RIYADH: “Sigma,” “chicken banana,” “Italian brain rot” — to an adult scrolling through a child’s phone, the phrases can sound like fragments of a fever dream. But behind the bizarre characters, repetitive sounds, and seemingly nonsensical memes is a digital language increasingly shaping how young p»»»

MELBOURNE: New Zealand became the latest nation to withdraw its support for FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s reelection bid on Friday over the aborted commercial rights stake sale plan, while Oceania’s confederation cautiously backed the governing body’s leadership. Infantino has faced open revolt»»»

Russia's economy bounced back to 1.3% growth in the second quarter, beating official forecasts after a rare contraction at the start of the year. Preliminary data from Rosstat, the state statistics service, put second-quarter GDP up 1.3% y/y, above the 0.8% the central bank had forecast and the 0.9»»»

SHARJAH: UAE budget carrier Air Arabia’s net profit fell 51 per cent to Dh374 million in the first half of 2026 as the regional conflict disrupted flights, reduced capacity and pushed fuel prices to record highs. Sign up for our daily business newsletter, Cheques & Balances.The Sharjah-based low-co»»»

The heads of six Arab football federations expressed their "full support" and "confidence" in Gianni Infantino on Thursday as the embattled FIFA president fights to keep his job after his failed World Cup private investment plan. The backing came from 2030 World Cup co-host Morocco, Qatar, Egypt, M»»»

Arab Finance: Roche Diagnostics has appointed Carlos Justiniani Ugarte as General Manager of Roche Diagnostics Egypt and North Africa Network Lead, strengthening the company’s leadership in the region, according to an emailed press release. Ugarte joins Roche’s Egypt affiliate after four years as C»»»

CASABLANCA, MOROCCO: The Professional Fighters League has announced the six semifinal matchups, and heavyweight main event for PFL Africa: Morocco on Oct. 10, as the league’s continental tournament reaches its penultimate round across the bantamweight, welterweight and lightweight divisions. Winner»»»

Lebanon has formally abolished the death penalty, going against the grain in a region where Iran and Saudi Arabia are reportedly the second- and third-biggest executors globally, after China. Here's a look at which countries in the Middle East and North Africa top the list of executioners, which ha»»»

BAMAKO: Mali’s junta chief on Thursday pardoned a French intelligence agent serving a 20 year jail term, a rare conciliatory gesture following years of tension between the west African nation and its former colonial ruler. The decision came as Mali’s military authorities have been weakened by a mas»»»

CASABLANCA: Ghana came from behind to beat Ivory Coast 2-1 Thursday and earn one of Africa’s last two chances to qualify for the Women’s World Cup. Nigeria were to play South Africa for the other later as the four beaten quarterfinalists at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations were pitted against each»»»

TUNIS: Economic pressures and changing social norms are driving couples in Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria to have fewer babies, with a recent study saying Maghreb fertility was at a historic low. Experts and couples interviewed by AFP spoke of a combination of factors, including longer educations an»»»

GENEVA: The heads of six Arab soccer federations expressed their “full support” and “confidence” in Gianni Infantino on Thursday as the embattled FIFA president fights to keep his job after his failed World Cup private investment plan. The backing came from 2030 World Cup co-host Morocco, Qatar, Eg»»»

The United States is considering closing its consulate in Medan, Indonesia, which is near the highly strategic Strait of Malacca. File Photo by Fazry Ismail/EPA Aug. 13 (UPI) -- The Trump administration's decision to close the U.S. Consulate in Medan, Indonesia, may save relatively little money. Bu»»»

RABAT: Cameroon won a penalty shootout 3-1 against Morocco after a scoreless draw in the other semi. Malawi beat Algeria 3-1 in the first semifinal match on Wednesday, led by Tabitha Chawinga with a pair of goals. Upstart Malawi will face Cameroon in the final of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations o»»»

DUBAI: The eagerly anticipated 2026/27 ADNOC Pro League kicks off this weekend, with questions ranging from whether an era of Al-Ain dominance awaits, to what revolutionary upstarts United FC can achieve on their debut with Italy icon Andrea Pirlo, somehow, still at the helm. The unbeaten Boss live»»»

Dubai: Morocco has arrested several people suspected of inciting mass irregular migration into the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla and stepped up security to prevent a repeat of large-scale border crossings, the Interior Ministry said. The measures follow the circulation of anonymous posts on»»»

Doha, Qatar: High school students from Qatar and abroad aspiring to pursue careers in medicine were given a glimpse of the profession and campus life through the Medical Minds Online Programme (MMOP), a summer initiative organised by Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q). In its second edition, the »»»

Doha, Qatar: The Islamic Network, under the Department of Da’wah and Religious Guidance at the Ministry of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs, has conducted a series of educational lectures and awareness workshops for more than 400 children and young people participating in summer programmes at several spor»»»

Amsterdam: Former Spain international midfielder Xavi Hernandez has been appointed head coach of the Netherlands national football team, succeeding Ronald Koeman, who resigned following the 2026 World Cup, the Dutch Football Association announced today, Wednesday. The 46-year-old coach, who led Bar»»»

Tribune News Network Doha High school students from Qatar and abroad aspiring to pursue careers in medicine were given a glimpse of the profession and campus life through the Medical Minds Online Programme (MMOP), a summer initiative organised by Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q). In its second »»»

Geneva: Minister of State for International Cooperation HE Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad participated in the interactive dialogue with the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, being held in Geneva on Aug. 12 and 13, to discuss the combined periodic reports fro»»»

PARIS: Xavi Hernandez has been named as the successor to Ronald Koeman as head coach of the Netherlands national team, becoming their first foreign boss in 48 years, the country’s football association announced on Wednesday. The Barcelona great, who won the 2010 World Cup with Spain as a player, ha»»»

CASABLANCA, Morocco: Morocco said Wednesday it has beefed up security along its border with Spain as calls resurfaced on social media for mass crossings into the Spanish city of Ceuta, raising concerns of another surge, similar to the one last month when tens of thousands of migrants rushed the bor»»»

PARIS: FIFA is facing a crisis of confidence and needs sweeping governance reforms, the head of players’ union FIFPRO Europe said on Wednesday, as he raised concerns about the concentration of power within world soccer’s governing body. FIFPRO Europe president David Terrier said FIFA was trapped in»»»

GENEVA: Half of Afghan women now leave their homes only once or twice a month as Taliban-imposed restrictions curtail their freedom of movement and participation in public life, according to data released by UN Women on Wednesday. As the Taliban prepare to mark the fifth anniversary of their return»»»

DOHA: High school students from Qatar and abroad aspiring to pursue careers in medicine were given a glimpse of the profession and campus life through the Medical Minds Online Program (MMOP), a summer initiative organized by Weill Cornell Medicine-Qatar (WCM-Q). In its second edition, the week-long»»»

Dubai: Today's total solar eclipse sweeps across northern Russia, Greenland, Iceland and northern Spain. It does not come anywhere near the Emirates. The next total solar eclipse visible from the UAE falls on 3 September 2081. Fifty-five years from now. Most people reading this will not see one fro»»»

Doha, Qatar: Your weekend just got better with a mix of sports, culture, family activities, shopping and traditional events across Qatar. A variety of activities, including women-only races, exciting fitness challenges, camel racing, creative workshops and summer shopping, are lined up for everyone»»»

MADRID: Spanish police said Tuesday they have dismantled a criminal ring accused of recruiting unaccompanied migrant girls from care centers in Gran Canaria and moving them to mainland Spain and France, where some were sexually exploited. The operation comes as migration debates have returned to th»»»

VILNIUS: Latvia said ‌on Tuesday a tunnel had been discovered under the border with Belarus and announced plans to combat networks that it says are helping a growing number of migrants cross the frontier illegally. Latvian soldiers last month used teargas and fired a warning shot to stop migrants t»»»

BRUSSELS, Belgium: The EU said Tuesday Meta and TikTok had agreed to voluntary steps to boost fact-checking of harmful disinformation linked to the Ceuta migrant rush — but did not rule out compelling the tech giants to do more. Experts say social media disinformation helped drive the deadly rush o»»»

JERUSALEM: A former head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency on Tuesday said its spies had visited Iran’s Fordow nuclear site “many times” in the past in order to better understand the facility. In June last year, Israel launched a war against its arch-foe Iran with the stated goal of degrading »»»

Among all the challenges across the Middle East, water security seldom makes the headlines, yet it can keep policymakers awake at night. The Gulf states are among the world’s highest consumers of water per capita but endure some of the most acute water scarcity on the planet. According to the World»»»

Doha, Qatar: Under the slogan #MakeStudentsHappy, Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has launched its ‘Back to School 2026’ fundraising campaign, designed to help students pursue their education, as well as to provide the educational supplies and opportunities that would enable them to build a bette»»»

Among all the challenges across the Middle East, water security seldom makes the headlines, yet it can keep policymakers awake at night. The Gulf states are among the world’s highest consumers of water per capita but endure some of the most acute water scarcity on the planet. According to the World»»»

JERUSALEM: Donald Trump’s latest plan to end the Gaza war calls on Hamas to ‌lay down its arms as Israel withdraws from the territory, terms endorsed by the militants but rejected by Israel, which says it will not pull back until the group’s disarmament is complete. WHAT IS TRUMP’S LATEST PLAN FOR »»»

Tribune News Network Doha Under the slogan #MakeStudentsHappy, Qatar Red Crescent Society (QRCS) has launched its “Back to School 2026” fundraising campaign designed to help students pursue their education, as well as to provide the educational supplies and opportunities that would enable them to b»»»

U.S. Central Command chief Admiral Brad Cooper told Israel in a visit during the weekend that the United States wants Israel to end the fighting on the three active fronts – Iran, Gaza and Lebanon, Israel’s Channel 13 reported. According to the channel, the Israeli military informed the U.S. side t»»»

Dubai: Millions of skywatchers across Europe and North America are preparing for one of the year's most significant astronomical events on Wednesday, August 12, 2026 - a rare total solar eclipse tracing a dramatic path over the North Atlantic. The spectacle will not look the same for everyone. A na»»»

RIYADH: Saudi Arabian Mining Co. reported a 16 percent increase in second-quarter revenue to $2.9 billion, driven by its best-ever quarterly aluminum performance and stronger gold output. The Riyadh-based miner said in a statement that earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization»»»

Twitch has banned top US streamer Zack ‘Asmongold’ Hoyt after he suggested that migrants crossing into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta – including children – should be shot to stop the flow and avoid unrest in the area. The controversy erupted on Monday when Asmongold reacted to a video about the cris»»»

The 12th international mountain rescue training camp is taking place in Ala-Archa Nature Park, bringing together mountain rescuers from member states of the International Civil Defense Organization (ICDO). According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the participants are undergoing practical »»»

Rabat: The first Arab forum for artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship called for the development of an Arab-African model for AI that benefits from Arab and African expertise and competencies, and takes into account linguistic, cultural and economic particularities, in order to enhance digit»»»

FIFA on Saturday issued a statement defending its president, Gianni Infantino, against what it called a “concerted and ongoing effort” to undermine his leadership of the organisation. It came a day after a British newspaper accused the FIFA boss of paying off a fomer lover while at UEFA, alleg»»»

Johannesburg, South Africa: A triumphant night for north Africa ended on Saturday with hosts Morocco and Algeria reaching the Women's Africa of Nations (WAFCON) semi-finals and the 2027 World Cup in Brazil. They took contrasting paths to quarter-finals success as Morocco built a two-goal lead, then»»»

HARARE, Zimbabwe: More than 178,000 African immigrants have left South Africa in recent months, spurred by a crackdown on undocumented migration by authorities and sometimes violent anti-immigration protests that have led many to leave citing fears of attacks. It’s one of the most significant migra»»»

JOHANNESBURG: A triumphant night for north Africa ended Saturday with hosts Morocco and Algeria reaching the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) semifinals and securing places at next year’s Women’s World Cup in Brazil. They took contrasting paths to quarter-final success, with Morocco building »»»

JOHANNESBURG: A triumphant night for north Africa ended Saturday with hosts Morocco and Algeria reaching the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) semifinals and securing places at next year’s Women’s World Cup in Brazil. They took contrasting paths to quarter-final success, with Morocco building »»»

FIFA on Saturday warned against what it called ‌a “concerted and ongoing effort” to undermine President Gianni Infantino, saying attempts to challenge his leadership must follow the governing body’s statutes and democratic procedures. The statement came amid an increasingly bitter standoff ​over In»»»

Spain on Saturday introduced temporary border checks on travellers arriving from Italy, escalating a dispute between the EU partners over migration. The move follows Italy’s decision to impose similar controls after more than 70,000 migrants crossed into Spain’s Ceuta enclave from Morocco, most of »»»