MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) - FIFA’s plans for a biennial World Cup would lead to a “direct and destructive impact on the club game”, Europe’s top clubs organisation said on Friday. “Football clubs have always been a fundamental and respected voice in shaping the future of the IMC (international match calendar). “This is why the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which governs the relationship between ECA and FIFA, places the IMC at its core. FIFA is conducting a feasibility study into holding the World Cup on a biennial basis, a change from the current four- yearly cycle, but has made no secret of its desire to switch to such a format. UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin warned this month of a potential European boycott of the World Cup if FIFA’s plans went ahead.

Actress Yasmin Abdel Aziz has returned to Egypt after receiving treatment abroad for a health issue that kept her hospitalized in Egypt for weeks. The actress published a video clip on her Instagram story from the balcony of her house in Cairo, alongside a picture of the door of her hospital room and an emoji bidding it farewell. Abdel Aziz had traveled to Switzerland for treatment in August via an ambulance plane. Allegedly, she suffered a life-threatening infection following a surgery she had in July. Photo credit: Yasmin Abdel Aziz’s Instagram account

PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Sept 24 (Reuters) – The Taliban’s new defense minister has issued a rebuke over misconduct by some commanders and fighters following the movement’s victory over the Western-backed government in Afghanistan last month, saying abuses would not be tolerated. Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob said in an audio message that some “miscreants and notorious former soldiers” had been allowed to join Taliban units where they had committed a range of sometimes violent abuses. “We direct you keep them out of your ranks, otherwise strict action will be taken against you,” he stated. Some Kabul residents have complained of abusive treatment at the hands of Taliban fighters who have appeared on the streets of the capital, often from other regions and unused to big cities. Yaqoob said there had been isolated reports of unauthorized executions, and he repeated that such actions would not be tolerated.

Ali Erbas heads Diyanet, Turkey’s Directorate of Religious Affairs. Erbas has run Diyanet since 2017 and his influence on Turkish society is growing. The religious body announced it would soon be consulting the Education Ministry and researchers to pursue the plan. It was the first time in Turkish history that such a judicial ceremony was accompanied by a religious service. The role of religion is sure to play an even greater role in Turkish society in future.

A former Minneapolis police officer, convicted of killing George Floyd, filed an appeal with a Minnesota district court late Thursday, citing several complaints related to his trial in April. Derek Chauvin was sentenced to prison for the murder of George Floyd, a 46-year-old Black man, in June. Chauvin was found guilty of killing Floyd after kneeling on his neck for over nine minutes while arresting him in May 2020. He was convicted on state charges of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Appeal on several groundsAccording to documents filed in court, Chauvin has detailed 14 complaints linked to his trial,including accusing the state of prejudicial misconduct.

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) — The cinematic escape of six prisoners who tunneled out of an Israeli penitentiary earlier this month shone a light on Israel’s mass incarceration of Palestinians, one of the many bitter fruits of the conflict. Palestinians and human rights groups say the system is designed to quash opposition and maintain permanent control over millions of Palestinians while denying them basic rights. Of the more than 4,600 Palestinians currently held by Israel in connection with the conflict — known as “security prisoners” — more than 500 are serving life sentences. Qadoura Fares, head of the Prisoners Club, which represents current and former Palestinian prisoners, said they are all “freedom fighters.”“We see them as symbols of the Palestinian people’s struggle,” he said. The Israeli military declined to comment.

But the latest wave of climate litigation cases are different in that they do not rely on existing biodiversity legislation or air quality legislation. They instead “place climate change at the very heart of the case,” explained Catherine Higham, a policy analyst and coordinator of the Climate Change Laws of the World project at the London-based Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment. Underlining the quest to set new precedents in climate litigation is the consolidation of climate science, and “the now well-established connection between climate change and human rights,” noted Higham. But such “anti-climate” lawsuits may struggle to be an equal counterweight to a rising wave of activist climate litigation. Climate litigants tipped for more successThe Grantham Research Institute report on climate change litigation notes that 58% of the cases brought against companies and governments, excluding in the US, had outcomes favorable to climate change action.

LONDON, Sept 23 (Reuters) – Consumers should not panic buy products as Britain is not heading back into a 1970s-style “winter of discontent” of strikes and power shortages, a junior minister said on Thursday. After gas prices triggered a carbon dioxide shortage, Britain was forced to extend emergency state support to avert a shortage of poultry and meat. read more“There is no need for people to go out and panic buy,” Small Business Minister Paul Scully told Times Radio. The rise in natural gas prices is adding to the sense of chaos. The cap was brought in to stop energy companies gouging consumers but has now turned their businesses unprofitable as it is below the wholesale price.

ITIDA CEO Amr Mahfouz and Plug and Play CEO and Founder Saeed Amidi signed the agreement. The agreement aspires to attract $20 million-worth investments in the beneficiary technology startups while creating 500 job opportunities. The project is also part of MCIT strategy to establish digital Innovation Hubs across Egypt to promote technology innovation and entrepreneurship. Based in Silicon Valley, California, US, Plug and Play is one of the world's most prominent investors in early-stage startups; it has invested in almost 1,000 startups. Plug and Play adopts a unique business model that involves fostering and boosting innovation through establishing sustainable partnerships between big businesses and startups.

U.S. dollar notes are seen in this November 7, 2016 picture illustration - REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File PhotoCAIRO – 23 September 2021: Egypt began Thursday marketing multi-tranche US dollar-denominated bonds, as it seeks to raise up to $3 billion. This is Egypt’s second dollar-denominated bonds issuance in 2021, taking advantage of lower borrowing costs before the US Federal Reserve decides when to reduce monetary stimulus. Citibank, First Abu Dhabi Bank, HSBC, JPMorgan and Standard Chartered were appointed to arrange the bond sale. Egypt turned to international markets to raise $3.8 billion from the sale of dollar-denominated bonds earlier in 2021. It also sold $750 million of green bonds in 2020.

Egypt Today/karim Abdel AzizCAIRO – 23 September 2021: Minister of Health and Population Hala Zayed stated Thursday that Egyptian-made Sinovac anti-COVID-19 vaccine has been accredited by 12 European countries. The minister added that Egypt had recently received raw material sufficient to produce 15 million doses affirming that by the end of December, Egypt would have produced 80 million doses. Speaking of the fourth wave in Egypt, the minister noted that the peak will happen during the 3-4 coming years. As such, the total number of doses given by Germany to Egypt over the past two days is 2.3 million. Minister Zayed indicated that she would head to Germany soon to sign contracts to purchase 1,000 Mercedes Benz ambulances and 1,000 mobile clinics.

Egypt’s Ministry of Agriculture and Land Reclamation in 2020 managed to achieve an unprecedented boom regarding agricultural exports, reaching about 5.2 million tons, at a value of about US$2.2 billion. Egypt ranked first globally in orange exports, surpassing world leader Spain. The total volume of Egypt’s exports of orange by the end of 2020 amounted to about 1.6 million tons. Egypt ranked first in frozen strawberries exports, while total exports during the period from January 2021 until now amounted to 3.7 million tons. The number of markets that were opened for Egyptian exports during the year 2020 so far reached 11 export markets for six export crops.

The Cairo International Airport received a shipment of more than one million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine on Wednesday evening, to be distributed to vaccination centers across Egypt. It has further obtained emergency use approval from the World Health Organization. Egypt will receive 1,600,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine on September 28, the Egyptian Authority for Unified Procurement announced. It will also receive 500,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik vaccine by the end of the month. The Health Ministry announced the recovery of 703 people infected with the virus on Wednesday, bringing the total number of recovered patients to 251,395 cases.

(Reuters) - European champions Chelsea take on Premier League title holders Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on Saturday in a re-match of last season's Champions League final. When Chelsea triumphed in Porto against Pep Guardiola's team in May, the result was considered an upset with City heavily backed to win their first Champions League. They also have a 100% record against City since Tuchel took charge at Stamford Bridge in late January -- winning in the FA Cup, the Premier League and the Champions League final. City's start has seen them lose at Tottenham Hotspur, with a draw at home to Southampton last week leaving them three points off the leading trio - Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester United. In contrast, Arsenal lost their first three games but go into the derby after morale-boosting wins against Norwich City and Burnley.

Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken agreed to prepare on holding the next round of strategic dialogue between the two countries in the near future. This came during a Wednesday meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. The meeting included a discussion of the most prominent political, security and economic aspects of bilateral relations between the two nations with the aim of achieving common goals and interests, the spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry Ahmed Hafez, said. Hafez stressed the importance of continuing close coordination between the two countries to continue pushing forward with strengthening areas of joint cooperation, while working to overcome any obstacles that might stand in the way. Talks also tackled regional and international issues and situations of common interest, according to Hafez.