Is there anything good about the 2034 World Cup going to Saudi Arabia?
The magic of a winter World Cup can brighten the darkest days of the season in this part of the world
The magic of a winter World Cup can brighten the darkest days of the season in this part of the world
That this decision has happened so easily is a dispiriting sign of the Saudis’ increasing hold over world sport
News confirms outcome expected for more than a year since Fifa expedited its bidding process for the 2034 event
Midfielder is one of five Republic of Ireland players to have signed letter objecting to sponsorship deal
Amid pressure from petrostates, Donald Trump’s looming US presidency, curtailed activism and continuing implementation difficulties, the progress was better than nothing - but way short of what is required
Campaigners decry influence of Saudi Arabia, Azerbaijan and looming Donald Trump presidency
Unprecedented public rebuke by Cop28 host comes as fuel producers try to derail transition promise made at last year’s talks
Saudi crown prince opens major Riyadh gathering by demanding Israel immediately cease ‘military aggression’ and blockade of humanitarian aid to Gaza
The luxury desert city was built by a jackboot regime using the labour of ‘trapped slaves’
EU and Gulf leaders discuss conflicts in Middle East and Ukraine during ‘first of its kind’ meeting
Lawyers say Fifa is ‘dealing with the devil’ with Saudi bid
Relaxations of social and cultural restrictions under crown prince Mohamed bin Salman have not ended rights abuses in the kingdom
Abbas Araqchi warns Gulf states not to allow use of their airspace or US military bases in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates in the event of an Israeli attack against Tehran
Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund will hold 40% of company behind well known department stores
Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei urges Muslims to stand with Hizbullah in ‘confronting’ Israel
Golf, snooker, boxing soccer ... Saudi Arabia’s rampant colonisation of sport continues apace
Hammad Albalawi denied accusations of sportswashing country’s human rights record ahead of football tournament’s hosts announcement this December
Mahmoud Abbas praises what he sees as a unified Arab and Muslim stand on Palestinian statehood
At his first press conference since taking office in July, Iran’s president said the US ‘must show they are not hostile towards us’
Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority (GEA) Turki Alalshikh has somehow been inducted into Nevada Boxing’s Hall of Fame
Extreme temperatures this year cause fivefold increase in fatalities due to lack of ‘shade or comfort’
Temperatures reached 51.8 degrees Celsius in the shade of the Grand Mosque
The US president came to office threatening to make the kingdom a pariah state. But in a volatile Middle East, their ties have become stronger than ever
‘At my age you have to be open to everything’ says Belgian playmaker who has a year left on his City contract
PLO leader Mahmoud Abbas lauded Norway and Ireland for support over many years
Logistical problems coinciding with concerns about not fit for purpose decision making with deck stacked heavily on side of carbon polluters
According to the plan, Israel would agree Gaza deal in exchange for normalised relations between itself and Saudi Arabia
Washington appears determined to reassert influence in the Middle East after recent disengagement
Arabs do not want to be caught up in tit-for-tat strikes that could morph into war, and have called for restraint
Senators assail consultants for helping Riyadh use ‘soft power’ to build influence in the US
Senator Richard Blumenthal suggests McKinsey, BCG and other firms may be violating federal disclosure rules
The prime minister is a political survivor but with his poll ratings at rock bottom and no clear end in sight to the conflict in Gaza, his situation looks increasingly grim
Customers at new off-licence must carry diplomatic passports and register to buy fixed amounts of alcohol
Houthi militia says it will continue attacking ships in the Red Sea until Israel ends its war in Gaza
Foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan insists Saudi Arabia will not fund Gaza’s reconstruction if there is a return to the pre-war status quo involving warfare every one or two years
Former Man City defender says players are not being treated as well as they are used to at big European clubs
The greatly increased use of the term Global South reflects the old international liberal order giving way to a world less focused on development or cultural difference
Thinking in a climate emergency: Sheer quantity of the material in our environment is beyond staggering
Big firms are ordering their vessels to reroute around the tip of Africa as Yemen’s Houthis step up missile strikes in response to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza
Compromise deal reached at UN climate talks in Dubai is ‘certainly not perfect, but it’s a significant step forward for the world,’ says Eamon Ryan
Countries battle to save climate deal after row over ending fossil fuels
Failure to agree elimination would push planet ‘into climate breakdown’, summit hears
Failure to agree concrete measures undermines regimes’ credibility
Attack by Israel condemned by Palestinian Authority, Jordan and Saudi Arabia as Egypt terms it ‘inhumane’ and a ‘blatant violation of international law’
A statement from Football Australia said it had ‘explored the opportunity’ of a bid but had decided against it
A surreal night of Saudi extravagance as a former UFC fighter almost beat the world heavyweight champion
Saudi Arabia spends €875m on soccer players in three months and ‘can afford’ to contribute more towards climate crisis
BlackRock’s Geopolitical Risk Indicator remains way below levels seen during Russia’s initial invasion of Ukraine and the Covid-19 pandemic
Mohammed bin Salman calls for a halt to US-backed Israeli military operations
Worldview: The fact that the most radical Palestinian groups are fundamentalist Sunni Muslims or Marxists never deterred the Shia Muslim Islamic Republic from arming, financing and training them
Israelis and Palestinians will suffer greatly but the political fallout will be felt much further afield
Winner of the bout in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia will become the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era
Campaign by Palestinian activists warned that such a move would be considered a step towards normalisation with Israel
Remarks directed at Saudi prince who said normalisation between kingdom and Israel was ‘getting closer’
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Inquests into the nightclub fire that led to the deaths of 48 people
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
Weddings, Births, Deaths and other family notices