LAUSANNE, France: FIFA’s disgraced former secretary general Jerome Valcke and Paris Saint-Germain chief Nasser Al-Khelaifi go on trial in Switzerland on Monday in the latest chapter of football’s seemingly endless corruption saga.
The two men have been indicted for alleged corruption in the attribution of football broadcasting rights — Al-Khelaifi is also the boss of beIN Media.
The hearing, which has already been delayed because of the coronavirus, is scheduled to last until September 25 at the Federal Criminal Court of Bellinzona. But it will open under another cloud as suspicions of collusion between the Swiss prosecution and FIFA have undermined its credibility.
Center stage is Valcke, former right-hand man of ousted FIFA president Sepp Blatter, who appears in two separate cases of television rights corruption — he faces up to five years in prison if found guilty.
The 59-year-old Frenchman stands accused of wanting to transfer the Middle East and North Africa rights for screening the 2026 and 2030 World Cups to the Qatari giant beIN Media, in exchange for “unwarranted benefits” from Al-Khelaifi.
According to the prosecution, the case relates to a meeting on October 24, 2013 at the French headquarters of beIN, when Al-Khelaifi allegedly promised to buy a villa in Sardinia for five million euros, granting its exclusive use to Valcke.
Al-Khelaifi, who has denied the charges, was then to hand the property over to the Frenchman two years later under certain conditions.
In return, the prosecution claims, Valcke committed to “do what was in his power” to ensure beIN would become the regional broadcaster for the two World Cups, something which happened on April 29, 2014, in an agreement that FIFA has never since contested.
Legally, however, it is no longer a question of “private corruption.” The prosecution had to drop that qualification because of an “amicable agreement” reached at the end of January between FIFA and Al-Khelaifi, the contents of which have not been made public.
So Valcke must now justify having “kept for himself” advantages “which should have gone to FIFA.”
An employee at the time, the obligation to return money received in the course of his duties “also applies to bribes,” according to a decision in March.
Al-Khelaifi, one of the most influential men in world football, faces the charge of “inciting Valcke to commit aggravated criminal mismanagement,” for which he could also face five years in prison.
“The major part of this file does not concern our client,” his lawyers told AFP while dismissing the charges against him as “clearly artificial.”
Al-Khelaifi denies buying the property in question or promising it to Valcke.
Valcke, who will be at the hearing, also stands accused of exploiting his position at FIFA between 2013 and 2015 to influence the awarding of media rights for Italy and Greece for various World Cup and other tournaments scheduled between 2018 and 2030 “in order to favor media partners that he preferred” in exchange for payments from Greek businessman Dinos Deris, who has also been charged.
Valcke, who allegedly stood to receive 1.25 million euros in exchange, “disputes the charges,” according to his lawyer Patrick Hunziker.
The case has been weakened by accusations of collusion born of three secret meetings in 2016 and 2017 between the current president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino, and Switzerland’s former Attorney General Michael Lauber.
Both are under investigation for “obstructing criminal proceedings” — Lauber resigned from his post in July.
If the hearing runs its course, it will be the first judgment handed down in Switzerland, the seat of most international sports organizations, on the 20 or so proceedings opened in the last five years surrounding FIFA.
FIFA on trial as Valcke, Al-Khelaifi trial begins in Swiss court
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FIFA on trial as Valcke, Al-Khelaifi trial begins in Swiss court
- Switzerland will judge Valcke, Al-Khelaifi in a case of TV rights on Monday
- The case is major step in the cascade of investigations on world football
Southeast Asian countries send rescue teams as Myanmar quake death toll tops 2,700
- Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, Singapore have also sent teams to assist Myanmar
- Rescuers struggle due to lack of heavy machinery, damage to critical infrastructure
JAKARTA/MANILA: Indonesia and the Philippines on Tuesday sent rescue teams to assist Myanmar, where the death toll from a huge earthquake has passed 2,700.
Rescuers and aid workers have been struggling to reach victims and find survivors after the 7.7-magnitude quake struck at midday on Friday near Myanmar’s second-largest city, Mandalay, destroying scores of buildings and ancient cultural sites.
In the wake of the disaster, neighboring Southeast Asian countries have rallied to send humanitarian assistance to Myanmar.
Indonesia dispatched a 53-member search and rescue team on Tuesday, after on Monday sending a smaller group and 12 tonnes of humanitarian aid comprising tents, food and logistical supplies.
“The earthquake has caused massive suffering. As of today the death toll stands at around (2,700), but there are still plenty of people who must be saved,” Suharyanto, the head of Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency, said during a send-off ceremony in Jakarta.
The strongest earthquake to hit Myanmar in more than a century damaged critical infrastructure and communication, further hampering relief efforts in a country that was already facing a humanitarian crisis from an ongoing civil war.
Death toll from the quake has reached 2,719 and is expected to rise, Myanmar’s military leader Min Aung Hlaing said in a televised address on Tuesday, adding that about 4,500 people were injured and more than 400 were missing.
Friday’s earthquake was also felt in Thailand, where the death toll stands at 21.
The Philippines has dispatched the first batch of a 91-member emergency team, which includes members of the Philippine Air Force, the Department of Health, and the Bureau of Fire Protection, to help with search and rescue efforts.
The remainder of the group will depart on Wednesday for a two-week deployment to Myanmar, the Philippine Air Force said in a statement.
“Bringing with them essential search and rescue equipment and medical supplies, these personnel are ready to perform life-saving operations, provide medical assistance, and deliver critical aid throughout the mission,” the PAF said.
Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos and Singapore have sent their own teams to Myanmar to assist with the ongoing search and rescue operations, which have reportedly been slowed because of a lack of heavy machinery, forcing many to search for survivors by hand in daily temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius.
Malaysia, which chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations this year, said that countries from the region are working closely to support Myanmar.
“These deployments reflect ASEAN’s united response and commitment to standing together in times of hardship,” Malaysia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
Vatican: Pope Francis’s condition improving
- The 88-year-old Catholic leader left Rome’s Gemelli hospital on March 23 after a lengthy stay
- Pope Francis remains in the Santa Marta guesthouse, taking part in mass every morning
VATICAN CITY: A chest X-ray has confirmed a “slight improvement” in Pope Francis’s lungs as he recovers from five weeks in hospital with life-threatening pneumonia, the Vatican said on Tuesday.
The 88-year-old Catholic leader left Rome’s Gemelli hospital on March 23 after a stay in which doctors said he had almost died twice, returning to the Vatican for a convalescence of at least two months.
The Vatican press office said a chest X-ray carried out in recent days confirmed a “slight improvement” in his pulmonary infection.
Improvements were also reported in his motor skills, voice and breathing. Although he continues to use oxygen through a cannula, the Argentine pontiff can remove it for short periods.
His doctors previously said that with double pneumonia the lungs are damaged and the respiratory muscles are strained, so it can take time for the voice to return to normal.
Francis remains in the Santa Marta guesthouse, taking part in mass every morning in the chapel on the second floor where he has lived since becoming head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics in March 2013.
He has had no visits beyond his doctors and closest associates, the Vatican said, adding that his morale remained “good.”
The Argentine pope missed his seventh successive Angelus prayer on Sunday and there is no word on whether he will make an appearance this weekend, although another briefing is due on Friday.
The Vatican has also declined to say how the pope will participate in upcoming events for Easter, the holiest period in the Christian calendar, although it has included on its schedule the traditional “Urbi et Orbi” blessing on Easter Sunday – which only a pope can deliver.
Francis has been largely out of the public eye since he was admitted to hospital on February 14.
On the day he left the Gemelli, he appeared in a wheelchair on a hospital balcony, waving his hands from his lap to the hundreds of pilgrims gathered below to greet him.
He spoke a few words in a weak voice, saying through a microphone: “Thank you, everyone.”
He then noted a woman below with yellow flowers, and added: “Well done.”
Francis then was spotted being driven away from the hospital, a cannula in his nose.
Pakistan extends deadline for expulsion of Afghans
- In early March, Islamabad announced a deadline of the end of the month for Afghans holding certain documentation to leave the country
- The UN says nearly three million Afghans live in Pakistan, many having fled there over decades of war in their country
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has postponed a deadline for hundreds of thousands of Afghans to return to their country due to Eid Al-Fitr holidays marking the end of Ramadan, a government official said on Tuesday.
In early March, Islamabad announced a deadline of the end of the month for Afghans holding certain documentation to leave the country, ramping up a campaign to send Afghans back to their homeland.
“The deadline has been extended until the beginning of next week due to Eid holidays,” the official said on the condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media.
Afghans holding Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) — issued by Pakistan authorities and held by 800,000 people, according to the United Nations — face deportation to Afghanistan after the deadline.
More than 1.3 million Afghans who hold Proof of Registration (PoR) cards from the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, are also to be moved outside the capital Islamabad and neighboring city Rawalpindi.
The UN says nearly three million Afghans live in Pakistan, many having fled there over decades of war in their country and after the return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan.
“Many have been living in the country for years and going back means going back to nothing,” Pakistani human rights lawyer Moniza Kakar said.
Ties between the neighboring countries have frayed since the Taliban takeover, with Pakistan accusing Kabul’s rulers of failing to root out militants sheltering on Afghan soil, a charge the Taliban government denies.
A delegation from Islamabad met with officials in Kabul in March, with Pakistan emphasizing the importance of security in Afghanistan for the region.
The Taliban government has repeatedly called for the “dignified” return of Afghans to their country, with Prime Minister Hassan Akhund urging countries hosting Afghans not to force out them out.
“We ask that instead of forced deportation, Afghans should be supported and provided with facilities,” he said in an Eid message the day before Pakistan’s original deadline.
Rights groups have condemned Pakistan’s campaign.
Human Rights Watch slammed “abusive tactics” used to pressure Afghans to return to their country “where they risk persecution by the Taliban and face dire economic conditions.”
Afghan girls and young women would lose rights to education if returned to Afghanistan, as per Taliban authority bans.
Amnesty International condemned the removal of Afghans in Islamabad awaiting resettlement in other countries, saying they would be “far from foreign missions who had promised visas and travel documents, and risk deportation due to the increased difficulty in coordinating their relocation with missions such as the United States.”
Following an ultimatum from Islamabad in late 2023 for undocumented Afghans to leave Pakistan, more than 800,000 Afghans returned between September 2023 and the end of 2024, according UN figures.
Putin ‘playing for time’, says German FM in Kyiv
- ‘Ukraine is ready for an immediate ceasefire. It is Putin who is playing for time …’
- ‘He is feigning a willingness to negotiate, but not deviating an inch from his goals’
KYIV: German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock accused Russian President Vladimir Putin of “playing for time” in negotiations over the war in Ukraine as she arrived on a visit to Kyiv on Tuesday.
“Ukraine is ready for an immediate ceasefire. It is Putin who is playing for time, does not want peace and is continuing his war of aggression, which is a violation of international law,” Baerbock said in a statement shared by her ministry.
“He is feigning a willingness to negotiate, but not deviating an inch from his goals,” she said on her ninth visit to Ukraine since the start of the war.
On March 11, Ukraine, whose army is struggling on the frontline, and the United States agreed a plan for a 30-day ceasefire with Russia.
But Putin has rejected the US proposal and has upped his rhetoric on Moscow wanting to install new leadership in Ukraine.
Baerbock was visiting Kyiv for the first time since the re-election of US President Donald Trump, who has upended US-Europe relations by reaching out to Russia over European heads to seek an end to the conflict.
The shift in policy has sparked concern over the future of the NATO alliance and prompted Europe to focus on boosting its own defense capabilities and upping its support for Ukraine.
Germany in March approved three billion euros ($3.25 billion) in new military aid for Ukraine after adopting a major new spending package that eased its traditionally strict debt rules.
“In view of the deadlock between the United States and Russia, it is absolutely vital that we Europeans show that we stand by Ukraine’s side... and support it now more than ever,” Baerbock said.
Commemorations were held in Ukraine on Monday in the city of Bucha, where Russia’s army is accused of murdering hundreds of civilians three years ago.
Malaysia gas pipeline inferno injures 100: fire officials
- The inferno, which was visible kilometers away, was caused by ‘a gas pipeline leak stretching approximately 500 meters’
- The valve to the affected pipeline belonging to Malaysia’s state-run oil firm Petronas has been shut off
KUALA LUMPUR: A massive fire caused by a gas pipeline leak forced people from their homes and injured more than 100 during Eid celebrations near Malaysia’s capital on Tuesday, fire officials said.
The inferno, which was visible kilometers away, was caused by “a gas pipeline leak stretching approximately 500 meters (1,600 feet),” said fire officials in Selangor state near Kuala Lumpur.
The valve to the affected pipeline belonging to Malaysia’s state-run oil firm Petronas has been shut off, the fire officials said in a statement.
While the early morning blaze was coming under control in the afternoon, more than 100 people were injured, the fire department said.
About 60 of the injured were hospitalized, Selangor deputy police chief Mohamad Zaini Abu Hassan was quoted as saying by local broadcaster Astro Awani.
No deaths were reported but about 50 houses were affected by the blaze, the fire department said.
Residents were enjoying a public holiday for Eid celebrations in Muslim-majority Malaysia when they were forced to flee the suburban area.
Nizam Mohamad Asnizam, 49, who lives 100 meters from the site of the fire, fled from his house with his family in his car.
“When I woke up, I saw the fire raging, with an extraordinary sound. I have never experienced a fire with this kind of sound. The sound was terrifying. It felt like a jet engine was next to me,” he said.
“Stepping on the floor was like stepping on a hot wok. The heat was like putting your head in an oven, it felt like I was burning.”
Dashcam footage shared online showed a column of fire from what appears to be an explosion, creating a massive fireball that shot into the sky.
Another video shared online showed a residential area covered in smoke while a huge fire blazed in the background. Singed trees and melted cars are also seen in the video.
Selangor Chief Minister Amirudin Shari said in a Facebook post that a temporary relief center had been set up at a nearby mosque.
He warned the public to stay away from the area affected by the fire while investigations and rescue work were being carried out.
