Uefa says boycott may still go ahead as FA withdraws Infantino support

LONDON, England 

European teams could still boycott competitions including the World Cup as Uefa says Fifa's defence of its president Gianni Infantino "changes nothing".

The English FA has sent a letter withdrawing its support for Infantino in reaction to the plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup to private investors.

European governing body Uefa said in a statement its conditions had not been met, despite Infantino's plan being aborted.

"First, the proposals to sell off the major competitions had to be withdrawn and secondly," Uefa's statement said. "Assurances have to be made that such attempts to disfigure the game in this way will never be made again.

"These conditions have not been met."

Uefa has already said it has lost confidence in Infantino, calling the Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal a "shabby, back room, opaque deal".

Infantino had offered all associations $40m (£30m) if they backed a proposal for private investment in its tournaments, including the men's and women's World Cups, through the FFE subsidiary.

World governing body Fifa said during Wednesday's meeting "mistakes" regarding FFE were "acknowledged", saying it was "not the intention" for the Fifa Council and members association to "feel excluded from the process and that the process should have been handled differently".

Uefa's statement in response added: "Uefa made it abundantly clear in its statement on Saturday that it has lost confidence in Gianni Infantino's presidency. That position holds.

"Yesterday's announcement that some people employed by the Fifa president (and whose careers depend on his favour) agree with him changes nothing."

Fifa has been approached for comment.

Over 300 kidnapping victims in Nigeria rescued in major operation

ABUJA, Nigeria 

Nigeria said more than 300 people abducted in separate attacks have been rescued in a joint intelligence and security operation.

In a statement on Wednesday, the country’s presidency said 163 of them were kidnapped in February from Woro village in Kwara State, while the 145 others were taken from Niger State.

They were rescued from a location in the Kainji Lake National Park Forest and it is it not yet clear whether any suspects were detained during the one-day operation.

It was carried out by the National Counter Terrorism Centre, involving members of the army, the police force, and the Department of State Services.

The people rescued are reportedly receiving medical care at a military site before being reunited with their families.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu welcomed their liberation, describing the operation as a sign of improved coordination among security agencies.

Kidnapping for ransom by criminal groups, Boko Haram-linked fighters, and gangs known as bandits is a major problem in Nigeria, especially in areas with little state presence.

Suspected jihadists went on a rampage in Woro earlier this year after they had sent a letter to the village announcing their intention to preach, only to have no-one show up.

In apparent retaliation, they burned houses and killed upwards of 165 people and kidnapped an unknown number, residents said at the time, though local authorities gave a lower toll.

Media reports had put the number of those kidnapped at 176, though as recently as Friday the police in Kwara state said that number was unsubstantiated.

Large parts of the village had been reduced to piles of ash and rubble in the assault.

Tinubu at the time condemned what he called a "beastly attack", deploying an army battalion to the troubled region and blaming Islamist movement Boko Haram - though the name is often used generically for jihadist groups in Nigeria.

A few months before, the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM) claimed its first attack on Nigerian soil in the state, near Woro.

Over the weekend, gunmen kidnapped at least 52 people, including children, in an attack on a village and military base in north-west Nigeria's Zamfara state.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 6/8/2026

 

Invasive mosquito sparks malaria fears across Africa

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia 

A fast-spreading invasive mosquito is raising alarm across Africa, as scientists warn it could fuel a resurgence of malaria in major cities.

The mosquito, known as Anopheles stephensi, is unlike traditional malaria carriers. It thrives in densely populated urban areas, breeding in water containers around homes and buildings, making it far harder to control.

Even more concerning, the species has developed resistance to nearly every major insecticide currently used to fight mosquitoes, undermining one of the world's most effective malaria control strategies.

Health experts fear its rapid spread could put millions more people at risk of infection, particularly in growing African cities where malaria has historically been less common.

Scientists are now racing to find new ways to stop the mosquito, from biological controls to innovative technologies and next-generation insecticides.

As this resilient species expands its reach, researchers warn that staying ahead of the threat will require urgent action and global cooperation.

FIFA's President's pot boiling to the maximum degrees

GENEVA, Switzerland 

FIFA President Gianni Infantino is facing mounting pressure after abandoning a controversial plan to open the World Cup to private investment.

Criticism is now coming from inside FIFA itself. 

Chief of Global Football Development, Arsène Wenger called the decision to scrap the proposal "absolutely necessary," while FIFA Secretary General Mattias Grafström described the episode as a "sad and reproachable series of events."

The plan, which aimed to create a new commercial company to manage tournaments including the World Cup, collapsed after fierce opposition from UEFA, which reportedly threatened to boycott FIFA competitions.

The fallout is also threatening Infantino's bid for another term as FIFA president. 

Several national football associations have withdrawn their support, while Jordan's football chief has accused FIFA of pressuring federations to back Infantino.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 5/8/2026

 

Uganda’s military unveils statue of Netanyahu’s brother who died in 1976 Entebbe hostage rescue

KAMPALA, Uganda 

Uganda’s military unveiled a monument to an older brother of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who was killed during a hostage rescue operation in the East African country in 1976.

The statue of Yonatan Netanyahu holding an assault rifle was unveiled on Saturday by Ugandan military chief Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who said he commissioned the monument to pay tribute to the soldier’s courage. Among those attending the ceremony were Israelis including Barak Orland, a businessman in Uganda.

Kainerugaba is the eldest child of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and his presumed heir apparent.

The statue is outside the airport terminal in the town of Entebbe where Lt. Col. Yonatan Netanyahu was struck by a bullet as he led Israeli commandos in a mission to rescue 106 passengers who had been taken hostage on an Air France flight. He was the only Israeli commando killed in the mission.

“Today, this memorial stands not only in remembrance of a distinguished soldier, but also as a tribute to the enduring values he embodied: courage in the face of danger, unwavering commitment to protecting innocent lives, and steadfast devotion to duty,” Kainerugaba said at the ceremony.

The hijackers, two Palestinians and two Germans, separated dozens of Jewish and Israeli passengers from the rest and threatened to kill them if Israel did not free dozens of Palestinian prisoners.

A week of negotiations followed as Israel planned the rescue operation. The commandos broke into the airport on July 3, 1976 and saved all but three hostages killed in the crossfire. Dozens of Ugandan soldiers were killed in the operation that lasted less than an hour.

Ugandan dictator Idi Amin, who had severed ties with Israel, was a supporter of the Palestinian independence cause.

Israel’s success humiliated and enraged Amin. The operation was criticized by the Organization of African Unity — the African Union’s predecessor organization — which saw the raid as a violation of Uganda’s sovereignty.

The rescue is a seminal event in Israeli history, widely seen as one of the country’s greatest military successes, and the Israeli prime minister has previously said his brother’s death in the raid “changed the course” of his life.

Ties between Uganda and Israel are cordial.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has said he supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 4/8/2026