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☆ Moroccans celebrate historic World Cup win against Spain
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Its World Cup success has reverberated across the Arab world and among Moroccan and some other immigrant communities in Europe. “Today is a day of joy for Moroccans and all the Arab world,” Lotfi said. “Morocco is representing all the Arab world, all the African continent, that is beyond description, it is the most glorious part,” he said. In Qatar, Moroccan fans clashed briefly with police outside the stadium before the game started. Ten days ago riots broke out in Belgium and the Netherlands as Morocco fans celebrated beating Belgium in the group stage in Qatar.

☆ Sister of Iran's leader condemns his rule, urges Guards to disarm - letter
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/3] Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting with a group of students in Tehran, Iran November 2, 2022. Badri Hosseini Khamenei, who lives in Iran and is the sister of Ayatollah Khamenei, criticised the clerical establishment starting from the time of the Islamic Republic's late founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini to her brother's rule, the letter, dated "December 2022", said. "Ali Khamenei's Revolutionary Guards and mercenaries should lay down their weapons as soon as possible and join the people before it is too late," the letter said. The Revolutionary Guards are Iran's elite force which has helped the country's establish proxies across the Middle East, and runs a vast business empire. President Ebrahim Raisi meanwhile gave a speech at the University of Tehran to mark Student Day.

☆ Xi Jinping: Chinese president lands in Saudi Arabia amid tensions with US
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —Chinese President Xi Jinping landed in the Saudi Arabian capital Riyadh on Wednesday for a multiple-day visit, China’s official news agency Xinhua reported, amid frayed ties between the two countries and the United States. A purple carpet was rolled out for the Chinese president, and canons were fired. But Saudi Arabia’s grand reception of the Chinese president is only emblematic of the magnitude of their growing relationship, specifically around oil, trade and security. Saudi Arabia has also traditionally been China’s top oil supplier, with Saudi barrels making up around 17% of total Chinese oil imports as of last year, according to the Saudi-backed Arab News. Apart from oil exports, Saudi Arabia has this year ramped up its Chinese investments, which culminated in Aramco’s whopping $10 billion dollar investment into a refinery and petrochemical complex in China’s northeast.

☆ World Cup quarterfinals: Qualifying teams, fixtures and schedule
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-06 | by ( Alasdair Howorth | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —We are waiting on two teams to qualify for the World Cup quarterfinals, but six have already booked their places in the last eight. ETWhere: Education City StadiumAccording to Opta, Croatia has a 2.86% chance of winning the World Cup. But this team looks like it could be the first since 2002 to bring the World Cup trophy back to its spiritual home. ETWhere: Al Bayt StadiumAccording to Opta, England has a 18.83% chance of winning the World Cup. Which begs the question: is this the best England team since 1966, when it last won thee World?

☆ Iran morality police: Is this the end for the regime's notorious force?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —An Iranian official’s comment signaling that the country’s notorious morality police had been shut down has raised more questions than answers. The attorney general was quoted by an Iranian state media outlet as saying: “Morality police have nothing to do with the judiciary. It was abolished from the same place it was launched.”It is possible the comment was misinterpreted, and the tone from state media quickly changed. On Sunday, state media was keen to downplay Montazeri’s comments, saying that the morality police does not fall under the authority of the judiciary. Notorious for terrorizing citizens as they enforce the country’s conservative rules, the morality police have been the main coercive tool implementing Iran’s hijab law.

☆ Kylian Mbappé continues record-setting pace in France’s World Cup round of 16 victory
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

The team booked its ticket to the quarterfinals of the 2022 World Cup with a 3-1 victory over Poland. But, the star of the show on Sunday was Kylian Mbappé, who continued his record-setting pace with an emphatic double. France's Olivier Giroud celebrates with Kylian Mbappé after scoring the opening goal against Poland at the 2022 World Cup. Having helped secure the nation’s second World Cup title in 2018 as a 19-year-old, he is continuing his domination four years later. Both Diego Maradona and Cristiano Ronaldo have eight World Cup goals to their names.

Rumors of a Chinese presidential visit to the US’ largest Middle East ally have been circulating for months, but are yet to be confirmed by the governments of Saudi Arabia and China. Beijing has not made an official announcement that Xi will visit Saudi Arabia. A strong US ally for eight long decades, Saudi Arabia has become bitter over what it perceives to be waning US security presence in the region, especially amid growing threats from Iran and its armed Yemeni proxies. Both China and Saudi Arabia have also taken different stances to the West with regards to the Ukraine war. Biden said in October that the US has to “rethink” its relationship with Saudi Arabia, which the President had seemingly tried to repair in a July visit to Riyadh.

☆ Croatia beats Japan on penalties to reach World Cup quarterfinals
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +28 min

CNN —Goalkeeper Dominik Livaković made himself a national hero as Croatia beat Japan on penalties 1-1 (3-1) to reach the World Cup quarterfinals. Marko Djurica/ReutersJapan’s heartbreakDespite its defeat, Japan can look back at an impressive World Cup campaign. They made history Thursday as the first all-female refereeing crew for a men's World Cup match. Mbappé was one of the leading stars of the team's World Cup triumph four years ago. He also became just the third goalkeeper to save three penalties in a single World Cup shootout.

☆ Iran's attorney general signals that morality police could be 'abolished'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Mithil Aggarwal | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Iran‘s Attorney General said Saturday that the country’s controversial morality police will be “abolished,” local media reported, amid ongoing nationwide protests. Montazeri's brief and unscripted comment came in response to a question about “why the morality police were being shut down,” the outlets reported. Iran’s Interior Ministry and police have not commented on the status of the morality police. Amini had allegedly failed to fully cover her hair and defied the country’s strict dress codes when she was arrested in Iran’s capital, Tehran. Police had said Amini died after she fell ill and slipped into a coma, but her family has said witnesses told them officers beat her.

☆ France reaches World Cup quarterfinals with 3-1 victory over Poland as Kylian Mbappé breaks Pelé’s record
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +30 min

CNN —France was made to work hard for its place in the World Cup quarterfinals, overcoming an improved Poland side 3-1 thanks to goals from Olivier Giroud and Kylian Mbappé. That is Mbappé’s fifth goal of Qatar 2022 and already his ninth World Cup goal overall, breaking Pelé’s record of seven World Cup goals scored before the age of 24. They made history Thursday as the first all-female refereeing crew for a men's World Cup match. Issei Kato/Reuters Kylian Mbappé scores his second goal on November 26, leading France to a 2-1 victory over Denmark. Mbappé was one of the leading stars of the team's World Cup triumph four years ago.

☆ Japan vs. Croatia: Samurai Blue aiming to reach World Cup quarterfinals for first time
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Aimee Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +31 min

CNN —In a World Cup of surprises, Japan has played a leading role in headline-making shock results. Croatia is a team undefeated in nine of its last 10 World Cup matches. They made history Thursday as the first all-female refereeing crew for a men's World Cup match. Frappert became the first woman to referee a men's World Cup match. It was Morocco's first World Cup win since 1998 — and its third-ever at the tournament.

☆ USMNT’s youth and talent at Qatar 2022 bodes well for 2026 World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +31 min

The Netherlands knocked the USMNT out of the Qatar World Cup on Saturday. They made history Thursday as the first all-female refereeing crew for a men's World Cup match. Frappert became the first woman to referee a men's World Cup match. It was Morocco's first World Cup win since 1998 — and its third-ever at the tournament. Qatar is the first Islamic country to host a World Cup.

☆ Iran state body reports 200 dead in protests, Raisi hails 'freedoms'
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-03 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

A top state security body meanwhile said that 200 people, including members of the security forces, had lost their lives in the unrest, a figure significantly lower than that given by the world body and rights groups. Amirali Hajizadeh, a senior Revolutionary Guards commander was quoted as saying on Monday that 300 people, including security force members, had been killed in the recent unrest. Javaid Rehman, a U.N.-appointed independent expert on Iran, said on Tuesday that more than 300 people had been killed in the protests, including more than 40 children. Rights group HRANA said that as of Friday 469 protesters had been killed, including 64 minors. "The people's protest has shown that the policies of the last 43 years have reached a dead end," he said in late November.

☆ Israeli journalists experience chilly reception at Qatar World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Hadas Gold | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

Former Israeli football star, and now a commentator Eil Ohana posted a video showing a Qatari police officer driving him in a golf cart. Videos have gone viral in Israel and the Arab world showing football fans yelling at Israeli reporters, refusing to speak to them because of where they are from. Canadian pop star Justin Bieber launched clean water company Generosity at Qatar’s World Cup, to provide premium alkaline water in refillable fountains across the globe. The pitch invader who waved a rainbow flag on the field during Portugal’s World Cup match with Uruguay on Monday said FIFA president Gianni Infantino came to the Qatari police station to free him in order to “avoid more controversy.”Thursday’s Group E FIFA World Cup match between Costa Rica and Germany saw an all-women refereeing team for the first time in men’s World Cup history. Stephanie Frappart, from France, led the refereeing team, making her the first woman to referee a men’s World Cup match.

☆ Iran’s President Visits Kurdish Province Amid Growing Unrest
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( David S. Cloud | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi touted development projects in the restive Kurdish region where Tehran has carried out its harshest crackdown since antigovernment protests erupted in September. Mr. Raisi spoke Thursday at a ceremony marking the completion of a water project and promised action on other infrastructure improvements in Kurdistan, a shift in government tactics after the violent means used so far to quell the biggest threat to the Islamic Republic in its four decades of rule.

On Tuesday, those criticizing the team made their voices heard: This was the Islamic Republic's loss, not Iran's. Meanwhile, there were thousands of tweets in Persian, or in English from prominent Iranians, saying how happy they were their own team had fallen at the first hurdle of the competition. Dean Mouhtaropoulos / Getty Images"For 43 years the regime brainwashed Iranians to hate America," Masih Alinejad, a New York-based Iranian journalist and activist, tweeted . "But see how people across Iran are celebrating the victory of the U.S. soccer team against the Islamic Republic." Reuters TVWhere the Iranian soccer team fits into all this has been a subject of debate among Iranians and those watching from abroad.

☆ Why Saudi Arabia is hosting one of the world's biggest raves
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +14 min

The kingdom’s Soundstorm music festival, which began in 2019, is back again for its fourth year and will start on Thursday. “(It) is a particularly powerful example because it seeks to bring together young people and women from across Saudi Arabia and the world,” she said. By contrast, Las Vegas’ Electric Daisy Carnival, considered North America’s biggest dance music festival, had an attendance of over 400,000 this year. Last year, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said that performers should either “speak up” about Saudi Arabia’s human rights violations or not attend the festival at all. Some however argue that opening up countries to international norms and values can allow for better discussion on human rights shortcomings.

☆ Iraq and Iran Agree to Tighten Border Security Amid Unrest
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Benoit Faucon | Ghassan Adnan | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani said Tuesday that his country would tighten security cooperation with Iran, after Tehran strengthened its military presence along its western border to prevent the infiltration of Kurdish groups based in northern Iraq. “We will not allow the use of Iraqi lands to threaten Iran‘s security,” Mr. Sudani said in a joint press conference with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in Tehran. The two leaders agreed to form liaison committees on border security, Iranian and Iraqi state media reported.

Now, with mass protests, many would prefer it withdrew from the World Cup being held just across the Gulf from their homeland. Some Iranian fans who went to Qatar for the World Cup made no secret of their solidarity with the unrest. In the Iranian capital Tehran, some banners of the national team have been burned by angry protesters. Pejman Zarji, a 38-year-old sports coach who was in Qatar for the World Cup, said the Iranian team belonged to the people not the government. There’s something really important to understand (now) - 'Team Melli' is what we call the Iran team, it's the team of the people before being the team of the government," he said.

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 19 (Reuters) - A new coalition led by former Malaysian prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin was leading a hotly contested general election on Saturday, with opposition chief Anwar Ibrahim a close second, early results from the Election Commission showed. The other main contender - Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob's ruling Barisan Nasional coalition - was losing ground in traditional strongholds to Muhyiddin's bloc, the results showed. As of 1630 GMT, the Election Commission had announced results for 123 of the 222 parliamentary seats. [1/6] Malaysian Caretaker Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob stands in a line to vote during Malaysia's 15th general election in Bera, Pahang, Malaysia November 19, 2022. The top issues are the economy, along with corruption, as several leaders from the Barisan Nasional coalition face graft accusations.

☆ Infantino to serve another four-year term as FIFA President
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Mark Gleeson | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

DOHA, Nov 17 (Reuters) - FIFA President Gianni Infantino will serve another four-year term at the helm of world soccer’s governing body after emerging as the only candidate for the next election in March. He will be re-elected at the FIFA congress in Rwanda in March for a third term. Infantino won the FIFA presidency in 2016 on an initial three-year term, replacing Sepp Blatter, and was re-elected in 2019. He thanked more than 200 members associations who FIFA said had offered him their backing for another term as President. Infantino was then re-elected unopposed, having won a second term at FIFA’s Paris Congress in 2019.

☆ Young Malaysians urged to 'get mad' and vote to end political merry-go-round
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Ebrahim Harris | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The infighting has exhausted voters, with two local elections held in the past year seeing lower than average turnout. Young voters form a sizeable portion of the six million people newly eligible to cast a ballot, following reforms that lowered the voting age from 21 to 18 and allowed automatic registration. Some voters, however, remain turned off by the constant political wrangling, believing that their choices will have little impact. "I'm scared to vote because whoever you choose will be part of a weak coalition," Eddie said. "They have to form alliances with parties who were rejected in the elections, and will end up forming the same type of government."

The first known death sentence handed down to a defendant linked to the unrest sweeping Iran has fanned fears of an even harsher crackdown as the government struggles to stamp out demonstrations challenging its rule. Mansoureh Mills, a researcher on Iran for the human rights group Amnesty International, said the sentence and arrests showed that the government was trying to end the unrest, once and for all. The U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency said that 15,800 protesters have been detained and 344 killed since the protests began. On Monday, the European Union announced new sanctions against 29 individuals in Iran and three entities over the ongoing crackdown on protesters. The United Kingdom also announced two dozen sanctions against Iranian officials on Monday.

☆ Putin's 'desperation' in Ukraine is making Russia more dependent on other pariah states, top Pentagon official says
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-14 | by ( Christopher Woody | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

The Kremlin maintains close ties with China, continues to sell oil to major countries, including India, and is acquiring military hardware from Iran and North Korea. Those weapons would not necessarily be "a game changer," as Russia has already used its own missiles in Ukraine, Kahl said. Their relations have warmed amid the Ukraine war, with a record number of meetings between senior officials this year. Russia and North Korea also have longstanding ties, though Moscow has in the past kept its distance. North Korea has denied the allegations, calling it a "rumor" and saying it had no "arms dealings" with Moscow.

☆ Donetsk battles are 'hell', Ukraine's Zelenskiy says as Kherson mops up
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/3] Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy speaks during a joint news conference with Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala (not seen), as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kyiv, Ukraine October 31, 2022. Ukraine's success in Kherson, where its troops now control more than 60 regional settlements, as well as in other places, benefited partly from resistance in the Donetsk region, despite repeated Russian attacks, Zelenskiy added. "There it is just hell - there are extremely fierce battles there every day," he said. In a telephone call, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi emphasised "further enhancing cooperation in the political, trade and economic fields, including the transport and logistics sector," the Kremlin said on Saturday. The visit followed accusations by Ukraine and the West that Russia has used Iranian drones to target Ukraine's energy infrastructure.

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