US midterm elections are today
The US are voting today in the midterm elections to decide who controls Congress, which is made up of two houses. Congress makes the nationwide US laws and so these elections are very important. You can read The Drop’s easy guide to these elections here.
Awarding Qatar with World Cup was a mistake says ex-Fifa president
Former president Sepp Blatter, 86, was in charge of Fifa when Qatar was awarded the honour of hosting this winter’s World Cup back in 2010. In an interview with Swiss newspaper Tages Anzeiger, Blatter said the decsion was a “mistake” and Qatar was “too small a country” and “football and the World Cup are too big for it”. Qatar has been heavily criticised for its human rights record, its stance on same-sex relationships, and its treatment of migrant workers. The World Cup begins on 20 November.
Just Stop Oil protests block motorways
The activist group has blocked the M25 for the second day running, leading to multiple arrests. The group say this is to “demand that the government halts all new oil and gas licences and consents”. The protests come as Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is attending the COP27 summit in Egypt. The Metropolitan Police have reported 16 arrests in collaboration with other police forces in the area. Just Stop Oil said: “We will not be intimidated by changes to the law, we will not be stopped by private injunctions sought to silence peaceful people. Our supporters understand that these are irrelevant when set against mass starvation, slaughter, the loss of our rights, freedoms and communities.”
