French President Emmanuel Macron is about to jet off to Qatar for the second time in a week, despite broad concerns about the emirate's human rights and environmental record. Why? Because France is in the World Cup final, and Macron really is a big football fan — as well as a prominent advocate of the longstanding partnership between the two countries.

A video broadcast after France's victory over Morocco in the semifinal showed an enthusiastic Macron mingling with French players in the dressing room on Wednesday evening at the Doha stadium, applauding to the sound of the "Freed from desire" music hit that has become the team's victory hymn.

Israel's designated prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has vowed to seek full diplomatic relations with Saudi Arabia once he takes office, claiming that doing so would also promote peace with the Palestinians.

Netanyahu also said he would be open to restarting behind-the-scenes peace talks with the Palestinians.

Jordanian police say a senior commander has been killed in clashes with protesters that broke out over high fuel prices.

Abdul Razzaq Abdel Hafez Al Dalabeh, deputy police director in the city of Maan, was shot Thursday "by a group of outlaws," police said.

Tunisians go to the polls Saturday to elect a parliament largely stripped of its powers, under a hyper-presidential system installed by the head of state Kais Saied after his power grab last year. 

Business is bouncing back in Bethlehem after two years in the doldrums during the coronavirus pandemic, lifting spirits in the traditional birthplace of Jesus ahead of the Christmas holiday.

Streets are bustling with tour groups. Hotels are fully booked, and months of deadly Israeli-Palestinian fighting appears to be having little effect on the vital tourism industry.

The family of an outspoken critic of the Palestinian Authority who died last year after allegedly being beaten by Palestinian security forces said Thursday it has asked the International Criminal Court to investigate the death.

Nizar Banat was a harsh critic of the PA, which governs parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and had called on Western nations to cut off aid to it because of what he said was its authoritarianism and human rights violations. Banat's family said he died after Palestinian security forces arrested him and beat him with batons.

An Israeli commander has expressed support for forces that shot and killed a teenage Palestinian girl in the occupied West Bank earlier this week.

A preliminary investigation by the Israeli military concluded that Jana Zakarna was hit unintentionally by Israeli fire during a military operation in the West Bank town of Jenin on Monday. Her family has disputed the findings.

Hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have thronged a rally in downtown Gaza to mark the 35th anniversary of the founding of the Hamas militant group, as leaders predicted a year of "open confrontation" with the hardline Israeli government expected to take office in the coming days.

Hamas, an armed Islamic group that has ruled the Gaza Strip since 2007, worked hard to mobilize the large turnout at the city's Katiba park, viewing it as a show of strength at a time when it appears to be struggling for popularity.

After the final whistle of every match Morocco won in its history-making World Cup run, crowds poured out of homes and cafes in the biggest city of Western Sahara, celebrating for hours.

The revelers included some Sahrawi people, members of an ethnic group that has sought independence for Western Sahara since Morocco annexed the disputed territory in 1975. Other Sahrawis rooted for Morocco's defeat on the soccer field or refused to take part in the celebrations.

Hind Sabouni bristles with pride as she recalls her country's history-making World Cup run as it eliminated one European soccer powerhouse and former colonial power after another — Belgium, Spain and Cristiano Ronaldo's Portugal — to become the first African and Arab nation to reach the semifinals.

For the 26-year-old English teacher in Morocco's capital, and many of her countrymen both inside the North African nation and throughout the diaspora, it's about to get more complicated. Next up is France: The defending champion and Morocco's former colonial ruler for much of the first half of the 20th century.