Town Hall News

By Ian Ransom MELBOURNE, July 29 (Reuters) – FIFA’s push to open the World Cup to private equity marks a dramatic attempt to reshape the commercial landscape of global soccer, while opening a new front in a long-running battle with Europe for power and control over the massive wealth generated by the sport. The global governing body led by Gianni Infantino plans to create a $20 billion subsidiary to run the […]

By Andrew Hay July 28 (Reuters) – Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk, targeted the right-wing activist for his political views, prosecutors said on Tuesday, citing Kirk’s opposition to gay marriage and transgender rights. The comments in court documents were prosecutors’ most extensive to date on an alleged motive for the September 10, 2025 shooting of Kirk, an ally of U.S. President Donald Trump, at a Utah […]

By Maayan Lubell JERUSALEM, July 29 (Reuters) – Israelis are due to hold a national election on October 27. It will be the first since the deadly October 7, 2023 Hamas attack that shook the country and plunged the Middle East into turmoil as Israel went to war in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran. Although polls predict a clear defeat for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, elections in Israel can be complex […]

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Shohei Ohtani says his right biceps is not 100% in addition to his sore left knee, and both factored into the Los Angeles Dodgers’ two-way superstar not throwing a bullpen last week. The four-time MVP hasn’t pitched in a game since July 3 but has continued to play regularly as the designated hitter for Los Angeles. “My biceps is not 100%,” Ohtani said through a translator […]

NAHARIYA, Israel (AP) — The Israeli military was about to launch a nighttime strike on a group of men in southern Syria when the soldiers noticed the long curls dangling from the temples of their targets. The troops held their fire. These were not Syrian militants attempting to breach Israel’s border but religious Jews who had slipped into Syria and were on their way back. The episode, first reported last […]

Russia’s main domestic security agency said Wednesday that Pavel Durov, founder of the messaging app Telegram, has been charged with aiding terrorism and put on an international wanted list. The charges against Durov, who was born and began his career in Russia but later moved abroad, came as the Russian authorities restrict Telegram, one of the most popular messaging apps in the country. It is part of a long-term effort […]

INNSBRUCK, Austria (AP) — Wearing protective gear to shield from the extreme heat of molten bronze, workers at one of the last bell foundries in Europe are casting bells weighing several tons. One after another, the artisans carefully pour the molten metal into special-shaped molds held together with steel bands to create 12 bells for churches in Italy, Germany and Romania. Founded in 1599, the Grassmayr Bell Foundry, in Innsbruck, […]

HONG KONG (AP) — The Federal Communications Commission in the U.S. said on Tuesday it would ban the import of foreign-made humanoid robots in a move that targets China, arguing they pose a national security risk. The decision could strain bilateral relations as the technology race between the two world leaders advances. China makes substantially more humanoid robots than the U.S. and other competitors, and analysts estimate that Chinese humanoid […]

July 29 (Reuters) – Chinese sales agent Winnie Zeng has taken an unusual step to protect herself from an uncertain future: she now shares her rented bed with a stranger to cut costs. Frustrated by stagnant pay and worried about losing her job, the 25-year-old from the central city of Wuhan recently invited another woman to move into her bedroom, slashing her monthly rent bill by 450 yuan ($66) and […]