Asia

Chances of being struck by lightning are rare, but even rarest are the stories of those who were able to survive them. 

Referee Charlie Panes is one of those stories.

Referee struck by lightning

The 24-year-old official was overseeing a match in Bago City, Philippines, when nature hit him. 

The action captured on video shows how the lighting first struck an acacia tree before ricocheting toward the ref, in a sequence of events that probably ended up saving his life.

Russian President Vladimir Putin wished Qatar success in staging the upcoming World Cup and said the 2018 hosts were sharing their experience in organizing the tournament.

Russia reached the World Cup quarterfinals in 2018 but is barred from the Nov. 20-Dec. 18 tournament due to its invasion of Ukraine earlier this year.

Putin met Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani on the sidelines of a summit in Kazakhstan on Thursday.

The final FIFA rankings before the 2022 World Cup were released Thursday, revealing a top five that's largely in line with what the odds makers have for the tournament in Qatar. 

Brazil rightfully holds the top spot and is seen as the favorite after turning its qualifying campaign into a program on Joga TV, while the Seleção's eternal rivals, Argentina, sit third riding a 35-match unbeaten streak.

MALANG, Indonesia - Andi Hariyanto says he will never watch a football match again after his wife, two teenage daughters and a cousin were crushed to death in a stampede at an Indonesian stadium last week.

Watching local team Arema FC play on Saturday was a special outing for soccer fan Andi's family, including his two-year-old son.

Saturday night's soccer stadium disaster in Indonesia was one of the world's worst such incidents. Here is a look at some of the worst soccer stadium disasters over the last 40 years:

MALANG — Dozens of Indonesian police were placed under investigation on Monday over a stampede at a soccer match that killed 125 people, as authorities sought to determine what caused one of the world's deadliest stadium disasters and who was to blame.

Panicked spectators were crushed on Saturday as they tried to flee the overcrowded stadium in Malang, East Java, after police fired tear gas to disperse fans of Arema FC, who had poured onto the pitch after a 3-2 home defeat to Persebaya Surabaya.

Fans attending the World Cup in Qatar must show proof of a negative COVID-19 test regardless of their vaccination status, organizers said in a statement on Thursday.

All visitors aged six and over must present a negative result from a PCR test taken within 48 hours before their departure or from a rapid antigen test taken in the 24 hours before arriving, the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy said.