Global Pulse

分类： society

  • Septic tank searched, mine shafts to be explored as police ramp up outback search for missing SA woman Trisha Graf

    Septic tank searched, mine shafts to be explored as police ramp up outback search for missing SA woman Trisha Graf

    Authorities in South Australia have escalated their investigation into the mysterious disappearance of Trisha Graf, who vanished from the remote mining town of Andamooka in December 2025. The search operation has now entered a critical phase with investigators examining potentially hazardous locations in the harsh outback terrain.

    New developments reveal that police recently conducted a thorough examination of a septic tank at a property near Graf’s last known location on February 23. Despite meticulous efforts, the search yielded no evidence related to her disappearance. The investigation had been temporarily halted due to severe weather conditions but has now resumed with renewed determination.

    The timeline of events indicates Graf was last seen during the early hours of December 12 after visiting the Roxy Downs hotel. Surveillance records show her departing the establishment at approximately 12:19 AM in her white 2012 Ford Territory (registration S254BCX). Shortly afterward, she reportedly collided with a kangaroo near Andamooka Township but continued her journey to visit a friend.

    Her final confirmed sighting occurred around 2:00 AM on Dunstan Drive. Friends discovered her vehicle approximately ten hours later, positioned on a dirt mound near Blue Dam, east of Andamooka. The abandoned car showed no immediate signs of what might have transpired after she was last seen.

    Law enforcement officials are now preparing to search numerous mine shafts located east of Andamooka, considering the area’s mining history and potentially dangerous abandoned sites. The community remains on high alert as authorities urge anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000.

  • Thousands of Melbourne council workers threaten to strike over pay dispute

    Thousands of Melbourne council workers threaten to strike over pay dispute

    Melbourne is confronting the imminent reality of severe public service disruptions as thousands of municipal workers prepare for unprecedented industrial action. The Australian Services Union (ASU) Victorian/Tasmanian branch has officially filed for protected action ballots, setting the stage for what union leadership describes as the largest local government strike in Australian history.

    The impending work stoppage, scheduled for April, will involve critical service personnel across waste management, recycling operations, park maintenance, library services, and home care provisions. The collective action stems from an ongoing compensation dispute with the state government, with workers demanding wage increases of up to 10 percent to address escalating living costs.

    ASU Victorian Branch Secretary Tash Wark articulated the workers’ position, stating, ‘Local government workers are done being left behind. The cost of living is skyrocketing, but your pay isn’t. We’re not just pushing back, we are fighting back big.’

    The industrial action affects eight metropolitan councils—Melbourne, Hume, Darebin, Merri-bek, Yarra, Maribyrnong, Hobsons Bay, and Greater Dandenong—all of which have been notified regarding the pending service interruptions. The Fair Work Commission will oversee the protected action ballot process, determining the final scope and timing of the work stoppages.

    Residents should anticipate significant service degradations including uncollected garbage, closed public libraries, unmaintained parks, and disrupted home care services during the strike period. The union emphasizes that this coordinated action represents a watershed moment in municipal labor relations, reflecting growing concerns about wage stagnation amid Australia’s current economic climate.

  • Fisherman’s body pulled from water at Lord Howe Island

    Fisherman’s body pulled from water at Lord Howe Island

    A devastating maritime incident has resulted in the death of a fisherman in the waters surrounding Australia’s remote Lord Howe Island. The tragedy unfolded on Wednesday afternoon when emergency services were alerted to a body sighted floating near Clear Place Point along the island’s eastern coastline.

    New South Wales police confirmed that responders were dispatched approximately at 5:00 PM following a triple-0 emergency call reporting the discovery. The victim, identified as a 51-year-old man, was located in proximity to a rock fishing platform where personal angling equipment was subsequently found.

    Despite immediate recovery efforts conducted jointly by NSW Police and State Emergency Service personnel, medical professionals at Gower Wilson Memorial Hospital were unable to resuscitate the fisherman upon arrival. The body has been transferred to hospital facilities while authorities commence standard investigative procedures.

    As an official territory under the administration of the Lord Howe Island Board—which operates under the jurisdiction of the NSW state government—the island now becomes the focus of a coronial investigation led by NSW Police. Standard protocol requires that all evidence and circumstances surrounding the death be documented for the coroner’s review.

    The picturesque island territory, situated nearly 800 kilometers northeast of Sydney, is renowned for its world heritage status and pristine natural environment, though its rugged coastal geography presents significant hazards for shoreline anglers. This incident marks another sobering reminder of the dangers associated with rock fishing activities around Australia’s coastline.

  • Watch: Moment wolf rescued from canal in northern Italy

    Watch: Moment wolf rescued from canal in northern Italy

    In a remarkable display of interspecies compassion, Italian firefighters successfully rescued a distressed wolf from a canal in northern Italy. The dramatic operation, captured on official video footage released by the Vigili del Fuoco (Italian Fire Brigade), shows emergency personnel carefully hoisting the exhausted animal to safety from beneath a bridge structure where it had become trapped.

    The rescue required specialized technical expertise as firefighters navigated the challenging aquatic environment to reach the struggling canine. Using professional rescue equipment and techniques typically employed for human water emergencies, the team worked methodically to secure the animal without causing additional stress or injury.

    Wildlife experts note that such interventions represent a growing awareness of human responsibility toward wild animals in increasingly urbanized environments. The incident highlights the expanded role of emergency services in responding to non-human distress calls across Italy’s diverse ecosystems.

    The rescued wolf, believed to be from one of the growing populations in Italy’s northern regions, was examined by veterinary specialists following the extraction. Conservation authorities have been notified to monitor the animal’s recovery and eventual reintegration into its natural habitat, demonstrating Italy’s commitment to protecting its native wildlife species.

  • A Canadian town says it’s the ‘birthplace’ of ice hockey. Some historians aren’t so sure

    A Canadian town says it’s the ‘birthplace’ of ice hockey. Some historians aren’t so sure

    A legislative proposal in Nova Scotia has ignited a fiery historical debate among scholars regarding the true origins of modern ice hockey. The controversial bill, introduced by lawmaker Melissa Sheehy-Richard in late February, seeks to officially designate the town of Windsor as hockey’s “birthplace” based on documented accounts of “hurley on the ice” being played there as early as 1810.

    The proposed legislation traces hockey’s evolution from these early ice adaptations of hurling—an ancient Irish field sport—to British soldiers playing organized games in Halifax by the mid-1850s, before the sport gained widespread popularity in Montreal where the first Stanley Cup was awarded in 1893.

    However, prominent historians have challenged this narrative. Jean-Patrice Martel, co-author of “On the Origin of Hockey,” presented evidence suggesting the sport was played earlier in Manhattan, though his research ultimately points to 1607 Scotland during The Great Frost as the earliest documented instance of shinty played on ice.

    Indigenous communities have also voiced strong objections. Mi’kmaw historian Cheryl Maloney testified that her ancestors were playing ice games with tree roots in Tufts Cove, Dartmouth, as early as 1749—decades before the Windsor documentation. Local historian David Jones supported this claim, emphasizing the Mi’kmaq’s significant role in hockey’s evolution and suggesting the bill should be scrapped entirely.

    Sheehy-Richard has responded to critics, stating the bill was “not intended to be exclusionary” and that she remains open to amendments. The controversy mirrors other Canadian historical disputes, including the origins of poutine and butter tarts, highlighting the complex nature of tracing cultural heritage.

  • Open University reverses UKLFI-influenced ‘ancient Palestine’ ban

    Open University reverses UKLFI-influenced ‘ancient Palestine’ ban

    The Open University (OU) has reversed its position on using the term ‘ancient Palestine’ in academic materials following significant scholarly backlash. This development comes after pressure from UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI), who previously persuaded the university to abandon the terminology.

    In November 2025, UKLFI argued that references to ‘ancient Palestine’ in an OU humanities module could create a ‘hostile environment for Jewish and Israeli students’ and potentially violate equality legislation. The group claimed the term was historically inaccurate for periods before Roman Emperor Hadrian renamed the region ‘Syria Palaestina’ in the second century CE.

    Initially, the university’s Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences head Adrienne Scullion acquiesced to these demands in December, promising to eliminate the term from future materials and contextualize its use in existing ones. UKLFI celebrated this as a victory on their website.

    However, this decision triggered substantial academic opposition. Over 600 scholars and public figures, including prominent Israeli historians Ilan Pappe and Avi Shlaim alongside Palestinian historians Rashid Khalidi and Nur Masalha, signed an open letter demanding retraction. They argued the commitment threatened academic freedom, potentially violated the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act 2023, and represented complicity in ‘politically motivated attempts to erase Palestine from history.’

    The OU has now clarified its position through a spokesperson, stating academics remain ‘free to use the term ‘ancient Palestine’ where scholarly appropriate’ without mandatory contextual notes. The university explained its previous commitment to UKLFI applied only to a single module ‘scheduled for replacement.’

    This controversy occurs amidst broader patterns of institutional pressure. UKLFI has similarly targeted the British Museum and Encyclopaedia Britannica regarding Palestinian references, though the museum denied acting on UKLFI’s complaints. Academic experts maintain that ‘ancient Palestine’ is historically accurate, with OU classical studies lecturer Marchella Ward calling claims of its illegitimacy a ‘lie’ supporting ‘the erasure of Palestinians.’

  • UK: Piers Morgan says pro-Israel lawyer suing him for defamation

    UK: Piers Morgan says pro-Israel lawyer suing him for defamation

    British television host Piers Morgan faces a defamation lawsuit from pro-Israel attorney Natasha Hausdorff following a heated exchange on his YouTube program ‘Piers Morgan Uncensored’ in June 2025. The legal action stems from Morgan’s confrontational interview with Hausdorff, who serves as legal director for UK Lawyers for Israel, during which he openly challenged her characterization of Hamas infrastructure in Rafah.

    The contentious moment occurred when Hausdorff asserted that ‘every second house’ encountered by Israeli forces in Rafah constituted Hamas ‘terror infrastructure.’ Morgan responded dismissively, stating, ‘I certainly wouldn’t take your word for it; sounds like a lot of old bullshit again.’ This exchange has now become the central focus of the defamation claim.

    Morgan has publicly addressed the lawsuit through a statement on social media platform X, expressing his willingness to undergo ‘an open court test’ of Hausdorff’s defense of Israeli government claims regarding Gaza operations. He notably highlighted Israel’s continued restrictions on journalistic access to Gaza as context for the dispute.

    The lawsuit emerges against a complex backdrop of Morgan’s evolving coverage of the Israel-Palestine conflict. While the presenter maintains he has provided more platform space for pro-Palestine perspectives than any other mainstream Western media figure, he has simultaneously faced significant criticism for perceived pro-Israel bias following the October 7 attacks. Morgan initially declared support for Israel’s right to self-defense immediately after the Hamas-led offensive, but his position has demonstrated notable evolution as the conflict progressed.

    Last May, Morgan engaged in a particularly confrontational exchange with Israeli Ambassador to the UK Tzipi Hotovely, during which he asserted: ‘Don’t treat us like idiots. Your government has something to hide in Gaza.’ This shift in tone reflects the broader complexity of media coverage surrounding the ongoing conflict and the challenges faced by journalists navigating highly polarized narratives.

  • Miao communities celebrate Lantern Festival with fireworks

    Miao communities celebrate Lantern Festival with fireworks

    The ancient town of Taijiang in Guizhou Province transformed into a spectacular arena of light and sound on Tuesday as Miao ethnic communities celebrated the Lantern Festival with their traditional fiery dragon dances. Against the night sky, more than sixty brilliantly crafted dragons weaved through narrow streets and bustling alleys, each massive creation carried by teams of 50 to 100 participants.

    The celebration reached its crescendo as spectators actively participated by igniting handheld fireworks, creating cascading showers of sparks that engulfed the procession in a luminous embrace. This interactive tradition holds deep cultural significance among the Miao people, who believe that the intensity of firecrackers directly correlates with the abundance of good fortune in the coming year.

    The Lantern Festival, marking the final day of the Chinese New Year celebrations, typically features tranquil lantern displays and sweet rice ball consumption. However, Taijiang’s Miao communities have preserved this distinctive tradition that combines artistic dragon craftsmanship with pyrotechnic spectacle. The event demonstrates how ethnic minority groups maintain their unique cultural identities while participating in broader national celebrations.

    Local authorities reported record participation this year, with the thunderous celebrations drawing visitors from across the province. The preservation of such traditions offers valuable insights into China’s diverse ethnic tapestry and the ways in which traditional practices continue to thrive in modern society.

  • Greg Lynn: D-Day for pilot’s bail bid ahead of possible retrial over Carol Clay’s death

    Greg Lynn: D-Day for pilot’s bail bid ahead of possible retrial over Carol Clay’s death

    Former Jetstar pilot Greg Lynn, 59, is scheduled to appear before the Supreme Court of Victoria on Thursday morning for a crucial bail hearing decision. Justice David Beach will determine whether Lynn will be released from custody to reside with his son, Geordie Lynn, while awaiting a potential retrial concerning the death of 73-year-old Carol Clay in March 2020.

    The development follows a significant appellate court ruling more than two months ago, where a three-judge panel from the Court of Appeal overturned Lynn’s previous conviction. The judicial panel determined that prosecutorial misconduct had fundamentally compromised the fairness of the initial trial proceedings. Notably, Lynn had been acquitted of murder charges regarding Russell Hill, 74, while being convicted of Clay’s murder during their camping trip in Victoria’s Wonnangatta Valley—a verdict he consistently contested through not guilty pleas.

    Defense counsel Dermot Dann KC presented multiple compelling arguments for bail approval, emphasizing Lynn’s 4+ years of incarceration, strong family support system, stable residential arrangements, and concerns about prejudicial media coverage. Mr. Dann characterized certain news reports as “explosive” and damaging to his client’s right to a fair trial, prompting the defense team to prepare a motion for stay of proceedings that could potentially halt legal proceedings indefinitely.

    The prosecution indicated that a retrial could commence as early as July or August this year, though the defense maintains that extensive media attention has substantially diminished the likelihood of impartial proceedings in the foreseeable future. The case continues to attract significant public attention as both legal teams await the court’s bail determination.

  • Adrian Cheng: HK needs to build platforms for international and local talent exchange

    Adrian Cheng: HK needs to build platforms for international and local talent exchange

    Adrian Cheng Chi-kong, a prominent member of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), has called for the establishment of specialized platforms to facilitate knowledge exchange and collaboration between international professionals and local talent in Hong Kong. In an exclusive interview with China Daily, Cheng emphasized that this strategic initiative aligns perfectly with the commencement of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan period, which is anticipated to attract substantial innovative industry talent to the special administrative region.

    The business leader and philanthropist articulated that these proposed platforms would serve as crucial hubs for cross-pollination of ideas, mutual learning, and professional integration across diverse sectors. Cheng further highlighted Hong Kong’s unique position as a global intermediary, suggesting the city should intensify its efforts as a cultural superconnector to introduce authentic Chinese culture to international audiences.

    This dual approach of talent integration and cultural diplomacy, Cheng believes, would significantly enhance global understanding of China’s development and values while strengthening Hong Kong’s competitive edge as an international hub. The proposal comes at a pivotal moment as Hong Kong continues to reinvent its role within China’s national development strategy while maintaining its distinctive global character.