law enforcement officials confirmed Tuesday. The crash unfolded at an unprotected level crossing close to the small municipality of Buggenhout, located roughly 30 kilometers northwest of the country’s capital city. As of Tuesday afternoon, the full sequence of events leading to the incident remained unconfirmed, with authorities still working to piece together how the crash occurred. Federal police have confirmed that “several people” sustained harm in the collision, but declined to share additional information, including the full extent of injuries or the identities of those involved. Local private broadcaster VTM, however, has reported that a number of fatalities have been recorded at the scene, though official confirmation of this detail is still pending. A multi-disciplinary response team, including public prosecutors, forensic investigators, and national transport safety experts, was dispatched to the crash site shortly after the incident to launch a full investigation into the cause. In a public statement posted to social media, Belgian Interior Minister Bernard Quintin offered his reaction to what he described as a devastating loss. “I feel great sadness over the tragic accident in Buggenhout, where a school bus was struck by a train,” Quintin wrote. “My thoughts are with the victims and all of their families and loved ones at this incredibly difficult time.” The incident has sent shockwaves through the local community, with emergency services remaining on site to coordinate response efforts through Tuesday afternoon.

  • Watch: Bridge collapses and car swept away in China river

    Watch: Bridge collapses and car swept away in China river

    A dramatic bridge collapse incident in Xiaogan, a city located in central China’s Hubei Province, has resulted in a passenger vehicle being swept away by a rushing river – but all people inside the car managed to evacuate to safety before the structure gave way, local reports confirm.

    Footage captured by onlookers shows the moment the bridge section fractured and collapsed into the water below, pulling the unsuspecting vehicle down with the collapsing infrastructure. Emergency response teams were quickly dispatched to the scene to assess the damage, search for any potential missing persons, and begin evaluating next steps for clearing the wreckage and restoring river crossing access for local residents.

    Preliminary local investigations are ongoing to determine the root cause of the collapse, with early hypotheses pointing to possible prolonged erosion from heavy seasonal rainfall that weakened the bridge’s supporting structures. No injuries or fatalities have been reported in connection with the incident, a outcome that local authorities have described as a stroke of good fortune.

    The collapse has disrupted local transportation networks in the affected area, prompting officials to implement temporary detour routes for passenger and freight traffic while planning for reconstruction gets underway. Authorities have also launched a broader inspection of similar aged bridges across the region to identify potential safety hazards and prevent similar structural failures from occurring in the future.

  • China executes man for murdering prominent gaming tycoon

    China executes man for murdering prominent gaming tycoon

    Nearly four years after the sudden, shocking death of iconic Chinese gaming billionaire Lin Qi, the man convicted of his murder has been executed, closing a high-profile case that sent ripples through the global entertainment and gaming industries.

    Xu Yao, a former lawyer who once worked closely with Lin on high-stakes media projects, was put to death on May 21 following his 2024 death sentence handed down by the Shanghai First Intermediate People’s Court. The court had previously labeled Xu’s premeditated crime as “extremely despicable”, and Yoozoo Games, Lin’s eponymous company, officially confirmed the execution in a public statement released this Tuesday.

    The tragic chain of events that ended Lin’s life at 39 traces back to a bitter professional falling out in 2020. Just after Xu helped Lin secure a landmark adaptation deal with streaming giant Netflix for Liu Cixin’s globally beloved *Remembrance of Earth’s Past* (better known as *The Three-Body Problem*), Lin made the decision to reassign core business leadership responsibilities of the franchise subsidiary to other executives, sidelining Xu. Bitter and resentful over the shift, Xu hatched a lethal plot: he disguised a toxic substance as over-the-counter probiotic supplements and gave them to Lin.

    Lin began feeling unwell in early December 2020 and sought medical care, but he died nine days after being admitted. At the time of his death, the Hurun China Rich List estimated his net worth at approximately 6.8 billion yuan, equal to around $941 million. Police took Xu into custody just days after Lin was hospitalized. Investigations also revealed that Xu’s poisoning scheme did not end with Lin: several other colleagues who came into contact with the toxic substances also fell ill, though none suffered fatal injuries.

    Lin founded Yoozoo Games, a Shanghai-based gaming development studio that rose to international prominence with its hit strategy title *Game of Thrones: Winter Is Coming*. Beyond gaming, Lin pivoted to expanding intellectual property rights for major science fiction properties, and in 2018 he tapped Xu to head Three-Body Universe, the dedicated subsidiary created to manage all projects tied to the *Three-Body* franchise. The company secured the film and television adaptation rights for Liu Cixin’s trilogy, and ultimately struck the deal with Netflix that led to 2024’s breakout hit series adaptation of *3 Body Problem*. The series quickly became one of the streaming platform’s most-watched original releases of the year, and Lin was posthumously credited as an executive producer for his foundational work bringing the project to life.

    In this week’s statement confirming Xu’s execution, Yoozoo Games offered a formal reflection on the case: “Justice has ultimately been served. We deeply mourn Mr. Lin and extend our heartfelt condolences to his family. As colleagues who fought alongside him, all members of the company are grateful for the impartiality of the judicial process.”

    One of the non-fatal victims of Xu’s poisoning also shared a reaction with Chinese publication *Economic Observer*, writing on social media that “Justice comes in the end, even if it’s late”. Lin’s sudden death in 2020 sent shockwaves through the global gaming and entertainment sectors, where he was widely recognized as a visionary entrepreneur who bridged Chinese creative IP and global audiences.

  • 3 dead in South Korea after collapse at overpass demolition site

    3 dead in South Korea after collapse at overpass demolition site

    A tragic construction accident in downtown Seoul on Tuesday has left three people dead and three more hospitalized with injuries after a section of a decades-old overpass mid-demolition gave way unexpectedly, South Korean fire authorities confirmed. According to Lee Jong-woon, a representative from Seoul’s Seodaemun District Fire Station, the incident unfolded after on-site crews first paused demolition work when they spotted unusual sinking in a portion of the structure amid ongoing concrete slab cutting operations. Crews had moved to conduct a routine safety check following this discovery when the collapse occurred, leaving victims trapped under falling concrete and steel debris. All fatalities were caused by blunt trauma from falling wreckage after the bridge deck section fractured and collapsed, fire officials added. In the wake of the incident, law enforcement and emergency response teams quickly cordoned off the entire area surrounding the collapse site, where mangled steel girders and broken concrete chunks now dangle dangerously from the remaining overpass structure. A portion of falling debris also landed on an adjacent railway corridor serving major routes into Seoul, prompting state-owned Korea Railroad Corp. to immediately suspend a portion of incoming and outgoing services bound for Seoul Station, disrupting commuter and long-distance travel across the region. First constructed in 1966, the aging infrastructure project had been marked for demolition for years due to longstanding public safety concerns. Demolition work on the overpass first launched in August of the previous year, and crews had been working methodically to take down the structure incrementally before Tuesday’s deadly incident. Emergency teams have not yet released further details on the identities of the victims or the exact timeline of resumed work at the site, as investigations into the cause of the collapse are still in their early stages.

  • Search continues for 7 villagers trapped in a flooded Laos cave

    Search continues for 7 villagers trapped in a flooded Laos cave

    The multi-national search and rescue mission for seven local villagers trapped inside a flooded cave in central Laos has entered its seventh day on Tuesday, with rescuers battling harsh terrain and volatile weather to reach the stranded group whose current status remains unclear.

    According to Lao and Thai rescue teams deployed to the operation, the seven entered the cave in Xaisomboun Province on May 19, only for an intense downpour to trigger sudden flash flooding that sealed off their only exit path.

    The Lao non-profit Rescue Volunteer for People, which has been collaborating closely with local government authorities on the operation, announced its Tuesday operational priorities via a Facebook post: search teams planned to explore natural air shafts above the cave system to identify alternative access points and pinpoint the location of the trapped group. Rescue personnel from neighboring Thailand arrived at the remote site over the weekend to reinforce the effort.

    Difficult conditions have consistently slowed progress from the start of the operation. To date, rescue divers have only managed to navigate roughly 100 meters into the narrow, waterlogged cave system, and estimates place the trapped group around 30 meters beyond the farthest point rescuers have currently reached. Crews are currently working around the clock to pump floodwater out of the cave to open new passage for search teams.

    The cave is located in a remote, mountainous area of Longcheng district, Xaisomboun Province, approximately 120 kilometers north of the Lao capital Vientiane. Rescuers have documented on social media how steep terrain and ongoing heavy rainfall have severely hampered movement and operations. Footage shared by Thai rescue teams shows that reaching the cave entrance alone requires a 4-kilometer steep, arduous hike over uneven ground. The entrance itself is rocky, sharply sloped, and only wide enough to allow one person to climb through at a time. Once inside, teams must navigate mud-choked corridors, fully flooded chambers, and tight tunnels that force rescuers to crawl slowly forward.

    While no official confirmation of the group’s purpose inside the cave has been released by authorities, participating rescuers confirmed the villagers entered the site to search for untapped gold deposits. Bounkham Luanglath, a representative of the Lao rescue organization, told the Associated Press that local residents had long visited the cave to prospect for gold, despite repeated official warnings about the site’s significant safety risks.

    Laos has one of the lowest average per capita incomes in Southeast Asia, ranging between $2,000 and $2,500 annually, with rural, underdeveloped regions seeing even lower average earnings. Though the country is not classified as a major global gold producer, its mining sector makes up a substantial share of its developing national economy, driven by foreign direct investment primarily from neighboring China and Thailand. While copper remains the country’s top mineral export, mining for rare earth elements — critical components for nearly all modern electronics and clean energy technologies — has expanded rapidly across Laos in recent years. As of Tuesday, the Lao Foreign Ministry stated it had no official information to release to media outlets. The one-party communist state maintains strict controls over information sharing, with no formal organized opposition permitted.

    The high-profile rescue operation has drawn major attention in neighboring Thailand, where it evokes sharp comparisons to the viral 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue, when 12 youth soccer players and their coach were trapped for more than two weeks before a daring international operation pulled them out alive. That mission claimed one life: a former Thai Navy SEAL diver who died during the search phase. Just earlier this month, another high-profile cave tragedy claimed six lives: five Italian divers who died after going missing during a cave dive in the Maldives, plus a Maldivian military diver who was killed during the high-risk body recovery operation.

    Cave rescue experts note that trapped cave explorers face a cascade of life-threatening hazards even in the best conditions. Extended exposure to cold cave temperatures can quickly lead to hypothermia. While the human body can survive for multiple weeks without food, access to clean drinking water is critical to avoid fatal dehydration, and contaminated water can trigger diarrhea that accelerates fluid loss. Falling oxygen levels and carbon dioxide buildup also pose severe risks: low oxygen causes symptoms similar to altitude sickness that can damage lungs and other organs over time, while excess carbon dioxide buildup leads to fatigue and eventual unconsciousness. Constant darkness also disrupts the body’s circadian rhythms and sense of time, and can leave victims with extreme light sensitivity once they are extracted.

    This report includes contributions from Associated Press journalists Grant Peck, Anton L. Delgado and Haruka Nuga.