Qatar

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Coaches and soccer officials are gathering in Qatar for Friday’s draw for the Middle East’s first World Cup.

There will be 37 nations involved in the draw ceremony but five teams will ultimately not reach the tournament, which begins on Nov. 21.

The full lineup will not be known until at least June, when the intercontinental playoffs and the final European qualifiers are completed.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — A World Cup like no other in its 92-year history will take shape this week at an unprecedented tournament draw.

When FIFA and host nation Qatar stage the draw ceremony show Friday, three of the 32 entries will be placeholders because the three-year qualifying program was delayed and is still ongoing.

A once-in-a-century global health crisis and the war in Ukraine made sure of that.

It means 37 nations will be involved on Friday, including five which will ultimately not play in November when the first “winter” World Cup kicks off.

30 March 2022; MEMO: Qatar has pledged to pump $5 billion into Egypt's investment markets in a boost to the ailing Egyptian economy, it was reported on Tuesday.

According to official mass media in both countries, their respective governments agreed to form a committee to coordinate investment plans. However, no timetable was provided for the formation of the committee or the investment process.

DOHA, March 27 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell said Iran and world powers were “very close” to agreement on reviving their 2015 nuclear deal, which would curb Tehran’s nuclear programme in exchange for lifting tough sanctions.

Iran’s foreign minister appeared to show flexibility on an issue which has been a leading sticking point in the nuclear talks, and Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi group launched an apparent peace initiative to end a seven-year war.

DOHA, March 27 (Reuters) - Turkey and other nations must still talk to Russia to help end the war in Ukraine, Turkey's presidential spokesman said on Sunday, adding that Kyiv needed more support to defend itself.

NATO member Turkey has good relations with both Russia and Ukraine and has sought to mediate in the month-long conflict.

"If everybody burns bridges with Russia then who is going to talk to them at the end of the day," Ibrahim Kalin told the Doha international forum.

DOHA, Qatar (AP) — Ukraine’s president called Saturday on energy-rich nations to increase their production of oil and natural gas to counteract the loss of Russian supplies amid sanctions over Moscow’s war on his country.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy made a surprise video appearance at Qatar’s Doha Forum, an annual summit in the gas-rich nation that will host the 2022 FIFA World Cup later this year. It’s part of a rhetorical offensive of addresses he’s given around the world since the start of the war Feb. 24.

23 March 2022; MEMO: Former Qatari Prime Minister, Sheikh Hamad Bin Jassim Al Thani, warned Gulf states of the West's exploitation of their wealth without taking into consideration the region's interests.

"The West forgets the Gulf states, does not treat them as equals, or on the basis of common interests, and does not remember them except when it has an urgent need," Sheikh Hamad said on Twitter.

DOHA, March 21 (NNN-AGENCIES) –Germany and Qatar have reached a long-term energy partnership, a German official has said, as Europe’s biggest economy seeks to become less dependent on Russian energy sources.

Russia is the largest supplier of gas to Germany and German economy minister Robert Habeck has launched several initiatives to lessen Germany’s energy dependence on Russia since it invaded its neighbour Ukraine.

21 March 2022; MEMO: Germany and Qatar held talks to enter into a long-term energy partnership, news agencies reported yesterday.

This came as Germany, along with other EU member states, seeking to become less dependent on Russian energy sources following Moscow's war on Ukraine.

A statement issued by the Emiri Court said that Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani met German Economy Minister Robert Habeck in Doha yesterday.

14 March 2022; MEMO: Qatar's foreign minister will travel to Moscow on Sunday for discussions on the Iran nuclear talks and Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a source familiar with the visit said, Reuters reports.

The source said Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, whose gas producing country is a U.S. ally, would meet with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.