Global Pulse

标签： Oceania

大洋洲

  • Trump warns US to end support for Iraq if Maliki returns

    Trump warns US to end support for Iraq if Maliki returns

    Former U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a stark warning to Iraq regarding its political future, threatening to terminate all American support if former Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki reassumes power. Through his Truth Social platform on Tuesday, Trump characterized Maliki’s potential return as a “very bad choice” for the nation, referencing the former leader’s previous tenure which he claimed plunged Iraq into “poverty and total chaos.”

    The political context revolves around the Coordination Framework, a Shiite parliamentary alliance with varying Iranian affiliations, which recently endorsed Maliki as their prime ministerial candidate. This development follows Iraq’s parliamentary elections and occurs amid delicate U.S.-Iraq relations. Trump explicitly stated that Maliki’s “insane policies and ideologies” would result in complete withdrawal of American assistance, dramatically concluding with his trademark slogan adapted for Iraq: “MAKE IRAQ GREAT AGAIN!”

    Historical tensions underscore this diplomatic confrontation. Maliki previously left power in 2014 following U.S. pressure, with American officials blaming his sectarian policies for creating conditions that enabled the Islamic State’s rise. The United States maintains significant economic leverage over Iraq through an arrangement established after the 2003 invasion, whereby most Iraqi oil revenue—accounting for approximately 90% of government income—is held at the Federal Reserve Bank in New York.

    The Trump statement aligns with recent diplomatic communications. Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly expressed similar concerns to current Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, and political sources indicate Washington formally communicated its negative view of Maliki to Iraqi politicians.

    Iraq’s political process has encountered obstacles, with parliament abruptly delaying Tuesday’s presidential election after Kurdish parties requested additional time to reach consensus. Traditionally, Iraq’s presidency goes to a Kurd while the prime minister comes from the Shiite majority, a convention established after Saddam Hussein’s fall.

    Regional implications are substantial. A Maliki-led government would significantly benefit Tehran amid Iran’s recent setbacks, including domestic protests and reduced influence in Syria. The current Sudani administration has maintained smoother relations with Washington, cooperating on security matters including Islamic State prisoner transfers and restraining Iran-aligned armed groups.

    Trump’s intervention marks a notable departure from conventional diplomatic practice, continuing his pattern of open political meddling in foreign nations. This approach has recently included endorsing right-wing candidates in European and Latin American elections, plus authorizing military action in Venezuela.

  • ‘Game changer’: New way Aussies can shop using AI

    ‘Game changer’: New way Aussies can shop using AI

    Australian consumers are poised to experience a transformative shift in digital shopping as Mastercard pioneers the world’s first secure ‘agentic transaction’ system utilizing artificial intelligence. This groundbreaking development addresses longstanding security concerns that have hindered AI-assisted commerce.

    Recent data reveals nearly half (48%) of Australians already employ AI tools for online purchases, with 78% anticipating these technologies will become mainstream. However, traditional security models have struggled to verify whether transactions were genuinely initiated by the account holder when conducted through AI assistants.

    Mastercard’s innovation, developed in collaboration with Commonwealth Bank and Westpac, successfully demonstrated its capability through two practical applications: purchasing movie tickets at Events Cinemas and booking a Thredbo vacation. The system utilizes locally developed AI technology named ‘Matilda’ by Australian firm Maincode, showcasing domestic innovation in global payment solutions.

    The core breakthrough lies in embedded security features that replace the current practice of inputting credit card details into chat interfaces. Instead, the system incorporates biometric verification methods like facial recognition alongside detailed transaction visibility, creating robust fraud detection capabilities and streamlined dispute resolution processes.

    Surin Fernando, Mastercard’s Australasian Senior Vice President, emphasizes this represents a fundamental evolution in consumer behavior: ‘Australians will discover products through increasingly personalized methods while gaining the ability to execute transactions immediately or schedule future purchases based on shopping intent.’

    Industry leaders highlight the significance of this development. Paul Monnington, Mastercard’s Australasia lead, describes it as ‘one of the most significant shifts in consumer behavior in decades.’ Banking executives note the technology will make consumer spending ‘quicker and easier’ while maintaining stringent security standards that benefit both merchants and customers.

    This advancement effectively bridges the experiential gap between physical retail’s seamless tap-and-pay convenience and the traditionally cumbersome online checkout process, potentially setting new global standards for AI-commerce security.

  • Mortgage holders warned ‘make or break’ inflation figure could trigger multiple interest rate rises

    Mortgage holders warned ‘make or break’ inflation figure could trigger multiple interest rate rises

    Australian homeowners face an anxious wait for Wednesday’s crucial inflation data, with economists warning this single release could determine whether the Reserve Bank imposes further interest rate pain. The Australian Bureau of Statistics will unveil the December quarterly consumer price index at 11:30 AM, providing critical insight into the nation’s inflationary trajectory ahead of the RBA’s first 2024 policy meeting next week.

    Financial experts have identified a precise threshold that could force the central bank’s hand. Judo Bank chief economist Warren Hogan cautioned that should quarterly inflation reach or exceed 0.8%, the RBA would likely announce a rate hike when it meets on February 4. ‘Current interest levels remain insufficient to restore price stability to target parameters,’ Hogan stated during a Sky News interview, suggesting multiple increases might be necessary.

    The economic landscape presents conflicting signals for policymakers. While headline annual inflation moderated to 3.4% in November from the previous 3.8%, the more significant trimmed mean inflation—which excludes volatile price movements—stood at 3.2%. Oxford Economics Australia’s Harry Murphy Cruise identified this trimmed mean figure as the decisive ‘magic number,’ noting that results exceeding 3.2% would likely warrant immediate monetary tightening.

    Compounding the pressure on borrowers, December’s unemployment rate unexpectedly dropped to 4.1% from November’s 4.3%, with 65,000 new workers entering employment. This robust labor market performance potentially fuels consumer spending capacity, creating conditions where businesses might more easily transfer rising costs to customers—a development that could sustain inflationary pressures.

    Despite recent methodological changes incorporating full monthly inflation data, the ABS continues producing quarterly figures that remain the RBA’s primary reference. With the central bank balancing dual mandates of full employment and price stability, Wednesday’s release represents what Betashares economist David Bassanese characterized as a ‘make-or-break’ moment for February’s rate decision.

  • US sued over deadly missile strikes on alleged drug boats

    US sued over deadly missile strikes on alleged drug boats

    The United States government faces a landmark wrongful death lawsuit following a series of lethal military strikes targeting vessels allegedly involved in drug trafficking. The legal action, initiated by bereaved families from Trinidad and Tobago, represents the first judicial challenge to the Trump administration’s controversial maritime operations in the Caribbean and eastern Pacific waters.

    Filed in Massachusetts federal court, the litigation stems from an October 14 incident that claimed six lives, including those of Chad Joseph (26) and Rishi Samaroo (41). While President Trump characterized the deceased as ‘six male narcoterrorists’ transporting narcotics from Venezuela, the plaintiffs contend the victims were civilian laborers returning from fishing and agricultural work. Notably, no substantiating evidence regarding drug cartel connections or terrorist designations has been publicly disclosed by Washington.

    The complaint leverages the Death on the High Seas Act and Alien Tort Statute, alleging these ‘premeditated and intentional killings’ constitute unlawful extrajudicial executions without legal justification. Represented by the American Civil Liberties Union and Center for Constitutional Rights, plaintiffs Lenore Burnley (Joseph’s mother) and Sallycar Korasingh (Samaroo’s sister) seek punitive damages through jury determination.

    Legal director Baher Azmy condemned the operations as ‘lawless killings in cold blood; killings for sport and killings for theater,’ emphasizing that the suit aims to establish accountability for potential war crimes. The case follows a separate December petition to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights by relatives of Colombian national Alejandro Carranza Medina, similarly killed in September strikes despite family assertions he was engaged in legitimate fishing activities.

    This developing legal confrontation highlights escalating tensions between counter-narcotics operational protocols and international human rights standards, with implications for extraterritorial use of lethal force and governmental accountability mechanisms.

  • US border enforcer set to leave Minneapolis as Trump tries to calm crisis

    US border enforcer set to leave Minneapolis as Trump tries to calm crisis

    Minneapolis is witnessing the withdrawal of certain federal border enforcement personnel following two fatal protester shootings that have ignited nationwide condemnation and placed President Trump’s immigration policies under unprecedented scrutiny. The anticipated departure of Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, recognized for his militarized approach to immigration enforcement, coincides with the arrival of new White House envoy Tom Homan, who is tasked with deescalating tensions through improved communication with local officials.

    The crisis reached a critical point when 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti was fatally shot multiple times at point-blank range during an altercation with federal agents on an icy road this past Saturday. This incident occurred less than three weeks after another U.S. citizen, Renee Good—a mother of three—was similarly killed inside her vehicle on January 7th. Both shootings involved masked, heavily armed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol agents operating under Trump’s aggressive deportation initiative.

    Initially, administration officials falsely characterized Pretti as a ‘domestic terrorist’ intending to harm federal agents, claims that were visibly contradicted by multiple video recordings. Although President Trump initially amplified these allegations on social media, he subsequently adopted a more conciliatory stance as political backlash intensified.

    The repercussions have extended to Washington, where rare bipartisan criticism has emerged. Republican Senator Rand Paul called for the immediate administrative leave of agents involved in Pretti’s shooting, while centrist Democratic Senator John Fetterman demanded the dismissal of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, citing gross incompetence.

    Meanwhile, Minneapolis protesters braving sub-zero temperatures expressed cautious relief at the partial withdrawal of federal forces. Local demonstrators described months of community trauma and brutality, viewing the reduced presence as both a vindication of their protests and a welcome relief from sustained violence.

    Simultaneously, legal challenges are progressing through Minnesota courts. A federal judge is considering whether the deployment of federal officers violates state sovereignty, and ICE’s acting director has been ordered to appear in court regarding a detention challenge.

  • ‘Doomsday Clock’ moves closer to midnight, a year into Trump term

    ‘Doomsday Clock’ moves closer to midnight, a year into Trump term

    In a sobering announcement marking heightened global instability, the symbolic Doomsday Clock has been adjusted to 85 seconds before midnight—the closest it has ever been to representing total planetary catastrophe. The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, the organization behind the clock, cited escalating nuclear threats, climate inaction, and the corrosive spread of disinformation as primary drivers of this alarming shift.

    The decision, made following consultations with experts including eight Nobel laureates, reflects a world where major powers like Russia, China, and the United States have grown increasingly adversarial and nationalistic. A statement released with the update warned that ‘hard-won global understandings are collapsing,’ accelerating great-power competition and undermining international cooperation on critical risks including nuclear war, climate change, and the misuse of emerging technologies.

    Key factors influencing the move include the impending expiration of the New START nuclear arms treaty between the U.S. and Russia, alongside the Trump administration’s push for a space-based missile defense system dubbed ‘Golden Dome.’ The board also highlighted record-breaking carbon emissions following a sharp reversal of U.S. climate policy and backtracking by other nations.

    Adding to the crisis, the bulletin pointed to an ‘information Armageddon’—a collapse of public trust fueled by predatory technology that spreads falsehoods and profits from societal division, as noted by Nobel Prize-winning journalist Maria Ressa.

    Founded in 1947 by Albert Einstein and J. Robert Oppenheimer, the Doomsday Clock began at seven minutes to midnight. This year’s four-second advance follows a one-second move last year, erasing earlier guarded optimism about diplomatic engagement under Trump’s second term.

  • Spain to regularise 500,000 undocumented migrants

    Spain to regularise 500,000 undocumented migrants

    In a bold policy shift that breaks with hardening European Union migration norms, Spain’s left-wing government has enacted a sweeping decree to grant legal status to approximately half a million undocumented migrants. Approved during Tuesday’s cabinet meeting, the measure establishes one of Europe’s most extensive regularization programs in recent years.

    Migration Minister Elma Saiz championed the initiative as a reinforcement of a rights-based migration model, emphasizing its compatibility with economic growth and social cohesion. Beneficiaries, who must have resided in Spain for a minimum of five months and applied for international protection before December 31, 2025, will gain full access to the labor market across all sectors and regions. A clean criminal record is mandatory, and the regularization extends to applicants’ children already living in the country.

    The application window is scheduled to open in April and run through June 2025. Notably, the government is implementing this via decree, bypassing parliamentary approval—a tactical move given the ruling Socialist coalition’s lack of a majority.

    The policy has ignited fierce opposition from conservative and far-right parties. Alberto Nunez Feijoo, leader of the Popular Party, condemned the move as ‘ludicrous’ on social media platform X, warning it would overwhelm public services and reward illegality. He pledged a comprehensive overhaul of migration policy if elected.

    Conversely, the Spanish Catholic Church lauded the decree as ‘an act of social justice and recognition.’ Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s administration justifies the policy on demographic and economic grounds, citing migration as critical for filling workforce gaps and counteracting an aging population that threatens pension sustainability. Official data released Tuesday underscored this contribution: foreigners accounted for 52,500 of the 76,200 new jobs in Q4 2024, helping drive unemployment to its lowest level since 2008.

    This humanitarian approach starkly contrasts with the broader EU trend toward stricter border controls and deterrence policies, often influenced by rising far-right influence. Spain remains a primary entry point for migrants fleeing poverty and conflict, with tens of thousands arriving annually via the Canary Islands. Recent estimates from the Funcas think-tank indicate approximately 840,000 undocumented migrants resided in Spain at the start of 2025, predominantly from Latin America. Foreigners now constitute over seven million of Spain’s 49.4 million population, highlighting the profound demographic impact of migration.

  • Trump says Iran wants talks as US aircraft carrier deploys

    Trump says Iran wants talks as US aircraft carrier deploys

    Amid escalating geopolitical tensions, a US naval strike group spearheaded by the USS Abraham Lincoln has been deployed to Middle Eastern waters, according to US Central Command. The deployment coincides with Iran’s explicit threats to retaliate against any military aggression, creating a volatile standoff between the two nations.

    President Donald Trump presented contradictory statements regarding US intentions, simultaneously highlighting military capabilities while asserting his belief that Iranian leadership desires diplomatic negotiations. “We have a big armada next to Iran. Bigger than Venezuela,” Trump told Axios, referencing recent US military actions. However, he added, “They want to make a deal. I know so. They called on numerous occasions. They want to talk.”

    The current crisis stems from Iran’s severe crackdown on domestic protests, which rights groups describe as the deadliest suppression of dissent in the country’s history. According to the US-based Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), verified casualties include 6,126 fatalities—among them 5,777 protesters, 86 minors, and 263 security personnel and bystanders—with an additional 17,091 potential deaths under investigation. The organization reported at least 41,880 arrests, noting that security agencies continue tactics of “mass arrests, intimidation, and control of the narrative.”

    Intelligence assessments cited by The New York Times indicate the Iranian government’s hold on power may be at its weakest point since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Senator Lindsey Graham reinforced this perspective, stating that the ultimate US objective is regime change: “They may stop killing them today, but if they’re in charge next month, they’ll kill them then.”

    Iranian officials have responded with measured rhetoric while simultaneously issuing military warnings. Revolutionary Guards spokesman Mohammad Ali Naini cautioned that any entry of US vessels into Iranian territorial waters would trigger targeting procedures. Conservative media outlets echoed these threats, with Javan newspaper declaring Iran’s readiness to seize the strategic Strait of Hormuz in response to aggression.

    The information landscape remains severely compromised by an almost three-week internet blackout imposed by Iranian authorities, which watchdogs argue aims to obscure the full extent of government repression. Activists have additionally reported raids on hospitals to arrest injured protesters, though Iran’s health ministry denies these allegations.

  • Anger as branch of ICE to help with security at Winter Olympics

    Anger as branch of ICE to help with security at Winter Olympics

    A significant diplomatic controversy has emerged following the confirmation that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will participate in security operations for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Italy. The announcement has triggered vehement opposition from Italian political leaders and human rights advocates, who cite the agency’s controversial record on immigration enforcement.

    ICE confirmed through an official statement that its Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) branch would assist the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and Italian authorities by conducting risk assessments targeting transnational criminal organizations. The agency emphasized that all security operations would remain under Italian jurisdiction and clarified that its activities in Italy would be entirely separate from its domestic immigration enforcement operations conducted by its Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) division.

    The revelation has ignited strong reactions across Italy’s political spectrum. Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala delivered a particularly scathing assessment, characterizing ICE as a ‘militia that kills’ and stating unequivocally that the organization was ‘not welcome’ in his city, which will host several Olympic events. The mayor’s comments included a direct challenge to U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, asking ‘Can’t we just say no to Trump for once?’

    Further condemnation came from Alessandro Zan, a European Parliament member representing Italy’s centre-left Democratic Party, who denounced the arrangement as ‘unacceptable,’ asserting that Italy should not welcome organizations that ‘trample on human rights and act outside of any democratic control.’

    The controversy has been amplified by recent incidents involving ICE operations in the United States, particularly the deaths of two civilians during an immigration crackdown in Minneapolis. Italian authorities have attempted to clarify the scope of ICE involvement, with regional officials suggesting the agency’s role would be limited to providing security for U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio during the opening ceremony. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi asserted that ‘ICE, as such, will never operate in Italy,’ though this statement appears to contradict the agency’s confirmed participation.

    The International Olympic Committee has deferred all inquiries regarding the security arrangements to the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, maintaining its distance from the growing diplomatic dispute.

  • EU, India agree ‘mother of all’ trade deals

    EU, India agree ‘mother of all’ trade deals

    In a landmark development for global trade, the European Union and India have finalized a comprehensive trade agreement described as the “mother of all deals” by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The pact, concluded after twenty years of complex negotiations, establishes one of the world’s largest free trade zones encompassing approximately two billion people.

    The agreement eliminates or substantially reduces tariffs on 97% of European exports to India, projected to save EU businesses up to €4 billion annually in customs duties. Key European sectors including automotive, agriculture, and services are positioned to gain significant market access, while India anticipates substantial benefits in textiles, gems and jewelry, and leather goods.

    Market liberalization measures include the gradual reduction of India’s automotive tariffs from 110% to as low as 10%, while wine duties will decrease from 150% to 20%. The agreement completely eliminates tariffs on processed food products including pasta and chocolate, currently taxed at 50%.

    EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen characterized the agreement as historic, noting it provides “the highest level of access ever granted to a trade partner in the traditionally protected Indian market.” The pact represents approximately 25% of global GDP and one-third of worldwide trade.

    The strategic alignment comes as both economic powers seek to diversify their trade relationships amid increasing global economic tensions. Bilateral trade in goods reached €120 billion in 2024, showing 90% growth over the past decade, with an additional €60 billion in services trade.

    The agreement includes provisions for facilitated movement of seasonal workers, students, researchers, and professionals, alongside anticipated security and defense cooperation agreements. The partnership signals a significant reconfiguration of global trade alliances as both economies reduce dependencies on traditional partners.