U.S. government websites remained accessible on Friday despite reports suggesting they would be taken offline. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) clarified that the claims were based on a misinterpretation of a memo issued earlier in the week.
The memo, dated Wednesday, instructed federal agencies to remove references to "gender ideology" from contracts, job descriptions, and social media in compliance with President Donald Trump's executive order recognizing only two sexes.
A source had initially indicated that most government websites would go offline after 5 p.m. ET on Friday but later clarified that the deadline applied only to the removal of diversity-related content.
An OPM spokesperson stated that while the memo set guidelines for implementing the executive order, it did not mandate a shutdown of government websites. "It may have been misinterpreted to mean we would shut down government websites who weren't able to comply, but that is not the plan," the spokesperson said.
When asked earlier about a potential shutdown, Trump responded, "I don't know. It doesn't sound like a bad idea to me," adding that he supported the removal of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives.
Since taking office on Jan. 20, Trump has moved swiftly to roll back federal diversity policies, drawing support from his base while facing criticism from rights advocates concerned about reversing anti-discrimination efforts.
Qatar’s prime minister on Tuesday defended the country’s offer of a luxury Boeing jet to U.S. President Donald Trump, amid scrutiny in Washington over whether the gift could be seen as an attempt to exert political influence.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is set to testify before Congress this week, facing scrutiny from lawmakers—including former supporters—over his alignment with President Trump’s policies, deep cuts to foreign aid, and controversial diplomatic stances.
U.S. President Donald Trump has announced that Russia and Ukraine will begin immediate negotiations for a ceasefire, following a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. However, the Kremlin has declined to set any deadlines, saying talks will take time and involve complex negotiations.
The U.S. Supreme Court recently allowed President Donald Trump's administration to move forward with ending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for around 350,000 Venezuelans living in the U.S. Trump has also aimed to end TPS protections for Haitians, Afghans, and others.
The U.S. Supreme Court has granted a request from the Trump administration to lift protections under the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program for approximately 350,000 Venezuelans, potentially opening the door to future deportations while litigation continues.
Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran to discuss strengthening bilateral relations and advancing cooperation in trade, transport, energy, and regional initiatives.
The North Atlantic right whale’s survival hangs by a thread as this year’s record-low birth numbers sound the alarm on a species racing against extinction.
Spain has been hit by a major mobile network outage just weeks after a massive power blackout disrupted the country. The outage, reportedly caused by network upgrades from telecom provider Telefónica, affected emergency phone services and landline communication in multiple regions.
Pakistan’s army chief General Asim Munir has been promoted to the ceremonial rank of field marshal, the first such promotion in nearly 60 years.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara on May 15, with discussions reportedly focusing on upcoming peace talks between Ukrainian and Russian delegates in Istanbul.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war in Gaza will not stop until Hamas is destroyed, following the release of US-Israeli soldier Edan Alexander.
Qatar signed a landmark agreement with U.S. aerospace giant Boeing on Wednesday to acquire 160 aircraft for Qatar Airways, a deal valued at $200 billion. The signing took place in Doha during the visit of U.S. President Donald Trump.
Ukrainian and Russian delegations meet behind closed doors at Istanbul’s Dolmabahçe Palace at 10:00 local time today to explore security guarantees, territorial integrity and a possible ceasefire.
EU approves 17th Russia sanctions, blacklisting almost 200 shadow‑fleet ships, 30 evasion firms and 75 defence figures, banning missile chemicals and arming Brussels to strike Kremlin hybrid and operations.
The EU and UK unveiled new sanctions targeting Russia’s shadow oil fleet and financial networks, acting independently of the US after talks failed to yield a Ukraine ceasefire.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has apologised to Plaid Cymru MP Liz Saville Roberts for being "overly rude" during Prime Minister’s Questions last week.
Spain has been hit by a major mobile network outage just weeks after a massive power blackout disrupted the country. The outage, reportedly caused by network upgrades from telecom provider Telefónica, affected emergency phone services and landline communication in multiple regions.
Pakistan’s army chief General Asim Munir has been promoted to the ceremonial rank of field marshal, the first such promotion in nearly 60 years.
Poland’s presidential candidates received demands from far-right leaders whose voters could decide the outcome of the June 1 run-off election.
Turkmen Foreign Minister Rashid Meredov met Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian in Tehran to discuss strengthening bilateral relations and advancing cooperation in trade, transport, energy, and regional initiatives.
The North Atlantic right whale’s survival hangs by a thread as this year’s record-low birth numbers sound the alarm on a species racing against extinction.
Spain has been hit by a major mobile network outage just weeks after a massive power blackout disrupted the country. The outage, reportedly caused by network upgrades from telecom provider Telefónica, affected emergency phone services and landline communication in multiple regions.
Pakistan’s army chief General Asim Munir has been promoted to the ceremonial rank of field marshal, the first such promotion in nearly 60 years.
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