First, the European Parliament calls on EU member states to officially designate Sudan's Rapid Support Forces as a terrorist organisation. Then, Kenya's Rastafarian community awaits a High Court ruling on the legalisation of marijuana. And finally, Morocco is still reeling from its 2–0 defeat to Fr»»»

RABAT: A prominent Moroccan journalist and critic of the kingdom’s government was set to appear before a prosecutor on Monday for “spreading false information” after his arrest upon return to the country from Spain, his wife told AFP. Ali Lmrabet, 66, is a leading figure in Morocco’s independent pr»»»

DOHA: His Highness the Amir of the State of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani met on Monday evening at Lusail Palace with Head of Government of the Kingdom of Morocco HE Aziz Akhannouch, who offered condolences on the passing of HH the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani. Also present»»»

Atlanta: Lionel Messi's brilliance has helped carry Argentina into a blockbuster World Cup semi-final with England in Atlanta on Wednesday. But the defending champions' journey to the last four has been engulfed by online conspiracy theories claiming -- without evidence -- that the playing field ha»»»

DUBAI: FIFA, the governing body of world football, is exploring the possibility of expanding the World Cup to 64 teams for the 2030 event that will be hosted by Spain, Portugal and Morocco, the association’s president, Gianni Infantino, has confirmed. The ongoing 2026 finals were the first to featu»»»

Sharjah: The Sharjah Academy for Police Sciences has launched the sixth edition of its Scientific Research Award, offering a total prize fund of Dh600,000 to encourage innovative research that supports security institutions and addresses future challenges. The award covers key areas including artif»»»

​The Saudi national team’s elimination at the group stage of the 2026 World Cup — and their failure to defeat Cape Verde — was not surprising at all. Argentina struggled against them, and Spain and Uruguay were unable to defeat them. Perhaps the problem lies with the team or elsewhere, but I rule o»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Amir HH Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani met on Monday evening at Lusail Palace with HE Head of Government of the Kingdom of Morocco Aziz Akhannouch, who offered condolences on the passing of HH the Father Amir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani. Also present were HH the Deputy Amir »»»

RIYADH: Middle East and North Africa venture funding showed signs of deeper stress in the first half of 2026, with startup investment falling 22 percent year on year to $1.35 billion while deal count dropped 41 percent to 214 transactions, the lowest half-year total since at least 2022, according t»»»

There's a new buzz around campus as the UAE's first native swarm of bees has found a home at Deira International School (DIS). DIS has become the first school in Dubai to join Terra Expo City Dubai's Hundred Hives initiative, bringing a working beehive onto campus and giving thousands of students a»»»

RIYADH: The journey may have ended for all eight Arab nations at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but the tournament will remain ingrained in the memories of Arab fans who supported each nation as one of their own. The JAX District Coca-Cola Fan Zone has been one of the prime spots to watch the World Cup i»»»

China has further consolidated its position at the pinnacle of global banking, with seven Chinese lenders occupying the world’s top 10 positions by Tier 1 capital, including the world’s four largest banks, according to The Banker’s Top 1000 World Banks 2026. Compiled annually by The Banker, a Finan»»»

AMMAN — The Jordan Chamber of Industry (JCI) has welcomed the signing of a letter of intent between the government, represented by the Ministry of Labour, and the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to launch a technical cooperation programme that supports and promotes decent work in the garmen»»»

Karachi: Pakistani psychiatrist Dr Ayesha I. Mian has been elected president of the International Association for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Allied Professions (IACAPAP) for the 2026-2030 term, becoming the first Pakistani and the first South Asian to head the global organisation since it »»»

JEDDAH: Saudi Arabia has sent teams of gifted students to represent the Kingdom at two of the world’s most prestigious science competitions this month as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen its presence in international academic Olympiads. The Saudi biology team is competing in the International »»»

DUBAI: Watermelon Pictures is conitinuing promotion of hard-hitting films on Palestine, taking to social media this week to share the news that “American Doctor” will be released in US cinemas in August. “From Oscar-nominated and Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Poh Si Teng, ‘American Doctor’ follows t»»»

Rafha: The Omani troupe presented traditional and folkloric performances at the Rafha Shopping and Entertainment Festival’s open-air theater in King Fahd Park, attracting a large audience. Troupe leader Nasser Saif Al-Mazrouei expressed his pleasure at participating in festivals across the Kingdom,»»»

Egypt's Giza Plateau- Pyramids Orascom Pyramids Entertainment, owned by billionaire Naguib Sawiris, is increasing its investment in ancient Egyptian archaeological sites by a third, betting on sporting events and pop concerts by stars like Shakira to help propel tourism to new heights. The new inve»»»

Doha, Qatar: Spain head into FIFA World Cup semi-final against France with growing confidence after their dramatic victory over Belgium, convinced they have what it takes to stop the tournament favourites. Luis de la Fuente’s side booked their place in the last four with a 2-1 win over Belgium on F»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Ministry of Labour, represented by the Qualifying and Skills Development Department, has launched the “Maharat 2026” Summer Training Programme in cooperation with a number of private sector partners. The programme, one of the Ministry’s human capital development initiatives, is des»»»

JERUSALEM: In spite of the ongoing risk of renewed fighting in Gaza, stakeholders have spent months preparing for the post-war phase. Plans for governance, security and humanitarian relief have begun to take shape, but remain largely theoretical in the absence of a political agreement, credible sec»»»

RIYADH: Investment momentum in the Middle East and North Africa region continued its steady trend in June, with 41 startups collectively raising $148.2 million, representing an annual rise of 190 percent. According to Wamda data, startup investments over the month declined by 76 percent compared to»»»

LONDON: The main focus of the two-day NATO summit in Ankara this week was, overwhelmingly, the alliance’s renewed pledge of “unwavering support for Ukraine in defending its freedom, sovereignty, and territorial integrity,” backed by additional military equipment and training. There was also a renew»»»

Egypt’s Minister of Industry, Khaled Hashem, began a field tour of El Mahalla El Kubra—one of the country’s largest industrial hubs—with a visit to the Misr Spinning and Weaving Company complex, reaffirming the government’s commitment to modernising the textile sector, strengthening domestic manufa»»»

JOHANNESBURG: When four-time World Cup winners Italy failed to qualify for the 2026 tournament, then head coach Gennaro Gattuso lamented that Africa had so many places at the global showcase. “Africa deserves fewer World Cup slots,” he said, referring to the number of automatic qualifying places al»»»

DOHA: The Ministry of Labour, represented by the Qualifying and Skills Development Department, launched the 'Maharat 2026' Summer Training Programme in cooperation with a number of private sector partners. The programme, one of the ministry's human capital development initiatives, is designed for Q»»»

DUBAI: Morocco’s 2-0 quarterfinal defeat by France ended another memorable FIFA World Cup campaign, but perhaps the biggest takeaway from the Atlas Lions’ exit was not the result — it was what followed. Four years after becoming the first Arab and African nation to reach a World Cup semifinal, Moro»»»

CHICAGO, IL: As the last of eight Arab teams was eliminated from the final rounds of the World Cup, American Arab community leaders and sports enthusiasts said that they were concerned by what they saw as a bias by FIFA referees and officials during several games. The World Cup competition returned»»»

LILLE, France: A 17-year-old girl fell off a truck and died while celebrating France’s World Cup quarter final win over Morocco, emergency services said Friday. Celebrations erupted across France after the 2-0 win in the United States with hundreds dancing in the streets of Paris, watched by thousa»»»

LOS ANGELES: European champions Spain are on a World Cup collision course with Kylian Mbappe’s France if they can beat Belgium in a quarter-final on Friday. At the spectacular SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, the Belgians face the daunting task of breaking through a Spanish defense that has yet to conc»»»

Moroccan football fans clashed with police in London on Thursday night after their team’s 2-0 loss to France in the World Cup quarterfinals. Officers with shields and batons were deployed to Edgware Road to control the unruly crowd as fans taunted police and threw bottles and other projectiles. Acc»»»

LONDON: The Arab challenge at the 2026 World Cup ended this week but what a moment it was. At this tournament, Morocco and Egypt have done the region proud. Just 48 hours after the Pharaohs came within minutes of eliminating defending champions Argentina in a hugely exciting and controversial game,»»»

Lille, France: A 17-year-old girl fell off a truck and died while celebrating France's World Cup quarter final win over Morocco, emergency services said Friday. Celebrations erupted across France after the 2-0 win in the United States with hundreds dancing in the streets of Paris, watched by thousa»»»

BOSTON: When Morocco left Qatar in 2022, they did so as heroes, having become the first African and Arab side to reach a World Cup semifinal. Four years later in the US, this time in the quarterfinals, they have lost to France 2-0 once again. Same opponent, same result. Yet it is testament to Moroc»»»

Doha, Qatar: In a significant step towards advancing Qatar’s digital transformation agenda, the Civil Service and Government Development Bureau (CGB), in collaboration with the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT), has organised a comprehensive series of training workshops a»»»

FOXBOROUGH: Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi promised that his team will bounce back from their World Cup quarter-final exit against France on Thursday and keep building as they prepare to co-host the next tournament in 2030. The Atlas Lions were hoping to at least match their historic run to the semif»»»

Foxborough: Kylian Mbappe recovered from having a first-half penalty saved to score a magnificent opener that set France on their way to a 2-0 win over Morocco in their World Cup quarter-final showdown on Thursday. Mbappe's weak spot-kick was easily saved by Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, but »»»

CALIFORNIA: Mikel Merino is relishing Spain’s opportunity to advance to the semifinals of the ‌World Cup, although first up is a quarterfinal matchup against Belgium in Inglewood, California, on Friday. Merino played a major role as Spain stayed alive with his stoppage-time goal in a 1-0 win agains»»»

The government has recognized the National Association of People with Acquired Disabilities (NAPAD) as a national representative organization of people with disabilities for a period of four years. The decision was made during the Council of Ministers' weekly meeting on Thursday, as reported by the»»»

AMMAN — Jordan's Ram Pharmaceutical Industries and Saudi Arabia's Cigalah Healthcare on Thursday launched an investment partnership aimed at boosting value-added investment in Jordan and expanding Jordanian-Saudi economic cooperation.Minister of Investment Tareq Abu Ghazaleh s»»»

PRAIA: Thousands of flag-waving fans gathered in Cape Verde’s capital to welcome the returning national soccer team after their stunning debut World Cup performance, mobbing the players as they left the airport. In downtown Praia, at one of the country’s most prestigious training academies, student»»»

France and Morocco are facing each other on July 9 as the World Cup's blockbuster quarter-finals kick off. On the other side of the draw, holders Argentina face Switzerland in Kansas City on July 11 after staggering into the quarter-finals following their last-minute win against Egypt, while Englan»»»

PARIS: France has urged its football fans to be responsible as their team prepares to face African champions Morocco on Thursday in a World Cup quarter-final, after previous high-profile matches led to unrest. Morocco won independence from France in 1956 and has a mostly settled relationship with t»»»

Paris, France: France has urged its football fans to be responsible as their team prepares to face African champions Morocco on Thursday in a World Cup quarter-final, after previous high-profile matches led to unrest. Morocco won independence from France in 1956 and has a mostly settled relationshi»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Arab Investment & Trade Credit Guarantee Corporation (Dhaman) revealed that the average Arab ranking remained stable at 102nd place globally in its composite index of investment climate components for 2025. This reflects the continued gap from the global average ranking of about 23»»»

Doha, Qatar: Four years after their dream run in Qatar was ended by France in the World Cup semi-finals, Morocco return to familiar territory with a different status and a bigger belief. The Atlas Lions left the 2022 tournament as the first African and Arab nation to reach a World Cup semi-final, w»»»

Agencies Foxborough France will aim to keep their perfect run at the FIFA World Cup 2026 going when they take on Morocco in the quarter-final on Thursday. After a month of scintillating action that has dispelled pre-tournament anxieties, the biggest, boldest and most logistically complex FIFA World»»»

Tribune News Network Doha Msheireb Museums has announced the launch of its 2026 Summer Programme, “Reflections of Creativity and Art,” offering a diverse programme of creative workshops and interactive activities for children, families and adults. Designed to combine creativity, technology, culture»»»

DOHA: When FIFA awarded the 2026 World Cup to Canada, Mexico and the United States, many expected the topic of discussion to center around logistics, sold-out stadiums, and successful engagement. Few expected all three hosts to build their own story and legacy into the tournament. From Mexico's dis»»»

DUBAI: Four years ago, Morocco smashed the glass ceiling for Arab teams at the World Cup. A sensational run to the semifinal, where they lost 2-0 to France, goes beyond the wildest dreams of even European and South American nations, never mind those from the region. Arab teams from North Africa hav»»»