Global Pulse

分类： world

  • ‘Deeply saddened’: India, Pakistan leaders condole death of Khaleda Zia

    ‘Deeply saddened’: India, Pakistan leaders condole death of Khaleda Zia

    The South Asian political landscape mourned collectively on Tuesday as former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia passed away at age 80. The pioneering leader, who made history as Bangladesh’s first female head of government, breathed her last at Dhaka’s Evercare Hospital following prolonged health complications that included heart disease, diabetes, and multiple organ ailments.

    Regional leaders transcended political differences to honor Zia’s legacy. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed profound sorrow, recalling their 2015 meeting and emphasizing Zia’s “significant contributions to Bangladesh’s development and India-Bangladesh relations.” Modi stated her vision would continue guiding bilateral partnerships between the neighboring nations.

    Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif characterized Zia as “a committed friend of Pakistan” whose lifelong service established an enduring legacy. His condolences highlighted the cross-border solidarity emerging from this moment of regional loss.

    Domestic tributes emerged from across Bangladesh’s political spectrum. Current Awami League Chairperson Sheikh Hasina, despite historical political rivalries, acknowledged Zia’s groundbreaking role as first female premier and her contributions to democratic establishment. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, former interim government adviser, described Zia as a “great guardian” of the nation and a defining figure in Bangladesh’s democratic evolution.

    The scene outside Evercare Hospital reflected national sentiment as crowds gathered to pay respects. Zia’s son Tarique Rahman, acting chairman of her Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), arrived to mourn his mother amidst supporters honoring the woman who reshaped the nation’s political consciousness through decades of public service.

  • India: Over 110 flights cancelled as thick fog engulfs Delhi; more delays expected

    India: Over 110 flights cancelled as thick fog engulfs Delhi; more delays expected

    New Delhi’s aviation infrastructure faced severe operational challenges on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, as an intense fog blanket engulfed the capital region, triggering massive flight disruptions at Indira Gandhi International Airport. Aviation authorities confirmed the cancellation of 118 scheduled flights—60 arrivals and 58 departures—with an additional 16 aircraft diverted to alternative airports due to critically impaired visibility on runways.

    The Airport Authority of India (AAI) issued an official advisory warning travelers of anticipated delays across multiple airports in Northern India. The regulatory body activated comprehensive passenger facilitation protocols, deploying specialized assistance teams at affected terminals to provide real-time support to stranded travelers. Officials emphasized that reduced visibility conditions would likely persist, potentially extending operational impacts throughout the day.

    Airlines including IndiGo and Air India had previously alerted passengers about weather-related disruptions on Monday, when similar conditions first emerged. Carriers implemented flexible rebooking policies, allowing affected passengers to either reschedule journeys or process full refunds through automated systems. Ground teams received reinforcements to handle increased passenger inquiries and logistical challenges at terminal facilities.

    Aviation meteorologists attributed the severe visibility reduction to atypical temperature inversions combined with elevated humidity levels characteristic of North Indian winters. The airport’s advanced Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) operated at maximum capability but could not fully compensate for the exceptionally dense fog conditions.

    Passengers received explicit guidance to maintain constant communication with their airlines through official channels and allocate substantial additional time for airport procedures. The AAI published dedicated customer support numbers for major carriers including SpiceJet (+91 124 498 3410), Air India Express (+91 124 443 5600), and Akasa Air (9606112131) to streamline information dissemination.

    Industry analysts noted that such severe December fog events, while historically occurring, have shown increased frequency and intensity in recent years. Airport authorities reiterated their commitment to implementing enhanced cold-weather operational protocols developed specifically for such adverse conditions, prioritizing both safety and passenger convenience during weather-induced disruptions.

  • Eurostar cancels all trains out of London as power outage hits Channel Tunnel

    Eurostar cancels all trains out of London as power outage hits Channel Tunnel

    A major power supply failure within the Channel Tunnel has triggered a complete suspension of all Eurostar train services departing from London, causing widespread travel chaos for passengers bound for Paris, Amsterdam, and Brussels. The indefinite cancellation, announced on Tuesday, has left crowds of travelers stranded at London’s St Pancras International station, with authorities advising all customers to postpone their journeys and rebook for a later date.

    The disruption extends beyond passenger rail services. Eurotunnel’s Le Shuttle, which transports vehicles between Folkestone, UK, and Calais, France, has also been suspended indefinitely due to the same ‘power supply issue,’ resulting in massive delays. Passengers on this service are experiencing hold-ups exceeding three and a half hours on the UK side and approximately three hours in France.

    National Rail has confirmed that the severe disruption is anticipated to persist until the end of the day. In response to the crisis, Eurostar has implemented a flexible rebooking policy, allowing affected travelers to rearrange their trips without charge or cancel their bookings for a full refund or e-voucher. The company has urgently requested that passengers refrain from coming to the station unless they possess a valid ticket for travel on that specific day, directing them instead to check live service updates online.

    The human impact of the outage is significant. Passengers like Steph Roberts from Kent reported being stuck at the Calais terminal for hours with limited communication and no provisions. Having visited family in France for Christmas, she described a frustrating wait with no updates or offers of food and water, passing the time on social media and walking her dog. Eurotunnel has stated that technical teams are actively working to diagnose and resolve the power supply problems, though no estimated time for a full restoration of service has been provided.

  • Over 3,600 flights cancelled, 30,000 delayed as ‘bomb cyclone’ hits parts of US

    Over 3,600 flights cancelled, 30,000 delayed as ‘bomb cyclone’ hits parts of US

    A severe winter storm system identified as Ezra has unleashed travel chaos across the United States, creating one of the most disruptive holiday travel scenarios in recent years. The powerful weather phenomenon, now escalating into a meteorological ‘bomb cyclone,’ has caused massive flight disruptions affecting tens of thousands of passengers during the critical year-end travel period.

    According to real-time data from FlightAware, the storm has resulted in the cancellation of over 3,600 flights since Friday, with more than 30,000 additional flights experiencing significant delays. On Monday alone, aviation authorities reported 751 cancellations and nearly 6,000 delays as of 3:25 PM Eastern Time.

    The situation has been particularly challenging for airlines operating at near-capacity during this peak travel season, leaving minimal flexibility for rebooking affected passengers. Major carriers including Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines, and JetBlue Airways have implemented emergency measures, waiving change fees for travelers impacted by the severe weather conditions.

    Meteorologists from AccuWeather have warned that the intensifying bomb cyclone—characterized by rapidly dropping atmospheric pressure generating hurricane-force winds—is creating blizzard conditions across a massive corridor from Wisconsin to Maine. The storm has brought dangerous combinations of ice accumulation, flooding rainfall, and powerful winds, with temperatures experiencing wild fluctuations. Philadelphia, for instance, saw temperatures near 60 degrees Fahrenheit on Monday before an expected overnight plunge into the 20s.

    The transportation crisis extends beyond aviation, with road travel becoming increasingly perilous due to poor visibility, icy surfaces, and blowing snow. Multiple multi-vehicle pileups have been reported across affected regions, prompting authorities to advise against non-essential travel. The Federal Emergency Management Agency has issued warnings about dangerous driving conditions throughout the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes regions.

    Aviation operations have been severely hampered by the extreme weather. The Federal Aviation Administration implemented ground stops at multiple airports, including Washington’s Dulles International Airport due to high winds, and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport where Delta Air Lines flights were specifically affected. Additional delays were reported at major hubs including Boston and Newark airports serving the New York metropolitan area, primarily due to low visibility and windy conditions.

    The financial impact on airlines has been immediate, with Delta’s shares falling nearly 3% in afternoon trading, while United Airlines, American Airlines, and Alaska Air Group each experienced approximately 2% declines. The tightly interconnected nature of airline operations means that canceled flights leave aircraft and crews out of position, creating complex challenges for restoring normal schedules even after weather conditions improve.

  • UAE condemns stabbing attack in Suriname claiming nine lives

    UAE condemns stabbing attack in Suriname claiming nine lives

    The United Arab Emirates has issued a formal condemnation of a devastating stabbing attack in Suriname that resulted in nine fatalities, including multiple children. The violent incident occurred on the outskirts of Paramaribo, the capital city of the South American nation, during the night of December 27-28, 2025.

    According to official police statements, an assailant armed with a sharp weapon killed four adults and five children in the attack. A sixth child and another adult sustained serious injuries and required immediate hospitalization. Law enforcement officers responded to the scene and were forced to open fire on the suspect, who was wounded in the legs and subsequently hospitalized.

    The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement expressing the nation’s firm condemnation of such criminal acts and its unwavering rejection of all forms of violence targeting innocent civilians. The Ministry emphasized that such acts fundamentally undermine security and stability in communities.

    The UAE government extended its solidarity with the victims’ families and with both the government and people of Suriname following this tragic event. Officials also conveyed their sincere wishes for the swift recovery of those injured in the attack. This response aligns with the UAE’s consistent foreign policy position of condemning violence against civilians regardless of where such incidents occur globally.

  • Turkey detains 357 suspected IS members in nationwide raids

    Turkey detains 357 suspected IS members in nationwide raids

    Turkish authorities have launched a massive counter-terrorism operation resulting in the detention of 357 individuals with alleged connections to the Islamic State group. The coordinated nationwide raids, spanning 21 provinces including Ankara, Istanbul, and Yalova, represent one of the most significant security operations against the extremist organization in recent months.

    The operation comes in direct response to escalating security threats, including a deadly eight-hour siege in Yalova just one day prior that claimed the lives of three police officers and six suspected militants while leaving eight additional officers and a security force member wounded. This incident marked a severe escalation in violence between Turkish security forces and suspected ISIS operatives.

    Interior Minister Ali Yerlikaya, who publicly documented the operations through social media platforms, emphasized Turkey’s unwavering stance against terrorism. “Just as we have never given an opportunity to those who try to bring this country to its knees with terrorism, we will never give them an opportunity in the future either,” Yerlikaya declared in an official statement.

    Security operations yielded substantial evidence, with Istanbul prosecutors confirming the seizure of documents, digital materials, and weapons including knives and ammunition during raids targeting 110 suspects alone. Intelligence assessments indicated planned attacks targeting New Year’s celebrations, continuing a pattern of holiday-period threats that previously led to the arrest of 115 suspects allegedly planning attacks against non-Muslims during Christmas observances.

    The investigation has revealed complex networks, with 41 detainees showing direct connections to the Yalova confrontation. Additionally, authorities detained 16 individuals in Yalova for allegedly making provocative social media posts, demonstrating the multifaceted approach to counter-terrorism efforts.

    President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan personally offered condolences to the families of the fallen officers—identified as İlker Pehlivan, Turgut Külünk, and Yasin Koçyiğit—while reaffirming Turkey’s commitment to combating “bloodthirsty criminals who threaten the peace of our nation and the security of our state.”

    Turkey’s strategic position, sharing a 900-kilometer border with Syria where ISIS maintains operational presence, necessitates continuous vigilance. The recent developments coincide with international counter-ISIS efforts, including U.S. airstrikes in Syria following the killing of three Americans by ISIS gunmen earlier this month.

  • Myanmar’s opium cultivation reaches record high

    Myanmar’s opium cultivation reaches record high

    Myanmar has dramatically escalated to become the globe’s foremost opium producer, with cultivation reaching a ten-year peak according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). The Southeast Asian nation’s opium output now more than doubles that of Afghanistan, the previous leading source.

    Recent UNODC data reveals a striking 17% year-on-year surge in Myanmar’s opium cultivation, expanding from 45,200 hectares to 53,100 hectares. This expansion solidifies Myanmar’s notorious status as a primary source of illicit opium globally, particularly as Afghan production continues its downward trajectory.

    Delphine Schantz, UNODC’s Regional Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, warned that “the sharp increase in opium cultivation demonstrates an expanding opium economy that has been resurgent in recent years and is likely to grow further.”

    The agency attributes this alarming growth primarily to skyrocketing opium prices, which have more than doubled from $145 per kilogram in 2019 to the current $329 per kilogram. This economic incentive, combined with escalating conflict and instability throughout Myanmar, has driven many farmers toward poppy cultivation as a means of survival.

    Regional analysis shows eastern Shan State experienced the most dramatic growth at 32%, followed by Chin State at 26%, while Kachin State saw a modest 3% increase. Southern Shan State remains the cultivation epicenter, accounting for 44% of the country’s total opium production.

    For the first time, the UNODC study documented significant opium cultivation in Sagaing Region, estimating 552 hectares under poppy production. There are also emerging indications that Myanmar’s opium is increasingly supplanting Afghan supplies in international markets, with European authorities reporting seizures of heroin believed to originate from Myanmar on flights from Thailand.

  • Hamas confirms death of spokesman of its military wing

    Hamas confirms death of spokesman of its military wing

    The Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’s military wing, has officially confirmed the death of its prominent spokesperson Abu Obeida during Israel’s ongoing offensive in Gaza. The announcement came through a newly appointed representative who has assumed the same nom de guerre, delivering the news during a televised address on Monday.

    The successor, appearing in the distinctive uniform associated with the role, revealed that Abu Obeida—born Hudhaifa Samir Al-Kahlout and also known as Abu Ibrahim—perished alongside several other senior Hamas leaders. Among those confirmed dead was former military commander Mohammed Sinwar, marking significant losses within the organization’s leadership structure.

    Abu Obeida rose to prominence in 2006 when he announced the capture of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, subsequently becoming the recognizable voice of Hamas’s military operations during subsequent conflicts with Israel. His final recorded statement was delivered on July 18, with Hamas sources indicating he was killed in an Israeli airstrike on August 30. This timeline was corroborated by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz, who acknowledged the spokesperson’s elimination in a Gaza Strip operation on August 31.

    The spokesperson’s legacy includes maintaining communication with Palestinian supporters throughout what he described as ‘the darkest circumstances,’ establishing him as a symbolic figure within the movement since his appointment to the role in 2005.

  • US removal of panels honoring Black soldiers at WWII cemetery in the Netherlands draws backlash

    US removal of panels honoring Black soldiers at WWII cemetery in the Netherlands draws backlash

    A contentious decision by the American Battle Monuments Commission to dismantle educational displays honoring Black American soldiers at the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten has sparked widespread condemnation and diplomatic tensions. The removal, executed discreetly earlier this year, eliminated two significant panels that chronicled the contributions of African American troops during World War II.

    One display memorialized the heroic actions of 23-year-old Private George H. Pruitt, an African American soldier buried at the site who perished while attempting to rescue a fellow serviceman from drowning in 1945. The second panel documented the institutional racial segregation policies that defined the U.S. military throughout the conflict, despite approximately one million Black soldiers enlisting. These soldiers frequently performed grueling tasks—including an all-Black unit that excavated thousands of graves at Margraten during the devastating Hunger Winter of 1944-45 under German occupation.

    The commission’s actions followed President Donald Trump’s executive orders terminating diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, with the administration declaring an end to ‘woke’ policies. Internal communications obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests by media outlets confirmed the direct link between these policies and the display removals.

    Dutch officials, local communities, and descendants of both soldiers and liberators have expressed profound dismay. Cor Linssen, 79, whose father was a Black American soldier, emphasized the historical significance of these narratives: ‘It’s an important part of history. They should put the panels back.’ Linssen, who faced racial prejudice growing up in the Netherlands, recently visited the cemetery with other children of Black soldiers to view the displays shortly before their removal.

    The controversy has drawn reactions from multiple levels of Dutch society. Theo Bovens, Dutch senator and chairman of the Black Liberators Foundation, noted the paradoxical nature of the removal, given that the commission itself had installed the panels in 2024. Local authorities in the Margraten region have formally demanded the restoration of the exhibits, while Dutch television programs have attempted to recreate the displays outside cemetery grounds.

    The profound connection between the Dutch people and the fallen soldiers remains evident through the ongoing grave adoption program, where thousands of local families honor individual soldiers by maintaining their resting places and commemorating their birthdays—a tradition often passed through generations.

    Historians and authors like Linda Hervieux, who documented Black soldiers’ experiences in ‘Forgotten,’ argue that erasing these stories continues a harmful pattern of excluding people of color from historical narratives. The absence of these panels at Margraten represents more than missing information—it signifies the ongoing struggle over whose sacrifices are remembered and whose are forgotten.

  • Australian police find no evidence of ‘broader terrorist cell’ in Bondi Beach antisemitic shooting

    Australian police find no evidence of ‘broader terrorist cell’ in Bondi Beach antisemitic shooting

    Australian Federal Police Commissioner Krissy Barrett announced Tuesday that an extensive international investigation into the Bondi Beach mass shooting has found no evidence connecting the perpetrators to a broader terrorist network. The probe, which extended to the Philippines, examined the activities of Sydney residents Sajid Akram, 50, and his 24-year-old son Naveed Akram during their November stay in Davao City.

    According to Commissioner Barrett, Philippine authorities determined the pair rarely left their hotel during their visit from November 1-29. ‘There is no evidence to suggest they received training or underwent logistical preparation for their alleged attack,’ Barrett stated at a press briefing. ‘These individuals are alleged to have acted alone. There is no evidence to suggest these alleged offenders were part of a broader terrorist cell, or were directed by others to carry out an attack.’

    The Akrams returned to Australia on November 29, and two weeks later allegedly carried out the deadliest terrorist attack in Australian history. The December 14 shooting at a Hanukkah festival left 15 dead and 40 wounded before police intervention ended the violence. Naveed Akram, who was shot in the abdomen during a gunfight with officers, now faces dozens of charges including 15 counts of murder and one count of committing a terrorist act. His father was killed by police at the scene.

    In response to the attack, Sydney authorities are deploying unprecedented security measures for New Year’s Eve celebrations. More than 2,500 officers will patrol the harborfront, many openly carrying automatic rifles—a rare sight on Sydney streets. The enhanced security comes after initial responders to the Bondi attack were armed only with pistols that were outranged by the Akrams’ rifles and shotguns.

    New South Wales Premier Chris Minns defended the security upgrades, stating, ‘Given we’ve just had the worst terrorism event in Australia’s history inside the last month, it would be self-evidently the case that things need to change.’ The premier emphasized that the show of force represents defiance rather than submission to extremist ideologies.

    The celebrations will include a solemn tribute to the Bondi victims with a minute of silence at 11 p.m. and projections of Jewish menorahs on the Sydney Harbour Bridge pylons—a change from originally planned dove imagery after consultation with Jewish community representatives.