Source: Al Arabiya
Security & Justice
Captured Hezbollah Operative May Have Been Israeli Double Agent, Report Suggests
The alleged senior Hezbollah operative abducted by Israeli special forces last week in Batroun may have been operating as a double agent, according to a report by The Telegraph.
Monday, November 4, 2024
Lebanon’s Probe into Israeli Raid Expected to Take Days as Security Officials Weigh Theories
Lebanese authorities are ramping up investigations into an Israeli commando raid last week in the northern coastal city of Batroun, during which Imad Amhaz, a Hezbollah official, was snatched.
Monday, November 4, 2024
Opinion
The Emptying of Baalbek Is a Moment to Take Stock
“Large numbers of people continue to flee their homes every day, as Israel’s military operations in Lebanon have been going on unabated.” These disturbing words could be from almost any news report about Israel’s invasion of its northern neighbour over the past month. However, they can be found in a report by the Norwegian Refugee Council’s Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre issued on July 27, 2006.
Saturday, November 2, 2024
A Future Without Hezbollah
At the end of September, when Israel’s campaign to destroy Hezbollah was reaching its height, I met one of the group’s supporters in a seaside café in western Beirut. He was a middle-aged man with a thin white beard and the spent look of someone who had not slept for days. He was an academic of sorts, not a fighter, but his ties to Hezbollah were deep and long-standing.
Thursday, October 31, 2024
Sports
Tottenham Forward Son Heung-min Crowned Asia’s International Player of the Year
Tottenham forward Son Heung-min was crowned as Asia’s International Player of the Year for the fourth time by the Asian Football Confederation at its annual awards ceremony Tuesday.
Wednesday, October 30, 2024
Real Madrid Launch Investigation into Racist Insults After El Clasico Defeat
Real Madrid has launched an investigation into racist insults directed at players during Saturday’s 4-0 home loss to Barcelona in LaLiga, it said on Sunday.
Monday, October 28, 2024
Tuesday 4 October 2022 10:05:37
FIFA World Cup 2022: Rules Football Fans Should Know Before Visiting Qatar
The 2022 Qatar World Cup is less than 50 days away, with the tournament set to attract more than one million football fans from around the globe.
Football’s biggest tournament kicks off on November 20 - marking the first time the FIFA tournament has been hosted by a Middle East country - and fans from within the region and across the world are gearing up for the month-long sporting action.
But what rules can international football fans expect from the tournament?
COVID-19 rules
Anyone planning to watch a match at FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will need a negative COVID-19 test to enter the country. The rule applies whether they have been vaccinated or not.
Fans aged six and above must have a negative PCR test result which must have been taken within 48 hours before their departure for Qatar.
It is also possible to enter with proof of a negative rapid antigen test, but that must be taken 24 hours before arriving in the country. People also need to wear face masks when travelling on public transport in Qatar.
Health insurance
Visitors to Qatar will now have to pay about $13 (QR50) for a health insurance premium, according to the Official Gazette in Qatar. The price will cost the same if the visa is extended. The health insurance premium will cover basic services, including emergency and accident treatment services.
Hayya cards
Anyone wishing to enter the country after 1 November 2022 will be expected to apply for a Hayya card. It is a personalized document issued and reportedly required by everyone attending the FIFA World Cup matches.
It will also provide free public transport access in Qatar, including the metro and bus.
Social rules
It is legal to consume licensed beverages if you are over the age of 21 in Qatar. Fans can expect to be able to purchase alcohol in “licensed bars or restaurants”. The government has also recently announced the relaxation of some of their restrictions on the purchase of licensed beverages for the duration of the World Cup, with beer being made available to fans after 6.30pm in fan zones and before and after matches in the eight stadium compounds - though not at concourse concession stands — before and after games, and during evenings only at the official “Fan Festival.” That is being held in a downtown Doha park.
Game tickets promising access to Champagnes, wine, liquor and beer for hospitality clients at Qatari stadiums have been on sale since February 2021 as part of corporate packages offering “premium beverages.” Drinking in public is still prohibited.
Clothing
Fans have been advised to dress “modestly”, with shoulders covered. Shorts or sleeveless tops are not recommended, with entry to some official buildings likely to be denied if found to be shy of modesty standards, according to The Independent newspaper in the UK, referencing the Qatar Tourism Authority.
Smoking
Whilst smoking cigarettes is legal in Qatar, it is prohibited in all public spaces including museums, sports clubs, shopping malls and restaurants. Violators can be subject to fines.
The importation, purchase and use of e-cigarettes have been banned in Qatar since 2014, with offenders punishable by up to three months imprisonment and a fine of about $2,750 (QAR 10,000).
Football’s biggest tournament kicks off with a match between Qatar and Ecuador at Doha’s al-Bayt Arena.
More than 2 million tickets for the FIFA World Cup have been sold to date.
