At least 4 countries pull out of 2026 Eurovision contest over Israel's participation

The draw for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is set to take place at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on December 5, 2025, starting at 12 PM local time. This event will determine the group phase matchups for the 48 teams participating in the tournament co-hosted by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The draw will feature performances by notable artists, including the Village People and Andrea Bocelli.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun stated that Lebanon does not desire another war with Israel during a meeting with a UN Security Council delegation, emphasizing the need for international support to disarm non-governmental groups. This statement comes amid ongoing Israeli military strikes in southern Lebanon, which Israel claims are aimed at Hezbollah, despite a ceasefire established in November 2024.

Sang Hea Kil, a tenured professor at San José State University in California, has been dismissed due to her pro-Palestinian activism, marking her as the first tenured faculty member from a public university to be fired in relation to protests against Israel's actions in Gaza. This dismissal follows a trend of increasing scrutiny and disciplinary actions against university staff involved in similar activism across the United States.

Yasser Abu Shabab, a prominent leader of the anti-Hamas militia group Popular Forces, was killed in Gaza during a violent clash while reportedly attempting to mediate a family dispute. His death has raised questions about the circumstances surrounding it, particularly regarding the involvement of Hamas and the implications for the ongoing conflict in the region.

The Guardian's picture editors have curated a selection of photographs capturing a cold moon over Gaza, snow in Seoul, and the Olympic flame, showcasing significant visual moments from around the world on Friday. These images reflect the diverse experiences and cultural expressions present in different regions.

A compilation of videos claiming to show new footage of Iranian military sites destroyed during the June 2025 conflict with Israel has emerged online, primarily shared by pro-Israel accounts. However, many of these clips have been identified as artificially generated content rather than authentic footage.

In 2023, interviews with Israelis and Palestinians revealed the impact of the Israel-Hamas war on their capacity for compassion and empathy, prompting a follow-up after a recent ceasefire. The interviews aimed to assess any changes in sentiments amidst ongoing tensions and humanitarian crises in the region.

Rinaldo Nazzaro, the American leader of the neo-Nazi terrorist group Base, has responded defiantly to the recent arrests of three suspected members in Spain, stating that these detentions justify a call for resistance by any means necessary. Nazzaro, who resides in Russia, characterized the arrests as political persecution by global governments.