Author: boodhari

Human trafficking has risen sharply due to conflicts, climate-induced disasters and global crises, according to a United Nations report published on Wednesday. In 2022, the latest year for which data is widely available, the number of known victims worldwide rose to 25% above 2019's pre-pandemic levels, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime's Global Report on Trafficking in Persons said. A sharp fall in 2020 had largely disappeared by the following year. "Criminals are increasingly trafficking people into forced labor, including to coerce them into running sophisticated online scams and cyberfraud, while women and girls face the risk of sexual exploitation and gender-based violence," the report said, adding that organized crime was mainly responsible. Children accounted for...

Fifa's confirmation of Saudi Arabia's hosting of the men's 2034 World Cup - despite the country facing years of scrutiny over its human rights and environmental record - will be one of the most controversial steps that football's governing body has ever taken. Yet while many critics will be dismayed at the prospect, few should be surprised given the influence that the kingdom's unprecedented investment in sport has secured. So is the tournament being used to help transform Saudi Arabia's reputation, or can it be a catalyst for social reform? And what does this tell us about Fifa and football more widely? Why is this a coronation, not a contest? Official confirmation of a Saudi World Cup will come at a 'virtual' meeting of Fifa's Congress on Wednesday afternoon. But this has ...