Barlaman Today

The 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) is set to take place in Morocco after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) postponed the tournament from its original schedule. The competition was originally planned for March 17 to April 3, 2026, before CAF rescheduled it to July 25 to August 16, 2026.

The tournament will mark Morocco's third time hosting the Women's Africa Cup of Nations, after hosting the 2022 edition and the 2024 edition, which was played in 2025.

This edition brings together 16 qualified teams competing in a group stage followed by the knockout rounds. The 2024 edition featured 12 teams, with Nigeria winning the title after defeating Morocco 3-2 in the final in Rabat.

France and England meet in the third-place play-off of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Saturday at Miami Stadium, with both sides aiming to finish the tournament on a high after falling short in the semi-finals.

The match offers one final opportunity to end their World Cup campaigns with a victory before the tournament concludes with Sunday's final.

Morocco’s Ministry of Digital Transition and Administration Reform signed a memorandum of understanding with Capgemini Morocco on Thursday to expand cooperation on artificial intelligence, according to Morocco’s Press Agency (MAP).

The agreement aims to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence in support of Morocco’s Digital Morocco 2030 strategy and its ambition to become a regional AI hub.

Under the partnership, Capgemini will help train public-sector employees and academic stakeholders, support startups and project teams backed by the Jazari Institute, and develop AI use cases for public services.

Morocco’s Ministry of Endowments and Islamic Affairs has opened a second payment period for waiting-list applicants selected to fill Hajj 2026 places vacated by pilgrims who failed to complete the initial registration process, according to Morocco’s state news agency MAP.

The payment period will run from August 3 to August 11 and applies to applicants selected from the waiting lists in the order determined by the official lottery, the ministry said.

John L. Esposito, a leading American scholar of Islam known for his work promoting understanding between Muslims and the West, died on Wednesday at the age of 86, according to Al Jazeera.

Esposito spent more than five decades studying Islam and interfaith relations, publishing more than 50 books and teaching and mentoring generations of students. His work focused on challenging misconceptions about Islam and fostering dialogue between Muslims and other communities.