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'Friends of Syria' meeting in Doha Saturday: French diplomat

Foreign ministers of the "Friends of Syria" group will meet in Doha on Saturday to discuss aid for the rebels, including military help, a French diplomat said. Ministers of Britain, France, the United States, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Egypt will attend the meeting, the source said Wednesday. It will address in a "concerted, coordinated and complementary manner" the concerns raised by the opposition's military chief during the last "Friends of Syria" meeting in Ankara last Friday, the diplomat said.

'Friends of Syria' meeting in Doha Saturday: French diplomat

Foreign ministers of the "Friends of Syria" group will meet in Doha on Saturday to discuss aid for the rebels, including military help, a French diplomat said. Ministers of Britain, France, the United States, Germany, Italy, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey and Egypt will attend the meeting, the source said Wednesday. cr/ach/gd

Football: Jordan keep WC hopes alive with victory over Oman

A 57th minute strike by Ahmad Ibrahim was enough to keep alive host Jordan's chances of qualifying for the 2014 World Cup after they beat Oman 1-0 in their Group B Asian qualifier match. At King Abdullah International Stadium in Amman, the hosts created most of the chances and avenged their earlier 2-1 away loss.

Ban calls for end to Saddam-era sanctions against Iraq

UN leader Ban Ki-moon on Tuesday called for the end of the threat of sanctions against Iraq for its 1990 invasion of Kuwait amid a significant thaw between the neighbors. Ban said both governments have shown "statesmanship and respect" in healing the scars of the invasion that led to the creation of an international coalition to expel Saddam Hussein's forces.

Egypt's army distances itself from regional conflict: report

CAIRO (Reuters) - The Egyptian army will not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, the state news agency quoted a military source as saying on Sunday, one day after President Mohamed Mursi backed the idea of a no-fly zone in Syria. "The Egyptian army is to protect Egypt and its national security only ... The Egyptian army will not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries and will not be lured or used in any regional conflicts," the military source said. A military spokesman declined to comment.

Saudi king congratulates Iran's new president

Saudi King Abdullah on Sunday congratulated moderate cleric Hassan Rowhani on his election as the new president of the Iran, the kingdom's Shiite rival across the Gulf. "We are glad to congratulate you in the name of the people and government of Saudi Arabia... wishing prosperity to the people of the brotherly Islamic republic of Iran," King Abdullah told Rowhani in a letter carried by the official SPA news agency. It said the king hailed Rowhani's views on regional cooperation and improving relations.

Libya in deal to sell Tunisia 10 mn barrels of oil

Libya will sell Tunisia 10 million barrels of oil from August until the end of 2014 at an undisclosed price under a deal signed on Tuesday, according to a transcript of the meeting. The crude would be delivered at the rate of 450,000 barrels a month through December and then at 650,000 barrels monthly next year, the document said. While no price was disclosed, Tunisia asked the authorities in the neighbouring North African country in April to sell it oil at preferential rates.

Insight: Saudi edges Qatar to control Syrian rebel support

By Mariam Karouny BEIRUT (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has prevailed over its small but ambitious Gulf neighbor Qatar to impose itself as the main outside force supporting the Syrian rebels, a move that may curb the influence of Qatari-backed Islamist militants.

Football: Real Madrid agree Emirates sponsorship

Real Madrid on Thursday announced a five-year shirt sponsorship deal with Emirates airlines that could earn the club 30 million euros ($39.1m) per year. Madrid president Florentino Perez made the announcement at the club's Santiago Bernabeu stadium alongside Emirates chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum. The Dubai-based airline will become the club's main sponsor from the start of next season through to the end of the 2017-18 campaign. Perez did not reveal any figures but Spanish media reports suggested the deal will be worth 30 million euros per season.

Syria's paralysed opposition makes no progress on peace talks

A week into marathon talks aimed at presenting a united front on a proposed peace conference, Syria's opposition remains more divided than ever, pulled apart by regional power grabs and unpopular with rebels on the ground. Despite going into several days of overtime at a key meeting in Istanbul, the main Syrian opposition group, the National Coalition, has failed to agree on a whether to join a proposed peace conference aimed at ending a more than two-year civil war that has cost some 94,000 lives.
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