Global Pulse

标签： Asia

亚洲

  • Internal Fatah rifts surface after senior leader backs Hamas

    Internal Fatah rifts surface after senior leader backs Hamas

    A political storm has erupted within Fatah following surprising statements by senior official Azzam al-Ahmad that appear to endorse Hamas, revealing profound internal divisions within the Palestinian movement. The veteran leader, who serves as secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s executive committee, broke from his historically critical stance toward Hamas during an interview with Egyptian outlet Shorouk News.

    In his controversial remarks, al-Ahmad explicitly refused to characterize Hamas as a terrorist organization, stating, ‘Everything being said about disarming Hamas and labelling it a terrorist organisation is unacceptable to us. Hamas is not a terrorist organisation.’ He further emphasized that ‘Hamas is part of the Palestinian national movement’ and revealed ongoing dialogue to facilitate the group’s formal entry into the PLO framework.

    The comments triggered immediate backlash within Fatah ranks, with social media platforms flooded with demands for al-Ahmad’s dismissal. However, some members defended the statements as personal views rather than official party position. This controversy emerges amid mounting international pressure for Hamas to disarm following Israel’s devastating military campaign in Gaza.

    Political analysts interpret al-Ahmad’s shift as indicative of deeper strategic recalculations within Fatah. Researcher Mohammed al-Qeeq identifies two competing factions: one advocating Palestinian unity despite limited regional support, and another resisting reconciliation to protect entrenched interests. Analyst Adel Shadeed suggests a significant segment of Fatah now believes that continued opposition to Hamas ultimately weakens their own movement more than their rivals.

    The timing appears significant, coinciding with President Mahmoud Abbas’s call to prepare for Palestinian National Council elections in November. According to analyst Suleiman Bisharat, these statements represent Fatah’s attempt to counter its political marginalization both internationally and regionally. The movement appears to be adopting a unifying discourse to rehabilitate its political trajectory, though Bisharat characterizes this approach as reactive rather than strategically systematic.

    Hamas official Bassem Naim welcomed the ‘positive and constructive’ remarks but emphasized the need for actionable programs to address Palestinian divisions. Historically, Fatah has never formally designated Hamas as a terrorist organization, though the relationship has been framed within contexts of rivalry and accusations of pursuing foreign agendas.

    The controversy highlights Fatah’s delicate balancing act—attempting to demonstrate its continued relevance in shaping Palestinian politics while maintaining plausible deniability through individual statements that can be disavowed if necessary, a pattern established through previous episodes with other Fatah leaders.

  • Forest and grassland fires fell to a record low in 2025

    Forest and grassland fires fell to a record low in 2025

    China’s Ministry of Emergency Management announced a landmark achievement in fire prevention, reporting that forest and grassland fires dropped to unprecedented lows in 2025. Official data reveals the country experienced merely 226 such incidents throughout the year, marking the lowest annual figure ever recorded.

    At a recent press briefing, Ministry spokeswoman Shen Zhanli disclosed that these fires impacted approximately 4,971 hectares of vegetation and resulted in two fatalities. This accomplishment represents the fifth consecutive year that fire incidents have remained below the 1,000 mark, demonstrating sustained progress in fire management strategies.

    The positive trend extended to workplace safety, with the nation recording fewer than 20,000 occupational accidents for the first time—an 8.7 percent reduction compared to the previous year. Officials attribute these improvements to comprehensive safety measures and enhanced emergency response protocols.

    Despite these advancements, Shen cautioned against complacency, noting that safety conditions remain “severe and complicated.” The increasing frequency of extreme weather events presents escalating fire risks, while the fundamental infrastructure for workplace safety requires further strengthening. The spokeswoman highlighted that two major accidents and several high-risk incidents have already occurred this year, underscoring persistent vulnerabilities.

    With the Spring Festival travel period ongoing and post-holiday business resumptions accelerating, authorities emphasize the continued need for vigilance against potential safety hazards across all sectors.

  • Ahmed comes in from the cold to spark England win over New Zealand at T20 World Cup

    Ahmed comes in from the cold to spark England win over New Zealand at T20 World Cup

    COLOMBO, Sri Lanka — England’s cricket team witnessed the emergence of a new star as 19-year-old Rehan Ahmed delivered a spectacular debut performance that dramatically shifted the momentum of their Twenty20 World Cup clash against New Zealand on Friday.

    The spin bowling allrounder, making his first appearance in the tournament, became the catalyst for England’s stunning four-wicket victory during the Super Eights stage. Ahmed’s dual contribution with both ball and bat proved decisive in a match that seemed to be slipping away from the English side.

    Ahmed’s bowling prowess initially hampered New Zealand’s progress, claiming crucial wickets of Rachin Ravindra and Cole McConchie to restrict the Black Caps to 159-7. However, it was his explosive batting performance that truly captured attention. Facing just his second delivery in the 18th over, Ahmed launched a massive six over long-on that electrified England’s chase and completely altered the game’s dynamics.

    This moment of brilliance ignited partner Will Jacks, and the duo proceeded to blast an unbeaten 44-run partnership from just 16 deliveries. Their extraordinary collaboration secured England’s victory with three balls remaining, keeping their semifinal hopes alive while simultaneously damaging New Zealand’s progression prospects.

    Jacks, who finished 32 not out from 18 balls, praised his teenage teammate’s composure under pressure. “Rehan played a brilliant innings,” Jacks remarked. “Everyone who came out on that pitch struggled to adapt to the slow conditions, but that six he hit second ball just upped the ante and put them on the back foot.”

    The selection of Ahmed, replacing fast bowler Jamie Overton, marked England’s first team change in six World Cup matches. Captain Harry Brook indicated the decision was tactically driven by the used, slow pitch conditions in Colombo. When questioned about Ahmed’s potential retention for the upcoming semifinal, Brook noted, “There’s conversations to be had. We select based on conditions, and today was the perfect opportunity to bring him in.”

    Ahmed’s landmark debut continues his record-breaking trajectory in international cricket. Having become England’s youngest test debutant in 2022, he subsequently achieved the same distinction in both ODI and T20 formats the following year.

  • Miao ethnic group celebrates Tiaohua Festival in Guizhou

    Miao ethnic group celebrates Tiaohua Festival in Guizhou

    The Miao ethnic community in Anshun, Guizhou province, immersed itself in vibrant cultural celebrations on February 25, 2026, as they honored the traditional Tiaohua Festival. This colorful event saw participants gathering around an elaborately decorated ceremonial tree, engaging in rhythmic dances that have been passed down through generations.

    The festival atmosphere resonated with the distinctive sounds of lusheng pipes, traditional wind instruments that provide the musical backbone for the celebration. Beyond its musical elements, the event incorporates sacred rituals performed to invoke blessings and prosperity for the community. The central decorated tree stands as a powerful symbol of communal harmony and collective strength among the Miao people.

    Historical significance deepens the festival’s meaning, with local oral traditions identifying Anshun as the original birthplace of this cultural practice. The celebration serves dual purposes: paying homage to a legendary hero from Miao folklore while simultaneously functioning as a traditional platform for young community members to express romantic interest and form relationships through culturally sanctioned channels.

    This preservation of ethnic traditions demonstrates the Miao community’s commitment to maintaining their cultural heritage while sharing it with broader audiences. The festival’s continuation represents an important link between historical practices and contemporary cultural expression in modern China.

  • Chinese courts wrapped up 168,000 maritime cases during the 14th Five-Year Plan period

    Chinese courts wrapped up 168,000 maritime cases during the 14th Five-Year Plan period

    China’s judicial system has demonstrated remarkable efficiency in maritime dispute resolution, concluding approximately 168,000 maritime cases throughout the 14th Five-Year Plan period spanning from 2021 to 2025. This substantial caseload processing has provided substantial legal safeguards and judicial momentum for advancing high-quality development within the nation’s marine economy.

    According to Supreme People’s Court officials speaking at a recent press conference, the handled cases encompassed an extensive spectrum of maritime activities. These included conventional matters such as cargo transportation, freight forwarding, vessel transactions, shipbuilding and maintenance operations, marine insurance policies, and lease financing arrangements. Additionally, courts addressed cases involving port operations, channel dredging activities, dock construction projects, aquaculture enterprises, and seafarer employment contracts.

    Notably, judicial authorities observed a consistent annual increase in cases involving emerging marine industries, particularly offshore wind energy projects and deep-sea aquaculture operations, indicating rapid sector expansion.

    The international dimension of China’s maritime judiciary proved particularly significant, with approximately 12,000 cases involving foreign entities from 146 distinct countries and territories. This international participation underscores China’s growing role as a preferred dispute resolution forum for global maritime commerce, even among parties without direct connections to China.

    China’s maritime judicial expertise has gained international recognition, with over 50 Chinese judicial decisions—including numerous maritime rulings—being incorporated into the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law’s case law database. This inclusion establishes Chinese maritime jurisprudence as an influential reference for global maritime legal application and academic research.

    Furthermore, Chinese judges have actively contributed to international rule-making processes within United Nations frameworks, offering Chinese perspectives and solutions that enhance the nation’s core competitiveness in international maritime law development.

  • US allows non-essential staff to evacuate from Jerusalem embassy

    US allows non-essential staff to evacuate from Jerusalem embassy

    The United States Department of State has authorized the voluntary departure of non-emergency personnel and family members from its diplomatic mission in Israel, citing heightened security concerns. This decision, announced on the embassy’s official website on February 27, 2026, advises individuals to consider leaving while commercial flight options remain available.

    The authorization coincides with a significant regional military buildup ordered by President Donald Trump, fueling anticipation of potential retaliatory strikes against Israel following recent attacks targeting Iranian interests. The security precaution has already impacted air travel, with Netherlands-based carrier KLM announcing cancellation of all flights to Tel Aviv beginning March 1, attributing the decision to operational and commercial challenges.

    Amid these rising tensions, diplomatic efforts continue behind the scenes. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi met with U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner in Geneva for a third round of negotiations concerning Iran’s nuclear program. According to Financial Times reports, Tehran has presented potential investment opportunities in its oil, gas, and critical minerals sectors specifically designed to appeal to President Trump’s deal-making preferences. A source familiar with the discussions described these proposals as ‘a major economic bonanza’ directly targeted at the American administration.

    Both nations have agreed to resume high-level negotiations following consultations within their respective capitals, with technical discussions scheduled to occur in Vienna next week.

  • China strengthens forest, grassland fire prevention, control

    China strengthens forest, grassland fire prevention, control

    In response to growing climate volatility, China has launched a comprehensive reinforcement of its forest and grassland fire management systems. The Ministry of Emergency Management (MEM) announced on Friday that escalating frequencies of extreme weather patterns are elevating fire hazards across the nation’s vast territories.

    Yang Xudong, a senior MEM official, highlighted during a press briefing that concurrent factors—including unseasonably warm spring temperatures, diminished precipitation levels, and heightened human activities such as agricultural operations and tourism—are compounding fire control challenges.

    The revitalized strategy emphasizes strengthening accountability mechanisms for local governments while mandating that land operators enhance fire prevention infrastructure and expand surveillance patrols. Authorities will implement more precise controls over potential ignition sources in vulnerable areas.

    Technological advancement forms a cornerstone of the updated approach. China is optimizing an integrated early warning system that synergizes satellite monitoring, aerial reconnaissance, and ground-level inspections. This multi-layered detection network aims to deliver timely and accurate alerts to prevent fire outbreaks.

    Recent years have witnessed China’s sustained commitment to ecological conservation, with 2025 recording only 226 forest and grassland fires—the lowest figure in historical records. This progress aligns with the nation’s broader transition toward proactive risk management, exemplified by the newly enacted Fire Prevention and Control Regulation that took effect January 1, 2026.

  • Israel seeking ‘permanent demographic change’ in West Bank and Gaza, UN official says

    Israel seeking ‘permanent demographic change’ in West Bank and Gaza, UN official says

    In a powerful address to the Human Rights Council on Wednesday, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk presented a damning indictment of Israel’s conduct in Palestinian territories, alleging systematic human rights violations amounting to potential ethnic cleansing. The comprehensive report covering November 2024 through October 2025 documents what Turk characterized as Israel’s “utter disregard for human rights in Gaza and the West Bank.” The assessment reveals a humanitarian catastrophe of staggering proportions, with over 72,000 fatalities and destruction of more than 80% of Gaza’s infrastructure since conflict initiation in 2023. Despite a ceasefire implemented in October, ongoing violations have resulted in more than 600 additional Palestinian deaths and 1,600 injuries, with at least 1,700 documented violations during the truce period. These include daily attacks, weaponization of humanitarian aid, denial of medical treatment, and severe restrictions on essential supplies. The situation in Gaza remains critical with persistent malnutrition despite limited aid flows, following an official famine declaration in August 2025. In the West Bank, Israeli forces have killed over 1,000 Palestinians during the reporting period, with recent administrative changes consolidating what Turk described as illegal annexation of occupied territory. The High Commissioner condemned these actions as creating a “human-made disaster” through forcible transfer and displacement practices. He emphasized the “shameful” absence of accountability for egregious violations and called for immediate cessation of Israel’s “unlawful occupation” of the West Bank. Turk concluded that human rights have been “crushed” in the Occupied Palestinian Territory and that any realistic rebuilding efforts must be urgently anchored in human rights principles.

  • The crown prince waiting for Iran’s Islamic Republic to fall

    The crown prince waiting for Iran’s Islamic Republic to fall

    As U.S. and Iranian diplomats engage in critical negotiations in Geneva to de-escalate mounting military tensions, exiled opposition groups are positioning themselves for potential political opportunities. The Islamic Republic confronts its most severe governance crisis since the 1979 revolution, compounded by President Trump’s threats of military action should Iran refuse concessions on its nuclear program. Simultaneously, anti-regime protests persist despite government crackdowns that have reportedly claimed over 20,000 lives.

    Amid this turbulence, discussions about Iran’s political future have intensified. The emergence of monarchist sentiments, particularly surrounding exiled Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, has gained visibility through well-organized diaspora groups. Organizations like the U.S.-based National Union for Democracy in Iran (NUFDI) have launched detailed proposals including the ‘Iran Prosperity Project’ and an ‘Emergency Phase Booklet’ outlining transitional governance frameworks.

    These documents propose granting Pahlavi substantial authority as ‘leader of the national uprising’ during a transition period, with veto power over transitional government institutions. However, the plans notably omit addressing federalist demands from ethnic minorities and maintain a centralized power structure pending a future referendum on constitutional monarchy versus democratic republic.

    Critics highlight concerning parallels with the 1979 revolution, where democratic promises gave way to authoritarian control. Pahlavi’s avoidance of addressing his father’s autocratic legacy, combined with his supporters’ aggressive responses to critics—exemplified by the harassment of journalist Christiane Amanpour after her pointed interview—raise questions about the movement’s commitment to pluralism.

    While some protests have featured pro-monarchy chants, other demonstrators explicitly reject both clerical rule and monarchy in favor of egalitarian democracy. The actual support for monarchical restoration within Iran remains uncertain due to polling challenges, though one 2024 survey suggested approximately 30% might consider Pahlavi as their first choice in free elections.

    The path forward remains profoundly uncertain, with any potential regime change likely to involve violent turmoil. The monarchist movement’s behavior increasingly prompts scrutiny regarding its capacity to deliver the tolerant, liberal Iran it promises.

  • US authorizes departure of some embassy personnel from Israel over safety risks

    US authorizes departure of some embassy personnel from Israel over safety risks

    The United States Embassy in Jerusalem has announced the authorization for voluntary departure of non-essential government personnel and their family members from Israel, citing escalating security risks in the region. The decision, communicated through an official statement released Friday, reflects growing concerns about stability in the Middle East.

    According to the embassy’s advisory, affected individuals are encouraged to consider departing while commercial flight options remain available. The statement further indicated that travel restrictions for U.S. government employees may be implemented without prior notice, potentially limiting access to specific areas including the Old City of Jerusalem and the West Bank territories under Israeli security control.

    U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee reportedly emphasized the urgency of the situation in communications with embassy staff, advising those planning to depart to prioritize securing immediate transportation out of the country. ‘Focus on obtaining seating to any destination that facilitates subsequent travel to Washington,’ the ambassador was quoted as stating, ‘with the primary objective being expedient departure from the nation.’

    This diplomatic development occurs against a backdrop of intensified tensions between Washington and Tehran, coinciding with increased U.S. military presence throughout the Middle East. The authorization follows recent nuclear negotiations in Geneva and reports that the Trump administration was evaluating preliminary strike options to increase pressure on Iran during diplomatic discussions.