‘El Obeid crisis could be worse than El Fasher,’ warns ex-UN official
NewsFeed Dr. Mukesh Kapila, former UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Sudan, warns the current crisis in El Obeid, Sudan could be even worse than what unfolded in El Fasher in 2024-2025. However, he says sustained international attention and Al Jazeera’s continued coverage could help deter the RSF. Published On 4 Jul 20264 Jul 2026 Click here to share on social media share-nodes Share googleAdd Al Jazeera on Googleinfo Adblock test (Why?)
Ahead of Morocco vs Canada at the World Cup, comparisons arise with the 2022 team
Morocco’s historic run at the Qatar World Cup 2022 is remembered by some poignant, powerful and indelible images from their quarterfinal win over Portugal: a towering header – the match-winning goal by Youssef En-Nesyri – against Cristiano Ronaldo’s side, Hakim Ziyech’s mazy dribbles that put the 2016 European champions in a spin, and Soufiane Boufal’s dance with his mother on the pitch in the heartwarming post-match celebrations. Four years on, none of those players have made the trip to the World Cup in North America. In fact, the only holdovers from that memorable tournament are Achraf Hakimi, Noussair Mazraoui, Azzedine Ounahi, Bilal El-Khanouss and the goalkeepers. The then-celebrated manager, Walid Regragui, has been cast aside, too. Despite the radical changes, Morocco are yet to lose a match and have advanced to the Round of 16 after dispatching the Netherlands in a nervy penalty shootout on Monday. Comparisons between the classes of 2022 and 2026 were inevitable. They began at the end of the group stage, when it was pointed out that the Moroccan team of four years ago topped their group while this one failed to beat Haiti and Scotland by big enough margins to leapfrog Brazil in Group C. In order to truly impress the critics, the current generation may need to match or improve the semifinal run of 2022. Morocco of 2022: Experience and defensive tactics In 2022, the tactical plan was simple yet effective. Head coach Regragui was an emergency appointment following Bosnian manager Vahid Halilhodzic falling out with several players. Advertisement Regragui had less than three months before the start of the World Cup to select his players and implement a tactical plan. Realising that time was not on his side, he kept things simple. “Regragui’s team was more defensive,” Mohammad Alrfae, an analyst for Jordanian Premier League side Al Ahli SC, told Al Jazeera. “He had older, more experienced players from big European sides at his disposal.” In spite of their technical ability, the team showed no interest in dominating possession under Regragui during Qatar 2022. In fact, their highest possession percentage came in the only match they lost – against France in the semifinal. Morocco, under Regragui, were not as negative as some other sides employing the same tactics. They set their backline midway between their goal and midfield, as opposed to clustering deep in what is referred to as a low block but ceded possession in order to lure the opposition into their traps. En-Nesyri, the striker of the 2022 team won plaudits for his relentless work rate in preventing the opposition centre-backs from making easy passes to the midfield and forcing opposing teams into wide areas. Wider areas of the pitch were packed with standout players. The full-backs, who are still part of the 2026 team, Noussair Mazraoui and Hakimi teamed up with wingers and aimed to win the ball and launch dangerous counter-attacks. So effective were Morocco in blocking service to the middle areas of the pitch that opponents – particularly Portugal in the 1-0 quarterfinal loss – dropped deep to receive the ball, inhibiting their ability to attack. But what happened when Morocco faced lower-ranked teams? At two successive Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) tournaments, Morocco failed to lift the trophy, with an exit in the Round of 16 (2023) and a 1-0 loss in the 2025 edition, which they hosted. The final was a particularly testy affair, with Senegal seeing a goal ruled out in the dying moments of the match before Morocco were awarded a penalty. Incensed, the Senegalese marched off the pitch. Although Morocco missed the penalty and lost the match 1-0, they were declared AFCON champions after the on-field result was declared void and Morocco were handed a 3-0 forfeit by CAF. The result was later reversed and Morocco were declared champions under contentious circumstances. To make matters worse, Morocco faced a tournament-long allegation that the referees favoured Morocco. The hosts did not help their cause by requesting and receiving a change of referee before their quarterfinal encounter against Cameroon. Morocco of 2026: Faith in youth and offence Despite the controversial AFCON win, pressure kept mounting on Regragui with fans comparing the senior team with younger, more successful Moroccan sides. Advertisement Under the junior team manager Tarek Sektioui, Morocco bagged a bronze-medal finish at the Paris Olympics 2024, as well as lifting the winners’ trophies at the African Nations Championship 2024 and the FIFA Arab Cup 2025 with completely different squads. Similarly, Mohammed Ouhabi enjoyed success with the youth team by winning the FIFA Under-20 World Cup 2025. In a moment of deja vu, a last-minute coaching change was made in the lead-up to the World Cup. Regragui was out and Ouhabi was in with the aim of playing an expansive, rather than defensive, brand of football. According to Alrfae, squad selection has been the biggest indicator of change. “Ouhabi has picked a lot of young players,” adding: “Partially because he knows them but also because they fit his tactical approach.” Ouhabi relies on mobile players, all with lower profiles, who constantly switch positions and rotate around the pitch. The younger squad, with their nimble movements, made an instant impact in the World Cup, recording an impressive 1-1 draw against Brazil in their opening game. Experts believe it’s all part of a long-term plan. “I think Morocco made this change with an eye on the World Cup they will be hosting in 2030,” North African football journalist Maher Mezahi told Al Jazeera. Indeed, the average age of Morocco’s starting XI has hovered just below 26 years of age. None of the outfield starters are over 30 and half of them are 25 or younger. In their Round of 32 match, Morocco forced the Dutch to abandon their style of play and field five defenders to neutralise Morocco’s fluid movements. The change, according to Mezahi, was “an implicit admission” that Morocco were the stronger team. “The result proves that the 2022 World Cup was not a fluke
Arias sends Colombia into World Cup last-16 with 1-0 win over Ghana
The World Cup Round of 32 ends with Colombia beating Ghana 1-0, as Jhon Arias sends the South Americans through. By Reuters Published On 4 Jul 20264 Jul 2026 Colombia beat Ghana 1-0 on Friday to reach the World Cup Round of 16, as Jhon Arias scored the only goal and set up a clash with Switzerland. Arias struck in the 14th minute from close range after a cross from Luis Suarez, who had just come on as a substitute for the injured Jhon Cordoba. Luis Diaz thought he had doubled Colombia’s advantage in the 56th minute, but the goal was ruled out for offside. Colombia dominated much of the match, with Ghana goalkeeper Lawrence Ati Zigi making three notable saves. The South Americans will face Switzerland in the last-16 on Tuesday in Vancouver. More to follow… Adblock test (Why?)
Ketan Agarwal murder case: Siya Goyal and Chetan Chaudhary used code words in chats, police say
Ketan died at the Lohagad Fort near Pune on June 18, with the police arresting his fiancee Siya and co-accused Chetan for allegedly killing him.
Mumbai Rains: City set for ‘heavy to very heavy’ downpour from July 4 to 6, IMD issues red alert
IMD added that moderate to heavy rainfall is also forecast for parts of Satara, Pune, and Nashik districts in central Maharashtra.
Capgemini shuts down Bengaluru campus daycare facility over allegations of child abuse
The IT giant stated that the safety and well-being of children was its highest priority and that it was fully cooperating with the law enforcement while extending support to the affected families.
Capgemini Bengaluru Daycare Abuse: Staff member Vijayalakshmi arrested, Manjula absconding; details inside
One of the two staff members accused of abusing children at a Capgemini Bengaluru campus daycare has been arrested.
Weather Update: IMD issues heavy rain alert for Mumbai; monsoon set to intensify in Delhi
Mumbai and several parts of Maharashtra are set to receive heavy to extremely heavy rainfall with strong winds until July 6, the IMD said. Meanwhile, Delhi is expected to witness increased monsoon activity from Sunday.
Trump administration asks Texas for help providing legal services to immigrant kids facing deportation
Immigration rights experts worry that the recent inquiry is the latest sign Trump is interested in transferring unaccompanied minors to the state, where it is easier to quickly deport them.
Trump grants pardons to ‘persecuted’ mechanics in right-to-repair crackdown: ‘I am setting them all free’
President Donald Trump on Friday announced full executive pardons for more than half a dozen people he claims were “persecuted” by the Biden administration for simply “fixing their car.” In a Truth Social post Friday afternoon, the president took aim at federal prosecutions he characterized as part of the “Weaponization and Stupidity” of the prior administration, saying, “I AM SETTING THEM ALL FREE, RIGHT NOW!” Those who received clemency were charged after circumventing emissions control regulations that are no longer in effect, a White House official told Fox News Digital. They include: Joshua Davis; Matt Geouge; Jonathan Achtemeier; Tim Clancy; Ryan and Wade Lalone; Barry Pierce; Aaron Rudolf; and Mackenzie Spurlock. FORMER INDIANA REP STEPHEN BUYER RECEIVES FULL PARDON FROM TRUMP FOR 2023 INSIDER TRADING CONVICTION The pardons align with Trump’s broader push to defend the “right to repair.” Earlier in the week, he signed a presidential memo designed to make it easier for Americans to repair their own vehicles by protecting self-repair rights and opening up options for aftermarket parts. “It came to my attention because I noticed they were arresting people for fixing their car,” Trump said during an Oval Office news conference. “We rule by common sense.” The executive clemency follows the high-profile federal environmental case involving Elite Diesel Service Inc. and its owner, Troy Lake Sr. Lake received a full and unconditional pardon Nov. 7, 2025, wiping away his conviction in the case United States v. Elite Diesel Service, Inc. et al. WATCH: TRUMP EPA CHIEF SPARKS EXPLOSIVE HEARING SHOWDOWN OVER GLOBAL WARMING ALARM FROM DEMS: ‘I’M TALKING’ According to federal plea agreements, Elite Diesel had instructed employees to disable computerized on-board diagnostic systems on at least 344 heavy-duty commercial trucks between January 2017 and December 2020. The diagnostic systems are federally mandated under the Clean Air Act to monitor emissions control systems. Lake was sentenced on Dec. 5, 2024, to more than a year in prison and a $2,500 fine. The company was put on probation for five years, ordered to pay a fine of $37,500 and required to make a $12,500 payment to a Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment program designed to repair emissions systems for low-income drivers. REPUBLICANS DECLARE WAR ON ‘ORGANIZED THEFT’ WITH GOVERNMENT FRAUD CRACKDOWN Government prosecutors also argued that Elite Diesel’s co-conspirators, other diesel truck garages and fleets, hired Lake’s company to manipulate the computers so that emission system malfunctions would go undetected, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado. The EPA’s sprawling investigation ultimately swept up eight alleged co-conspirator garages and fleets across seven states, including Kansas, North Dakota and Oklahoma. The businesses were ordered to pay heavy fines and fund local community service projects, such as buying clean school buses or electric groundskeeping equipment to offset environmental impacts, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. At the time, Biden administration officials defended the criminal prosecutions as essential for public health. EPA Criminal Investigation Division Special Agent Lance Ehrig accused the defendants of leading a “large-scale conspiracy” that “diminished air quality.” A study cited by the prosecution claimed the tampered trucks collectively released more than 1,300 tons of excess nitrogen oxides and other pollutants into the air.