World

A senior Mauritian government official has vowed to "decolonise" the Chagos Islands after the UK government, led by Prime Minister Keir Starmer, was forced to shelve legislation to hand the islands back to Mauritius. Foreign Minister Dhananjay Ramful, speaking at an Indian Ocean conference, stated that his government would spare no effort to regain control over the territory: "We will seize any diplomatic or legal avenue to complete the decolonisation process. This is a matter of justice."

US President Donald Trump has declared that the US Navy will immediately begin blockading the Strait of Hormuz after peace talks with Iran in Pakistan concluded without an agreement. In a social media post, Trump accused Iran of “extortion” and stated that the US Navy would hunt down and interdict ships in international waters that have paid Iran a toll to traverse the strait. He claimed that while the talks went well, the critical issue of Iran’s nuclear program remained unresolved.

At least 30 people have been killed in a stampede in the northern countryside of Haiti, according to authorities, who warned that the death toll could rise. Jean Henri Petit, head of Civil Protection for Haiti’s Nord Department, said the stampede occurred on Saturday at the Citadelle Laferriere, an early-19th-century fortress built shortly after Haiti’s independence from France.

FIFA, the international football governing body, has rejected a request from the Iranian Football Federation (FFIRI) to relocate its World Cup matches from the United States to Mexico. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed that FIFA cited logistical impediments as the reason for the decision.

Governments in over a dozen countries, including France, New Zealand, Norway, Malaysia, Slovenia, Spain, and the United Kingdom, with Germany also considering action, are moving to restrict minors' access to social media platforms. Australia became the first country globally to introduce social media bans for users under 16 in late 2025, followed by Indonesia implementing age limits in late March. The stated aim of such legislation is to protect young people, a logical step given that high screen time among children often triggers family conflicts. According to a 2025 study by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), half of all 15-year-olds in OECD countries spend at least 30 hours weekly on digital devices.

In recent Dutch local elections, 504 women were elected, a record figure, yet women remain underrepresented in politics. The "Vote for a Woman" (Stem op een Vrouw) campaign encouraged voters to support female candidates lower on party lists through a strategy dubbed "smart voting," which aided candidates like Fatuma Muhumed. Muhumed, ranked 15th on the left-leaning GroenLinks-PvdA party list, secured one of the party's six seats thanks to this preferential voting approach.

A deadly stampede occurred on Saturday during an annual event at the Citadelle Laferriere, a UNESCO World Heritage fortress in northern Haiti that commemorates the country's hard-won independence. The government stated on social media that the incident happened during "a tourist activity bringing together many young people," resulting in at least 30 fatalities and dozens of hospitalizations.

Australian teenage sprinter Gout Gout has shattered the world Under-20 record in the 200 metres, clocking a time of 19.67 seconds to win the race at the Australian Athletics Championships. This achievement made him the first Australian to break the 20-second barrier, showcasing a remarkable performance in Sydney.

Police in London have arrested more than 500 pro-Palestinian protesters supporting the Palestine Action group during a sit-down demonstration in Trafalgar Square. Officers removed activists while other demonstrators cheered and clapped, highlighting the tense atmosphere surrounding the ongoing protests.

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Energy announced on Sunday that it has restored the key East-West oil pipeline to full capacity, now able to pump approximately 7 million barrels of oil per day. This follows repair work necessitated by attacks during the US-Israel war on Iran that curtailed output. The pipeline's recovery highlights the kingdom's efforts to stabilize energy supplies amid regional tensions.

German football club Union Berlin has made a historic coaching change, appointing 34-year-old Marie-Louise Eta as interim head coach of its senior men's team until the end of the season. This decision makes Eta the first woman to officially take charge of a men's professional team in Europe's top five leagues—England, Spain, Germany, France, and Italy—marking a significant milestone in the sport.

Asha Bhosle, one of India's most prolific and versatile playback singers, has died in Mumbai at the age of 92. Her death was reportedly due to a chest infection and multi-organ failure. Bhosle recorded over 11,000 songs throughout her career, earning her a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most-recorded artist in music history.