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Tag: Middle East

  • Pakistan to appoint former spy chief as new head of army | CNN

    Pakistan to appoint former spy chief as new head of army | CNN

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    Islamabad, Pakistan
    CNN
     — 

    Pakistan on Thursday named former spy chief Lt. Gen. Syed Asim Munir as chief of the South Asian country’s army, ending weeks of speculation over an appointment that comes amid intense debate around the military’s influence on public life.

    In a Twitter post, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said Munir’s appointment would be ratified once a summary sent by Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif had been signed by the country’s president.

    Munir, a former head of the country’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, will take over from Army Chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa, who will retire on November 29 after six years in what is normally a three-year post.

    The Pakistani military is often accused of meddling in the politics of a country that has experienced numerous coups and been ruled by generals for extended periods since its formation in 1947, so the appointment of new army chiefs is often a highly politicized issue.

    Munir’s appointment may prove controversial with supporters of former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who was ousted from office in April after losing the backing of key political allies and the military amid accusations he had mismanaged the economy.

    Munir was removed from his office at the ISI during Khan’s term and the former prime minister has previously claimed – without evidence – that the Pakistani military and Sharif conspired with the United States to remove him from power. After Khan was wounded in a gun attack at a political rally in early November, he also accused a senior military intelligence officer – without evidence – of planning his assassination.

    Both the Pakistani military and US officials have denied Khan’s claims.

    Khan is yet to comment on Munir’s appointment, though his party the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said in a tweet Thursday that he would “act according to the constitution and laws.”

    Khan aside, the new army chief will have plenty on his plate, entering office at a time when – in addition to a burgeoning economic crisis – Pakistan faces the aftermath of the worst floods in its history. He will also have to navigate the country’s notoriously rocky relationship with its neighbor India.

    On Wednesday, outgoing army chief Bajwa said the army was often criticized despite being busy “in serving the nation.” He said a major reason for this was the army’s historic “interference” in Pakistani politics, which he called “unconstitutional.”

    He said that in February this year, the military establishment had “decided to not interfere in politics” and was “adamant” in sticking to this position.

    Pakistan, a nation of 220 million, has been ruled by four different military rulers and seen three military coups since it was formed. No prime minister has ever completed a full five-year term under the present constitution of 1973.

    Uzair Younus, director of the Pakistan Initiative at the Atlantic Council, said the military institution “has lost so much of its reputation,” and the new chief had plenty of battles ahead.

    “In historical terms an army chief needs three months to settle into his role, the new chief might not have that privilege,” Younus said. “With ongoing political polarization there might be the temptation to intervene politically again.”

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  • Japan fans win praise for stadium cleaning at World Cup 2022

    Japan fans win praise for stadium cleaning at World Cup 2022

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    Japan’s stunning victory over Germany left their football fans in a state of joyous disbelief on Wednesday.

    Now, supporters of the Samurai Blue are earning praise in Qatar for an off-pitch tradition that appears to be uniquely Japanese: Cleaning up stadiums after other football fans have left.

    In what is becoming an increasingly common sight, Japanese fans stayed behind after their team’s win over Germany on Wednesday and helped to clean up the Khalifa International Stadium.

    As soon as the stadium started to empty, Japanese supporters could be seen taking out light blue disposable rubbish bags and getting to work.

    While the sight of spectators staying back to clean up may be a surprise to many, for the Japanese it is not out of the ordinary.

    “What you think is special is actually nothing unusual for us,” Danno, a Japanese fan, told Al Jazeera with a casual shrug.

    Danno does not understand why people think the gesture is odd.

     

    “When we use the toilet, we clean it ourselves. When we leave a room, we make sure it’s tidy. That’s the custom,” he explained.

    “We can’t leave a place without making it clean. It’s a part of our education, everyday learning.”

    Social media posts featuring Japanese football fans with rubbish bags started doing the rounds in the days following the opening game of the tournament, between Qatar and Ecuador at Al Bayt Stadium on Sunday.

    In one post, a man is expressing his shock at a Japanese fan cleaning inside the Al Bayt Stadium long after most spectators had left and in a match that did not feature the Japanese side.

    Samurai Blue’s supporters have been cleaning up football stadiums for a while; even a defeat does not detract them from this important post-match task.

    During the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Japan lost their round-of-16 match against Belgium with an injury-time goal. Japanese fans were heartbroken but that did not detract them from getting out their disposable rubbish bag and going to work.

    Saysuka, who spoke to Al Jazeera ahead of the match against Germany, said she is aware people are taking notice of their tradition but noted the fans are not doing it for publicity.

    “Cleanliness and tidiness is like religion to us in Japan and we treasure it,” she said, before opening her backpack to show a pack of rubbish bags she will use and distribute to others after the match.

     

    While social media videos of the stadium-cleaning Japanese may be relatively new, tidiness and organisation have deep roots in Japanese culture. These characteristics are gaining a worldwide following through books and television shows.

    Japanese organising consultant Marie Kondo is now a global household name thanks to her books and a popular Netflix series on the topic.

    Takshi, a Japanese football supporter who lives in the United States but grew up in Japan, says he learned the tradition of tidiness as a child.

    “We had to clean our rooms, our bathrooms, our classrooms, and then as we grow up, it becomes a part of our lives,” he said.

    After Japan’s victory over Germany, Takshi and his 13-year-old son Kayde stayed behind with their fellow supporter.

    With Japan now having three points on the table and two more group matches to go, fans and spectators can expect to be treated to more Japanese aesthetics, on and off the football pitch.

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  • Salt, drought decimate buffaloes in Iraq’s southern marshes

    Salt, drought decimate buffaloes in Iraq’s southern marshes

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    CHIBAYISH, Iraq (AP) — Abbas Hashem fixed his worried gaze on the horizon — the day was almost gone and still, there was no sign of the last of his water buffaloes. He knows that when his animals don’t come back from roaming the marshes of this part of Iraq, they must be dead.

    The dry earth is cracked beneath his feet and thick layers of salt coat shriveled reeds in the Chibayish wetlands amid this year’s dire shortages in fresh water flows from the Tigris River.

    Hashem already lost five buffaloes from his herd of 20 since May, weakened with hunger and poisoned by the salty water seeping into the low-lying marshes. Other buffalo herders in the area say their animals have died too, or produce milk that’s unfit to sell.

    “This place used to be full of life,” he said. “Now it’s a desert, a graveyard.”

    The wetlands — a lush remnant of the cradle of civilization and a sharp contrast to the desert that prevails elsewhere in the Middle East — were reborn after the 2003 fall of Saddam Hussein, when dams he had built to drain the area and root out Shiite rebels were dismantled.

    But today, drought that experts believe is spurred by climate change and invading salt, coupled with lack of political agreement between Iraq and Turkey, are endangering the marshes, which surround the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in southern Iraq.

    This year, acute water shortages — the worst in 40 years, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization — have driven buffalo herders deeper into poverty and debt, forcing many to leave their homes and migrate to nearby cities to look for work.

    The rural communities that rely on farming and herding have long been alienated from officials in Baghdad, perpetually engaged in political crises. And when the government this year introduced harsh water rationing policies, the people in the region only became more desperate.

    Oil-rich Iraq has not rebuilt the country’s antiquated water supply and irrigation infrastructure and hopes for a water-sharing agreement for Tigris with upstream neighbor Turkey have dwindled, hampered by intransigence and often conflicting political allegiances in Iraq.

    In the marshes, where rearing of water buffaloes has been the way of life for generations, the anger toward the government is palpable.

    Hamza Noor found a patch where a trickle of fresh water flows. The 33-year-old sets out five times a day in his small boat across the marshes, filling up canisters with water and bringing it back for his animals.

    Between Noor and his two brothers, the family lost 20 buffaloes since May, he said. But unlike other herders who left for the city, he is staying.

    “I don’t know any other job,” he said.

    Ahmed Mutliq, feels the same way. The 30-year-old grew up in the marshes and says he’s seen dry periods years before.

    “But nothing compares to this year,” he said. He urged the authorities to release more water from upstream reservoirs, blaming provinces to the north and neighboring countries for “taking water from us.”

    Provincial officials, disempowered in Iraq’s highly centralized government, have no answers.

    “We feel embarrassed,” said Salah Farhad, the head of Dhi Qar province’s agriculture directorate. “Farmers ask us for more water, and we can’t do anything.”

    Iraq relies on the Tigris-Euphrates river basin for drinking water, irrigation and sanitation for its entire population of 40 million. Competing claims over the basin, which stretches from Turkey and cuts across Syria and Iran before reaching Iraq, have complicated Baghdad’s ability to make a water plan.

    Ankara and Baghdad have not been able to agree on a fixed amount of flow rate for the Tigris. Turkey is bound by a 1987 agreement to release 500 cubic meters per second toward Syria, which then divides the water with Iraq.

    But Ankara has failed to meet its obligation in recent years due to declining water levels, and rejects any future sharing agreements that forces it to release a fixed number.

    Iraq’s annual water plan prioritizes setting aside enough drinking water for the nation first, then supplying the agriculture sector and also discharging enough fresh water to the marshes to minimize salinity there. This year, the amounts were cut by half.

    The salinity in the marshes has further spiked with water-stressed Iran diverting water from its Karkheh River, which also feeds into Iraq’s marshes.

    Iraq has made even less headway on sharing water resources with Iran.

    “With Turkey, there is dialogue, but many delays,” said Hatem Hamid, who heads the Iraqi Water Ministry’s key department responsible for formulating the water plan. “With Iran, there is nothing.”

    Two officials at the legal department in Iraq’s Foreign Ministry, which deals with complaints against other countries, said attempts to engage with Iran over water-sharing were halted by higher-ups, including the office of then-Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi.

    “They told us not to speak to Iran about it,” said one of the officials. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss legal issues.

    Iraq’s needs are so dire that several Western countries and aid organizations are trying to provide development assistance for Iraq to upgrade its aging water infrastructure and modernize ancient farming practices.

    The U.S. Geological Survey has trained Iraqi officials in reading satellite imagery to “strengthen Iraq’s hand in negotiations with Turkey,” one U.S. diplomat said, also speaking anonymously because of the ongoing negotiations.

    As the sun set over Chibayish, Hashem’s water buffalo never returned — the sixth animal he lost.

    “I have nothing without my buffaloes,” he said.

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  • US military says American troops were at risk from Turkish strike on base in Syria this week | CNN Politics

    US military says American troops were at risk from Turkish strike on base in Syria this week | CNN Politics

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    CNN
     — 

    The US military says American troops were put at risk from a Turkish drone strike Tuesday on a base in Syria.

    “We have received additional information that there was a risk to US Troops and personnel,” US Central Command said in a short statement on Wednesday. No US service members were injured in the strike, CENTCOM said. They declined to provide any further information on how many troops were put at risk or where they were located in relation to the attack.

    On Wednesday, Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Mark Milley spoke to his Turkish counterpart, Gen. Yasar Guler. The readout did not offer details of the conversation, but it says the two spoke about “several items of mutual strategic interest.”

    The base near Hasakah, Syria, is used by the US-led coalition to defeat ISIS and Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). The SDF said two of their fighters were killed in the strike.

    It’s significant that the US has publicly said American troops were put at risk, because Turkey is a NATO ally and a critical partner for the US in the region. At the same time, the SDF are also US partners and a play a key role in US-led coalition’s mission to defeat ISIS.

    In the initial statement about the strike on Tuesday, CENTCOM spokesman Col. Joe Buccino said US troops were not at the base. In a statement on Tuesday Buccino said, “We oppose any military action that destabilizes the situation in Syria. These actions threaten our shared goals, including the continued fight against ISIS to ensure the group can never resurge and threaten the region.”

    “Turkey does continue to suffer a legitimate terrorist threat, particularly to their south. They certainly have every right to defend themselves and their citizens,” said National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby on a call with reporters Tuesday. “What concerns us about cross-border operations remains the same … that it might force a reaction by some of our SDF partners that would limit or constrain their ability to fight against ISIS, and that’s what we’re doing on the ground with them.”

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  • Teen Gavi leads Spain to 7-0 rout of Costa Rica at World Cup

    Teen Gavi leads Spain to 7-0 rout of Costa Rica at World Cup

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    DOHA, Qatar — Not since Pelé in 1958 had someone as young as Gavi scored a goal at the World Cup.

    The 18-year-old midfielder led the way Wednesday as Spain pulled off the biggest World Cup victory in its history, routing Costa Rica 7-0.

    “I could never have imagined it,” said Gavi, who was named the game’s most valuable player. “I know I’m the youngest in the team and I respect everyone, but on the field it’s different and I bring out my best.”

    Pelé scored two goals in the 1958 final, when Brazil won its first World Cup by beating Sweden 5-2.

    “I’m proud to be in that podium,” he said. “Not even in my dreams I had imagined this.”

    Gavi only managed to score one goal on Wednesday, but his teammates added plenty of others.

    Not long after Japan surprised Germany 2-1 in the other Group E match, Spain’s young squad avoided any chance of an upset with Dani Olmo, Marco Asensio and Ferran Torres scoring a goal each in the first half. Torres, Gavi, Carlos Soler and Álvaro Morata added to the lead in the second half.

    In addition to Gavi’s mark, Olmo’s goal was the 100th at World Cups for “La Roja,” which became the sixth nation to score more than 100 times in the tournament.

    It was the first time Spain scored seven goals in a World Cup match, and the first time a team completed 1,000 passes in a 90-minute game at the tournament.

    “Our only goal is to control the game continuously, and to do that you need to have the ball,” Spain coach Luis Enrique said.

    With Gavi and 19-year-old Pedri starting, Spain also became the first European nation with two teenagers in the starting lineup of a World Cup match in 60 years, according to statistics platform Opta.

    Gavi and Pedri were among the many youngsters picked by Luis Enrique in a revamped squad in Qatar — the third-youngest team among the 32 nations, after the United States and Ghana.

    The young duo helped Spain control the pace of the match from the start at Al Thumama Stadium. The 22-year-old Torres, who is dating the daughter of coach Luis Enrique, scored his first World Cup goal from the penalty spot in the 31st minute. The others came during the run of play.

    “When things go your way like this, soccer becomes wonderful,” Luis Enrique said. “We played exceptionally well with and without the ball.”

    Costa Rica looked overwhelmed throughout the game in its third straight World Cup campaign, failing to even get a single attempt on goal. The team came to Qatar hoping to repeat its surprise run to the quarterfinals in 2014 in Brazil, and avoid a repeat of its winless showing four years ago in Russia.

    “We didn’t hold on to the possession as we should have done it,” Costa Rica coach Luis Fernando Suárez said. “We couldn’t complete three or four passes.”

    Spanish players made it look easy with the ball on their feet, finishing the match with 72% of possession.

    Spain, which didn’t get past the round of 16 in Russia, is trying to break through with a major title after making it to the final of the Nations League and the semifinals of last year’s European Championship. This year the team also qualified for the Final Four of the Nations League for a second straight time. Spain’s last major triumph came at Euro 2012, two years after it won its lone World Cup title in South Africa.

    Only five countries have scored more goals than Spain at the World Cup — Brazil, Germany, Argentina, Italy and France.

    Spain next faces four-time World Cup champion Germany on Sunday in one of the most anticipated matches of the World Cup.

    ———

    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

    ———

    Tales Azzoni on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tazzoni

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  • ‘I’m waiting for someone to wake me up,’ says Saudi sports minister after remarkable win over Argentina | CNN

    ‘I’m waiting for someone to wake me up,’ says Saudi sports minister after remarkable win over Argentina | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    A day after Saudi Arabia’s historic win against Argentina at the Qatar World Cup, the Kingdom’s sports minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki Al-Faisal says he’s “waiting for someone to wake me up.”

    “It’s been an unbelievable result. The team played really well, they prepared for three years for this day, the coach (Hervé Renard) did an amazing job,” Prince Abdulaziz told CNN’s Becky Anderson in Doha on Wednesday as he reflected on Saudi Arabia’s 2-1 win, which is viewed as the biggest ever World Cup upset.

    “There’s harmony and a really good feeling within the team … they fought from the heart to deliver something.”

    Celebrations for the remarkable victory continued well into the evening on Tuesday and early Wednesday.

    The fan zone area was imbued with the color green as people waved the Saudi flag with pride. Saudi and Arab fans alike were chanting, singing and dancing in euphoria. One fan called it a “huge occasion for the Arab world.”

    “I feel absolutely amazing,” a Saudi fan told CNN. “It was a beautiful game. We beat them with Messi! Argentina actually one of the favorites to win the game, they were unbeaten, 36 games. But guess who beat them? Saudi Arabia!”

    Assem Al Rajihi, another Saudi fan said: “In this tournament, it is in Qatar, which is a nearby country, a country we love. I think many of the fans are coming from close countries, so I think the atmosphere is very close to us. The culture is there, so we are motivated to do our best.”

    That sentiment was echoed by Prince Abdulaziz, who told CNN that the celebrations were not just for Saudi Arabia, but for the entire Arab and Muslim world.

    This Saudi victory is much more than David beating Goliath.

    On Tuesday, an image of Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani did the rounds on social media, along with a photo of him smiling next to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman – scenes that would’ve been unthinkable just 18 months ago.

    In 2017, Riyadh – along with three other Arab nations – cut off diplomatic and trade ties, shut down its borders and closed their airspace, accusing Doha of supporting extremist groups, allegations which it still denies.

    Today, that rift is well and truly over, and Saudi Arabia clinching its biggest football win on Qatari soil is testament to that.

    Prince Abdulaziz said that leading up to the World Cup, many teams typically receive a lot of criticism for their performance and training, including Saudi Arabia, but that after Tuesday’s success, “nobody can say anything” about the Green Falcons.

    Those Green Falcons lined up against Argentina with 11 players based in the Saudi Pro League and even featured substitute Haitham Asiri who plays in Saudi Arabia’s second division.

    Alongside hosts Qatar, Saudi Arabia is the only team to only have a squad made up of entirely domestically based players.

    Saudi Arabia's Salem Al-Dawsari plays his club football for Asian Champions Al-Hilal.

    “We’ve invested a lot in sports the last couple of years, and this showcases the results … we are really restructuring sports in the Kingdom as an ecosystem, and how to make it as professional as anywhere else in the world, because we know Saudis are passionate about sports,” said Prince Abdulaziz.

    “When I started in the Olympic committee, we had 30 federations. Today, we have 97 federations in different sports … that showcases that the country is active.

    “We are doing these things for the people in the country, and it’s benefiting us big time socially, economically on every level,” added Prince Abdulaziz.

    There has been criticism directed to Saudi Arabia for sportswashing as an effort to soften the country’s image. Asked whether he believes those remarks are laced with a vein of racism, the minister concurred.

    “A bit, and maybe also ignorance. People that don’t know Saudi Arabia, have never been to Saudi Arabia, go out and talk about it as if they’ve lived there for 30 years, 40 years. So I always tell people, come to Saudi. Come and see Saudi.

    “See what it is, see the people, meet the people. Look at what the country is doing for the future of the people in Saudi, then you can criticize as much as you like,” he said.

    In honor of the team’s historic win, Saudi Arabia’s King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud ordered a national public holiday for a day on Wednesday.

    Cristiano Ronaldo left Manchester United and is now looking for a new club.

    Manchester United announced Tuesday that Cristiano Ronaldo is to leave the club immediately by mutual agreement.

    Asked by CNN if the 37-year-old football legend would be playing in Saudi Arabia next season, the minister said: “I don’t know.”

    “I read the same thing you read in the news, and we see a lot of things about Saudi Arabia being mentioned in the news, especially when there’s big money around it but I don’t know anything about what his future plans are,” he continued.

    Becky Anderson followed up by asking Prince Abdulaziz if he would like to see Ronaldo play in Saudi, and he replied, “Why not?”

    “We have a strong league. We have in each team seven foreign players, and one on the bench and we are looking to increase that. Our teams play in the top level of Asia, and football is strong in Saudi.”

    Manchester United’s owners have also announced their intention to explore the sale of the iconic club. Asked if Saudi Arabia would put in a bid, similar to its takeover of Newcastle United last year, Prince Abdulaziz didn’t confirm nor deny.

    “Everything is possible these days, but I don’t know about the facts of these reports honestly. We look at all opportunities, like everything else, and we think we believe that these opportunities come once in a lifetime, and we have to take advantage of that in everything we do.”

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  • Japan gets 2 late goals to beat Germany 2-1 at World Cup

    Japan gets 2 late goals to beat Germany 2-1 at World Cup

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    DOHA, Qatar — Another World Cup day, another World Cup shock.

    Substitutes Ritsu Doan and Takuma Asano scored late goals Wednesday to give Japan a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Germany.

    Both Doan and Asano play for German clubs.

    “I believe it’s a historic moment, a historic victory. If I think about the development of Japanese soccer, thinking of players, for them this was a big surprise,” said Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu, who had five Germany-based players in his starting lineup and three, including the scorers, on the bench.

    “They’re fighting in a very strong, tough, prestigious league. They’ve been building up their strength. In that context we believe that those divisions (Bundesliga and second division) have been contributing to the development of Japanese players,” Moriyasu said. “I’m very grateful for that.”

    Ilkay Gündogan had given four-time champion Germany the lead with a first-half penalty. But Doan, who plays for Freiburg, pounced on a rebound to equalize in the 76th minute after Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer blocked a shot from Takumi Minamino.

    Then Asano, who plays for Bochum, sprinted clear of Nico Schlotterbeck and beat Neuer from a narrow angle in the 83rd minute of the first competitive meeting between the two nations.

    The match was played a day after Argentina’s 2-1 upset loss to Saudi Arabia.

    Before Wednesday’s game, Germany’s players covered their mouths during the team photo in an apparent rebuke to FIFA following its decision to stop plans to wear armbands to protest discrimination in host nation Qatar.

    Nancy Faeser, Germany’s sports minister, attended the match at the Khalifa International Stadium and was sitting beside FIFA president Gianni Infantino while wearing the same “One Love” armband that FIFA had outlawed with its threats of consequences.

    It was only the third time Germany had lost its tournament-opening game after defeats against Algeria in 1982 and Mexico in 2018. In the other World Cup openers for Germany, the team had won 13 matches and drawn four.

    Germany outplayed Japan for much of the match with 24 attempts on goal compared to Japan’s 11. Despite giving away the penalty for a clumsy challenge on left back David Raum, Japan goalkeeper Shuichi Gonda made a string of saves and was player of the game.

    “We fought as a team,” Gonda said. “We have to make sure we never stop.”

    Japan next plays Costa Rica, while Germany faces Spain on Sunday.

    Germany’s buildup was fraught by protests and political statements because of Qatar’s human rights record and its treatment of migrant workers and members of the LGBTQ community.

    Germany was playing at the World Cup for the first time since its shocking group-stage exit as defending champion in 2018, while Japan is appearing in its seventh straight World Cup and is looking to reach the quarterfinals for the first time.

    ———

    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Kurdish forces preparing to repel Turkish ground invasion

    Kurdish forces preparing to repel Turkish ground invasion

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    QAMISHLI, Syria — The commander of the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces in northeast Syria said his group is prepared to repel a ground invasion by Turkey.

    SDF head Mazloum Abdi told the The Associated Press that his group has been preparing for another such attack since Turkey launched a ground offensive in area in 2019 and “we believe that we have reached a level where we can foil any new attack. At least the Turks will not be able to occupy more of our areas and there will be a great battle.”

    He added, “If Turkey attacks any region, the war will spread to all regions…and everyone will be hurt by that.”

    Turkey has carried out a barrage of airstrikes on suspected Kurdish militant targets in northern Syria and Iraq in recent days, in retaliation for a deadly Nov. 13 bombing in Istanbul that Ankara blames on the militant groups. The groups have denied involvement in the bombing.

    On Wednesday, Turkey’s military struck infrastructure facilities in northeast Syria, including a telecommunication tower and oil and gas fields, according to SDF spokesman Farhad Shami. He added that one of the strikes hit near Jerkin prison near Qamishli where scores of members of the Islamic State group are held. Another strike destroyed a school in the village of Kuran near border town of Kobani, Shami said.

    The strikes came a day after shelling the town of Azaz, which is controlled by Turkey-backed opposition fighters, killing five people and wounding five others. The shelling came from positions of the SDF and Syrian government forces, according to the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition war monitor.

    On Wednesday, the bodies of three people killed in Azaz were brought to the northwestern province of Idlib for burial. Local officials in the area said that the dead were displaced by Syria’s 11-year conflict that has killed hundreds of thousands and displaced half the country’s pre-war population of 23 million.

    Following the weekend’s airstrikes from Turkey, Turkish officials said that suspected Kurdish militants in Syria fired rockets Monday across the border into Turkey, killing at least two people and wounding 10 others. Abdi denied that SDF had struck inside Turkish territory.

    Turkey has threatened to escalate from airstrikes to a ground invasion. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Tuesday, “We have been on top of the terrorists for the past few days with our planes, artillery and drones. As soon as possible, we will root out all of them together with our tanks and soldiers.”

    Erdogan added that the measures were for “the safety of our own country, our own citizens. It is our most legitimate right to go where this security is ensured.”

    Turkey’s allies have attempted to dissuade such measures. Russian presidential envoy in Syria Alexander Lavrentyev said that Turkey should “show a certain restraint” in order to prevent an escalation in Syria and expressed hope that “it will be possible to convince our Turkish partners to refrain from excessive use of force on Syrian territory.”

    Mazloum called on Moscow and Damascus, as well as on the U.S.-led coalition fighting against the Islamic State group in Syria, with which the SDF is allied, to take a stronger stance to prevent a Turkish ground invasion, warning that such an action could harm attempts to combat a resurgence of IS.

    The Turkish airstrikes, which have killed a number of Syrian army soldiers operating in the same area as the SDF forces, have also threatened to upset a nascent rapprochement between Damascus and Ankara. The two have been on been on opposing sides in Syria’s civil war but in recent months have launched low-level talks.

    ————

    Associated Press writer Abby Sewell in Beirut and Ghaith Alsayed in Idlib, Syria contributed to this report.

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  • Magnitude 5.9 quake hits northwest Turkey, 50 injured

    Magnitude 5.9 quake hits northwest Turkey, 50 injured

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    ANKARA, Turkey — A magnitude-5.9 earthquake hit a town in northwestern Turkey early Wednesday, causing damage to some buildings and widespread panic. Around 50 people were injured, mostly while trying to flee homes.

    The earthquake was centered in the town of Golkaya, in Duzce province, some 200 kilometers (125 miles) east of Istanbul, the Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency said.

    It struck at 4:08 a.m. (0108 GMT) and was felt in Istanbul, in the capital Ankara and other parts of the region. Dozens of aftershocks were reported, including one with a magnitude of 4.3.

    The quake woke people from their sleep and many rushed out of buildings in panic in the province that experienced a deadly earthquake 23 years ago.

    At least 50 people were treated in hospitals for injuries in Duzce and nearby regions, mostly sustained during the panic, including from jumping from balconies or windows. One of them was in serious condition, Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu told private NTV television.

    Power was cut in the region as a safety measure, the minister said.

    The quake demolished the exterior cladding and parts of the roof of a courthouse in Duzce, HaberTurk television reported. Among other damage, a two-story shop collapsed on a narrow street, it said.

    In Golkaya, people gathered in a main square, some wrapped in blankets distributed by the emergency management agency, television footage showed.

    Duzce Gov. Cevdet Atay said schools in the region were being closed as a precaution.

    Around 800 people were killed in a powerful earthquake that hit Duzce on Nov. 12, 1999. In August of that year, 17,000 people were killed by another powerful temblor that devastated nearby Kocaeli province and other parts of northwest Turkey.

    Officials said around 80% of the buildings in the area were rebuilt or fortified following the 1999 earthquakes, which helped minimize damage.

    Turkey sits on top of major fault lines and is frequently shaken by earthquakes.

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  • One person dead after two explosions rock Jerusalem, Israeli police say | CNN

    One person dead after two explosions rock Jerusalem, Israeli police say | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    Two explosions shook Jerusalem early Wednesday, killing one person and injuring more than a dozen others in a suspected “combined terror attack,” according to an Israeli police spokesperson.

    The first explosion occurred at a bus station near the entrance of Jerusalem at 7:06 a.m., injuring at least 11 people, including a person who later died, the spokesperson said.

    After a second explosion almost half an hour later at the city’s Ramot junction, at 7:30 a.m., three people were evacuated with minor injuries, police added.

    Initial investigations indicated that explosive devices were placed at both blast sites and a search is underway for suspects, the police spokesperson said.

    After the first blast, two paramedics from Magen David Adom, Israel’s Red Cross affiliate, said they found two seriously injured people lying on the ground when they arrived at the scene.

    “We were at the MDA station by the entrance to the city when we heard a large explosion,” they said. “We immediately headed to the scene in large numbers, including ambulances, MICUs (mobile intensive care units) and medicycles.”

    “Two seriously wounded were lying nearby, a 16-year-old in the bus stop and a 45-year-old on the sidewalk.”

    This is a breaking news story. More to come…

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  • Twin blasts shake Jerusalem, killing 1 and wounding several

    Twin blasts shake Jerusalem, killing 1 and wounding several

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    JERUSALEM — Two blasts went off near bus stops in Jerusalem on Wednesday, killing one person and injuring at least 14, in what police said were suspected attacks by Palestinians.

    The first explosion occurred near a bus stop on the edge of the city, where commuters usually crowd waiting for buses. The second went off in Ramot, a settlement in the city’s north. Police said one person died from the wounds and Israel’s rescue service Magen David Adom said four people were seriously wounded in the blasts.

    The apparent attacks came as Israeli-Palestinian tensions are high, following months of Israeli raids in the occupied West Bank prompted by a spate of deadly attacks against Israelis that killed 19 people. There has been an uptick in recent weeks in Palestinian attacks.

    The violence also comes as former Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is holding coalition talks after national elections and is likely to form what’s expected to be Israel’s most right-wing government ever.

    Itamar Ben-Gvir, an extremist lawmaker who has called for the death penalty for Palestinian attackers and who is set to become the minister in charge of police under Netanyahu, said the attack meant Israel needed to take a tougher stance on Palestinian attackers.

    “We must exact a price from terror,” he said at the scene of the first explosion. “We must return to be in control of Israel, to restore deterrence against terror.”

    Police said their initial findings showed that explosive devices were placed at the two sites. The twin blasts occurred amid the buzz of rush hour traffic and police closed part of a main highway leading out of the city, where the fist explosion went off. Video from shortly after the first blast showed debris strewn along the sidewalk as the wail of ambulances blared. A bus in Ramot was pocked with what looked like shrapnel marks.

    “It was a crazy explosion. There is damage everywhere here,” Yosef Haim Gabay, a medic who was at the scene when the first blast occurred, told Israeli Army Radio. “I saw people with wounds bleeding all over the place.”

    While Palestinians have carried out stabbings, car rammings and shootings in recent years, bombing attacks have become very rare since the end of a Palestinian uprising nearly two decades ago.

    The Islamic militant Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip and once carried out suicide bombings against Israelis, praised the perpetrators of the attacks, calling it a heroic operation, but stopped short of claiming responsibility.

    “The occupation is reaping the price of its crimes and aggression against our people,” Hamas spokesman Abd al-Latif al-Qanua said.

    Israel said that in response to the blasts, it was closing two West Bank crossings to Palestinians near the West Bank city of Jenin, a militant stronghold.

    More than 130 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli-Palestinian fighting in the West Bank and east Jerusalem this year, making 2022 the deadliest year since 2006. The Israeli army says most of the Palestinians killed have been militants. But stone-throwing youths protesting the military incursions and others not involved in confrontations have also been killed.

    At least five more Israelis have been killed in Palestinian attacks in recent weeks.

    Israel captured the West Bank in the 1967 Mideast war, along with east Jerusalem and the West Bank. The Palestinians seek the territories for their hoped-for independent state.

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  • Ronaldo to leave Manchester United ‘with immediate effect’

    Ronaldo to leave Manchester United ‘with immediate effect’

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    DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Cristiano Ronaldo will leave Manchester United “with immediate effect,” the Premier League club said Tuesday, days after he gave an explosive interview criticizing manager Erik ten Hag and the club’s owners.

    It wasn’t known where the 37-year-old Ronaldo will go next next after failing to secure a move to a Champions League club in the summer.

    “Following conversations with Manchester United we have mutually agreed to end our contract early,” Ronaldo said. “I love Manchester United and I love the fans, that will never ever change. However, it feels like the right time for me to seek a new challenge.

    “I wish the team every success for the remainder of the season and for the future.”

    Ronaldo, who is currently in Qatar with Portugal as he aims to win a first World Cup title for his country, has been left frustrated after being reduced to a fringe member of United’s team this season.

    The Portugal captain said he felt “betrayed” during the 90-minute interview with Piers Morgan, which aired Thursday and in which he was also critical of younger players.

    United said last week that it had initiated appropriate steps in response to his comments, with the cancellation of his contract widely expected.

    “Cristiano Ronaldo is to leave Manchester United by mutual agreement, with immediate effect,” it said on Tuesday. “The club thanks him for his immense contribution across two spells at Old Trafford, scoring 145 goals in 346 appearances, and wishes him and his family well for the future.”

    That statement didn’t convey the club’s dismay after the unauthorized interview.

    Ronaldo’s sudden exit could also speed up United’s plans to sign a new center forward.

    Ten Hag had planned to address his attack at the end of the season, but may now have to look for a replacement during the January window.

    ___

    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

    ___

    James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson

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  • Pele congratulates Weah for World Cup goal against Wales

    Pele congratulates Weah for World Cup goal against Wales

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    DOHA, Qatar — Brazil great Pele congratulated United States forward Timothy Weah for scoring his debut goal in the World Cup in the Americans’ 1-1 draw with Wales.

    Weah got his goal in the 36th minute of Monday’s game to become the first player to score against Wales in a World Cup since Pele, who was 17 years old when he did it in 1958. That was the last time Wales played at the World Cup before this year in Qatar.

    Weah posted a photo of him celebrating the goal on Instagram and Pele congratulated him in the comments section.

    “Congratulations. It was a beautiful goal. Keep dreaming, dreams come true,” Pele wrote.

    Weah responded to “Papa Pele” by thanking him for the “inspiring message.”

    “It is such a blessing and an honor to receive such an inspiring message from The King himself,” Weah wrote. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for the world and us young black men. Grandes Abracos.”

    The 22-year-old Weah is the son of George Weah, the current president of Liberia and the 1995 world player of the year. Weah has scored 18 goals in 75 appearances for the United States.

    ———

    AP World Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/world-cup and https://twitter.com/AP—Sports

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  • Turkey hints new Syria offensive; Russia urges restraint

    Turkey hints new Syria offensive; Russia urges restraint

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    ANKARA — Turkey’s president again hinted at a possible new ground offensive in Syria against Kurdish militants on Tuesday, as Syrian forces denounced new airstrikes and Russia urged restraint and called on Ankara to avoid an escalation.

    Russian presidential envoy in Syria Alexander Lavrentyev said that Turkey should “show a certain restraint” in order to prevent an escalation in Syria, where tensions heightened over the weekend after Turkish airstrikes killed and wounded a number of Syrian soldiers.

    Lavrentyev — whose country is a strong ally of the Syrian government — expressed hope that “it will be possible to convince our Turkish partners to refrain from excessive use of force on Syrian territory.”

    Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces later said fresh Turkish airstrikes on Tuesday struck a base the group shares with the U.S.-led coalition in the fight against the Islamic State group. The base is just outside the town of Qamishli, 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the Turkish border. Two SDF fighters were killed and three were wounded, the group said.

    Turkey carried out airstrikes on suspected Kurdish militant targets in northern Syria and Iraq over the weekend, in retaliation for a deadly Nov. 13 bombing in Istanbul that Ankara blames on the militant groups. The groups have denied involvement in the bombing.

    The airstrikes also hit several Syrian army positions in three provinces along the border with Turkey, and killed and wounded a number of Syrian soldiers, Syrian officials said.

    “We will, of course, call on our Turkish colleagues to show a certain restraint in order to prevent an escalation of tension, and an escalation of tension not only in the north, but also in the entire territory of Syria,” Lavrentyev was quoted as saying by the Russian state news agencies in the Kazakh capital, Astana, ahead of talks on Syria.

    Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said Turkey’s actions would not be limited to aerial strikes, suggesting a possible new incursion — a position he reiterated on Tuesday.

    “We have been on top of the terrorists for the past few days with our planes, artillery and drones,” Erdogan said. “As soon as possible, we will root out all of them together with our tanks and soldiers.”

    Erdogan continued: “From now on, there is only one measure for us. There is only one border. (And that is) the safety of our own country, our own citizens. It is our most legitimate right to go where this security is ensured.”

    Turkey has launched three major incursions into northern Syria since 2016 and already controls some Syrian territory in the north.

    Following the weekend’s airstrikes from Turkey, suspected Kurdish militants in Syria fired rockets Monday across the border into Turkey, killing at least two people and wounding 10 others, according to Turkish officials. Three more rockets were fired on Tuesday, but caused no damage or injuries, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

    While Kurdish-led forces in Syria have not claimed responsibility for the attacks, the SDF on Monday vowed to respond to Turkish airstrikes “effectively and efficiently at the right time and place.”

    The Turkish warplanes attacked bases of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, and the Syrian People’s Protection Units, or YPG on Saturday night and on Sunday. Turkish officials claimed that 89 targets were destroyed and many militants were killed.

    A Syria war monitoring group said 35 people were killed in Turkish airstrikes over the weekend — 18 Kurdish fighters, 16 Syrian government soldiers and a journalist.

    Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Tuesday that Moscow views Turkey’s security concerns “with understanding and respect” but also urges Ankara to “refrain from steps that could lead to a serious destabilization of the situation in general.”

    “It can come back as a boomerang,” Peskov said.

    Also Tuesday, German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser reiterated during a joint news conference with her Turkish counterpart that Berlin stands with Turkey in the fight against terrorism, but said Turkey’s response to attacks must be “proportionate” and mindful of civilian populations.

    Turkish Interior Minister Suleyman Soylu, however, defended Turkey’s actions.

    “They want to establish a terror state around us, we cannot allow that. It is our duty to protect our borders and our nation,” he said.

    Turkey’s defense minister meanwhile, renewed a call for the United States and other nations not to back the Syrian Kurdish militia group, YPG, which Turkey regards as an extension of the PKK.

    “We express at every level that ‘PKK equals YPG’ to all our interlocutors, especially the United States, and constantly demand that all support to terrorists be cut,” Hulusi Akar told a parliamentary committee.

    Ankara and Washington both consider the PKK a terror group, but disagree on the status of the YPG. Under the banner of the Syrian Democratic Forces, the YPG has been allied with the U.S. in the fight against the Islamic State group in Syria.

    ——

    AP reporters Kareem Chehayeb in Beirut and Dasha Litvinova in Tallinn, Estonia, contributed to this report.

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  • 5 rules for watching a complicated World Cup | CNN Politics

    5 rules for watching a complicated World Cup | CNN Politics

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    A version of this story appears in CNN’s What Matters newsletter. To get it in your inbox, sign up for free here.



    CNN
     — 

    The men’s 2022 FIFA World Cup has started, but controversies abound. There are reasons to skip this year’s tournament.

    For example, stadiums erected for the occasion in host nation Qatar were built on the backs of workers from Asia and Africa.

    The conditions endured by those migrant workers have stirred controversy – from the intense heat they had to endure while building Qatar’s World Cup infrastructure to how many of them may have died. World Cup organizers vehemently dispute expert estimates that thousands died.

    RELATED: ‘Our dreams never came true.’ These men helped build Qatar’s World Cup, now they are struggling to survive

    The former Obama administration official Tommy Vietor and the soccer pundit Roger Bennett count the ways this World Cup is problematic in a piece for CNN Opinion. Read their take.

    There’s also the issue of LGBTQ rights. FIFA threatened sanctions against the captains of teams who planned to wear armbands to promote inclusion and oppose discrimination, one of a number of last-minute changes the international soccer governing body and Qatar made to the tournament. Homosexuality is against the law in Qatar, although the country’s Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy told CNN the tournament would be inclusive. Read more.

    If you’re taking Qatar at their word for inclusivity, imagine having shelled out the coin for game tickets, travel and accommodation for a World Cup in the desert only to learn days before it started that stadiums would not sell beer after all. That’s clearly offside.

    There’s a new documentary, “FIFA Uncovered” – which doesn’t paint world soccer’s governing body in an altogether flattering light given the organization’s recent history of wrongdoing – streaming just in time for the World Cup. The allegations against FIFA are not new – the US government made them years ago – but they are worth considering again.

    Watch closely for signs of protest. Iranian players appeared to show solidarity with those protesting against the regime back home. The players stood silent as the Iranian national anthem played out around the Khalifa International Stadium before kickoff on Monday in their game against England.

    With journalists’ access in Qatar limited, some teams may take up the role of protest against the tournament, such as with Denmark’s jerseys, designed to respect the stadium workers.

    Qatar has a close soccer relationship with France, notably investing in the Paris Saint-Germain football club.

    French President Emmanuel Macron told journalists during a recent international summit that questions about Qatar should have been raised years ago, during the bid process. He said the event itself provides a path to openness and has worth.

    “The vocation of these big events is to allow athletes of all countries, including sometimes of countries at war, to allow sport to exist and sometimes find, through sport, ways of discussing when people no longer manage to talk,” he said.

    Qatar’s ambassador to the US, Sheikh Meshal bin Hamad Al Thani, argues the tournament will help change misconceptions about his country, which he says worked with a United Nations organization to improve working conditions.

    “Qatar is not opposed to scrutiny,” he wrote in a CNN Opinion piece responding to the Bennett and Vietor commentary. “In fact we have embraced it – but too often platforms have been used to present one-sided, factually inaccurate arguments that go beyond what some other countries awarded major events have faced, despite each having their own unique set of challenges to overcome.” Read the whole piece.

    FIFA President Gianni Infantino also defended the tournament in an hourlong explosive tirade in front of journalists Saturday. He hit back at Western criticisms of human rights issues.

    “What we Europeans have been doing for the last 3,000 years, we should be apologizing for the next 3,000 years before starting to give moral lessons,” he said.

    Assuming you do watch, here are the informal rules I’ve developed, with help from fellow fans on text chains, for my own enjoyment of the World Cup.

    And by the way, these rules often contradict each other, so you have to weigh the importance of one over the other. That’s up to you. Or make up your own rules.

    That means root for the US over England when the two countries play in the group stage. Root for conquered Wales over England, even though Wales isn’t exactly a colony and England will be the heavy favorite.

    Root for Brazil over Portugal, or Argentina over Spain. There’s something satisfying, at least to this American, about the idea of New World conquering Old World, or an African team defeating France or Belgium.

    Asterisks to the colony rule. When I mentioned this rule to one friend, he pointed out the US, while it sprang from former British colonies, has occupied territories in the Atlantic and Pacific, so it’s not always an easy rule to apply.

    Another complication to the colony rule is the large number of immigrants on many teams. Much of the French team that won in 2018, for example, was born outside France, and most of the players had some roots in Africa – including the young star Kylian Mbappe. Here’s an interesting report from the Migration Policy Institute about the rise of immigrant players on World Cup teams.

    There’s a sliding scale of freedom in the world, according to Freedom House, the independent watchdog that gets funding from the US government.

    Qatar, for instance, scores a paltry 25 on Freedom House’s 0-100 scale that combines access to political rights and civil liberties. But it’s not the lowest-scoring country taking part in the World Cup: Saudi Arabia scores a 7 and Iran scores a 14.

    Nor is the US, at 83, the freest. Canada gets a 98, and Uruguay and Denmark both get a 97.

    Here’s a list of the World Cup countries batched alphabetically into their World Cup group stage assignments, alongside their Freedom House scores.

    Group A:

    Ecuador (71), Netherlands (97), Qatar (25), Senegal (68)

    Group B:

    England (93 for the UK as a whole), Iran (14), United States (83), Wales (93 for the UK)

    Group C:

    Argentina (84), Mexico (60), Poland (81), Saudi Arabia (7)

    Group D:

    Australia (95), Denmark (97), France (89), Tunisia (64)

    Group E:

    Costa Rica (91), Germany (94), Japan (96), Spain (90)

    Group F:

    Belgium (96), Canada (98), Croatia (85), Morocco (37)

    Group G:

    Brazil (73), Cameroon (15), Serbia (62), Switzerland (96)

    Group H:

    Ghana (80), South Korea (83), Portugal (95), Uruguay (97)

    It’s fun to root for the underdog, and the difference in access to facilities and paychecks varies a lot by country. What a European or North American country can offer its squad is a lot different than what an African or Central American team can offer.

    The US gross domestic product amounts to more than $69,000 per capita, according to World Bank data, and Qatar’s oil-rich figure is more than $61,000. Senegal’s per capita GDP, the tournament’s lowest, is less than $1,700. Ecuador, Iran, Tunisia, Ghana and Morocco all have per capita GDPs under $6,000.

    Note on combining rules No. 1 and No. 2. Teams that rate relatively high on the freedom score despite relatively low capita GDPs are Ecuador, Ghana and, to a lesser extent on the GDP front, Croatia, a World Cup finalist in 2018.

    Thirty-two countries participate in the World Cup. Only eight countries have ever won the World Cup trophy. It’s getting repetitive, and all but one are in the tournament this year.

    You can tell by the number of stars players wear on their jerseys. Brazil has won five and Germany has triumphed four times. Italy has also won four but didn’t make the tournament this year. Argentina, France and Uruguay have won two, and Spain and England have each won one.

    That still leaves a wide-open field of 25 teams looking for their country’s first World Cup title.

    If you do watch, expect exciting upsets, sublime goal-scoring and human drama, all replayed and rehashed with the help of a video assistant referee, or VAR.

    Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. This World Cup probably offers the final opportunity to see two masters who have both failed to win the tournament. Now in the extreme twilight of their careers, neither is an odds-on favorite this year to win the trophy for their country (Argentina and Portugal, respectively).

    RELATED: Messi and Ronaldo’s last dance

    Curses. Every World Cup provides England with yet another, probably doomed, opportunity to excise the curse of failure that has followed it since winning the 1966 tournament. Their agony makes for compelling television.

    Brazil can exert its otherworldly dominance upon European teams. Or not, depending on which Brazil shows up. Anything but victory will be a crushing loss for them.

    And finally, the United States can come to grips with why it is so mediocre at the international men’s level in a sport so many American children adore and in which its national women’s team has dominated for so long.

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  • Two Iranian actresses arrested as authorities ramp up crackdown on anti-regime protesters | CNN

    Two Iranian actresses arrested as authorities ramp up crackdown on anti-regime protesters | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    Two well-known Iranian actresses have been arrested by security forces after they showed support for the protest movement gripping the country, as authorities intensify their crackdown on dissidents.

    Hengameh Ghaziani and Katayoun Riahi were arrested on separate occasions for publicly backing the nationwide protests, according to the semi-official Tasnim News Agency.

    Since September, the country has seen widespread demonstrations, triggered by the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini while in the custody of Iran’s morality police. Amini, a Kurdish Iranian woman, died after being detained for allegedly for not wearing her hijab properly.

    Riahi was arrested by Iranian security forces on Sunday, Tasnim News Agency reported. The actress, who is known for her roles in television series “Joseph the Prophet” and “the Tenth Night,” as well as films such as “The Last Supper,” had posted a video of herself without a headscarf to her Instagram account on September 18 – two days after Amini’s death.

    In a separate incident, Ghaziani, who is known in Iran for her appearances in films such as “As Simple as That” and “Days of Life,” posted a video on her Instagram account Saturday which showed the Iranian actress in public without a headscarf, tying up her loose hair in a ponytail.

    “This might be my last post. From this moment on, if anything happens to me, know that I will always be with the people of Iran until my last breath,” she said in the caption.

    Ghaziani was arrested by security forces in possession of a court order just one day after the video was posted, according to Tasnim News Agency.

    She was then brought to the prosecutor’s office and charged with acting against Iranian security and engaging in propaganda activities directed against the Iranian regime, according to the state affiliated Fars News Agency.

    On Sunday, Iran’s judiciary said it had sentenced to death a sixth person accused of taking part in recent protests, according to Tasnim News Agency.

    Citing the Iranian judiciary, the agency said a demonstrator who blocked traffic during a recent protest on Tehran’s Sattar Khan Street and clashed with members of the Basij militia was given the death penalty.

    All death sentences issued are “preliminary and can be appealed” in Iran’s Court of Appeal, Tasnim added.

    At least 378 people have been killed by Iranian security forces in total, including 47 children killed in the country since September, according to Iran Human Rights on Saturday

    CNN cannot independently verify the death toll – a precise figure is impossible for anyone outside the Iranian government to confirm – and different estimates have been given by opposition groups, international rights organizations and local journalists.

    Four of Iran’s Kurdish cities have seen particularly intense clashes in recent days, with 13 people killed over the past 24-hours, activist Azhin Shekhi from the Norway-based Hengaw Organization for Human Rights told CNN on Monday.

    Casualties were recorded in Kermanshah Province, West Azerbaijan Province and Kurdistan Province – where the majority of Iran’s Kurdish population reside – according to Hengaw.

    The death toll since Tuesday last week has risen to 41 people killed in Kurdish cities, Shekhi added.

    Amini's death shed a spotlight on the historic grievances of Iranian Kurdish minorities in Iran.

    An Iranian MP representing Mahabad, which was the capital of a short-lived Kurdish breakaway republic in northwest Iran in 1946, said that at least 11 people had been killed in the city alone.

    Jalal Mahmoodzadeh was quoted in a reformist media outlet, saying it’s unclear if the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) – Iran’s elite military wing – were part of security forces cracking down in Mahabad, but has written a letter to top military officials asking them to de-escalate the situation.

    The IRGC released a statement Sunday saying they were “strengthening forces” at a base in the northwest of Iran to deal with “terrorists and separatists,” a statement published by state-aligned news outlets said.

    The reported death toll followed comments from Hengaw to CNN at the weekend that regime forces’ “brutality” had “significantly increased” against protesters in the last few days.

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  • In conversation with Qatari stand-up comedian Hamad al-Amari

    In conversation with Qatari stand-up comedian Hamad al-Amari

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    Qatari comedian Hamad al-Amari believes the tournament will showcase the culture of Qatar and the Middle East.

    Qatari stand-up comedian Hamad al-Amari believes that World Cup, which kicked off on Sunday, is an opportunity to “showcase” the country’s rich culture to the world.

    In an interview with Al Jazeera’s sports presenter Sana Hamouche, al-Amari also responded to criticism that Qatar lacked a football heritage.

    “Growing up, we played football barefoot. That was what we did as kids. Football is the most watched sport, participated sport in the country,” he said.

    The quick-witted al-Amari, who speaks English with a distinctive Irish lilt having lived in Ireland for many years, remains unfazed by the criticism that has been levelled at Qatar in the build-up to the tournament.

    “I don’t think any other country has been exposed to the things that Qatar has been exposed to in the media,” he said, “and it’s fine, we’re doing it anyway. It’s happening.”

    “It is our responsibility as Qataris to showcase our culture and bring people in, and that’s exactly what we are doing,” he said.

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  • Suspected Kurdish militants fire at Turkish border town

    Suspected Kurdish militants fire at Turkish border town

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    ANKARA, Turkey — Suspected Kurdish militants in Syria fired five rockets into a border town in Turkey Monday, killing at least two people and injuring six others, an official said.

    The rockets struck a high school and two houses in the town of Karkamis, in Gaziantep province, as well as a truck near a Turkish-Syria border gate, the state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

    Gaziantep’s Gov. Davut Gul said at least two of the injured were in serious condition.

    The rocket attacks came days after Turkey launched deadly airstrikes over northern regions of Syria and Iraq, targeting Kurdish groups that Ankara holds responsible for a Nov. 13 bomb attack in Istanbul. The Turkish warplanes attacked bases of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, and the Syrian People’s Protection Units, or YPG, officials said.

    Syrian Kurdish officials have reported civilian deaths from the airstrikes.

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  • Kurdish exile group says Iran hits its bases in north Iraq

    Kurdish exile group says Iran hits its bases in north Iraq

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    ERBIL, Iraq — Iranian missiles and drones struck an Iranian Kurdish opposition group’s bases in northern Iraq late Sunday night.

    The Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan, a Kurdish Iranian group exiled in Iraq, said in a statement that Iranian surface-to-surface missiles and drones hit its bases and adjacent refugee camps in Koya and Jejnikan. The group also asserted that the strikes had hit a hospital in Koya.

    There were no immediate reports of casualties.

    The website of Iran’s paramilitary Revolutionary Guard Monday confirmed a “new round” of missile and drone attacks on “separatist and terrorist” groups in north of Iraq.

    Some Kurdish groups have been engaged in a low-intensity conflict with Tehran since the 1979 Iranian Islamic Revolution, with many members seeking political exile in neighboring Iraq where they have established bases.

    Iran alleges that these groups are inciting anti-government protests in Iran and smuggling weapons into the country, which Kurdish groups have denied.

    Tehran has periodically launched airstrikes against the Kurdish groups’ bases in Iraq. During a visit to Baghdad last week, Iran’s Quds Force commander Esmail Ghaani threatened Iraq with a ground military operation in the country’s north if the Iraqi army does not fortify the countries’ shared border against Kurdish opposition groups, Iraqi and Kurdish officials said.

    The U.S. condemned the latest Iranian strikes. Gen. Michael “Erik” Kurilla, who heads U.S. Central Command, said in a statement: “Such indiscriminate and illegal attacks place civilians at risk, violate Iraqi sovereignty, and jeopardize the hard-fought security and stability of Iraq and the Middle East.”

    Sunday’s Iranian strikes in northern Iraq come a day after Turkey launched deadly airstrikes over northern regions of Syria and Iraq, targeting Kurdish groups that Ankara holds responsible for last week’s bomb attack in Istanbul.

    ———

    Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell in Al Khor, Qatar and Nasser Karimi in Tehran contributed to this report

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  • Reflecting on a modern Qatar during a World Cup game with friends

    Reflecting on a modern Qatar during a World Cup game with friends

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    Al-Rayyan, Qatar – A group of friends and family gather daily at the majlis in a building that is walking distance from their homes in Al-Rayyan, just west of Doha.

    It’s a tradition that has been going on for years and is part of daily life here in Qatar. A majlis is an area in a house or a separate building used for all sorts of gatherings, from daily lounging to more important events.

    But now, with the World Cup in town, it has taken on a different theme: a football watch party.

    The mostly middle-aged and older attendees at the majlis were there to watch Sunday’s opening match of the 2022 World Cup, Qatar v Ecuador.

    In Qatar, they have been waiting for this moment for years. All across the country, in majlis just like this, Qataris tuned in to see themselves on the world stage.

    Not that everyone was here for the game.

    “Honestly, I’m not into football,” said Nasser Al Thani, who is here most days. “They’re all here for the game, but I’m here for the opening ceremony.”

    The opening ceremony, with its display of Qatari history, took the guests back to their childhood. One moment, in particular, took them back when a video was shown of Qatar’s former Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani playing football in the desert in what the guests estimated to be the early 1970s.

    “We used to play in the sands like this,” said Al Thani. “Barefoot, toes bleeding. When I see these old images, it reminds me of the old days. People were simpler and nicer then.”

    Al Thani and the other guests reminisced about their trips to the desert in their youth.

    One of them, Mubarak al-Naeemi, used to play for the Qatari football teams Al-Rayyan and Al-Gharafa in the 1980s. He said that one of his teammates at the time was Hassan Afif, the father of the current star of the Qatari team, Akram Afif.

    “I would play on the left wing; I was good, but Hassan could get the ball to anyone, wherever they were on the field,” al-Naeemi told Al Jazeera.

    Distracted from the game

    Qatar conceded a goal early, setting the game’s tone.

    So, instead of wasting their time by paying too much attention to what was a poor performance from the Qataris, the majlis guests returned to thinking about the changes they have seen in the last 20 years in Qatar, particularly since the World Cup was awarded to the Gulf country in 2010.

    It is well-known that Doha has changed rapidly since then. But listening to the guests here, who saw that change, it is clear how radically different things are.

    “Look at these metro stations,” said one of the guests, Sultan Johar. “Four floors underground. It’s amazing. We got the World Cup out of it, but even if we hadn’t, these changes would have been enough. When you get off at each stop, you see something new.”

    Al Thani points out that the change has gone beyond the infrastructure and spread to the people.

    “Let’s be honest, we didn’t have a strong sense of nationalism or national identity before,” said Al Thani. “The World Cup, this project, has helped build this. Now you even hear the other Arabs who have been raised here, they speak with a Qatari accent. They have started to feel that pride in living in Qatar.”

    But that does not mean that this group welcomes all the changes.

    They recalled that the Qatar of their childhood and adolescence was less developed, but people were hardier and could survive on their own.

    And not just that, the weather was cooler, and rainfall was still rare but more plentiful than today, they said.

    Now, as many World Cup guests have found out, the temperatures are warmer than they used to be.

    “It’s climate change, and it makes us worry about the future,” said Johar. “We never understood things like conservation or protecting the environment. Now we go on trips to the desert and pick up the litter. We get it now but look at the trees. They’ve disappeared in some areas because of the lack of rainfall. And the animals we used to hunt, you have to go deep into the desert to find them now.”

    On the television, Qatar conceded a second and then showed little in the second half, with the game eventually ending 2-0 for Ecuador.

    Most of the guests at the majlis had left long before the end of the games, and the jokes were already rolling into everyone’s phones, commiserating over the loss.

    At the end of the day, the result was not too important for the guests here, but the symbolism of the arrival of such a significant event to their doorstep was. And yet, once this tournament is over, the majlis will carry on, and these friends will still gather, wondering how much more they will see their country change in the years to come.

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