Kenyan protester killed at demonstration against US Ebola facility

Kenyan police shot dead a protester on Tuesday as hundreds demonstrated against a government-backed quarantine centre for Americans exposed to Ebola, with anger mounting over Nairobi's determination to press ahead with the facility.


Issued on: 10/06/2026 - RFI

Demonstrators gather in a protest against a US-backed Ebola quarantine facility, intended to host Americans exposed to Ebola, in Nanyuki town, Laikipia County, Kenya, on 9 June, 2026. REUTERS - Monicah Mwangi

Patrick Wahome has helped organise protests in the central town of Nanyuki against the facility, and, like multiple eyewitnesses at the scene, told news agencies that the man died from a gunshot wound to the head.

The NGO Vocal Africa also posted on X about the killing.

Early on Tuesday, police began firing tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters. Some waved Kenyan flags and one carried a white cross emblazoned with the phrase "Reject Ebola" in red.

More than 10 protesters were also detained by police, Reuters reporters said. At least two of them saw a body lying motionless with a large wound to the head in the back of a police van, though they said they had not witnessed the shooting themselves.

A police spokesperson said he had no information about the incident.

"Hooded police officers fired live bullets and arbitrarily arrested 19 protesters," the non-profit Kenya Human Rights Commission said in a statement posted on its social media accounts late on Tuesday.

Officers had also attacked protesters and journalists, the statement added.

The proposed 50-bed unit at Laikipia Air Base, near Nanyuki, has angered many Kenyans.

Protester Priscilla Imani told Reuters the area's association with the quarantine facility was also deterring tourists who come to climb Mount Kenya or see rhinos. "Laikipia is not a dumping site," she said.

A country with no cases

With no recorded cases of Ebola, many Kenyans are struggling to understand why their government is allowing the United States to build an Ebola facility in their country to treat US citizens.

Some protesters directed their anger at President William Ruto, who last week said his administration was doing "the right thing" by establishing the centre.

Others accuse the US of offloading the risk of caring for those exposed to the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda, where there have been more than 500 confirmed cases and 100 confirmed deaths.

Two people were killed during similar protests in Nanyuki last week.

Police officers detain a protester taking part in a protest against a US-backed Ebola quarantine plan to establish a 50-bed facility at a Kenyan air force base intended to host Americans exposed to Ebola, in Nanyuki town, Laikipia County, Kenya,on 9 June, 2026. REUTERS - Monicah Mwangi

A High Court judge has twice issued orders barring Kenya's government from taking steps to build or begin operations at the site.

Joshua Malidzo, a lawyer challenging the quarantine plan, said the court's deadline expired on Monday without the government complying.

US military planes have continued to ferry in staff and equipment after the court issued its orders, according to US and diplomatic sources and flight-tracking data, with several aircraft expected to land this week.

Satellite imagery seen by Reuters also shows a build-up of white tents since late May on a roughly 11-acre plot on the air base.

Requests for comment to a government spokesperson have gone unanswered.

A US-led facility for US citizens

The United States has said it is aware of the court challenge and is "working with the Kenyan government to resolve any objections".

Several US citizens have been exposed to Ebola in eastern Congo and Uganda. Six, including one who tested positive, were moved to a medical facility in Germany last month, while another was taken to the Czech Republic.

US President Donald Trump's administration has said it will not allow any Ebola cases to enter the US.

The Nanyuki facility is designated for Americans who have been exposed to the virus but remain asymptomatic. Kenyan officials have said the facility would also serve Kenyans and foreign nationals, but US officials have not confirmed this.

(with newswires)

Pakistan renews air strikes on Afghanistan, killing dozens


Pakistan on Wednesday launched deadly air strikes on Afghanistan after a period of relative calm following months of fighting at the beginning of the year. Pakistan's government said 26 "militants" were killed while Afghan authorities said at least 12 people, including children, died in provinces near the border.


Issued on: 10/06/2026 - 
By: FRANCE 24

An armed Taliban security personnel walks through a marketplace in Asadabad, Kunar province, Afghanistan, on June 10, 2026. © Wakil Kohsar, AFP

Pakistan has renewed deadly air strikes on neighbouring Afghanistan, officials in both countries said Wednesday, in the worst violence in weeks following a period of relative calm.

Pakistan's government said on Wednesday that 26 "militants" linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) group were killed in the attacks.

"In the aftermath of recent terrorist incidents in Pakistan .... precise and calibrated Strikes were carried out along Pakistan Afghanistan border areas on hideouts and safe havens," Pakistan's information minister Attaullah Tarar posted on X.

He did not comment on any civilian casualties after Afghan authorities, who have denied Afghanistan is used for militancy, said at least 12 people, including children, were left dead in the strikes.

An AFP journalist saw a house completely destroyed in the southeastern province of Khost, where residents were digging graves to bury those killed in the overnight attack.

Afghanistan's government spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said "11 children, one woman, and one elderly man were killed" in strikes on Khost, Kunar and Paktika provinces.

Islamabad said the strikes came in response to "recent terrorist incidents in Pakistan" and killed 26 militants linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) group.

"Precise and calibrated Strikes were carried out along Pakistan Afghanistan border areas on hideouts and safe havens," information minister Attaullah Tarar wrote on X, without commenting on civilian casualties.

The attack in Khost's Spera district killed nine people and wounded 10 others, including children, a provincial official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

In neighbouring Paktika, two residents said a separate attack killed three civilians in Barmal district.

The strike hit a home, and those killed were children, one of the residents said.

The strikes are the deadliest in weeks and follow a period of relative calm at the border after conflict between the two countries erupted in late February.

Residents pay the price as Afghanistan-Pakistan border remains closed

An escalation saw fierce fighting along the frontier and unprecedented Pakistani air strikes on Afghan cities – including the capital Kabul and southern Kandahar, where the supreme leader is based.

At least 372 Afghan civilians were killed and 397 others wounded in that conflict in the first three months of this year, a United Nations report published last month said.

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been fraught since the Taliban took power for a second time in 2021.

Security issues have proved a sticking point, especially Pakistan's demand that Afghanistan curb the TTP militant group.

Islamabad accuses the Taliban government of sheltering militants behind a surge in attacks, particularly the TTP, which has waged a violent campaign against Pakistan for years.

Afghan officials deny the charge and counter that Pakistan harbours hostile groups and does not respect its sovereignty.

The border between the neighbours has remained largely closed since a flare-up in violence in October, freezing bilateral trade.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

Has Russia given up on Kinburn Spit, its westernmost foothold in Ukraine?

ANALYSIS

At the start of the war in Ukraine, the Russian capture of Kinburn Spit – a narrow piece of land that holds the key to several Ukrainian ports – was hailed as one of Moscow’s most significant victories on the southern front. From there, Russia could launch attacks on the Ukrainian mainland, and use it as a springboard should it make an attempt to take Odesa. Now, Russian forces appear to have pulled back from the once so-strategic spit. What is going on?


Issued on: 10/06/2026 - 

FRANCE24
By: Sébastian SEIBT

Kinburn Spit was seen as one of the most strategic important locations in Ukraine at the beginning of the war in 2022. © Darkngs/Creative commons

On June 8, two days before Russia would have celebrated its four-year anniversary of the capture of the Kinburn Spit – Moscow’s westernmost military position in Ukraine – a member of the Crimea-based Ukrainian partisan group Atesh had astonishing news to report: Russian troops seemed to have abandoned the disputed land strip between the Dnipro-Bug estuary and the Black Sea, located on the tip of the Kinburn Peninsula, northwest of Crimea.

The main reason, the agent reported, was that their supplies had been “completely disrupted” by Ukrainian drone strikes. Vital deliveries of ammunition, fuel and food had come to a total standstill, said the agent, who was cited by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW) and Ukrainian media outlets, and most members of Russia’s 337th VDV Regiment had been redeployed elsewhere.

A relic of Russia’s initial plans for Odesa

Russia has not confirmed the reported loss of the 10-kilometre-long sandbar, which at its base measures around 4 kilometres in width, and at its peak, some 100 metres.

Yet in 2022, after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Kinburn Spit became a strategic priority for Kyiv because it lies at the mouth of the Dnipro River – between the Dnipro-Bug estuary and the Black Sea, south of Kherson – and controls access to the key port of Mykolaiv and nearby Ochakiv, while allowing artillery and missile attacks on Ukraine’s southern coast.

Although the spit is tiny, it has offered Russia plenty of military vantage points. © Wikimedia Commons

Since then, Ukraine has made repeated attempts to take it back. Kyiv deems Kinburn Spit as so important that it last year asked the United States to include it in any future peace plan Washington may present to Russia’s President Vladimir Putin.

In the early days of the war, the spit was indeed of crucial importance.

“In the beginning of 2022, the Russians wanted to go all the way to Odesa,” Tor Bukkvoll, an expert on the Russian military and the war in Ukraine at the Norwegian Defence and Research Establishment, explained. The plan, he said, was to use the spit as a springboard to go deeper into southern Ukraine.

Will Kingston-Cox, a Russia specialist at the International Team for the Study of Security (ITSS) Verona, said that by taking the strip, Russia has been able to control the Dnipro-Bug estuary and the access to Kherson.

Could it affect Black Sea shipping?

As the war has worn on, however, experts say the Kinburn Spit’s strategic importance has steadily decreased.

First off, because Russia seems to have dropped its plans to take Odesa, Bukkvoll said. Secondly, because the situation around the city of Kherson – which was recaptured by Ukraine at the end of 2022 – as well as along the Dnipro River, seems to have largely stagnated. Instead, the focal point of the war has moved to Donbas and the Zaporizhzhia regions.

Still, if the report is confirmed, it would be a significant win for Ukraine. Kingston-Cox described it as “a step towards restoring safer navigation” in the Black Sea.

But, noted Frank Ledwidge, a senior lecturer in war studies at the University of Portsmouth, “the Kinburn Spit has no importance at all as long as the Russians occupy the left bank of the Dnipro, which they do”.

But a Russian withdrawal would still remove a major obstacle for Ukrainian exporters wishing to use the ports in Mykolaiv.

And, Kingston-Cox said, “Russia would also lose its ability to use the spit as a forward position for observation, which it has been doing, and for its artillery and for drones, and for electronic warfare, and the harassment of shipping routes.”

But the most important result would be the symbolic value – perhaps even more so than the military one, Bukkvoll said.

At the end of 2022 and at the beginning of 2023, Ukrainian forces pushed the Russians out of the outskirts of Mykolaiv. But Moscow still managed to hold on to Kinburn Spit.

“If Ukraine can confirm control, it would be able to say that Mykolaiv Oblast has been fully liberated,” Kingston-Cox said. That, he said, would have “serious political value” for Ukraine. Not the least since President Volodymyr Zelensky would be able to use it as an argument to convince its backers that Kyiv is holding the military initiative.

Supply lines and drones

Ledwidge also said it would be a way for Ukraine to shift the world’s focus from the battlefields that are not going so well, and “show you what it wants you to see”.

In Donbas, or the Kharkiv region, the situation for Ukraine still remains difficult. Further south, however, Kyiv has in the past few days claimed a series of successful drone attacks against important infrastructure in Crimea, including a bridge that links the peninsula (which Russia illegally annexed in 2014) with southern Ukraine, a railway, and several oil facilities.

But beyond the symbolic value – and the impact it would have on Ukrainian propaganda – a Russian withdrawal from Kinburn Spit would also underscore Kyiv’s increased capabilities to conduct medium-range strikes and have the enemy retreat by itself by cutting vital supply lines “without a direct assault”, Bukkvoll said.

It also shows how vulnerable the supply lines that were established at the beginning of the war have become in a conflict that is now dominated by drones. So far, the Ukrainian drones have had the upper hand in disrupting supply lines to troops in exposed areas.

Bukkvoll argued that Russia may have decided that it now costs more to defend its supply lines to the Kinburn Spit than to just let it go.

If the Russian withdrawal is confirmed, it remains to be seen what the future will hold for Kinburn Spit. Will Ukrainian forces occupy it – and potentially become targets for Russian drones themselves – or will it become a no-man’s-land? What is certain is that if Kyiv moves in, it will first have to clear it from mines and set up solid air defence systems.

This article was adapted from the original in French.

Russia's conscripts recount pressure to fight in Ukraine

Warsaw (AFP) – After Russian police started using facial-recognition cameras to identify men wanted by military authorities, a young bank worker spent weeks avoiding the Moscow metro.


Issued on: 11/06/2026 - RFI

Russia's has hardened its once-avoidable conscription system amid the war 

© Alexander NEMENOV / AFP

But on snowy Friday evening in late 2024, heavy traffic pushed him underground to visit his mother. At the next station, two officers entered the carriage and detained him for draft evasion.

Within three days, he was sent to a military unit near Moscow for year-long mandatory service.

Like other Russian conscripts who described their experiences to AFP, he spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons.

The cases show how, amid the war with Ukraine, Russia has hardened its once-avoidable conscription system and the pressure draftees -- officially not sent to war -- come under to sign contracts to fight in Ukraine once inside the military machine.

"Before 2022, there were many ways to avoid the draft without doing anything illegal," said Artyom Klyga, a lawyer with the Movement of Conscientious Objectors.

"Now very few legal ways remain."

'Record numbers'

It used to be relatively easy to secure a medical exemption, perform alternative civilian service, or avoid the draft by staying in education.

Since invading Ukraine, Russia has made conscription year-round, raised the upper age limit from 27 to 30, tightened medical exemptions and introduced an online summons system.

Timofey Vaskin of Shkola Prizyvnika, or the School of Conscripts, said the demand to find ways out of service had "risen sharply".
In Moscow, facial-recognition cameras and a unified recruitment system have made men easier to find and faster to process © Alexander NEMENOV / AFP

In Moscow, facial-recognition cameras and a unified recruitment system have made men easier to find and faster to process.

Once conscripted, the pressure to sign a fully-fledged army contract often starts within days.

"They are without means of communication, without access to parents, right groups or journalists," Klyga said.

One common tactic is to present a military contract as a normal job, Vaskin said.

Conscripts are told they can work "from nine to six", earn far more and avoid routine duties.

Others are promised roles as drivers or clerks, or that the contract will last "just one year".

In fact, army contracts are effectively open-ended.

"It is a major success of the Russian authorities that they have convinced many people that conscripts simply serve for a year," Klyga said.

"As a result, conscripts are now ending up in the war in record numbers."
'People like you'

Last year, 422,000 Russians signed voluntary contracts to fight in Ukraine, according to ex-president Dmitry Medvedev -- six per cent down on 2024.

At the same time, some 295,000 people were called up for military service.

Last year, 422,000 Russians signed voluntary contracts to fight in Ukraine

If conscripts sign a contract to fight, they can end up on the front "within a month," Klyga said.

After being caught on the metro, the former bank worker was held for three days in a detention centre without a shower or change of clothes.

No one forced him to sign-up, he said, but the idea was constantly present.

"You're a good fit, we need people like you," he was told.

"You could get a decent role, earn money and not do the usual duties," he recalled his superiors saying.

Some in his unit agreed immediately. For a while, he considered it.

A DJ from Moscow who tried to avoid service told AFP he could not obtain a driving licence or international passport without proper military papers.

He gave in and was assigned to an army medical unit for a year -- where he met contract soldiers trying to find a way out.

"None of them want to serve," he said. "They all want out."

He recalled some commanders telling him: "Don't sign anything. Don't ruin your life."

- 'Break a person' -

In one case, Vaskin reported a prohibited phone was planted on a conscript, who was told to choose between detention or signing a combat contract.

Klyga's organisation has documented complaints from conscripts being kept awake all night in heavy chemical protection suits, forced to dig holes and then refill them, and others who said their signatures were forged on enlistment documents.

If conscripts sign a contract to fight, they can end up on the front within a month, rights advocates say © STRINGER / AFP

"Under constant pressure they break a person," he said.

One conscript told AFP that a man in his unit swallowed a needle in an attempt to get discharged.

"He was covered in blood when they brought him in," he said.

He survived and was eventually discharged.

Those that end up fighting -- through pressure or coercion -- often do not tell their relatives.

"They simply leave, and the family only finds out later," Klyga said.

In some cases, parents only discover what happened after their son has been killed at the front.

© 2026 AFP

How cyber criminals are taking advantage of the FIFA World Cup

Copyright AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez

By Anna Desmarais

Published on 09/06/2026 - EURONEWS

From fake websites to malicious calendar invitations, here is how cyber attackers have already been taking advantage of the FIFA World Cup hype.

While football fans around the world wait with bated breath for the FIFA World Cup to start, cyber criminals are already hard at work online.

The tournament, heralded by the organisers as the biggest event of its kind ever, will see 104 teams go head-to-head in 16 North American cities across Canada, the United States and Mexico when the games begin later this week.

Cybercriminals have already created thousands of World Cup-related campaigns and, heading into the tournament, the Canadian and American governments have issued warnings for spectators to keep a close eye out for scams.

Here is what campaigns have already taken place online and what to expect as we wait for the kick-off.

Thousands of fake FIFA websites

One of the most popular schemes for cybercriminals is the fake FIFA website or merchandise store, according to cybersecurity firms Fortinet and Check Point.

In a recent report, Fortinet identified over 13,000 World Cup-themed websites registered between January and May. Approximately 8% of these websites were classified as malicious or suspicious based on scam activity and patterns on the website, the analysis found.

Most of the websites they identified were used to attract users who are looking for tournament information and services by using World Cup-related keywords and abusing the FIFA branding, Fortinet said.

The goal of these sites is to “steal sensitive information such as payment card details, personal identification data, and login credentials” by tricking World Cup hopefuls into buying fake tickets, Fortinet said.

Related

• Watch: Forget the football—the money game behind the 2026 World Cup

Often called “card not present,” fraud, these sites have been in place at other major events, such as the 2022 World Cup and the 2024 Paris Olympics, and look to exploit “urgency and scarcity to pressure rapid purchasing decisions,” according to Check Point.

Fortinet observed some scammers posting fake World Cup travel packages, including tickets, hotel and transportation on messaging app Telegram “while creating a strong sense of urgency,” the report said.

The Telegram posts redirect potential buyers to a fake ticketing website hosting a sham checkout page, where they are prompted to enter their personal information. After putting in their payment information, the victim receives a fake invoice.

Other websites also replicate sports-related gambling sites that face increased demand during large events such as the World Cup, the report said. Cyber criminals often distribute “fake or trojanized betting applications disguised as legitimate software,” to trick users into placing bets on their platforms.

Fake jobs, profiles and streaming services on social media

Cybercriminals are not just restricted to traditional websites; they also created 1,700 fake social media profiles on Facebook and Instagram, the report said.

“The widespread presence of unofficial accounts using FIFA branding increases the risk of brand abuse, misinformation, fraudulent promotions, phishing attempts, and other social engineering activities targeting football fans ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026,” the report said.

On the LinkedIn job site, scammers have been circulating fake job advertisements to trick users into thinking they were applying for short-term roles in event staffing, hospitality, logistics and media support.

Hackers often impersonate real recruitment agents for their scams, directing prospective job applicants to fake calendar schedules that have a phishing site embedded to steal their personal information.

Related

• 2026 World Cup: five key facts about FIFA's biggest ever tournament

Social media platforms such as Facebook, X and Telegram have also distributed fake links to streaming platforms that promise to livestream a specific game with a group of fans.​

The links would often appear a few minutes before a match begins, often within closed groups or channels, and users are pressured into quickly registering their information or installing a fake “player” before the stream starts.

However, in many of the social media cases, Fortinet noted that fans have been quick to spot fakes, with many taking to Reddit to ask other fans to confirm whether they have been the victim of a scam.

Euronews Next contacted these platforms to see whether they have increased any content moderation or scam detection ahead of the World Cup, but did not receive an immediate reply.

​How to protect yourself

Consider verifying the domain name of a website or email address related to the World Cup before deciding to click on it, Check Point said in a list of recommendations.

Only book through On Location, FIFA’s hospitality partner, for hospitality packages or directly with the hotel that you want to stay at, the cybersecurity firm said.

Related

• Thousands join record-breaking human wave attempt in Mexico City ahead of World Cup

If booking online, use a credit card instead of a debit card to buy something tournament-related due to stronger protections against scammers, it suggested.

If a fan sees something suspicious, Check Point suggests slowing down before acting, because buying into urgency can make it easier to fall for a scam.

For fans going to the World Cup, Check Point recommends running phone and app updates before arrival at the stadium so hackers cannot access devices that have security flaws.

Football history: Jules Rimet, the man behind the World Cup plan

Jules Rimet's brainchild has come a long way in 96 years. Fourteen teams accepted an invitation to take part in the inaugural tournament in 1930. In 2026, more than half of the 48 squads competing have battled through two years of qualifying games.


Issued on: 08/06/2026 - RFI

Jules Rimet(centre) hands over the trophy bearing his name to the Uruguay captain Obdulio Varela after his side's 2-1 win in the final match of the 1950 World Cup in Brazil. AFP

By: Paul Myers

Before Rimet's plan, the most prestigious international football team prize was handed out at the Olympic Games which was organised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Rimet, a founding member of the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (Fifa) in 1904, wanted his organisation to be the big noise in football.

And after taking up the Fifa presidency in 1921, the 54-year-old Frenchman proposed his World Cup concept at the 17th Fifa congress in Amsterdam in May 1928.

Compatriot Henri Delaunay, who was a Fifa vice-president as well as a top executive with Rimet at the French Football Federation, backed Rimet's resolution "to organise a competition which would be open to the representative teams of all of the affiliated national associations."

Unsurprisingly, the associations in the Americas were up for the cup but their European counterparts were reluctant to send their squads on a three-week voyage across the Atlantic Ocean for a two-week tournament before a three-week trip back home.

Two months before the start of the event, no European teams had registered. Rimet, who had trained as a lawyer, had to twist a few arms in France to persuade his home country to boost the credibility of the competition. The Belgian-born Fifa vice-president Rodolphe Seeldrayers eventually wooed his football association to participate.
Egypt miss World Cup boat

Egypt would have made it 14 teams but their ship from Egypt to Europe was held up by a storm in the Mediterranean and they missed their connecting boat to Uruguay from Marseille.

The 1930 tournament started on 13 July with two games. France took on Mexico at the Estadio Pocitos in Montevideo and a few kilometres to the north, Belgium played the United States at Estadio Parque Central.

Just over two weeks later Uruguay were the champions after beating Argentina 4-2 in the final at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo.

Nearly 69,000 fans packed into the arena to see the 1924 and 1928 Olympic champions maintain their international supremacy and vindicate Rimet's decision to create the tournament.

Fittingly, he handed the cup – named Victory – over to the Uruguay skipper José Nasazzi.
World Cup gains traction

Further proof of the World Cup's popularity came in the 1934 event in Italy.

Thirty two of Fifa's 50 then members wanted to take part in the 16-team competition. To reduce the field, Fifa introduced a qualifying competition that included hosts Italy.

They survived the qualifiers and after winning the competition proper, Rimet was on hand to present the trophy the victorious Italy squad.

And he gave the Italians the trophy again in 1938 after they beat Hungary 4-2 in the final in Colombes just outside Paris.

But 15 months after the showdown, the world was engulfed in war.

Fifa, having relocated in 1932 from Paris to Zurich, Rimet was able to continue the organisation's operations in neutral Switzerland as nations battled for global domination.
Post-war development

The World Cup re-emerged in 1950 with a cup renamed the Jules Rimet trophy in 1946 to honour his 25 years as Fifa president. There was also an incentive: the first nation to win the cup three times would keep it in their trophy cabinet for ever.

In 1950, Rimet handed his namesake cup to Uruguay and he was at the heart of the award ceremony in June 1954 as West Germany won the competition for the first time.

Just after the final, Rimet, who was approaching his 81st birthday, stepped down as Fifa boss after 33 years in charge of the organisation he had helped to establish in his early thirties.

He died on 16 October 1956 a few days after his 83rd birthday in Suresnes on the western outskirts of Paris.

When two-time champions Italy faced Brazil in the World Cup final in 1970 at the Estadio Azteca in Mexcio City – the venue for the opening game of the 2026 tournament – they were not only playing for the title but also the right to keep the cup.

Brazil, who had triumphed in 1958 and 1962, claimed the Jules Rimet trophy and eternal bragging rights after thumping Italy 4-1.

Platini sues Infantino in French courts as Fifa feud heats up

Former UEFA  president Michel Platini said on Monday he is suing FIFA president Gianni Infantino, in the latest chapter of a battle that began when scandal derailed Platini's 2015 bid for the FIFA presidency. After unsuccessful attempts in Switzerland, Platini is now turning to the French justice system to make his case.


Issued on: 09/06/2026 - RFI

Former president of the the European Football Association (Uefa), Michel Platini, at the Swiss Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona, Switzerland, 8 July 2022. AP - Alessandro Crinari

In a statement sent to French news agency AFP four days before the start of the 2026 Fifa World Cup, 70-year-old Platini, who ran the 1998 edition of the tournament in France, said his lawyers had filed two complaints in French courts.

The statement said the French justice system "is tasked with fully uncovering the conspiracy hatched against French soccer player Michel Platini to prevent him from assuming the Fifa presidency that had been promised to him".

When Sepp Blatter left his position as president of the governing body of world football in 2015, Platini, the head of European governing body Uefa, stepped forward as the most likely successor.

But the former France captain and coach was quickly submerged in the widening scandal. Instead his deputy at Uefa, Infantino, grabbed the Fifa presidency, starting a long-running vendetta.

On Monday, Platini named Infantino, 56, as well as former Fifa officials Marco Villiger and Domenico Scala, as targets of his suit. He also asked for former Swiss Attorney Michael Lauber and other officials in that department to be investigated by their French counterparts.

The first of the actions announced by Platini's statement on Monday is a civil suit "to seek compensation for all the damages he has suffered as a result of the tactics used to prevent him from being elected Fifa president in 2015".
Internal manoeuvres

The second is a criminal complaint to force an investigation into a "criminal conspiracy to commit false accusation...influence peddling....and aiding and abetting influence peddling.

"This complaint specifically targets the individuals who worked to eliminate Michel Platini from the race for the Fifa presidency."

Platini has previously filed two separate complaints in Switzerland, but neither came to court.

Blatter, Platini seek redemption in court over football corruption charges

Swiss prosecutors, for their part, launched a long-running criminal action against Platini for a payment he received from Fifa in 2011, but have three times failed to obtain a conviction.

Swiss authorities have also investigated Infantino for his use of private jets and for three secret meetings with Lauber in 2016 and 2017.

Platini reiterated on Monday that he believed he had been wronged.

"The Parisian investigating judge, along with investigative agencies, police, and gendarmerie, are tasked with uncovering and exposing the internal manoeuvres within Fifa, with the possible complicity of Swiss magistrates, to block the path of the three-time Ballon d'Or winner to the helm of world soccer," said the statement.

 

Top African referee denied entry into the US and will miss World Cup

Copyright AP Photo

By Gavin Blackburn

Published on 09/06/2026 - EURONEWS

A FIFA spokesperson confirmed in a statement that Artan, who says he was detained for 11 hours at Miami International Airport, would play no part in the World Cup.

Award-winning Somali referee Omar Artan has been dropped from officiating at the World Cup after being barred from entering the United States, world football's governing body FIFA said on Monday.

A FIFA spokesperson confirmed in a statement that Artan, who was refused entry to the US after arriving at Miami International Airport on Saturday, would play no part in the World Cup.

In an interview with the New York Times, Artan said he had been detained for 11 hours and held in a cell, despite claiming he had a valid visa.

Speaking from Istanbul, Artan said, "I'm just a referee trying to live my biggest dream, to go to the World Cup".

He told the newspaper he was questioned on Somali politics by US border officials and said "I think they have a problem with my country".

Artan would have been the first Somali to referee at a World Cup.

"FIFA can confirm that match official Omar Abdulkadir Artan will be unable to train and officiate at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after he was denied entry into the United States," the spokesperson told the AFP news agency.

FIFA emphasised that it was powerless to influence the decision, which it said was the sole preserve of tournament co-hosts the United States.

"FIFA is not involved in host country immigration processes, including visa adjudications, and has been informed by authorities that Mr Artan's status will not be changed at present," the spokesperson said.

"In line with previous FIFA events, a host government ultimately determines who receives a visa and who is admitted into their country."

Referee Omar Artan signals a penalty during the CAF Champions League final in Rabat, 24 May, 2026 AP Photo

A spokesperson for United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said Artan was denied entry following a routine inspection.

"During processing, the traveller underwent additional inspection, a routine part of CBP's inspection process when officers need to verify information or determine admissibility," the CBP spokesperson said.

"Following inspection, the traveller, a referee for the FIFA World Cup, was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry."

Somalia is one of several countries on a travel ban list introduced by President Donald Trump's administration as part of a broader immigration crackdown.

In a statement to AFP, Artan said he wanted to concentrate on the future.

"Despite the circumstances I am in a positive mood and I am focused on the next challenges in my refereeing career," he sai

"I want to thank the football family for their messages and wish my colleagues all the best success during the World Cup and I look forward to joining them again in future competitions."

Somalia offers referee 'unwavering support'

Somalia defended Artan after his entry ban.

"The Ministry of Youth and Sports reaffirms its unwavering support for Omar Artan and...has full confidence in his integrity, professionalism and continued contribution to the advancement of football both in Somalia and internationally," the country's ministry of sports said in a statement.

Artan was among the 52 referees announced by FIFA for the World Cup finals in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

He has been officiating in the Somali national football league championships since he became a FIFA referee in 2018 and refereed in the most recent edition of the Africa Cup of Nations.

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In 2025, he was named by the Confederation of African Football as men's referee of the year.

Somalian President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud praised Artan in April after he made history as the first Somali to be selected to officiate at the World Cup finals.

"I commend the effort, professionalism and integrity shown by referee Omar, as he has become a symbol of inspiration for the new generation of Somalis," said Mohamud.

Somali World Cup referee Omar Artan receives warm welcome home after being denied entry to US

By Nathan Rennolds

Published on 10/06/2026 - EURONEWS

Andrew Giuliani, who is leading the White House task force for the FIFA World Cup, has said Artan was denied entry to the US for a "very good reason," without offering further details.

Somali football referee Omar Artan returned home on Wednesday to a swarm of fans and reporters after being denied entry to the United States ahead of the FIFA World Cup.

Crowds gathered at Mogadishu's Aden Adde International Airport waving Somali flags and brandishing posters while photographers scrambled to capture shots of the referee as he stepped onto the runway.

Artan is one of the world's top-rated officials and had been in line to become the first referee from Somalia to take charge of a World Cup fixture before he was refused entry to the US at Miami International Airport last week.

Somalia is among a number of nations subject to a travel ban issued by US President Donald Trump, who has sought to crack down on immigration since his return to the White House.

Speaking to The New York Times, Artan said on Tuesday that he had been questioned by US border officials about his documentation and career for 11 hours before being taken to a holding cell and eventually flown to Istanbul.

“I am very, very disappointed,” he told the paper.

"I’m just simply a referee who’s trying to live his dream, the biggest dream of my life, to come to the World Cup," he continued, adding that he had the "right papers" and the "right visa".

Image shared by the Office of the Somali Prime Minister. Nasra Bashir Ali/X

The United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said Artan had been refused entry to the country following a routine inspection.

"During processing, the traveller underwent additional inspection, a routine part of CBP's inspection process when officers need to verify information or determine admissibility," the CBP said. "Following inspection, the traveller, a referee for the FIFA World Cup, was determined to be inadmissible due to vetting concerns and was denied entry."

Andrew Giuliani, who is leading the White House task force for the FIFA World Cup, has said the refusal was for a "very good reason" and that he supported the decision, without offering any additional details on the matter.

Border control has taken centre stage ahead of the 2026 edition of the tournament, with a number of national teams experiencing visa issues and being subjected to additional security measures.

The decision to deny Artan entry has prompted particular criticism from across the football world and beyond.

England and Arsenal legend Ian Wright questioned whether the move was within the "spirit of football" and branded it a "World Cup of chaos".

"I feel for the American fans who are desperate for this," he said in a video posted to social media. "How embarrassing for them this must be".

The head of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, also weighed in on the decision, sending his support to Artan

"This won’t be the end of your story on the world stage," he said.

 

Infantino defends World Cup ticket prices, says fans 'should chill' about ref denied US entry

Copyright AP Photo

By Gavin Blackburn

Published on 10/06/2026 -  EURONEWS

The 2026 men's World Cup has been expanded to 48 teams and is the biggest and most ambitious in the event's history, with matches taking place in Mexico, Canada and the United States.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino defended World Cup ticket prices on Wednesday, saying “if we are doing something wrong, everyone in North America is doing something wrong.”

FIFA priced tickets starting at $140 (€121) for the 48-nation, 104-game tournament that starts on Thursday and priced regular seats up to $8,680 (€7,518) for the 19 July final in New Jersey.

It raised prices for the final to $10,990 (€9,518) and then $32,970 (€28,556).

After criticism from fans, FIFA offered a small amount of $60 (€51) tickets to national federations for their regular supporters. Infantino said on Wednesday 130,000 tickets were offered at that price, out of 6-7 million total.

Infantino said the average ticket price was under $500 (€433) for the tournament and was comparable to other US sports during their playoffs, a claim that while true for resale prices does not appear to be accurate for list prices.

He said he was unconcerned about investigations by attorneys general in California, New Jersey, New York and Texas.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino speaks during a news conference at the stadium in Mexico City, 10 June, 2026 AP Photo

“We are very relaxed about it because before starting to sell 6.5 million or 7 million tickets we check what we do with the best lawyers,” he said. “We welcome every investigation.”

The NBA Finals have had wildly varied get-in prices, ranging from a minimum of about $500 for the first two games in San Antonio to about $10,000 (€8,661) for Game 3 in New York. Game 4 in New York was much less, dropping to about $4,000 (€3,464) on Wednesday

The Stanley Cup Final this year between teams in Las Vegas and Raleigh, North Carolina, has included a get-in price of at least $600 (€519) for each of the first four games of the best-of-seven series.

FIFA powerless to get US entry for Somali referee

Infantino said it was “unfortunate” that Somali referee Omar Artan was denied entry to the US and said people “should chill.”

He said FIFA cannot dictate to governments who to let into their countries, though it is working “behind the scenes.”

“We always try to make the situation as positive as possible and to find solutions," he said. "Sometimes we manage, other times not.”

“We don’t live on the moon, we live on planet Earth,” he said.

Referee Omar Artan is welcomed by supporters upon his arrival in Mogadishu, 10 June, 2026 AP Photo

Artan insisted he had the correct visa for the US but he was turned back at Miami International Airport and then put on a flight back to Turkey.

A US State Department official said the referee was "associated with suspected members of terrorist organisations", therefore "making the traveller ineligible for admission to the United States."

Thousands of people turned out to welcome Artan back to the Somali capital Mogadishu on Wednesday.

"I will be at the next World Cup and will continue to make Somalia proud...Despite what has happened to me, I am not discouraged," he told journalists.

Artan, who was named the 2025 men's referee of the year by the Confederation of African Football, would have been the first Somali to officiate at a World Cup.

Meanwhile, concerns were rising that the curtain-raiser in Mexico City could be disrupted by social unrest.

Relate

Protesters blocked an avenue leading to the Estadio Azteca on Tuesday although lines of police prevented the demonstrators from reaching the stadium.

Thousands took part in the demonstration following a week of action that Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has called a "provocation."

Sheinbaum has said that the opening match was "guaranteed," though the left-leaning leader again ruled out using police to repress the demonstrations.

US President Donald Trump, who has forged a close friendship with Infantino, announced plans to attend the World Cup, although he did not say which games.

"I spoke to Gianni this morning...he said there's never been anything close," to the success of the coming tournament, Trump said.

Messi sparkles on return

On the pitch, Argentina's superstar Lionel Messi scored moments after coming off the bench on Tuesday to dispel any injury doubts and help the holders win their final warm-up game.

The 38-year-old Messi had not featured for Argentina in the build-up to their title defence after injuring a hamstring playing for Inter Miami in late May.

He was introduced as a substitute with 20 minutes left to huge acclaim from a capacity 88,000 crowd against Iceland in Auburn, Alabama, and his clever through ball played in Lautaro Martinez, who was fouled in the box.

Messi, who drove Argentina to their third World Cup crown in Qatar four years ago and is set to feature in his sixth World Cup, lashed in the penalty to help the reigning champions ease to a 3-0 win.

Argentina's first match is on 16 June against Algeria in Kansas City.

Along with Spain, France and England, Argentina are among the favourites to win the title.