Tag: qatar

Third Journalist Confirmed Dead While Covering World Cup 2022 in Qatar – FIFA Open Books of Condolence for Three Journalists

It has been confirmed that a third journalist have died suddenly in November while covering the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

ITV Sport’s Technical Director Roger Pearce, 65, passed away while reporting his eighth Fifa World Cup tournament in Qatar.

His death was reported on ITV’s broadcast before the Wales-USA game on November 21.

“We have very sad news to bring you from here in Qatar,” said presenter Mark Pougatch.

“Our technical director, Roger Pearce, who was here for his eighth World Cup, sadly passed away. Roger was a hugely respected figure in the TV sport broadcasting industry, for ITV he has been instrumental in the logistical planning and delivery of rugby world cups as well as the football world cups as well as the Euros.”

“He always had a smile on his face and left a smile on your faces. He was utterly dedicated, professional, charming and hugely popular. He will be missed by so many people inside the industry and at home,” he concluded.

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Second Journalist Dies Suddenly While Covering the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar

It has been reported that Al Kass TV photojournalist Khalid al-Misslam died suddenly on Saturday while covering the FIFA World Cup 2022 in Qatar.

“Al Kass TV photojournalist Khalid al-Misslam passed away recently,” Qatari news media outlet Gulf Times reported.

“Al- Misslam, a Qatari, died suddenly while covering the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022. We believe in Allah’s mercy and forgiveness for him, and send our deepest condolences to his family. We are all Allah’s and to Him we return,” the post concluded.

The cause of Khalid Al-Misslam’s death has not yet been revealed.

According to Express, Al Kass TV barely mentioned their photojournalist’s death on their live show, and it seems they are waiting for more information before issuing a statement.

Khalid al-Misslam is the second journalist to have died while covering the 2022 World Cup.

On Friday, longtime U.S. soccer journalist Grant Wahl died in Doha, Qatar on Friday while covering the World Cup for CBS Sports, his wife confirmed.

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US soccer journalist Grant Wahl dies covering World Cup in Qatar, brother thinks ‘he was killed’

Influential U.S. soccer journalist Grant Wahl died in Qatar while covering the World Cup, his brother announced. He was 48.

While covering Argentina’s quarterfinal win over the Netherlands on Friday, Wahl, who had run his own Substack after a long career at Sports Illustrated, collapsed at Lusail Iconic Stadium and was rushed to a nearby hospital. It’s unclear whether he died at the hospital or in transport.

His brother, Eric, believes foul play from the Qatari government may have been involved.

“My name is Eric Wahl. I live in Seattle, Washington. I am Grant Wahl’s brother. I’m gay,” he said in a video posted to his Instagram account before making the account private. “I’m the reason he wore the rainbow shirt to the World Cup. My brother was healthy. He told me he received death threats. I do not believe my brother just died. I believe he was killed. And I just beg for any help.”

Prior to the USMNT’s World Cup game against Wales, Wahl was initially not allowed into Ahmad bin Ali Stadium and detained for 30 minutes for wearing a shirt depicting a soccer ball surrounded by a rainbow. He was eventually let into the stadium.

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EU vice-president Eva Kaili and four others arrested in huge corruption probe linked to Qatar

Belgian police this evening, Friday, December 9, arrested one of the 14 EU vice-presidents, the Greek socialist MEP, Eva Kaili, according to vrt.be.

A source close to the case informed AFP that the police were probing alleged corruption linked to Qatar. Kaili’s arrest in Brussels came after four other suspects were detained in similar circumstances earlier today.

Among those detained is believed to be 53-year-old Luca Visentini, Ms Kaili’s partner. He is currently the head of the International Trade Union Confederation ITUC. According to the police source, Kaili was arrested and taken into custody for questioning.

Belgian prosecutors did not reveal the identities or nationalities of the other detainees, nor did they specify the country linked to the investigation. Their only comment was that it involved a ‘Gulf’ state. During raids on 16 properties earlier today, a total of €600.000 in cash was reportedly uncovered.

It was confirmed by a source close to the case that Qatar was suspected of attempting to corrupt a politician who was a member of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2019. He is thought to have been an Italian Socialist.

As a result of her arrest, Nikos Androulakis, the President of PASOK has expelled Eva Kaili from the party.

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Qatari Official Casually Admits ‘Between 400 & 500’ Worker Deaths For World Cup Construction

An Amnesty International campaigner on Tuesday led calls for “truth, justice, and compensation” after Qatar’s World Cup chief admitted that hundreds of migrant workers died during the construction of projects related to the FIFA tournament.

In an interview with British journalist Piers Morgan aired on TalkTV, Hassan Al-Thawadi, secretary general of the Qatar World Cup Supreme Committee, was asked how many migrant workers—who make up 90% of the nation’s workforce—have died during the construction of $300 billion worth of tournament-related infrastructure including stadiums, hotels, highways, railways, and an expanded international airport. “The estimate is around 400, between 400 and 500,” Al-Thawadi replied. “I don’t have the exact number, that’s something that’s been discussed. One death is too many, it’s as simple as that.”

Responding to Al-Thawadi’s remarks, Steve Cockburn, Amnesty International’s head of economic and social justice, said that “the continued debate around the number of workers who have died in the preparation of the World Cup exposes the stark reality that so many bereaved families are still waiting for truth and justice.”

“Over the last decade, thousands of workers have returned home in coffins, with no explanation given to their loved ones,” he noted. An analysis by The Guardian found that more than 6,500 workers from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka died in Qatar since the repressive Gulf monarchy was awarded soccer’s premier international tournament in late 2010. The Guardian‘s estimate, however, has been criticized for counting all foreign worker deaths in the country over the past decade.

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South Carolina is becoming home to a quiet Qatari military aircraft project

The nation of Qatar, a tiny Gulf state known for its vast energy riches, tiny indigenous population, slave labor economy, and, of course, its troublesome connections to international terrorist organizations, has commenced a massive but under-the-radar spending spree in South Carolina. Through Barzan Aeronautical, a subsidiary of the Qatar defense ministry-controlled Barzan Holdings, Doha has targeted South Carolina as the location for a major military aircraft initiative. The state is home to several Qatar-friendly politicians and defense industry heavyweights.

Senator Lindsey Graham has held several face-to-face meetings with high-ranking delegations from the $320 billion Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), which has pledged to invest billions into the state. Over the past couple of years, Graham has emerged as one of the major pro-Qatar voices in the Senate. He routinely takes to television and other media platforms to repudiate Qatar’s regional adversaries, while bolstering its allies.

The top donor to South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster’s recent successful gubernatorial campaign is a major Qatari lobbyist. Between 2017 and 2018, Imaad Zuberi, a lobbyist who represents the ultra-wealthy QIA, shelled out over $50,000 for McMaster’s campaign, according to campaign finance reports. Zuberi told associates that his donations to Republicans were a way to pay for further access to politicians, according to The New York Times.

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