Tag Archives: Qatar

World’s fattest countries REVEALED in new interactive map

It’s one of the world’s most remote islands, home to picturesque beaches, golden sands and even an underground lake. 

Yet the Pacific island of Nauru doesn’t just top the chart for being one of the most luxurious holiday destinations.

For data suggests it’s actually the fattest country in the world.

Almost nine in 10 people on the island, a four-and-a-half hour flight from Brisbane, are overweight. 

The 10 MOST overweight nations in the world

1. Nauru – 88.5 per cent 

2. Palau – 85.1 per cent 

3. Cook Islands – 84.7 per cent 

4. Marshall Islands – 83.5 per cent 

5. Tuvalu – 81.9 per cent 

6. Niue – 80.0 per cent 

7. Kiribati – 78.7 per cent 

8. Tonga – 78.5 per cent 

9. Samoa – 77.6 per cent 

10. Micronesia – 75.9 per cent 

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The 10 LEAST overweight nations in the world

1. Vietnam – 18.3 per cent 

2. India – 19.7 per cent 

3. Bangladesh – 20.0 per cent 

4. Ethiopia – 20.9 per cent 

5. Nepal – 21.0 per cent 

6. Timor – 21.6 per cent 

7. Cambodia – 21.7 per cent 

8. Eritrea – 22.0 per cent 

9. Niger – 22.0 per cent 

10. Burundi – 22.2 per cent  

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In contrast, Vietnam holds the accolade for being the skinniest nation. 

Just 18.3 per cent of the south-east Asian nation’s population were recorded to be overweight or obese during the most recent global study. 

A fascinating interactive map published by Our World in Data — which MailOnline app users can see by clicking here — illustrates the huge divide in obesity rates.

The data comes from a compilation of figures from 195 countries around the globe in 2016.

It showed that over a third — or 39 per cent — of the world’s adults were overweight or obese.

Roughly 64 per cent of Brits and 68 per cent of Americans are also fat, figures show. 

The stats come from the NCD Risk Factor Collaboration, which recorded worldwide trends of 128.9m people between 1975 and 2016.

It looked at data on body mass, specifically the amount of people who were underweight, overweight or obese.

Not one single nation saw a decrease in obesity rates during the time period, the data published by Our World in Data revealed. 

All ten of the world’s fattest nations were found in the Pacific, with the island of Palau reporting the second highest share of adults that are overweight or obese, at 85.1 per cent.

This was followed by the Cook Islands, Marshall Islands and Tuvalu who recorded rates of 84.7 per cent, 83.5 per cent and 81.9 per cent, respectively.

Outside of the pacific, Kuwait reported a rate of 73.4 per cent, placing it in eleventh position.

The US was 15th, Australia 25th and Britain 30th in the league table of 195 nations.

The world’s third smallest country Nauru recorded the highest rate of adults who are either obese or overweight at 88.5 per cent. Pictured above, the Buada Lagoon in Nauru

Vietnam recorded the lowest levels worldwide of obesity and adults who are overweight at just 18.3 per cent. Pictured above, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam 

HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR BODY MASS INDEX – AND WHAT IT MEANS

Body mass index (BMI) is a measure of body fat based on your weight in relation to your height. 

Standard Formula:

  • BMI = (weight in pounds / (height in inches x height in inches)) x 703

Metric Formula:

  • BMI = (weight in kilograms / (height in meters x height in meters))

Measurements:

  • Under 18.5: Underweight
  • 18.5 – 24.9: Healthy
  • 25 – 29.9: Overweight
  • 30 – 39.9: Obese 
  • 40+: Morbidly obese 
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Being overweight is defined as have a body mass index (BMI) measure of equal to or greater than 25, while obesity is recorded as an adult having a BMI of 30 or over. 

A healthy person’s BMI — calculated by dividing weight in kg by height in metres, and the answer by the height again — is between 18.5 and 24.9. 

Obesity is a risk factor for several of the world’s leading causes of death, including heart disease, stroke, diabetes and various types of cancer.  

Type 2 diabetes, which is linked to obesity, can also lead to complications like heart disease, vision loss and kidney problems.   

According to The Lancet’s 2017 Global Burden of Disease study, 4.7 million people died prematurely in 2017 as a result of obesity.

In the UK, obesity and illnesses related to it cost the NHS an estimated £6.1billion a year, with it set to rise to over £9.7 billion each year by 2050.

It is also believed to be responsible for more than 30,000 deaths each year in the UK. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that obesity costs the US healthcare system nearly $173billion a year.   

According to Our World in Data, globally, 13 per cent of adults aged 18 years and older were recorded to be obese in 2016.

In comparison, alongside Vietnam who recorded the lowest levels of people who were overweight or obese, India reported the second lowest share at 19.7 per cent. 

Bangladesh scored third least overweight nation in the world at 20.0 per cent exactly.  

In most high-income countries, around two-thirds of adults were overweight or obese.

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Everyone Elon Musk was spotted with at the World Cup final in Qatar

Lakshmi Mittal, executive chairman of steelmaking behemoth ArcelorMittal, was seen speaking with Musk and Kushner during the match. The Indian billionaire began working with his family’s steel plant in the 1970s and grew the company rapidly, buying state-owned steel plants all over the world for low prices and turning them profitable.

In 2006, he led a successful hostile takeover of Arcelor, creating the world’s second-biggest steelmaking corporation, part of an industry that is responsible for upwards of seven percent of carbon emissions annually. On Sunday, he took in the game with Musk, the CEO of the world’s largest electric car maker, which also manufactures solar panels and energy storage systems.

A spokesperson for ArcelorMittal confirmed Mittal’s identity in images provided by The Post.

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Reaction to Lionel Messi wearing a bisht while lifting the World Cup trophy shows cultural fault lines of Qatar 2022



CNN
 — 

After 28 days, 64 games and 172 goals at Qatar 2022, Lionel Messi walked up on the podium at Lusail Stadium to finally get his hands on the World Cup trophy that had eluded him throughout his career.

Before joining his teammates, who were waiting for their captain in a hive of excitement on a nearby stage, Messi first shook hands with FIFA President Gianni Infantino and Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

Tamim then placed a black and gold bisht – a traditional item of clothing worn in the region for special events and celebrations – on the Argentina captain before the 35-year-old was handed the trophy.

In his new attire, which covered his national pale blue and white jersey, Messi danced towards his teammates before lifting the trophy above his head.

It was, for some, the perfect ending to a tournament that has been viewed by many as the best World Cup ever.

However, for others, it ruined the moment.

“Seems a shame in a way that they’ve covered up Messi in his Argentina shirt,” said former England international and presenter Gary Lineker on BBC’s live coverage of the final.

To others, it was one last attempt for Qatar to stamp its mark on the tournament – a criticism of the “sportswashing” (where critics accused Qatar of using the occasion to paper over its human rights record) that has underpinned much of the coverage of the tournament.

“Something a little strange about Messi being dressed in Bisht, that black cloak that the emir of Qatar dressed him in before lifting the World Cup,” New York Times journalist Tariq Panja tweeted.

“Qatar wants this to be its moment as much as it is Messi’s and Argentina’s.”

There was more criticism from other media, with British newspaper The Telegraph originally writing the headline “The bizarre act that ruined the greatest moment in World Cup history” in reference to Messi wearing the bisht.

It later changed the headline of the story to “Lionel Messi made to wear traditional Arab bisht for World Cup trophy lift.”

Messi didn’t wear the item of clothing for long, taking it off shortly after the trophy presentation and celebrating with his teammates in Argentina’s distinctive jersey.

Amid the criticism, Hassan Al Thawadi, Secretary General of the Qatar’s Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC), an organization charged with organizing the World Cup, tried to explain the reasons behind the bisht.

“It is a dress for an official occasion and worn for celebrations. This was a celebration of Messi,” Al Thawadi told BBC Sport.

“The World Cup had the opportunity to showcase to the world our Arab and Muslim culture. This was not about Qatar, it was a regional celebration.

“People from different walks of life were able to come, experience what was happening here and get to understand that we may not see eye to eye on everything, but we can still celebrate together.”

Others on social media were outraged by the criticism of the bisht, saying it was steeped in ignorance and misunderstanding of Qatar’s culture.

It was another example, they said, of the constant criticism the country has received since winning the right to host the tournament.

“Some are mad because Messi wore a bisht (it was gifted to him; a symbol of appreciation and respect in the Arab culture),” writer and columnist Reem Al-Harmi tweeted.

“However, I didn’t see the same level of anger and outrage when racism, Islamophobia, and orientalism was constantly used against the World Cup in Qatar.

“Instead of preconceived notions & judgmental views, turning this beautiful and meaningful photo into something that is not, read about the Arab bisht; its importance, and why/when it’s worn.

“Gifting someone a bisht, shows how significant/respectful they are, that’s Messi today.”

CNN reached out to FIFA for comment regarding the decision to use the bisht in the presentation ceremony.

Messi has not publicly commented on the bisht.



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How much did each country earn in Qatar?

The 2022 FIFA World Cup features 32 nations competing in soccer’s biggest event in Qatar, the first World Cup ever held in the Middle East. This year marks the final edition of the tournament with a 32-nation field – that number is set to increase to 48 for the 2026 World Cup, which will have venues across the United States, Mexico and Canada.

This year’s Copa Mundial looks different for several reasons, including the dates (due to Qatar’s intense summer heat, the schedule was shifted to November-December instead of its traditional summer timing). But as always, the event features the world’s top fútbol nations vying for global glory as well as individual awards for top performers, including the coveted prize for attacking players: the Golden Boot.

At the last iteration of the World Cup, England’s Harry Kane, also a star for Premier League side Tottenham, took home the award thanks to his six goals, which likely helped soften the blow of the Three Lions falling 2-0 to Belgium in the third-place match. One of the top storylines to watch at this year’s World Cup is the swan song for two of the game’s biggest stars: Argentina’s Lionel Messi and Portugal’s Christiano Ronaldo. 

Neither player has ever won the Golden Boot, and neither of their teams has won the World Cup during their tenures but Messi is 90 minutes away from doing both. Defending champions France have contenders for the award, including Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud.

For more on the latest Golden Boot standings, odds and predictions throughout the tournament, follow along with ProSoccerTalk and NBC Sports Edge.

RELATED: World Cup 2022 schedule – groups, calendar, match schedule, brackets, dates


What is the Golden Boot?

The Golden Boot is the award given to the top goal-scorer at each edition of the World Cup. If at the conclusion of the tournament two or more players are tied at the top of the list with the same number of goals, the award will go to the player with the most non-penalty goals, and if they are still tied, it will go to the player with the most assists. While there has always been a top goal-scorer at the tournament, the specific award has been given since 1982. It was known as “The Golden Shoe” until its re-christening in 2010.

RELATED: World Cup 2022 rankings: Who are the favorites?

Who are the top scorers at 2022 World Cup?

1. Lionel Messi (Argentina) – 5 (leads the tiebreaker with 3 assists to Mbappe’s 2)
2. Kylian Mbappe (France) – 5
3. Olivier Giroud (France) – 4
4. Julian Alvarez (Argentina) – 4
5. Marcus Rashford (England) – 3
6. Alvaro Morata (Spain) – 3
7. Enner Valencia (Ecuador) – 3
8. Bukayo Saka (England) – 3
9. Richarlison (Brazil) – 3
10. Goncalo Ramos (Portugal) – 3
11. Cody Gakpo (Netherlands) – 3
12. Mehdi Taremi (Iran) – 2
13. Bruno Fernandes (Portugal) – 2
14. Mohammed Kudus (Ghana) – 2
15. Cho Gue-Sung (South Korea) – 2
16. Breel Embolo (Switzerland) – 2
17. Salem Al Dawsari (Saudi Arabia) – 2
18. Aleksandar Mitrovic (Serbia) – 2
19. Kai Havertz (Germany) – 2
20. Vincent Aboubakar (Cameroon) – 2
21. Niclas Fullkrug (Germany) – 2
22. Ritsu Doan (Japan) – 2
23. Giorgian de Arrascaeta (Uruguay) – 2
24. Andrej Kramaric (Croatia) – 2
25. Robert Lewandowski (Poland) – 2
26. Ferran Torres (Spain) – 2
27. Wout Weghorst (Netherlands) – 2
28. Rafael Leao (Portugal) – 2

Getty Images

All past Golden Boot winners (1982-2018)

1982: Paolo Rossi (ITA) – 6

1986: Gary Lineker (GBR) – 6

1990: Salvatore Schillaci – 6

1994: Oleg Salenko (RUS) / Hristo Stoichkov (BUL) – 6

1998: Davor Suker (CRO) – 6

2002: Ronaldo (BRA) – 8

2006 – Miroslav Klose (GER) – 5

2010 – Thomas Muller (GER) – 5

2014 – James Rodriguez (COL) – 6

2018 – Harry Kane (GBR) – 6


When is the 2022 World Cup?

The World Cup begins Sunday, November 20th with host nation Qatar taking on Ecuador in the opener. The group stage runs through December 3rd before the knockout rounds begin. The final is set to take place on Sunday, December 18th.

RELATED: USMNT squad confirmed for 2022 World Cup

World Cup 2022 schedule, start time, dates, how to watch live

  • When: November 20, 2022 to December 18, 2022
  • Group stage game kick-off times: 5am, 8am, 10am, 11am, 2pm (all ET)
  • Location: Qatar
  • TV channels en Español: Telemundo, Universo, Peacock
  • Streaming en Español: Peacock (all 64 matches)

Follow along with ProSoccerTalk for the latest news, scores, storylines, and updates surrounding the 2022 World Cup, and be sure to subscribe to NBC Sports on YouTube!

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France ends Morocco’s Qatar 2022 dream and reaches fourth World Cup final



CNN
 — 

Defending champion France ended Morocco’s 2022 World Cup dream on Wednesday thanks to a 2-0 victory at the Al Bayt Stadium.

Theo Hernández scored on five minutes with an acrobatic finish, with substitute Randal Kolo Muani tapping home late on as France reached its fourth World Cup final just four years after winning in Russia.

But Morocco, the first African team to reach the semifinal stage of the World Cup, can go home with its head held high after running France close before Kolo Muani’s decisive strike.

France is the first defending World Cup champion to reach the final in two decades. Lionel Messi and Argentina now await as France seeks to win back-to-back World Cup titles.

“Here we go again. It’s just an amazing feeling,” France captain Hugo Lloris said afterwards, per FIFA. “We suffered a lot, especially in the second half. We played too deep and they showed they’re not a team only focused on defending. They know how to attack. They deserve a lot of credit for this World Cup.

“Now the last step, the most difficult.”

It felt like this semifinal was being played in Rabat or Casablanca rather than Al Khor, such was the support for Morocco.

Moroccan players were cheered like heroes every time they touched the ball, while their French counterparts were booed and whistled.

Not that France were flustered by the vociferous support for Morocco at the Al Bayt Stadium and it didn’t take long for Didier Deschamps’ team to take control of the match.

Antoine Griezmann – so brilliant in the quarterfinal win over England – took advantage of a slip from defender Jawad El Yamiq to break into the Morocco box, before crossing towards Kylian Mbappé.

The Paris Saint-Germain forward, twisting and turning in the box, had two efforts at goal blocked by despairing defenders, but the ball spun to Hernández, who acrobatically finished to give France an early advantage.

Remarkably, it was the first goal Morocco had conceded from an opposition player at the tournament and was the first time the team had trailed at Qatar 2022.

However, Morocco wasn’t flummoxed and minutes later Azzedine Ounahi drew a fine save from Hugo Lloris as the Atlas Lions grew into the match.

Olivier Giroud, who is joint-second goalscorer at the tournament behind Mbappé and Messi, missed two glorious opportunities for France to extend their lead.

First, his shot cannoned off the post as he broke towards the Morocco goal, before the AC Milan forward curled just wide shortly after Mbappé had been denied by Yassine Bounou.

Morocco’s riposte was El Yamiq’s brilliant bicycle kick, which came off the corner of the post, inches away from giving his country a route back into the semifinal.

After the break, it was one-way traffic, with Morocco pressing for an equalizer.

Countless times Morocoo played around a scrambling France defense, but between an errant touch or a last-ditch touch from a defender, the Atlas Lions couldn’t find an equalizer.

Morocco pushed and pushed, but to no avail and then Kolo Muani – just seconds after coming on as a substitute – tapped home a deflected effort to claim his first international goal and confirm France’s place in Sunday’s final.

Kolo Muani’s goal was the third-quickest goal for a substitute in World Cup history, the Eintracht Frankfurt forward scoring 44 seconds after coming on, according to Opta.

The goal seemingly took the air out of Morocco’s fans at the Al Bayt Stadium, though it continued to search for a miracle back into the game.

Having captured the hearts and minds of the footballing world, it was a sad end to Morocco’s aspirations. But having given reigning champion France a run for its money, Morocco leaves the competition knowing it has achieved more than just success on the pitch.

For France, an mouthwatering final against Argentina at Lusail Stadium on Sunday will see Mbappé face his PSG teammate, Messi, as the two nations clash to decide the 2022 world champion.

Argentina is chasing a third title, while Les Bleus is attempting to become the first side to retain the World Cup since Brazil managed the feat 60 years ago.

A World Cup winner with France as a player in 1998 and as Les Bleus’ coach in 2018, Deschamp said that he wants his players to savor their achievements at Qatar 2022.

“Obviously this was an important match. There will be one last one,” Deschamps said, per FIFA. “It’s been a month we’re together with the players. It’s never easy.

“But it’s been such a joy until now, and that my players, the group has been compensated for this success. We’re going to go after the title on Sunday.

“We’re going to take the time. I tell this to my staff and players: ‘Take every moment in the day to really appreciate and savor the moment.’ In four days, we are going to play for a world title. We’ll enjoy it now and get ready for the last match of this World Cup.”

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Morocco airline cancels World Cup fans flights, citing Qatar restrictions

RABAT, Dec 14 (Reuters) – Morocco’s national airline said it was cancelling all flights it had scheduled for Wednesday to carry fans to Doha for the World Cup semi-final, citing what it said was a decision by Qatari authorities.

“Following the latest restrictions imposed by the Qatari authorities, Royal Air Maroc regrets to inform customers of the cancellation of their flights operated by Qatar Airways,” the airline said in an emailed statement.

The Qatari government’s international media office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Royal Air Maroc had previously said it would lay on 30 additional flights to help fans get to Qatar for Wednesday night’s semi-final game against France but on Tuesday a source at a RAM travel agency said only 14 flights had been scheduled.

The cancellation of Wednesday’s seven scheduled flights means RAM was only able to fly the seven flights on Tuesday, leaving fans who had already booked match tickets or hotel rooms unable to travel.

RAM said it would reimburse air tickets and apologised to customers.

The RAM spokesperson did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment. Qatar Airways did not immediately respond to Reuters request for comment.

Reporting by Ahmed Eljechtimi; Additional reporting by Andrew Mills; Writing by Angus McDowall; Editing by Andrew Heavens

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Grant Wahl’s family reveals possible cause of death at World Cup

The brother of influential US soccer journalist Grant Wahl, who died while covering the World Cup in Qatar on Friday, says he no longer suspects foul play in his sibling’s death.

Grant Wahl, 49, had a “death rattle cough” from a stubborn case of bronchitis shortly before he collapsed while covering Argentina’s quarter-final win against the Netherlands, his brother Eric Wahl said.

Eric previously speculated foul play may have been involved since the soccer writer was an outspoken critic of the Qatari government and received death threats after wearing a rainbow shirt to a match.

But Tuesday, the brother wrote on Twitter, “The family will release a statement as to cause of death soon. I no longer suspect foul play. It was not [pulmonary embolism].”

Grant Wahl suddenly collapsed Friday while covering the quarter-final game between Argentina and the Netherlands.
AP
Eric Wahl (right) has been outspoken about theories related to his brother’s sudden death Friday at the World Cup in Qatar.
Twitter / @ziplamak
Wahl was an outspoken critic of the Qatari government and received death threats after wearing a rainbow shirt to a match.
Getty Images

Eric backtracked on an earlier tweet from Monday in which he said, “It seems possible Grant experienced a pulmonary embolism & was in non-shockable state.”

He also claimed there was no portable defibrillator in the stadium but then Monday issued a correction on Twitter, writing that “per a US gov official, FIFA is saying AEDs were available at the stadium,” referring to the devices.

It’s unclear why a defibrillator was not used on Wahl.

Grant reportedly wore the rainbow shirt to the World Cup games in support of his brother Eric, who is gay.
Grant Wahl via REUTERS
Eric Wahl has provided updates following his brother’s sudden death to his social media accounts, though he put his Instagram on private after questioning whether foul play was involved.
eewahl/Instagram

Grant Wahl’s body was brought to New York City on Monday for an independent autopsy. His widow, Dr. Céline Gounder, an infectious-disease physician who works at Bellevue Hospital, brought his body to a city medical examiner Monday.

On Monday, Eric shared an update on the situation, writing: “We are traveling with Grant’s body to the medical examination & autopsy.”

He added: “Thank you to American Airlines for their incredible help. Thank you to the NY Port Authority & the US government. Humbled.”

Grant Wahl made headlines at the World Cup when he was initially not allowed to enter the stadium because he was wearing a shirt with a soccer ball surrounded by a rainbow in support of the LGBTQ+ community before a US and Wales game.

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European Parliament kicks out VP Kaili over Qatar graft scandal

  • Kaili was one of four people arrested in Belgium
  • Greek politician’s lawyer says she denies wrongdoing
  • Police uncovered cash in raids, some in suitcase in hotel
  • European Parliament’s role as bloc’s moral compass at risk

STRASBOURG, Dec 13 (Reuters) – The European Parliament removed Greek MEP Eva Kaili as a vice president of the assembly on Tuesday after she was accused of accepting bribes from Qatar in one of the biggest graft scandals to hit Brussels.

Kaili has denied any wrongdoing, but European lawmakers have moved rapidly to isolate her, worrying that the Belgian investigation will badly dent the assembly’s efforts to present itself as a sound moral compass in a troubled world.

“There will be no sweeping under the carpet. Our internal investigation will look at what has happened and how our systems can be made more watertight,” European Parliament President Roberta Metsola said as 625 MEPs voted to deprive Kaili of her VP role, with only one voting against and two abstaining.

Kaili, who is in police detention, was one of 14 vice presidents in the parliament.

Belgian prosecutors charged her and three Italians at the weekend of taking part in a criminal organisation, money laundering and corruption.

A source close to the investigation has said they are believed to have pocketed money from World Cup host Qatar. The Gulf state has denied any wrong doing.

Police have raided numerous buildings in Brussels, including parliament offices and 19 homes, discovering around 1.5 million euros ($1.58 million), some of it stashed in a suitcase in a hotel room, a source close to the investigation said.

Kaili’s lawyer in Greece, Michalis Dimitrakopoulos, said on Tuesday that she was innocent. “She has nothing to do with financing from Qatar, nothing, explicitly and unequivocally,” he told Open TV in a first public comment.

Several MEPs nonetheless called for the 44-year-old Socialist politician to quit the assembly altogether.

“Given the extent of the corruption scandal, it is the least we could expect of her,” said MEP Manon Aubry, who co-chairs the Left group.

Ali bin Samikh Al Marri, Qatar’s minister of labour, speaks with Greece’s Eva Kaili, vice president of the European Parliament, during a meeting in Qatar, October 31, 2022 in this social media handout image. Twitter/Ministry of Labour – State of Qatar via REUTERS

CORRUPTION

Countries which have faced criticism from the assembly said it had lost the moral high ground.

“From now on the European Parliament will not be able to speak about corruption in a credible manner,” Hungary Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto wrote on Facebook.

Belgian prosecutors said they had suspected for more than four months that a Gulf state was trying to buy influence in Brussels. Although no state was publicly named by prosecutors, a source with knowledge of the case said it was Qatar.

None of the four people charged have been formally identified, but their names were rapidly leaked to the press.

According to a source familiar with the case, the other accused are former EU lawmaker Pier Antonio Panzeri, Kaili’s partner Francesco Giorgi, who is a parliamentary assistant, and Niccolo Figa-Talamanca, secretary-general of a human rights campaign group.

There were no replies to calls and emails made by Reuters to their respective offices or homes.

Kaili was among a stable of young aspiring Greek politicians who emerged in the debilitating debt crisis which swept Greece from 2010 to 2015. The Greek socialist PASOK party has said it will expel her from its ranks.

In a speech in the European Parliament on Nov. 21, at the start of the month-long World Cup, she lashed out at Qatar’s detractors and hailed the energy-rich Gulf state as “a frontrunner in labour rights.”

Qatar has faced fierce criticism of its human rights record in the run up to the World Cup, including its treatment of migrant workers.

Additional reporting by Phil Blenkinsop, Karolina Tagaris, Clement Rossignol, Max Schwarz, Lefteris Papadimas, Michele Kambas, Alan Charlish, Giselda Vagnoni; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Edmund Blair and Crispian Balmer

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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EU Parliament ‘under attack’ as Qatar corruption scandal grows – POLITICO

Police launched a fresh wave of raids on political figures in Brussels over alleged corruption involving Qatari interests Monday, in a scandal that threatens to trash European Union democracy.

“The European Parliament,” said its president, Roberta Metsola, at a session in Strasbourg on Monday, “is under attack.”

The focal point for that attack, for now, is the Parliament’s Socialists and Democrats (S&D) group. In Brussels, police raided the parliamentary office of Greek MEP Eva Kaili, who is currently in a jail cell as she awaits a court appearance, slated for Wednesday.

Meanwhile, her colleagues in Strasbourg expelled her from the S&D group as her MEP colleagues prepared to strip her of her vice president title.

Several other S&D members — not directly implicated but under scrutiny for their connections to those charged and their advocacy on behalf of Qatar — also agreed to step away from key assignments, including MEP Marie Arena as chair of the Parliament’s human rights subcommittee.

In all, Belgian police tallied six arrests (though two individuals, Kaili’s father and the trade union boss Luca Visentini, have been released) and searched 19 private homes. The cops’ cash haul includes €600,000 in a private home, “several hundred thousand euros” in a suitcase nabbed at a Brussels hotel, and €150,000 at Kaili’s apartment. Her family’s assets in Greece have been frozen.

After blocking access to IT equipment over the weekend, police said they retrieved the data on Monday. In addition to Kaili’s office, two assistants’ offices were also marked “Access Forbidden” on Monday afternoon. One labeled F. Giorgi — Kaili’s partner, also under arrest — and the other labeled E. Foulon and G. Meroni. The latter is a former assistant to Pier Antonio Panzeri, the ex-MEP at the center of the alleged scandal.

“European Democracy is under attack,” Metsola told the plenary as she vowed to open an internal probe.

The call for an investigation was echoed by MEPs in Strasbourg, and across the bloc. “Europe’s credibility is at stake,” said German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock.

For watchdogs, however, the threat to Europe’s credibility has always been clear. The scandal is not an attack but “self inflicted damage,” tweeted The Good Lobby founder Alberto Alemanno in response to Metsola’s speech. “The EU Parliament and most of its members have historically resisted stricter integrity rules and effective enforcement system.”

The EU’s transparency register is full of loopholes and voluntary elements: The Parliament’s subcommittee on human rights, for example, hosted Panzeri’s NGO, Fight Impunity, to deliver reports, even though it was not listed in the transparency register.

Based on its activities, Fight Impunity should have been entered in the database, said the register’s secretariat in an email. But since they’re not legally obligated to register, there’s no way to punish them for breaching the register’s code of conduct.

Similarly, a proposal for an independent EU ethics panel has been stalled in the Commission. Vice President for Transparency Věra Jourová has cited legal hurdles and lack of interest in an ethics body that would apply to all the institutions and actually have enforcement power.

On Monday, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen expressed fresh determination to create an overarching watchdog body. “It is very critical to have not only strong rules but the same rules covering all the EU institutions and not to allow for any exemptions,” she told reporters.

But for all the talk of protecting trust and promoting transparency in EU institutions, top officials resisted early opportunities to put it into practice. Commission spokesperson Dana Spinant quickly shut down questions when journalists tried to press von der Leyen about tweets by Margaritis Schinas, a Commission vice president, in which he had praised Qatar’s labor reforms ahead of the World Cup.

It was a similar (virtual) scene in Strasbourg, where a Parliament spokesman declined to take questions from reporters in an online press conference.

“Our way of open, free, democratic societies are under attack,” Metsola declared in Strasbourg. “The enemies of democracy for whom the very existence of this Parliament is a threat, will stop at nothing. These malign actors, linked to autocratic third countries have allegedly weaponized NGOs, unions, individuals, assistants and Members of the European Parliament in an effort to subdue our processes.”

In Budapest, Viktor Orbán, who leads a country the European Parliament declared “no longer a democracy,” seized his moment. The Hungarian prime minister tweeted a morning greeting to the parliament, with a photo of former world leaders in stitches. The caption: “And then they said … The EP is seriously concerned about corruption in Hungary.”

Pieter Haeck, Sarah-Taïssir Bencharif, Clothilde Goujard, Nektaria Stamouli, Gabriel Rinaldi, Wilhelmine Preussen and Suzanne Lynch contributed reporting.

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What is the European Parliament’s Qatar corruption scandal and who is Eva Kaili?

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BRUSSELS — The de facto capital of the European Union is being rocked by explosive allegations that World Cup host Qatar bribed current and former European Parliament officials to try to influence decisions at the highest levels.

After at least 20 raids across Brussels since Friday morning, including within the offices of the European Parliament, Belgian authorities have confiscated more than $1 million in cash, “frozen” the technology access of 10 parliamentary officials to preserve data for the investigation and held six people for questioning. On Sunday, a Belgian judge charged four of them, saying they are suspected of money laundering, corruption and taking part in a criminal organization on behalf of a “Gulf State.”

European authorities have yet to confirm the implicated country, but Belgian media identified the state as Qatar and reported that those charged included a European Parliament vice president, Eva Kaili, and her partner, parliamentary assistant Francesco Giorgi, as well as a former member of the European Parliament, Pier Antonio Panzeri. Others reportedly caught up in the investigation include the head of a Brussels-based union and an unnamed Italian national.

Qatar has denied wrongdoing. Whether there is any connection to the World Cup remains unclear.

But within E.U institutions, this is being talked about as the biggest scandal in recent memory. German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock said the response will test “the credibility of Europe.”

Here’s what you need to know.

Who is Eva Kaili and what is she accused of?

Before being charged in this case and stripped of her official positions, Eva Kaili, 44, was a Greek member of the European Parliament and one of its vice presidents.

The vice presidents can stand in for the institution’s president when needed, including overseeing votes. They also have a say in administrative, personnel and organizational questions.

But their power is limited. The European Parliament has 14 vice presidents and 705 members. It is also the weakest of the three key institutions of the European Union.

Belgian police arrested Kaili — known in Greece as a former news anchor — and charged her with taking part in a criminal organization, money laundering and corruption, according to Agence France-Presse.

The fallout was immediate: Her political group in the European Parliament, the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats (S&D), suspended her, as did her political party in Greece, the Pasok-Movement for Change. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola suspended Kaili from her “powers, duties and tasks” as vice president on Saturday.

Belgian prosecutors said in a statement that they had seized “600,000 euros at the home of a suspect, several hundred thousand euros in a suitcase in a Brussels hotel room and about 150.000 euros in a flat belonging to a Member of the European Parliament.”

According to Belgian newspaper L’Echo, some of that cash was taken during the raid on Kaili’s home on Friday, and it was Kaili’s father who was found leaving a Sofitel hotel in Brussels with the suitcase of money. Inspectors suspect he was tipped off about the unfolding police operation, L’Echo reported, citing police sources.

How is Qatar allegedly involved?

Belgian prosecutors suspect “that third parties in political and/or strategic positions within the European Parliament were paid large sums of money or offered substantial gifts to influence parliament’s decision.” Belgian news outlets have widely reported that the “Gulf country” suspected of being behind the scheme is Qatar, though E.U. authorities have not named it.

Kaili recently traveled to Qatar, meeting with Labor Minister Ali bin Samikh Al Marri, even though a previous trip organized for a European Parliament delegation was postponed by Qatari officials with little advance notice, Politico reported.

Back in Brussels, according to Politico, she attended a vote of the European Parliament’s justice and home affairs committee — of which she is not a member — to support a proposal to allow Qataris and Kuwaitis visa-free travel within the E.U.’s Schengen area.

She also described the country as a “front-runner in labor rights” in a Nov. 21 debate on alleged human rights abuses during the construction of the World Cup infrastructure. At the conclusion of that debate, the European Parliament condemned the deaths of thousands of migrant workers during the construction of eight stadiums, an airport expansion, a new metro, many hotels and miles of new roads. The European body criticized both Qatar and soccer’s governing body, FIFA.

The Qatari government has denied any involvement in the alleged corruption scheme, which has made news as the World Cup is in its final rounds and the country is seeking to present itself as a forward-looking and key geopolitical actor.

For Qatar, the World Cup is a high-stakes test and a show of clout

“The State of Qatar categorically rejects any attempts to associate it with accusations of misconduct,” the Qatari Mission to the European Union said in a tweet on Sunday. “Any association of the Qatari government with the reported claims is baseless and gravely misinformed.”

What does this mean for European politics?

The charges raise fresh questions about corruption and influence-peddling in European Union institutions, putting current and former officials under scrutiny and likely leading to calls for an overhaul of institutional oversight.

In Brussels, the revelations were greeted with shock, but not surprise, with E.U. watchers and experts noting long-standing concerns about the bloc’s institutions, particularly the European Parliament.

“Whatever its final outcome, the Qatar ‘corruption’ scandal has unveiled an inconvenient, and for most Europeans already obvious, truth. Money does buy influence in the EU,” wrote Alberto Alemanno, the Jean Monnet Professor of European Union Law at HEC Paris, in an opinion piece for Politico Europe.

“While this may be the most egregious case of alleged corruption the European Parliament has seen in many years, it is not an isolated incident,” said Michiel van Hulten, director of Transparency International EU, in a statement.

The European Parliament “has allowed a culture of impunity to develop,” thanks to lax financial rules and the absence of independent ethics oversight, van Hulten said, adding that members of the European Parliament have blocked attempts to change that. He called for the European Commission to publish its “long-delayed proposal on the creation of an independent EU ethics body, with powers of investigation and enforcement.”

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, has called for the creation of such a body, but the official charged with making that happen has conceded that it would likely lack the ability to investigate or enforce.

On Monday, von der Leyen called the allegations against Kaili “very serious.” Josep Borrell, head of the bloc’s foreign and security arm, said they were “very worrisome.”

For now, the scandal is a gift to the E.U.’s critics, particularly leaders such as Hungary’s Viktor Orban, who regularly lambaste the bloc for criticizing democratic shortcomings within E.U. countries.

On Monday morning, Orban’s Twitter account posted a meme that showed a group of men laughing hysterically with the words “And then they said the [European Parliament] is seriously concerned about corruption in Hungary” superimposed.

Kaili’s partner, Francesco Giorgi, was also arrested and charged, and his phone was seized by Belgian law enforcement, according to Belgian newspaper Le Soir.

The European Parliament lists Giorgi as an accredited assistant to Italian MEP Andrea Cozzolino, who is part of the same parliamentary group as Kaili and who chairs the delegation for relations with the Maghreb [northwest African] countries. Giorgi describes himself on LinkedIn as a “policy advisor in the field of Human Rights, EU foreign affairs with an extensive network of contacts with parliamentarians, politicians, EU Institutions, NGO’s, diplomats.”

Giorgi lists himself as a founder of the Brussels-based global human-rights nonprofit Fight Impunity, whose president, Pier Antonio Panzeri, is also implicated in the corruption investigation.

Panzeri, 67, was a member of the European Parliament from 2004 to 2009. Among other positions, he chaired the delegation for relations with the Maghreb countries (DMAG) as part of the S&D group. He founded Fight Impunity in 2019 and now serves as its president.

According to Le Soir, Belgian investigators suspect Panzeri of leading a criminal organization to influence decision-making within the European Parliament with cash and gifts on behalf of the Qatari government.

On Friday, Italian police detained Panzeri’s wife and daughter, who were the subjects of a European arrest warrant, according to Politico and the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.



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