Global Pulse

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  • Australian airline Jetstar will charge passengers to use the overhead lockers for their bags

    Australian airline Jetstar will charge passengers to use the overhead lockers for their bags

    Australian budget airline Jetstar is set to shake up regional air travel with a groundbreaking policy change that will charge passengers for using overhead cabin compartments for carry-on luggage, a first for the Australian aviation market. Scheduled to take effect in February 2027, the new rule brings Jetstar into line with low-cost carriers across the United States and Europe that have long adopted similar fee structures for cabin storage.

    The policy shift was born from widespread customer and staff feedback identifying overcrowded overhead lockers and gate-side bag weight checks as among the most stressful parts of the air travel experience, the airline confirmed in an official statement released Wednesday. Under the new framework, passengers will still be able to bring one small personal item — such as a purse, laptop sleeve, or compact backpack — that fits under the seat in front of them at no extra cost. This small underseat item will also see its existing 7-kilogram weight limit eliminated entirely to simplify boarding procedures.

    For travelers opting to use an overhead compartment, one-way fees will start at 25 Australian dollars, equal to roughly 18 U.S. dollars, with final pricing adjusted based on the length and route of the flight. Bags stored in overhead lockers will have a maximum weight limit of 10 kilograms, and gate-side weight checks for carry-on items will be scrapped entirely under the new system, cutting down on boarding delays and crowding at departure gates.

    Jetstar Chief Executive Officer Stephanie Tully explained that the restructuring is designed to address longstanding passenger frustrations during the boarding process while improving operational efficiency. “By giving customers an underseat bag with the option to add Priority Carry-on, we can make better use of overhead locker space, streamline boarding and help more flights depart on time,” Tully said, adding that the model lets passengers pay only for the extra services they choose to use.

    Like many airlines globally, Australian and New Zealand carriers have spent years unbundling ticket costs, introducing separate fees for checked luggage, seat selection, in-flight dining, and entertainment. But industry analysts note that Jetstar’s new overhead locker fee is an unprecedented move in the Australian market, one that is already expected to draw pushback from local travelers.

    Sharon Petersen, CEO of aviation industry watchdog AirlineRatings.com, noted that the change will likely ruffle widespread criticism because Australian passengers have long held higher expectations for inclusive air travel. “For such a long time they lived in a bubble of full-service options only,” Petersen explained. She also pointed out that Jetstar’s base fares remain significantly higher than those of European low-cost carriers such as Ryanair and Wizz Air that already charge for overhead locker access. This gap, she said, stems from Australia’s less competitive aviation market, as well as far higher operating costs for wages, taxes, and infrastructure that drive up baseline ticket prices across the country.

  • Flights at German airport disrupted after suspect objects sighted

    Flights at German airport disrupted after suspect objects sighted

    BERLIN – Operations at Leipzig/Halle Airport, one of Germany’s most critical air cargo hubs, were thrown into disarray overnight following two separate security incidents: an unconfirmed sighting of an unidentified flying object in the area and the discovery of a suspicious object near one of the facility’s runways, local law enforcement confirmed Wednesday.

    The first report of an airborne object near the airport came in just minutes before midnight, prompting immediate safety protocols that forced multiple inbound and outbound flights to reroute. Among the diverted aircraft was at least one commercial passenger plane, according to initial law enforcement updates. Following the sighting, crews located a second, stationary unknown object in the vicinity of the airport’s southern runway, triggering an explosive ordnance response.

    Authorities dispatched a specialized bomb disposal robot to conduct a thorough inspection of the suspicious object near the runway. As of Wednesday’s public statement, police have not released additional details about the nature of either the sighted flying object or the discovered suspicious item.

    While operations using the airport’s remaining open runway resumed shortly before 2 a.m. after the initial security lockdown, the southern runway remained fully closed to all air traffic through Wednesday morning, leaving ongoing disruptions to cargo and passenger schedules at the major transport hub.

  • Russian missile and drone barrage in Ukrainian capital region kills at least 15

    Russian missile and drone barrage in Ukrainian capital region kills at least 15

    On the overnight period leading into Wednesday, a new wave of Russian missile and drone attacks targeting Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and its adjacent suburban regions left at least 15 civilians dead and 42 more injured, Ukraine’s State Emergency Service confirmed in an official statement. The assault marks the most recent installment of a steady string of large-scale ballistic missile strikes that Moscow has launched with growing regularity across Ukraine throughout the summer months.

    Ukraine’s defense capabilities face a critical gap in defending against these repeated barrages: the country currently holds only a limited stock of interceptor missiles for its U.S.-manufactured Patriot air defense systems, the only weaponry in Kyiv’s arsenal capable of intercepting incoming ballistic missiles. This shortage has left Ukrainian forces unable to fully stop large coordinated attack volleys like the one carried out this week, even as Ukraine has ramped up its own deep cross-border strikes targeting Russian oil refineries and key domestic energy infrastructure in recent weeks.

    Across the broader Kyiv Oblast surrounding the capital city, 14 of the total fatalities were recorded, with another 27 people sustaining injuries. Multiple large fires broke out across the region’s Brovary, Bucha and Fastiv districts following the strikes. In Brovary, massive blazes consumed large commercial warehouses, with additional large warehouse fires breaking out in the neighboring villages of Velyka Dymerka, Kvitneve and Peremoha. Emergency response teams in Fastiv District successfully extinguished a blaze that broke out at an industrial enterprise that had ignited among parked vehicles. In Bucha District, fire crews contained a warehouse fire in the village of Chaiky after first extinguishing a separate blaze at a logistics hub in Sofiivska Borshchahivka.

    Within Kyiv city limits, the strikes claimed one additional life and left 15 residents wounded, according to the Kyiv City Military Administration. Responders have already fully extinguished all fires sparked by the attacks across the capital’s Obolonskyi, Sviatoshynskyi, Holosiivskyi and Desnianskyi districts.

    Serhii Beskrestnov, an advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy focusing on defense technology development, framed the assault as a sign that the ongoing war of attrition between the two nations has shifted into a new, more destructive phase. Speaking in a public post to Facebook, Beskrestnov noted that Russian forces are now targeting all types of civilian and infrastructure sites without distinction. “The enemy is attacking everything indiscriminately — retail warehouses, food storage facilities, logistics hubs, enterprises, building materials warehouses,” he wrote.

  • This organ will play one composition until 2640. It’s redefining how slowly music can be played

    This organ will play one composition until 2640. It’s redefining how slowly music can be played

    In the medieval ruins-turned-arts space of Burchardi Church in Halberstadt, eastern Germany, an extraordinary experimental art project that redefines the boundaries of musical performance continues its glacial journey. Nearly 25 years after the first note resonated through the stone walls, the world’s slowest ongoing concert has hit a rare milestone: a manual chord change that brings the 639-year performance to roughly 4% completion.

    The ambitious initiative, known as the John Cage Organ Project Halberstadt, stages John Cage’s iconic experimental composition *ORGAN²/ASLSP (As SLow aS Possible)*, a work that demands the piece be played as slowly and softly as the interpreters choose. While project planning began in 2000, the performance officially launched on September 5, 2001, what would have been the avant-garde American composer’s 89th birthday, opening with a 17-month silent pause that stretched all the way to February 5, 2003, when the first chord finally echoed through the church. This week’s chord shift, which added an A4 pipe to expand the harmony from seven notes to eight, marks only the 17th sound adjustment in the work’s more than two-decade history. The next change is already scheduled for October 5, 2027, when an E4 pipe will be removed to alter the chord once again.

    The 639-year timeline, set to conclude on September 4, 2640, was not chosen arbitrarily. According to Anneli Borgmann, chair of the project’s board of trustees, the duration was selected as a tribute to the world’s oldest playable historic organ, which was constructed in Halberstadt in 1361 — exactly 639 years before the project was first organized in 2000. The organ itself, powered by a continuous electric blower system to sustain unbroken sound, has been engineered for extreme longevity. Master organ builder Johannes Hüfken, who crafted the new A4 pipe installed this month, confirms that all components are built to survive at least another 500 years, ensuring the performance can outlive multiple generations of stewards.

    What began as a radical experimental art concept has also reshaped the Burchardi Church itself. Before the project launched, the structure sat largely in ruins, but funds raised for the initiative paid for a new roof and critical structural repairs, saving the historic site for future generations. For visitors, the experience is unlike any traditional concert: the sustained chord resonates through the entire empty stone sanctuary, and shifting just a few feet dramatically alters how the sound is perceived, leading Jeffrey Lependorf, executive director of the New York-based John Cage Trust, to observe: “I think it really is the organ playing the church and not the other way around.” Lependorf, who has followed the project for years, says the deep, sustained vibrations of the organ are felt across the entire body, creating an immersive experience that cannot be replicated in modern performance settings.

    Beyond its artistic innovation, the project acts as a provocative meditation on intergenerational responsibility and long-term thinking, a reminder to plan for futures far beyond any single person’s lifetime. “This John Cage project is a good example of thinking ahead for the next generation — thinking outside the box, beyond the completely normal and traditional,” Hüfken noted. Curators and stewards regularly grapple with questions that stretch centuries into the future: Will the church still stand when the final chord sounds in 2640? Will Halberstadt, a city that has already survived two world wars, endure the accelerating impacts of climate change? To lock in access for the final performance, the project has already begun selling inheritable “final tickets” for the 2640 closing event, priced at 2,640 euros (approximately $3,045) apiece, that can be passed down through families for more than six centuries.

  • Russian ballistic missile strike on Kyiv kills one and injures others

    Russian ballistic missile strike on Kyiv kills one and injures others

    A new wave of coordinated Russian strikes combining ballistic missiles and drones has targeted Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and its surrounding suburbs, leaving at least one civilian dead and 12 others wounded, local Ukrainian officials confirmed Wednesday. The assault marks another escalation in Russia’s increasingly frequent attacks on the Kyiv area in recent weeks, extending air raid warnings across the region for more than an hour as multiple waves of projectiles hit population centers and infrastructure.

  • Watch: Moment passenger train crashes into trailer carrying straw bales

    Watch: Moment passenger train crashes into trailer carrying straw bales

    Shocking newly released surveillance footage has captured the split-second moment a passenger train collided with a road trailer loaded with straw bales in Poland, after the vehicle’s intoxicated driver ignored falling safety barriers and stopped directly on active railway tracks.

    Polish railway officials have confirmed details of the alarming incident, which unfolded when automatic crossing barriers began lowering to block road access ahead of the oncoming train. Against standard safety protocols and clear visual warnings, the driver of the heavy road trailer pulled onto the crossing and brought his vehicle to a halt directly on the train’s path, leaving the train crew with no time to avert a crash.

    The collision, captured by crossing security cameras, shows the train striking the trailer at full operational speed, scattering the large straw bales across the tracks and causing significant damage to the front of the passenger train. Emergency services responded quickly to the scene to assess casualties and clear the debris that disrupted regional rail services for several hours.

    Initial investigations launched by railway police have confirmed that the trailer driver tested positive for alcohol intoxication, confirming early reports from railway authorities about the cause of the preventable incident. No serious injuries have been reported among train passengers, though several people were treated for shock following the crash. The incident has reignited public discussion in Poland about level crossing safety and the risks posed by impaired driving near critical rail infrastructure.

  • Ukrainian vegetable seller targeted in ‘human safari’ drone attack

    Ukrainian vegetable seller targeted in ‘human safari’ drone attack

    A shocking new video has emerged documenting what human rights observers are calling a targeted ‘human safari’ drone attack, in which a Russian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) tracked and chased an unarmed Ukrainian vegetable street vendor through populated areas of the Kherson region before detonating. The amateur footage, which has circulated widely across regional media platforms, captures the full sequence of the incident: the small, low-flying drone closes in on the vendor as he flees along a public street, continuing its pursuit before a final explosion at the end of the sequence.

    The attack has drawn renewed condemnation from international analysts who highlight that the targeting of unarmed civilian civilians in conflict zones violates international humanitarian law. The Kherson region, which has faced consistent cross-border shelling and drone strikes since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, has seen a sharp uptick in attacks targeting civilian infrastructure and individuals in recent months. Local officials confirmed that the vendor was the sole target of the drone strike, framing the incident as part of a broader pattern of what they describe as random lethal targeting of civilians for intimidation purposes, a tactic colloquially labeled ‘human safaris’ by local communities.

    Rights groups note that this incident adds to a growing list of documented attacks on non-combatants in southern Ukraine, raising further questions about compliance with the Geneva Conventions governing armed conflict. As of the latest update, details on the vendor’s condition have not been released, but the video evidence confirms the intentional targeting of an unarmed civilian going about their daily livelihood.

  • Oil spill from grounded tanker off Oman expands sharply, satellite images show

    Oil spill from grounded tanker off Oman expands sharply, satellite images show

    BEIRUT – A growing environmental crisis is unfolding off the southern coast of Oman, where a massive oil leak from a UK-sanctioned grounded tanker has expanded 7.5 times in just one week, pushing crude oil onto protected shorelines and far into the Arabian Sea, according to expert analysis of new satellite imagery reviewed by the Associated Press.

    The vessel at the center of the disaster is the 274-meter Suezmax tanker *Caroline Bezengi*, a Cameroon-flagged ship that carries Russian crude oil. It has been sanctioned by the United Kingdom, European Union, Canada and Switzerland for its role in what Western authorities describe as evading price caps on Russian oil exports, activity the UK says “has been or is likely to be involved in activity whose object or effect is to destabilize Ukraine” in support of the Russian government.

    The tanker has been stranded off Oman’s Dhofar governorate since June, after its crew reported an onboard explosion, according to maritime industry reports that the AP has not independently verified. Geospatial tracking firm SynMax Maritime previously confirmed via social media platform X that the vessel was docked at Russia’s Novorossiysk Black Sea port in May before starting its final voyage. It remains unclear what destination the tanker was heading to when it ran aground.

    New satellite imagery captured on Sunday shows the spill has ballooned to an estimated 150 square kilometers (58 square miles), up from just 20 square kilometers a week earlier, Greenpeace Germany announced in a statement released Monday. The thick crude and spreading oil sheen now stretches roughly 90 kilometers (56 miles) along the coast – nearly double its length from seven days prior – and has already contaminated large sections of Qibliyah Island, located just offshore.

    “It is a drastic increase,” explained Nina Noelle, a climate and ocean campaigner with Greenpeace Germany. “Clearly a large amount of crude oil is continuing to leak from the vessel. It is not yet clear what has caused the leak to accelerate at this rate.”

    Wim Zwijnenburg, an environmental specialist with Dutch conflict and environment advocacy group PAX, confirmed that while much of the spread consists of thin evaporable oil sheen, thick sticky black crude patches have already reached the southern and western shorelines of Qibliyah Island. The entire affected area falls within the Arabian Sea Reserve, a protected marine habitat that hosts some of the rarest marine wildlife on Earth, including endangered petrel seabirds and the critically small, unique population of Arabian Sea humpback whales.

    Greenpeace Germany’s statement warned that the rapid expansion of the spill highlights severe unaddressed risks tied to what experts call Russia’s “shadow fleet” – a network of unregulated, aging vessels that evade Western sanctions to ship Russian oil to global markets. “This dramatic expansion underscores the serious and continuing environmental threat posed by the stranded tanker — and exemplifies the dangers associated with the practices of Russia’s shadow fleet,” the organization said.

    Oman’s Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology ordered the tanker’s owners to remove the vessel and its remaining cargo – estimated to hold more than 800,000 barrels of crude – by a July 23 deadline, local newspaper *Muscat Daily* reported. As of Tuesday, there is no public information confirming whether the vessel’s owners have responded to the order or begun mitigation work to contain the expanding spill.

  • How to avoid the worst of the Italian heat

    How to avoid the worst of the Italian heat

    As a record-breaking heatwave scorches across the Italian peninsula, sending temperatures soaring to dangerous levels that threaten public health, the country’s Ministry of Health has issued a rare red heat alert covering all 27 of Italy’s major urban centers. The high-risk designation includes top international tourist hubs, from the ancient capital of Rome and fashion capital Milan to the coastal cities of Naples and the canal city of Venice, falling right in the middle of Europe’s peak summer holiday travel season.

    While many long-term Italian residents have grown accustomed to rising summer temperatures amid the ongoing climate crisis — with some noting extreme heat is no longer an anomaly here — visitors and even Italians traveling from cooler regions have expressed shock at the intensity of the current heat event. With millions of travelers flocking to Italy this summer, the BBC consulted local site managers, tour guides, and travel experts to compile practical advice for enjoying a safe trip despite the sweltering conditions.

    Simone Quilici, director of Rome’s iconic Colosseum Archaeological Park, emphasized that venturing out to open-air historical sites during the peak hot hours after midday is a critical mistake. “This isn’t an isolated heat event, it’s part of the global climate change phenomenon we’re all living with,” Quilici explained, noting that Rome has adapted to repeated summer heatwaves. To accommodate visitors during the heatwave, Italian cultural and tourism authorities have extended evening opening hours for dozens of top attractions through August: the Colosseum stays open until 11:30 PM on Fridays and Saturdays, Rome’s Pantheon is open until 11 PM daily except Thursdays, and Milan’s Sforza Castle extends closing to 7:30 PM. At the Colosseum specifically, management has installed misting cooling fans at entry points and added additional emergency medical stations to handle heat-related incidents. Quilici also said he is working with archaeologists to plant more shade-providing vegetation across the park in long-term adaptation measures.

    Local tour operators have also adjusted their schedules to beat the heat. Mateo Medina, operations director for Rome-based tour company Vivicos International Travel, told reporters his firm has added new late-night tours running from 10 PM to midnight, and has seen a sharp spike in demand for early 8 AM tours before temperatures climb. For travelers looking to escape the midday sun, experts universally recommend air-conditioned cultural institutions as top alternatives to outdoor walking tours. Beyond major museums, Italy’s thousands of historic churches offer free, cool shelter while allowing visitors to engage with the country’s rich cultural and religious heritage. Air-conditioned indoor activities including hands-on cooking classes and wine tastings have also grown in popularity among heat-conscious travelers. For those who still want to enjoy the outdoors, Rome’s large public parks such as Villa Borghese, Villa Adriana and Parque de Acquedotti offer abundant tree shade, and the city’s underground Christian catacombs maintain consistently cool temperatures year-round.

    In Naples, top local tour guide Marco Carrino echoes the warning against midday visits to open archaeological sites like Pompeii, advising travelers to arrive as early as possible or plan visits for cooler months of the year. He suggests diverting to Naples’ National Archaeological Museum during peak heat, which houses one of the world’s most significant collections of Roman, Greek and Egyptian artifacts. Italian travel writer Alessia Armenise shared an unexpected local hack: neighborhood supermarkets. Fully air-conditioned, supermarkets’ fresh deli counters offer affordable, made-to-order sandwiches that beat overpriced tourist-focused eateries, she says. Armenise also advises structuring days around water features — swapping coastal hikes for boat tours that let travelers enjoy shoreline views from the water while cooling off with ocean spray, and stopping for traditional Italian frozen treats like Sicilian granita or Roman grattachecca to bring down body temperature.

    For travelers determined to tick major crowded sites like the Vatican off their bucket lists, experts urge advance online ticket booking to avoid long waits in sweltering direct sun, noting popular tickets often sell out days in advance. Off-the-beaten-path options also offer relief: smaller regional museums and galleries in lesser-known towns are far less crowded, often have on-site cafes where visitors can rest for hours in cool air. On particularly hot evenings, travelers can duck into local independent cinemas or historic theaters, many of which are air-conditioned and offer a chance to engage with local cultural life beyond major tourist sites. In Verona, Armenise recommends evening concerts at the ancient Verona Arena amphitheater, where cool evening temperatures make for a far more enjoyable experience than midday visits.

    In Florence, art historian and local guide Dr. Agata Chrzanowksa suggests day trips to the cool hills and mountain regions north of the city, highlighting the scenic Garfagnana region as an ideal escape for travelers with access to a car. For a cool stop within the city, she recommends the Odeon Cafe and Bookstore, a renovated art-nouveau historic theater that now operates as a climate-controlled bookshop and cafe where visitors can relax for hours. In Venice, veteran tour guide Fiona Giusto says the key to beating the heat is simple common sense: planning routes around shaded stops, staying consistently hydrated, and wearing sun protection like broad-brimmed hats and high-SPF sunscreen. For cool cultural activities in Venice, Giusto recommends visits to the historic Teatro La Fenice opera house and the Ca’ Rezzonico art museum, both of which offer full air conditioning.

  • Princess Eugenie has given birth to a girl in Portugal, palace says

    Princess Eugenie has given birth to a girl in Portugal, palace says

    LONDON – Buckingham Palace has announced joyous royal family news: Britain’s Princess Eugenie has welcomed her third child, a baby girl, marking the first daughter for the princess and her husband Jack Brooksbank.

    Eugenie, the youngest child of disgraced former Prince Andrew (now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor) and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, confirmed the baby was delivered naturally on Monday at a hospital in Lisbon, Portugal. The newborn weighed in at 6 pounds 9 ounces, approximately 3 kilograms, and as of Tuesday’s public announcement, the couple had not yet shared their daughter’s chosen name with the public.

    The princess and Brooksbank already share two young sons: five-year-old August and three-year-old Ernest. The addition of a baby girl expands the couple’s growing family and brings a new female member to the extended British royal lineage.

    As the niece of reigning King Charles III, Eugenie holds a place in the extended royal family, and the palace confirmed that senior members of the monarchy have already reacted positively to the news. “Their majesties the King and Queen and other members of the royal family were delighted to be informed of the news,” a palace spokesperson shared in an official statement Tuesday.