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Brazil and France, ranked fifth and third in the world respectively, are gearing up for the FIFA World Cup with a high-profile friendly match in the United States on Thursday. The match at the Gillette Stadium near Boston, Massachusetts, marks the first meeting between the two teams in 11 years. The friendly comes as both teams finalize their preparations for the World Cup, with Brazil hoping to capitalize on the appointment of coach Carlo Ancelotti to boost their chances of winning a record-extending sixth World Cup title. Ancelotti's impact on the team will be closely watched, especially with key players like Vinicius Junior leading the charge. For France, the focus is on Kylian Mbappe, who has overcome a knee injury to return to action. Mbappe's fitness had been a concern, but he expressed confidence in his ability to contribute to the team during the international break. Brazil's form has been inconsistent, with six defeats in 18 World Cup qualifying games. However, Ancelotti's arrival has brought renewed optimism, and the team will look to build momentum ahead of the World Cup. Neymar's absence has been a significant talking point, with Ancelotti citing physical issues as the reason for the star player's exclusion from the squad. The match also provides an opportunity for younger players like Rayan, an uncapped 19-year-old, to make their mark. As both teams aim to peak at the right time for the World Cup, Thursday's friendly will offer valuable insights into their preparations and potential strategies.

A high-stakes diplomatic effort is underway as a delegation of Russian officials has arrived in the United States for meetings with their American counterparts. This visit, which began on Thursday, marks a significant development in the strained relations between Moscow and Washington, particularly over Moscow's ongoing war in Ukraine.Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov expressed optimism about the talks, stating, 'We hope that these first tentative steps will, of course, make their contribution to the further revival of our bilateral engagement.' President Vladimir Putin has set the main directives for the trip and will be thoroughly briefed on the meeting.The visit occurs against the backdrop of US-brokered talks to end the war in Ukraine, which are currently in a state of limbo. Despite several rounds of negotiations since US President Joe Biden's administration took office, a deadlock persists, with the Kremlin ruling out compromises to halt its military campaign.Russia, a key ally of Iran, has been accused by Western intelligence officials of supporting the Iranian government as it faces a war launched by the US and Israel. A recent report alleged that Russia was close to completing a shipment of drones to Iran, which Moscow has vehemently denied, calling such claims 'lies being spread by the media.'In a related development, Russia has intensified its military actions in Ukraine, carrying out one of the largest aerial attacks since the start of the war, launching 948 drones in 24 hours. This escalation has prompted Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to appeal for air defence munitions from allies, warning of a potential deficit in missiles while Washington focuses on the US-Israeli conflict with Iran.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko have signed a friendship treaty aimed at deepening ties between their countries. Both leaders are close allies of Russian President Vladimir Putin.The treaty was signed on Thursday during Lukashenko's two-day trip to Pyongyang. He told Kim that relations between their countries were entering a 'fundamentally new stage', according to the Belarusian state news agency Belta.Lukashenko emphasized the need for independent countries to cooperate closely in today's global transformation, where global powers often ignore and violate international law. Kim expressed opposition to undue pressure on Belarus from the West.The North Korean leader gave Lukashenko a lavish welcome, including a white-horsed cavalry, flag-waving children, and a 21-cannon salute. Both nations have backed Russia's war in Ukraine.Kim has reportedly provided Moscow with ammunition and sent soldiers to help Russia expel Ukrainian forces from its western region of Kursk in 2024. Lukashenko allowed Belarus to be used as a launchpad for Russia's invasion in February 2022 and has agreed to allow Russian tactical nuclear missiles on its territory.The Belarusian leader, in power since 1994, is politically and economically dependent on Putin. North Korea and Belarus conduct a small volume of trade but share long experience of surviving under international sanctions. North Korea has been sanctioned due to its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, and Belarus over its human rights record and backing for Putin in Ukraine.

The United Nations has taken a significant step towards acknowledging the atrocities of transatlantic slavery, adopting a resolution that labels it as the 'gravest crime against humanity'. The resolution, proposed by Ghana, was passed with 123 countries in favor, 3 opposed, and 52 abstaining.The resolution is not legally binding but carries substantial political weight. It calls for reparations and urges member states to engage in dialogue on the issue, including issuing formal apologies, returning stolen artifacts, providing financial compensation, and ensuring guarantees of non-repetition.Ghana's President John Dramani Mahama, a key architect of the resolution, hailed its adoption as 'a route to healing and reparative justice'. The resolution's passage is seen as a crucial step towards addressing the ongoing impacts of slavery, which saw at least 12.5 million Africans abducted and sold between the 15th and 19th centuries.Despite the progress, there is growing backlash from Western leaders who oppose discussing reparations, arguing that today's states and institutions should not be held responsible for historical wrongs. The EU and the US expressed concerns that the resolution could imply a hierarchy among crimes against humanity.The Netherlands remains the only European country to have issued a formal apology for its role in slavery. The resolution comes after the African Union set out to create a 'unified vision' among its 55 member states about what reparations for slavery may look like.

Senegal has lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in a bid to overturn the decision by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to strip them of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) title and hand the trophy to Morocco. The appeal comes after CAF upheld a complaint by the Royal Moroccan Football Federation, citing Senegal's infringement of tournament regulations when their players walked off the pitch in protest during the AFCON final on January 18. The final had ended 1-0 in extra time in favor of Senegal, but CAF declared the match a 3-0 defeat for Senegal, making Morocco the champions. The Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) is now seeking to have the CAF decision overturned and be declared the winners of AFCON. The controversy began when Morocco was awarded a disputed penalty in injury time, leading to Senegalese players halting the game for nearly 20 minutes in protest. The penalty was saved, but Senegal eventually scored the winning goal in extra time. CAS Director General Matthieu Reeb stated that the arbitration proceedings would be conducted swiftly while ensuring a fair hearing for all parties involved. CAF president Patrice Motsepe has expressed support for the right of African countries to appeal to CAS, emphasizing that the continent's football governing body would respect the decision taken at the highest level. In related news, both Senegal and Morocco are set to play friendly matches as they prepare for the upcoming World Cup. Senegal will face Peru on Saturday, while Morocco will play Ecuador on Friday and Paraguay on March 31.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – For over a decade, Sanjeet, a business consultant from India, considered Malaysia his home. Having grown comfortable with the country's climate, people, and lifestyle, he had begun planning long-term investments, including property purchases.However, recent government initiatives to reduce Malaysia's reliance on foreign workers have abruptly disrupted these plans for Sanjeet and thousands of other expatriates. Starting June, minimum salary requirements for foreign workers will increase by up to 100%, while their maximum permitted stay will be limited to five or ten years."What was surprising was that this came out of the blue," Sanjeet, who requested to use a pseudonym, told Al Jazeera. "It does leave room for doubt in terms of long-term plans, which include things like buying a house or car here."Malaysia has long been an attractive destination for foreign labor, with approximately 2.1 million documented foreign workers currently in the country. While many take on manual labor at the minimum wage of 1,700 ringgit ($430) monthly, a smaller but significant pool of around 140 highly-paid expatriates contributes substantially to the economy.In 2024, Home Affairs Minister Saifuddin Nasution revealed that these high-salaried expatriates injected about 75 billion ringgit ($19 billion) into the domestic economy annually while contributing approximately 100 million ringgit ($25 million) in taxes.The government's latest five-year national strategy, released in 2025, warns that Malaysia's "continuous reliance" on low-skilled foreign workers has hampered technological adoption and created "ripple effects" in the labor market, including wage distortions and slow productivity growth.To address these concerns, authorities aim to reduce the foreign workforce proportion from 14.1% in 2024 to just 5% by 2035. This ambitious target is supported by new minimum salary requirements that will see thresholds increase from 10,000 to 20,000 ringgit ($2,500 to $5,000), 5,000 to 10,000 ringgit ($1,260 to $2,520), and 3,000 to 5,000 ringgit ($760 to $1,260) for different work permit categories.UK native Thomas Mead, a 28-year-old wealth manager who recently purchased property in Kuala Lumpur, expressed shock at the sudden policy changes. "However, the jump from RM10,000 to RM20,000 was quite a shock," he said, noting that some expatriates are already considering relocation options despite their reluctance to leave.The policy changes are also raising concerns among businesses. Douglas Gan, a Singaporean founder of a venture capital fund with Malaysian portfolio companies, warned that the new rules would drive up costs and make it challenging to recruit specialized talent. "If salaries increase to 10,000 ringgit, companies definitely won't bring them here," he said, advocating for a more tailored approach rather than a "blanket solution."Leonardo, an Indonesian professional working in Malaysia's computer games sector, faces downgrading to a lower employment pass category under the new rules, potentially jeopardizing his plans to bring his mother to live in the country. "My mum is alone and living in Indonesia. There was a thought that if I could settle here, I could bring her over," he said.Economic analysts caution that the success of these policies depends on Malaysia's ability to develop its local workforce. "The long-run gain depends less on blocking expats and more on whether Malaysia can actually supply the skills," said Wan Suhaimie, head of economic research at Kenanga Investment Bank. He emphasized that foreign workers on mid-tier employment passes are not extravagant hires but "core managers, engineers and specialists."Anthony Dass, CEO of FSG Advisory, noted that while the measures align with strengthening the local talent pipeline, their effectiveness will depend on complementary reforms in capability building and industry upgrading.As these policies take shape, expatriates like Sanjeet are already considering alternatives. "If Malaysia pursues these policies without a comprehensive rationale, then people like me will look for alternatives such as Vietnam, Thailand and elsewhere, which have favourable policies for expats," he concluded.

Renowned Formula One journalist Giles Richards was ejected from a Max Verstappen press conference at the Japanese Grand Prix, a rare occurrence in the sport. The incident stemmed from a question Richards asked Verstappen at the end of last season regarding an incident involving Verstappen and George Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix.Verstappen had collided with Russell's car during the Spanish Grand Prix, resulting in a 10-second penalty that dropped him from fifth to 10th place and cost him nine points. When Richards asked Verstappen about the incident during the season finale in Abu Dhabi, Verstappen took umbrage, suggesting Richards was biased and only focused on negative aspects of his performance.Richards recounts that when he encountered Verstappen at the Japanese Grand Prix, the Dutch driver refused to speak until Richards left the press conference. Despite attempts to clarify the situation, Verstappen remained resolute, telling Richards to 'get out'.The incident has sparked a heated debate about driver-journalist interactions in Formula One, with many colleagues expressing shock and concern for Richards' wellbeing. While Richards admits to feeling uncomfortable about being the story, he emphasizes the importance of asking difficult questions in his line of work.Richards has covered Formula One for over a decade and has interviewed Verstappen on multiple occasions, describing their interactions as generally friendly and good-humored. He hopes that he and Verstappen can have a better relationship in the future.

A landmark verdict in a social media trial has held Meta and YouTube accountable for deliberately designing addictive products that harmed a young user. The jury awarded the plaintiff $6m in damages, with Meta to pay 70% and YouTube the remainder.Human rights groups, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have praised the decision, calling it a "watershed moment" for corporate accountability in the digital age. They argue that social media companies must change their design features to ensure children's safety.The plaintiff, a 20-year-old who went by the initials KGM, testified that she became addicted to YouTube at age six and Instagram at nine, which led to a long cycle of depression, self-harm, and body dysmorphia. Plaintiffs have taken issue with features such as infinite scroll and autoplay, arguing that they prioritize engagement over users' well-being.However, not all tech freedom and human rights groups agree on the verdict's implications. Fight for the Future, a US-based digital rights group, has expressed skepticism, worrying that the decision could be used to justify legislative solutions that raise free speech concerns.

Italy's national football team secured a crucial win over Northern Ireland, 2-0, to advance to the World Cup playoff final. The match, held at the Stadio di Bergamo, saw Sandro Tonali and Moise Kean score the decisive goals.The Italian team, under coach Gennaro Gattuso, dominated possession but struggled to create clear chances in the first half. However, the team's performance improved significantly after halftime, with Tonali's terrific low drive from 18 yards giving them the lead.Northern Ireland's hopes were dashed when Moise Kean scored Italy's second goal, cutting inside Ruairi McConville and shooting into the net via a post. This sealed the win for Italy and sent them through to the playoff final.The victory marked a significant step for Italy, who are seeking to return to the World Cup for the first time since 2014. Coach Gattuso emphasized the importance of the win, stating, 'We have to win, we have no other choice.'Northern Ireland's manager, Michael O'Neill, expressed pride in his young team's performance, noting, 'The average age of that team was 22, which is incredibly positive.' Despite the loss, O'Neill remains optimistic about the team's future, particularly with Euro 2028 in sight.