Nov 20 What to know as the World Cup kicks off in Qatar By Jenna Fryer, Associated Press The first World Cup in the Middle East began Sunday night with a flashy opening ceremony and a match between Qatar and Ecuador, kicking off a global event under scrutiny for its host country's human rights record. Continue reading
Nov 19 Watch 4:41 News Wrap: COP27 nations near deal for climate disaster fund In our news wrap Saturday, COP27 climate talks inched closer to a deal to create a disaster fund for vulnerable nations, FIFA's head scolded critics of World Cup host Qatar, APEC wrapped up meetings in Bangkok, heavy snow fell in… Continue watching
Nov 19 FIFA president scolds critics of World Cup, Qatar in hour-long diatribe By Graham Dunbar, Associated Press FIFA president Gianni Infantino lectured Europeans for criticizing Qatar’s human rights record and defended the host country’s last-minute decision to ban beer from World Cup stadiums. Continue reading
Nov 18 Watch 8:38 Migrant workers recount abuse while building stadiums for World Cup in Qatar The World Cup starts Sunday in Qatar, but controversies have shadowed the event. To host, the nation went on a stadium-building spree, bringing in thousands upon thousands of migrant laborers. There are numerous stories about the workforce being mistreated and… Continue watching
Nov 18 Qatar bans beer sales at World Cup stadiums two days before opening game By Graham Dunbar, Associated Press Qatar banned the sale of beer at World Cup stadiums on Friday, a sudden U-turn on the deal it made to secure the soccer tournament — only two days before the opening game. Continue reading
Nov 12 Watch 6:32 Human rights concerns in the spotlight as World Cup set to begin in Qatar In 2010, international soccer organization FIFA announced that the kingdom of Qatar would host the 2022 World Cup. In the years since, Qatar has come under scrutiny for its treatment of migrant workers and reports of human rights abuses. With… Continue watching
Nov 11 Israel and Iran bring their politics to 1st World Cup in the Middle East By Isabel Debre, Associated Press Qatar may hope that soccer fans will ignore politics at the first World Cup in the Middle East, but Israel and Iran are bringing sensitive flashpoints to the tournament's doorstep. Continue reading
Nov 08 Qatari World Cup ambassador condemns homosexuality, deepening concerns about the tournament By Kirsten Grieshaber, Associated Press An ambassador for the World Cup in Qatar has described homosexuality as a "damage in the mind" in an interview with German public broadcaster ZDF only two weeks before the opening of the soccer tournament in the Gulf state. Continue reading
Nov 07 Qatar's 'carbon-neutral' World Cup raises doubts from climate experts By Suman Naishadham, Associated Press For years, Qatar promised something else to distinguish this World Cup from the rest: It would be ‘carbon-neutral,' or have a negligible overall impact on the climate. Continue reading
Nov 01 Qatar recruits World Cup fans to sing in opening ceremony with all expenses-paid trip By Graham Dunbar, Associated Press Up to 1,600 fans of the teams that qualified for this year’s World Cup are being recruited for an all expenses-paid trip to Qatar to sing in the opening ceremony and stay for at least two weeks promoting positive social… Continue reading