The UN Human Rights Council, acting on the request of Germany and other countries, will hold a special session on Thursday due to the ongoing fighting in Sudan. The purpose of the meeting is to condemn the violence and to…
Vietnam jails freelance journalist for 6 years
A prominent Vietnamese journalist who documented protests and human rights violations in the communist-run country was sentenced to six years in jail Wednesday, his lawyer said. Nguyen Lan Thang, an activist and freelance writer who is well-known in Vietnam for…
Unopposed Infantino set for 3rd term as FIFA president
Gianni Infantino is set to be waved in for a third four-year term as FIFA president when world football’s governing body holds its annual congress in the Rwandan capital Kigali on Thursday. Delegates from the 211 member federations will have…
Bangladesh accused of violent crackdown on free speech
“I was treated like an animal in a zoo. I was permanently blindfolded – the only time they removed my handcuffs from behind my back was to eat.” Bangladeshi journalist Shafiqul Islam Kajol, known as Kajol, says he was held…
Infantino says criticism of Qatar “hypocritical”
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has accused the Western countries of “hypocrisy” and slammed the criticism towards World Cup hosts Qatar during his opening speech ahead of the tournament on Saturday. “For what we Europeans have been doing around the world…
France captain Lloris will not wear anti-discrimination armband at World Cup
France skipper Hugo Lloris has confirmed that he will not join other European national team captains in wearing an anti-discrimination armband during the World Cup in Qatar. Lloris had previously refused to say if he would participate in the initiative…
Qatar World Cup ambassador criticised for ‘harmful’ homosexuality comments
Remarks by a Qatar World Cup ambassador have been called “harmful and unacceptable” after he described homosexuality as “damage in the mind”. Khalid Salman, a former Qatar international footballer, made the comments in an interview with the German broadcaster ZDF.…
FIFA pleads with Qatar World Cup participants to “focus on football”
FIFA has written to 2022 World Cup participating teams urging them to focus on the football in Qatar and not let the sport be dragged into ideological or political “battles”. The letter from FIFA president Gianni Infantino and the governing…
2 pub owners in Germany to boycott screening Qatar World Cup games
Two pub owners in Germany will not be showing matches from the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. They said they took the decision from “an ethical standpoint” given the Gulf state’s record on human rights. Qatar, the first Middle…
Nationwide protests in Iran continue for 33rd straight day
Nationwide demonstrations in Iran following the death of a young woman in police custody continued for a 33rd consecutive day, with overnight protests in Tehran, Sanandaj and Dehgolan, as citizens chanted “Death to Khamenei,” and students held rallies at several…