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[1/2] Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - World Cup Accommodation - Doha, Qatar - November 28, 2022 General view of Barwa Barahat al Janoub complex which is some of the cheapest accommodation available for World Cup fans in Qatar REUTERS/Charlotte BruneauAL WAKRAH, Qatar, Nov 29 (Reuters) - For tens of thousands of World Cup fans, home base in Qatar is a concrete complex on the edge of the desert, next to a slaughterhouse and a set of high-voltage electrical wires. The new complex, which features 1,404 clusters of three-storey buildings laid out in a grid of narrow streets, was designed to house some 67,000 low-income workers - a group that makes up the majority of Qatar's 3 million population - who are expected to move in some time after the World Cup. I was saving money since like the last two years," said Sandipan Bhowmick from India, who is attending his first World Cup. Sombrero-toting Mexicans, flag-draped Moroccans and a group of Brazilians singing "Ole, Ole, Ole" emerge from buses and taxis. Reporting by Andrew Mills and Charlotte Bruneau; Writing by Andrew Mills; Editing by Conor HumphriesOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Arab fans unite after surprise wins in Qatar
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Muath Freij | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

That chance to make history has forged a sense of solidarity among Arab supporters in Doha. "When Saudi Arabia play I am Saudi and when Morocco play, all the Arab people..." said Mansouri "...are Moroccans!" Mansouri said it felt as if Morocco and Saudi Arabia were both playing on home ground in Qatar, something which may have helped them reach new heights. All Arab and Gulf people support any (Arab) team," said Saudi supporter Khaled al-Asaimi, echoing the tone set by the leaders of Qatar and Saudi Arabia at the start of the tournament. Tensions between the two neigbours led Saudi Arabia and its allies to declare a travel and trade embargo on Qatar in 2017, a move only rescinded last year.

☆ Gakpo on target again as Dutch beat Qatar 2-0 to top Group A
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Philip O'Connor | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

PSV Eindhoven forward Gakpo proved the difference once again but he was keen to share the spotlight with his team mates. I think we were better on the ball than in recent games, we had a little more control," he said. In truth, the Dutch never had to get out of second gear against the hosts, who had their moments in a dull first half. We never thought at any time to set a goal of reaching the round of 16 or the quarter-finals. Our goal was to get here, to compete and see what we could do," he told reporters.

[1/6] QatarEnergy CEO and Qatar's Minister of Energy, Saad al- Kaabi and ConocoPhillips CEO, Ryan Lance attend the signing ceremony of two sales and purchase agreements to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Germany, in Doha, Qatar, November 29, 2022. The deal, the first of its kind to Europe from Qatar's North Field expansion project, will provide Germany with 2 million tonnes of LNG annually, arriving from Ras Laffan in Qatar to Germany's northern LNG terminal of Brunsbuettel, QatarEnergy's chief executive said. ICIS head of energy analytics Andreas Schroeder said the starting date of 2026 was late, as Germany needed LNG for 2023 and 2024. The deal comes a few days after QatarEnergy signed a 27-year sales and purchase agreement with China's Sinopec. The North Field is part of the world's biggest gas field, which Qatar shares with Iran.

REUTERS/Imad Creidi/File PhotoDOHA, Nov 29 (Reuters) - QatarEnergy and ConocoPhillips (COP.N) on Tuesday signed two sales and purchase agreements to export liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Germany for at least 15 years from 2026, the first such supply deal to Europe from Qatar's North Field expansion project. The deal will provide Germany with 2 million tonnes of LNG annually, arriving from Ras Laffan in Qatar to Germany's northern LNG terminal of Brunsbuettel, QatarEnergy's chief executive said. "(The agreements) mark the first ever long-term LNG supply agreement to Germany, with a supply period that extends for at least 15 years, thus contributing to Germany's long-term energy security," Saad al-Kaabi said in a joint news conference with ConocoPhillips CEO Ryan Lance. The deal comes a few days after QatarEnergy signed a 27-year sales and purchase agreement with China's Sinopec. The North Field is part of the world's biggest gas field that Qatar shares with Iran, which calls its holding South Pars.

☆ Ex-England player Barnes slams critics of World Cup hosts Qatar
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Nov 29 (Reuters) - Former England international John Barnes slammed critics who have questioned World Cup hosts Qatar's treatment of migrant workers, saying detractors of the country had turned a blind eye to their progress on human rights. Qatar, which was awarded hosting rights for the World Cup in 2010, has faced intense criticism from human rights groups over its treatment of migrant workers. "Qatar has invited 'everyone' to the World Cup, gay or straight, but demand 'everyone' be respectful of their ways, laws and culture...," Barnes said. "The rainbow colours and OneLove armband promote something that is illegal in Qatar, even if we think it shouldn't be. Barnes added that it was hypocritical for English critics to find fault with Qatar, pointing to the treatment of Black communities in Britain.

Pro-Palestinian sympathies among fans have also spilt into stadiums as four Arab teams compete. Qatari players have worn pro-Palestinian arm-bands, even as Qatar has allowed Israeli fans to fly in directly for the first time. The first Middle Eastern nation to host the World Cup, Qatar has often seemed a regional maverick: it hosts the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas but has also previously had some trade relations with Israel. Arab fans have shunned Israeli journalists reporting from Qatar. Omar Barakat, a soccer coach for the Palestinian national team who was in Doha for the World Cup, said he had carried his flag into matches without being stopped.

☆ Qatar reviewing London investments after transport ads ban -FT
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 26 (Reuters) - Qatar has launched a review of its investments in London after the city’s transport authority this week banned the Gulf state’s tourism advertisements on the capital’s buses, taxis and Underground train system, Saturday’s Financial Times reported. The paper said the move by Transport for London (TfL) was triggered by concerns over the soccer World Cup host’s stance on LGBT+ rights and its treatment of migrant workers. The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) owns Harrods, the department store, the Shard skyscraper and is co-owner of Canary Wharf. TfL said advertising which promotes travel to Qatar, tourism in Qatar, or portrays Qatar as a desirable destination would not be considered acceptable. Under the spotlight as it hosts the World Cup, Qatar has defended itself against criticism, saying it is a welcoming country that does not discriminate against people and has denied accusations of abuse of workers.

☆ Show's over already for host Qatar's World Cup team
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

DOHA, Qatar— The show is over already for the Qatar team, which was eliminated Friday from the World Cup less than a week after it opened the tournament and launched the first version of soccer’s biggest event in the Middle East. Becoming the quickest host nation team to depart the tournament in the 92-year history of the World Cup, Qatar can’t qualify for the last 16 no matter what happens in its last game against Netherlands. Friday’s performance by Qatar was a little, but not much better for a squad that all plays in the local league and is missing the kind of top talent that is present in almost every World Cup team now. “Efficiency efficiency, efficiency. The ball dribbled away from Khoukhi and Dia lashed it in for his first World Cup goal.

☆ End of Qatar's football project or just the start?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Shady Amir | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

FOOTBALL PROJECTOn the eve of the crucial Senegal game, Sanchez said the team had prepared psychologically for the possibility of an early exit from the tournament. "We are a small country, the smallest to host the World Cup, and we are aware of the fact that we may be knocked out early, but that doesn't mean the end of the football project," he said. Against Senegal, Sanchez made three changes to the starting lineup, including bringing in goalkeeper Meshaal Barsham. When the Netherlands later drew 1-1 with Ecuador, it was the end of Qatar's hopes in the World Cup. The question remains though as to whether it's the end of the Qatari football project or just the start.

"Talks for Qatar to provide new resources to Turkey have reached the final stage. The second Turkish official said the talks for $2-3 billion funding for this year were focused on the eurobond. Turkey's Finance Ministry has borrowed $9 billion in 2022, of the $11 billion foreign borrowing foreseen for the year. The ministry foresees $10 billion foreign borrowing for 2023 but it can bring forward its debt issuances when needed for earlier financing. Turkey is also in the final stage of talks with Saudi Arabia on Riyadh placing a $5 billion deposit at the Turkish Central Bank, a Saudi finance ministry spokesman said on Tuesday.

☆ Hosts Qatar on verge of exiting World Cup after Senegal loss
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Philip O'Connor | Anita Kobylinska | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Summary Hosts Qatar lose 3-1 to Senegal in second group gameMuntari scores Qatar's first-ever World Cup goalQataris could go out of tournament later on FridayDOHA, Nov 25 (Reuters) - The World Cup hopes of Qatar were left hanging by a thread after a 3-1 loss to Senegal that leaves them bottom of Group A and facing elimination just five days after they opened the tournament with a 2-0 loss to Ecuador. With Qatar defending well, it was going to take either a moment of magic or a catastrophic mistake for Senegal to break the deadlock and unfortunately for Qatar defender Boualem Khoukhi it turned out to be the latter. Muntari reduced the deficit in the 78th with a bullet header from Mohamad's cross for Qatar's first ever goal at a World Cup in their debut tournament but Senegal were unruffled as they continued to out-muscle their opponents in midfield. "Expectations were set to give a good performance and organise a good World Cup, and that is the case," he told a news conference, praising his players for their efforts. First, though, they must meet the Netherlands in what will almost surely be their final game at this event.

☆ Reality ends some Qatari dreams of World Cup rental bonanza
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Andrew Mills | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

"We were in contact with half of the city, all the big real estate companies ... A week before the World Cup began on Nov. 20, the rate was $250 a night, the broker said. Eleven days before kick-off, organisers had said there were at least 25,000 rooms available for every night of the World Cup. "Never ever, at no World Cup, have I heard anything like this," said Bauer of the last-minute charges. His Khaya agency has block-booked accommodation and sold rooms to fans, FIFA sponsors and other officials at three previous World Cups.

☆ Fans pause action for Friday prayers during first World Cup in a Muslim country
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Andrew Mills | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DOHA, Nov 25 (Reuters) - As noon approached, muezzins across Qatar called Muslim soccer players, fans and officials to the first Friday prayers of the first World Cup to take place in a Muslim country. Unusually for soccer, Muslim fans say Qatar's World Cup has accommodated them like never before - with stadium prayer rooms, concessions selling halal food and no beer-swilling supporters to contend with in the stands following a stadium alcohol ban. For now, Muslim fans are just enjoying an event that caters to their needs. Ridwaan Goolam Hoosen, an avid South African soccer fan, is used to having to leave the grounds to find a prayer space, including at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. "It feels as if this World Cup is for me, it works for me, it fits for me...This is the first of its kind like this," Goolam Hoosen said.

☆ Security escort man wearing pro-Iran protest shirt ahead of match
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] Soccer Football - FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 - Group B - Wales v Iran - Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar - November 25, 2022. Reuters could not immediately confirm why the man, wearing a shirt declaring "Women, Life, Freedom", was being accompanied by three security officers in blue. A man standing next to her held a shirt printed with the words "WOMEN, LIFE, FREEDOM", one of the main chants of the protests. Another supporter held an Iranian flag with the words "Allahu Akbar" (God is Greatest), scored through with black lines as a security man stood nearby apparently pointing at him. Iran's World Cup team refrained from singing the national anthem ahead of their opening match with England on Monday, a sign of support for the demonstrations.

☆ World Cup 2022: what is the OneLove armband and why did FIFA ban it?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Nov 24 (Reuters) - Here is what you need to know about the 'OneLove' armbands that the captains of seven European teams were planning to wear at the Nov. 20-Dec. 18 World Cup in Qatar:WHAT DOES THE 'ONELOVE' ARMBAND MEAN? WHY WERE TEAM CAPTAINS PLANNING ON WEARING THE ARMBAND AT THE WORLD CUP? * World Cup organisers have repeatedly said that everyone, no matter their sexual orientation or background, is welcome during the tournament. * Nasser Al Khater, the chief executive of the 2022 World Cup, has said LGBTQ+ fans coming into the country would not have to worry about "persecution of any sort", describing Qatar as a "tolerant country". * According to FIFA rules, team equipment must not have any political, religious or personal slogans, statements or images, and during FIFA Final Competitions, the captain of each team "must wear the captain's armband provided by FIFA".

☆ Superyacht rentals, private jets and a soccer-themed hotel: Dubai is cashing in on the Qatar World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

A yacht that can be rented to watch the World Cup while sailing around Dubai is docked in Dubai harbor on November 1, 2022, ahead of the Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup football tournament. Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports, in August called Dubai "the major gateway" to the World Cup and predicted it would see more tourists than Qatar itself. Getty Images | A general view of the West Bay area ahead of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 at on November 18, 2022 in Doha, Qatar. "Its tourism infrastructure and straightforward entry requirements make it a convenient base for World Cup fans." Dubai, meanwhile, as a city has more than 140,000 hotel rooms, according to hotel data firm STR.

☆ Budweiser plans to ship unsold beer to the country that wins the World Cup, after Qatar's sudden U-turn on selling alcohol in the stadiums
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-24 | by ( Britney Toh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Qatar suddenly banned the sale of alcohol in World Cup stadiums, despite previously allowing this. It tweeted an image of a mountain of beer cases and said it will ship the unsold brew to the World Cup 2022 winner. Just a day later, Anheuser-Busch InBev, the maker of Budweiser, announced on Twitter it plans to give away its huge surplus of unsold alcoholic beer to the winner of the 2022 World Cup. "Budweiser wants to bring this celebration from the FIFA World Cup stadiums to the winning country's fans. Budweiser holds an around $75 million deal with soccer's governing body FIFA to supply beer at the World Cup 2022, and another deal worth around $113 million for the World Cup 2026, per The Sun.

☆ US sports writer says he was detained in Qatar for wearing rainbow shirt to World Cup game
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Sinéad Baker | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An American journalist said he was detained for wearing a rainbow t-shirt to a Qatar World Cup game. Grant Wahl said guards told him to remove it, took his phone, and detained him for 25 minutes. A New York Times spokesperson told Insider "Andrew Das was stopped briefly after photographing Grant Wahl's detention by World Cup security." Qatar's LGBT rights record has marred this year's World Cup, sparking renewed protests about the decision to let the country host it. Wahl is not the only journalist who has had difficulty in covering the World Cup there.

Prince Mohammed was not seen at the match but had been front and centre at the tournament opening on Sunday. It was also a sweet moment for host Qatar, facing intense criticism over human rights in the conservative Muslim country. "The fact that the World Cup is in Qatar and we're Arabs - it gives us a lot of energy and excitement." TOLERANCEBefore the match kicked off, the issue of tolerance arose at a news conference between Qatar's foreign minister and his American counterpart. The Gulf Arab state, which denies discrimination and points to labour reforms enacted, welcomes everyone, its Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said.

SAO PAULO, Nov 22 (Reuters) - A journalist covering the soccer World Cup in Qatar on Tuesday said local police hassled him outside a stadium after a regional Brazilian flag was mistaken for an LGBTQ pride flag. He told Reuters that a man wearing a traditional white dress mistook it for the LGBTQ community's rainbow flag when he was leaving the Lusail Stadium after Saudi Arabia's shock 2-1 win over Argentina. "This guy wearing a white dress grabbed the flag, threw it on the ground and started stomping on it. I took my phone to record a video but he grabbed it from my hand and said he would only give it back if I deleted the video," Pereira said. A U.S. journalist said he was briefly detained on Monday when he tried to enter a World Cup stadium in Qatar while wearing a rainbow shirt in support of the LGBTQ community, also claiming his phone was seized.

☆ Top US diplomat rips FIFA for punishing World Cup players who wear the 'One Love' armband promoting inclusion
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( John Haltiwanger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Blinken criticized FIFA for threatening to punish World Cup players who wear a "One Love" armband. "As national federations, we can't put our players in a position where they could face sporting sanctions including bookings, so we have asked the captains not to attempt to wear the armbands in FIFA World Cup games." The nations decried the FIFA decision as "unprecedented" and said they were "very frustrated." Fans wearing clothing featuring rainbows, a symbol of support for the LGBTQ community, have reported being prevented from entering World Cup stadiums in Qatar. FIFA, soccer's global governing body, previously said fans were "welcome to express themselves; they are welcome to express their love for their partners."

☆ Morning Bid: Bulls take cover
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Yantoultra Ngui | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

We have seen this story before of markets getting ahead of themselves, but the latest China worries are resurfacing just as global investors dial back hopes of an imminent Fed pivot on interest rates. In Europe, ECB policymakers are seen taking an even tougher stance. Three top officials said on Friday that the European Central Bank must raise interest rates high enough to dampen growth as it fights record inflation and it could soon start running down its 5 trillion euro ($5.2 trillion) debt pile. Minutes from the ECB meeting and the Fed this week will provide markets more direction on the outlook for interest rates, while manufacturing and consumer confidence data will give a snapshot of the health of economies. Meanwhile, U.S. President Joe Biden is proving that age is just a number as he turned 80 on Sunday, making him the first octogenarian president in U.S. history.

☆ Want to cash in on the FIFA World Cup? HSBC names the global stocks set to win
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Ganesh Rao | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

There will be winners and losers at this year's FIFA World Cup — both in the stadium and stock market. Aviation fuel provider Qatar Fuel and hotel operator EMAAR Properties also made the bank's list of beneficiaries. But risks remain for investors, highlighted by the Qatari government's last-minute ban on sales of all beer at and around World Cup stadiums. Qatar Fuel, the exclusive jet fuel supplier in Qatar, will likely benefit from the World Cup almost immediately. The World Cup won't just benefit consumer companies in Qatar and the surrounding region, but the world over.

☆ Gareth Bale saves Wales to frustrate USMNT
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Matthew Ashton/AMA/Getty Images Walker Zimmerman fouls Wales' Gareth Bale in the box, conceding a second-half penalty that Bale would convert to tie the match at 1-1. Pedro Nunes/Reuters US fans stand for the national anthem prior to the Wales match. Stu Forster/Getty Images Wales' Neco Williams tries to fend off Weston McKennie on Monday. Francisco Seco/AP A family watches the opening match from their home in Doha. But just as all hope looked to have disappeared for Wales, Bale was clumsily brought down by Walker Zimmerman in the US box.

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