World

US Congressman Tony Gonzales, a Republican from Texas, has admitted to having an extramarital affair with an aide, after previously denying the relationship. The married father of six described the relationship with married staff member Regina Santos-Aviles, who died by suicide last year, as a "mistake" and a "lapse in judgement". The 45-year-old lawmaker told a podcast, "I take full responsibility for my actions," marking a reversal from his earlier dismissals of the allegations as "blackmail" and a "co-ordinated" attack to unseat him.

The government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is considering imposing stringent sanctions against Iran, including freezing billions of dollars in Iranian assets held within the country. According to The Wall Street Journal, UAE officials have privately warned Tehran of potential retaliatory measures in response to missile and drone launches targeting Emirati territory.

Iran's Ambassador to Uzbekistan, Muhammad Ali Iskandari, held a meeting with media representatives in Tashkent. During the meeting, the ambassador characterized the US and Israeli strike on Iranian territory as “treachery,” stating that the attack was sudden, negotiations were ongoing, and the arrival of the US Vice President to the region was anticipated. Iskandari emphasized: “We did not ask for help from any state and will fight to the end.”

Azerbaijan has decided to fully evacuate its diplomatic corps from Iran following a drone attack on the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, which has sharply escalated tensions between the two countries and risks increasing regional instability. The decision was announced by Azerbaijan's Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov, citing safety concerns for diplomats after civilian infrastructure was targeted.

The US military conducted extensive strikes against Iran over the past 72 hours, hitting approximately 200 targets. These strikes, which included attacks on the naval forces of the Islamic Republic, were announced by Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of US Central Command (CENTCOM), highlighting an escalation in military actions by the US regime in the region.

Twenty-two-year-old Abeba Amdu has seen the best years of her life consumed by war, and she fears another conflict could erupt in Ethiopia's northern Tigray region. She fought as a Tigrayan soldier in the 2020 civil war against the federal army and remains deeply traumatized more than three years after the brutal conflict ended. "I lost everything," she told BBC Tigrinya, highlighting the personal devastation wrought by the fighting.

Australian radio host Jackie Henderson has broken her silence on the events surrounding her departure from the 'Kyle and Jackie O' show, labeling media reports about her exit as 'misinformation' and expressing being 'deeply saddened' by the potential end of the program. In her first public statement since leaving the show two weeks ago after a conflict with co-host Kyle Sandilands, Henderson clarified her position through her manager.

The Kremlin has stated that the US-Israeli war in Iran has prompted a significant increase in demand for Russian energy products. This declaration came a day after the US Treasury issued a 30-day waiver allowing India to purchase Russian oil currently stranded at sea. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Friday that Russia has been and remains a reliable supplier of oil and gas, including via pipelines and in liquefied form, amid the ongoing conflict.

The name of Renaissance artist Michelangelo Buonarroti recently made headlines due to new claims about his death and works. Independent researcher Valentina Salerno presented a theory that the master sculptor and painter hid his artworks in a secret room before his death in 1564, leaving keys to friends as part of a complex scheme to keep them in trusted hands. She also attributed a marble bust of Christ in a minor Roman church to him.

The Indonesian government has enacted a new regulation prohibiting users under the age of 16 from accessing major social media platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and others. Communication Minister Meutya Hafid stated that the restrictions will apply to "high-risk" platforms and are set to roll out gradually starting later this month.

A sense of normality is gradually returning to Israel, even as large-scale Israeli-American attacks on Iran show no sign of abating, and as Israel expands its air bombardment and ground invasion of Lebanon in its offensive against the Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah. Six days on, as the intensity of the Iranian retaliation has diminished, measures that banned gatherings and closed shops and offices are being relaxed. Air raid alerts still sound, sending people across the country to shelters.

The US Department of Defense (Pentagon) has for the first time designated an artificial intelligence company, Anthropic, as a "supply chain risk." This label indicates that the government deems the company insufficiently secure for its use, effectively restricting its contracts with defense agencies and setting the stage for a significant legal confrontation.