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☆ Sudan's army says paramilitary mobilisation risks confrontation
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Khalid Abdelaziz Nafisa Eltahir | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

"These movements and deployments happened without the agreement of the leadership of the armed forces or even coordination with it," the army spokesman said. Deputy head of Sudan's sovereign council General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo speaks during a press conference at Rapid Support Forces head quarter in Khartoum, Sudan February 19, 2023. Witnesses told Reuters that they saw a convoy of RSF vehicles including armoured trucks enter Khartoum on Thursday. Political figures issued statements on Thursday about attempts to mediate between the RSF and army high command. Hemedti, who has amassed considerable wealth and expanded domestic and foreign relations, has said repeatedly in speeches that he wants no confrontation with the army.

☆ 9 Middle Eastern funds and investors pouring money into US media, sports, and entertainment
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Lucia Moses | Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Governments and investors in the Middle East are pouring money into Western media and entertainment. Sovereign funds and other entities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are pouring millions into US media and entertainment, and they're finding plenty of takers. The channels for money from Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Middle East are complex. Insider broke down the key entities — their owners, leaders, and high-profile investments and joint ventures — in the top three Middle Eastern nations pouring money into US entertainment and media. It describes itself as the largest media company in the Middle East and North Africa and runs one of the largest TV news channels, Al Arabiya.

JERUSALEM, March 24 (Reuters) - Tens of thousands of Muslim worshippers flocked to Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa Mosque on the first Friday of Ramadan for noon prayers, which passed peacefully amid tight security imposed after months of escalating tension and violence. "I cannot describe to you how happy I am to pray at Al-Aqsa Mosque. I'm 50 years old and they only recently removed the security ban that had prevented me from coming here," said Nasser Abu Saleh, a resident of the West Bank city of Hebron. The Muslim Waqf, custodians who manage the site which houses the Al-Aqsa Mosque, said around 100,000 people had visited for the first Friday prayers of Ramadan. [1/5] Palestinians make their way through an Israeli checkpoint to attend the first Friday prayers of Ramadan in Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque, in Bethlehem in the Israeli-occupied West Bank March 24, 2023.

☆ 'Every victim of Saddam Hussein was waiting for this moment'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-13 | by ( Charlotte Bruneau | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/5] Ali Hassan al-Haidari, who testified against former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein during the Dujail trial, that led to Saddam's death sentence, sits at his home in Dujail, Iraq, January 28, 2023. "Every victim of Saddam Hussein was waiting for this moment," said Haidari, one of the few people who was ready to show his face when giving testimony to the court that sent the former Iraqi strongman to the gallows. Seven of his brothers were among those killed in the security sweep after the attempt on Saddam's life as his convoy passed by. A video from the trial showed Haidari standing with Saddam behind him and telling the judges: "He is responsible for my detention, for losing my future, for executing my brothers". Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq's most influential Shi'tie cleric, issued a religious decree calling on Iraqis to fight against Islamic State.

☆ A senior ISIS leader is dead, but the raid went sideways when an explosion injured several US troops and a dog
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-17 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

US troops and the Syrian Democratic Forces carried out a joint helicopter raid in Syria on Thursday. The target, a senior Islamic State leader named Hamza al-Homsi, was killed during the operation. Although the target, Hamza al-Homsi, was killed, the operation went sideways when an explosion wounded the four Americans and their working dog. Meanwhile, the US military and its partner forces continue to hunt down ISIS fighters in Iraq and Syria. Local Syrian forces killed the Islamic State's leader, Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, during an October raid.

Now Israel has normalised relations with more Arab states, while Palestinians have grown more isolated and divided. Most world powers consider Israel's settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem as illegal. Israel says its West Bank raids targeted militants such as the suspects behind deadly attacks carried out by Palestinians inside Israel last year. "Each area of the West Bank is witnessing some form of armed clashes, but these are not united mass-scale movements," said Tahani Mustafa of the International Crisis Group. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is visiting Israel and the West Bank this week.

☆ Before a secret raid on an ISIS leader's mountain cave complex, US forces ran the mission at a special recreation of the target area
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

US forces carried out a raid in northern Somalia this week and took out a top ISIS money man. Before the operation, troops ran practice runs on a recreation of the mountainous target area. It's a similar technique to the one used before the 2011 raid that brought down Osama bin Laden. US forces used the mock-up to practice what their ground movements and helicopter approaches would look like during the actual raid. Wednesday's raid in Somalia comes as the US and partner forces continue to track down ISIS fighters in Syria.

☆ Qatar's 2022 World Cup ends with modest ceremony, titans clash
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-18 | by ( Andrew Mills | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

After 63 matches, the World Cup in Qatar comes to a close with reigning champions France taking on Argentina in a showpiece final with both teams looking to add a third star to their crest. France's Mbappe and Argentina's Messi, both playing for the Qatari-owned club, are also a reminder of Qatar's influence on global soccer beyond the FIFA World Cup organisation. CONTROVERSYQatar's hosting of the 2022 World Cup, which has been marred by controversy, was part of a carefully built strategy by the tiny but rich state to bolster its global influence. "There is the Workers Support and Insurance Fund that will be looking into any matters relating to unfortunate deaths. And that will continue beyond the World Cup," Thawadi said.

☆ World Cup 2022: How Qataris have reacted to tournament on home soil
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-13 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Reem Al-Haddad still remembers how excited she felt when Qatar won the right to host the 2022 World Cup. “The World Cup has almost always been in Western nations. The report did not connect all 6,500 deaths with World Cup infrastructure projects and has not been independently verified by CNN. She still remembers watching the 2002 World Cup from home, cheering on Italy before it was knocked out by host South Korea in the round of 16. “That person who watched the World Cup behind the screen never believed that she would actually get to experience it in real life,” she added.

☆ World Cup 2022: how many migrant workers have died in Qatar?
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

Dec 9 (Reuters) - Here is a look at migrant workers' rights issues in Qatar, which is hosting the 2022 World Cup from Nov. 20-Dec. 18:WHAT IS QATAR'S RECORD ON MIGRANT WORKERS' RIGHTS? * Britain's Guardian reported last year that at least 6,500 migrant workers -- many of them working on World Cup projects -- had died in Qatar since it won the right to stage the World Cup, according to the paper's calculations from official records. * Qatari World Cup organisers, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy, said that there have been three work-related fatalities and 37 non-work-related deaths among workers at World Cup 2022 sites. * In September, England's FA said families of migrant workers in Qatar who were injured or killed while constructing the infrastructure for this year's World Cup should be compensated. * The shirts worn by the Netherlands team during the World Cup will be auctioned to support migrant workers in Qatar, the Dutch Football Association (KNVB) said this month.

☆ FIFA confirms death of migrant worker at Qatar World Cup training base
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Sammy Mngqosini | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —FIFA on Thursday confirmed the death of a migrant worker at the resort used by Saudi Arabia during the group stages at the World Cup in Qatar. “We’re in the middle of a World Cup. And we have a successful World Cup. In his interview on Thursday, Al Khater added: “Look, workers’ death has been a big subject during the World Cup. “This theme, this negativity around the World Cup has been something that we’ve been faced with.

☆ Warnock's decisive victory in Georgia is the final blow to once-hopeful Republicans in 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Brent D. Griffiths | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The Republican Party will end the once promising 2022 cycle having failed to reach many of its goals. This is not how the Republican Party envisioned 2022. In particular, many GOP candidates, including Walker, continue to underperform in fastly growing suburbs. It's all about the candidatesGeorgia Republican Senate nominee Herschel Walker speaks with supporters during a campaign rally in Milton, Ga., on November 21, 2022. While several Republican hopefuls have illustrated that suburban voters are not unreachable, Trump-backed hopefuls have routinely struggled.

☆ NATO ally Turkey is attacking a key US partner force in Syria, and it's upending joint operations against ISIS
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

NATO ally Turkey has been attacking US-backed forces in Syria fighting against ISIS. The US military confirmed on Friday that it's pausing joint operations against the Islamic State. We remain committed to the enduring defeat of ISIS and look forward to the resumption of operations against ISIS in the future." On Wednesday, CENTCOM revealed that local Syrian forces recently carried out a raid and killed the leader of ISIS, Abu al-Hassan al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi. His predecessors were both taken off the battlefield during separate raids conducted by US special operations forces.

☆ Islamic State leader Quraishi blew himself up after being surrounded -sources
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Suleiman Al-Khalidi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AMMAN, Dec 1 (Reuters) - Islamic State (IS) militant leader Abu al-Hassan al-Hashemi al-Quraishi, who was killed in mid-October in Syria, blew himself up after he and his aides were surrounded by local fighters in the town of Jasem, fighters involved in the clash told Reuters. The province was brought under the control of the Syrian army following Russian-brokered reconciliation agreements in 2018 that gave control of southern Syria back to Damascus. Islamic State has selected Abu al-Hussein al-Husseini al-Quraishi as its new leader, a spokesman for the group said in a recording. Islamic State emerged from the chaos of the civil war in neighbouring Iraq and took over vast swathes of Iraq and Syria in 2014. Former IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi declared an Islamic caliphate from a mosque in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul that year and proclaimed himself caliph of all Muslims.

Follow along for live coverage of the World Cup. Morgan had asked for "the honest, realistic total" of migrant workers who had died in the course of contributing to projects somehow related to the World Cup. The figure has not previously appeared in official reports from the Supreme Committee or FIFA, soccer's global body. There are about 2 million migrant workers in Qatar — an estimated 95 percent of the country’s total working population. Thousands of young men from south Asia worked on this and other World Cup projects.

☆ 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.

☆ US military confirms that another ISIS leader has been killed in Syria, revealing that he was taken out in a raid by local forces
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The US military revealed on Wednesday that another ISIS leader was killed recently. Earlier on Wednesday, the Islamic State's media affiliate announced that the leader of the terror group had been killed fighting recently. The terror group didn't mention who killed al-Qurayshi — or where, according to multiple reports. "We welcome the announcement that another leader of ISIS is no longer walking the face of the Earth." He added that actions by Turkey have led the SDF to suspend its operations against the terror group.

He said Abu al-Hassan al-Hashemi al-Quraishi was killed while "fighting enemies of God", without elaborating. The spokesman urged Islamic State members in all countries to pledge allegiance to the new leader, adding that "he is one of the loyal sons of the (Islamic) state". The White House welcomed the news that Abu al-Hassan al-Hashemi al-Quraishi had been killed, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters. Islamic State announced Abu al-Hassan al-Hashemi al-Quraishi as its new leader in March after the death of predecessor Abu Ibrahim al-Hashemi al-Quraishi. Islamic State emerged from the chaos of the civil war in neighbouring Iraq and took over vast swathes of Iraq and Syria in 2014.

Qatar official estimates World Cup worker deaths ‘between 400 and 500’DOHA, Qatar — A top Qatari official involved in the country’s World Cup organization has put the number of worker deaths for the tournament “between 400 and 500," a drastically higher number than any other previously offered by Doha. It also threatened to reinvigorate criticism by human rights groups over the toll of hosting the Middle East’s first World Cup for the migrant labor that built over $200 billion worth of stadiums, metro lines and new infrastructure needed for the tournament. That’s something that’s been discussed.”But that figure hasn’t been discussed publicly by Qatari officials previously. Reports from the Supreme Committee dating from 2014 through the end of 2021 only include the number of deaths of workers involved in building and refurbishing the stadiums now hosting the World Cup. In a later statement, the Supreme Committee said al-Thawadi was referring to “national statistics covering the period of 2014-2020 for all work-related fatalities (414) nationwide in Qatar, covering all sectors and nationalities.”

☆ Qatar World Cup chief says between 400 and 500 migrant workers have died in projects connected to the tournament
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( Sammy Mngqosini | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —World Cup chief Hassan Al-Thawadi said that between 400 and 500 migrant workers have died as a result of work done on projects connected to the tournament – a greater figure than Qatari officials have cited previously. Al-Thawadi said three had died in incidents directly connected with construction of the stadiums, and 37 deaths were attributed to other reasons. The report did not connect all 6,500 deaths with World Cup infrastructure projects and has not been independently verified by CNN. It also fails to recognize that only 20% of foreign workers in Qatar are employed on construction sites.”According to Amnesty International, migrant workers account for 90% of Qatar’s total workforce. The improvements that have happened aren’t because of the World Cup.

☆ Jakobs makes first start for Senegal in Qatar showdown
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-25 | by ( Shady Amir | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

DOHA, Nov 25 (Reuters) - Defender Ismail Jakobs gets his first start of the tournament for Senegal and Meshaal Barsham gets the nod in goal for Qatar as the two sides meet in their second Group A game at the 2022 World Cup. Senegal manager Aliou Cisse swaps Jakobs in for the injured Cheikhou Kouyate and Pape Abou Cisse is replaced by Famara Diedhiou, while Qatar boss Felix Sanchez makes three changes from the side that lost 2-0 to Ecuador. TEAMS:Qatar: Meshaal Barsham, Pedro Miguel, Abdelkarim Hassan, Ismail Mohamad, Hassan Al-Haydos (captain), Akram Afif, Karim Boudiaf, Homam Ahmed, Assim Madibo, Boualem Khoukhi, Almoez Ali. Senegal: Eduoard Mendy, Youssouf Sabaly, Kalidou Koulibaly, Abdou Diallo, Nampalys Mendy, Famara Diedhiou, Idrissa Gana Gueye, Ismail Jakobs, Krepin Diatta, Ismaila Sarr, Boulaye Dia. Reporting by Shady Amir, additional reporting by Nick Said and Philip O'Connor; Editing by Hugh LawsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Fact Check-Qatar’s captain did not wear Palestinian flag for opening World Cup match
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

The captain of Qatar’s FIFA World Cup team did not wear an armband displaying the Palestinian flag at the opening game of the tournament against Ecuador, despite contrary claims spreading online. The posts also include a picture of an unidentified person wearing a Palestinian flag armband over a t-shirt with a Qatari flag (here, here and here). But a FIFA spokesperson told Reuters via email that the organization had not received any reports of Al-Haydos wearing such a band. Streaming of the entire opening game (here), as well as pitch-side pictures (bit.ly/3Ay2eyy), also reveal that the claim is false. While Al-Haydos did wear a blue captain’s armband, there was no sign of a Palestinian flag.

☆ Messi leads Argentina v Saudi Arabia in final World Cup quest
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Saudi Arabia coach Herve Renard kept captain and midfielder Salman Al-Faraj in the team after his recent recovery from a shoulder injury. Abdulelah Al-Malki will keep Saudi Arabia's first line of defence in front of the back line, alongside Al-Faraj. The Saudi team is entirely home-based, with the local league's financial clout ensuring few leading players aspire to play overseas. Following are the teams:Argentina:Emeliano Martinez, Cristian Romero, Nicolas Tagliafico Nicolas Otamendi, Nahuel Molina, Alejandro Gomez, Rodrigo De Paul, Leandro Paredes, Lionel Messi (c), Lautaro Martinez, Angel Di Maria. Saudi Arabia:Mohamed Al-Owais, Ali Al-Bulaihi, Yasser Al-Shahrani, Mohamed Kanno, Saud Abdulhamid, Abdulelah Al-Malki, Saleh Al-Shehri, Hassan Al-Tambakti, Salman Al-Faraj (c), Salem Al-Dawsari, Firas Al-Buraikan.

☆ How Do You Pronounce Qatar? Probably Incorrectly.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Sarah Lyall | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

WORLD CUP 2022 The 2022 World Cup is being hosted in Qatar, which, as everyone knows, is pronounced . Sepp Blatter, the former FIFA president, announcing in 2010 that “Ka-TAR” would host the 2022 World Cup. Hassan Al Thawadi, secretary general of Qatar’s World Cup organization QatarThis has not helped alleviate the general confusion among visitors. “I know it’s probably not the correct way — KUH-ter is for those who probably know what they’re talking about a little bit more — but I’m going with Ka-TAR.”Walker Zimmerman of the United States national team knows he doesn’t say Qatar correctly. Martin Tyler, the legendary Sky Sports broadcaster who is working his 12th World Cup this year, said he would do the same.

☆ 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.

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