Global Pulse

标签： Asia

亚洲

  • Bethell fit to play for England in test series against NZ as McCullum calls for ‘refined’ Bazball

    Bethell fit to play for England in test series against NZ as McCullum calls for ‘refined’ Bazball

    As England prepares to kick off its home Test summer against New Zealand at Lord’s this Thursday, one of the team’s most promising young batting prospects has been given the all-clear to take his spot in the starting XI, easing early selection concerns for head coach Brendon McCullum.

    Jacob Bethell, who has been named as England’s new number three batter to replace the injured Ollie Pope, was forced to cut short his 2025 Indian Premier League campaign with champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru before the playoff stage. The 20-something batsman sustained a finger injury to his left hand during the IPL, prompting an early return to the UK to undergo assessment and close monitoring from England’s national medical staff ahead of the highly anticipated New Zealand series.

    Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, McCullum confirmed that the injury fears have proven unfounded, saying Bethell is fully fit to compete. “He was operating at gully in our training yesterday and he’s absolutely fine, so there’s no problems there,” McCullum said. The coach added that Bethell will also be available to bowl, a valuable bonus that gives England an extra bowling option in its top-order batting group.

    Bethell has quickly emerged as one of England cricket’s brightest young talents after a standout performance in the 2024-25 Ashes series in Australia. Though England fell to a 4-1 series defeat, Bethell was one of the few bright spots for the side, notching his maiden Test century in the series-closing final match in Sydney. Across his six Test appearances to date, he holds a solid batting average of 43, but his experience at the highest level of red-ball cricket on home soil remains extremely limited: he has only played one home Test to date, scoring a combined 11 runs across two innings against India in 2024 when batting at number six. What’s more, since August 2024, Bethell has appeared just once in England’s domestic County Championship, leaving questions over his red-ball match sharpness heading into the New Zealand series.

    McCullum, however, said there will be no excuses for the young batter as he steps into the high-pressure number three role at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground. “His game looks in good order,” McCullum noted. “I’m sure working in India, I know it’s probably not ideal from a structure point of view and maybe not getting as much red-ball games under his belt, but he has a calm head and he’s a very methodical preparer in terms of the mental side of the game.”

    The New Zealand series also marks the first official campaign for England’s iconic aggressive “Bazball” playing style after a disappointing Ashes result that drew calls for leadership change. McCullum and captain Ben Stokes ultimately retained their positions despite the underwhelming performance and off-field controversies during the Australian tour. When asked what fans can expect from the revamped side this summer, as the Bazball approach comes under renewed scrutiny against New Zealand and a subsequent Pakistan series, McCullum signaled a measured evolution of the team’s identity. “We still want to be recognizable from the past, but we just want to hopefully be a cricket team which has evolved somewhat in some of the key areas where we’ve identified that we’ve fallen short previously,” he said. “We want to be a team which is better under pressure, a team which can navigate tactically, that can understand where you sit in the game and what’s required. We still want the identity of the past, but we want a more refined version of it.”

  • Cambodia initiates action with UN agency to force conciliation of maritime dispute with Thailand

    Cambodia initiates action with UN agency to force conciliation of maritime dispute with Thailand

    After Thailand unilaterally scrapped a decades-old bilateral agreement aimed at managing overlapping maritime claims, Cambodia has officially launched compulsory conciliation proceedings through the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to resolve its long-running sea border dispute with neighboring Thailand, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet announced Tuesday in a live address on national state television.

    The contested stretch of water, claimed in full by both Southeast Asian nations, is widely believed to hold significant commercially viable reserves of natural gas and other hydrocarbon resources, making the dispute a high-stakes issue for both countries’ energy and economic outlooks. Tensions between the two neighbors escalated dramatically last year, when deadly armed clashes broke out along their shared land border. The violence stoked widespread nationalist sentiment in Thailand, which put growing domestic political pressure on Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul’s administration to walk away from the 25-year-old memorandum of understanding (MoU) that had governed bilateral talks on the overlapping claims. Thailand followed through on that pressure in May, terminating the agreement unilaterally.

    In his televised address, Hun Manet confirmed that his government had submitted formal notification of the conciliation request to both the Thai government and UN Secretary-General, triggering the formal process under UNCLOS regulations. He emphasized Cambodia’s commitment to a peaceful, rules-based resolution, saying, “Cambodia has never violated the sovereignty of other states. At the same time, we are unwaveringly determined to defend Cambodia’s sovereignty. Today, we continue to honor that responsibility, not through force, but through international law; not through unilateral action, but through peaceful engagement.”

    It remains unclear how long the conciliation process will take or when a preliminary outcome may be reached. Responding to Cambodia’s announcement, Anutin told reporters that the move itself does not create an insurmountable barrier to dialogue, noting that Thailand has long stated it is committed to resolving the dispute in line with UNCLOS frameworks. However, the Thai leader has made clear that his government rejects Cambodia’s push for a forced conciliation process.

    Notably, any outcome from the UNCLOS conciliation process is non-binding for all participating parties, even though both Cambodia and Thailand are official signatories to the treaty. Thailand has a long-standing preference for resolving all territorial disputes through direct bilateral negotiations rather than third-party international adjudication, a stance rooted in decades of resentment over a 1962 International Court of Justice ruling that granted Cambodia control over the disputed Preah Vihear hilltop temple along their shared land border. That ruling has remained a persistent source of friction between the two nations, contributing to cycles of tension that have flared repeatedly over the decades.

  • Nathan Ellis shines as Australia beats Pakistan by 41 runs to level ODI series

    Nathan Ellis shines as Australia beats Pakistan by 41 runs to level ODI series

    LAHORE, Pakistan – In a tense second One Day International played on a low, slow turning pitch that tested both sides’ adaptability, Australian fast bowler Nathan Ellis delivered a career-defining performance, taking 4 wickets for just 33 runs to secure a 41-run victory for the tourists. The win levels the three-match ODI series at one game apiece, ahead of the series decider scheduled for Thursday at the same Lahore venue.

    Pakistan had claimed victory in the series opener by five wickets on a similarly spin-friendly surface in Rawalpindi last Saturday, where 17-year-old left-arm spinner Arafat Minhas made history by becoming the first Pakistani bowler ever to take a five-wicket haul on his ODI debut. For the second match, Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi won the pre-match coin toss and opted to put Australia into bat first on a track that offered sharp turn for spinners and inconsistent bounce for seam bowlers.

    Australia’s batting innings got off to a disastrous immediate start, with opener Alex Carey bowled off the very first delivery of the match from Afridi. The side’s struggles continued soon after when spinner Abrar Ahmed claimed Matthew Short via a return catch, and star batter Marnus Labuschagne again failed to adapt to the turning track, top-edging a sweep shot off Minhas for just 5 runs.

    Australian captain Josh Inglis and all-rounder Cameron Green steadied the innings with a patient 93-ball, 51-run partnership, both batters opting to rein in expansive shots to survive the testing spin conditions. Inglis reached his half-century with a deft reverse sweep boundary off Abrar before falling to a low bounce that left him bowled by Minhas for 51. Green continued his gritty innings, combining with Matthew Renshaw for a 65-run stand before holing out to long-on shortly after bringing up his own 50. Renshaw compiled a steady 43 runs off as many balls before being bowled by Haris Rauf in the 44th over, but 19-year-old Oliver Peake boosted Australia’s late total with an aggressive 31 runs off 32 balls, including two sixes, to help the side finish at 231 runs for 9 wickets at the end of their 50 overs.

    Pakistan’s bowling attack put in a strong effort, with Afridi taking 3 wickets for 36 runs, Abrar and Minhas each claiming 2 wickets, and Rauf adding 2 more. After the match, Afridi acknowledged that his side had conceded 20 to 30 avoidable extra runs in the final overs of Australia’s innings that proved costly.

    In response, Pakistan’s chase got off to a rapid start from Ellis, who picked up a wicket in his very first over when Maaz Sadaqat edged the ball back onto his own stumps. In the fifth over, he trapped Pakistan star batter Babar Azam lbw with a delivery that nipped sharply inward, leaving the hosts at 2 wickets for just a handful of runs. Pakistan’s middle order crumbled under pressure from spin bowler Matthew Short, who finished with 3 wickets for 36 runs, slumping to 78 runs for 6 wickets before all-rounder Shadab Khan and Minhas (33) rebuilt the chase with a 59-run partnership.

    Ellis broke the critical stand in the 32nd over, trapping Minhas lbw to put Australia back in control. Shadab fought on to reach his fifth ODI half-century, scoring 71 runs off 104 balls to take the chase into the final overs, but he was the last batter dismissed, stumped down the leg side by Inglis off the bowling of Tanveer Sangha. Pakistan were bowled out for 190, giving Australia a 41-run win.

    After the match, Ellis noted that the spin-focused pitches Pakistan prepared for this series against a depleted Australian side were far different from the high-scoring one-day cricket played in most international circuits right now. “It’s no secret that today it was pretty low and slow … we saw the cutters and the slow balls working a lot today, and the ball started to tail and reverse swing through the 35-to-45-over mark,” he said.

    Inglis praised Ellis’ match-winning performance, highlighting the bowler’s ability to vary his pace on the challenging surface. “You can always call on Nello on those sort of pitches, his variations are outstanding, and when you’ve got on-pace at 145 and then your slow balls at just over 100k an hour, it’s really tough,” Inglis said, adding that Australia always believed a total over 200 would put them in a strong position to win. Afridi echoed praise for Ellis, noting that the bowler’s consistent line and length stump to stump was the key to his success on the turning track.

  • A bear injures 4 people in a residential area of Japan as the annual number of attacks rises

    A bear injures 4 people in a residential area of Japan as the annual number of attacks rises

    A brown bear has left four people injured after rampaging through a residential and industrial area of Fukushima, northeastern Japan, on Tuesday, marking the latest in a growing wave of dangerous human-bear encounters that have put communities across the country on high alert in recent years.

    This attack comes as Japan grapples with a record-breaking surge in bear-related violence: government data from 2025 shows 13 people killed in over 230 bear attacks across the nation, a total that surpasses the number of both fatalities and incidents recorded in any prior year.

    Emergency responders were dispatched immediately after the Fukushima Steel Works placed an emergency call reporting that two of its staff had been attacked by the animal. Surveillance camera footage captured the dramatic sequence of events: the black bear emerged unexpectedly near the factory entrance, chasing a male employee in his 20s, who was knocked to the ground as he attempted to escape. The bear then moved onto the factory grounds, where it wounded a second male worker in his 60s.

    After leaving the steel works property, the bear attacked two more people: another male employee in his 60s at a neighboring adjacent company, and an 80-year-old woman who lives in the surrounding residential area. According to the Fukushima City Fire Department, the three male victims suffered only minor injuries, while the elderly woman sustained moderate wounds. None of the injuries are classified as life-threatening.

    As of Tuesday afternoon, the bear remained at large. Authorities believe it is still trapped within the compound of the second company, which has been cordoned off by uniformed police officers equipped with specialized long bear control sticks. As a precautionary measure, two nearby schools including Noda Elementary School canceled in-person classes, shifting to remote learning and posting public warnings urging local residents to “avoid non-essential outings and stay safe.”

    The latest attack has reignited widespread public anxiety that first spread nationwide after a surge of deadly incidents in 2024, which prompted the Japanese government to deploy the self-defense force to Akita, a northern prefecture where more than 60 people were attacked and four killed by bears.

    Wildlife experts explain that the growing frequency of bear incursions into human settlements stems from a combination of demographic and ecological shifts: Japan’s bear population has expanded steadily, while rural human communities are shrinking and aging rapidly, leaving a critical shortage of trained hunters to manage bear numbers.

    In March of this year, the Japanese government estimated the total national bear population at approximately 57,800. Officials have already approved a comprehensive bear population management roadmap that includes systematic culling to reduce conflict risk. The plan outlines a threefold increase in municipal bear control staff, reaching 2,500 total personnel within five years, and a doubling of the number of active bear traps deployed across high-risk regions.

    Recent bear sightings have even spread to the outskirts of Japan’s capital, with multiple reports in western suburban Tokyo including the popular Okutama hiking area. Local park authorities have responded by placing additional traps and rolling out real-time bear alerts on social media platforms to warn visitors.

    Alongside expanded population control, the government has ramped up public education campaigns to help people stay safe. Officials urge hikers and wild foragers, who frequent bear habitats in search of mushrooms, to check recent sighting updates before heading out, and avoid outdoor activity during early morning and evening hours, when bears are most active.

    The Ministry of the Environment’s official safety manual outlines key steps for people who encounter a bear: do not panic, move slowly away, and never turn your back to run. If an attack is unavoidable, the manual advises people to lie face down, curl into a tight ball, and cover their neck to protect vital areas. “The core goal is to prevent a fatal wound,” the manual explains.

  • Border, peace, democracy: Myanmar president’s India visit is closely watched

    Border, peace, democracy: Myanmar president’s India visit is closely watched

    In a high-stakes diplomatic meeting that has drawn widespread international attention, Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing held official talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Monday, kicking off a five-day official visit focused on advancing bilateral cooperation across critical sectors ranging from trade and cross-border connectivity to border security and defense cooperation. This meeting marks a historic milestone: it is Min Aung Hlaing’s first foreign trip since he was sworn in as president in April 2026, following a military-backed election that sparked global criticism, and comes five years after the 2021 military coup that plunged Myanmar into a protracted civil conflict. Regional and global powers are closely watching the visit to gauge how key regional players will engage with Myanmar’s military-led administration amid ongoing domestic unrest.

    Geography has long bound the fates of India and Myanmar together: the two neighbors share a 1,643-kilometer land border, and political and security developments in Myanmar have direct and immediate impacts on India, particularly its vulnerable northeastern states, where local security, cross-border migration and informal trade are deeply interconnected with events across the border. The current crisis in Myanmar traces back to February 2021, when Min Aung Hlaing, then serving as commander-in-chief of the Myanmar Armed Forces, ousted the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi, just weeks after her National League for Democracy secured a landslide victory in general elections. The military takeover triggered mass nationwide pro-democracy protests that quickly escalated into an organized armed resistance movement, igniting a civil conflict that has killed more than 10,000 people, displaced millions more, and left large swathes of Myanmar outside the control of the military government. The violence has spilled across the border into India, with thousands of refugees, most from Myanmar’s persecuted Chin ethnic minority, fleeing to the Indian states of Mizoram and Manipur to escape the fighting.

    Between December 2025 and January 2026, the military-backed government held a national election, which resulted in an overwhelming victory for pro-military parties. The vote was heavily criticized by the international community, as major opposition parties were barred from running, and millions of voters in conflict-affected regions were unable to cast ballots. Following the election, a military-dominated parliament elected Min Aung Hlaing to the presidency in April 2026. Myanmar’s authorities frame the election as a critical step toward a return to civilian rule, but opposition groups, Western governments and independent international observers have rejected the vote as unfair, arguing it does nothing to loosen the military’s stranglehold on power. Despite this, Min Aung Hlaing has maintained that the election was free and transparent. Before this post-inauguration visit to India, Min Aung Hlaing had traveled to China and Russia for diplomatic meetings in the period between the 2021 coup and his presidential election. The last official visit by an Indian prime minister to Myanmar took place in 2017.

    In a press briefing following the meeting, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri confirmed that the talks between Modi and Min Aung Hlaing covered the full scope of Myanmar’s domestic political situation, alongside bilateral priorities. Misri noted that Prime Minister Modi raised broad concerns about democratic progress in Myanmar, and the two leaders also discussed the case of Aung San Suu Kyi, who remains under strict house arrest five years after the coup. Misri reaffirmed India’s long-standing position: Delhi remains committed to supporting lasting peace and an inclusive political dialogue that brings all of Myanmar’s stakeholders to the table, arguing that sustained diplomatic engagement, rather than international disengagement, is the only viable path to meaningful progress.

    A joint statement published by Myanmar’s state-run *Global New Light of Myanmar* newspaper outlined that both sides emphasized the urgent need to prevent the misuse of border territory for activities that threaten either nation’s security interests. Min Aung Hlaing reaffirmed Myanmar’s formal assurance that it would not allow its territory to be used to launch operations against India, while Modi reaffirmed India’s unwavering support for Myanmar’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

    The Myanmar leader arrived in India on May 30, and kicked off his visit with a trip to the sacred Buddhist site of Bodh Gaya, where he offered prayers at the Mahabodhi Temple, the site revered as the place where Buddha attained enlightenment. After the official talks in New Delhi, Min Aung Hlaing traveled to Mumbai to meet with Indian business leaders, with the goal of attracting new foreign investment and expanding bilateral trade between the two nations.

    Regional analysts widely view the visit as a landmark moment for Myanmar’s military leadership, which has sought to expand its diplomatic engagement after years of international isolation and criticism following the 2021 coup. Rajiv Bhatia, a former Indian ambassador to Myanmar, told reporters that the meeting represents a major diplomatic win for Nay Pyi Taw, as it grants formal validation to Min Aung Hlaing’s presidency from the world’s largest democracy. Gautam Mukhopadhaya, another former Indian ambassador to Myanmar, added that the visit is part of Min Aung Hlaing’s broader strategy to build greater regional and international legitimacy as a newly elected head of state.

    For India, the meeting underscores a long-standing strategic calculation: India’s core national interests in Myanmar outweigh any concerns about the character of the country’s military-led government. Analysts outline that India has three primary strategic priorities in its relationship with Myanmar: maintaining stability along its sensitive northeastern border, advancing its Act East Policy aimed at deepening economic and security ties with Southeast Asia, and balancing the growing influence of China in the country. Myanmar holds a unique place in India’s regional strategy: it is the only member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that shares a land border with India, making it a critical gateway for Indian engagement with the bloc. Bhatia notes that the visit could have a positive ripple effect across ASEAN, as member states work to develop a unified approach to the ongoing Myanmar crisis.

    The talks also come amid intensifying great power competition between India and China in the Indo-Pacific, with Myanmar emerging as a key strategic battleground. Myanmar provides China with direct access to the Bay of Bengal, allowing Beijing to reduce its reliance on the Strait of Malacca for critical trade and energy supplies. Mukhopadhaya notes that since 2017, China has steadily expanded its influence in Myanmar and has become increasingly open about its support for the country’s military leadership, in pursuit of its own strategic and economic goals.

    Min Aung Hlaing’s visit to India also takes place against a shifting backdrop of Myanmar’s relations with Western nations. After the 2021 coup, the United States and many of its allies imposed sweeping economic sanctions on Myanmar’s military leadership. But according to Mukhopadhaya, the second Trump administration has shown little interest in engaging with Myanmar, and has suspended most foreign assistance to the country, including funding for Myanmar refugees and pro-democracy opposition groups. Bhatia added that the Quad security grouping — made up of the United States, India, Japan and Australia — shares a common goal of restoring stability to Myanmar, creating an opening for engagement with the country’s new leadership.

    The ongoing civil conflict has already reshaped the security dynamic along the India-Myanmar border. In recent months, the Myanmar military has regained ground from resistance forces in the country’s eastern and northern regions, and has increasingly focused its attention on securing its western border with India. Mukhopadhaya argues that it is highly likely the Myanmar government will seek greater security cooperation with India to crack down on anti-military resistance groups operating near the border. Ultimately, Bhatia noted, India’s core goal is to see a stable, unified Myanmar emerge from the conflict, and a Myanmar that maintains its strategic independence amid great power competition. “Clearly, a more independent Myanmar is what India is looking for,” Bhatia added.

  • China cracks down on ‘ghost kitchens’ in food delivery apps

    China cracks down on ‘ghost kitchens’ in food delivery apps

    China has rolled out new regulatory measures targeting unlicensed “ghost kitchens” — unregulated takeaway-only operations that lack physical storefronts — following a high-profile food safety scandal that exposed widespread industry misconduct. The new rules, which entered into force on Monday, require all food delivery platforms to verify that every listed merchant matches a registered physical operating location, and mandate vendors to clearly disclose if they do not offer on-site dine-in services.

    The crackdown traces its origins back to a consumer complaint filed in Beijing last year. A local customer received a poorly made cake decorated with non-edible flowers from an online merchant, prompting an official investigation that uncovered a large-scale illegal operation. Officials discovered the cake chain listed nearly 380 store locations across major Chinese delivery platforms, but operated zero physical outlets, and used falsified business licenses to pass platform reviews. Further probes found the chain outsourced all orders to a third-party order-matching platform that awarded jobs to the lowest-bidding unvetted vendors, with more than 3.6 million cake orders processed across two matching platforms.

    A subsequent national inspection uncovered 67,000 unregistered ghost shops across seven of China’s largest food delivery platforms. State news agency Xinhua reported that these illegal operations and third-party intermediaries had formed a collusive illegal supply chain, with major delivery platforms turning a blind eye to violations to retain market share. One unnamed platform employee admitted to regulators that overly strict merchant reviews would push business to competing platforms, highlighting the cut-throat competition that has long defined China’s food delivery sector.

    The hyper-competitive market has already drawn regulatory scrutiny in recent years. A destructive price war between major platforms in 2024 prompted government warnings over the “race to the bottom” that not only compromised food safety, but also pushed delivery riders to accept extremely tight delivery deadlines for meager pay. In April 2025, China’s State Administration for Market Regulation imposed a total 3.6 billion yuan ($530 million) fine on seven leading e-commerce platforms including Taobao, JD.com, Meituan and Pinduoduo, with most penalties tied to illegal ghost kitchen operations.

    As the nationwide crackdown intensifies, regulators and industry players have rolled out new targeted measures to improve transparency. In the eastern city of Hangzhou, more than 20 registered takeaway vendors have installed live-streaming “transparent kitchen” systems that allow customers to watch food preparation in real time. In neighboring Anhui province, authorities have partnered with major platforms including Meituan, Taobao and JD.com on a new enforcement agreement that uses artificial intelligence to monitor kitchen operations, and offers financial rewards to delivery riders who report unlicensed ghost kitchens.

    This latest regulatory push marks the most comprehensive effort to date to clean up China’s $100-billion-plus food delivery sector, addressing longstanding consumer concerns over unregulated food preparation and unsafe operating practices.

  • Steampunk festival creates an unlikely capital for Victorian style and sci-fi oddity in New Zealand

    Steampunk festival creates an unlikely capital for Victorian style and sci-fi oddity in New Zealand

    Nestled along the coast of New Zealand’s South Island, the quiet rural town of Ōamaru — population 14,000, plus a colony of 3,000 endangered native penguins — transforms every year into a bustling, fantastical parallel world where Victorian-era steam power meets imaginative science fiction, for one of the world’s most beloved steampunk festivals.

    This year marked the event’s 17th iteration, drawing thousands of enthusiasts from across New Zealand and around the globe to embrace the genre’s core ethos: the stranger, the better. For four days, the town’s perfectly preserved 19th-century Victorian harbor street becomes a playground for eccentric personas, handcrafted costumes, and one-of-a-kind creative traditions built around the steampunk movement.

    Unlike rigid historical reenactment, steampunk re-imagines the Victorian era, blending its signature aesthetics and steam-based mechanics with modern sci-fi creativity to build a world where the industrial revolution never ended and imagination sets the only limit. The movement also prioritizes do-it-yourself craft and sustainable upcycling: enthusiasts spend months honing sewing, metalworking, and hat-trimming skills to build custom outfits that match their invented alter egos.

    Many attendees lead ordinary lives as bricklayers, engineers, farmers, and artists the rest of the year, and many describe themselves as shy in daily life. But at the festival, they step into entirely new identities. For festival regular Juliet Thorn, who attends as the charismatic Lady Sarsaparilla Ovabyte alongside her partner Greg “Captain Bob McSpoon” Thorn, the experience is transformative. “The first time you dress up and go out in public is really scary and then people get such a buzz out of it,” she explained. “It’s so cool that you take on a different personality.”

    Over nearly two decades, the festival has spawned its own unique set of quirky sporting events and community traditions. Hundreds of attendees pack into historic community halls to compete in unconventional contests, from speed cookie-dunking (where the goal is to dunk, then eat a soggy cookie faster than any competitor) to theatrical parasol dueling, judged just as much on style as speed. One of the most popular events is teapot racing, created by local enthusiast Ross McKay, now known by his steampunk persona Captain Roscoe Dangerfield. In the contest, participants navigate remote-controlled vehicles fitted with teapots through a tricky obstacle course, much to the delight of cheering crowds. McKay, a retired banker and self-described history geek and sci-fi nerd, originally thought steampunk was just “a bunch of weirdos” when he first saw photos, but quickly fell in love with the community. He has since brought teapot racing to steampunk events around the world, joking that “it’s lots of fun and the judges will take bribes.”

    This small South Island town was an unlikely pick to become the self-proclaimed steampunk capital of the world. For decades, Ōamaru was little more than a rest stop for travelers driving between the larger cities of Christchurch and Dunedin, overshadowed by the dramatic Lord of the Rings-era film locations that draw tourists to nearby regions. What put Ōamaru on the global steampunk map is its architectural quirk: a fully intact Victorian-era commercial street built from pale local stone, a leftover from the 1800s when Ōamaru was a bustling export hub shipping New Zealand meat, wool, and grain to Britain. Today, those historic buildings serve as the perfect immersive backdrop for the festival, which coexists peacefully with the town’s separate, historically accurate Victorian celebration held later in the year.

    Unlike the rigid social hierarchies of the actual 19th century, steampunk rewrites Victorian social norms to create an inclusive, equal-opportunity community. “Women, unlike in Victorian times, can be anything,” explained Iain Clark, the festival’s co-founder, who goes by the steampunk name Agent Darling. “We have female engineers, captains of industry, captains of airships, adventurers, explorers, scientists.” There are no hard rules for costumes or personas: attendees regularly bring multiple outfits to swap over the four-day event, and no concept is too wild to turn heads. Over the course of the festival, a Star Wars stormtrooper might wander past a group of costumed “wolves,” while first-time attendees jump straight into the fun, no experience required.

    For long-time guests, the community’s radical acceptance and celebration of creativity is what keeps them coming back. “You can be creative and you can be somebody else and no one cares,” said John Syben, attending his fourth festival. His partner Chris Sinclair noted that the pair have grown bolder with their costumes every year, adding: “There’s always someone who’s more nuts than you.” For countless steampunks, the small New Zealand festival has become more than an event — it’s their tribe.

  • Trump says troops turned back from Beirut after Netanyahu call

    Trump says troops turned back from Beirut after Netanyahu call

    On Monday, a fresh wave of diplomatic and military upheaval roiled the Middle East, as Iran paused indirect negotiations with the United States in response to Israel’s intensifying military campaign in Lebanon – just hours before former President Donald Trump announced unexpected claims of a de-escalation between Israeli forces and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah.

    The escalation traces back to joint military strikes launched by Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu against Iran in late February. Since that offensive began, Iranian officials and independent global analysts have repeatedly charged that Israeli leadership is intentionally working to sabotage any diplomatic path toward a lasting regional ceasefire.

    Iran’s state-owned Tasnim News Agency, which has close ties to the country’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), confirmed the suspension of mediated talks on Monday. In its official announcement, the outlet noted that a full ceasefire across all fronts, including Lebanon, had been a core precondition for continuing negotiations. With Israeli attacks ongoing across Lebanese territory, that precondition had been fully violated, prompting Tehran’s negotiating team to pause all talks and draft exchanges through third-party intermediaries.

    In an official statement published by the IRGC-affiliated outlet, the corps warned that any crossing of Iran’s red lines in Lebanon and Gaza constitutes a direct act of war that threatens Iranian national security and the broader Islamic Resistance movement. In response to ongoing violations, the statement confirmed Iran would carry out defensive operations via unconventional tactics, open new military fronts, and maintain its current leverage over the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical global chokepoints for energy trade.

    Tehran has already leveraged this leverage in response to the US-Israeli offensive, restricting commercial vessel traffic through the strait – a key transit route for global fossil fuel and fertilizer shipments. As international oil prices have spiked sharply in response to the supply chain disruption, Trump imposed a US naval blockade of Iran, a measure he has continued to uphold even after a tentative April ceasefire agreement that Israel initially argued did not apply to military operations in Lebanon.

    Shortly after news of Iran’s negotiation suspension broke, Trump spoke to NBC News, saying he had not received official notification of Tehran’s decision, but downplayed the development, saying “I think it’s fine if they’re done talking.” He added that “they’re better negotiators than they are fighters, but they haven’t informed us of that,” and stressed that the US would not immediately launch a new round of widespread bombing.

    Trump’s comments came just days after his administration launched new targeted strikes against Iranian assets over the weekend, which were followed by Iranian retaliatory attacks on US military installations across the Middle East. The president reaffirmed that the US naval blockade would remain in place, adding: “If they don’t want to talk, that’s OK with me. I think it’s fine. I don’t particularly want to talk either. We talk too much.”

    Less than a day after those remarks, however, Trump posted a correction and new announcement on his Truth Social platform, stating he had held what he called a “very productive call” with Netanyahu. In the post, he claimed “there will be no Troops going to Beirut, and any Troops that are on their way, have already been turned back.” He added that he had also held indirect talks with Hezbollah representatives through a third party, and that the group had agreed to a full ceasefire: “That Israel will not attack them, and they will not attack Israel.” Within 15 minutes of that post, Trump added a follow-up note confirming that talks with the Islamic Republic of Iran were “continuing, at a rapid pace.”

    While Iran’s top leadership had not formally confirmed the suspension of talks as of Monday evening, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi issued a clear warning on social media, stating that the existing ceasefire between Iran and the US unequivocally applies to all fronts, including Lebanon. “Its violation on one front is a violation of the ceasefire on all fronts,” he wrote, adding that the US and Israel bear full responsibility for any consequences that stem from the breach.

    Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator and Parliament Speaker, echoed that stance, arguing that the ongoing US naval blockade and the escalation of what he called “war crimes” in Lebanon by the “genocidal Zionist regime” are clear proof the US has failed to uphold its ceasefire commitments. “Every choice has a price, and the bill comes due. It will all fall into place,” he said.

    Independent regional analysts have framed Iran’s actions as a clear response to Israel’s escalating campaign, with a consistent red line linking Lebanese security to the future of broader diplomacy. “The Iranian message is increasingly clear: no Lebanon ceasefire, no broader framework, and potentially no talks at all,” explained Sina Toossi, senior nonresident fellow at the Washington-based Center for International Policy. Toossi noted that negotiations have fallen into a damaging cycle: “progress, escalation, backtracking.” Many Iranian leadership suspect Trump is intentionally seeking to push down global oil prices ahead of potential further military expansion, while Israel is working to completely derail diplomacy by turning southern Lebanon into a second Gaza, he added.

    The tactics Israel is deploying in Lebanon mirror the “Gaza playbook,” Toossi argued, including widespread scorched-earth operations, mass forced displacement of civilian populations, and what he characterized as ethnic cleansing of the small neighboring country.

    Other analysts have echoed this comparison, pointing to the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza, where Israel faces widespread global accusations of perpetrating genocide against the besieged Palestinian population. Assal Rad, a fellow at the Arab Center Washington DC, criticized mainstream media coverage of Israel’s Lebanon escalation, noting that just as the phrase “targeting Hamas” is used to justify widespread destruction in Gaza, labeling areas “Hezbollah-controlled” is used to justify flattening entire civilian neighborhoods in Lebanon. “This isn’t journalism, it’s stenography,” she said, sharing publicly available satellite imagery that shows widespread destruction of residential infrastructure across southern Lebanon. “This is what Israel’s total destruction of southern Lebanon looks like, deliberately destroying people’s homes so they have nothing to return to.”

    Mohamad Safa, who resigned earlier this year as a United Nations representative for the nongovernmental organization Patriotic Vision Association, issued a blunt accusation Monday: “Israel is committing another genocide in real time in Lebanon with complete impunity.”

    Former US Department of Defense advisor Jasmine El-Gamal, who now leads global consulting firm Averos Strategies, noted that the current crisis in Lebanon highlights a long-building conflict of interest between the US and Israel. “Early in the Iran war, I warned that US and Israeli interests would inevitably diverge and that President Trump would have to make a choice: to actually put America first, or to continue to allow Netanyahu to threaten our interests,” El-Gamal said early Monday. “Lebanon is the epitome of this choice.”

  • Asian shares mostly slip as latest fighting undermines the US-Iran ceasefire.

    Asian shares mostly slip as latest fighting undermines the US-Iran ceasefire.

    Global financial markets faced fresh downward pressure on Tuesday, driven by the resurgence of armed conflict between the United States and Iran that has undermined a recently brokered ceasefire and stoked new fears over energy supply disruptions.

    Most major Asian equity benchmarks ended the trading day in negative territory as investors pulled back from risk assets amid escalating geopolitical tension. Japan’s benchmark Nikkei 225 index fell 1.6% to close at 65,833.49, while South Korea’s Kospi dropped 1.7% to settle at 8,642.82. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 also shed 0.4% to reach 8,692.20, and China’s Shanghai Composite posted a minor dip of less than 0.1% to close at 4,056.56. In a rare bright spot for the region, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index bucked the downward trend to gain 1.2%, finishing at 25,698.75. U.S. futures also moved lower in early Asian trading, extending the risk-off sentiment across global markets.

    The downturn in Asia comes on the heels of a record-setting session on Wall Street Monday, when U.S. equities notched new all-time closing highs. The broad S&P 500 added 0.3% to close at 7,599.96, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.1% to finish at 51,078.88, and the tech-heavy Nasdaq composite climbed 0.4% to end the day at 27,086.81. Chipmaking giant Nvidia led market gains, jumping 6.2% after CEO Jensen Huang unveiled a slate of new product updates at an industry conference. As the world’s largest publicly traded company by market capitalization, Nvidia’s performance exerts an outsize influence on overall U.S. market movements. In the U.S. bond market, the 10-year Treasury yield ticked up to 4.46% by the end of trading Monday, up slightly from 4.45% late Friday, after briefly touching a high of 4.52% during the session.

    Geopolitical volatility has sent energy prices swinging in recent sessions, with crude oil remaining far elevated from pre-war levels. After rising in overnight trading Monday, benchmark U.S. crude lost 39 cents to trade at $91.77 per barrel in early Asian trading Tuesday. Brent crude, the global pricing benchmark for oil, fell 28 cents to $94.70 per barrel. Even with this minor pullback, both benchmarks remain well above the roughly $70 per barrel price seen before the outbreak of the current conflict. Higher oil prices have already hit U.S. companies with high fuel costs: United Airlines shares fell 2.6% Monday, while Alaska Air Group dropped 3.3%.

    Analysts warn that the current energy market squeeze is spreading beyond crude oil inventories to the refined fuels that power everyday economic activity. “Crude shortages have already forced refiners across Asia and Europe to aggressively reduce runs,” said market analyst Stephen Innes. “The result is that the squeeze is no longer confined to crude inventories. It is spreading into the fuels that actually power economies: gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, LPG, and naphtha.”

    Much of the future trajectory of global energy prices and inflation hinges on whether the U.S. and Iran can reach a lasting agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint through which a large share of global oil supplies pass from the Persian Gulf. A reopening would resume normal oil deliveries and ease upward inflationary pressure on global markets. Japan, which imports nearly all of its oil needs, has so far avoided extreme price spikes for gas and other energy products by releasing national petroleum reserves, but the long-term impact of sustained high prices remains uncertain.

    The latest escalation in tensions comes after a series of tit-for-tat strikes over the weekend. On Monday, the U.S. announced it had bombed Iranian radar and drone sites after Tehran shot down an American drone. Iran also claimed it launched missile strikes targeting U.S. soldiers stationed in Kuwait, a strike U.S. officials said they successfully intercepted. While U.S. President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Hezbollah had agreed to de-escalate hostilities following his conversations with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and mediated communications with the Lebanese militant group, the renewed fighting between the U.S. and Iran has erased early hopes of a broad regional ceasefire.

    In currency markets, the U.S. dollar posted a minor gain against the Japanese yen, rising to 159.70 yen from 159.66 yen. The euro held steady, remaining unchanged at $1.1631.

  • Israel’s Lebanon campaign: the risks of repeating failed lessons

    Israel’s Lebanon campaign: the risks of repeating failed lessons

    When Israel launched its campaign amid the ongoing war with Iran, the Netanyahu administration articulated two tightly linked strategic objectives: collapse the Islamic Republic of Iran, and eliminate the decades-long threat posed by Hezbollah to Israeli security. For 44 years, the Lebanese Shiite militia has remained a persistent menace along Israel’s northern border, and Israeli policymakers reasoned that cutting off Hezbollah’s core Iranian patron would force the group to collapse. Past efforts to disarm Hezbollah via direct military strikes and internationally backed disarmament initiatives had both fallen short, leaving this two-pronged strategy as the government’s preferred path forward.