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☆ For Iranians, this World Cup is about more than football
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-21 | by ( Issy Ronald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

In the buildup to the World Cup in Qatar, there were calls for Iran to be thrown out of the tournament. Protesting at the World Cup, on the biggest stage of all for football, carries potentially huge risks for the current players in the national team. Nonetheless, players will be free to protest at the World Cup so long as they do not break FIFA rules, their manager Queiroz has said. Iran’s football authorities vowed that “people who have not followed professional and sports ethics … will be dealt with according to the regulations,” a statement published by Iran’s Football Federation after the beach soccer game said. “While this is happening, I cannot see people being overly excited [about the World Cup] when they’re out on the street fighting for freedom,” Mossavat says.

On Sunday the globe’s gaze will turn to the controversial hosts of this year’s soccer World Cup, Qatar. (The Qatar body responsible for putting on the 2022 World Cup has strongly denied these claims.) According to official Qatari figures, 38 migrant workers have died while working on official World Cup projects. An investigation by The Guardian, however, estimates up to 6,500 migrant worker deaths since the World Cup was awarded to the Gulf country, though it’s not clear what their exact relation to World Cup infrastructure was. But the people of the Middle East shouldn’t be punished by having the World Cup tournament withdrawn for the failures of their governments.

☆ World Cup guide: Teams and players to watch
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-20 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Doha, Qatar CNN —In just over 24 hours, Qatar 2022 will burst into life as the host nation takes on Ecuador in the opening game of the World Cup. Tournament favoritesOnly eight nations have ever won the men’s World Cup, many of which are among the favorites this time around. After being knocked out by England in the Euro 2020 semifinals, the team waltzed through World Cup qualification, winning nine of its 10 matches and conceding only three goals. In addition to making its World Cup debut, Qatar is a relatively unknown quantity with most of its players spending their careers in the nation’s top league. He will be an important player in Japan’s World Cup campaign and has already been dubbed the ‘Japanese Lionel Messi’ back home.

☆ 'It's not safe and it's not right.' Qatar says all are welcome to the World Cup but some LGBTQ fans are staying away
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( Aimee Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

Visitors gather at the FIFA World Cup countdown clock in Doha on October 30, 2022. But Minden told CNN: “It’s not safe and it’s not right.”‘Everyone is welcome to Qatar’A Qatar government official told CNN in a statement that the World Cup host was an inclusive country. It doesn’t sit right with me.”Qatar isn’t the first controversial host of a big sporting event, or even a FIFA World Cup. Wales is one of eight participating European countries at the World Cup supporting the initiative. The World Cup, like the Olympics, puts the host country under a global spotlight.

CNN —FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s near hour-long speech on the eve of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar has been described as “crass” and an “insult” to migrant workers by human rights groups. In an explosive, and sometimes bizarre, monologue, Infantino – the boss of world soccer’s governing body – accused Western critics of Qatar’s human rights record of hypocrisy,“Today I feel Qatari. Infantino’s speech was an insult to the thousands of hard working women and men who have made the World Cup possible. The report did not connect all 6,500 deaths with World Cup infrastructure projects and has not been independently verified by CNN. All would have been constructed by migrant workers, who – according to Amnesty International – account for 90% of the workforce in a near-three million population.

☆ Gianni Infantino launches explosive tirade against Western critics on eve of World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-19 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Doha, Qatar CNN —On the eve of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, FIFA President Gianni Infantino launched a tirade against Western critics of the controversial tournament in an explosive hour-long monologue. Infantino, the boss of world soccer’s governing body, looked on glumly as he addressed hundreds of journalists in Doha, Qatar, Saturday. “We are taught many lessons from Europeans, from the Western world,” he said, referring to criticisms of Qatar’s human rights record. He has spent a lot of time defending FIFA’s decision in 2010 to award the World Cup to Qatar. “Let me first assure you that every decision that is taken in this World Cup is a joint decision between Qatar and FIFA,” he said.

☆ How did Democrats make it so close in the House midterm elections?
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +18 min

While the GOP did still take the House, the close margin of victory was a performance well below what was possible. Here are eight perspectives from across the ideological spectrum on why the Democrats were able to make it so close. And this reality was essential given the defection of Black and Latino voters to the Republican Party and its candidates. America can credit Democratic West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin’s obstruction of a democracy bill and an economic bill for the narrow Republican House majority. But now, America needs to deal with a Republican House, thanks in good part to Manchin’s obstruction.

☆ Qatar World Cup: 'Our dreams never came true.' These men helped build Qatar's tournament, now they are struggling to survive.
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-17 | by ( Aimee Lewis Pramod Acharya Sugam Pokharel | Aimee Lewis | Pramod Acharya | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +31 min

It will be a historic event, the first World Cup to be held in the Middle East, but one also mired in controversy. He had dreamed of watching World Cup matches from the rooftop of the hotel he had helped build. In Qatar, migrant workers can now change jobs freely without permission from their employer. However, a number of European federations have issued a joint statement saying they would campaign at the tournament on human rights and for a migrant workers center and a compensation fund for migrant workers. The motto for Qatar’s bid team in 2010 was ‘Expect Amazing.’ In many ways, this year’s World Cup has replicated that maxim.

☆ National feminist organizations break their silence on Amber Heard in an open letter of support
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Kat Tenbarge | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Kahlan-Rosenblatt.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

It was written by a group of people who identify as domestic violence survivors and supporters of Heard. Many who did speak out in support of Heard, including the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, were met with ferocious backlash from Depp’s supporters online. Others who signed the letter echoed their concerns that reaction to the trial on social media was harmful to everyday victims of domestic violence. Since the trial, there has been more public support for Heard on social media, the spokesperson for the group behind the letter said. She and other anonymous Heard supporters had been “working to combat disinformation for months” when they joined for the open letter initiative.

A false claim that Iran is planning to execute thousands of people has gone viral in the wake of the first death sentence for a protester tied to the ongoing demonstrations against the country’s clerical rulers over women’s rights. An image that has circulated widely on social media falsely states that 15,000 protesters have been sentenced to death. Like much viral misinformation online, the claim about the 15,000 death sentences appears to have started with a kernel of truth. Independent reporting is suppressed in Iran and it is not possible for NBC News to confirm these numbers. “The rumors of a new round of mass executions is likely fueled by memories of what happened in 1988.”

☆ Uganda university drops mandatory pregnancy tests for students after outcry
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-11 | by ( Amarachi Orie | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —A university in Uganda has withdrawn a requirement for female nursing and midwifery students to take a pregnancy test before sitting their exams, after facing a backlash. Female nursing and midwifery students being asked to take a pregnancy test, at their own cost as a pre-condition for sitting exams is peak nonsense!!! !”Dr. Githinji Gitahi, CEO of non-profit Amref Health Africa, responded by tweeting: “What? Because pregnancy has what to do with exams? I wish you all the best in the forthcoming exams,” he continued.

☆ Leading Iranian actor posts picture without a headscarf in support of anti-government protests
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Kriti Gandhi | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

A prominent Iranian actor has posted a photo of herself without a headscarf on Instagram to express her support for the ongoing anti-government protests. Azadi,” a Kurdish slogan that has become popular during the demonstrations and translates to “Woman. Freedom,” Taraneh Alidoosti’s long brown, elbow-length hair is uncovered as she stares into the camera. She also starred in “Leila’s Brothers,” the Iranian film directed by Saeed Roustayi, which featured at this year’s Cannes Film Festival. A well-known human rights and women’s rights activist, Alidoosti is one of several female Iranian actors who have expressed their support for the protests by posting pictures on social media of themselves with their heads uncovered.

☆ Taliban ban women from parks and gyms in Afghanistan
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-10 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

The Taliban are banning women from using gyms in Afghanistan, an official said Thursday, the religious group’s latest edict cracking down on women’s rights and freedoms since they took power more than a year ago. The Taliban overran the country last year, seizing power in August 2021. Women are also banned from parks. “But, unfortunately, the orders were not obeyed and the rules were violated, and we had to close parks and gyms for women,” he said. “In most cases, we have seen both men and women together in parks and, unfortunately, the hijab was not observed.

☆ Becca Balint wins Vermont House race, NBC News projects, and will be state's first woman and LGBTQ person in Congress
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Matt Lavietes | Matt Lavietes Is A Reporter For Nbc Out. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Democrat Becca Balint is the winner of Vermont’s at-large Congressional District race, NBC News projected. She is the first woman and the first LGBTQ person elected to Congress from the state. She added, "Tonight, after 231 years, Vermonters are sending a woman and openly gay person to Congress for the first time." Her victory ended Vermont's status as the only state never to have sent a woman to Congress. In 2020, she became the first woman and the first openly LGBTQ person to be president of the Vermont Senate.

☆ Biden vows Iran will be 'free' amid anti-government protests
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Chantal Da Silva | Chantal Da Silva Is A Breaking News Editor For Nbc News Digital Based In London. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

President Joe Biden vowed to "free Iran" on Thursday, before saying demonstrators there appeared on track to "free themselves" as anti-government unrest sweeps the country. They have also triggered support from women and others across the world, with the Biden administration facing growing pressure from Iranian American activists to do more. "Don't worry, we're gonna free Iran," Biden told supporters in an aside during a campaign speech in California late Thursday after audience members appeared to call on him to address the ongoing protests. The president was speaking at a campaign rally for Democratic Rep. Mike Levin at the MiraCosta College near San Diego. “Change in Iran should only come from within Iran.

The United States on Wednesday called for Iran to be expelled from a U.N. commission on women, citing the regime’s “systematic oppression” of women and its violent crackdown on street protests. Iranian women have been at the forefront of protests across the country since a 22-year-old woman from the country’s Kurdish region, Mahsa Amini, died in police custody in September. Human rights groups have made similar allegations and issued detailed accounts of the crackdown. Two rights groups, Norway-based group Iran Human Rights and the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, said last week that more than 250 protesters have been killed since the protests began. “It’s time for us to stop abetting the Islamic Republic of Iran and start supporting the freedom-loving people of Iran,” said Boniadi.

☆ Iranian Protesters Defy Military Calls to Stay Home
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( David S. Cloud | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Demonstrations in Iran began as a defiant call for women’s rights and have transformed into an antigovernment movementIranian student protesters defied a call to halt demonstrations from one of the country’s top military commanders, facing down security forces at universities and on the streets in multiple cities on Monday. Maj. Gen. Hossein Salami , the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, directed his warning to young protesters on Saturday, saying that they had been fooled by Iran’s foreign adversaries and that they were risking their future.

☆ Climate protesters campaign by throwing food at art, but does that work?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-29 | by ( Leila Sackur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

From cake smeared over the “Mona Lisa" to soup splashed over “Sunflowers,” recent climate protests at art galleries have grabbed international headlines but also raise questions about the effectiveness of these high-profile guerrilla tactics. But he said that war in Ukraine, the cost of living and energy crises had added urgency to the protests. While politicians have taken note of the protests, they have tended to criticize the way they have been carried out. Attacking defenseless works of art is not the right way,” Gunay Uslu, the Dutch culture and media minister tweeted Thursday. “What we’ve seen from Extinction Rebellion and other climate activist groups is that they’re very prepared to go to prison,” he said.

☆ Qatar to suspend evacuation flights for U.S.-bound Afghan refugees while it hosts soccer World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Dan De Luce | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Julia-Ainsley-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Qatari officials have said they plan to suspend evacuation flights for Afghan refugees hoping to resettle in the U.S. while the country hosts soccer’s World Cup next month, according to refugee advocates, congressional aides and a source familiar with the Qatari government’s plans. Afghan refugees trying to book flights to Doha have received emails saying it’s not possible to reserve a seat until January, Afghans and advocacy groups said. Flights are continuing to operate at the moment but refugee organizations are worried the planes will soon stop flying out of Kabul. The Biden administration has not released up-to-date numbers on how many Afghans are in the pipeline for special immigrant visas. A State Department spokesperson said the U.S. has issued more than 18,000 special immigrant visas to Afghan applicants and their family members from January 2021 to Sept. 30, 2022.

☆ Turkish pop star Gulsen appears in court over religious schools joke
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

A Turkish pop singer accused of “inciting hatred and enmity” with a joke about Turkey’s religious schools rejected the charge Friday during her first court appearance. In her testimony Friday, Gulsen said she had teased a band member who was nicknamed “Imam” but had not attended a religious school. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and many members of his Islam-based ruling party are graduates of religious schools called Imam Hatip, which were originally established to train imams. A 48-page indictment against Gulsen had 702 complainants, including from individuals, a pro-government women’s rights organization and a religious school association. Gulsen previously become a target in Islamic circles due to her revealing stage outfits and for unfurling an LGBTQ flag at a concert.

☆ Bank of Ireland offers menopause leave
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-19 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN Business —Bank of Ireland Group is offering paid leave for women employees going through menopause, joining a growing list of companies trying to prevent women from exiting the workforce. Employees will be able to take up to 10 days off a year if they experience physical or psychological symptoms related to menopause, the bank announced Wednesday. The bank, which employs around 9,800 people worldwide, will also train managers on how to support colleagues going through menopause. The announcement was made during Ireland’s first ever Menopause Awareness Week and comes as a growing number of companies in Britain and Europe, including Danske Bank and Deloitte, introduce policies targeting menopause. A separate survey by Standard Chartered Bank and Britain’s Financial Services Skills Commission found that a quarter of women are more likely to retire early because of menopause.

Prakash Singh/AFP/Getty ImagesThe recommendation to free the men was made by an advisory panel appointed by the Gujarat government, led by Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Some lawmakers and activists have petitioned the Supreme Court for the men to be rearrested. Some saw the assailants’ release as a deliberate pitch for votes from BJP supporters ahead of the Gujarat state election. The couple want the decision reversed, as do those who have filed petitions with the Supreme Court. “We strongly believe that what happened with Bilkis was wrong and the convicts should be sent back to jail,” he said.

☆ Opinion | Abortion Is Legal in Ethiopia. But Half of These Clinics Won’t Provide Them.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Anu Kumar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +12 min

When Congress passed the Helms Amendment, only six of those countries allowed abortion in circumstances beyond saving a woman’s life. And every year, more than 16,000 of the women and girls who have received these unsafe abortions die from more serious complications. President Biden also has the power to mitigate some of the harms of the Helms Amendment. His administration could also ensure that clinics in countries where abortion is legal understand that U.S. rules allow them to offer abortion information and counseling. The Helms Amendment is an act of international interference and overreach, and it has to end.

The doctor sent along the questions and answers and received a resounding “no” from the PR official: “We ask that you do not comment to the NY Times at this time.”“They’re censoring me,” the doctor told CNN. Even when they are permitted to speak about abortion as private citizens, these doctors say, their employers have made it clear that they would prefer the doctors not talk at all, and so they have hesitated to speak up. UT Southwestern isn’t the only medical center that has been hesitant to allow their doctors to speak with the media. About 10 hospitals and medical practices said no, Wade told CNN. And I thought we would use our position as a respected women’s health institution to continue to educate about the impact these laws have on women’s health,” she told CNN.

India has long grappled with an epidemic of violence against women and girls in the deeply patriarchal country. And campaigners say the alleged involvement of a woman in this latest case demonstrates the scale of internalized misogyny in society. ‘Loopholes in every corner’Dixit, the police official, said the alleged rape took place around three months ago in Mainpuri – about 270 kilometers (167 miles) southeast of India’s capital, New Delhi. But activists say in the seven years since its implementation, little has been done to empower women and girls, and violent crimes against women persist. Those beliefs appear to have played out in this case too, as the girl did not report her alleged rape for three months, according to Dixit.

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