Category: World

FIFA’s decision to suspend Folarin Balogun’s automatic one-match ban has cleared the United States forward to face Belgium in Monday’s World Cup last-16 tie in Seattle, triggering a sharp protest from the Royal Belgian Football Association and fresh scrutiny of football’s disciplinary system.Balogun had been expected to miss the knockout match after being sent off during the United States’ 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina on July 1. The 25-year-old, who had scored his third goal of the tournament in

Norway reached the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time after Erling Haaland struck twice late on to seal a 2-1 win over Brazil in East Rutherford, New Jersey, ending the five-time champions’ campaign at the last-16 stage.Haaland broke the deadlock in the 79th minute with a powerful header and added a second in the 90th minute, turning a tight knockout match into one of the defining shocks of the 2026 tournament. Neymar converted a stoppage-time penalty in the 100th

Global equities advanced after weaker US employment figures reduced expectations of an imminent Federal Reserve rate increase, pushing investors back into risk assets while lifting gold and easing pressure on the dollar.The rally followed the June employment report, which showed non-farm payrolls rising by 57,000, well below market expectations of roughly 110,000. The unemployment rate eased to 4.2 per cent, but the decline was clouded by a fall in labour force participation to 61.5 per cent, suggesting that fewer people

The Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo is turning into a wider economic emergency, with the United Nations Development Programme warning that the crisis could cost African economies up to $3.6 billion and put about 328,000 jobs at risk if transmission spreads beyond the current hotspots.The warning has sharpened concern that a public-health crisis driven by the Bundibugyo strain, for which there is no approved vaccine or specific treatment, could reverse fragile gains in poverty reduction, disrupt cross-border

Cape Verde’s breakthrough World Cup campaign ended in Miami Gardens after the Blue Sharks pushed defending champions Argentina to extra time before falling 3-2 in a round-of-32 match that turned one of the tournament’s smallest teams into one of its defining stories.Argentina advanced to a round-of-16 meeting with Egypt, but the night belonged almost as much to Cape Verde, whose players twice came from behind and stood within minutes of forcing a penalty shootout against a side led by Lionel

China’s cinemas are being encouraged to add AI agents, karaoke rooms, coffee bars, retail corners and cultural events as regulators seek to turn theatres into broader entertainment venues rather than spaces dependent only on film screenings.The policy direction was set out in a notice issued by the National Film Administration and the State Administration for Market Regulation, outlining 10 measures across business diversification, brand management and service upgrades. The move comes as theatre operators face pressure to stabilise footfall outside

Germany have opened talks with Jürgen Klopp after Julian Nagelsmann left the national coaching job following the team’s World Cup exit to Paraguay, setting up a possible high-profile return to the dugout for one of the country’s most successful modern managers.The German Football Association confirmed Nagelsmann’s departure with immediate effect after the national side’s elimination in the last 32 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Germany were beaten by Paraguay on penalties after

China widened its export-control campaign against Japan by placing 40 more entities under restrictions, intensifying a political and security feud with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s government over defence policy, Taiwan and the use of critical dual-use technologies.The measures announced on Monday add 20 entities to a restricted export list and place another 20 on a watch list, tightening Beijing’s scrutiny of Chinese-origin goods, software and technology that can be used for both civilian and military purposes. The curbs take effect

Bahrain reported an Iranian drone attack and a tanker was hit in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday, putting a fragile US-Iran ceasefire under its sharpest test since Washington and Tehran agreed to pause fighting and reopen the Gulf’s most important energy corridor.The incidents triggered new US strikes on Iranian military targets and prompted fresh accusations from both sides that the other had breached the interim understanding. Bahrain said its territory had been targeted by an Iranian drone attack, while

EU lawmakers have moved the digital euro closer to formal negotiations, giving Brussels a stronger legislative path for a public payment system designed to reduce dependence on Visa, Mastercard, Apple Pay and other privately controlled networks.The European Parliament’s economic affairs committee has approved draft rules for the proposed digital euro, clearing a key stage before a wider parliamentary vote expected in July. The measure is intended to create a central bank-backed digital wallet that eurozone residents could use for online,

Alibaba Group Holding has asked a US federal court to remove it from a Pentagon blacklist that identifies the e-commerce and cloud computing group as a company supporting China’s military, escalating a legal fight over Washington’s widening use of national security powers against large Chinese technology businesses.The case, filed in San Jose, California, challenges the Department of Defense’s decision to place Alibaba on its Section 1260H list of “Chinese military companies” operating directly or indirectly in the United States. The

Uber Technologies’ directors and senior management have been sued by shareholders who allege the company failed to respond adequately to warnings about sexual abuse by drivers, opening a new governance front in the ride-hailing group’s long-running safety litigation.The derivative lawsuit, filed in federal court in San Francisco, accuses the board and executives of breaching their duties by allowing compliance lapses to persist despite internal and external alerts over passenger safety. The action is led by the Police and Fire Retirement

Keir Starmer has said he will resign as prime minister, triggering a Labour leadership contest and setting Britain on course for its seventh head of government since the 2016 Brexit referendum.Starmer announced on Monday, June 22, that he would oversee an orderly transfer of power and remain in Downing Street until Labour chooses a successor, expected by September. His decision ends a premiership that began with a commanding election victory in 2024 but became increasingly strained by weak poll ratings,

Iran has moved to impose a new authorisation regime over the Strait of Hormuz, saying vessels must secure permission and mandatory insurance before crossing the world’s most sensitive energy chokepoint, even as Washington said about 20 ships had quietly sailed through the waterway.The measure, framed by Tehran as a safety and liability requirement, has raised alarm across shipping, insurance and energy markets because it appears to test the limits of international navigation rights while giving Iran a mechanism to influence