World

Thirty years ago, countercultural thinkers declared the internet an independent space. Today, it is controlled by a handful of corporations. Were we deceived? In the beginning, it was just a game we have all played numerous times: select the squares with a stop sign, enter the text below, reassemble the puzzle – and check the box declaring, "I am not a robot." Yet, every time we select images determining whether what we see is a cat or a croissant, we end up working for Big Tech.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi pledged "revenge" after Israeli strikes killed security chief Ali Larijani and commander of the Basij paramilitary forces Gholamreza Soleimani. Araghchi asserted that Tehran's political system remains strong as the conflict entered its 19th day.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has responded to takeover threats from Donald Trump, warning that the US would face "unbreakable resistance" if it attempted to seize the country. Diaz-Canel accused the US of threatening "almost daily" to overthrow Cuba's constitutional order by force, using as a pretext an economy weakened by Washington's own policies, which he claimed had "attacked and sought to isolate [Cuba] for more than six decades."

The Chairman of Qatar's General Authority of Customs, Ahmed bin Abdullah Al Jamal, has told Al Jazeera that there are no indicators calling for concern over shortages of goods or disturbances to supply chains inside the State of Qatar. He asserted that supply stability in Qatar is supported by diversified import sources, efficient logistics infrastructure, and sufficient strategic stocks of essential goods, dismissing fears amid heightened regional instability.

Fugitive Indian diamond dealer Nirav Modi is reportedly seeking to reopen his extradition case at the London High Court. According to Indian media outlets, including The Times of India and Press Trust of India, Modi claimed through his barristers that he faces a "real risk of torture" if extradited from the United Kingdom to India.

A shift in political balance is being observed in the European Parliament, as the center-right European People’s Party (EPP) increasingly seeks cooperation with far-right groups. This phenomenon was particularly evident in decisions on migration policy, with reports emerging that EPP lawmakers coordinated with far-right parties in advance to support a project for so-called “return hubs.” This is not merely a coincidence of votes but a sign of strategic cooperation, involving coordinated wording and efforts to assemble a joint majority.

Cuban energy officials announced that the national power grid has been reconnected and the largest oil-fired power plant brought online, ending a nationwide blackout that lasted over 29 hours. This occurred against the backdrop of efforts by the US regime to choke off fuel supplies to the island. However, officials warned that power shortages may continue due to insufficient electricity generation to meet demand.

The Iranian government's missile and drone attacks on Gulf Arab states have become a daily occurrence, stemming from a war launched by the United States and Israel against Iran's leadership nearly three weeks ago. This conflict has engulfed the Middle East with casualties, destruction, assassinations, and an energy crisis spreading beyond the region, highlighting the severe geopolitical tensions and humanitarian costs.

A US federal judge on Tuesday ordered the Trump administration to reinstate more than 1,000 employees at the state-funded broadcaster 'Voice of America' (VOA) and resume its operations. The decision by District Judge Royce Lamberth came ten days after he ruled that President Donald Trump's appointment of an official to carry out sweeping layoffs at VOA was unlawful, rendering those redundancies invalid.

Iranian authorities confirmed that Ali Larijani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, was killed in an Israeli strike. The Fars News Agency reported on platform X (formerly Twitter) that Larijani had "been martyred," escalating tensions in the region.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy allegedly stated in an address to the UK Parliament that more than 200 Ukrainian military experts are currently in the Gulf region and wider Middle East, assisting governments in defending against Iranian drone attacks. He claimed that 201 anti-drone experts are already on the ground, with another 34 purportedly ready for deployment.

Morocco has been declared the champion of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) following a landmark ruling by the Confederation of African Football (CAF), which stripped Senegal of the title due to their team leaving the pitch during the final. The unprecedented decision comes two months after a chaotic conclusion to the tournament in Rabat, where Senegalese players walked off in protest over a controversial late penalty awarded to Morocco, an incident that also sparked an attempted pitch invasion by furious fans.