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Doha has faced mounting criticism, mostly from Europe, over its treatment of foreign workers and LGBT rights ahead of the World Cup that began on Sunday. It has denied discrimination and pointed to labour reforms, while organisers previously denied allegations of bribery to win hosting rights. In October his office summoned the German ambassador to object over critical comments by Germany's interior minister. The QatarEnergy boss said Habeck had never voiced such criticism of Qatar to him directly. The German minister, who is responsible for Berlin's energy portfolio, was in Doha in March and had said that long-term energy partnerships were being negotiated.

The North Field is part of the world's biggest gas field that Qatar shares with Iran, which calls its share South Pars. It later signed contracts with three partners for North Field South (NFS), the second phase of the expansion. Monday's deal, confirmed by Sinopec, is the first supply deal to be announced for NFE. "I think the recent volatility has driven buyers to understand the importance of having long-term supply," Kaabi said. QatarEnergy has maintained a 75% stake overall in the expansion and could give up to a 5% stake from its holding to some buyers, Kaabi said.

DOHA, Qatar — The 2022 World Cup kicks off Sunday shrouded in accusations of human rights violations and last-minute controversy surrounding host Qatar. Mostly soccer fans gather at the Corniche Waterfront ahead of the FIFA World Cup in Doha pm Saturday. Players exercise during Qatar's official training ahead of the FIFA World Cup in Doha, Qatar on Saturday. “It’s going to be a force to reckon with.”The U.S. failed to qualify for the last World Cup but now boasts a young, exciting squad who largely play for big teams across Europe. People attend the FIFA Fan Festival opening day ahead of the World Cup in Doha, Qatar on Nov. 19, 2022.

☆ Soccer Qatar's Bedouin roots star in World Cup opening ceremony
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Andrew Mills | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"From Qatar, from the Arab world, I welcome everyone to the World Cup 2022," Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani said. "How lovely it is that people can put aside what divides them to celebrate their diversity and what brings them together." Then, fireworks exploded from the roof of Al Bayt stadium, 44 km (27 miles) north of the capital, Doha. Earlier, the nearly full stadium erupted in cheers when Sheikh Tamim arrived at the stadium flanked by FIFA president Gianni Infantino. The ceremony featured video footage of Sheikh Tamim as a boy playing soccer in the desert, which seemed aimed at countering the argument made by Qatar's critics that the Gulf Arab state has no soccer tradition.

CNN —A British comedian appeared to shred £10,000 ($11,000) in a video after failing to receive a response from David Beckham over his controversial role as a Qatar World Cup ambassador. On Sunday, Joe Lycett began tweeting an hourly countdown until his UK midday deadline (7am ET). At 12 pm GMT, he posted a video of himself shredding the money on www.benderslikebeckham.com, a website Lycett had been tweeting links to. CNN reached out to his representatives after Lycett appeared to shred money, but did not receive a response at time of publication. A Qatari official told CNN that the HRW allegations “contain information that is categorically and unequivocally false.”The 2022 World Cup in Qatar begins on Sunday.

☆ World Cup guide: Teams and players to watch
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Doha, Qatar CNN —In just over 24 hours, Qatar 2022 will burst into life as the host nation takes on Ecuador in the opening game of the World Cup. Tournament favoritesOnly eight nations have ever won the men’s World Cup, many of which are among the favorites this time around. After being knocked out by England in the Euro 2020 semifinals, the team waltzed through World Cup qualification, winning nine of its 10 matches and conceding only three goals. In addition to making its World Cup debut, Qatar is a relatively unknown quantity with most of its players spending their careers in the nation’s top league. He will be an important player in Japan’s World Cup campaign and has already been dubbed the ‘Japanese Lionel Messi’ back home.

DOHA, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Taking selfies from the stands and sitting on the grassy pitch, thousands of migrant workers gathered in a Doha stadium to watch the opening match of the first World Cup in the Middle East. It sat adjacent to several worker camps where many of Qatar's hundreds of thousands of low-income labourers live. "We are here to enjoy our sweat now," said Ronald Ssenyondo, a 25-year old Ugandan who was rooting for Qatar on Sunday. The wealthy gas-producing country is home to 2.9 million people, the vast majority of whom are foreign workers ranging from low-income construction workers to high-powered executives. But on Sunday, he was grateful to be with fellow workers watching on a screen - even though Qatar's loss was a disappointment.

The opening ceremony in a tent-shaped stadium will be held at 1440 GMT, ahead of the first match between hosts Qatar and Ecuador. Few details were available on heads of state attending, but state media said the U.N. secretary general and Algeria's president arrived on Saturday. The smallest nation to hold soccer's biggest global event, Qatar, a wealthy gas producer, aims to bolster its credentials as a global player, display strength to rivals in the region and placate conservative Sunni Muslim Qataris. Many of the migrant workers who toiled to prepare Qatar's tournament infrastructure will watch from the sidelines, priced out of the stadiums. "When we came in it was like a bit of a work site," England fan Neil Gahan said in an area in Doha housing fan portacabins.

☆ 'I have no words': Ecuadoreans celebrate historic World Cup opener win
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Alexandra Valencia | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Fans watch the open match Qatar v Ecuador during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 in Ibarra, Ecuador November 20, 2022. REUTERS/Karen ToroQUITO, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Thousands of euphoric Ecuadoreans celebrated on Sunday in various cities around the South American nation after the country's historic victory against host nation Qatar in the opening game of the soccer World Cup. The game marked the first time a host nation had been beaten in a World Cup opener. The first round of Group A games will be completed on Monday with the game between the Netherlands and Senegal. Ecuador will play again on Friday against the Netherlands, while Qatar will face Senegal.

☆ Ecuador dampens Qatar’s party as controversial World Cup gets underway
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Al Khor, Qatar CNN —For the past year, a giant clock in Doha has been counting down to the opening match of the World Cup. Qatar and the world need wait no more, after this controversial tournament got underway Sunday with the host losing 2-0 to Ecuador. People watch as fireworks go off before the start of the World Cup at the Al Bayt Stadium. The country’s last-minute ban of alcohol in World Cup stadiums also made headlines around the world. Colombian singer Maluma, who features in the official World Cup anthem, walked out of an interview on Israeli television when he was questioned about the Gulf state’s human rights record.

☆ Qatar and Ecuador stick with trusted lineups
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

AL KHOR, Qatar, Nov 20 (Reuters) - Hosts Qatar's top scorer Almoez Ali and fellow striker Akram Afif lead the line against Ecuador in Sunday's World Cup opener as coach Felix Sanchez stuck with stalwarts from a settled squad that has had longer than most to bond and prepare. Experienced midfielder Hasan Al-Haydos, who can also play on the wing, took the captaincy for the World Cup debutants and 2019 Asian Cup winners at the 60,000-capacity Al Bayt stadium. Ecuador coach Gustavo Alfaro also named a predictable lineup, with Moises Caicedo anchoring the midfield and top scorer Enner Valencia leading the attack as captain. Ecuador: Hernan Galindez; Felix Torres; Piero Hincapie; Pervis Estupinan; Romario Ibarra; Michael Estrada; Enner Valencia; Angelo Preciado; Gonzalo Plata; Jhegson Mendez; Moises Caicedo. Reporting by Andrew Cawthorne, editing by Ed OsmondOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Budweiser World Cup campaign curbed, not crashed, by Qatar beer ban
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( Philip Blenkinsop | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Budweiser has been a World Cup sponsor since the 1986 tournament in Mexico. STRICT CONTROLSBut Qatar 2022 was always going to be different, as the first World Cup held in a conservative Muslim country with strict controls on alcohol, the consumption of which is banned in public. He added that FIFA and Budweiser had been partners for decades and looked forward to being partners in the future. Doukeris though has said that the far greater impact in terms of beer sales is from fans across the globe, many with a AB InBev beer in hand - from a Jupiler in Belgium to a Brahma in Brazil. Indeed, the brewer has launched its biggest ever World Cup campaign in over 70 markets, more than double the number of participating countries, compared with just over 50 for the 2018 edition.

CNN —FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s near hour-long speech on the eve of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar has been described as “crass” and an “insult” to migrant workers by human rights groups. In an explosive, and sometimes bizarre, monologue, Infantino – the boss of world soccer’s governing body – accused Western critics of Qatar’s human rights record of hypocrisy,“Today I feel Qatari. Infantino’s speech was an insult to the thousands of hard working women and men who have made the World Cup possible. The report did not connect all 6,500 deaths with World Cup infrastructure projects and has not been independently verified by CNN. All would have been constructed by migrant workers, who – according to Amnesty International – account for 90% of the workforce in a near-three million population.

☆ FIFA chief accuses critics of Qatar of hypocrisy ahead of World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

FIFA president Gianni Infantino accused critics of World Cup host Qatar's treatment of migrant workers of hypocrisy on Saturday, adding that engagement was the only way to improve human rights. Doha is ready, Qatar is ready and of course it will be the best World Cup ever." "I believe the changes that have happened in Qatar would maybe not have happened, or not at least at that speed, (without the World Cup). "I've seen a lot of criticism of Gianni Infantino since I've joined FIFA, in particular from the LGBTI community," he said. He has received assurances that everyone will be welcome ... Just because Gianni Infantino is not gay, does not mean he does not care.

In a last minute U-turn, two days before the tournament's opening match, international soccer governing body FIFA said on Friday that alcoholic beer would not be sold at Qatar's World Cup stadiums. Now fans can only consume beer at the FIFA Fan Festival in Doha. "Not having alcohol is not good because the World Cup it's a party of the world," said Brazilian fan Julio Cesar, wearing a felt hat in his country's colours. The 2022 World Cup is the first edition of the tournament held in a conservative Muslim country with strict controls on alcohol, the consumption of which is banned in public. For the fans unfazed by Qatar's dire human rights record, the absence of beer at World Cup venues has proven a major disappointment.

☆ Last minute recruits in Qatar highlight World Cup security issues
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( Andrew Mills | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Qatar is the first Middle Eastern country and smallest nation ever to host the World Cup. It has called up hundreds of civilians, including diplomats summoned back from overseas, for mandatory military service operating security checkpoints at World Cup sites. LABOUR REFORMSQatar already hosts tens of thousands of workers employed as security guards outside government buildings, university campuses and shopping complexes. Seven out of the eight World Cup stadiums are brand new and have rarely experienced large crowds. Neither the Qatari government nor the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, Qatar's World Cup organisers, responded to a request for comment.

[1/2] A general view shows Pearl Island, an artificial island spanning nearly four square kilometres, ahead of the FIFA 2022 World Cup soccer tournament at Katara Cultural Village in Doha, Qatar November 17, 2022. "What happens when the World Cup is over? I know gay men in workers' camps wouldn't be able to live the same way." Qatari organisers of the World Cup have warned visitors against public displays of affection but say that everyone, no matter their sexual orientation or background, is welcome at the event. The furore has been fuelled by comments from public figures including former Qatar player and World Cup ambassador Khalid Salman who told a German broadcaster that homosexuality was "damage in the mind".

☆ Al Qaeda urges Muslims to shun World Cup, stops short of threats
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

CAIRO, Nov 19 (Reuters) - Al Qaeda's regional branch urged Muslims around the world to shun the soccer World Cup in Qatar, though it stopped short of threatening attacks or promoting violence in connection with the event, according to a statement reported by a monitoring group. "We warn our Muslim brothers from following this event or attending it," said the statement, reported by the SITE Intelligence group on Saturday, a day before the tournament opens in a predominantly Muslim country for the first time. World Cup organisers, in response to criticism over Qatar's human rights record including LGBT rights as well as social restrictions, have said that everyone, no matter their sexual orientation or background, is welcome during the event. Qatar, a small country of some 3 million, mostly foreign workers, has said that it trained more than 50,000 people to provide security during the World Cup, with foreign forces helping out under Qatari command. Reporting by Moaz Abd-Alaziz Writing by Ghaida Ghantous Editing by Peter GraffOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ FIFA president compares his childhood experience of being bullied as a redhead with freckles to the plight of migrant workers in Qatar
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

"As a child, I was bullied – because I had red hair and freckles, plus I was Italian, so imagine," he said. Infantino slammed Western nations for "hypocrisy" in a near-hour-long speechTop editors give you the stories you want — delivered right to your inbox each weekday. I feel Arab, I feel African, I feel gay, I feel disabled, I feel a migrant worker." "I don't have to defend Qatar," Infantino said. Infantino added: "We have been taught many lessons from Europeans and the Western world.

Around 48 hours before it kicks off the soccer World Cup, officials made the shock announcement Friday that Qatar is banning alcohol sales from its stadium perimeters. FIFA, the sport's troubled international governing body, said in a tweet that the decision had been made "following discussions between host country authorities and FIFA." Budweiser beer kiosks at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha stand empty on Friday. It also presents a major headache for sponsor, Budweiser, which has a $75 million advertising deal with FIFA. FIFA's statement thanked AB InBev, Budweiser's parent company, for its "understanding and continuous support" to "cater for everyone" during the World Cup.

The running of the World Cup is the only opportunity that Qatar sees for redemption," said Marc Owen Jones, an associate professor at Hamad Bin Khalifa University. "The markers of a successful World Cup would be as a nation-branding exercise, to position Qatar as an important sports hub in the Middle East and the wider Arab world," he said. 'HYPOCRISY'The first Middle Eastern country to host the World Cup, Qatar hailed it as a regional milestone when it was awarded the tournament in 2010. "The reasons given for boycotting the World Cup do not add up. Pressing back against its criticism, Qatar points to labour reforms aimed at protecting migrant workers from exploitation and says the system is a work in progress.

☆ No alcohol sales permitted at Qatar's World Cup stadium sites - FIFA
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Andrew Mills | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

DOHA Nov 18 (Reuters) - In a reversal, alcoholic beer will not be sold at Qatar's World Cup stadiums, world soccer governing body FIFA said in a statement on Friday. The announcement comes two days before Sunday's kickoff of the World Cup, the first to be held in a conservative Muslim country with strict controls on alcohol, the consumption of which is banned in public. "Following discussions between host country authorities and FIFA, a decision has been made to focus the sale of alcoholic beverages on the FIFA Fan Festival, other fan destinations and licensed venues, removing sales points of beer from Qatar’s FIFA World Cup 2022 stadium perimeters," a FIFA spokesperson said in the statement. "Tournament organisers appreciate AB InBev’s understanding and continuous support to our joint commitment to cater for everyone during the FIFA World Cup," the statement said. Questions have swirled around the role alcohol would play at this year's World Cup since Qatar won hosting rights in 2010.

☆ FIFA wants us to think the World Cup is about showing 'humanity can live in peace together.' It's really about money — but I'll still watch.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Marguerite Ward | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The 2022 FIFA Men's World Cup, hosted by Qatar, will begin Sunday. read a recent letter to World Cup teams signed by Gianni Infantino, FIFA's president. Telemundo's 2022 FIFA World Cup ad sales for its Spanish televising of the tournament hit "record revenue," a spokesperson said. Khalid Salman, the Qatar World Cup ambassador and a former footballer, said homosexuality is "damage in the mind" in an interview with the German broadcaster ZDF earlier this month. The 2022 World Cup is a cynical attempt at sportswashing.

☆ No alcohol sales permitted at Qatar's World Cup stadium sites
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Andrew Mills | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

The announcement comes two days before Sunday's kickoff of the World Cup, the first to be held in a conservative Muslim country with strict controls on alcohol, the consumption of which is banned in public. For years, Qatar's tournament organisers have said that alcohol would be widely accessible to fans at the tournament. Budweiser has been a World Cup sponsor since 1985, the year before the event was held in Mexico. "Tournament organisers appreciate AB InBev’s understanding and continuous support to our joint commitment to cater for everyone during the FIFA World Cup," the statement said. Questions have swirled around the role alcohol would play at this year's World Cup since Qatar won hosting rights in 2010.

☆ Qatar to ban beer at World Cup stadiums in dramatic reversal two days before tournament starts
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( Natasha Turak | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Qatar is banning all beer sales at and around its World Cup stadiums, in a dramatic U-turn just two days before the massive soccer tournament begins, world soccer governing body FIFA confirmed on Friday. The conservative, gas-rich Muslim nation does not fully ban alcohol for visitors, but its sale and consumption is strictly controlled. Budweiser's non-alcoholic beer, Bud Zero, will continue to be sold at all eight of the country's World Cup stadiums, the statement said. "The tournament organisers appreciate AB InBev's understanding and continuous support to our joint commitment to cater for everyone during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022." These include workers' rights, visitor capacity issues, cultural and religious restrictions, and the fact that for the first time in its history, the World Cup is taking place in winter rather than summer due to the country's extreme heat during its summer months.

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