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Iran’s sports minister, Ahmad Donyamali, warned on Sunday that his country’s participation in the 2026 World Cup remains doubtful unless FIFA agrees to shift Iran’s group‑stage fixtures from the United States to Mexico. The Iranian Football Federation (IFF) formally asked the global governing body to relocate the matches, but, according to Donyamali, it has yet to receive a definitive response. “If our request is accepted, Iran’s participation will be certain,” Donyamali told Turkey’s Anadolu news agency, underscoring the link between venue security and the team’s willingness to travel. The request comes amid heightened tensions after Israel and the United States launched attacks on Iran on February 28, sparking a broader regional conflict. Tehran retaliated with missile and drone strikes targeting Israeli sites, U.S. bases in the Middle East, and Gulf infrastructure. Iran, the first Asian nation to qualify for the tournament, is slated to play all three group matches on the U.S. West Coast – Los Angeles on June 16, Belgium in Los Angeles on June 22, and Seattle on June 26. Former President Donald Trump recently said Iran was “welcome” in the United States but added that he doubted the venue was “appropriate for their own life and safety.” In response, the Iranian team posted on social media that “no one can exclude Iran’s national team from the World Cup.” Iranian football chief Mehdi Taj echoed the sentiment, stating, “When Trump explicitly says he cannot guarantee our security, we will not travel to America.” Taj confirmed ongoing negotiations with FIFA to move the games to Mexico. FIFA, however, rejected the relocation request, reaffirming that the schedule announced last year will stand. President Gianni Infantino told IFF Vice President Mehdi Mohammad Nabi that “the matches will be played where they are supposed to be, according to the draw.” Despite the diplomatic deadlock, Donyamali affirmed that Iran’s players continue training and will be ready for the tournament, provided that adequate security guarantees are secured from the host nations. “Under these circumstances, the possibility of Iran playing in the United States is very low; if the necessary security assurances are given, our government will make the final decision,” Donyamali said, adding that former President Trump’s remarks were “morally and ethically unbalanced.” The World Cup kicks off on June 11 in Mexico, with the opening matches in the United States and Canada following on June 12. The final is set for July 19 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

A vehicle was engulfed in flames after an Israeli drone strike in central Gaza, according to reports from Al Jazeera. The incident occurred on April 5, 2026, at 02:08:34 UTC. Details about the target and casualties are not provided in the available information.

Jeffrey Stephen Wigand, a biochemist who helped reveal how tobacco companies targeted children and hid the addictive nature of cigarettes, has been drawing parallels between the tobacco industry and social media companies. Wigand, who played a crucial role in the landmark tobacco trials of the 1990s, believes that social media companies have similarly designed their products to be addictive, particularly targeting children.The recent verdict in a major social media trial, which found Meta and YouTube liable for their role in creating addictive products, has strengthened comparisons to the legal crackdown on big tobacco. Wigand sees it as a similar situation, where companies prioritize profits over people's well-being. He notes that both industries use advertisements to target children, with social media companies using data to create addictive algorithms.Wigand's experience in the tobacco industry informs his perspective on social media. He was hired by Brown & Williamson (B&W;) in 1989 to develop a safer cigarette but was fired after raising concerns about carcinogenic substances in cigarettes. He then publicly declared that the tobacco industry was a 'nicotine delivery business' and helped the federal government in its investigations.Wigand believes that social media companies, like tobacco companies, intentionally addict people, especially children, to generate revenue. He emphasizes that brain development in children makes them vulnerable to addiction, and that social media companies exploit this vulnerability.The tobacco industry faced significant reforms and financial penalties following Wigand's whistleblowing. He hopes that similar actions will be taken against social media companies, including putting guardrails on access for children and holding companies accountable for their role in creating harm. Wigand's message to tech workers considering becoming whistleblowers is to carefully weigh the personal costs and prepare for the challenges that come with speaking out.

In December and January, researchers from the Bob Brown Foundation recorded the unmistakable call of the swift parrot – the world’s fastest bird – in a section of the Wielangta forest, southeast Tasmania, that had already been earmarked for clear‑felling.Dr Charley Gros, a lead scientist on the project, described the call as “tiny but very loud, sharp and quick,” making it easy to distinguish from other forest sounds. Over a two‑month period, the team – assisted by volunteer citizen scientists – logged 68 separate observations, which were later vetted by a government scientist and uploaded to the state environment department’s database.Gros argued that the frequency of detections indicated the area was being used for foraging and nesting, not merely as a fly‑by corridor. “If they’re there every day, that is their habitat,” he said.When the recordings were submitted, the Forest Practices Authority dispatched an ecologist to the site (identified as coupe WT003E) on 10 February. The official report stated that “no swift parrots were observed breeding in the harvest area.” By that time, the forest patch had already been cleared, which Gros noted made the absence of birds unsurprising.The logging operation was carried out by Sustainable Timber Tasmania (formerly Forestry Tasmania). The agency maintained that it operated “within Tasmania’s strict forest‑practice framework” and that “nesting trees are retained and harvested areas are regenerated as native forest,” asserting compliance with environmental regulations.The incident revives a broader debate over whether existing legislation adequately safeguards threatened species. Critics point to the swift parrot’s precipitous decline – a CSIRO‑published guide in 2021 estimated the population at about 750 individuals, down from roughly 2,000 a decade earlier – and warn that without stronger protection the bird could be extinct by the early 2030s. Forestry remains identified as the greatest threat, though government officials have historically downplayed the link.The Bob Brown Foundation accused both state and federal governments of “blatantly ignoring scientific advice” and allowing logging that drives the species toward extinction. A Tasmanian government spokesperson countered that the state’s “science‑based forest practices system” prohibits deforestation of swift‑parrot habitat, emphasizing that regenerated forests will provide future flowering eucalypts.At the federal level, a spokesperson for the Albanese government noted that a regional forestry agreement places responsibility for habitat protection on Tasmania, but an exemption for state‑run forestry from national environmental law expires in 2027. After that date, any logging that significantly impacts threatened species would require approval from Canberra.Environmental campaigners, including the Wilderness Society, have intensified pressure on retailers such as Bunnings to stop sourcing timber from the contested coupe. The society argues that the forest‑certification program awarded to logs from WT003E does not guarantee sustainable practices. Alice Hardinge, the Wilderness Society’s Tasmanian campaigns manager, warned that “customers don’t want to be sold timber that destroys unique forests and pushes the swift parrot to extinction.”Bunnings responded that an internal review found “no evidence to indicate non‑compliance with Tasmanian environmental or logging laws at this site,” reaffirming its commitment to sourcing wood from compliant, well‑managed operations.

The deployment of reflective mirrors on satellites and the launch of thousands more satellites into low Earth orbit could have significant consequences for human health and ecosystems. Leading sleep and circadian rhythm researchers have raised concerns about the potential disruption to natural night-time light environments.The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is considering plans by Reflect Orbital to illuminate parts of the Earth at night using reflective satellites, as well as applications from SpaceX that could dramatically expand satellite numbers in low Earth orbit.2,500 researchers from over 30 countries have expressed concerns that altering the light-dark cycle could disrupt biological clocks that regulate sleep and hormone secretion in humans and animals, migration in nocturnal species, seasonal cycles in plants, and the rhythms of marine phytoplankton.Prof Charalambos Kyriacou, president of the European Biological Rhythms Society (EBRS), emphasized that "plants need the night" and that eliminating it could have global implications for food security.Reflect Orbital aims to use satellites equipped with large reflective mirrors to redirect sunlight onto areas roughly 5km to 6km wide "on demand", with brightness adjustable "from full moon to full noon".Meanwhile, SpaceX has proposed launching up to 1m satellites to create a giant solar-powered computing network in orbit designed to run artificial-intelligence workloads.Ruskin Hartley, chief executive of DarkSky International, noted that scientific studies have already shown that the existing number of satellites in orbit has increased diffuse night sky brightness by roughly 10%.Experts warn that if current trends in satellite launches and debris generation continue, night sky brightness could increase substantially over the coming decade, approaching the threshold astronomers have set for preserving naturally dark skies.

The US labor market demonstrated unexpected strength in March, with the unemployment rate dropping to 4.3% despite concerns over economic instability and the ongoing conflict with Iran. According to the US Bureau of Labour Statistics, non-farm payrolls grew by 178,000 jobs in March, rebounding from a downwardly revised loss of 133,000 jobs in February.The healthcare sector led the gains, adding 76,000 jobs in March, significantly higher than the 29,000 average monthly increase over the last year. This surge follows a large-scale nursing strike that ended on February 24, which had temporarily removed over 30,000 healthcare workers from payrolls.The construction sector also saw notable growth, with 26,000 jobs added in March. Additionally, the transportation and warehousing sector grew by 21,000 jobs over the previous month, although it has experienced an overall loss of 139,000 jobs since February 2025.In contrast, the federal government, the largest employer in the US, continued to shrink, cutting 18,000 federal employee positions in March. This marks a 355,000 job decline from the same period last year.The White House has praised the jobs report as evidence that President Trump's policies are stimulating the domestic economy. Kush Desai, White House deputy press secretary, stated that the March jobs report 'blew out expectations' with strong construction job growth and a surge in manufacturing job creation.However, experts warn that the impact of the US conflict with Iran, dubbed Operation Epic Fury, is not yet fully reflected in the job numbers. Economists at JPMorgan cautioned that negative payroll readings could become more common, and Angela Hanks, chief of policy programmes at The Century Foundation, noted that wage growth has stalled, and oil prices are skyrocketing, threatening to weaken the job market.The economic uncertainty is also affecting US consumers, with the University of Michigan's consumer sentiment survey dropping by 6% in March to its lowest level since December 2025. Furthermore, the average price for a gallon of petrol has increased to $4.09 ($1.08 per litre), up from $3.10 ($0.82 per litre) this time last month.

A United States federal judge has rejected a motion from the Department of Justice to reconsider his earlier ruling dismissing subpoenas against Jerome Powell, the chairman of the Federal Reserve.In a six-page opinion published on Friday, Judge James Boasberg reaffirmed his decision to nullify the subpoenas, stating that they were issued for an 'improper purpose': to pressure Powell into compliance with President Donald Trump's demands.The subpoenas were part of an investigation into Powell's handling of renovations to the Federal Reserve's historic buildings in Washington, DC, which have gone over budget. The Trump administration has accused Powell of 'malfeasance' and called for his premature resignation.Boasberg criticized the Trump administration's efforts, saying they presented 'no evidence whatsoever of fraud' and that the subpoenas were an attempt to undermine the Federal Reserve's independence.The ruling is likely to set the stage for the Trump administration to appeal, with US Attorney Jeanine Pirro previously denying any political motivation for the investigation.

Lawyers estimate that as many as 75 women could have a claim in the $72.5 million settlement reached with Bank of America over alleged involvement in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex‑trafficking network. U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff has instructed counsel to assemble a broad list of publications by the upcoming Friday to ensure every potential victim receives notice, emphasizing that "nobody is left out." A final approval hearing is scheduled for August 27. The settlement was first disclosed in court filings on March 27 after a proposed class‑action lawsuit was permitted to move forward. In October, a plaintiff using the pseudonym Jane Doe filed the suit on behalf of herself and other alleged victims, accusing the bank of overlooking suspicious transactions tied to Epstein’s operations. According to the complaint, Bank of America allegedly benefited knowingly from its relationship with Epstein and impeded enforcement of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act, a federal statute aimed at combating sex trafficking. Bank of America reiterated its stance that it did not facilitate Epstein’s crimes, stating that the resolution allows the institution to move past the matter and provides "further closure for the plaintiffs." Judge Rakoff gave preliminary approval, noting that while no monetary figure can fully compensate for the magnitude of Epstein’s offenses, victims are entitled to restitution from any party that "knowingly, recklessly or otherwise unlawfully facilitated" the trafficking. This agreement follows similar settlements in 2023: JPMorgan Chase paid $290 million and Deutsche Bank settled for $75 million with Epstein victims. Rakoff previously dismissed a suit against Bank of New York Mellon; the plaintiffs are now appealing that decision. He stressed that liability should be limited to entities that knowingly assisted or profited, not to every organization that merely intersected with Epstein’s network. Jeffrey Epstein, a wealthy financier who died by suicide in a New York City jail in 2019, was accused of preying on girls and young women for decades and maintained ties to high‑profile figures across politics, arts, and business. One of Doe’s attorneys, David Boies, believes that 60 to 75 women may qualify for the settlement, and cautions that additional claimants could emerge as the search continues.

Approximately two dozen Democratic‑led states and the District of Columbia have lodged a federal lawsuit against President Donald Trump to block a newly issued executive order that would sharply limit mail‑in and absentee voting. The filing, submitted on Friday, comes as voting‑rights groups warn the measure is designed to make voting harder ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, which will decide control of both chambers of Congress. New York Attorney General Letitia James, representing 23 states and D.C., said the order "exceeds the president’s constitutional authority" and undermines the principle that states set the times, places and manner of elections. "Free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our democracy, and no president has the power to rewrite the rules on his own," James stated. The contested order, signed on Tuesday, directs the Department of Homeland Security to compile a nationwide list of eligible voters and instructs the United States Postal Service to deliver ballots only to individuals on a "State‑specific Mail‑in and Absentee Participation List." Critics argue the list would be incomplete and would place an undue burden on the USPS. Voting‑rights advocates note that mail‑in voting surged after the COVID‑19 pandemic, with one‑third of all 2024 ballots cast by mail, a trend that cuts across both Republican and Democratic states. In their complaint, the states contend that only Congress, not the president, may impose new restrictions on election administration, and that implementing such changes so close to the November vote would generate significant logistical chaos. President Trump maintains the action is needed to combat "rampant voter fraud," a claim repeatedly debunked by independent monitors, including the Heritage Foundation, which reports fraud rates are exceedingly low. Beyond the lawsuit, the Justice Department has pursued separate legal actions to obtain voter data, and the FBI’s recent raid on a Georgia election office has heightened concerns about election integrity. Trump is also urging Congress to pass the "SAVE America Act", which would require proof of U.S. citizenship—such as a birth certificate or passport—and a photo ID for ballot casting. Rights groups warn the proposal could disenfranchise many voters, including women who have changed their surnames after marriage.