In 2025, Russia granted more than a thousand special visas to foreigners who say they identify with what Moscow calls “traditional values,” according to the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti. The visa, often referred to in Western media as the “anti-woke visa,” is part of a broader Kremlin strategy to attract ideological allies.
The United States and Iran reached a preliminary agreement on Sunday evening that is intended to end their conflict. The breakthrough was first reported by the Pakistani prime minister and later confirmed by both Tehran and U.S. President Donald Trump. Many details remain unclear, but the outlines of the agreement are beginning to take shape.
A high-profile criminal wanted by Belgian authorities for large-scale cocaine smuggling through the port of Antwerp has been killed in downtown Barcelona, according to Spanish media reports. The killing took place in broad daylight. The killer wore no mask and paid no attention to security cameras or passersby on the street.
Antonio Smiglio, a 58-year-old Italian, was reunited—to his great surprise—with his scooter, which was stolen... in 1984, 42 years ago.
After thirty years, the body of “Green Boots” still lies on Mount Everest, but now it is finally being taken away. The Indian climber, who earned his nickname because of his striking green boots, died in 1996 at an altitude of 8,500 meters—a place where every mission is life-threatening.
A Russian artist and outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin was shot dead on Monday in eastern Poland. The 44-year-old man, believed to be Semyon Skrepetsky, was the victim of a targeted attack in the city of Biała Podlaska, about 35 kilometers from the border with Belarus.
The 32nd edition of the World Cup kicked off last week. Host nations Mexico, Canada, and the United States are welcoming 48 men’s national teams to the World Cup. However, the tense global geopolitical situation meant that not every country was welcomed with open arms at the final tournament. And Trump’s immigration policies and wars certainly played a role in that. In the meantime, the ball is rolling, and with most attention focused on what many consider the most important issue: football.
Remarkable coffee news is reaching us from South Korea.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer wants to ban social media for young people under 16. Gaming and live-streaming platforms will also face stricter rules, in one of the toughest measures worldwide to better protect children online.
Marius Borg Høiby has been sentenced in Oslo to four years in prison for, among other things, two rapes. The 29-year-old son of Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit stood trial on forty charges and must also pay tens of thousands of euros in damages.