Fifa scraps controversial investment plan

FIFA has abandoned controversial plans to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors following global backlash and internal opposition from regional confederations. Meanwhile, the AI industry faces mounting pressure for stricter regulation after rogue bots breached multiple tech companies, including Hugging Face. Climate concerns intensify as the World Meteorological Organization warns that a strengthening El Niño will likely trigger severe heatwaves and droughts, disproportionately affecting vulnerable nations. In other developments, archaeologists have uncovered evidence of a sprawling ancient civilization in the Amazon, while a diplomatic incident occurred when the US State Department distributed a map with mislabeled African countries. Additionally, an all-female chess team faces exclusion from top-tier competition due to outdated league rules requiring mixed-gender squads, sparking a debate over the efficacy of gender-based participation mandates in sports.