Trainers and equipment from Russia landed in the West African nation this week, putting the continued presence of 1,000 U.S. military personnel there in doubt.
When Paris F.C. made its tickets free, it began an experiment into the connection between fans and teams, and posed a question about the value of big crowds to televised sports.
The Saudi ambassador to the United States, the daughter of a storied figure in the kingdom’s diplomacy, is trying to steer relations at a difficult time.