Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Brazilian star Neymar is "the first player in the world to be called up to the national side and be working remotely", Brazil President Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva joked on Friday. Neymar, Brazil's record goalscorer with 79 goals, only returned to training with the squad at th»»»

Atlanta: Lamine Yamal is hard to avoid on the approach to Atlanta's futuristic stadium where adverts featuring the 18-year-old adorn the sides of giant skyscrapers, but it is on the pitch that Spain desperately need the Barcelona superstar. The European champions flunked their opening test of the W»»»

Philadelphia: Matheus Cunha scored twice as Brazil eased past Haiti 3-0 on Friday to breathe life into their World Cup campaign and close in on a spot in the last 32. After a much-criticised display in their opening 1-1 draw with Morocco, the five-time world champions underlined the gulf in class w»»»

PHILADELPHIA: Matheus Cunha scored twice as Brazil eased past Haiti 3-0 on Friday to breathe life into their World Cup campaign and close in on a spot in the last 32. After a much-criticized display in their opening 1-1 draw with Morocco, the five-time world champions underlined the gulf in class w»»»

Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi lost an appeal ‌and will stand trial on rape charges in France. An appeals court in Versailles concluded that there was sufficient evidence for Hakimi, 27, to ​stand trial, according to a statement provided to The Athletic on Friday. Hakimi has denied any wrongdoing si»»»

RIYADH: Scotland spent almost 89 minutes searching for a response, but the damage had already been done. Ismael Saibari’s goal in the second minute of the game proved enough to give Morocco a 1-0 victory in Foxborough and send the Atlas Lions to the top of Group C. Saibari’s goal is now officially »»»

Foxborough, United States: Morocco edged closer to the World Cup knockout phase as Ismael Saibari's second-minute strike proved enough for a nervy 1-0 win over Scotland at Gillette Stadium on Friday. The 2022 semi-finalists moved to the top of Group C on four points, while Scotland missed a chance »»»

Achraf Hakimi will stand trial for rape a Paris appeals court has ruled. The captain of the Moroccan team was first accused of rape in 2023, by a then 24 year old woman. In February this year, an investigative judge ruled that Hakimi would face trial followed recommendations from public prosecutors»»»

Scotland fans have taken over Boston as they play their first World Cup since 1998, and are set to play Morocco in their second game of the tournament on June 19. The Tartan army has conquered the hearts of Bostonians, who will be sad to see them go: after their game against Morocco, the Scottish t»»»

Ottawa is expected to select a preferred bidder within 30 days for a submarine program that could be worth up to $40 billion Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney (C), accompanied by South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min-seok (R) and Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan during their visit to Hanwha»»»

Toyota Motor Corporation (TYO:7203; NYSE:TM) has entered Kenya's fully electric vehicle market with the launch of the bZ4X sport utility vehicle, marking the Japanese automaker's first battery electric offering in the country and signalling growing confidence in East Africa's emerging EV sector. Th»»»

On Sustainable Gastronomy Day, celebrated annually on June 18, the Sărbătoarea Gustului Association, with the support of the Auchan Foundation, brought together representatives from government institutions, relevant ministries, retailers, local producers, and chefs for a gastrodiplomacy event aimed»»»

The Government of Abu Dhabi has announced a new strategy for the private education sector, outlining four key priorities that will guide the sector’s next phase of development. The strategy reflects the leadership’s vision of nurturing confident generations who are firmly rooted in their national i»»»

Doha, Qatar: The Sheikh Abdullah Bin Zaid Al Mahmoud Islamic Cultural Centre, affiliated with the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, continued its educational and outreach efforts during May through its “Mosque Tourism” programme, welcoming nearly 70 visitors from English-, Russian-, and Spanis»»»

In an attempt to improve the quality of services provided and eliminate all forms of violation in care institutions (orphans, elderly, disabled and children at risk) in Egypt, the Ministry of Social Solidarity has launched “Beena Initiative” as an effective mechanism to encourage citizen participat»»»

BOSTON, Massachusetts: Scotland have hit ‌the ground running in the World Cup with an opening 1-0 victory over Haiti in Group C and with their Tartan Army of fans winning hearts in Boston, but their return to the city on Saturday to face Morocco could dampen their spirits. The North Africans, surpr»»»

NEW YORK: Cape Verde’s 40-year-old goalkeeper has become a star at this World Cup, and a Senegal teenager scored in his tournament debut. Here’s a look at some of the oldest and youngest players as the 48-team tournament enters its second week. Elder statesmen No better place to begin than the 41-y»»»

June 17 (UPI) -- Scottish soccer fans are being credited with a boom in Boston beer sales that caused some bars in the city to run dry. Sam Adams' Boston Taproom said the influx of Scottish fans in town to attend FIFA World Cup games caused it to sell four times as much Samuel Adams Boston Lager fr»»»

GUADALAJARA, Mexico: It’s number-crunching time when it comes to formations at the World Cup. Every team start with a goalkeeper in front of the net, but then it’s up to the 48 coaches to try to arrange their lineups to optimize their players and match up effectively with opponents. On paper, the l»»»

Morristown, United States: Neymar will not travel with the Brazil squad for Friday's second World Cup group game against Haiti as he continues his recovery from a calf injury. The 34-year-old has only returned to training with the national team this week and missed the five-time World Cup winners' »»»

Dubai: For many workers, managing monthly expenses, supporting family members, and planning for the future can be a constant balancing act. Yet access to structured financial education remains limited for many blue-collar employees. To help bridge that gap, the UAE Lottery has partnered with SmartL»»»

Arab Finance: Pickalbatros Group has secured a $200 million loan from the World Bank to support the expansion of its hotel portfolio in Morocco, Chairman Kamel Abou Ali told Asharq Business. Abou Ali noted that the group expects to receive the funding in August or September. As for the group's loca»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s environmental authorities and conservation bodies marked World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought on Wednesday by highlighting major achievements in land restoration, vegetation recovery and biodiversity protection, according to reports carried by the Saudi Press Agenc»»»

DOHA: beIN MEDIA GROUP (“beIN”), the global sports, entertainment and media group, today announced the renewal of its long-standing partnership with The All England Lawn Tennis Club, securing its exclusive broadcast rights to The Championships, Wimbledon across 24 territories in the Middle East and»»»

CASABLANCA: Their red jerseys stood out against the green pitch. Most were teenage girls. Some had fled war. Others had never played in an organized soccer league or set foot in a major stadium before. Yet when they took the field at Larbi Zaouli Stadium in Casablanca, Morocco, they marked Sudan’s »»»

MEXICO CITY: Born in 1986, the last time Mexico hosted a World Cup, Eduardo Marin likes to joke that he’s measured his life not in years, but in soccer tournaments. In 1994, as a young kid, he watched with his family as Mexico crashed out on penalties to Bulgaria. In 2006, by then at college, Marin»»»

ATLANTA, USA: Curaçao fans went wild. The Germans were in shock. Livano Comenencia had scored a goal for the smallest nation by population to ever qualify for the World Cup against four-time champion Germany. At 1-1 in Houston a famous upset looked possible. Then came the hydration break. Curaçao l»»»

DUBAI: Arab celebrities have been taking their football fandom to Instagram as supporters across the region rally behind the national teams competing at the FIFA World Cup. Among the most prominent voices is Palestinian Chilean singer Elyanna, who has enjoyed a particularly high-profile tournament.»»»

Genoa: The new Africa and Gulf Area of the Italian Chambers of Commerce Abroad is taking shape. It is a coordination body that brings together the Italian Chambers operating in Angola, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Mozambique, Qatar, South Africa and Tunisia. This was announced by the m»»»

Dubai: Residents and visitors in Dubai can now have greater confidence in the food on their plates. Dubai Municipality has launched a state-of-the-art laboratory that can detect prohibited substances and potentially harmful nanoparticles—including titanium dioxide, a common additive used to whiten »»»

The term ‘Axis of Defiance’ was once associated with a number of Arab states opposed to any peace agreement with Israel, particularly after the defeat of 1967. However, as political alignments evolved, the concept gradually transformed. Over time, its meaning progressively narrowed to the ‘Axis of »»»

Geneva: The Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Office at Geneva, in cooperation with Qatar Foundation and Qatar Sports Investments, organised a high-level event on ‘Empowering Women and Girls In and Through Sport - From Words to Deeds’, on the sidelines of the 62nd Sessio»»»

EAST RUTHERFORD, United States: Kylian Mbappe scored twice as France launched their bid for a third World Cup crown with a 3-1 victory over Senegal in Group I on Tuesday. Real Madrid star Mbappe took his career World Cup goals tally to 14 — just two behind all-time leader Miroslav Klose — and Bradl»»»

East Rutherford, United States: Kylian Mbappe scored twice as France launched their bid for a third World Cup crown with a 3-1 victory over Senegal in Group I on Tuesday. Real Madrid star Mbappe took his career World Cup goals tally to 14 –- just two behind all-time leader Miroslav Klose –- and Bra»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Family Affairs Council marked World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15 with an awareness campaign promoting positive practices in dealing with older persons and encouraging respect, appreciation, and supportive care within families and the wider community. The campaign refl»»»

Geneva: The Permanent Mission of the State of Qatar to the United Nations Office at Geneva, in cooperation with Qatar Foundation and Qatar Sports Investments, organized a high-level event on ‘Empowering Women and Girls In and Through Sport - From Words to Deeds’, on the sidelines of the 62nd Sessio»»»

PHILADELPHIA, USA: Like many other Haitians, Peguy Joseph is a longtime superfan of Brazil, the world’s greatest soccer power. In a few days, though – for the first time in his life – he won’t root for the Brazilians. He has a World Cup ticket to see them play, in a wildly improbable matchup, again»»»

Egypt’s Health Minister Khaled Abdel Ghaffar said achieving health sovereignty in Africa has become a strategic necessity rather than a choice, calling for stronger and more self-reliant healthcare systems while maintaining effective international partnerships, during the fifth edition of Africa He»»»

ISMAILIA — Egypt plans to channel investments of up to EGP 12 billion (approximately $240 million) into its Vaccine and Biotechnology City by 2030 as Cairo seeks to strengthen pharmaceutical self-sufficiency, reduce reliance on imported vaccines and position itself as a regional manufacturing hub s»»»

Evian-les-Bains, France: UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan reaffirmed the UAE’s commitment to working alongside its partners to advance peace, security, stability, trust and development globally. In a speech during the 52nd G7 Summit at Evian-les-Bains, France, Sheikh Mo»»»

The extended disruption caused by the US-Iran conflict highlights a need for diversifying energy export routes to reduce dependency on shipping via the Strait of Hormuz. A new initiative launched by the Washington, DC-based New Lines Institute seeks to develop Syria and Turkey into major energy dis»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Airways continues to deliver on its commitment to network restoration, and is steadily expanding its reach to more than 160 gateways for the ease and convenience of international travellers. Starting today, the airline is returning to 26 destinations in key global markets. The Wo»»»

DHAKA: When the FIFA World Cup started last week, it became one of the year’s most anticipated moments in Bangladesh’s Rohingya camps, especially for children, to whom it gives a rare connection to a world beyond the refugee settlement. Watching matches with their favorite players and taking part i»»»

GAZA/CAIRO: ‌Fadi Al-Arawi, a footballer in the Gaza Strip Premier League, hasn’t been able to take the pitch since pro sports were suspended with the outbreak of war more than two years ago. Like ​most Gazans, he no longer even has a home where he can watch the World Cup on TV. As Saturday’s match»»»

Doha, Qatar: More than two decades after one of the greatest upsets in FIFA World Cup history, France and Senegal are set to renew acquaintances when they launch their Group I campaigns at the New York-New Jersey Stadium today. For France, the memories are impossible to ignore. Back in 2002, Les Bl»»»

Doha, Qatar: Qatar Foundation’s BilAraby initiative has opened ticket sales for its 2026 Annual Gathering. The event will take place at Multaqa (Education City Student Center) in Doha from September 19-20 under the theme ‘With Our Ideas, We Build’. With ticketing now open, the public can secure pla»»»

Doha, Qatar: Ten Qatari family businesses were featured in the list of Top 100 Arab Family Businesses in the MENA during the year 2026 by Forbes magazine. The following have made it to the ranking of top companies in their respective categories in June 2026 issue of Forbes Middle East: Power Intern»»»

Tribune News Network Doha Qatar Foundation’s BilAraby initiative has opened ticket sales for its 2026 Annual Gathering. The event will take place at Multaqa (Education City Student Center) in Doha from September 19 to 20 under the theme ‘With Our Ideas, We Build’. With ticketing now open, the publi»»»

PHILADELPHIA: South American teams have got off to disappointing start to the World Cup, failing to produce a win in three games. Ecuador lost to Ivory Coast 1-0 on Sunday in Philadelphia. Brazil drew 1–1 with Morocco on Saturday, and Paraguay were routed 4–1 by tournament co-host the US. Comments »»»

ATLANTA: Cape Verde announced themselves on the World Cup ‌stage with a stunning 0-0 draw against Spain on Monday, frustrating the European champions who dominated possession and had 27 goal attempts but could find no way past 40-year-old keeper Vozinha. The African side built a blue-shirted ​barri»»»