Global Pulse

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  • Big oil companies continue to post banner profits as fighting in Iran drives prices higher

    Big oil companies continue to post banner profits as fighting in Iran drives prices higher

    The ongoing military conflict in Iran has sent global energy markets into chaos, pushing oil and gasoline prices sharply upward — and delivering staggering windfall profits to the world’s largest oil companies, new corporate earnings reports show.

    Across Europe, the Middle East and North America, top oil producers have reported blowout profit growth in the first and second quarters of 2024, built on the back of elevated energy prices triggered by disrupted shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s busiest chokepoint for global oil trade. Roughly 20% of the planet’s daily oil supply moves through the strategic waterway, which has been largely closed to commercial tanker traffic since the outbreak of conflict in late February.

    Six of Europe’s biggest oil companies amassed a combined $22 billion in net profit during the first quarter, a jump of more than 40% compared to the same period last year. London-based BP extended that winning streak into the second quarter, announcing Tuesday that its profits more than doubled to $3.9 billion. Saudi Aramco, the world’s largest crude exporter, posted an even stronger performance: the state-owned energy giant notched a 44% year-over-year increase in second-quarter net profit, hitting $32.69 billion, lifted by rising prices for crude, refined fuels and chemical products.

    These blockbuster results from Middle Eastern and European oil majors follow similar blowout earnings reports from the largest U.S. oil drillers, released last week. Texas-based Exxon Mobil said Friday that its second-quarter profit doubled to $14.5 billion, fueled by record diesel production, with overall revenue climbing 42% to $116 billion. Houston-based Chevron saw an even steeper gain, with profits nearly quadrupling to $12 billion and revenue surging 56% to over $70 billion.

    For consumers worldwide, the energy market disruption has translated directly to higher everyday costs. Elevated oil prices have pushed up prices for gasoline, jet fuel and diesel, raising shipping costs for all goods that rely on ground, air or sea transport. In Western countries, this has translated to more expensive fill-ups at the gas pump and higher airfares for travelers. But the impact is far more severe across much of Asia, which relies disproportionately on oil exports that pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Several Asian nations have already faced acute fuel shortages, forcing governments to implement fuel rationing and temporarily close schools and public offices.

    The soaring profits of big oil have drawn sharp criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump, who slammed the companies this week for what he called outsized gains even after oil prices fell to a three-week low on Tuesday.

    “They made too much money, too much money,” Trump told reporters Monday. “They ought to give some of that back to the public, and they better cut the retail price.” Trump added that he was unhappy with the results posted by Chevron and Exxon Mobil, despite the fact that energy prices only spiked after the U.S.-backed military actions in Iran that led to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

    Oil prices dipped sharply this week, following comments from U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who told CNBC that a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz could come as soon as 24 hours. On Tuesday, U.S. crude fell 5.4% ($4.36) to settle at $75.98 per barrel, down from roughly $92 per barrel in late July, but still more than 13% higher than levels seen before the conflict began. International benchmark Brent crude also dropped 4.9% to $83.87 per barrel.

    A diplomatic resolution to the five-month-long conflict would allow hundreds of tankers carrying oil and energy products trapped in the Persian Gulf to resume their journey to global markets, easing supply shortages.

    Despite the recent pullback in oil prices, shares of major oil companies have outperformed broader markets by a wide margin this year, with stock values climbing between 20% and 30% — far outstripping the 13% gain logged by the S&P 500 index over the same period.

  • Afghanistan’s child deaths are rising as food distributions face cuts, UN says

    Afghanistan’s child deaths are rising as food distributions face cuts, UN says

    The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) issued a stark alert on Tuesday, announcing that child malnutrition has reached catastrophic, critical levels across 12 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces — one third of the entire country — and the crisis is poised to deteriorate rapidly as crippling funding gaps force widespread cuts to life-saving food distributions and nutritional support.

  • Video shows Russian drone chasing Ukrainian street vendor in ‘human safari’ attack

    Video shows Russian drone chasing Ukrainian street vendor in ‘human safari’ attack

    A shocking incident of alleged intentional targeting of an unarmed civilian by a Russian drone in southern Ukraine’s Kherson region has drawn widespread international condemnation, with Ukrainian leaders calling it a clear example of systemic war crimes perpetrated by Russian forces against civilian populations.

    The dramatic footage of the attack, shared by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on his official Telegram channel, captures the entire harrowing ordeal: a 52-year-old street vegetable vendor identified only as Yuriy is relentlessly pursued by a hovering drone along a city street in the Tavriiskyi district of northern Kherson, mere miles from active frontline positions. As the drone locks onto him, Yuriy attempts to evade the aircraft, first ducking behind his white work van, then holding up heads of garlic toward the drone’s camera in a desperate attempt to prove he is an unarmed civilian, not a military target. Even as Yuriy ducks under a market umbrella while fleeing, the drone continues tracking him before diving directly at him and detonating on impact.

    Yuriy survived the attack but was hospitalized with concussion, blunt force trauma, and multiple shrapnel wounds, according to his treating physician. His work van, which he used for his vending business, was completely destroyed in the blast. In a video statement released from his hospital bed by Kherson’s regional governor after the attack, Yuriy recounted that he and his wife had only just begun setting out crates of tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants and other produce for sale when they heard the distinctive buzzing of a drone overhead. When his wife fled the area, the drone redirected its pursuit exclusively to Yuriy.

    Zelensky emphasized in his post that the footage must be seen globally, arguing that it provides irrefutable proof that Russian forces have adopted a deliberate strategy of terror against Ukrainian civilians. “It must see every piece of evidence that Russia has gone mad, and every fact that Russian soldiers are enjoying killings and tormenting people,” Zelensky wrote.

    Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha echoed the president’s condemnation, labeling the attack a barbaric war crime and noting that these so-called “human safari” drone strikes are a deliberate, systemic Russian strategy. “The sadist operating this drone knows full well that he is targeting a civilian,” Sybiha added.

    The practice of “human safari” attacks, in which remotely operated drones are used to hunt down and kill unarmed civilians in frontline areas, has been well-documented in Kherson for years. A 2025 United Nations report confirmed that Russian armed forces have recurrently killed and injured civilians in the region through this tactic. In many cases, drone operators film the pursuit and attack, then post the footage online to spread terror, allowing thousands to view the final terrified moments of their victims. The UN has repeatedly stated that publicizing these videos of attacked civilians amounts to an additional war crime of outrages upon personal dignity. Independent fact-checking team BBC Verify has confirmed the geolocation of the attack footage, matching it to a public market beside a roundabout in the Tavriiskyi district, matching Ukrainian authorities’ accounts.

  • EU commends Spain’s ‘swift response’ to Ceuta migrant crisis

    EU commends Spain’s ‘swift response’ to Ceuta migrant crisis

    In the wake of an unprecedented mass migration event that saw more than 70,000 people cross into Spain’s North African exclave of Ceuta in just 48 hours late last month, European Union interior ministers have formally commended Madrid for its rapid handling of the crisis, despite sharp divisions among member states that have tested the bloc’s border and migration policy frameworks.

    Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska confirmed that between July 30 and 31, approximately 72,000 migrants entered Ceuta from neighboring Morocco. In the days following the influx, Spanish authorities have moved to repatriate roughly 70,000 people back to Morocco, though the event has already left a devastating human toll: at least 75 people have been confirmed dead on the Spanish side of the border, with 11 additional fatalities recorded in Moroccan territory.

    The emergency meeting of EU interior ministers, held Tuesday, was convened after several member states publicly raised concerns over Spain’s management of the crisis, with far-right Italian leadership leading the criticism. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni framed the unplanned mass crossing as a direct security threat to the entire European continent, prompting Rome to suspend its Schengen Area free movement agreement with Spain late last week. Since Italy and Spain share no land border, the restriction only applies to air travel, requiring enhanced security checks for passengers traveling between the two nations.

    The divided stances among EU members deepened as Finland and Denmark publicly backed Italy’s action, while Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš went further, calling for a temporary suspension of Spain’s full Schengen membership. In total, 23 EU nations signed a joint letter expressing formal concern over the situation in Ceuta.

    Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez pushed back against the criticism, noting that Ceuta is not formally part of the Schengen border-free zone, and accused critical governments of attacking Spain for political gain, driven by “prejudice, fake news, ignorance, or political interest.” He acknowledged that most member states had offered support and solidarity, but condemned the actions of those that had not.

    Following Tuesday’s closed-door meeting, Irish Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan, who chaired the discussions, reaffirmed that the bloc remains united in solidarity with Spain, emphasizing that cross-border migration can only be addressed through coordinated, collective European action. Grande-Marlaska struck a conciliatory tone after the meeting, stating that the integrity of the Schengen Area remained intact and that he hoped Italy would reverse its additional border checks at the earliest opportunity.

    EU Commissioner Magnus Brunner characterized the Ceuta crisis as a critical stress test for European border security and collective resilience, a challenge he said the bloc had ultimately passed successfully. Brunner confirmed that the EU has offered Spain emergency funding to bolster border infrastructure and support ongoing crisis management operations. He added that investigations into the root causes of the sudden mass influx point to coordination by criminal smuggling networks and the spread of misleading disinformation across social media platforms that encouraged migrants to attempt the crossing.

    The mass crossing followed a recent ruling by Spain’s Supreme Court that barred authorities from summarily returning migrants intercepted at sea while attempting to reach Ceuta or Melilla, Spain’s second North African exclave, to Morocco. Moroccan officials claim they warned Spanish leaders that the ruling would trigger a major migration crisis, but Madrid has rejected this assertion, saying it received no intelligence warning of the unprecedented scale of the crossing.

    As of this week, hundreds of migrants remain in Ceuta, with photos and on-the-ground reports showing large groups gathering on city beaches to wait for food, water and emergency aid distributed by the Red Cross. Some migrants have carried handwritten banners calling for asylum, while many have been forced to sleep on public beaches and city streets due to overcrowding in local reception facilities.

    Public concern has grown over the conditions for vulnerable migrants remaining in Ceuta, particularly unaccompanied minor migrants, with local reports indicating roughly 800 children are being held in temporary facilities across the city. Grande-Marlaska moved to address these concerns, confirming that the Spanish government is committed to upholding the human rights of all migrants, including minors, and has earmarked 25 million euros (approximately $28.8 million) specifically to support care for underage migrants in Ceuta.

    Grande-Marlaska added that Spanish authorities are continuing close, firm cooperation with Moroccan officials to prevent further unauthorized border crossings, and that all remaining migrants in Ceuta will be processed and returned to Morocco as quickly as possible.

  • Trump administration will close 5 smaller US consulates in Africa, Asia and the Western Hemisphere

    Trump administration will close 5 smaller US consulates in Africa, Asia and the Western Hemisphere

    The Trump administration has formally notified Congress of a planned restructuring of U.S. diplomatic posts across three global regions, moving forward with the closure of five small diplomatic missions while advancing high-profile plans to restart formal diplomatic operations in three politically critical countries. According to internal administration notices obtained by the Associated Press, the State Department sent separate formal notifications to congressional legislators late last week outlining the five targeted locations for shutdown: the full U.S. embassy in the Caribbean island nation of Grenada, two U.S. consulates located in Nagoya, Japan and Medan, Indonesia, a small American Presence Post diplomatic outpost in Winnipeg, Canada, and a regional embassy branch office based in Douala, Cameroon.

    Department officials project that the streamlining measure will generate approximately $4.4 million in annual cost savings for the federal government. All five targeted missions are classified as small-scale posts, with extremely lean staffing compared to larger U.S. diplomatic facilities around the world. Breaking down the personnel numbers: the Grenada embassy and the Nagoya consulate each employ just one direct-hire American staff member and five locally hired workers; the Medan consulate has four American employees and 47 local staff; the Winnipeg outpost relies entirely on two local workers with no full-time U.S.-based personnel; and the Douala branch office counts 14 local staff members.

    This planned round of closures follows an earlier announcement from the State Department earlier this year, which ordered the permanent shutdown of the U.S. consulate in Peshawar, Pakistan. That facility had served as the closest U.S. diplomatic mission to Afghanistan after the complete withdrawal of American military forces from the country in 2021.

    The restructuring effort comes as the State Department pursues a broader organizational strategy to optimize its global operational footprint, reallocating resources toward priority diplomatic initiatives. A core component of that push is the multi-million dollar investment to reopen U.S. embassies in three countries: Caracas, Venezuela; Damascus, Syria; and Tripoli, Libya. The reopening of these posts marks a step to restore full formal U.S. diplomatic presence in these nations after long-ruling authoritarian leaders were ousted from power in each country, completing the restart of diplomatic engagement that had been paused for years.

  • US men to host Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada to kick off next World Cup cycle

    US men to host Peru, Chile, Mexico and Canada to kick off next World Cup cycle

    After a promising run to the knockout stage of the 2022 men’s World Cup, the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) is ready to embark on the road to the 2030 edition of the tournament, announcing a packed 11-day schedule of four home-friendly matches to kick off its new cycle under newly re-signed head coach Mauricio Pochettino.

    All four matches will be hosted in American metropolitan areas that did not host 2022 World Cup matches, giving local soccer fans across different regions of the country a chance to see the national team compete in person. The opening match of the slate is scheduled for September 26, when the USMNT will face Peru at Orlando’s Inter&Co Stadium. Just three days after that first contest, the team will take on Chile at St. Louis’ Energizer Park.

    The iconic continental rivalry between the US and Mexico will be reignited on October 3, when the two sides clash at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The four-game stretch will wrap up three days later with a matchup against Canada at Allianz Field, located in St. Paul, Minnesota.

    For soccer fans unable to attend the matches in person, every game will be carried across multiple major streaming and broadcast platforms: linear sports network TNT, Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming service HBO Max, Spanish-language broadcasters Telemundo and Universo, and NBCUniversal’s streaming platform Peacock will all carry the contests to reach both English and Spanish-speaking audiences across the country.

    This series of friendlies marks the first competitive action for the USMNT since Pochettino signed a new contract extension that will keep him at the helm of the national program through the 2030 World Cup, which will be co-hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco.

    In an official statement announcing the schedule, Pochettino expressed enthusiasm for launching the new cycle with home matches for American supporters. “We are so excited to start this new phase of our journey with matches in front of our home fans,” he said. “Their amazing energy during the summer has set the standard. Our objective is always to play the best opponents possible, and these matches provide a variety of experiences for this group of players as we begin this new chapter of the U.S Men’s National Team.”

  • The Danube River’s water is dropping so low that World War II ships are emerging

    The Danube River’s water is dropping so low that World War II ships are emerging

    A crippling European drought has shrunk water levels on the Danube — Europe’s second-longest river — to near-record lows, revealing a haunting relic of World War II: the rusted hulls of dozens of deliberately sunken Nazi German warships near the Serbian port town of Prahovo.

    Lying along the central stretch of the river that forms the natural border between Serbia and Romania, the emerging wrecks include a corroded vessel with a snapped mast that once flew the Nazi battle flag. Historians confirm these ships were part of Nazi Germany’s Black Sea fleet, scuttled by retreating German forces in September 1944 as Soviet troops pushed into the Balkans. The deliberate sinking was intended to block the river and slow the Soviet advance, though the Third Reich collapsed just eight months later in May 1945. Experts estimate as many as 200 German warships were scuttled in the Danube gorge near Prahovo, many still holding undeployed weapons and unexploded ordnance that has kept them in place for nearly 80 years.

    While the visible wrecks have drawn curious onlookers escaping the record summer heat, the extreme low water triggering their exposure has sparked a far more urgent crisis across Central and Eastern Europe. Multiple regional power plants that draw cooling water from the Danube have been pushed to the edge of full shutdown, forcing national governments to implement strict electricity conservation measures. The shallow waters also create major hazards for commercial navigation, grinding cross-border river traffic to a near halt in the worst-hit stretches.

    Prahovo local resident Krsta Brandic confirmed the severity of the navigation disruption, noting large cargo and passenger vessels are no longer able to traverse the shallow section of the river near the town.

    Efforts to remove the dangerous wrecks have been underway for decades: the Serbian government has pursued removal projects with financial backing from the European Union, and Communist-era Yugoslav authorities already cleared a small number of the ships. However, the presence of unstable explosives onboard most wrecks has complicated and delayed large-scale clearance operations for generations.

    Climate scientists have linked this summer’s record-breaking heat and sustained drought across the Danube basin to human-caused global warming, a pattern that has intensified drought conditions across Southern and Central Europe in recent years. Spanning 10 European countries, the Danube functions as a critical commercial and ecological artery for the continent, making low water events a growing concern for regional energy, trade and infrastructure stability.

  • US midfielder Gio Reyna joins French club Strasbourg from Mönchengladbach

    US midfielder Gio Reyna joins French club Strasbourg from Mönchengladbach

    American international soccer midfielder Gio Reyna has finalized a move to French Ligue 1 side Strasbourg, closing the door on a disappointing single season in the German Bundesliga and opening a new chapter in his young professional career. The 23-year-old, who emerged as a key contributor for the United States men’s national team during the most recent World Cup, put pen to paper on a five-year contract with the French club, the organization confirmed in an official announcement Tuesday. The transfer, which sees Reyna move from Borussia Mönchengladbach, carries a reported fee of 3 million euros, equivalent to approximately $3.5 million. Reyna first made his mark in European soccer as a promising prospect at Borussia Dortmund, where he spent several seasons honing his craft before making the switch to Mönchengladbach ahead of the 2023-2024 campaign. However, his debut season with the Bundesliga side failed to live up to expectations: across 20 appearances in all competitions, Reyna found the back of the net just once, struggling to cement a consistent role in the starting lineup. Despite his underperformance at club level, Reyna remains a proven talent on the international stage. He featured in every one of the United States’ five matches at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and notched a memorable goal to seal a 4-1 opening victory over Paraguay in a recent pre-tournament friendly. For Strasbourg, the move adds a high-potential young talent to a squad that finished eighth in Ligue 1 last term, a result that left the club outside of qualification for any 2024-2025 European continental competitions. The French side shares an ownership group with English Premier League giant Chelsea, giving it the financial flexibility to target emerging international talent. Reyna will be working under new Strasbourg head coach Hugo Oliveira, a long-time assistant to former Fulham manager Marco Silva who left his role at Fulham earlier this year to take up a position at Benfica before taking the Strasbourg job. The transfer marks a key turning point in Reyna’s career, as he looks to rebuild his form and prove he can live up to the early hype that surrounded his emergence in European soccer.

  • Cape Verde coach Bubista resigns to join Moroccan club

    Cape Verde coach Bubista resigns to join Moroccan club

    In a move that has shaken African football following the historic 2026 FIFA World Cup, Cape Verde’s trailblazing head coach Bubista has stepped down from his role with the national side to take up a two-year contract at Moroccan top-flight club RS Berkane. The 56-year-old leaves behind a transformative legacy for the small island nation, after leading them to their first ever World Cup qualification and an unforgettable debut run that captured global attention.

    Taking charge of Cape Verde, nicknamed the Blue Sharks, in January 2020, Bubista steadily built a side that exceeded all expectations. He first guided the team to a surprise quarter-final finish at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, before masterminding their 2026 World Cup qualification, which saw them edge out regional powerhouse Cameroon to book their spot in the global finals. At the tournament, their giant-killing run continued into the last 32, where they pushed eventual runners-up Argentina all the way, ultimately suffering a narrow 3-2 defeat after extra time. That underdog run cemented their place as the feel-good story of the 2026 finals.

    Bubista’s new role at RS Berkane sees him replace Moin Chaabani, who departed the north-east Moroccan club last month to take up the vacant head coach position with Tunisia’s national team. While RS Berkane is not counted among Morocco’s traditional elite clubs, it has emerged as a dominant force in African football in recent seasons. The club claimed its first ever Moroccan top-flight league title in the 2024-25 season, and has lifted the CAF Confederation Cup — Africa’s second-tier continental club competition — on three separate occasions. The club has also drawn international controversy before, most notably in 2024 when it wore shirts displaying a map of Morocco that included the disputed territory of Western Sahara during a Confederation Cup match.

    The Cape Verde Football Federation has publicly acknowledged Bubista’s contributions to the national program, releasing a statement thanking him for his “dedication, professionalism, and contribution to the development of the national team’s sporting project” and wishing him well in his new role.

    Bubista’s departure is far from an isolated case: he is the latest head coach to exit one of the 10 African nations that competed at the 2026 World Cup. The wave of changes began earlier this week when Vladimir Petkovic and Algeria mutually agreed to part ways, just months after the 62-year-old Bosnian extended his contract with the Desert Foxes through to 2028. Algeria exited the tournament in the last 32 following a defeat to Switzerland.

    In West Africa, both Ivory Coast and South Africa have declined to renew the contracts of their head coaches Emerse Fae and Hugo Broos respectively, with both deals expiring at the end of July. Senegal made a quicker change, sacking Pape Thiaw immediately after the team’s dramatic last-32 exit against Belgium, with the federation justifying the decision as being “in the best interests of Senegalese football”. Former France international Patrick Vieira has already been linked with the vacant role.

    Tunisia’s coaching change has already been finalized, with Chaabani penning a four-year deal last month. He replaced Herve Renard, who stepped in mid-campaign after Sabri Lamouchi was sacked following a 5-1 qualifying defeat to Sweden.

    Finally, Ghana’s future remains unresolved. Carlos Queiroz led the Black Stars to the last 32, where they suffered a narrow 1-0 defeat to Colombia. Queiroz publicly announced his departure on social media shortly after the elimination, though the Ghana Football Association says internal discussions about the role are still ongoing.

  • Zimbabwe mourns mother and 2 daughters killed in the UK as father faces charges

    Zimbabwe mourns mother and 2 daughters killed in the UK as father faces charges

    BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe — A somber crowd of grieving relatives, friends and community members filled a Bulawayo church on Tuesday to lay to rest a Zimbabwean-born mother and her two young daughters, whose brutal murders in their adopted British home have sent shockwaves across three nations.

    The three victims — 42-year-old Nothabo Zandile Tshuma, 15-year-old Natalie, and 5-year-old Nala — were honored in a funeral service held days after their bodies were recovered from their residence near Bedford, north of London. Their husband and father, 45-year-old Ndodana Mkhanyisi Tshuma, a British citizen of Zimbabwean origin, is currently in custody in South Africa after fleeing the United Kingdom shortly before the bodies were discovered. He faces three murder charges connected to the deaths, and South African authorities are processing an extradition request to return him to the UK to face trial.

    British law enforcement first found the bodies on July 7, after concerned family members contacted police to report they had been unable to reach the family for an extended period. A preliminary coroner’s inquest confirmed all three victims suffered fatal head injuries. On Tuesday, the victims’ remains were displayed in white coffins at the Bulawayo church ahead of their burial, drawing hundreds of mourners to pay their last respects.

    Speaking to the gathered crowd, family spokesperson Theophilus Khumalo spoke of the irreparable hole the three deaths have left in the community. “Their departure has created a silence so deep that only the voice of God can comfort it,” Khumalo told mourners, remembering the two young girls as “God’s little flowers.” He added that Tshuma had long held quiet dreams of watching her daughters grow into “confident, educated and God-loving young women” before those plans were cut short. In an earlier public statement released after the bodies were identified, the family described the shock of the killings as “an unbearably painful journey” for everyone connected to the victims.

    The case has garnered widespread public attention across the United Kingdom, Zimbabwe, and neighboring South Africa since news of the deaths broke last month. Tshuma was arrested in Johannesburg in a joint operation carried out by Interpol and South African police, just days after the bodies were found. When officers took him into custody, they discovered an unlicensed firearm in his possession, which investigators believe he intended to use to take his own life. He currently faces separate charges in South Africa for unlawful possession of the weapon, and local courts will hold proceedings to review the UK’s extradition request in the coming weeks.

    As a Zimbabwean-born family that had settled in the UK, the slayings have struck a chord with diaspora communities on both the African continent and in Europe, leading to widespread calls for justice for the three victims. The funeral service on Tuesday closed a chapter of mourning for the family, but legal proceedings surrounding the case are only just beginning as extradition processes move forward.