BRUSSELS (AA) – Qatar’s labor minister responded Monday to allegations about the conditions of migrant workers involved in construction work for the World Cup, saying a mechanism is already in place for those seeking compensation. In response to boycott calls from some politicians and human rights organizations in European countries foll...
Doha, Qatar (AFP): One week from kickoff, the World Cup trophy returned to Qatar on Sunday, teams and fans started arriving and safety barriers went up across Doha ahead of one of the most controversial football tournaments ever. The trophy which will be presented on December 18 returned from a world tour of 51 countries […]
ANKARA (AA) – Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid has announced that Israeli football fans would be able to fly directly to Qatar for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. “We have set up direct flights between Israel and Qatar for fans attending the FIFA World Cup,” Lapid said on Twitter. Qatar and Israel do not have […]
ISTANBUL (AA) – A French newspaper has published a cartoon depicting Qatar’s national football team as “terrorists”, sparking outrage across the Gulf country. The lampooning caricature comes days before Qatar is set to host FIFA World Cup 2022 this month, becoming the first Arab and Middle East country to organize the global tournament. The of...
DOHA, Qatar (AA) – Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani has slammed criticism of the Gulf country’s hosting of the World Cup as “hypocrisy”. Qatar is set to host World Cup from November 20 through December 18, becoming the first Arab and Middle Eastern country to organize the global tournament. The country has [&hel...
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia (AA) – The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) on Saturday rejected critical comments by German officials about Qatar’s human rights record. On Thursday, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said Qatar hosting the World Cup 2022 was “very tricky” for Germany, alleging human rights abuses by Doha. Qatar summoned the...
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (AFP): Saudi Arabia is putting on 240 flights a week and easing overland travel to attract tens of thousands of football fans attending the World Cup in neighbouring Qatar, the kingdom’s tourism minister told AFP. Saudi Arabia has offered multi-entry 60-day visas to holders of the World Cup’s Hayya pass, the co...
ISTANBUL (AA) – Ukraine’s Shakhtar Donetsk has demanded the world football governing body remove Iran from the forthcoming World Cup in Qatar, and include Ukraine instead. “Ukraine should be at the World Cup. Iran deserves no place there!” Sergei Palkin, the club’s CEO, said in a statement on Twitter. “While...
DOHA, Qatar (AA) – Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, said Tuesday his country has faced an “unprecedented campaign” of criticism over the hosting of World Cup 2022. “Since we won the honor of hosting the World Cup, Qatar has been subjected to an unprecedented campaign that no host country has ever faced,” Emir […]...
OVIEDO, Spain (AA) – A Spanish court sentenced a man whom the ISIS told to carry out a drone attack on Barcelona’s Camp Nou football stadium to three years behind bars on Monday. Police arrested Mohammed Yassi Amrani in May 2020, during the depths of Spain’s strict COVID-19 lockdown. Spain’s Interior Ministry said he was […]
