Oct 8 (Reuters) - All four pools at this year’s Rugby World Cup have been won by nations from the northern hemisphere for the first time, a complete reversal from when the tournament was last hosted in France in 2007. England remain the only Six Nations side to lift the World Cup trophy after their 2003 triumph, but three of the groups in Japan four years ago were won by teams from the north, a shift in momentum that has culminated in this year’s record. The last time the World Cup was hosted in France 16 years ago, all four pools were won by southern hemisphere teams for the first and only time. In six of the other global showpiece tournaments played to date it has been an even split with two of the four groups won by teams in either hemisphere. But in 2015, only one was headed by a team from the north.

North Carolina receiver Tez Walker made his long anticipated return to the field Saturday, catching six passes in a 40-7 win over visiting Syracuse. North Carolina determined that Walker would play but not start because he had spent the previous three weeks working with the scout team. But he was selected to lead the team onto the field, carrying the North Carolina state flag. North Carolina receiver Tez Walker, shown leading the Tar Heels onto the field Saturday, was granted eligibility to play this season by the NCAA on Thursday. In January, two days after Walker enrolled at North Carolina, the NCAA announced it would crack down on immediate eligibility for two-time transfers.

Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Cop28 President-designate, has vowed to put climate adaptation at the centre of Cop28. Quote We must rapidly build the clean energy system of the future Dr Sultan Al Jaber“To deliver for our region we must put adaptation front and centre of the climate agenda,” said Dr Al Jaber. Dr Sultan Al Jaber, Cop28 President-designate, speaking at the opening of the Middle East and North Africa Climate Week in Riyadh. AFPOrganised by the UNFCCC – the UN’s climate body – Mena Climate Week seeks to build momentum ahead of Cop28 with just over 50 days to go before the crucial talks. “We cannot unplug the energy system of today before we build the new system of tomorrow," Dr Al Jaber told attendees.

Climate Change Conference, COP28, in Dubai said Sunday. "We cannot unplug the energy system of today before we build the new system of tomorrow. Much of international climate diplomacy revolves around the thorny issue of how and when to quit fossil fuels. But efforts since then to extend such a target to all fossil fuels have foundered, most recently at last month's G-20 summit in India. The goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above preindustrial levels was set at the 2015 climate talks in Paris.

Morocco has, upon King Mohammed VI’s instructions, requested an emergency meeting of the Arab League’s ministerial council to discuss the deterioration of the situation in the Gaza strip. Morocco, which currently chairs the council, said the meeting will look into the outbreak of military actions against civilians and will seek the means to halt this “dangerous escalation.”Israeli forces killed more than 300 Palestinians within 24 hours following Hamas attack on Israeli settlements where they killed more than 200 and took an unknown number of Israeli settlers as hostages. Following the surprise Hamas assault, Israel declared war and warned others from joining the fight, hinting at Hezbollah. Analysts foresee an Israeli invasion of Gaza, and even a temporary reoccupation of the territory — something that successive Israeli governments have tried hard to avoid — cannot be ruled out. Morocco’s foreign ministry had condemned attacks against civilians and called for appeasement and dialogue.

NGO PDES, French acronym for ‘Promotion of Economic and Social Development’, criticized, in Geneva, the arbitrary deportation of sub-Saharan migrants by the Algerian authorities in defiance of international human rights standards. Speaking at the 54th session of the Human Rights Council, the NGO, which has consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), noted that dozens of reports speak of mass arrests of migrants coupled with arbitrary deportations without guarantees. These practices are carried out without appropriate legal procedures, including individual risk assessments, which leave migrants with no opportunity to enjoy their rights, PDES deplored. Despite the concerns expressed by civil society and the international community over these practices, which fail to uphold the fundamental rights of sub-Saharan migrants, namely the right to life, to no discrimination, to safety, to protection against torture and ill-treatment, and protection against arbitrary deportation, the Algerian state continues to carry out arbitrary deportations that are not limited to illegal migrants but also include asylum seekers and refugees, with no respect for the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits the return of people to a country where they risk persecution or inhuman treatment. The NGO called on the Human Rights Council to urge Algeria to respect international human rights standards during deportations, ensuring that each deportation case is assessed individually to guarantee that there is no risk of persecution, inhuman or degrading treatment, or violation of other fundamental rights.

WADA said North Korea was still non-compliant with its anti-doping code and the OCA had failed to enforce its sanction. "North Korea, the DPRK Korea, has also written a letter to them very lately telling them that the borders have opened and they can send the doping control officers for the testing which the WADA has agreed and they will be shortly sending it to the DPRK, to North Korea," Tiwari added. North Korea won 11 golds in Hangzhou, including in artistic gymnastics, shooting, wrestling, boxing and six in weightlifting. It was the first international multi-sport event North Korea attended since the 2018 edition in Jakarta. North Korea closed its borders for nearly four years because of COVID-19.

The second-ever Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Climate Week opened today, with a packed schedule of events designed to shine a spotlight on challenges and solutions in a region that is among the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Taking place in Riyadh from 8-12 October and hosted by the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the discussions at MENA Climate Week will feed into the year-end UN Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai. As 70% of MENA’s agricultural production is rain-fed, the region is extremely vulnerable to changes in temperature and rainfall resulting from climate change. This Climate Week, I invite participants to grasp the opportunity to shape a resilient future for the MENA region and beyond. “Increasing investment in clean energy and climate resilience will bring multiple benefits, not just for climate change mitigation and adaptation, but for job creation and social inclusion as well.”

Misrata Free Zone is to organize the first event of its kind in Libya, the North Africa International Ports and Free Zones Conference and Exhibition, from 18 to 20 November 2023. This event will be organized in cooperation between the Misrata Free Zone, the Ports Training Institute (PTI) and the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport. MFZ said the event will bring together experts and representatives from the maritime, logistics and international trade sectors, where important topics such as port development, improving infrastructure, promoting maritime trade, and encouraging investments in free zones will be discussed. For more information and to register for the event, you can visit the official website of the event on the following link: https://icpfz.com/Or contact via email: [email protected]Or visit the page the following link: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61550978581077…

Tattoo artist Iness Aguin is completing her apprenticeship in Montreal, and tattoos clients using Amazigh symbols in her home studio in Laval, Que. (Fatima El Gahami - image credit)Iness Aguin's tattoo studio isn't like most you'll find in the Montreal area. Aguin is working to revive a traditional North African Indigenous tattoo style rarely practised here, despite Montreal's large population from the region. The tattooed symbols hold deep meaning and are seen as healing and spiritually powerful in Amazigh culture. (Fatima El Gahami)She brought what she learned about the tattoo style and the symbols' meaning back to Montreal, where she is a tattoo artist apprentice.

One month after a devastating 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit Morocco, rubble still litters villages around the Atlas Mountains. Returning to traditional architecture may, in fact, be part of the answer to the need for greater resilience. We have large towns with concrete, rather recent architecture. We'll call them fairly recent buildings that weren't quite up to standard, but they had the appearance of strength and modernity. We also have what we call unconventional, vernacular, traditional architecture that has stood up to the test.

With the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 gaining momentum, cricket enthusiasts worldwide are eagerly anticipating the upcoming clash between India and Australia. Under the dynamic leadership of Rohit Sharma, the Indian cricket team is poised to embark on their World Cup journey with great expectations. Determined to make a resounding entrance into the tournament, India are focused on securing a victory in this pivotal fixture. Armed with a squad brimming with potential, the Australian team is preparing for an intense battle against the hosts of the 2023 World Cup. IND vs AUS Head-to-head record (in ODI World Cups):Matches played: 12 | India won: 04 | Australia won: 08 | No result: 0IND vs AUS, Match 5: ODI World Cup 2023Date and time: October 8, 2023; 08:30 am GMT/02:00 pm ISTOctober 8, 2023; 08:30 am GMT/02:00 pm IST Venue: MA Chidambaram StadiumIND vs AUS Broadcast & Live Streaming details:

EventGatherings in response to the escalating conflict between Israel and Gaza-based armed groups are possible across the Middle East and North Africa through mid-October. In these areas, mosques, public squares, city centers, Palestinian diplomatic offices, and Israeli embassies or consulates are likely gathering locations. Localized road travel delays are likely near any protest that materializes. AdviceExercise caution near protests and protest sites. Plan for localized road travel delays should protests occur.

A few interesting theories exist about how the first humans found their way into North America after dispersing from Africa and Asia. What we knew before nowThe most significant attempt at determining when humans first walked across North America was made a few years back. In their findings, they discovered fossilized footprints in New Mexico that indicate early humans were walking across North America around 23,000 years ago. The human footprints suggest that modern humans also lived in White Sands National Park during the last ice age. The melting glaciers also filled basins, creating the Great Lakes of North America.

Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia have toughened their tone towards Europe. "These countries have discovered their leverage and bargaining power, which has enabled them to reverse the power asymmetry," Isabelle Werenfels, senior fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), told DW. "Last year has been quite challenging for the relations with the European Union and the Maghreb region," he told DW. Morocco tightened ties with Western countries but widened the gap with its neighbor Algeria over the Westen Sahara dispute. Image: Ryad Kramidi/AFP/Getty ImagesEuropean-Algerian nexus"Algeria is one of the few countries in North Africa where relations have not deteriorated," Nemec said.