Kuwait

FIFA shelved a proposed expansion of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to 48 teams on Wednesday, dealing a blow to the world football body’s president Gianni Infantino.

The 2022 World Cup in Qatar will be played with 32 teams after a proposed expansion of the tournament to 48 sides was scrapped, FIFA announced on Wednesday.

The US government has approved the deployment of a Patriot missile defence battery and another war ship to the Middle East amid increasing tensions between the US and Iran.

President Muhammadu Buhari Thursday in Abuja said Nigeria enjoys a steadily growing and economically rewarding relationship with Republic of India, describing the country as “Nigeria’s biggest trade partner’’.

Floods in Iran have killed 76 people and caused more than $2.2bn in damages in recent weeks, with flood warnings still in place for large swaths of the country.

Uber has confirmed rumors that it’s building out its presence in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia by acquiring Dubai-based ride-hailing service Careem.

US President Donald Trump is again breaking diplomatic norms in backing Israel’s capture of the Golan Heights, with experts warning that he risks justifying expansionism by other countries.

Atta Elayyan, the goalkeeper for New Zealand's futsal team, was one of those killed in Friday's mosque attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand Football (NZF) has confirmed.

FIFA’s council has approved working with hosts Qatar to explore expanding the 2022 World Cup to 48 teams by adding at least one more country in the Gulf to host football matches.

FA chairman Greg Clarke has urged world football's governing body FIFA to ensure human rights will be respected if the World Cup in 2022 is expanded beyond Qatar's borders.

The FIFA Council will meet in Miami on Friday to discuss Gianni Infantino's plans to expand the 2022 World Cup.

FIFA chiefs will decide on Friday whether to back an expansion of the 2022 World Cup to 48 teams but a final decision will only be taken at a meeting in Paris in June, sources said Thursday.

A coalition of human rights groups, football fans, players and trade unions has urged FIFA president Gianni Infantino to confirm that any country chosen to share World Cup 2022 games with Qatar will meet world football's new ethical standards.

A FIFA feasibility study concluded the 2022 World Cup can expand to 48 teams by using at least one of Qatar's neighbours as an additional host, and found there is a a significant change to the format more than eight years after Qatar won the hosting rights and an additional $400 million in revenue could be generated.

Oil prices dropped on Friday as clouds gathered over the global economy after the European Central Bank (ECB) warned overnight of continued weakness and fresh data showed Chinese exports and imports slumped last month.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has arrived in Qatar as part of a tour across the Gulf countries aimed at discussing bilateral trade, energy, investment and regional issues including Syria, Yemen, Libya and Palestine.

Brent crude oil prices hit 2019 highs above $65 per barrel on Friday, spurred by OPEC-led supply cuts and a partial shutdown of Saudi Arabia’s biggest offshore oil field.

Pope Francis heads to the UAE Sunday for the first-ever papal visit to the Arabian Peninsula, birthplace of Islam, where he will hold an open-air mass for tens of thousands of Catholics.