Global Pulse

分类： world

  • 61 killed, 110 injured in heavy snowfall, rains in Afghanistan

    61 killed, 110 injured in heavy snowfall, rains in Afghanistan

    Afghanistan is confronting a severe humanitarian crisis following a series of devastating winter storms that swept across the nation. Preliminary reports from the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) confirm a tragic death toll of 61 individuals, with an additional 110 people sustaining injuries. The catastrophic weather conditions, characterized by intense snowfall and torrential rains, occurred from Wednesday through Thursday, with official assessments released on Saturday.

    Beyond the grave human cost, the extreme weather has inflicted substantial damage to infrastructure and housing. According to NDMA estimates, 458 residential dwellings have been either completely demolished or partially damaged, displacing numerous families and exacerbating the nation’s existing humanitarian challenges.

    Authorities emphasize that these figures remain provisional as comprehensive evaluation efforts continue across multiple affected regions. The assessment process has been hampered by persistent severe conditions, including the closure of several vital transportation arteries. Critical highway connections between the national capital Kabul and surrounding provinces remain impassable due to accumulated snow and hazardous travel conditions.

    The widespread disruption extends beyond transportation, with communities across Afghanistan experiencing frigid temperatures and limited access to essential services. The compounding factors of infrastructure damage, blocked supply routes, and extreme cold pose significant challenges for disaster response teams working to deliver aid to isolated populations.

  • Snow, heavy rain kill at least 61 in three days in Afghanistan

    Snow, heavy rain kill at least 61 in three days in Afghanistan

    A devastating series of winter storms has struck Afghanistan, resulting in a significant humanitarian crisis. Official reports from the country’s disaster management authority (ANDMA) confirm that at least 61 individuals have lost their lives over a three-day period from Wednesday to Friday. The severe weather conditions, characterized by heavy snowfall and torrential rains, have primarily impacted the central and northern provinces.

    Beyond the tragic loss of life, the preliminary assessment reveals extensive damage. The toll includes 110 individuals injured and 458 residential properties either partially damaged or completely demolished. ANDMA released these initial figures via a social media update, highlighting the scale of the devastation.

    The human impact is further underscored by the estimation that 360 families have been adversely affected by the extreme weather. In response to the crisis, authorities have issued urgent public advisories. A spokesperson, in a video statement, strongly urged citizens to refrain from non-essential travel to avoid further incidents on treacherous, snow-laden roads.

    Critical infrastructure has been severely disrupted. The Salang highway, a vital national transportation artery, has been rendered impassable and officially closed, as announced by the provincial government of Parwan. This closure has stranded numerous travelers, particularly on a mountain pass within the central Bamyan province, where emergency efforts are underway to distribute essential food supplies to those trapped.

  • Germany arrests suspected Hamas member over alleged attack plot

    Germany arrests suspected Hamas member over alleged attack plot

    German federal prosecutors have apprehended a Lebanese national identified as “Mohammad S” at Berlin’s Brandenburg Airport, alleging his involvement in a Hamas-orchestrated conspiracy to attack Jewish and Israeli institutions across Europe. The suspect was intercepted upon arrival from Beirut on Friday evening.

    According to official statements, Mohammad S played an operational role in the terrorist network by facilitating weapons procurement, specifically securing 300 rounds of ammunition in August 2025. His arrest connects directly to a broader counterterrorism operation that previously resulted in the detention of three Hamas operatives in October, including alleged co-conspirator “Abed Al G”.

    The earlier arrests occurred during a weapons transfer operation in Berlin, involving two German nationals and one Lebanese individual. Concurrent police raids in Leipzig and Oberhausen uncovered additional evidence of the terrorist network’s activities. This development follows another November apprehension of a Hamas suspect near the German-Czech border.

    Hamas, designated as a terrorist organization by the United States, United Kingdom, Israel and numerous other nations, has seen its operational capabilities diminished by Israeli military actions in Gaza following its October 2023 attacks that killed approximately 1,200 Israelis and resulted in over 250 hostages. Subsequent hostilities have reportedly claimed over 70,000 Palestinian lives according to Gaza’s Hamas-controlled health ministry.

    Mohammad S now awaits a federal judicial review to determine pretrial detention arrangements as Germany continues its intensified security measures against international terrorist threats.

  • Suicide bombing at Pakistan wedding kills 7, police say

    Suicide bombing at Pakistan wedding kills 7, police say

    A devastating suicide bombing targeted a wedding celebration in Pakistan’s northwestern Dera Ismail Khan district on Friday, resulting in seven fatalities and multiple injuries according to local authorities. The attack specifically struck a building where members of a community peace committee were gathered for the ceremony.

    Police official Muhammad Adnan confirmed that the death toll rose to seven on Saturday as four of the nearly dozen wounded victims succumbed to their injuries in hospital. Three fatalities had been immediately confirmed following the explosion.

    The targeted peace committees consist of local residents and elders who collaborate with Islamabad’s security initiatives to counter militant activities in the volatile border regions adjacent to Afghanistan. These community groups have frequently been labeled as traitors by extremist organizations operating in the area.

    No militant group has formally claimed responsibility for the attack. However, the Pakistani Taliban (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan), which maintains operations on both sides of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, has historically targeted peace committee members. The incident occurs amid escalating tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan’s Taliban leadership, with Islamabad accusing Kabul of permitting Pakistani militants to plan cross-border attacks from Afghan territory—an allegation that Afghan authorities consistently deny, maintaining that Pakistan’s militancy issues are domestic matters.

  • Palestinian infant dies from cold in Gaza after parents’ 17-year wait

    Palestinian infant dies from cold in Gaza after parents’ 17-year wait

    The Gaza Strip is confronting a severe humanitarian emergency as winter conditions turn fatal for its most vulnerable residents. Medical authorities confirm that two Palestinian infants, six-month-old Youssef Abu Hammad and three-month-old Ali Abo al-Zour, perished on Thursday due to exposure to extreme cold and contaminated environments. These tragic fatalities elevate the official count of child hypothermia deaths to ten since the winter season commenced.

    Youssef Abu Hammad’s story epitomizes the crisis. Born after 17 years of parental anticipation for a male heir, he represented a profound blessing to his family of six sisters. The displaced Abu Hammad family had been residing adjacent to a sewage disposal site in Khan Younis, southern Gaza. Despite repeated pleas for essential supplies like infant formula and diapers, their appeals remained unanswered. Medical professionals attributed Youssef’s death to severe dehydration and hypothermia induced by sewage pollution exposure.

    This humanitarian disaster stems from extensive infrastructure collapse. Israeli military operations have reportedly demolished approximately 90% of Gaza’s infrastructure since October 2023, forcing most inhabitants into inadequate temporary shelters lacking proper heating. A stringent Israeli blockade continues to prohibit critical provisions including food, medicine, fuel, and winter supplies.

    Despite a October agreement between Israel and Hamas intended to conclude hostilities and relax restrictions, implementation remains insufficient. More than three months later, border crossings remain largely closed with only minimal aid access permitted. Construction materials for shelters and heating equipment remain on the banned items list.

    Munir al-Bursh, Director General of the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza, characterizes the situation as an “unprecedented humanitarian crisis” deliberately manufactured through occupation policies and international inaction. “Death in Gaza no longer stems solely from bombardment but increasingly from cold, starvation, exposure, and medical shortages,” al-Bursh stated, emphasizing this constitutes a man-made catastrophe rather than natural disaster.

    The October ceasefire agreement, designed to terminate a two-year conflict that claimed over 71,000 Palestinian lives, has failed to stop the violence entirely. Palestinian sources report more than 481 fatalities since the agreement took effect, including two children killed in a northern Gaza drone strike on Saturday.

  • Snow, ice hit western, central US as massive storm sweeps nation

    Snow, ice hit western, central US as massive storm sweeps nation

    A formidable Arctic onslaught has unleashed a cascade of snow and freezing rain across the western and central United States, advancing relentlessly toward the Northeast. This immense weather system poses severe threats of widespread blackouts, transportation gridlock, and perilously cold conditions for tens of millions of Americans.

    In anticipation of the storm’s fury, which the National Weather Service (NWS) warned could produce ‘catastrophic’ ice accumulations, consumers engaged in frantic stockpiling, emptying supermarket shelves. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy indicated that a staggering 240 million individuals could feel the storm’s impact, prompting at least 16 states and Washington D.C. to preemptively declare states of emergency.

    The travel sector experienced immediate disruption, with over 3,400 U.S. flights canceled and an additional 1,100 delayed on Saturday alone, according to data from FlightAware. Southern metropolises like Dallas saw temperatures plunge to 21°F (-6°C) amid freezing rain. Houston Mayor John Whitmire urgently advised the city’s residents to secure themselves in place for the next 72 hours, with warming centers being activated to assist those in need.

    Officials in Texas sought to provide assurances that the state’s power grid was substantially more resilient than during the catastrophic failure five years prior, which had left millions without electricity in deadly conditions. The storm has already deposited up to six inches (15 cm) of snow in parts of Oklahoma and Arkansas.

    Meteorologists project the system will subsequently batter the densely populated mid-Atlantic and northeastern regions before a lingering frigid air mass sets in. The NWS cautioned that icy surfaces from snow and sleet will present persistently dangerous travel conditions well into the following week. Consequently, the federal government announced the preemptive closure of its offices on Monday.

    The scientific community attributes the storm’s intensity to a distorted polar vortex—a vast area of cold, low-pressure air in the Arctic. This system, which typically remains compact, has stretched and sent Arctic air spilling into North America. While a growing body of research suggests climate change may be increasing the frequency of such polar vortex disruptions, the phenomenon remains a subject of ongoing scientific debate, intertwined with natural climate variability.

    Amid the crisis, political figures responded differently. New York Governor Kathy Hochul warned that mere minutes outdoors could pose serious health risks, urging citizens to protect property and check on vulnerable neighbors. Conversely, former President Donald Trump, from Washington, used the event to question the reality of global warming on his social media platform.

    Authorities issued grave warnings about life-threatening wind chills, potentially diving below -50°F (-45°C) in the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest, where frostbite can occur within minutes. The severe conditions have also forced the rescheduling of numerous professional and collegiate sporting events.

  • Dubai’s Emirates cancels some flights to US ahead of Storm Fern

    Dubai’s Emirates cancels some flights to US ahead of Storm Fern

    Dubai-based Emirates Airline has proactively canceled multiple flights to and from the United States in anticipation of Winter Storm Fern, a massive weather system forecasted to bring severe conditions across a significant portion of the country. The cancellations, affecting routes through Thursday and Friday, are a direct response to warnings of heavy snowfall, potential infrastructure damage, and widespread travel chaos.

    The storm is predicted to impact an estimated 175 million people across a staggering 2,000-mile corridor, stretching from Texas and the Great Plains to the mid-Atlantic and northeastern states. In preparation, Texas has already declared a state of emergency. Forecasters are warning of apocalyptic conditions, including a 1,500-mile ‘snow zone’ capable of producing record-breaking accumulations, ‘crippling ice,’ and freezing rain that could lead to prolonged power outages by damaging critical infrastructure.

    Specific canceled Emirates flights include EK203/204 and EK201/202 on the Dubai-New York route for January 25th and 26th. Additional axed services involve flights to Dallas (EK221/222), Washington D.C. (EK231/232), and transatlantic routes from Milan and Athens to New York and Newark. The airline has explicitly stated that passengers booked on these flights, including those connecting through Dubai, will not be accepted for travel from their point of origin. All affected travelers are being urged to contact their booking agents or the airline directly to reschedule.

    The mid-Atlantic region, particularly Virginia and Maryland, is expected to bear the brunt of the storm, with projections of more than a foot of snow. Major urban centers are also on high alert. New York City, the nation’s financial capital, is forecast to receive up to 12 inches of snow, exacerbating an existing cold snap that recently delivered the city’s coldest temperature this winter at 16°F (-9°C), feeling like -17°C with wind chill. The airline’s decision underscores the severe and far-reaching impact Storm Fern is anticipated to have on domestic and international travel networks.

  • Rescuers dig for six missing, youngest 15, in New Zealand landslide

    Rescuers dig for six missing, youngest 15, in New Zealand landslide

    Emergency crews in New Zealand are engaged in a critical search operation for six individuals, including a 15-year-old teenager, following a catastrophic landslide that engulfed a popular campsite near Mount Maunganui on Thursday. The disaster, triggered by torrential rains that saturated an extinct volcano’s slopes, sent a massive wall of mud and debris crashing onto holidaymakers, demolishing facilities and vehicles.

    A multi-agency response team comprising search and rescue specialists, contractors operating heavy excavators, and police dog units has been working relentlessly through the night and into a second day. Initial reports from the scene indicated voices calling for help from beneath the rubble immediately after the collapse, but no further signs of life have been detected since, according to witnesses and officials.

    The recovery operation, described by Fire and Emergency assistant national commander David Guard as a ‘complex and high-risk environment,’ is proceeding with painstaking caution. The somber mood at the site was underscored when machinery was halted and a hearse was witnessed departing, though officials have refrained from confirming any fatalities out of respect for the families awaiting news.

    Assistant Police Commissioner Tim Anderson confirmed the six missing persons while acknowledging efforts to verify the whereabouts of three other campers who may have left the area. ‘Not as of today, but we live in hope,’ Anderson stated regarding potential survivors.

    The tragedy has prompted serious questions regarding preventative measures, as reports emerged of a smaller landslip at the same location earlier that day. Local Tauranga mayor Mahe Drysdale acknowledged these concerns, stating ‘Those questions will be answered,’ while noting some individuals had reportedly moved away from the initial minor slip.

    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon expressed the nation’s anguish after speaking with affected families, describing their state as ‘highly anxious, clearly hopeful.’ The incident marks another devastating weather-related tragedy after two fatalities were confirmed from a separate landslide in nearby Tauranga, one of whom was identified as a Chinese national.

  • ‘It felt like doomsday’: Karachi mall inferno came after ignored warnings, delayed response

    ‘It felt like doomsday’: Karachi mall inferno came after ignored warnings, delayed response

    A catastrophic fire that engulfed Karachi’s Gul Plaza shopping complex on January 17th has exposed critical safety failures and institutional neglect, resulting in one of Pakistan’s deadliest urban disasters in recent memory. The inferno claimed at least 67 lives with 15 individuals still missing and presumed dead, according to police official Asad Ali Raza.

    Survivors described apocalyptic scenes as smoke rapidly filled the multi-story building within seconds, plunging the complex into complete darkness. Muhammad Imran, a shop owner with pre-existing health conditions, recounted the horror: ‘It felt like doomsday. You couldn’t see the person next to you.’ His escape, along with dozens of others, was severely hampered by locked emergency exits and inadequate ventilation systems.

    Investigative findings reveal that Gul Plaza had been operating in violation of building safety standards for over a decade. Documents obtained by Reuters show the provincial Sindh Building Control Authority had filed multiple court cases regarding safety compliance issues dating back to 1992, with the most recent inspections in 2023-2024 categorizing the building’s fire safety systems as ‘unsatisfactory’ across critical categories including alarm systems, emergency lighting, and firefighting equipment.

    The tragedy was compounded by delayed emergency response and inadequate resources. While provincial spokesperson Sukhdev Assardas Hemnani stated the first fire vehicles arrived within 10 minutes of the initial emergency call, survivors reported watching the complex burn as firefighters struggled with equipment limitations and logistical challenges. The blaze, fueled by flammable materials and over 50 gas cylinders stored within the building, raged for nearly two days before being fully extinguished.

    The human toll continues to unfold as families await DNA identification of remains. Many of the missing were shop employees and traders who reportedly helped others escape before succumbing to the flames themselves. The disaster has left Karachi’s commercial community traumatized and questioning how repeatedly identified safety violations were allowed to persist unchecked.

  • Iran says two Daesh‑linked men executed for 2023 bus bombing

    Iran says two Daesh‑linked men executed for 2023 bus bombing

    Iranian judiciary authorities have carried out the execution of two individuals convicted of orchestrating a deadly 2023 bus bombing that targeted pilgrims, with official sources confirming their affiliation with the terrorist organization Daesh (ISIS).

    The Mizan News Agency, the official media outlet of Iran’s judiciary, reported on Saturday that both executed individuals were directly responsible for planting and detonating the explosive device that struck a passenger bus traveling from Tehran to Ilam province. The western region of Ilam shares a strategic border with Iraq and serves as a frequent transit route for religious pilgrims.

    The tragic incident, which occurred in 2023, resulted in the death of a young child and caused significant injuries to multiple other passengers aboard the vehicle. The attack represented one of several security challenges Iran has faced from extremist groups operating within the region.

    Judicial proceedings determined that the perpetrators had established operational ties with ISIS, which has historically claimed responsibility for similar attacks targeting civilian populations in Iran. The execution demonstrates Tehran’s continued hardline approach toward security threats and terrorist activities within its borders.

    This development occurs amid ongoing regional tensions and reflects Iran’s persistent concerns regarding terrorist infiltration and operations targeting its civilian infrastructure and religious sites.