Football teams around the world are taking part in qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. But for the Palestinian team, they’re doing so against the backdrop of war. 


Kuwait City

Israel and Iran have agreed a ceasefire after a twelve day conflict. Meanwhile, Israel strikes in Gaza continue with the humanitarian crisis deepening.

Middle East Conflict

Palestine team set to face Australia in World Cup qualifier

They train as hard as any national football team before a World Cup qualifier, maybe even harder, spurred on by the desire to make Palestinians proud at a time of war. Even though the players are far from home, home is all they think about. Nowadays, whether we're going to training or to the hotel, players spend 24 hours on their phones to follow what's happening. When it comes to sensitive cases, such as the loss of children, civilians and their families, it motivates them to react and achieve victory to make the Palestinian people happy. As they say, despite the pain, there is hope. That hope is for a place at the 2026 World Cup Finals for the very first time, but the tournament is still far in the future. The present brings its own challenges. Tuesday's match was originally meant to be held at one of Palestine's home stadiums but had to be moved to Kuwait because of the conflict. And there's no guarantee their Tunisian coach will be able to return to Palestine after the match, as Israel restricts movement in and out of the occupied Palestinian territories for both Palestinians and foreigners. The situation is very hard. We don't know if I will have a permit to go back to Palestine or not, given the situation. As for the players, training camps are long, so the local players will be away from their families during these times, which is emotionally challenging for them. The Australian team have shown their support. Midfielder Jackson Irvine called the situation in Gaza unfathomable to comprehend. Now he and his fellow players plan to donate a portion of their match fees from Tuesday's game towards humanitarian efforts in Gaza. But so far, football's governing body FIFA has been silent on the plight of Palestinians, unlike its support for Ukraine at the start of the war there, in which it suspended Russian teams from international competitions. FIFA is the gatekeeper, it's the global custodian of football. There are players and teams and their families who are suffering as a consequence of what's happening and FIFA has said nothing. Maybe if Palestine was a bigger country, more influential to FIFA, then absolutely FIFA would have made some kind of statement on what is happening. Despite this match being held on neutral territory in Kuwait, many Palestinian expatriates are expected to turn out to support their team. Focusing on football at a time like this may seem trivial to some, but for Palestinians around the world, it offers a moment of unity and pride. Joanna Gazirowska, Al Jazeera, Kuwait City.

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Gondomar

Thousands gather to bid farewell to Liverpool's Diogo Jota

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Melbourne

Australian-American actor Julian McMahon dies, 56

Diplomatic efforts are ongoing as U.S President Donald Trump looks to secure a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas. Israel has previously accepted the US proposal, meanwile Hamas has "submitted a positive response" to the mediators.

Doha

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Hatay

Turkiye’s wildfires declared national emergency

Search and rescue operations continued overnight after flash floods slammed central Texas, killing dozens, officials said. More than 20 children are still missing from Camp Mystic, an all-girls camp hit by the floods, the Kerr County sheriff said.

Kerrville

Rescues continue in central Texas after deadly flash floods

Officials in the U.S. state of Texas say at least 13 people have died in overnight flash floods after torrential rains triggered an overflow of the Guadalupe River. Nearly 20 children attending a summer camp in the south-central area are missing.

Kerr County

Deadly Texas floods: Search efforts underway for missing children

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Ödemiş

Turkiye wildfires: At least two dead as fires burn for eighth day

It was not clear if Hamas’ statement meant it had accepted the proposal from US President Donald Trump for a 60-day ceasefire.

Jerusalem

Hamas says it is  'positive' about latest ceasefire proposal

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Washington

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Kyiv

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More than 80 Palestinians were killed in Gaza on Thursday (July 3), according to health officials, as Israel intensified its strikes, hitting a school-turned-displacement facility. CNN’s Paula Hancocks looks at the damage and humanitarian toll.

More than 80 people killed in Gaza in one day

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President Donald Trump said Washington will start sending letters to countries on Friday specifying what tariff rates they will face on imports to the United States, a clear shift from earlier pledges to strike scores of individual deals.

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Indonesian rescuers on Thursday (July 3) temporarily halted a search for 30 people still missing after a ferry carrying 65 people sank near the island of Bali with the loss of six lives, the national search and rescue agency said.

Gilimanuk

Indonesia suspends search for 30 missing after ferry sinks near Bali

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Florida says the first group of migrant detainees have arrived at the new immigration detention center known as "Alligator Alcatraz." CBS News correspondent Shanelle Kaul has more.

Ochopee

First group of detainees arrive at "Alligator Alcatraz," Florida says

U.S. President Donald Trump said Thursday (July 3) that he spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin and that he plans to hold a call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. CBS News White House reporter Willie James Inman has more.

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CNN’s Priscilla Alvarez reports on a lawsuit from lawyers for Kilmar Abrego Garcia alleging he suffered “torture and mistreatment” after he was wrongfully deported and held in El Salvador’s notorious mega prison.

Tecoluca

Kilmar Abrego Garcia claims he was tortured in El Salvadoran prison

The Kremlin welcomed the development, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov claiming it proves Western arsenals are being depleted and predicting that less aid will hasten the end of the conflict.

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Two contractors employed by UG Solutions spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity as they were revealing their employers’ internal operations.

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CBS News political contributor Caroline Polisi joins "CBS Mornings" to break down the jury's verdict in Sean "Diddy" Combs' federal trial and the judge's decision to deny bail for the music mogul ahead of his sentencing.

Manhattan

Sean "Diddy" Combs denied bail after split verdict

Liverpool soccer player Diogo Jota has died aged 28, just weeks after marrying his childhood sweetheart. The footballer passed away in a car crash in northern Spain.

Madrid

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The Pentagon said that U.S. strikes 10 days ago had degraded Iran's nuclear program by up to two years, suggesting the U.S. military operation likely achieved its goals despite a far more cautious initial assessment that leaked to the public.

Tehran

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Days before his 90th birthday, the Dalai Lama announced the Gaden Phodrang Trust, a non-profit he founded, will have the sole authority to recognize his future reincarnation, but China insists it will choose the successor of the Tibetan spiritual leader.

Lhasa

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Sean (Diddy) Combs was found guilty on prostitution-related charges, but was acquitted on more serious charges of racketeering and sex trafficking giving him a maximum sentence of 20 years. But the courtroom victory was subdued following a judge’s ruling to deny him bail.

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Middle East Conflict