India's election season has commenced, with voting concluding in the states of Kerala and Assam, and the union territory of Puducherry. As of 3 p.m. India time, voter turnout was recorded at nearly 76% in Assam, 72.4% in Puducherry, and 62.7% in Kerala. Kerala's Chief Electoral Officer Ratan U Kellar stated that if current trends continue, the state could see a 90% turnout by the end of the day.
Southeast Asian nations continue to view the European Union (EU) as a trusted "third party" to hedge against US-China rivalry, though analysts argue Brussels needs stronger political engagement to convert goodwill into real strategic clout. According to the latest State of Southeast Asia survey by the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, 37.7% of respondents identified the EU as ASEAN's preferred and trusted strategic partner, up from 36.3% last year. The EU also ranked as the main champion of the global free trade agenda for 19.2% of respondents, ahead of the United States but behind ASEAN and China.
The announcement of a ceasefire between the United States, Israel, and Iran, along with the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to maritime trade, has brought cautious relief to sub-Saharan African markets. However, economists caution that deep-rooted vulnerabilities mean the broader recovery may be short-lived, as markets responded quickly but underlying structural issues persist, particularly with rising global energy prices.
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California, one of the world's largest open-air events, has evolved significantly over its 26-year history since its inception in 1999 as an alternative to the chaotic Woodstock festival. It originated when the rock band Pearl Jam sought a venue not controlled by Ticketmaster, which it was boycotting at the time. A concert at the Empire Polo Club with 25,000 attendees inspired promoters to create a festival at the same site.
The Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint through which 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies transit in peacetime, has become a focal point of global tension since the US and Israeli regimes began their war on Iran in February. Following the initial strikes, Iran retaliated by attacking "enemy" merchant vessels in the strait, effectively halting all maritime traffic and triggering one of the most severe global energy distribution crises in recent history.
Former two-time heavyweight world champion Tyson Fury has come out of retirement once again, preparing for his comeback at the age of 37 after a 15-month hiatus. His return bout is scheduled for Saturday, May 10, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, where he will take on the dangerous Russian boxer Arslanbek Makhmudov. Fury suffered back-to-back losses to undisputed heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk over the past 15 months, marking the first defeats in his lengthy career.
The Uzbekistan men's field hockey team has successfully secured a berth for the 2026 Asian Games by performing well in a qualification tournament held in Bangkok, Thailand. This achievement grants the team the right to compete in the prestigious continental multi-sport event scheduled in Japan.
The two-week truce announced between the United States, Israel, and Iran is showing severe cracks due to disagreements over Lebanon's inclusion in the ceasefire agreement. Israeli officials have stated they will continue strikes against Hezbollah, while Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian condemned these actions as a violation that renders negotiations "meaningless." Pezeshkian posted on X: "This is a dangerous sign of deception and a failure to honor potential agreements. We will keep our finger on the trigger. Iran will never abandon its Lebanese sisters and brothers."
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is reportedly considering a plan to “punish” certain NATO members who allegedly failed to provide sufficient assistance to the United States and Israel during the war with Iran, according to a Wall Street Journal report citing sources. The plan involves withdrawing U.S. troops from alliance states that did not actively support the U.S. operation and relocating them to countries deemed more beneficial by Washington. This proposal differs from Trump’s previous threats to fully withdraw the U.S. from NATO, as such a move can only be carried out with Congressional approval.
Early Thursday morning, a small boat carrying migrants attempting to cross the English Channel from northern France ran into trouble, resulting in the deaths of two men and two women. The incident occurred between Equihen-Plage and Hardelot-Plage near Boulogne, with at least 42 people rescued. François-Xavier Lauch, prefect of the Pas-de-Calais region, stated that the victims were swept away by strong currents while trying to board a "taxi-boat," a term used by French authorities for vessels operated by smugglers to pick up travelers along the coast.
South Korea's BTS K-pop supergroup kicked off its global concert tour on Thursday with the first of three shows at Goyang Stadium near Seoul. The tour will span 34 cities worldwide, setting a new record for the most tour dates by a K-pop artist. According to BTS's management agency, tickets for concerts in South Korea, North America, and Europe sold out within hours of going on sale.
Olivia, a 19-year-old asylum seeker from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has been detained for over four months at the Dilley Immigration Processing Center in Texas. She describes each day in detention as feeling like 48 hours, separated from her family and living under constant threat of deportation. Olivia and her family fled political persecution in the DRC, arrived in the US, but after their asylum claim was denied, attempted to go to Canada, where they were apprehended at the border.