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.
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Four people were killed, including a child, in Ukrainian strikes on the Russian port city of Novorossiysk overnight, according to the governor of the Krasnodar region. Ukraine's drone forces commander, Robert Brovdi, said Russian military ships were destroyed in the attacks.
Wildfires have broken out in Türkiye’s Antalya province, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate as strong winds fuelled the flames.
A TV channel was struck during a live broadcast on Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said, as Russian strikes on Kyiv killed at least three people, the city's Mayor Vitali Klitschko said. Meanwhile, drones hit civilian infrastructure in Russia's southwestern Saratov region.
U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said its forces destroyed five Iranian crude oil carriers after the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) allegedly launched two ballistic missile attacks against a U.S. Navy warship over the past two days.
Overnight Iranian strikes on an air base in Jordan damaged multiple U.S. aircraft and left one without a wing, American media reported. Meanwhile, explosions were heard across parts of southern Iran according to local media reports.
Ukrainian forces struck a Russian oil refinery in Siberia and a seaport in Dagestan in the past 24 hours, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. He will meet Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Thursday to discuss air defences for Ukraine over winter.
Eight Muslim-majority countries have launched a joint push for wider international action against trade linked to Israeli settlements, seeking to build momentum from new measures announced by the UK and other Western governments.
Saudi Arabia is facing a problem that goes beyond the latest Houthi attacks on its southern oil facilities. The kingdom is now dealing with pressure on energy exports at the Strait of Hormuz to the east and the Red Sea route to the west.
Two Azerbaijani sailors were killed on Wednesday when a foreign cargo ship they were travelling on was attacked by drones in the Black Sea, Baku's Foreign Ministry has said.
Iceland’s government plans to introduce legislation in February to permanently ban commercial whaling, potentially leaving Norway and Japan as the world’s only countries still allowing the practice.
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