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FIFA should help compensate families of dead migrant workers, says European Parliament

FIFA should help compensate families of dead migrant workers, says European Parliament
Nov 24 2022 Share

With the 2022 FIFA World Cup having kicked off in Qatar, Parliament deplores the deaths of thousands of migrant workers ahead of the tournament.

On Thursday, the European Parliament adopted a resolution on the human rights situation in Qatar. MEPs highlight that the Gulf state won the FIFA World Cup bidding process amidst credible allegations of bribery and corruption. They deplore the deaths of thousands of migrant workers primarily in the construction sector who helped the country prepare for the tournament, as well as all those injured.

Describing the corruption within FIFA as “rampant, systemic and deep-rooted”, MEPs also deplore that the process to award the football World Cup to Qatar in 2010 was not transparent and lacked responsible risk-assessment, and underscore how FIFA has seriously damaged the image and integrity of global football.

Parliament urges EU countries, particularly those with large national football leagues, such as Germany, France, Italy, and Spain, to exert pressure on UEFA and FIFA to fundamentally reform FIFA. This would include introducing democratic and transparent procedures when awarding football World Cups and strictly implementing human rights and sustainability criteria for hosting countries.

To protect athletes and fans and put an end to sportswashing, international sporting events should not be awarded to countries in which fundamental and human rights are violated, and where systematic gender-based violence is prevalent.

All victims of World Cup preparations should be compensated

With an estimated more than 2 million foreign nationals making up some 94% of the country’s workforce, the resolution welcomes the fact that, according to the International Labour Organization, the Qatari government has reimbursed USD 320 million to wage abuse victims through the so-called “Workers’ Support and Insurance Fund”.

MEPs regret, however, that many workers in Qatar and their families have been excluded from its scope and call for the fund to be extended to include all those affected since the work related to the FIFA World Cup began, covering also workers’ deaths and other human rights abuses. They also call on FIFA to contribute to a comprehensive remediation programme for workers’ families as compensation for the conditions to which they have been subjected.

Full investigations needed

Acknowledging the important contribution of migrant workers to Qatar’s economy and the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Parliament urges the Qatari authorities to conduct full investigations into the deaths of migrant workers in the country and to compensate to families in cases where workers died as a result of their working conditions.

It also supports Qatar’s recent efforts to improve the conditions and rights of workers, which the international community has raised, but calls for the full implementation of the adopted reforms. MEPs deplore the abuse perpetrated by the country’s authorities on the LGBTQ+ community.

This includes the use of domestic laws that allow for LGBTQ+ persons to be provisionally detained without charge or trial for up to six months. The resolution also urges Qatar to strengthen gender equality measures, including abolishing the remnants of the women’s guardianship, while stepping up efforts to increase the representation of women in the formal labour market.

For more details, the resolution will be available in full here. It was adopted by show of hands.

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This could be the best Black Friday deal out there

This could be the best Black Friday deal out there
Nov 24 2022 Share

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The offer is available to all players by logging in or signing up through the link provided in the article above. The promotion opens on the 25th November and expires on 28th November 2022 at 23:59 CEST. 20% discount is available on Lotteries and Scratchcards only. These terms are supplemental to Lottoland’s Promotional Terms and Conditions which are found here.

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David Beckham & Apple among potential buyers after Manchester United was put up for sale

David Beckham & Apple among potential buyers after Manchester United was put up for sale
Nov 24 2022 Share

Football legend and former Manchester United player David Beckham as well as US tech giant Apple are both interested in purchasing English club Manchester United after The Glazers put it up for sale.

Reports began to emerge of Apple expressing interest in purchasing what is considered the world’s biggest football club for £5.8 billion while Beckham is also reportedly open to engaging in talks with United.

The Manchester United legend and cultural icon is reportedly unable of buying the club on his own but may form part of a larger investment consortium which would come together to strengthen their bid for the Red Devils.

A few months ago, 34-year-old combat sports icon Conor McGregor expressed interest in purchasing Manchester United in the wake of the controversy generated by the European Super League. On Twitter, he had written “Hey guys, I’m thinking about buying Manchester United! What do you think?”

The Glazers put United on the market on Tuesday after first purchasing it back in 2005 for £790 million.

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Paola shooter Roderick Cassar to become first person ever charged with femicide in Malta

Paola shooter Roderick Cassar to become first person ever charged with femicide in Malta
Nov 24 2022 Share

Estranged husband Roderick Cassar is set to be charged by the police for the fatal shooting of 40-year-old Bernice Cassar in Paola on Monday 22nd November.

42-year-old Cassar will be the first person to be charged with femicide in Malta after the law was introduced earlier this year in the aftermath of Paulina Dembska’s violent murder on New Year’s Day.

Femicide is an aggravated version of the homicide offence, a law which encourages judges to seek harsher sentences for murders which are committed on women because they are female. Cassar was arrested on Wednesday after police spent 17 hours in front of his Qrendi home attempting to convince him to give himself up.

Lawyers Franco Debono and Marion Camilleri are representing Cassar while lawyers Stefano and Marita Pace Dimech are appearing for the victim’s family parte civile.

On Friday, the international day for elimination of violence against women, local activists will gather outside Malta’s police headquarters to ask who will answer for Malta’s femicides.

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