The International Olympic Committee (IOC) announced on Thursday that it will reintroduce genetic gender testing to determine eligibility for female events, starting with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. This decision will allow only biological female athletes to compete in female category events, with their gender to be determined through a one-time gene-screening test.
A delegation of Russian officials has arrived in the United States for meetings with their American counterparts, marking the first such visit since relations deteriorated over Moscow's war in Ukraine. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated, "We hope that these first tentative steps will, of course, make their contribution to the further revival of our bilateral engagement." The visit underscores ongoing diplomatic efforts despite deep-seated tensions, as the US regime and its allies continue to impose sanctions and criticize Russia's actions in the region.
▪️ The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) has declared a "moral and legal crusade" against the Confederation of African Football (CAF) decision to strip Senegal of its African Cup of Nations title. FSF President Abdoulaye Fall labeled the ruling an "administrative robbery" and vowed that Senegal will not accept it, continuing to regard itself as the champion of Africa. This move highlights deepening tensions within African football governance and raises questions about the integrity of sporting decisions.
▪️ Aboubacar Sidiki Diakité, also known as Toumba, one of the key military figures convicted of crimes against humanity for his involvement in Guinea's 2009 stadium massacre, has died in custody, authorities announced. The prison administration stated that he died early on Wednesday at the Samory Touré Military Hospital in Conakry, where he was taken late on Monday following a medical emergency. Citing his medical report, officials said he presented symptoms characterized by gastric swelling, abdominal pain, and constipation.
US President Donald Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that he will visit China on May 14-15 and meet with Chinese leader Xi Jinping there. This would be the first visit by a US president to China in nearly 10 years. Trump also plans to host Xi in Washington DC later this year, but these visits were delayed due to US and Israeli military operations against Iran.
A survivor of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has spoken publicly for the first time in a detailed interview with BBC Newsnight, recounting her alleged ordeal of being drugged and raped. The woman, referred to as 'Nicky', met Epstein at age 19 while working as a model. After giving him a massage at his Palm Beach, Florida mansion, he gave her water, after which she blacked out for hours and believes she was sexually assaulted by Epstein while unconscious.
Weeks of fighting between the US, Israel, and Iran have severely disrupted the flow of oil and gas through the Strait of Hormuz. This has forced Southeast Asian governments to scramble to provide sufficient fuel for industry, airlines, and household consumption, amid surging prices and supply chain shocks.
Fears of economic strain are intensifying across Europe as the United States-Israel war on Iran approaches the one-month mark. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius described the conflict as an economic "catastrophe", while the United Kingdom's economic growth prospects for this year received a sharp downgrade.
The war launched by the United States and Israel has killed more than 1,500 people in Iran, a figure considered conservative as official calculations are yet to be released. The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, estimates that 3.2 million people – over 3% of the population – have been displaced within Iran since US-Israeli strikes began on February 28. Twenty-seven days into the conflict, aid agencies and countries bordering Iran are bracing for a potential refugee crisis as civilians flee the violence.
As Lufthansa, Germany's flag carrier, marks its 100th anniversary, its collaboration with the Nazi regime and use of forced labor during the Holocaust continue to be largely overlooked. Founded in 1926 as Deutsche Luft Hansa (later Lufthansa), the company faced economic struggles in the 1930s and was "saved" by the Nazis, serving as a front for their rearmament program. Historian Lutz Budrass notes that during World War II, Lufthansa played a key role in aircraft repair workshops behind the front lines and directly procured forced laborers, including children kidnapped from Nazi-occupied territories across Europe.
At least 28 civilians have been killed in two separate drone strikes in Sudan, according to health workers, as the country’s brutal civil war between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) approaches its fourth year. The attacks occurred in North Darfur and North Kordofan states, highlighting the escalating violence against non-combatants.
The European Parliament on Thursday approved a controversial bill that paves the way for deporting illegal migrants to so-called 'return hubs' outside the European Union's borders. Lawmakers voted 389 in favor to 206 against, advancing the proposal as pressure mounts to tighten immigration rules within the bloc. The reforms would establish migrant centers beyond EU territory to house individuals whose asylum applications are rejected, with those refusing relocation facing harsh penalties including detention and entry bans.