Friday, August 14
Rabat: Morocco hosts Senegal in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations on Sunday, ending a four-week tournament that showcased the continent's best soccer. Morocco will hope it also provided the best playing facilities, stadiums and infrastructure for a tournament on the continent as it continues its preparations to be a 2030 World Cup co-host. It's likely it will get another dry run before the global showpiece as host of the 2028 Africa Cup, brought forward a year to allow the Confederation of African Football to switch the competition to a four-year cycle that brings it in line with FIFA's calendar. Few countries in Africa would be able to host the event at such short notice. Morocco, which has invested heavily in soccer and transport infrastructure, is also hosting its third straight Wo
The United States has expanded exemptions to its visa travel ban to cover athletes and officials linked to major international and domestic sporting events, President Donald Trump’s administration announced this week.The Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup have been added to the list of events whose participants are exempt from the travel restrictions, as per a Reuters report. The decision follows a State Department communication to US embassies and consulates outlining the updated exemption list.Also read: Immigrant visa pause for individuals from 75 'high-risk' countries does not include tourist, temporary visas Who qualifies for the exemption Events hosted by the International Military Sports Council, the International University Sports Federation, the National Collegiate Athletic A
The dollar gained on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump praised economic adviser Kevin Hassett at a White House event and said he may want to keep him in his current role, prompting speculation he is less likely to be named as chair of the Federal Reserve. "I see Kevin's in the audience, and I just want to thank you. You were fantastic on television today. I actually want to keep you where you are, if you want to know the truth," Trump said. "We have seen some US dollar buying on this headline, as it underscores that the Fed decision is mostly about political credibility," Adam Button, chief currency analyst at investingLive, said in a note. "Of the candidates, Hassett is seen as the least independent, which in turn is the most-dovish due to Trump's longstanding desire to
European shares were subdued on Friday, limited by weakness in luxury and mining stocks in a dour end to a week dominated by the start to a busy earnings season alongside geopolitical jitters. The pan-European STOXX 600 finished flat at 614.38 points, with the luxury index falling 3.2% and logging its biggest daily fall since early October. Richemont was among the leading laggards, declining 5.4% after BofA global research cut its recommendation on the Swiss jewellery company to neutral from buy and told investors to wait, citing extended valuations after a recent rally. "European equities aren't cheap anymore, but they're not expensive either. That said, the margin of safety that investors had previously is gone," said Michael Field, chief European equity strategist at Morning
ASUNCION: Top officials from the EU and the South American bloc Mercosur signed a free trade agreement on Saturday in Paraguay, paving the way for the European Union's largest ever trade accord after 25 years of negotiations.The agreement, designed to lower tariffs and boost trade between the two regions, must now gain the consent of the European Parliament and be ratified by legislatures of Mercosur members Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa joined the presidents of Mercosur countries at Saturday's ceremony, with the exception of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who sent his foreign minister.The deal was signed after receiving the green light from m
