Global Pulse

分类： world

  • Zelensky says allies asked him to scale back attacks on Russian energy

    Zelensky says allies asked him to scale back attacks on Russian energy

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has revealed that international partners have privately urged Kyiv to reduce its targeted strikes on Russian energy infrastructure amid growing global fuel concerns. In a WhatsApp voice message to journalists, Zelensky stated these appeals would only be honored if Moscow reciprocally ceased attacks on Ukraine’s energy facilities.

    The president framed Ukraine’s ongoing campaign against Russian oil terminals and refineries as proportional retaliation, emphasizing that ‘if Russia is ready not to strike Ukraine’s energy, then we’ll respond by not attacking theirs.’ This declaration follows Ukraine’s successful long-range drone operations against critical Russian energy assets, including the significant Ust-Luga export terminal near St. Petersburg, which reportedly lost 60% of its operational capacity.

    While Zelensky didn’t identify specific nations requesting de-escalation, global energy dependencies reveal potential stakeholders. According to CREA research, China and India collectively purchased 85% of Russia’s crude oil exports in February, while the European Union remains the primary consumer of Russian gas (34%) and liquefied natural gas (49%).

    The global energy landscape has grown increasingly volatile following Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz and subsequent U.S. sanctions adjustments on Russian oil. These developments have driven price surges that simultaneously fund Russia’s war economy while threatening Ukraine’s military capabilities.

    During his recent diplomatic tour of Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, and Jordan, Zelensky offered Ukraine’s drone technology expertise in exchange for enhanced air defense support. He also highlighted Ukraine’s successful grain corridor experience as potential leverage for resolving Hormuz shipping disruptions.

    Meanwhile, Ukraine’s energy infrastructure suffers catastrophic damage from Russian attacks, with over one million citizens experiencing winter power and heating outages. The nation now depends heavily on fuel imports through Poland, Greece, Lithuania, and Turkey after Hungarian supplies were suspended amid pipeline dispute allegations.

  • Iran confirms death of IRGC Navy commander – media

    Iran confirms death of IRGC Navy commander – media

    Iranian state media confirmed on Monday the death of Alireza Tangsiri, who served as commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy. The announcement marks the loss of one of Iran’s most prominent military figures responsible for overseeing naval operations in the strategically vital Persian Gulf region.

    Tangsiri led the IRGC’s naval forces, a separate branch from Iran’s conventional navy that operates primarily in the Gulf and has been central to Tehran’s regional military strategy. The IRGC Navy maintains control over Iran’s missile-equipped fast-attack craft and oversees critical maritime channels including the Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil shipments pass.

    The circumstances surrounding Tangsiri’s death remain unclear as official reports did not disclose specific details regarding the cause or location of his passing. His tenure as commander saw increased tensions in Gulf waters, including several confrontations with Western naval forces.

    The IRGC Navy under Tangsiri’s command developed asymmetric warfare capabilities specifically designed for the confined waters of the Persian Gulf, emphasizing speed, mobility, and missile technology. This strategic approach positioned Iran as a significant naval power in the region despite its conventional naval limitations.

    Tangsiri’s death comes at a period of heightened regional tensions and represents a significant leadership change within Iran’s military structure. The IRGC, designated as a terrorist organization by several countries including the United States, plays a crucial role in Iran’s defense strategy and regional proxy operations.

  • 48-hour curfew imposed after attack on bar in Nigerian city

    48-hour curfew imposed after attack on bar in Nigerian city

    Authorities in Nigeria’s central Plateau State have declared a stringent 48-hour curfew in the city of Jos following a brutal attack on a local bar that triggered a cycle of retaliatory violence, resulting in multiple fatalities. The unrest began when unidentified gunmen launched a coordinated assault on a drinking establishment, killing twelve people according to initial reports.

    The attack prompted immediate retaliatory actions from local groups, leading to an additional ten deaths in subsequent clashes. Plateau State Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang confirmed the implementation of the curfew, which took effect at midnight local time and will remain until April 1. The governor has initiated a full investigation and pledged to bring all perpetrators to justice.

    Paul Mancha, chairperson of the Plateau State Youth Council, indicated to Reuters that the actual death toll might be significantly higher than official figures suggest, with numerous victims receiving hospital treatment for serious injuries. Local residents reported that threatening messages had circulated on social media platforms prior to the attack.

    Governor Mutfwang characterized the violence as ‘barbaric and unprovoked’ in his official statement, directing security agencies to intensify patrols and maintain visible presence throughout affected areas. Security forces have been deployed extensively to restore order and prevent further escalation.

    The region has long experienced intercommunal tensions, particularly between predominantly Muslim herders and Christian farmers competing over land and water resources. This incident highlights the ongoing security challenges facing Nigeria, where multiple conflicts—including Islamist insurgencies in the northeast and widespread banditry in northwestern regions—have strained security resources and complicated response efforts.

    Security analysts note that Sunday’s attack demonstrates the persistent fragility of local security arrangements and how quickly violence can disrupt civilian life in one of Nigeria’s most volatile regions.

  • Death toll in Afghanistan flooding increases to 28, authorities say

    Death toll in Afghanistan flooding increases to 28, authorities say

    KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghan disaster management officials reported on Monday a rising human and economic toll from severe weather systems that have battered multiple provinces over four consecutive days. The latest figures indicate at least 28 fatalities and 49 injuries, with numbers expected to climb as remote areas become accessible.

    The Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority detailed extensive damage from flash floods, landslides, and lightning strikes across affected regions. The extreme conditions have completely destroyed 130 homes and caused significant damage to 436 others, displacing approximately 1,130 families. Critical infrastructure has suffered severe impacts, with 93 kilometers (58 miles) of roads rendered impassable and agricultural irrigation systems destroyed.

    The environmental devastation extends to livestock losses exceeding 240 animals and widespread destruction of agricultural land, threatening food security in vulnerable communities. This recent weather emergency continues a pattern of destructive climate events in Afghanistan, where earlier this year heavy snowfall and flooding also claimed numerous lives.

    Experts note that Afghanistan’s particular vulnerability to climate disasters stems from multiple factors: decades of conflict that have weakened infrastructure, widespread deforestation, economic challenges, and the accelerating effects of global climate change. The situation proves especially dire in remote regions where traditional mud-brick homes offer minimal protection against sudden deluges or extreme weather events.

    The 2024 spring flooding season proved particularly deadly, with over 300 casualties recorded earlier this year, highlighting the recurring nature of these climate emergencies in the Central Asian nation.

  • Gunmen kill more than 70 in South Sudan after a dispute at a gold mine

    Gunmen kill more than 70 in South Sudan after a dispute at a gold mine

    JUBA, South Sudan — A violent dispute at an unregulated gold mining operation near South Sudan’s capital has resulted in one of the country’s deadliest civilian attacks in recent memory, with confirmed fatalities exceeding 70 people. The weekend massacre at Jebel Iraq mining site in Central Equatoria State has exposed the dangerous consequences of resource competition in areas with minimal government oversight.

    According to police spokesperson Kwacijwok Dominic Amondoc, unidentified assailants carried out the coordinated attack on artisanal miners, though specific motives remain under investigation. Graphic footage circulating online shows dozens of victims’ bodies scattered across open ground, with local reports indicating many additional casualties may have fled into surrounding wilderness areas.

    The incident has triggered political finger-pointing, with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army-In Opposition (SPLM/A-IO) issuing a formal statement blaming government forces (SSPDF) for the massacre. ‘Jebel Iraq exists within territory exclusively controlled by SSPDF units, making them fully accountable for this atrocity,’ the opposition group asserted.

    South Sudan’s gold mining industry operates without centralized regulation, creating jurisdictional gaps that have previously fueled violent confrontations. State governments maintain autonomous control over mineral resources, often without coordinating with national authorities in Juba.

    Human rights organizations including the Nile Institute for the Study of Human Rights and Transitional Justice have condemned the attack as representing ‘grave violations of fundamental rights to life.’ Activist Edmund Yakani urged immediate government intervention, stating: ‘This emerging pattern of resource-based violence demands national attention. We must terminate the culture of illegal mining that endangers communities across South Sudan.’

    Military representatives declined to comment on the allegations, while civil society groups emphasized the connection between weak security presence, unregulated resource exploitation, and civilian vulnerability in conflict-prone regions.

  • France probes possible Iran link after bomb attack foiled outside Bank of America

    France probes possible Iran link after bomb attack foiled outside Bank of America

    French security forces have successfully disrupted a planned explosive attack targeting a Bank of America facility in central Paris, with authorities now investigating potential Iranian involvement in the foiled operation.

    Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez revealed Monday that three suspects were apprehended after Paris police officers observed two individuals carrying a suspicious shopping bag near the bank’s premises in the city’s 8th arrondissement on Saturday morning. The national anti-terrorism prosecutor’s office has initiated a formal investigation into terrorism-related charges.

    Minister Nuñez indicated that French authorities are establishing a ‘direct link’ to Iran based on operational similarities to recent attempted attacks across Europe. ‘The modus operandi is in every respect similar to actions that have been carried out in the Netherlands and in Belgium,’ Nuñez stated during an interview with French radio RTL.

    The investigation has identified connections to Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (Islamic Movement of the Companions of the Right), a pro-Iranian group that has claimed responsibility for multiple recent operations. This same organization reportedly claimed credit for an attack in London last week where four ambulances belonging to a Jewish charity were deliberately set ablaze.

    According to Nuñez, Iranian intelligence services typically employ proxy networks and criminal subcontractors to execute targeted operations against U.S. interests, Jewish community assets, and Iranian opposition figures. In response to escalating tensions following the February 28 commencement of hostilities between the United States, Israel and Iran, French authorities have enhanced security measures around high-profile personalities and sensitive locations, including providing personal protection for certain Iranian opposition figures.

  • Gunmen kill at least 20 in nighttime attack in Nigeria

    Gunmen kill at least 20 in nighttime attack in Nigeria

    ABUJA, Nigeria — A deadly nighttime assault has struck the Gari Ya Waye community in Nigeria’s north-central Plateau State, resulting in a confirmed death toll of at least 20 individuals. The violence erupted on Sunday evening when assailants on motorcycles launched a coordinated attack, firing indiscriminately into the residential area.

    Local authorities, including State Commissioner for Information Joyce Lohya Ramnap, have verified the incident, acknowledging significant ‘loss of lives’ and numerous injuries without providing an immediate official casualty figure. In response to the brutality, the Plateau State government has enacted a stringent 48-hour curfew aimed at stabilizing the region and preventing retaliatory violence.

    While no militant organization has yet claimed responsibility for the massacre, the attack reflects the persistent intercommunal strife plaguing Nigeria’s Middle Belt region. This zone has been the epicenter of a protracted and complex conflict primarily between nomadic Fulani herders, who are predominantly Muslim, and sedentary agrarian communities, who are largely Christian. Disputes over land rights, grazing routes, and water access frequently escalate into fatal confrontations, further complicated by the presence of well-armed criminal gangs exploiting the instability.

    The latest tragedy underscores the severe security challenges confronting Nigerian authorities and the urgent need for effective conflict resolution mechanisms to address the root causes of the violence.

  • Air China passenger plane from Beijing arrives in Pyongyang

    Air China passenger plane from Beijing arrives in Pyongyang

    In a significant development for air connectivity between the two neighboring nations, an Air China passenger aircraft successfully touched down at Pyongyang’s Sunan International Airport on Monday morning. This arrival from Beijing Capital International Airport represents the formal reinstatement of the Chinese flag carrier’s commercial passenger services between the Chinese and North Korean capitals after a substantial operational pause.

    The arrival ceremony witnessed the presence of Wang Yajun, China’s Ambassador to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), who personally welcomed passengers disembarking from the historic flight. He was accompanied by a delegation of Chinese diplomatic officials stationed in Pyongyang, underscoring the diplomatic importance attached to the route’s reactivation.

    This resumption marks a tangible step toward reestablishing regular air links between the two countries, which had been severely limited due to extensive international travel restrictions implemented during the global health crisis. The reinitiated service is poised to facilitate essential travel for diplomats, business personnel, and potentially tourists, serving as a crucial aerial bridge between the two allied nations.

    The operational restoration demonstrates ongoing coordination between Chinese and North Korean aviation authorities amid evolving regional dynamics. Aviation analysts will be monitoring passenger load factors and flight frequency on this route as indicators of bilateral travel demand recovery and diplomatic engagement levels.

  • War in the Middle East: latest developments

    War in the Middle East: latest developments

    The ongoing conflict in the Middle East has intensified with significant developments across multiple fronts, resulting in heightened military engagements and diplomatic strains. Iran officially confirmed the death of Revolutionary Guards commander Alireza Tangsiri, who succumbed to injuries sustained in an Israeli airstrike. This announcement came through the Guards’ Sepah News website, marking a substantial blow to Iranian military leadership.

    Israeli forces reported conducting precise strikes on numerous weapons production facilities within Iran, including a critical manufacturing line for long-range surface-to-air missiles located in Tehran. Despite these attacks, Iranian authorities managed to restore electricity in parts of the capital and adjacent regions after strikes previously damaged power infrastructure.

    Beirut’s southern suburbs, a known stronghold of Hezbollah, experienced renewed strikes as shown in AFPTV footage. Israel had issued prior warnings for residents to evacuate the area. The Israeli military confirmed these actions targeted Hezbollah operational sites.

    International repercussions continued as Indonesia confirmed the death of one peacekeeper in Lebanon from indirect artillery fire near Adchit al Qusayr, with three others wounded. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump remarked in a Financial Times interview that American forces could ‘very easily’ capture Iran’s Kharg Island, which houses a vital oil terminal, questioning Iranian defensive capabilities there.

    Saudi Arabia’s defense ministry announced the interception of five ballistic missiles aimed at Eastern Province, though without specifying their origin. Trump additionally stated that the conflict had effectively achieved ‘regime change’ in Iran, dealing with entirely new leadership.

    Kuwait reported casualties from an Iranian strike on a power station, resulting in one Indian worker’s death and damage to facility infrastructure. Separately, Kuwait’s defense ministry noted ten service members injured in a military camp attack.

    Israel’s parliament approved its 2026 budget, incorporating approximately $10 billion in new military spending, elevating total defense allocations to about $45 billion. The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed severe damage to Iran’s heavy water production plant in Khondab, rendering it non-operational after Israeli strikes targeted what was described as a key plutonium production site.

    Diplomatic efforts emerged as Pakistan offered to broker and host meaningful talks between the United States and Iran, receiving support from the United Nations and China. Foreign ministers from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey convened in Islamabad to discuss peace initiatives.

    Tensions extended to diplomatic relations as Iran’s ambassador refused to leave Lebanon despite being declared persona non grata over accusations of political interference. Academic institutions also suffered, with a university in Isfahan hit by U.S.-Israeli airstrikes for the second time.

    Lebanon’s health ministry reported 1,238 fatalities from Israeli strikes since the conflict’s escalation with Hezbollah began on March 2. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered further expansion of security zones within Lebanon. Iran entered its 30th day of nationwide internet blackout, severely limiting information access and communication for millions.

  • Air China resumes direct flights between Beijing and Pyongyang

    Air China resumes direct flights between Beijing and Pyongyang

    In a significant development for Northeast Asian connectivity, Air China has officially reinstated its direct flight service connecting Beijing with Pyongyang, effective Monday. This restoration marks the reestablishment of a crucial transportation corridor between the Chinese and North Korean capitals after an extended period of suspension.

    The resumed route, operated by Air China as flight CA121, will maintain a regular weekly schedule every Monday utilizing Boeing 737 aircraft. This reconnection facilitates the only currently operational air link between China and North Korea, serving as a vital conduit for diplomatic personnel, business representatives, and limited international travel between the two nations.

    Aviation analysts note that the flight resumption occurs amid evolving regional dynamics and represents a tangible step toward normalized transportation networks. The direct connection provides a critical infrastructure component for bilateral engagement, potentially signaling warming relations and increased mobility following pandemic-era restrictions that severely limited international travel.

    The flight service restoration carries substantial symbolic importance, representing one of the few functioning international air links to North Korea. Observers will monitor passenger volume and frequency adjustments as indicators of bilateral relationship trajectories and economic engagement levels between Beijing and Pyongyang.