Verbatim sentences from the source article.
The Standard
… "He forces you to keep trying, he doesn't let you relax." Erling Haaland makes his World Cup finals debut for Norway against Iraq after his country qualified for the first time since 1998. …
France and two-goal Mbappe roar into World CupThe Standard
Audio By VocalizeNorway coach Stale Solbakken said star striker Erling Haaland proved the World Cup "wasn't too big" for him as he scored two goals in the 4-1 win over Iraq on Tuesday. …
Norway coach hails Haaland after World Cup doubleThe Standard
… Another potent scorer, Erling Haaland, marked his first World Cup finals appearance with two goals in a 4-1 romp against Iraq in France's Group I. …
Magical Messi equals World Cup goals record as Argentina winCitizen Digital
… France, one of the pre-tournament favourites, will be expected to build on this to ease into the last 32, with outsiders Iraq up next before a meeting with Erling Haaland's Norway. …
Mbappe double fires France to opening win over SenegalCitizen Digital
… The visa kerfuffle has impacted the Iraqi team as well. The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agency said Saturday that Iraq's national team had landed in Chicago on Friday, and that two members were subjected to additional screening. …
Iran World Cup team heads to Mexico as US visa row ragesCitizen Digital
… mbnails', target_type: 'mix' }); "We are perfectly coordinated with the clubs, we are giving them continuation in a programme that was established some time ago and the truth is that the players are improving every day," De la Fuente said ahead of Thursday's friendly against Iraq …
Yamal, Williams should be fit for World Cup opener: De la FuenteCitizen Digital
… In a sign of the ongoing danger to shipping in the Gulf, the UKMTO maritime agency reported a "large explosion" on a cargo vessel off the coast of Iraq, "following a hit from an unknown projectile". …
Trump says Iran truce talks moving at 'rapid pace' after Tehran threatsCitizen Digital
… Despite a tough draw alongside one of the tournament favourites France, African powerhouses Senegal and Iraq, a Norway side also containing Arsenal captain Martin Odegaard is confident of progressing beyond the last 16 for the first time. …
Norway's natural-born goalscorer Haaland finally gets global stageCitizen Digital
… Araghchi held a bevy of diplomatic calls, speaking with counterparts from Turkey, Iraq, Qatar and Oman, Iran's official IRNA news agency said. …
Trump says agreement with Iran 'largely negotiated,' includes opening straitCitizen Digital
… Araghchi held a bevy of diplomatic calls, speaking with his counterparts from Turkey, Iraq, Qatar, and Oman, Iran's official IRNA news agency said. …
Iran and US say could be close to talks breakthroughThe US State Department has temporarily paused all immigrant visa appointments worldwide to conduct new training for embassy and consulate employees. The pause applies only to immigrant visas and not to tourism, study, business, or temporary work visas; the resumption could take several weeks depending on location.
27 August 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The US State Department has temporarily paused all immigrant visa appointments worldwide to conduct new training for embassy and consulate employees. The pause applies only to immigrant visas and not to tourism, study, business, or temporary work visas; the resumption could take several weeks depending on location.
27 August 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The US State Department plans to revoke visas of foreigners who entered the country as temporary visitors but then applied for asylum. The White House suggested up to 200,000 visas could be affected, though the State Department said the number remains dynamic and will be done on a rolling basis.
26 August 2026 · The Standard →
Democracy for Citizens Party leader Rigathi Gachagua has alleged that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has predetermined the outcome of a tender for an Integrated Elections Management System in favour of South Korean company Miru Systems Company Limited, claiming the ongoing procurement process is merely a formality.
26 August 2026 · The Standard →
Iran's armed forces warned Gulf countries against assisting the US military after the UAE announced it was severing economic ties with Tehran following Iranian attacks on shipping. The Strait of Hormuz remains a flashpoint despite a recent lull in US-Iran hostilities.
20 August 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Senegal's football federation has appointed Patrick Vieira, a 1998 World Cup winner born in Senegal, as head coach, succeeding Pape Thiaw who was dismissed after Senegal's loss to Belgium in the World Cup last 32.
18 August 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Zion Suzuki, 23, will become the first Japanese goalkeeper to play in the Premier League, joining Aston Villa from Parma for up to 35 million euros. He is the most expensive Japanese goalkeeper in history and will sign a five-year contract.
18 August 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister said the Strait of Hormuz "will remain Iranian" after President Trump claimed he would declare it US territory following a US defeat of Iran. A White House official later said Trump was joking.
15 August 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Iran's Supreme National Security Council has set out six conditions the United States must meet before the Strait of Hormuz fully reopens, including an end to US threats, lifting of sanctions, withdrawal of US military forces from around Iran, and unconditional release of frozen Iranian assets. The conditions broaden terms Iran previously set out in a June memorandum.
9 August 2026 · Capital News →
Iran said on Saturday that a deal with Oman on control of the Strait of Hormuz was close but would not be enough to free up the waterway. An agreement between Iran and Oman is seen as vital to a wider deal to end the war that began with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran on February 28.
9 August 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Kenyan employers struggle to find job-ready TVET graduates despite growing demand for workers, while thousands of young people leave colleges unable to secure employment due to lack of practical experience. The State Department for TVET is working to address the mismatch between graduate skills and employer needs.
9 August 2026 · The Standard →
The United States has lifted sanctions on Iraq's Fly Baghdad airline and two of its aircraft, which it had previously designated for alleged support to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The airline was removed after demonstrating major operational changes through the Treasury Department's administrative reconsideration process, though sanctions remain on a man previously identified as the company's owner.
6 August 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Lucy Wambui Ng'ang'a left Kenya eight years ago to work as a domestic worker in Iraq, where she died four years ago. Her family is now seeking help to bring her body home to Kinangop, Nyandarua County.
6 August 2026 · The Standard →
An opinion piece argues that Kenyans should be familiar with counter-terrorism laws, particularly the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2012, to support government efforts against terror and avoid inadvertently committing terrorism-related offences, which carry severe penalties.
4 August 2026 · The Standard →
Iraq's Prime Minister has ordered heightened alertness and readiness across military camps and bases, and pledged that modernizing air defence capabilities is a "top priority" following US-Saudi strikes on bases belonging to the Hashed al-Shaabi, an armed alliance integrated into Iraqi forces that includes pro-Iran groups.
31 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The United States and Saudi Arabia struck positions belonging to the Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular Mobilisation Forces), a network of Shia-majority armed factions established in 2014 to fight the Islamic State group, which includes powerful pro-Iran groups that have long threatened Washington.
30 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
President Donald Trump promised to "hit back hard" at Iran after it attacked US bases in Jordan on Wednesday, reigniting Middle East conflict and prompting oil prices to jump five percent amid fears of supply disruptions. Saudi Arabia and the US announced strikes on militant bases in Iraq, while Israel accused Iran-backed Hezbollah of violating a ceasefire.
29 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
US and Saudi Arabia conducted strikes on Iraq on Wednesday that killed at least 20 members of the Hashed al-Shaabi, an armed Iraqi alliance that includes pro-Iran groups, in response to attacks on US forces and Saudi oil facilities. The alliance reported 32 additional wounded in a preliminary toll.
29 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
President Trump vowed that the United States will bomb Iranian bridges or power plants each time Tehran fires at ships in the Strait of Hormuz, including facilities near Tehran. The threat came as Trump prepared to receive the remains of three US troops killed in Iranian attacks on American military facilities in the Gulf.
23 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Iran's Revolutionary Guards targeted US radar and air defence installations in the Gulf on Tuesday and warned of "more decisive and powerful" attacks to come, as Houthi rebels in Yemen blockaded Saudi ports and the conflict threatened to widen. The strikes followed US attacks on Iranian military positions and deaths of at least three US soldiers in recent days.
21 July 2026 · The Standard →
The U.S. carried out an eighth straight night of attacks against Iran after two U.S. military personnel were killed in Jordan and another went missing following an Iranian attack. The strikes, directed by President Donald Trump, targeted Iranian military coastal surveillance and air defence facilities to degrade Iran's ability to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
19 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
A drone strike in Iraq's Kurdistan region wounded eight members of the exiled Kurdistan Freedom Party on Sunday, an attack blamed on Iran. The incident follows Friday drone and rocket attacks blamed on Iran that killed nine members of the Komala Party, representing an escalation against Iranian Kurdish opposition groups.
19 July 2026 · The Standard →
The United States and Iran traded drone and missile strikes on Friday, with Tehran claiming it targeted American assets across the region and accusing US forces of hitting civilian infrastructure including an airport, railway station, and bridges; Iranian state media reported at least eight dead and 20 wounded. This represents the biggest escalation since the two countries returned to outright war a month after agreeing a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending their conflict.
18 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
When conflict-affected countries qualify for the World Cup, their participation becomes more than sport—a rare moment of national unity where citizens gather around one flag. DR Congo's return to the 2026 World Cup after 52 years exemplifies this, as the nation uses football as national therapy while managing ongoing conflict in its eastern provinces.
18 July 2026 · The Standard →
Bombing intensified in the Middle East for the seventh consecutive night, with Iran threatening a "full-scale offensive" and hitting several US military sites in Kuwait, Jordan and Bahrain in response to American strikes. Iran's Revolutionary Guards claimed oil tankers exploded after hitting mines in the Strait of Hormuz and said they "stopped" four ships transiting the waterway, though the US military denied the tanker claims.
18 July 2026 · The Standard →
The United States struck Iran and Tehran hit back at US allies in the Gulf on Thursday amid renewed fighting over the Strait of Hormuz, a month after a preliminary peace deal was signed to end the conflict that broke out in late February.
16 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
Senegal's football federation president said coach Pape Thiaw's demand for a pay rise created toxicity around the team, which was knocked out in the last 32 by Belgium. Thiaw, who had sought to increase his salary from 20 million to 50 million CFA per month before the World Cup, was sacked after the tournament.
14 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →
The United States launched a third round of strikes on Iran, hitting port cities including Bushehr (home to Iran's only civilian nuclear power plant), Abadan, Mahshahr, and Bandar Abbas, as President Trump reimposed a blockade on Iranian ports. Netanyahu vowed Israel would strike decisively if Iran attacked again.
14 July 2026 · The Standard →
The United States struck Iran for a second consecutive day, prompting Iranian Revolutionary Guards to announce new attacks on Gulf nations including Bahrain, Jordan, and Kuwait. The escalation centres on competing claims over the Strait of Hormuz, with Iran announcing a closure of the strategic waterway and the US asserting it remains open to maritime traffic.
13 July 2026 · The Standard →
Erling Haaland scored seven goals across four matches for Norway in the World Cup before England defeated the team 2–1 in the quarter-finals, with Jude Bellingham scoring both goals. Haaland said the World Cup experience has changed him and grown his profile.
13 July 2026 · The Standard →
Senegal's Football Federation has relieved coach Pape Thiaw and the entire coaching staff of their duties following the team's last-32 elimination at the World Cup. Thiaw, who took over in 2024, faced dismissal after Senegal suffered defeats to France and Norway in the group stage before being knocked out in the knockout rounds.
12 July 2026 · Citizen Digital →