World

England Test captain Ben Stokes has undergone surgery following a serious incident during a net session, revealing he feels 'quite lucky' to be alive. The all-rounder suffered a broken cheekbone after being hit in the face by a cricket ball in February while coaching academy players at his domestic county side Durham. In an interview with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), the 34-year-old admitted the situation could have had far worse consequences.

A school shooting at a middle school in Turkey's southern Kahramanmaras province has resulted in the deaths of four people. Provincial Governor Mukerrem Unluer stated on Wednesday that the fatalities included three students and a teacher, with an additional 20 people injured.

▪️ Argentine prosecutors have launched a scathing attack at the start of a new trial over the death of football legend Diego Maradona, labeling his medical team a 'bunch of amateurs' who missed a chance to save his life. Prosecutor Patricio Ferrari told the court that Maradona was cared for by individuals who committed 'all kinds of omissions', resulting in conditions he described as 'cruel'.

A tragic incident occurred at the "Ayser Chalik" secondary school in the Turkish city of Kahramanmaras. According to official data provided by provincial governor Mükremin Ünlüer, an armed attack resulted in the deaths of 4 people and injuries to 20 others. Among the deceased are one teacher and three students. The condition of four of the injured is assessed as serious.

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev held another meeting on April 14 dedicated to problems in the oil and gas sector. This is the sixth discussion in this format since the beginning of the year, with previous meetings held on January 12 and 30, February 23, and March 10 and 25. The head of state reviewed the results of the state company "Uzbekneftegaz" for the first quarter, tasks for the second quarter, as well as the dynamics of production and financial indicators during the meeting.

The Iranian warship Iris Dena sank on March 4 about 40 km from Sri Lanka's southern coastline after being struck by a torpedo from a US submarine, resulting in the deaths of 104 sailors. The bodies of 84 victims were recovered and later repatriated via a chartered flight arranged by Iran. This incident occurred in international waters and marked a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict between the US-Israeli alliance and Iran, which has since launched retaliatory strikes across the Middle East, targeting Gulf states allied with the US regime.

Peter Magyar, leader of the center-right TISZA party that won Hungary's recent election, met with President Tamas Sulyok on Wednesday. Following the meeting, Magyar announced that the new parliament is likely to convene in early May, where he will be asked to form a government as prime minister. This marks the beginning of political change in Hungary after 16 years of rule by Viktor Orban and his FIDESZ party, signaling a potential shift in the country's direction.

Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized the significance of the friendship treaty between Beijing and Moscow during a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Wednesday. Xi described relations with Russia as particularly "precious," calling for deeper cooperation and mutual support. He stated that both countries should strengthen coordination and defend shared interests, according to Chinese state media reports.

French international Hugo Ekitike is set to miss the 2026 FIFA World Cup after suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon during Liverpool's Champions League quarter-final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain. The 23-year-old striker was carried off on a stretcher at Anfield after pointing to his Achilles during the match, which Liverpool lost 2-0, exiting the competition with a 4-0 aggregate defeat on Tuesday night.

Direct flights between Tashkent and Yerevan are set to resume from May 2026, marking the first such connection in decades, as reported by AN Podrobno.uz. Regular passenger flights will operate once a week, significantly easing travel logistics between the two capitals and enhancing regional connectivity.

Iranian national Mahdieh Esfandiari has returned to Iran after being held in France for over a year, in what appears to be a detainee exchange between the two countries. Iran's state television reported on Wednesday that the "rights activist", sentenced to one year in prison for online comments supporting Palestine and the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, had arrived back in Iran.

Hungary is facing its second systemic shift since 1989/90 after Viktor Orbán's defeat in the April election, with winner Péter Magyar pledging to 'tear down the Orbán system' and restore the country as a 'normal, respected' European nation. Magyar describes himself as conservative and right-wing, distancing from Orbán's 'patriot' label while opposing 'sovereignism' and maintaining a pro-European outlook, albeit with a polemical style that differs from Orbán's populism.