Al-Jazeera Bans Footie in Egypt

Egyptian football fans could be set to miss out on this years World Cup as TV broadcaster Al-Jazeera gears up to sue the country for $150million. The spat marks the latest in the ongoing saga between the regional heavyweight and the military regime since the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi last year. The channel, which is banned from operating in Egypt, has launched legal proceedings. The case puts Al Jazeera forward as an international investor, and claims that the Egyptian government’s actions risked investments in the country.

Al Jazeera warned that if the government doesn’t broker a settlement, the case would go to the International Center for Settlement of Disputes. A statement from media law firm Carter Ruck said: “Al Jazeera Media Network has served Egypt with a USD$150 million compensation claim on the grounds that its investments in the country have been damaged since July 2013."

The claim comes following bilateral trade agreement between Egypt and Qatar established in 1999.

The news follows claims that Egyptian television networks will be banned from broadcasting the 2014 FIFA world cup games because Al-Jazeera, the exclusive broadcaster of the games, is boycotting Egyptian TV. EBA boss Abdel-Fattah Hassan said his authority is attempting to contact officials at Al-Jazeera without reply.