The release of the report Saturday (Nov 30) comes ahead of the FIFA Congress on Dec 11, when a vote will be held to officially appoint the hosts for the 2030 and 2034 World Cups. Saudi Arabia is the lone candidate for 2034 while Morocco, Spain and Portugal have formed a joint bid for the 2030 tournament, with Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay all set to host a match as part of the centenary edition. The Saudi bid "presents a very strong all-round proposition, reflected in the results of the technical evaluation, which assesses the proposed infrastructure (both sporting and general) as well as its commercial potential," FIFA said in its report. But football's world governing body cautioned, "in terms of human rights, the undertaking involved in implementing the various measures... particularly in certain areas, could involve significant effort and time". FIFA said that was the basis for the elevated risk rating for a bid that received an average score of 4.2 out of 5, higher than the combined bid by the United States, Canada and Mexico for the 2026 World Cup. "It is important to note that the bid involves significant opportunities for positive human rights impact," added FIFA. "There is good potential that the tournament could serve as a catalyst for some of the ongoing and future reforms and contribute to positive human rights outcomes for people in Saudi Arabia and the region that go beyond the scope of the tournament itself." Another winter World Cup? Saudi Arabia has yet to build several proposed stadiums for a tournament that could be held in winter, as was the case in neighbouring Qatar. The report highlighted average daytime temperatures in the capital Riyadh that exceed 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in June and July. Human rights, a source of deep controversy at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, threatens to become a major talking point once again in the runup to 2034. Rights groups highlight mass executions in Saudi Arabia and allegations of torture, as well as restrictions on women under the conservative country's male guardianship system. Free expression is severely restricted, with some people handed lengthy jail terms over critical posts on social media. Saudi Arabia, which is hosting several high profile events including Formula One and the WTA Finals tennis, is often accused of "sportswashing", using sport to divert attention from its rights record. "As expected, FIFA's evaluation of Saudi Arabia's World Cup bid is an astonishing whitewash of the country's atrocious human rights record," said Amnesty International. "There are no meaningful commitments that will prevent workers from being exploited, residents from being evicted or activists from being arrested. "By ignoring the clear evidence of severe human rights risks, FIFA is likely to bear much responsibility for the violations and abuses that will take place over the coming decade. "Fundamental human rights reforms are urgently required in Saudi Arabia, or the 2034 World Cup will be inevitably tarnished by exploitation, discrimination and repression."
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Pioneering Métis human rights advocate Muriel Stanley Venne dies at 87Divyendu Sharma is now almost synonymous with the character of Munna Bhaiya that he portrayed on screen in the popular OTT series Mirzapur. His acting prowess is impeccable and the actor has been successful in portraying a variety of roles in the last couple of years, some went on to become remarkable while the others did not appeal much to the audience. Netizens are however extremely glad about a piece of news related to the actor that was shared on Instagram earlier today. There is a lot of hype around Ram Charan's next 'RC16' and Divyendu has also joined the cast of the film. Vriddhi Cinemas shared this news on social media and wrote, "Our favourite 'Munna Bhayya' will light up the big screens in a spectacular role tailor made for him." They further added, "Team #RC16 welcomes the incredibly talented and the compelling performer @divyendu on board." A post shared by Vriddhi Cinemas (@vriddhicinemas) In the poster, Divyendu can be seen in an animal print shirt and messy hair posing with a gun with a smirk on his face. This look of the actor has intrigued his fans and they definitely want to know more. Actor and casting director Abhishek Banerjee could not control his excitement and commented a "Wohooooo" on the post. Fans very warmly also congratulated and welcomed him into the Telegu film industry, a comment on the Instagram post read, "Munna bhai welcome to the Telugu film industry." After the poster release on Instagram, Reddit users did not back down from discussing Divyendu's success. Comments on the thread read, "Now Divyenndu can really say "Jalwa hai humara", while another said, "Waiting for Divyenndu to say "Jalwa Hai Hamara" in the film." Not only that but fans and followers also shared that they were "happy" that an actor as talented as him was getting the right recognition, a user wrote, "Happy bro is getting work." Divyendu Sharma made his Bollywood debut with Pyaar Ka Punchnama back in 2011 and then went on to do quite a few roles before portraying the role of Munna Bhaiya in Mirzapur. He was last seen in Kunal Khemu's directorial debut 'Madgaon Express.' 'Cheap, cringe': Kiara Advani's apsara look, chemistry with Ram Charan in Game Changer leaves fans unimpressed How a crumbled sheet of paper cost Amaran makers Rs 1 crore in penalty Ram Charan faces flak for visiting dargah; wife Upanasa defends with powerful reply
“We will not be a safe haven for those who commit violent acts,” Mayor Adams said at a press conference Thursday after a meeting with incoming border czar Tom Homan. According to ICE data cited in several published news reports, there are about 60,000 undocumented immigrants convicted of or charged with crimes in the city. Adams told reporters that he and Homan have the same goal of promoting public safety by going after violent offenders. Homan says the Trump administration’s repatriation efforts will prioritize threats to national security. The president-elect, however, has suggested that he may go beyond deporting criminals, telling NBC’s Kristen Welker “I think you have to do it” when asked if he intends to deport every person who came to the United States illegally. Asked what he said to Homan about deporting unauthorized immigrants who have not committed crimes, Adams reiterated their mutual desire to target criminals. “I think that what has been reported is totally distorted from what our face-to-face, eyeball-to-eyeball conversation [was],” he said. “His goal is the same goal I have. We cannot allow dangerous individuals to commit repeated violent acts of violence in our cities across America.” Homan spoke positively about the meeting in a Fox News interview Friday, saying he “saw the cop” in Adams during their meeting. “He’s promised partnership. He promised that he’s going to write some EOs to get some of this stuff done and overturn some of the damage that Bill de Blasio did,” he said, referring to executive orders and the previous mayor. Asked whether New York will remain a sanctuary city under de Blasio-era policies that limit police officers’ interactions with ICE, Adams deferred to the City Council. “They told you what their position is,” he said, adding that he will “try” to use his power of executive orders to “go after dangerous people” who commit crimes. Adams called to “unravel” current rules for “clarity” on city officials’ authority. “You could have one of these dangerous Venezuelan gangs that are here. They could be in real active investigation into some of the criminality that they’re doing,” Adams said. “There’s a lack of clarity that, can we assist in preventing the act from taking place? That just makes no sense to me.” “I said, look, I’m not looking for NYPD to become immigration officers. Leave that to me,” Homan told Fox News about the meeting. “But when it comes to public safety threats, we should be on the same side.” After his meeting with Homan, Adams announced a set of proposals to promote public safety, such as exploring “lawful processes” to remove undocumented immigrants convicted of a major felony from the city. He called also for legal pathways for asylum seekers already in cities and establishing a “Safe Communities Working Group” of elected officials, stakeholders, legal experts and others to recommend new safety policies. His other proposals included work authorizations for immigrants, restrictions at the southern border and federal funding for response efforts, a press release from his office states. “He’s putting public safety over politics,” Homan said of Adams.‘Bulldozer action not part of our tradition’: MP CM Yadav
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AP Business SummaryBrief at 6:15 p.m. ESTArticle content The Chicago Cubs are acquiring All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker in a trade with the Houston Astros, paying a big price for one of baseball’s best hitters, a person familiar with the situation said. The person spoke to The Associated Press on Friday on condition of anonymity because the move was pending a review of medical reports. The Cubs are sending third baseman Isaac Paredes, right-hander Hayden Wesneski and Cam Smith, one of their top infield prospects, to the Astros for Tucker, who is eligible for free agency after the 2025 season. Tucker was limited to 78 games this year because of a fractured right shin, but he hit .289 with 23 homers and 49 RBIs for the AL West champions. He batted .284 with 29 homers, an AL-best 112 RBIs and 30 steals for Houston in 2023. Tucker, who turns 28 on Jan. 17, joins a crowded situation in Chicago’s outfield, but the Cubs are reportedly looking to trade Cody Bellinger, who also can play first base. They also have talked to Seiya Suzuki’s agent about the outfielder’s no-trade clause. The Cubs have finished second in the NL Central with an 83-79 record in each of the past two years, and there is increased pressure on president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer to get the team back into the playoffs for the first time since 2020. Paredes is an option for Houston at third base if Alex Bregman departs in free agency. The 25-year-old Paredes hit .238 with 19 homers and 80 RBIs in 153 games this year. He made the AL All-Star team with Tampa Bay and then was traded to Chicago in July. Wesneski, a Houston native who played college ball for Sam Houston State, likely will compete for a spot in the Astros’ rotation. The right-hander, who turned 27 on Dec. 5, went 3-6 with a 3.86 ERA over 21 relief appearances and seven starts this year. He was on the injured list from July 20 to Sept. 20 with a right forearm strain. Houston is hoping the addition of Paredes and Wesneski will help the team continue its impressive run as one of baseball’s best teams. It has made the playoffs for eight straight years, winning the World Series in 2017 and 2022. It was swept by Detroit in the wild-card round this year. While Paredes and Wesneski could have an immediate impact, Smith also was a key component of the deal. Smith, 21, was selected by Chicago with the No. 14 pick in this year’s draft out of Florida State University. He hit .313 with seven homers and 24 RBIs in 32 games over three minor league stops, finishing the year with Double-A Knoxville. Tucker was Houston’s first-round pick in 2015, taken No. 5 overall. He made his big league debut with the Astros in 2018. Tucker had a breakout performance three years after his debut, hitting a career-best .294 with 30 homers and 92 RBIs in 140 games in 2021. He won a Gold Glove the following year. The Tampa, Florida, native is a .274 hitter with 125 homers, 417 RBIs and an .869 OPS in 633 career games — all with Houston. He also has appeared in 64 postseason games, batting .229 with eight homers and 28 RBIs.