Global Pulse

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  • Guatemala’s new attorney general vows to dismantle predecessor’s ‘repressive’ legacy

    Guatemala’s new attorney general vows to dismantle predecessor’s ‘repressive’ legacy

    Just months after taking office in May, Guatemala’s new Attorney General Gabriel García Luna has announced a sweeping restructuring of the country’s public prosecution system, vowing to dismantle what he describes as the “repressive and vengeful” infrastructure left by his internationally sanctioned predecessor, Consuelo Porras.

    Once viewed as a reliable U.S. partner in regional anti-corruption initiatives, Guatemala shifted dramatically away from transparency and accountability during Porras’ eight-year tenure. Porras, who has been sanctioned by the United States and multiple other nations for obstructing anti-corruption work, stands accused of systematically derailing public corruption investigations, persecuting independent justice officials, human rights activists and investigative journalists, and forcing hundreds of critics into exile. Most notably, she led an unsubstantiated effort to block the inauguration of President Bernardo Arévalo last year, claiming baseless election fraud to invalidate his win.

    In an exclusive interview with the Associated Press, García Luna emphasized that the Public Prosecutor’s Office must脱离 its history as a tool for political retribution. “Everyone has a concept of a Public Prosecutor’s Office that can be used in a certain way, and we can no longer have that,” he said. “It is not a political entity, nor a political weapon for anyone, and I do not intend to repeat the actions taken in previous administrations.”

    García Luna has already begun implementing his reform agenda, moving quickly to dismantle the network of loyalists Porras installed in key administrative and prosecutorial roles. These appointees were widely accused of leading the criminalization and harassment of former independent justice officials. He has also established a special review commission to re-examine hundreds of cases targeting people wrongfully prosecuted under the previous administration.

    Porras has repeatedly denied all allegations against her, with her former office releasing a statement arguing that the claims violate her “right to honor, dignity, reputation and the presumption of innocence.”

    Outlining the scale of the overhaul required, García Luna told reporters that Porras built a de facto parallel power structure within the prosecution service that gutted the profession. Over eight years, Porras dismissed between 800 and 1,000 qualified career prosecutors and staff, triggering a mass exodus of experienced personnel that left the institution severely weakened. García Luna’s agenda includes not only reversing these personnel changes but also rooting out systemic abuses from the previous era and rebuilding the depleted prosecutorial workforce.

    When asked about potential legal repercussions for Porras, García Luna did not rule out future charges. Porras currently faces multiple formal complaints, including allegations of involvement in human trafficking linked to irregular international adoptions. The new attorney general also confirmed that his office is reviewing and reopening all cases in which Porras’ administration allegedly granted impunity to corrupt officials, drug traffickers and other criminal suspects, with legal action moving forward to hold accountable anyone who benefited from the previous system.

    Many advocates and exiled justice leaders are calling for a full, independent probe of Porras and her inner circle. Juan Francisco Sandoval, a former top anti-corruption prosecutor who fled into exile after being targeted for his work on high-profile graft cases, stressed that allegations against the former administration cannot be left unaddressed. “These should not go unresolved, in accordance with the principle of equality before the law and the principle that no one should be above the law,” Sandoval said.

    García Luna’s reform push has already garnered broad international backing. The U.S. government and European Union member states have publicly committed to supporting his efforts to combat transnational criminal networks, including drug trafficking and human trafficking rings. Guatemala’s Attorney General’s Office is also partnering with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which has scheduled a public hearing on August 4 to examine claims of political persecution under Porras’ tenure.

    For more coverage of Latin American politics and governance, visit AP’s dedicated regional hub at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america.

  • One Extraordinary Photo: France’s Kylian Mbappe stands alone

    One Extraordinary Photo: France’s Kylian Mbappe stands alone

    For award-winning Associated Press photojournalist Petr Josek, based in Prague, Czech Republic, major international sporting events have been a core part of his beat for nearly two decades. Since 2006, he has covered back-to-back FIFA World Cup tournaments and Olympic Games, honing a keen eye for dramatic, storytelling moments that cut through the chaos of elite competition. One of his standout World Cup shots of French superstar Kylian Mbappe has drawn widespread acclaim, and Josek recently pulled back the curtain on how he captured the iconic frame.\n\nUnlike traditional sideline or press box positions, Josek chose to set up his gear on a stadium catwalk — the highest accessible vantage point in the venue, located in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The unorthodox spot offered a one-of-a-kind perspective that no lower position could match. To coordinate with the AP’s photography team, Josek positioned himself on the side of the pitch opposite the team benches, while a second shooter covered the action from a slightly lower elevation nearby.\n\nThis high catwalk position came with unexpected creative benefits: it allowed Josek to shoot against the directional stadium lighting, turning long, stretching shadows across the pitch into a intentional compositional element as the match unfolded. But the unique spot also came with significant technical challenges. Shooting with a heavy 400mm telephoto lens — a go-to for capturing distant action on the pitch — meant Josek could not use a stabilizing monopod to steady his camera on the narrow catwalk. He had to carefully navigate between large overhead stadium light fixtures to find a stable spot to frame his shots, turning a tricky setup into a winning opportunity.\n\nJosek explained why the resulting shot of Mbappe resonates so strongly with viewers. Throughout the tournament, star goal scorers dominated headlines and fan attention, and Kylian Mbappe emerged as one of the biggest storylines, turning in a string of standout performances that kept him at the center of global attention. Rather than capturing the forward celebrating a game-winning goal, the frame freezes a far more human moment: Mbappe reacting immediately after missing a critical scoring chance. Even in this moment of frustration, Josek notes, Mbappe holds his own spotlight on the pitch.\n\nThe composition elevates the moment even further: the player’s spontaneous pose is perfectly framed, his body motion reads clearly across the empty pitch, and the high vantage point captures his full, elongated shadow stretching across the grass. The choice to isolate Mbappe alone in the frame draws all focus to his unguarded reaction, turning a split second of match action into a timeless portrait of elite sports pressure and emotion. Fans can explore more of AP’s full award-winning World Cup photography coverage online.

  • Ukrainian charged in Germany over Nord Stream blasts

    Ukrainian charged in Germany over Nord Stream blasts

    Nearly two years after mysterious explosions crippled three of the four Nord Stream natural gas pipelines beneath the Baltic Sea, German law enforcement has formally brought criminal charges against a Ukrainian national accused of masterminding the sabotage attack.

    German media reports identify the suspect only as Serhii K, in compliance with the country’s strict privacy regulations. Prosecutors allege he organized and led the coordinated operation to destroy the multi-billion-dollar energy infrastructure, which was built to carry Russian natural gas to consumers across Western Europe. According to Germany’s public broadcaster DW, the suspect is accused of directing a cell of six additional accomplices in the plot, and faces charges including sabotage of civilian energy infrastructure, unauthorized detonation of explosives, and large-scale property destruction.

    The accused is the same individual taken into custody by Italian law enforcement in summer 2023 and extradited to Germany last November. He has repeatedly denied any connection to the 2022 blasts, and his Berlin-based legal representation at Menaker law firm confirmed to Reuters that the indictment was officially served to the defendant on Wednesday. Neither the legal team nor federal prosecutors have released further details on the specific charges contained in the court document. Federal prosecutors later confirmed the pending charges to AFP, offering no additional comment on the ongoing investigation.

    A second Ukrainian suspect was arrested just one month after Serhii K’s extradition, detained at his residence near Warsaw, Poland’s capital, under a separate German arrest warrant. That suspect has not been publicly charged as of this reporting.

    The Nord Stream pipeline network was one of the largest subsea energy projects in European history, spanning 1,200 kilometers across the Baltic seabed from the Russian coast to northeastern Germany. While Nord Stream 2 was never brought online after Berlin froze its approval process just weeks before Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Nord Stream 1 had supplied consistent volumes of Russian natural gas to Western Europe for years before Russia shut down operations months before the blasts, citing technical maintenance issues. On September 26, 2022, multiple underwater explosions ripped through three of the four lines, leaving the entire network inoperable and releasing what has been recorded as one of the largest single methane emission events in human history, causing significant environmental harm to the Baltic Sea ecosystem.

    For nearly two years, the perpetrators of the attack have remained unconfirmed, leaving a cloud of geopolitical uncertainty hanging over transatlantic and European relations. Western governments initially pointed suspicion toward Russia, while Moscow has repeatedly accused the United States and United Kingdom of orchestrating the sabotage. To date, no conclusive evidence has emerged linking any state actor to the attack.

    The charges have introduced unexpected friction between Germany and Ukraine, a key diplomatic and military alliance for Berlin amid the ongoing war in Ukraine. Germany is the single largest contributor of military aid to Kyiv from European nations, and many within Ukraine view the destruction of Nord Stream as a major strategic blow to Russia’s energy export revenue, which funds its war machine. Many ordinary Ukrainians have expressed confusion over why German authorities are moving forward with the prosecution of a Ukrainian citizen for an attack that materially weakened Moscow’s war capacity.

  • Greek politician’s mother dies of wounds after arson attack

    Greek politician’s mother dies of wounds after arson attack

    In a shocking series of coordinated attacks targeting senior members of Greece’s ruling New Democracy party in the northern city of Thessaloniki, a 72-year-old woman has become the first fatality after succumbing to severe burn injuries sustained in an early Wednesday incendiary assault.

    Vagia Nestora, mother of New Democracy parliamentary candidate Afroditi Nestora, was caught in the blast and fire that tore through the apartment building where her daughter resides. Hospital officials confirmed that Nestora arrived at the medical facility in critical condition with burns covering nearly 80% of her total body surface. Despite aggressive, round-the-clock intensive care intervention, she developed multiple organ failure and passed away shortly after admission.

    Her daughter Afroditi, who is running as a party candidate in upcoming elections, also suffered second-degree burns and severe smoke inhalation, and remains hospitalized in stable condition as of the latest updates. Afroditi’s father, who lives with the family and has pre-existing chronic health conditions, alongside two other residents of the multi-story building, were also admitted for observation after experiencing respiratory distress from smoke exposure.

    Authorities confirm the attack on the Nestora family’s building was one of three synchronized improvised incendiary attacks that unfolded within 17 minutes across Thessaloniki. The first explosion was recorded at 4:18 a.m. local time, followed by two more blasts at 4:23 a.m. and 4:35 a.m. respectively. The two additional attacks targeted the private residences of Zisis Ioakeimovits, chair of New Democracy’s Thessaloniki regional administrative committee, and Savvas Anastasiadis, a former New Democracy member of parliament. No injuries were reported in these two incidents, though minor property damage was recorded at both locations.

    Investigators say the attackers placed homemade petrol-based incendiary devices outside the targeted apartment buildings. At the Nestora residence, the blast completely destroyed two parked passenger cars, damaged multiple nearby motorcycles, and caused significant structural damage to the building’s ground floor and entryway.

    Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis traveled directly to Thessaloniki’s main hospital immediately after the attacks to meet with victims’ families and oversee the initial law enforcement response. Speaking to reporters shortly before Vagia Nestora’s death was announced, Mitsotakis condemned the attackers in strong terms, rejecting any attempt to frame the violence as a legitimate form of political or social protest. “Those who carry out these attacks under the guise of social struggle are nothing more than criminals, and they will be treated as such,” the prime minister said. He added that violence has no place in a functioning democratic society, and vowed that all those responsible would be apprehended and held fully accountable under Greek law.

    The Greek Counter-Terrorism Service has taken over lead investigative responsibility for the case, and is currently working to confirm whether the three attacks were fully coordinated by a single group or network. Investigators are reviewing hundreds of hours of closed-circuit television footage from nearby businesses and public spaces to identify suspects, and have not yet announced any arrests in connection with the assaults. As of Thursday morning, no domestic or extremist group has issued a claim of responsibility for the attacks.

  • Businessman goes on trial over murder of Maltese journalist

    Businessman goes on trial over murder of Maltese journalist

    Nearly nine years after a car bomb killed one of Malta’s most fearless anti-corruption journalists, the final high-profile chapter of the case has begun in the capital city of Valletta, where 44-year-old Maltese entrepreneur Yorgen Fenech has stood trial on charges of orchestrating the 2017 assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

    Daphne Caruana Galizia, an investigative reporter whose work exposed deep-seated government-linked corruption networks across Malta and beyond, was killed instantly when a bomb detonated in her vehicle in October 2017. Her murder sparked widespread public outrage across the island nation and drew global condemnation from press freedom advocates and world leaders alike, shaking Malta’s political establishment to its core.

    Fenech, the key remaining defendant in the case, has been charged with complicity in the intentional homicide of Caruana Galizia and participation in a criminal conspiracy formed to carry out her murder. He has formally denied all charges brought against him, rejecting any allegation of involvement in the journalist’s killing.

    The trial opened on Wednesday with the swearing in of a jury for the public proceedings, a milestone that comes after years of prior legal action that has already secured convictions against four other co-conspirators. In 2022, brothers George and Alfred Degiorgio, who admitted to carrying out the car bombing, were sentenced to 40 years in prison for their role in the killing. Three years later, in 2025, Robert Agius and Jamie Vella received life sentences for supplying the explosive device used in the attack. A fifth co-defendant, Vincent Muscat, was granted a full pardon in exchange for cooperating with prosecutors and providing key testimony against the other co-accused.

    Members of Caruana Galizia’s immediate family, including her three sons, were present in the Valletta courthouse to observe the opening of Fenech’s trial. As of the first day of proceedings, no on-the-record statements from Fenech have been released publicly. Legal observers project that the trial will stretch over multiple weeks as prosecutors present evidence and the defense builds its case.

  • Monaco authorities detain then release a person in their probe of this week’s explosion

    Monaco authorities detain then release a person in their probe of this week’s explosion

    Monaco, the tiny Mediterranean principality famed for its affluent population and low-profile luxury, is at the center of an escalating international investigation after a late-Monday explosion at a residential building entrance that authorities have labeled an attempted assassination. The blast wounded three members of a targeted family, including a high-profile Ukrainian construction tycoon with documented ties to Russia, leaving one victim in critical condition and prompting cross-border law enforcement cooperation.

    In an official update Wednesday, Monaco’s prosecutor general’s office confirmed that one foreign national suspect had been taken into custody earlier that morning for additional investigative checks. The detainee was released by the afternoon, however, with authorities offering no further details on the individual’s identity or the specific grounds for their initial detention. The investigation itself remains active and progressing “very actively,” according to the official statement.

    Monaco authorities have not publicly confirmed the identities of the three injured victims, but multiple independent media reports have named Vadym Yermolaiev as the adult male hurt in the blast. Yermolaiev, who renounced his Ukrainian citizenship nearly 10 years ago, was hit with new Ukrainian sanctions in 2023 over his ongoing business and political links to Russia. Alongside the tycoon, a woman and a young child were also wounded in the explosion.

    As of Wednesday’s update, the child victim has already been questioned by investigators in neighboring France, where the child is receiving medical care. Both Yermolaiev and the second adult victim remain unfit for interview, with one victim in critical condition and still fighting for their life, authorities confirmed. French law enforcement agencies are already supporting the Monegasque investigation, with forensic experts currently conducting detailed analysis of the remaining explosive components to trace the device’s origin and manufacturer. The identity of the person who planned and carried out the attack remains undisclosed.

    To date, there is no definitive information on what motivated the attack or which group or individual ordered the targeting of the family. The incident has however sparked global speculation, given the ongoing geopolitical fallout from Russia’s 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Western intelligence officials have repeatedly warned that Russia has escalated a long-standing campaign of targeted killings and assassinations of its opponents outside Russian borders since the invasion began. While Ukraine has also carried out targeted attacks against pro-Russian figures during the war, most of these operations have been limited to territory controlled by either Russia or Ukraine.

    The brazen attack has sent shockwaves through Monaco, a small sovereign state that has long prided itself on its safety and status as a haven for global high-net-worth individuals. Monaco’s ruling monarch, Prince Albert II, publicly condemned the incident, calling it “an odious act” and confirming that all of the principality’s public security and emergency services have been fully mobilized to prevent further incidents and support the investigation.

  • IOC says it will not give Olympic team status to Greenland and Faroe Islands

    IOC says it will not give Olympic team status to Greenland and Faroe Islands

    LAUSANNE, Switzerland — The International Olympic Committee announced Wednesday that it will deny a push from Denmark’s national parliament to grant separate, independent Olympic team status to two semi-autonomous Danish territories, Greenland and the Faroe Islands.

    For three decades, the Olympic Charter has held a clear, unchanging requirement for entities seeking official national team recognition: a prospective member must be an independent sovereign state that has received formal recognition from the broader international community. Greenland and the Faroe Islands, which hold broad self-governance powers but remain part of the Kingdom of Denmark, fail to meet this core eligibility threshold, the IOC confirmed in an official statement.

    The IOC noted that this long-standing stance has already been communicated repeatedly and explicitly to all relevant parties over the course of many years. The formal request from Denmark’s parliament was submitted just two weeks ago, and was made public this Tuesday.

    The bid comes on the heels of a recent shift in Danish politics, coming weeks after Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen established a new coalition government following national elections. During her election campaign, Frederiksen made a high-profile pledge to stand with Greenland against a controversial proposal from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who publicly expressed interest in purchasing the Arctic island from Denmark.

    For the upcoming 2028 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, where Trump is set to deliver the official opening declaration, athletes from both Greenland and the Faroe Islands will remain eligible to compete as part of the Danish national Olympic team. Denmark is currently one of the 206 national Olympic committees officially recognized by the IOC.

  • Controversial bishops ordained as Pope warns of ‘schism’ in Catholic Church

    Controversial bishops ordained as Pope warns of ‘schism’ in Catholic Church

    In the shadow of the snow-dusted Swiss Alps, thousands of pilgrims and worshippers crowded into the tiny village of Écône on Wednesday to witness a dramatic act of ecclesiastical defiance, as the conservative Society of Saint Pius X (SSPX) ordained four new bishops against an explicit, last-minute appeal from Pope Leo XIV.

    The four new bishops — one from the United States, one from Switzerland, and two from France — have long been core members of the SSPX, a traditionalist faction more commonly known as the Lefebvrites, named after the group’s controversial founder, French Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre. For more than half a century, the SSPX has stood in open opposition to the sweeping modernizing reforms enacted by the Vatican during the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s and 1970s, rejecting changes ranging from allowing Mass to be celebrated in local congregational languages (instead of exclusively Latin) to the adoption of more egalitarian, accessible practices within the Church.

    Earlier this week, Pope Leo issued an urgent public appeal to SSPX leadership calling on them to abandon the ordination, warning that proceeding with the ceremony would constitute a deliberate “schismatic act” capable of “tearing the seamless garment of Christ”. Despite the Pope’s warning — which carries profound spiritual weight for the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, who recognize the Pope as God’s earthly representative — the ceremony moved forward as planned beneath overcast Alpine skies.

    Roughly 15,000 attendees gathered to watch hundreds of robed clergy, bearing candles and wooden crosses and trailing plumes of incense, process through Écône’s narrow village streets to an open pasture where a massive ceremonial tent had been erected. Inside the space, the four bishop candidates prostrated themselves before an altar, their heads resting on red velvet cushions, as traditional organ music filled the tent. All ordination vows were recited in Latin, in keeping with the SSPX’s long-held traditions.

    The standoff marks the latest escalation of a decades-long rift between the SSPX and the Vatican. The group’s last unauthorized episcopal ordination, held in 1988, resulted in immediate excommunication for all four new bishops. While Pope Benedict XVI lifted those excommunications in 2009 as part of an unsuccessful bid to reconcile the faction with the mainstream Church, religious observers widely expect Pope Leo XIV to formally exclude the newly ordained bishops from the Catholic Church in the coming days.

    For many outside observers, the Vatican’s firm opposition may appear disproportionate, but theological experts note that ordaining bishops without papal approval is considered one of the most severe violations of Catholic Church unity, a core tenet of the faith. The rift extends far beyond the debate over Latin-language Mass: the SSPX, founded in 1970 by Lefebvre, rejects nearly all of the Vatican’s modern reforms, including outreach to other faith traditions, formal recognition of religious freedom for non-Catholics, and updated social policy stances. The group even retains the medieval practice of having priests celebrate Mass facing the altar (with their backs to the congregation) rather than facing worshippers, a change the Vatican mandated decades ago.

    In remarks to the gathered crowd in Écône, SSPX Superior General Davide Pagliarani pushed back against accusations that the ordination was intended to widen the schism, arguing that the act was rooted in devotion to the papacy. “We do this precisely because we love the Pope as the vicar of Christ, as the head of the Church,” Pagliarani said. “We don’t want to see the Pope humiliated any longer, standing alongside false shepherds who represent false religions.”

    The open defiance presents a tricky early test for Pope Leo, who has only recently taken the papal throne. While the SSPX remains a small faction globally, counting roughly 600,000 followers across dozens of countries, it maintains an enthusiastic and well-funded base, including a prominent following in the U.S. state of Kansas. The group demonstrated its organizational and financial capacity for Wednesday’s event, live-streaming the ordination on YouTube in seven languages and selling commemorative merchandise to attendees, including branded “Écône 2026” baseball caps and $92 gift packs of labeled Swiss wine, each bottle emblazoned with an illustration of a bishop’s mitre.

    For now, Pope Leo has made his position clear: he considers the new bishops illegitimate, and their ordination a direct attack on Church unity. But analysts suggest the new pontiff may avoid harsher further action, wary that aggressive crackdown could galvanize support for the SSPX and turn a long-running rift into a formal, permanent schism within the global Church.

  • Watch: Man seen climbing from balcony during Antwerp fire

    Watch: Man seen climbing from balcony during Antwerp fire

    A harrowing incident unfolded in the Belgian port city of Antwerp recently, when a large fire broke out at a residential building, forcing a trapped man to climb out onto an external balcony in a desperate bid to escape the spreading flames.

    Newly released on-site footage captured the tense moment, showing the man clinging to the exterior structure of the building as smoke billowed around him. As the situation grew increasingly dangerous, neighbors from the adjacent apartment stepped in to execute a spontaneous rescue, pulling the man through their open window to safety before emergency services could arrive at the scene.

    Local emergency responders have not yet released additional details about the cause of the fire, the extent of property damage, or any other injuries sustained by residents or first responders. The dramatic video has circulated widely on local social media, prompting conversations about residential fire safety and the quick thinking of bystanders that potentially saved a life in this incident.

  • Man guilty of attempted murder of three children in Dublin

    Man guilty of attempted murder of three children in Dublin

    Nearly a year after a violent attack outside a central Dublin cultural venue left three children and one adult injured, a jury has delivered a guilty verdict on all counts against the accused perpetrator. The 2023 violent incident, which unfolded near a popular school and crèche area in Dublin’s Parnell Square, sent shockwaves through the Irish capital, prompting widespread public concern over street safety and public violence targeting vulnerable community spaces.

    Following a weeks-long trial at Ireland’s Central Criminal Court, the 12-person jury began closed deliberations early Tuesday this week. After roughly six hours of reviewing evidence, witness testimony and legal arguments, the panel returned a unanimous guilty verdict on Wednesday afternoon.

    The defendant, 52-year-old Riad Bouchaker, who had no fixed address at the time of his arrest, faced eight separate criminal charges in connection with the November 2023 attack. Prosecutors accused Bouchaker of carrying out attempted murder against three young victims: two girls and one boy. He was also charged with assault causing grievous bodily harm to Leanne Flynn, a crèche worker who was injured in the attack, along with two additional counts of assault against other child victims, one count of assault against a teenage bystander, and a final charge of producing a knife in a public space in a manner calculated to cause intimidation to others.

    Bouchaker had entered a plea of not guilty to all eight charges brought against him throughout the trial proceedings. The verdict brings a formal legal closure to a case that sparked urgent conversations about public safety in Dublin’s crowded city center areas that are frequently accessed by children and working caregivers.