A Qatar World Cup whistleblower has been arrested in Jordan two weeks before he is supposed to testify as a witness in a case concerning allegations of forced labour and human trafficking associated with the 2022 tournament, according to the Independent.

Abdullah Ibhais, a Jordanian national, has been a prominent whistleblower on workers’ rights and alleged abuses since the football competition took place four years ago. He spent three years in prison in Doha after being convicted of bribery and other offences — although Amnesty International described his trial as ‘unfair’.

Ibhais’ jail sentence was cut short from five years, and he was released in March 2025.

Due to give evidence in a US District Court case on 20th August, he has been abruptly arrested in front of his family.

World Cup 2022 Whistleblower Abdullah Ibhais Spent Three Years in Prison

Kai Pfaffenbach via Reuters

Concerns were repeatedly raised over the treatment of workers who helped build stadiums in the lead-up to the World Cup in Qatar in 2022. The Guardian revealed a year before the tournament commenced that 6,500 migrant workers had died in the construction of these venues.

Ibhais, who went to Qatar in 2021, spoke out about the mistreatment of workers in the Middle Eastern nation surrounding the World Cup. The Jordanian went to investigate complaints over workers’ rights, but subsequently found himself the subject of a malicious prosecution.

He presented compelling evidence in his case, but lost and was sentenced to five years in a Doha prison cell. Qatar alleged that Ibhais was guilty of ‘bribery’, ‘violation of the integrity of tenders and profit’, and ‘intentional damage to public funds’.

Eventually released on 11th March 2025, he now finds himself back in the law enforcement limelight.

Abdullah Ibhais Arrested Two Weeks Before US Court Case

Via REUTERS/Ibraheem Al Omari

Ibhais is scheduled to testify in a US Court case in just under two weeks, although this is potentially now in jeopardy after he was abruptly arrested by the Jordanian General Intelligence Directorate (GID) in Amman.

He was ‘abducted from the mosque’ in front of his two children, and to the family’s knowledge, there was no warrant for this arrest, and no attorney has since been allowed to contact him.

Supposed to speak in a trial regarding the alleged mistreatment of workers in Qatar in the lead-up to 2022, it’s not clear whether he’ll still be able to take the stand, despite the Court of Colarado subpoenaing him for the deposition.

His family say that Ibhais has been “threatened with prison before by GID officers, if he insisted to continue his advocacy concerning his case, or concerning the issue of workers conditions in Qatar”.

This is allegedly not the first time the GID have attempted to arrest Ibhais. In May, officers searched his home, while he also had his passport confiscated for two months earlier this year, which his family alleges was to prevent him from taking place in the same deposition that was supposed to take place virtually in the US Embassy in Norway on 30th May 2026.

With the new NFL season now just over a month away, all 32 teams are beginning their final preparations ahead of the opening week of the season.Pre-season training camp is designed to be a time when players get comfortable with their teammates for the upcoming campaign, nailing down plays and building bonds ahead of the new campaign.If nothing else, no coach wants to see their training camp hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

NFL Team Sees Star Players Get Into Heated Training Camp Row

Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

However, that is exactly what new Las Vegas Raiders Head Coach Klint Kubiak was faced with after two of his top players had to be stopped from coming to blows.The Silver and Black’s training camp descended into chaos on Friday as quarterback Kirk Cousins and star pass rusher Maxx Crosby were involved in a heated physical confrontation.

The incident reportedly began when Crosby got a hand on a pass from Cousins, forcing an incompletion. Cousins appeared unhappy with the play and quickly confronted the veteran defender.

What started with words soon became physical, with Cousins shoving Crosby and grabbing his jersey before teammates rushed in to separate the pair. Cousins remained on the field to finish the drive, while Crosby was sent to the sideline.

It was not the only flashpoint during the session. Earlier in practice, Raiders right guard Caleb Rogers and defensive lineman Jonah Laulu were involved in a separate confrontation, with the incident escalating after Laulu threw a punch.

With tempers already running high, the clash between Cousins and Crosby provided another reminder of just how competitive training camp can become as players battle for places and prepare for the regular season.

Klint Kubiak Reacts to Training Ground Scuffle

Despite the confrontation, Kubiak was quick to play down the severity of what happened.

“Those are two leaders of our team going at it, so that is part of camp,” Kubiak said after practice.

“Obviously, if you fight in a game and throw a punch in the game, then you’re out of the game. So we’ve got to be smart and treat it like a game.”

There is some added context surrounding Crosby’s approach. According to Reuters, Kubiak and the Raiders’ position coaches had already spoken to the star pass rusher about contact around the quarterback.

Crosby has never been shy about playing with an edge and acknowledged that he sometimes pushes the boundaries.

“I practice one way. I know that I push the line, and sometimes I go over the line,” Crosby said.

Credit: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports

That aggression has helped make Crosby one of the most important players on the Raiders’ defense, but Kubiak will need to ensure it remains an asset rather than becoming a source of unnecessary penalties once the games start counting.

Cousins, meanwhile, is expected to begin the season as the Raiders’ starting quarterback, although first overall pick Fernando Mendoza remains part of the quarterback picture during training camp and the pre-season.

Although he cut a relaxed figure on Friday, Kubiak told reporters on Saturday that both Cousins and Crosby had been held out of Saturday’s practice for violating team rules by fighting.

“We have very clear expectations on how we want to practice and how we want to go about our business and we violated that yesterday, so held those guys out. That’s all I’m gonna say about it.”

Coach Kubiak will hope their competitive fire is ultimately channeled into performances on Sundays rather than further confrontations on the practice field.

Oleksandr Usyk has confirmed who he wants to share the ring with in what looks set to be the final fight of his glittering career.

The Ukrainian great, widely regarded as the finest heavyweight of his generation, vacated his WBC, IBF and WBA titles earlier this summer while revealing he has just one bout left in him.

Now, Usyk has confirmed the frontrunner for his last showdown.

Usyk Names His Final Career Opponent

Usyk, 39, confirmed his interest when speaking to The Athletic, framing a clash with former WBC Heavyweight Champion Deontay Wilder as a straightforward matter of opportunity and business.

It’s a fight that has been in the offing for half a year, with Usyk previously stating he wanted Wilder prior to his victory over Rico Verhoeven; the WBC even granted him permission to defend his titles against him. And now the Ukrainian may finally have his wish fulfilled.

He also claimed the ball is firmly in the American’s camp as we wait for discussions to conclude. “Why not? If Deontay’s team wants it, I do it. Money, business… Now we have two options, but what for me is good, we will take. The team is working on it,” Usyk said.

For Usyk, after becoming undisputed at both cruiserweight and heavyweight, he has nothing left to prove. With two wins each over the likes of Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois, he has become the best of his generation, despite a tougher-than-expected stoppage win over former kickboxing champion Verhoeven in May.

Wilder, meanwhile, arrives on the back of a narrow split-decision victory over veteran Derek Chisora: his 45th victory in 50 fights. At this stage of his career, the 40-year-old’s best days are behind him. Yet, this opportunity would pit two of the best of this generation against each other — with the ‘Bronze Bomber’ being the only top heavyweight that has eluded the Ukrainian.

“This is a man who in the last 10 years is a top fighter,” Usyk said. “He’s a great champion. He is still a dangerous guy. I’m not boxing for glory or credit. For me, this is just my life.”

Teddy Atlas Issues a Warning To Usyk

However, not everyone is convinced the fight is as risk-free as it might appear. Teddy Atlas, one of boxing’s most respected voices, acknowledged that Wilder no longer poses the danger he once did, but stressed that his right hand keeps any contest live.

“There is always an amount of risk,” Atlas said of the projected showdown. “Anytime you get in a ring, there’s risk. Wilder is long, he’s tall, he’s a heavyweight and he can punch with the right hand. Usyk is getting older. He had 300 amateur fights. He hasn’t taken a lot of punishment, but he has taken some, and as you get older, there is always risk.”

Wilder has won 43 of his 45 fights via knockout, and Atlas was quick to add that the threat has diminished with time, calling it far less likely than in Wilder’s pomp. Ultimately, though, the trainer’s concern was less about the outcome than the ending. Atlas expressed a hope that Usyk can achieve what so many greats before him could not: a clean exit at the peak of his powers.

“All I want for Usyk is to do something not every great fighter has been able to pull off. Walk off into the sunset at your best. Walk off whole, healthy, and with the memory that we deserve to have about you. The great Joe Louis couldn’t do it.

“The great Muhammad Ali couldn’t do it. I’d like to see Usyk do that. I think it’s time to do it,” Atlas said, adding that the timing must be Usyk’s own choice to make — and that he senses the great man is starting to make it.”