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.
SpaceX's Starlink experienced one of its most significant global outages on Thursday due to an internal software malfunction that left tens of thousan...
The multinational military exercise Agile Spirit 2025 has officially kicked off in Georgia, underscoring country’s ongoing cooperation with NATO. Th...
Russia sent 20 satellites into orbit on Friday, including Iran’s Nahid-2 telecom satellite, in a launch from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Roscosmos con...
Ukraine has received confirmation from partners that they will provide three Patriot missile defence systems and discussions are underway to obtain se...
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has pledged to fortify the country's semiconductor sector by diversifying partnerships, building local expertis...
Philippine Vice President Sara Duterte has won a major legal victory on Friday after the Supreme Court struck down an impeachment complaint against her, declaring it unconstitutional.
Columbia University will pay more than $220 million to the U.S. government to settle federal probes and regain suspended funding, in a deal the White House hailed as a model for other universities but critics warned the move sets a dangerous precedent.
The United States has confirmed that a meeting between Syrian and Israeli representatives in Paris resulted in progress towards de-escalation, following recent tensions in southern Syria.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Thursday that trade relations with China are currently “in a good place,” paving the way for talks focused on rebalancing China’s economy.
The world’s biggest dance music festival faces an unexpected setback as a fire destroys its main stage, prompting a last-minute response from organisers determined to keep the party alive in Boom, Belgium.
Australian researchers have created a groundbreaking “biological AI” platform that could revolutionise drug discovery by rapidly evolving molecules within mammalian cells.
Australian researchers have pioneered a low-cost and scalable plasma-based method to produce ammonia gas directly from air, offering a green alternative to the traditional fossil fuel-dependent Haber-Bosch process.
A series of earthquakes have struck Guatemala on Tuesday afternoon, leading authorities to advise residents to evacuate from buildings as a precaution against possible aftershocks.
The U.S. economy faces a 40% risk of recession in the second half of 2025, JP Morgan analysts said on Wednesday, citing rising tariffs and stagflation concerns.
SpaceX's Starlink experienced one of its most significant global outages on Thursday due to an internal software malfunction that left tens of thousands of users without service. The disruption, which began around 3 p.m. EDT (1900 GMT), affected users primarily in the United States and Europe.
Russia sent 20 satellites into orbit on Friday, including Iran’s Nahid-2 telecom satellite, in a launch from the Vostochny Cosmodrome, Roscosmos confirmed.
Ukraine has received confirmation from partners that they will provide three Patriot missile defence systems and discussions are underway to obtain seven more, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced.
Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has pledged to fortify the country's semiconductor sector by diversifying partnerships, building local expertise, and deepening ASEAN cooperation.
Three workers died on Friday after falling from a freight elevator at a construction site in the Vomero neighbourhood of Naples, Italian media reported.
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