What to know about Qatar before attending the 2022 FIFA World Cup
3 min readFrom prison for premarital sex to not pointing your finger, there are a few things you should be aware of before traveling to Qatar for the World Cup. The country’s poor human rights record is also in the spotlight.
Qatar is considered one of the countries with the most influence over the hard-line Islamist group. Meanwhile, Taliban forces in Kabul have been ordered to wear uniforms, after fighters harassed and beat people.
According to Doha, over 230 Afghan, US and European nationals were aboard the Qatari flight, the fourth to evacuate citizens since the end of the US mission in Afghanistan.
Qataris voted for 30 out of the 45-member council that will approve general state policies — but will have no say in the setting of defense, security or economic policy.
The US has promised to provide humanitarian support to the Afghan population, but maintained that it does not formally recognize the Taliban’s rule.
Labourers on World Cup projects being given more protection, needs to extend to all workers says human rights group.
FIFA held an official ceremony on Sunday (November 21) to mark one year to go until the opening match of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, with the tournament, played for the first time in a northern hemisphere winter, rapidly taking shape.
The opening match will take place on Nov. 21 in the 60,000 capacity Al Bayt Stadium. Kickoff will no doubt come as some relief to organizers as the football takes centre stage, shifting the limelight away from the numerous off-pitch issues, such as labour rights for migrant workers, that have surrounded the event.
Architects from Spain have completed a novel design for the upcoming FIFA 2022 World Cup in Qatar. Named the 974 Stadium, the 40,000-seater facility it’s designed to be relatively easy to disassemble and rebuild, and was constructed using almost 1,000 shipping containers.
Amnesty International on Monday called on football’s global governing body FIFA to put more pressure on 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar to improve conditions for workers in the Gulf country. But the rights group said Qatar was at risk of slipping backwards.
Germany has vowed to wean itself off Russian gas imports in the wake of the invasion of Ukraine. Economy Minister Robert Habeck is visiting Qatar, one of the world’s largest exporters of liquified natural gas (LNG).
Four Argentine friends will cycle 10,500 kilometres from South Africa to Qatar to support their country at the World Cup in November, an initiative that will also lead to 10,500 new trees being planted in their homeland.
As Berlin seeks to ween itself off Russian energy sources, Chancellor Scholz has said Qatar “plays an important role” in energy policy. The visiting Emir of Qatar has confirmed could start LNG deliveries by 2024.
One of the many firsts at the 2022 men’s World Cup in Qatar will be the use of female referees. Japan’s Yoshimi Yamashita says she will feel the pressure when she steps out on soccer’s biggest stage, but hopes to be very much in the background.
A business in Nigeria is recycled discarded laptops into solar lanterns – creating a solution to the country’s severe power outages whilst also helping to tackle climate change.
CNBC’s Tyler Mathisen reports that Kanye West is going to buy right-wing social media platform Parler.
Find these stories and much more when you grab a copy of The Guardian on Thursday.
Ghanaian music festival Afrochella is currently facing a lawsuit from California’s Coachella for trademark infringement. Coachella and its organizers Goldenvoice claimed in the lawsuit that Afrochella is actively promoting music events in the United States and in Ghana by intentionally adding the suffix “CHELLA”.
Besides soldiers hurling rockets and bombs, hacker groups backing Ukraine and Russia are also fighting each other. They are trying to disrupt or paralyze critical infrastructure. Yet as in most wars, civilians suffer the most.
The latest data shows that inflation rose on average to 10.9% across the European Union. The figures come as inflation in the UK hit a 40-year high.