News

Mexico have booked their place in the World Cup knockout stage as Group A winners and secured home advantage for the Round of 32 after Luis Romo's second-half strike earned the tournament co-hosts a 1-0 win over South Korea on Thursday.

Jonathan David has bagged a hat-trick as Canada secured their first-ever World Cup finals victory and boosted their chances of reaching the knockout stages with a 6-0 thrashing of hapless nine-man Qatar on Thursday at the BC Place Stadium in Vancouver.

Uzbek defender Abdukodir Khusanov has sent a signed jersey bearing the message "I am sorry" to a cameraman injured in an accidental collision during his country's World Cup opener against Colombia, the Uzbekistan Football Association said on Thursday.

Switzerland have beaten Bosnia and Herzegovina 4-1, helped by a second- half double from substitute Johan Manzambi to take control of World Cup Group B on Thursday at Los Angeles Stadium.

FIFA has appointed Romanian referee István Kovács to take charge of the 1,000th match in the history of the FIFA World Cup, the Group F encounter between Tunisia and Japan at Monterrey Stadium on June 20.

The Dubai Gold and Commodities Exchange (DGCX) is set to launch a new same-day gold trading contract on Monday, June 22, in a move aimed at making physical gold transactions faster and more efficient.

Kuwait Petroleum Corporation (KPC) has plans to raise the country's oil production to two million barrels per day (bpd) within a week, amid the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz under a US-Iran peace agreement, said KPC's Deputy Chairman and CEO, Sheikh Nawaf Saud Al-Sabah.

In a first for the UAE, the Ministry of Finance has launched the Sovereign Retail T-Sukuk Programme, giving citizens and residents access to a government-backed, Shariah-compliant investment opportunity.

Emirates Airline has introduced the world's first conflict cover for travel that includes medical reimbursement of up to $25,000, hotel stays "during airport closures" and a free trip extension of up to 30 days, offering travellers "greater peace of mind".

Dubai International Airport (DXB) is likely to make an 80-85 per cent operational recovery by the end of 2026 following the regional developments, announced CEO of Dubai Airports Paul Griffiths.

The UAE is stepping up efforts to embed Agentic AI across government operations, as officials gathered in Dubai to map out the next stage of the country's digital transformation.

The UAE has announced a 30-day grace period for people who were previously exempted from visa overstay fines due to regional travel disruptions.

A two-lane, 1,500m bridge that links Dubai Harbour to Sheikh Zayed Road has opened, reducing travel time from 12 minutes to 3, announced Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

Sharjah Civil Defence Authority has rolled out specialised bikes to access and fight fires during the initial stages to speed up emergency response time.

Israel and Iran-backed Hezbollah agreed to a ceasefire beginning at 4:00 PM (1300 GMT) on Friday, a US official said, after an escalation in hostilities in Lebanon sorely tested the US-Iranian interim deal to end the wider Middle East conflict.

Switzerland said US talks with Iranian negotiators on a pact to end the Middle East conflict would not take place on Friday, as Vice President JD Vance dropped plans to travel to Geneva, adding to uncertainty whether a lasting truce can be found.

Norway is imposing a near ban on the use of generative AI tools by elementary school pupils while also restricting their use in the education of older children to prevent a negative impact on learning, the country's prime minister said on Friday.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Friday he would not walk away from his job, vowing to fight any challenge from his leading party rival Andy Burnham and potentially ushering in a new bout of political instability.