Global: Soccer ball makers in poverty

Asian workers who stitch nearly all the world's soccer balls have seen little improvement in lives dominated by poverty, a report said days before the start of the World Cup tonight. Thirteen years ago companies such as adidas and Nike joined labour and development organisations to end the use of an estimated 7000 children to stitch soccer balls. However, ''child labour continues to exist'' in the three main ball-making countries - Pakistan, China and India - the report by the International Labour Rights Forum said.