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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York, laying out what Tehran describes as its red lines on three fronts: the nuclear question, relations with Israel, and regional security. The speech comes amid renewed international pressure over Iran's nuclear programme and continued tensions with Israel following recent conflict. Reactions are focusing on whether Iran's stated positions signal openness to negotiation or a hardening stance.

A new study finds that Europe is overwhelmingly expanding legal access to abortion, with the procedure now legal almost everywhere in the EU. However, many countries still retain criminal penalties and practical barriers to care, and some Members of the European Parliament are calling for further EU-level action to guarantee access.

Irish goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu has withdrawn from the Republic of Ireland squad, reportedly citing principled objections to facing Israel in an international match. The reported decision raises questions about player activism in international football and how federations respond when athletes decline selection on ethical or political grounds. Ireland's management has not publicly detailed the circumstances, and reactions have focused on the precedent such a withdrawal could set.

Pope Leo XIV celebrated an open-air Mass in Paris attended by hundreds of thousands of people, according to photo coverage from the event. The large turnout in the French capital highlights the scale of public interest in the pope's visit, with crowds filling the open-air venue for the ceremony.

Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu has reportedly withdrawn from the national squad, with reports linking the decision to his conscience over the situation in Gaza. The claim is circulating widely on social media, drawing debate about players taking a stand on political and humanitarian issues and what it means for Ireland's upcoming fixtures.

A federal judge has referred attorneys representing Donald Trump for potential disciplinary action in connection with a lawsuit involving the IRS. The referral suggests the judge believes the lawyers' conduct in the case may have violated professional standards. Details about the specific allegations and which attorneys are affected have not been made fully clear, and any disciplinary proceedings would be handled by the relevant bar authorities.

TikTok has agreed to pay more than $100 million to settle a lawsuit over its impact on users' mental health, according to Alabama's attorney general. The settlement, reported by NewsNation and The Hill, is drawing attention as US states continue legal action against social media companies over harms to young people.

A new study finds that abortion laws across Europe are becoming more liberal, according to reporting by Euractiv. The finding points to a continued easing of restrictions on abortion access across European countries, contrasting with tightening rules in some other parts of the world. The research is likely to feed into ongoing political debates over reproductive rights within the European Union and beyond.

A Los Angeles Times commentary reports that Democrats are preparing for a contested November election by running war-game exercises and preparing draft lawsuits aimed at protecting the results against challenges from Donald Trump and his allies. The effort reflects concern that the election outcome could again be disputed, and supporters see it as prudent planning while critics view it as assuming conflict before votes are cast.

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed a package of new laws aimed at expanding reproductive freedom and care in the state, which California positions as a national leader on the issue. The measures broaden access to reproductive health services and reinforce the state's protections as other states restrict such care.

A new antitrust lawsuit alleges that Anthropic, OpenAI and other leading AI companies entered an illegal agreement to slow down the development of artificial intelligence. The claim, reported by AP News, also names SpaceX-related and Google entities among the defendants. If proven, such coordination among competitors would raise serious antitrust concerns about collusion in one of the world's most competitive industries.

A report by The Register describes long-standing file security vulnerabilities affecting Android, Linux, macOS, and Windows. The flaws, described as decades old, span all major desktop and mobile platforms, raising concerns about how widely shared code or inherited designs carried the weakness across the industry. Security professionals are discussing the disclosure and its implications for systems that have gone unpatched for years.

The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency says attackers are actively exploiting two critical vulnerabilities in Citrix NetScaler devices worldwide. The flaws affect NetScaler ADC and Gateway products, which are widely used by organisations to manage and secure application traffic. Security teams are being urged to patch immediately, as exploited NetScaler vulnerabilities have historically enabled large-scale breaches of governments and businesses.

A group of legal experts and human rights advocates has publicly endorsed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's sanctions regime targeting the International Criminal Court. The challenge argues the sanctions threaten the court's independence and the work of its officials. Human rights organisations have voiced support, framing the measures as an attack on international justice and accountability for war crimes.

Thirty-eight international organisations have backed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's sanctions regime targeting International Criminal Court officials and those assisting the court. The suit was originally filed by four US organisations, which argue the sanctions are unlawful. The broad international support highlights growing opposition to measures that critics say hinder war crimes accountability.

Close to 100 new laws are taking effect this week, covering a wide range of policy areas including gun regulations, artificial intelligence, facial recognition technology, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) enforcement. The package reflects a broad legislative response to issues spanning public safety, emerging technology, and immigration, affecting residents, businesses, and law enforcement as the new rules come into force.

Eric Garcia has withdrawn from the Spain squad after picking up a knee injury while on international duty. Barcelona, however, are reportedly optimistic that the defender's problem is not serious and that he will be available again quickly. The club will monitor the knock in the coming days before deciding when he can return to training and matches.

TikTok has agreed to pay Alabama $100 million to settle a lawsuit alleging the company designed its platform to be addictive, particularly for young users. The settlement marks another legal setback for the social media company as US states continue pressing tech firms over the mental health effects of their products on children and teenagers.

Financial technology firm Finastra has reached a $3.13 million settlement in a lawsuit over a data breach, agreeing to compensate affected customers. The deal, subject to court approval, resolves claims tied to the company's handling of sensitive customer data. Privacy advocates are citing the case as another example of mounting legal and financial consequences for financial firms that suffer security failures.

Banks and credit unions are reportedly banding together to push back against the fees they say Apple charges through Apple Pay, as an antitrust lawsuit over the practice moves forward. The legal challenge targets the commission structure Apple imposes on card issuers for transactions made with its payment service. The outcome could reshape how banks and mobile wallet providers split revenue on contactless payments in the United States.

Pope Leo travelled to Lourdes, the French shrine long known as a refuge for the sick and disabled, and used the occasion to speak out against legalised assisted dying. The message framed the pilgrimage site as a symbol of care for the vulnerable, contrasting with moves in several countries to permit euthanasia.

The US Department of Justice is offering federal grants to local police departments that assist with immigration enforcement. The move, reported by local outlets in Washington state, effectively ties funding to cooperation with federal immigration priorities, a longstanding flashpoint between the federal government and so-called sanctuary jurisdictions that limit such cooperation. The policy is likely to draw legal challenges and debate over the role of local police in federal immigration work.

New York authorities have filed a lawsuit against Polymarket, the prediction-markets platform, alleging its operations amount to illegal gambling. The suit argues that betting on event outcomes offered by Polymarket falls under state gambling law, putting one of the most prominent prediction-market companies at legal risk. The case could shape how event-based markets are regulated in the United States and how such platforms operate going forward.

Amazon shares rose in premarket trading on Thursday ahead of the company's quarterly results, due after the close. Investors are watching for growth in the AWS cloud division and for guidance on capital expenditure, particularly spending tied to artificial intelligence infrastructure, which has become a key driver of sentiment around the stock this year.