France captain Kylian Mbappe etched his name into FIFA World Cup history after becoming the first footballer to score 20 World Cup goals before the age of 30 during France’s 2-0 quarter-final victory over Morocco in Boston.

Mbappe broke the deadlock in the second half with his eighth goal of the ongoing tournament. The strike also saw him draw level with Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot while reaching a milestone never previously achieved in World Cup history.

According to the available records, Messi is the only other player to have reached the 20-goal mark at the FIFA World Cup, having scored 21 goals in the competition.

Mbappe recovers after first-half penalty miss

The France skipper had an opportunity to score earlier in the match after winning a penalty following a challenge from Noussair Mazraoui. However, Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou denied him from the spot.

The penalty award sparked debate as television replays appeared to indicate that Mbappe had gone to ground before any contact from Mazraoui.

Despite the setback, Mbappe responded in the second half by opening the scoring and later set up France’s second goal, which was finished by reigning Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele.

France march into World Cup semi-finals

Mbappe was substituted in the 76th minute after appearing to experience some discomfort, with head coach Didier Deschamps deciding not to take any risks.

France’s victory sends Les Bleus into the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals, where they will take on either Spain or Belgium in Dallas next Tuesday.

The 2018 world champions and 2022 runners-up remain on course for a third successive World Cup final under Deschamps, who is overseeing his final World Cup campaign as France coach.

Morocco, playing without injured Ismael Saibari, struggled to create enough attacking opportunities as France controlled the contest to seal another place in the last four.

Mbappe once again underlined his reputation as one of football’s leading goal-scorers, adding another historic achievement to his World Cup career.

India and Australia have reaffirmed their growing partnership as Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded high-level talks with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in Melbourne on Thursday. Later, addressing a gathering of around 30,000 members of the Indian community, PM Modi spoke about the close cultural bond shared by overseas Indians with their homeland while highlighting India’s economic and technological progress.

The bilateral meeting expanded the India-Australia Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, with both countries announcing 18 outcomes covering areas such as defence, energy, trade and critical technologies.

PM Modi highlights Indian identity abroad

Welcoming the large turnout, PM Modi described the event as a “houseful” gathering and said he had been looking forward to meeting the Indian community in Melbourne after interacting with them twice earlier in Sydney.

Using a light-hearted example, he said that while many Indian families in Australia use Australian milk at home, the tea they prepare remains distinctly Indian. He added that even when vegetables and lentils are sourced locally, the authentic Indian flavour comes from Indian spices, reflecting how the community has preserved its cultural roots while contributing to Australia’s growth.

The Prime Minister also said many Indian families manage two time zones every day, with children following Australian schedules while grandparents in India wait to connect through video calls, showing how closely overseas Indians remain connected to their homeland.

India-Australia partnership continues to expand

Earlier in the day, PM Modi and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese held wide-ranging discussions aimed at strengthening cooperation between the two countries.

In a post on X after the meeting, PM Modi said the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership launched in 2022 has continued to expand and both countries have decided to accelerate work on the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation framework.

The leaders announced 18 outcomes that further strengthen collaboration across defence, clean energy, trade, critical technologies and other strategic sectors.

PM Modi highlights India’s progress

During his address, PM Modi said India’s defence capabilities are gaining global recognition and referred to Operation Sindoor as an example of the country’s resolve against terrorism.

He also highlighted the success of the Make in India initiative, saying Indian-made mobile phones, electronics, automobiles and pharmaceutical products are reaching markets around the world.

Speaking about governance reforms, the Prime Minister said India has simplified public services through self-attestation and digital initiatives such as DigiLocker, allowing citizens to securely store, verify and share official documents online.

India’s global role and startup growth

PM Modi said India has earned international trust by extending humanitarian assistance without discrimination, adding that relief operations launched after the recent earthquake in Venezuela reflected India’s commitment to helping countries in times of crisis.

He also highlighted India’s emergence as the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem and said an Indian space startup is preparing to launch a satellite using its own rocket for the first time.

Concluding his address, PM Modi said the India-Australia trade agreement continues to deliver benefits for both countries and expressed confidence that cooperation between New Delhi and Canberra will continue to deepen in the years ahead.

Iran has formally approached the United Nations Security Council over fresh US military strikes on its territory, calling for immediate international action and warning that Washington would be fully responsible for the consequences of what it described as unlawful aggression.

According to media reports, Iran’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, submitted letters to the UN Security Council and the UN Secretary-General on Wednesday. In the communication, he accused the United States of violating the UN Charter through renewed military attacks on Iran’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The letter came after a series of reported US airstrikes in southern Iran that allegedly caused damage to infrastructure and resulted in the deaths of several Iranian military personnel. Additional strikes were reportedly carried out shortly afterward in the same region.

Reported strikes targeted multiple locations

Media reports said the latest attacks struck the southern city of Chabahar, where a hospital and power infrastructure were reportedly hit. Other locations included Iranshahr, where one fatality was reported, and Bushehr.

Earlier reports also claimed that eight Iranian military personnel were killed in separate US strikes on Bandar Abbas and Bushehr.

Iran cites recent US-Iran understanding

According to the letter, Iran argued that the United States had repeatedly violated the Pakistan-mediated memorandum of understanding signed between the two countries last month.

The communication reportedly stated that Washington had effectively repudiated the agreement through repeated actions and therefore carried full international legal and political responsibility for the consequences of its conduct.

Iran also called on the UN Security Council to take “immediate, effective, and decisive measures” to stop what it described as continued violations by the United States.

According to media reports, the Iranian ambassador warned that the Security Council’s failure to act had encouraged further escalation and weakened the body’s authority to maintain international peace and security.

Tensions rise after ceasefire weakens

The latest diplomatic move comes as the ceasefire reached last month appears to be deteriorating. The truce followed more than 100 days of US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

This week, both Washington and Tehran have exchanged fresh attacks following allegations of Iranian strikes on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, further raising concerns over regional stability.