Contents tagged with World Cup

  • Syrian human rights organizations call for boycott of FIFA World Cup in Russia

    More than 20 humanitarian and human rights organizations in Syria are asking the world’s leading countries to force Moscow to change its policies in Syria by threatening to boycott the World Cup, reports DW.

    On the occasion of the seventh anniversary of the beginning of the civil war in Syria, 22 organizations signed an appeal to the authorities of the United States, Germany, France and Britain on Thursday, March 15.

    According to the document, Russia will be sent a “clear signal” that it may …

  • Ukrainian Foreign Minister calls for the removal of FIFA World Cup from Russia following the poisoning of Skripal

    Pavlo Klimkin, the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, supported the position of Great Britain that the poisoning of former spy, Sergei Skripal, is the work of the Kremlin and called for denying the Russian Federation the ability to host the Football World Cup, as indicated in his statement on the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine.

    "Recent events related to the poisoning of a former Russian spy in Great Britain are very disturbing. Given the data of the British security …

  • Minister of Youth and Sports urged Ukrainian fans not to go to the 2018 World Cup in Russia

    During a broadcast of Pryamiy TV, Minister of Youth and Sports of Ukraine Ihor Zhdanov urged soccer fans not to go to the 2018 FIFA World Cup, which will take place in the summer in Russia. He stated this on Prymiy TV, RBC-Ukraine reports.

    "I saw how the world community was close to [boycotting the championship] two years ago when trials began against the former leadership of FIFA: changes, accusations of corruption," Zhdanov said. Now, according to the minister, the "campaign" for boycotting …

  • European Parliament MP Rebecca Harms called for boycott of 2018 World Cup in Russia

    In an interview with the German publication Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung , Member of the European Parliament (MEP) Rebecca Harms has urged politicians and visitors to boycott the World Cup in Russia.

    "Politicians and visitors should stay away from the 2018 World Cup," Harms said.

    The MEP added that Russia is not a country where it is worth holding such competitions. She named former German President Joachim Gauck, who refused to attend the Winter Olympic Games in Sochi in 2014, as a model example. …

  • Mayor of Kaliningrad urges residents to leave city during FIFA World Cup 2018

    Kaliningrad Mayor Alexander Yaroshuk advised residents to “leave the city for a holiday in nature” during the Football World Cup.

    “The city will be crowded. It will be much harder to move about, virtually prohibited, except for the shuttles which will carry the fans,” Yaroshuk said in a radio interview with Komsomolskaya Pravda.

    The city mayor also pointed out that one of the four World Cup 2018 matches which Kaliningrad will host will be a “top” match.

    “Seventy to a hundred thousand …

  • Ukraine to sell off its broadcasting rights of 2018 World Cup in Russia

    Ukraine’s draft budget for 2018, prepared by the Cabinet of Ministers provides for the sale of the right of the National Public Broadcasting Company of Ukraine (UA:PBC) to broadcast matches of the World Cup that will be held in Russia.

    According to the document, the government expects to earn UAH 200 million for the license, which is little more than $7.6 million at the current exchange rate.

    "This is to determine that in 2018 the funds in the amount of UAH 200 million from the sale of …

  • Media: Russia will not be able to complete Saint Petersburg - Veliky Novgorod highway before World Cup 2018

    A section of the M-11 highway between Novgorod and St. Petersburg that had to be completed before the 2018 World Cup will not be finished until 2019, stated Maxim Sokolov, the head of the Ministry of Transport, as reported by a local news website, Driver of St. Petersburg.

    The Minister added that this year, only a 200-kilometer section of the highway on the approach to Veliky Novgorod would be open.

    "Another 140 kilometers of the road from Veliky Novgorod to St. Petersburg are in the active …

  • Washington: Russia's FSB requested assistance of the FBI in ensuring security during the FIFA World Cup

    The FSB of Russia appealed to the United States FBI with a request for assistance in providing security at the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2018, as reported in the U.S. State Department's most recent annual report on the analysis of terrorist threats in the world.

    “The FSB requested assistance from the FBI with respect to security training in preparation for the FIFA World Cup in 2018,” the document notes. It does not provide any details about what kind of assistance Russian law enforcement …

  • Human rights advocates accused Russia of exploiting workers at the stadiums built for World Cup 2018

    International human rights organization, Human Rights Watch, said that workers building stadiums for the World Cup and the Confederations Cup in Russia are being exploited, according to a statement issued by HRW.

    As follows from the report by the human rights advocates, the salary of workers at six stadiums was paid late or not at all. In addition, they were forced to work without additional protection when the temperature was minus 25 degrees Celsius. Many worked without an employment …

  • German newspaper Bild announces boycott of 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia

    The German newspaper, Bild, announced their boycott of Russia, where the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup will be held in the summer. The German newspaper refuses to send their journalists to the largest football tournament due to censorship by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

    According to Bild, media representatives’ freedom of speech was restricted.

    "Putin imposed censorship on the precursor to the World Cup. Journalists were only allowed to report on Confederations Cup football matches. The …