Uefa reacts with fury to Infantino World Cup plan

GENEVA, Switzerland 

European football's governing body Uefa has reacted furiously to proposals from Fifa to seek private investment in its competitions, including the World Cup.

Fifa - the sport's global governing body - said it intends to expand "football development funding" to more than $10bn (£7.5bn) and invite third-party investment in a new venture.

The story was first reported in the Financial Times and the Times, with the latter claiming the plans could potentially earn Fifa president Gianni Infantino tens of millions of pounds.

In a lengthy statement outlining the proposals, Fifa says it will " invite third parties to make minority, non-controlling investments" in a new subsidiary - Fifa Forward Enterprise (FFE) - to "consolidate" its commercial and event operations.

Fifa say that once approval has been granted, Thrive Eternal is expected to lead the proposed investor group for FFE.

Thrive is an American venture capital firm founded by Joshua Kushner, the brother of US President Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared.

Infantino said every nation should benefit from the riches football creates.

"Parts of the game have turned that popularity into remarkable commercial value - and we celebrate that success and want it to continue, because it lifts the whole game," he said.

"Our job is to make sure the rest of football grows with it: Fifa exists to support sustainable, inclusive development in every corner of the world."

However, Uefa issued a statement criticising the proposals, which it claimed "crosses a line".

Uefa sees the announcement as a step too far - and raises the potential for further expansion of Fifa competitions in order to raise revenue, both in terms of size and frequency, which could threaten its own lucrative competitions.

"This crosses a line that football's governing institutions should never cross," Uefa said.

"Uefa takes it extremely seriously. So should every National Football Association. So should every stakeholder who cares about the future of the game.

"The soul and governance of football are not assets to trade - especially with zero transparency as to who gains financially. None of us are the owners of football. It is not Fifa's to sell."

Fifa says it would retain control of FFE "and exclusive authority over football governance, competitions, the international match calendar and all regulatory and sporting decisions".

The matter is likely to be a topic of conversation at the next Fifa Council meeting in the autumn and then around the Fifa Intercontinental Cup, featuring Champions League winners Paris St-Germain, in December.

The proposal could be voted on by all 211 members at the Fifa Congress in Morocco in March.

Libya orders army to expel protesters from gas plant

TRIPOLI, Libya 

The internationally-recognised government in divided Libya said it has ordered the army to regain control of a gas plant after a group of protesters forced their way in, risking a blackout.

"The head of the Government of National Unity (GNU), Abdelhamid Dbeibah, has ordered the ministry of defence and the general staff of the armed forces to immediately take full control of the Mellitah gas complex and to reopen the gas pipelines and gas supply to the country's power plants," it said.

On Monday night, protesters angered by frequent and prolonged power cuts forced entry to the site, bringing it to a halt.

"Several groups of people entered the Mellitah complex to shut off the gas valves supplying power plants, which threatens to put several plants out of service and increases the likelihood of a general collapse of the power grid," electricity company GECOL said.

The situation is "extremely critical", it added.

"Negotiations are underway to persuade the protesters to allow operations to resume," an official at the complex told AFP on condition of anonymity.

Their presence "poses a high risk" to the operation of the gas complex and its control rooms, the official said.

Overnight, scores of young people dumped rubbish in front of the headquarters of oil and gas companies in Tripoli, chanting "The people want the fall of the regime," in protest against power cuts and the high cost of living.

The vast complex supplies natural gas to several Libyan power plants for local electricity production.

With the most abundant oil reserves in Africa, Libya plunged into war during the ouster in 2011 of former leader, Muammar Gaddafi.

Two governments are currently vying for power there: a UN-recognised administration in Tripoli and a rival in the east of the country backed by military commander Khalifa Haftar.

In recent days, hundreds of residents of the Tripoli area have demonstrated against interruptions in the power supply.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 28/7/2026

 

Argentinian leader calls Brazilian president a 'thief' and a 'convict'

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina 

Brazil has recalled its ambassador to Buenos Aires after Argentina's president hit out at the Brazilian president, referring to him as a "thief" and a "convict".

Javier Milei made the comments at a campaign event for Jair Bolsonaro

Javier Milei made the comments on Sunday at a rally in Sao Paulo to launch the presidential campaign of right-wing candidate Flávio Bolsonaro, who is set to run in an election in October.

Without naming Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva explicitly, he referred to the Brazilian president derogatorily while speaking alongside Bolsonaro, who he went on to say was the only one who could "stop Lula".

Brazilian diplomats later said the Argentine leader had insulted Brazil's government, its people, and its democracy.

Speaking later on Sunday, Lula said he would continue to lead "without anyone's interference," and that "in Brazil, we do not accept anyone sticking their nose where it doesn't belong".

Brazil's ambassador to Argentina, Julio Bitelli, was due to return home between Sunday and Monday, AFP reported.

Flavio Bolsanaro is the son of Brazil's former president, Jair Bolsonaro, who was last year sentenced to more than 27 years in jail for plotting a coup aimed at keeping him in power after he lost the last election to Lula.

The judge who oversaw the conviction of Jair Bolsonaro, Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes, was also referred to by Milei as "bald trash".

Moraes had also previously denied Milei permission to visit the former president while he was under house arrest in Brasilia.

In 2018, Lula was sentenced to 12 years in prison over a massive corruption and bribery scandal, but was released after serving a little over 18 months.

Lula's convictions were annulled by the Supreme Court in 2021 and in presidential elections the following year he narrowly beat far-right incumbent Jair Bolsonaro, winning 50.9% of the vote. 

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 27/7/2026

Ugandan diplomat Olara Otunnu joins race to lead the United Nations

KAMPALA, Uganda 

Ugandan diplomat Olara Otunnu has become the seventh candidate to join the race to become the next leader of the United Nations.

The former UN under-secretary-general, who served as a special representative for children and armed conflict, was nominated by Kampala on Friday.

A previous opposition presidential candidate, he also served as Uganda's UN envoy, and as his country's foreign minister for a brief period.

At 75, he is the oldest of the current candidates to replace Antonio Guterres whose mandate as secretary-general comes to an end on 31 December after two five-year terms in the post.

The other potential successors in the running are from Chile, Ecuador, Argentina, Costa Rica, Guyana, and Senegal's Macky Sall.

The six other candidates, four of them women, participated in a televised debate on Thursday.

At the end of this month, the 15 members of UN Security Council are due to hold their first closed-door, anonymous vote on their preferences among the candidates.

That first "straw poll" will be followed by an unspecified number of similar votes until one person secures the required nine votes, without a veto from any of the five permanent members -- the United States, Britain, China, France, and Russia.

The name of the selected candidate will then be sent to the General Assembly for formal appointment to the position.

He or she will take office on 1 January 2027.

51 opposition officials arrested and charged with terrorism in Tanzania

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania 

Tanzania’s main opposition party, Chadema, on Saturday said 51 of its officials were arrested and charged with terrorism countrywide, accusing the government of using law enforcement to intimidate critics.

Chadema Vice Chairperson, John Heche, told reporters 130 officials were arrested over planned protests this month that failed to materialize because of a heavy police presence.

Tanzanians had planned to take to the streets on July 7, a date that commemorates the formation of the ruling party and is also associated with pro-democracy protests in neighboring Kenya. 

Protest organizers were calling for democratic reforms following the disputed October general election, in which President Samia Hassan was declared the winner with 98% of the vote.

Heche said Chadema Chairman, Tundu Lissu had been denied his basic rights and was facing treason charges, which are not eligible for bail.

Terrorism charges in Tanzania carry severe penalties, with those convicted facing prison sentences ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment.

On Thursday, a university lecturer had charges against him upgraded from incitement to terrorism ahead of a scheduled bail hearing on the earlier charges.

“I urge all Tanzanians and international human rights communities to unite and speak out against blackmail and intimidation,” Heche said.

Chadema Vice Chairman, John Heche addressing reporters 

Heche said the party’s lawyers would defend all the arrested officials and urged opposition supporters to visit and support their families.

The Tanzanian government has not commented on the latest terrorism charges but has previously denied allegations of political repression.

In June, the government banned all political rallies, citing security concerns, but did not specify how long the ban would remain in force.

During the October election, thousands of people took to the streets on polling day. Reports on the number of deaths vary significantly. The government said 500 people were killed but the opposition said the death toll was in the thousands.

ICC top prosecutor removed over sexual misconduct allegations

THE HAGUE, Netherlands 

Members of the International Criminal Court (ICC) have voted to dismiss Karim Khan as chief prosecutor for alleged sexual misconduct.

Elected the ICC's third prosecutor in 2021, Khan was suspended last month. The decision to remove him was passed with 82 votes in favour.

The court's oversight body found in June he had committed a "serious breach of duty and serious misconduct" by engaging in an improper sexual relationship with a junior ICC staff member and seeking to stop her pursuing her complaint.

Khan has repeatedly denied all the allegations against him. His lawyer said he would challenge "the lawfulness and fairness of the decision through all available legal mechanisms".

It was not immediately clear what legal avenues remained open to the ousted prosecutor.

In a statement after the vote, the ICC "took note" of the decision of the Special Session of the Assembly of States Parties - the 125 member states which voted to remove Khan.

"The Court will continue to attach the utmost importance to maintaining a safe, inclusive, and respectful working environment for all personnel," the ICC statement said.

The entire process, however, goes beyond the fate of a single prosecutor and could reshape the world's only permanent war‑crimes tribunal.

The misconduct investigation has put the institution under a glaring spotlight, intensified divisions inside it and played out alongside an unprecedented campaign to weaken, and in fact dismantle, the ICC in its entirety.

The fear among its supporters is that the court will emerge weakened and less able to face the gravest global threats.

Khan, a prominent British lawyer, has been on voluntary leave to fight the allegations since May 2025. He remains suspended from practising law in the UK, after the Bar Standards Board imposed an interim ban while it conducts its own inquiry.

He was unable to attend the vote, held in the United Nations headquarters in New York, because he is barred from entering the United States under sanctions imposed by the Trump administration over the ICC's investigation into alleged war crimes by Israeli officials in Gaza.

Regardless of his removal, the controversy is unlikely to end there.

The decision follows a highly sensitive process that has left the court under intense scrutiny.

In May 2024, allegations that Khan had engaged in sexual misconduct involving a female staff member were reported to the ICC by a third party.

The court's Independent Oversight Mechanism (IOM) opened an investigation, but the case was later closed after the alleged victim declined to participate.

Critics of the process argued that the investigation had been mishandled, undermining confidence in the IOM.

Investigators ultimately said there was insufficient evidence to substantiate the allegations.

A second referral was made in October 2024. The matter was then transferred to the United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS), which conducted a broader investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and abuse of authority.

That inquiry ran from November 2024 to December 2025 and generated more than 5,000 pages of evidence and testimony.

The OIOS findings were subsequently reviewed by a panel of three judges tasked with advising whether Khan's conduct amounted to serious misconduct, less serious misconduct, or no misconduct.

The allegations have unfolded during a period of exceptional pressure on the ICC, coinciding with wider political tensions.

The United States imposed sanctions on Khan after he sought arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged crimes linked to the war in Gaza.

Washington's attitude to the court in general has become increasingly hostile in recent years.

India's 'cockroach' protest called off after education minister quits

NEW DELHI, India 

India's Cockroach Janta Party (CJP) has called off its five-week-long protest, hours after Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned.

The CJP has called it a win for democracy and thousands of jubilant supporters continue to celebrate at Jantar Mantar, the main protest venue in Delhi.

An online satirical campaign with an AI-generated cockroach as its mascot, the CJP is not a real party but has evolved into a powerful platform for young people's anxieties and dissent.

The protest has been the most visible expression of public anger against PM Narendra Modi's government in recent years and gained momentum after Monday's police crackdown on people marching to parliament left dozens injured.

Pradhan announced his resignation on X in a post in Hindi saying he "respected the aspirations, dreams, and expectations of the youth" and was "pained by the events" of the past few days.

"Considering the situation at Jantar Mantar and across the country - with the aim of preventing anti-national forces from exploiting it, preserving national unity, ensuring that not a single Indian student's future gets entangled in legal complexities, and allowing our children to devote their time to studies and focus on building their careers - I have submitted my resignation to the prime minister," he wrote.

As news of Pradhan's resignation broke, a visibly emotional Abhijeet Dipke, CJP's founder, screamed from the makeshift stage at Jantar Mantar: "We have done it."

A loud cheer went up and huge celebrations erupted with the protesters singing, dancing, shouting slogans and handing out sweets.

Several hours since the CJP announced the end of their protest and its leaders left the site, crowds were still gathered at the venue into the night.

Many told our reporter they had waited for this day for weeks, and were not in the mood to leave without celebrating.

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan resigned

The site is increasingly looking like the centre of a party, with volunteers doing their best to manage the crowds. A large number of police are deployed around the area, but they say they will intervene only if they see breaches of the law.

The CJP was formed after the chief justice of India described some unemployed young people turning to journalism and activism as "cockroaches". He later said he was referring specifically to people with "fake and bogus degrees", but by then, the term had taken a life on its own.

The movement is led by Abhijeet Dipke, a 30-year-old political communications strategist and former student at Boston University.

The CJP quickly gained a huge following online, turning one of the most reviled insects into a symbol of defiance and resilience with 26 million followers on Instagram.

EAST AFRICA NEWSPAPERS 26/7/2026