PoliticsA senior Hamas official has signaled that the militant group will not proceed with a U.S.-brokered disarmament plan unless Israel fulfills prior commitments, including a full military withdrawal to October lines. The statement casts fresh doubt on Donald Trump’s declaration of a major milestone toward ending the Gaza conflict.
PoliticsCarlos Cordeiro, a senior advisor to FIFA President Gianni Infantino, resigned in protest on Friday, declaring the organization’s plan to sell a 20% stake in the World Cup a catastrophic deal for the sport. His departure signals a deepening schism as regional confederations unite to block the $20-billion commercial restructuring.
PoliticsA sweeping sanctions package intended to penalize Moscow for its ongoing war in Ukraine has hit a wall in Congress, as lawmakers from both parties push back against provisions granting the White House unprecedented authority to impose heavy tariffs on countries trading with Russia.
Five months into a conflict originally expected to last weeks, President Donald Trump heads to the Camp David retreat this Friday. The Cabinet meeting comes as the administration struggles to contain a war with Iran that has sent gasoline prices soaring and eroded public support ahead of November’s crucial midterms.
PoliticsAxel Rudakubana, the teenager serving a life sentence for the 2024 Southport knife attacks, has been charged with multiple assaults on prison staff. The 19-year-old, currently held at the Broadmoor high-security psychiatric hospital, faces allegations of attempted grievous bodily harm and possession of an offensive weapon within the facility.
PoliticsCarlos Cordeiro, a senior advisor to Gianni Infantino, quit his post on Friday to protest a controversial plan to sell a stake in the World Cup. Cordeiro labeled the $20-billion venture, which seeks to offload 20% of the tournament’s rights to external investors, a disastrous move for the sport.
PoliticsThe European Commission has officially charged Temu with failing to cooperate during a surprise inspection of its Dublin headquarters last December. Regulators allege the Chinese e-commerce retailer actively hindered a probe into whether the company gained an unfair market advantage through illicit foreign subsidies, marking a significant escalation in regulatory scrutiny.
PoliticsWorkers scrambled to clear an Ozon logistics center in Zelenodolsk on Friday as a Ukrainian drone alert forced an emergency evacuation. While the site remained undamaged and operations resumed shortly after, the incident marks a shift for the retailer as Kyiv expands its campaign against major Russian e-commerce hubs.
PoliticsCarlos Cordeiro, a senior advisor to FIFA president Gianni Infantino, stepped down on Friday citing fundamental disagreements over a proposed sell-off of World Cup commercial rights. His sudden departure signals a deepening internal rift regarding the governing body’s strategy to monetize its most prestigious tournament to external investors.
PoliticsAt least 19 bodies were recovered from the Mediterranean as Spanish and Moroccan forces scrambled to contain a historic breach of the border fence in Ceuta. The unprecedented influx of thousands of people in a single day has triggered a diplomatic firestorm, prompting neighboring EU states to threaten border closures.
PoliticsRussian defense officials reported on Friday that military forces targeted 31 vessels connected to the Ukrainian side over the previous week. The list of struck craft includes 23 cargo ships, four bulk carriers, two tug boats, a support vessel, and a landing craft, marking a significant escalation in maritime-related hostilities.
PoliticsRussian military officials reported on Friday the capture of two settlements, asserting that their troops have pushed Ukrainian defenders out of Stinki in the Donetsk region and Virivka in the Kharkiv region, shifting the frontline deeper into territory contested by both sides throughout the ongoing conflict.
Members of the PoJK Displaced Community gathered in Jammu on Friday to condemn the violent crackdown on protesters in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir. The demonstration follows reports of fatal shootings at D-Chowk in Rawalakot, where security forces have been accused of using lethal force against civilians demanding basic rights.
PoliticsHyderabad police have registered a case against Meta India managing director Arun Srinivas following the circulation of videos on Facebook depicting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an abusive manner. The legal action coincides with nationwide youth-led protests and heightened government scrutiny regarding the platform's content moderation policies.
PoliticsA nondescript office above a budget hotel in Dubai sits at the center of a multibillion-dollar sanctions evasion scheme, serving as the hub for an illicit crypto exchange linked to Iran’s most expansive gambling network and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
PoliticsStepping into the Kolkata airport terminal on Friday, Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen ended a nearly two-decade absence from the city that once forced her out. The writer, who has lived in exile since 1994, arrived for a brief two-day visit amid a flurry of political speculation and heightened security.
PoliticsA senior Hamas official has rejected the immediate disarmament plan announced by U.S. President Donald Trump, insisting that peace remains contingent on Israel fulfilling prior obligations. Ghazi Hamad stated that the militant group will not surrender its weapons until Israel honors the terms negotiated last year in Sharm el-Sheikh.
PoliticsGerman Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul signaled Berlin’s commitment to the phased disarmament agreement for Gaza announced by U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday. He emphasized that the efficacy of this diplomatic breakthrough now rests entirely on Hamas following through with the dismantling of its militant capabilities.
PoliticsMore than 3,000 ninth-grade students in Delhi received new bicycles on Friday as Chief Minister Rekha Gupta launched the Vidya Vahini Yojana at the East Vinod Nagar Sports Complex. The program aims to improve school attendance and mobility for 1.40 lakh girls across government schools within the next month.
PoliticsDelhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta launched the Vidya Vahini Yojana at the East Vinod Nagar Sports Complex on Friday, personally distributing bicycles to over 3,000 ninth-grade students. The initiative aims to improve school attendance and safety for girls, with plans to reach 140,000 students across government schools within the month.
PoliticsCypriot authorities have detained 44-year-old Rashad Sultanov on suspicion of conducting hostile surveillance against the British Royal Air Force base at Akrotiri. London police allege the Islington resident funneled sensitive intelligence regarding the facility directly to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps throughout the spring and summer of last year.
PoliticsThe foundation of international football is fracturing after UEFA and its 55 member nations voted to boycott all FIFA tournaments. The move serves as a direct challenge to FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s controversial plan to introduce private investment into the World Cup, a proposal that has sparked widespread institutional rebellion.
PoliticsAt least 19 people have died after an unprecedented surge saw 49,000 migrants reach the Spanish enclave of Ceuta in a single day. Moroccan authorities deployed water cannons and reinforced fencing on Friday to halt the flow, while diplomatic tensions flared as Italy threatened to suspend Schengen travel agreements with Spain.
PoliticsPrime Minister Narendra Modi gathered his Union Cabinet at Parliament on Friday as a volatile session in the Lok Sabha saw the opposition demand the resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah. The legislative agenda pressed forward despite the chaos, resulting in the abrupt adjournment of both Houses of Parliament.
PoliticsThree people are dead and dozens injured following days of sectarian violence in southeastern Nepal, forcing authorities to impose indefinite curfews across several towns. The unrest, which began Sunday in the Sunsari district, has since spread to neighboring Siraha, prompting a rare televised plea for calm from Prime Minister Balendra Shah.
PoliticsA drone alert in the Tatarstan region forced the emergency evacuation of Ozon’s logistics facility in Zelenodolsk on Friday. While staff cleared the building in minutes and reported no injuries, the incident signals a widening threat to the logistics infrastructure underpinning the Russian consumer economy.
PoliticsLabeling the state's teacher recruitment drive a "Daga DSC"—or fraud—YSRCP leaders marched to the Vijayawada District Collector’s office on Friday to demand the immediate resignation of Education Minister Nara Lokesh, citing alleged back-door job sales and irregularities within the sports quota selection process.
Thousands of residents are pushing back against the planned redevelopment of Moscow’s historic Elektrozavod factory, a landmark recognized for its distinctive neo-Gothic crenellations and mosaics. The campaign marks a rare instance of civic mobilization as activists struggle to protect the site from being swallowed by modern high-rise construction projects.
PoliticsWith nearly 10 lakh people displaced across six districts and at least seven confirmed deaths, the Biju Janata Dal and Congress have accused the Mohan Charan Majhi administration of gross negligence. Critics argue the Chief Minister’s departure for Delhi during the height of the crisis signals a failure of leadership.
PoliticsA building housing a Chinese firm in Kuwait sustained damage during an Iranian attack, though Beijing confirmed on Friday that no Chinese nationals were harmed in the incident. Foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning addressed the situation at a press briefing, emphasizing the need for immediate security safeguards for domestic interests abroad.