Youth-led demonstrators clashed with police over the weekend in some of Morocco’s largest anti-government protests in years, denouncing what they called the government’s misplaced priorities.

Hundreds of young Moroccans took to the streets of at least 11 cities across the North African nation, denouncing corruption and blasting the government for pouring money into international sporting events while neglecting health and education.

They drew a direct link between the country’s struggling health care system and its investments in the lead-up to the 2030 FIFA World Cup, shouting slogans including, “Stadiums are here, but where are the hospitals?”

Israel is reportedly preparing to take control of ships belonging to the the Global Sumud Flotilla (GSF) which is expected to reach the coast of Gaza within four days, according to the official Israeli channel Kan.

Archived version: https://archive.is/newest/https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20250929-israeli-threats-to-seize-gaza-aid-flotilla/

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Washington (AFP) – Video game giant Electronic Arts, known for The Sims and FIFA games, announced Monday it would be acquired for $55 billion by a consortium led by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.

The group includes US investment firms Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, the Miami-based firm founded by Jared Kushner, former White House advisor and son-in-law of President Donald Trump.

"This moment is a powerful recognition of their remarkable work," EA Chairman and CEO Andrew Wilson said of the company's employees in a statement, adding the deal would help "unlock new opportunities on a global stage."

The deal would be the largest all-cash private equity buyout in history, the statement said.

EA, known for popular franchises including FIFA soccer games, Madden NFL, The Sims and Battlefield, reported revenue of $7.5 billion in its most recent fiscal year.

FIFA was updated annually from 1993 to 2023, before Electronic Arts lost the license following a financial disagreement between EA and the FIFA organization.

The game, now called EA Sports FC, has largely retained its player base, becoming the best-selling game in Western Europe in 2023, the year the first renamed edition launched.

The publisher also owns The Sims franchise, which allows players to create an avatar and develop characters and a city in a virtual world.

Twenty-five years after its launch, The Sims continues to attract new fans. In May 2024, EA revealed that 85 million people were playing the latest version, The Sims 4.

The California-based company is also counting on the release of the new version of its first-person shooter game Battlefield, called Battlefield 6, which will be its 13th installment in the series.

After seeing its revenue soar in the years following the Covid-19 pandemic, the company founded by former Apple employee Trip Hawkins in 1982 has experienced a slowdown, in line with the sector as a whole.

This major new deal in the video game world comes two years after Microsoft's $75 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard, which also left the stock market.

On Wall Street, the shares of remaining listed gamers were up on Monday. Roblox rose 4.72 percent, while Take-Two Interactive gained 1.53 percent.

The acquisition is expected to close in early fiscal 2027 and requires approval from EA shareholders and regulatory authorities.

Saudi Arabia's PIF, which already holds a 9.9 percent stake in EA, will roll over its existing investment as part of the transaction.

This announcement follows a tour of the Gulf region in May by President Trump, which was marked by promises of huge investments.

Trump signed a "strategic economic partnership" agreement with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the country's de facto leader, which, according to the White House, will see Riyadh invest $600 billion in the United States.

Video games are at the heart of the crown prince's ambitious "Vision 2030" reform plan.

The oil-rich monarchy is passionate about gaming and eSports: 70 percent of Saudis are under 35, and Mohammed bin Salman, aged 40, is himself known to be a fan of the game Call of Duty.

The deal will be financed through approximately $36 billion in equity from the consortium members and $20 billion in debt committed by JPMorgan Chase. Upon completion, EA will be delisted from the Nasdaq stock exchange and remain headquartered in Redwood City, California, under Wilson's continued leadership.

The agreement marks PIF's latest major investment in the gaming sector as Saudi Arabia seeks to diversify its economy beyond oil revenues.

Russia is a ‘paper tiger,’ French Foreign Minister Jean-Michel Barrot said on Monday

Archived version: https://archive.is/newest/https://www.euractiv.com/news/france-to-deploy-anti-drone-teams-to-copenhagen-rafale-jets-on-the-eus-eastern-flank/

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The result of this Israel obsession within Germany is that the space for open discussion and honest debate is getting smaller all the time

Archived version: https://archive.is/newest/https://www.thecanary.co/global/world-analysis/2025/09/28/germany-israel-latest/

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Federal workers say they have little choice but to depart, with 100,000 leaving under deferred resignation program

Archived version: https://archive.is/20250928120037/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/28/us-mass-resignation-federal-workers

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Jerusalem (AFP) – Facing increasing isolation abroad and mounting pressure at home, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will defend his intention to "finish the job" in Gaza when he meets US President Donald Trump on Monday.

The meeting comes days after Trump unveiled a 21-point plan aimed at ending the war in the Palestinian territory during discussions with Arab and Muslim leaders on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.

On Sunday, Trump hinted at "something special" to come in Middle East talks, adding in a post on his Truth Social platform: "WE WILL GET IT DONE!!!"

On Friday, Trump had told reporters in Washington "I think we have a deal" on Gaza, even as Netanyahu, speaking at the UN, vowed to "finish the job" in Israel's war against Hamas.

But experts told AFP that Netanyahu appeared to be cornered, facing growing international and domestic calls to end the war.

"He has no other choice but to accept" Trump's plan for a ceasefire, said Eytan Gilboa, an expert on US-Israel relations at Israel's Bar-Ilan University.

"Simply because the United States and Trump have remained almost his only ally in the international community."

In Israel, tens of thousands of protesters have pressured Netanyahu to agree to a ceasefire, and on Saturday they urged Trump to use his influence.

"The only thing that can stop the slide into the abyss is a full, comprehensive agreement that ends the war and brings all the hostages and the soldiers home," said Lishay Miran-Lavi, wife of Omri Miran, who remains captive in Gaza.

Directly addressing Trump, she urged: "Use your influence with Prime Minister Netanyahu."

Israel's international isolation has deepened in recent days, with countries including the UK, France, Canada and Australia officially recognising Palestinian statehood, breaking with longstanding US-led diplomatic protocols.

Trump's 21-point plan, according to a diplomatic source, envisions a permanent ceasefire, the release of hostages, an Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and a major influx of humanitarian aid.

Arab and Muslim leaders welcomed the proposal, but have also called for an immediate halt to Israel's military operations and any occupation of Gaza.

Other elements of the plan will prove hard for Netanyahu to swallow, and could even lead to the collapse of his right-wing government coalition.

Among the most controversial is the involvement of the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority (PA) in the future governance of Gaza.

The PA ruled the territory until Hamas seized control in 2007, and its potential restoration represents a red line for Netanyahu's hardline coalition partners.

While the US proposal conditions the PA's return on implementing reform programmes, these changes "could take years" to materialise, Gilboa warned.

Several far-right ministers in Netanyahu's coalition have threatened to collapse the government if he agrees to the PA's return, or if he ends the war without defeating Hamas.

However, opposition leader Yair Lapid has offered a parliamentary "safety net", promising his centrist Yesh Atid party would support a ceasefire and hostage-release deal -- but it is not clear whether other opposition parties would follow suit.

"This kind of broad plan would need a broad consensus," said Ksenia Svetlova, a former Knesset member who now heads the regional cooperation NGO ROPES.

Svetlova predicted Netanyahu would only accept parts of the deal, while trying to negotiate or postpone decisions on other elements "seem difficult in this moment".

Another contentious point in the US proposal is who would guarantee security in the Gaza Strip once the Israeli army pulls out and Hamas is disarmed.

The proposal envisions an international security force comprising Palestinian personnel alongside troops from Arab and Muslim nations.

However, critical details about command structure and operational control remain unclear.

"This plan is internationalising the Gaza conflict in an unprecedented way," Svetlova said, "but without a clear plan on who will be the guiding star, what the end goals are, who will see it through."

"The unpredictability factor runs wild here, really."

Tensions between the two countries have increased after the US Navy targeted boats off the coast of Venezuela.

Archived version: https://archive.is/20250928001122/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5y5q173053o

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Further ten ships will join the fleet with Greta Thunberg and other activists who will sail towards Gaza to break Israel's blockade

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