When Infantino sat down at the Azteca he knew exactly which questions would be coming his way.

How could he not?

The expulsion of Artan after an 11-hour interrogation at Miami International Airport had come just hours earlier, accused by a US official of having links to terrorists in his homeland.

“It is unfortunate what happened to the referee from Somalia,” Infantino said. “But again, we don’t control everything.

“We try, we’ll discuss, we’ll speak, we’ll see. Maybe sometimes it’s good as well to just, you know, chill, relax.”

Those words will have been of little comfort to Artan, who touched down back in the Somali capital of Mogadishu on Wednesday after seeing his World Cup dream die.

There were no words of support for the official, no regrets expressed. It was just “unfortunate”.

When questioned about other visa issues, which have affected fans and team delegates too, Infantino deflected attention to the 2035 Women’s World Cup – which is almost certain to be awarded to the United Kingdom.

“Would you find it normal that Fifa would dictate to the British government who to let in the country and who not to let in the country?” Infantino asked.

When England hosted the World Cup in 1966, a strikingly similar situation happened.

The UK government feared the presence of communist North Korea could cause diplomatic shockwaves and it considered denying entry.

After a letter from the Football Association warned the government that the country risking losing the World Cup, concessions were made to allow them to take part.

Indonesia, due to be hosts of the 2023 U-20 World Cup, were stripped of hosting rights after saying Israel would not be permitted entry.

Yet when the United States makes similar decisions which affect competing World Cup nations, such as Iran, Fifa says it is powerless.

“Unfortunately, our world is, you know, a very aggressive world, and security goes above everything,” Infantino said. “You need to respect the decisions which are taken, and when I say to chill, I don’t mean to chill and do nothing.

“We need to respect that we are not the kings of the world who can rule over governments and police forces.

“We are a sports organisation. We try to do our best with the means that we have.”

The family said they have been left “feeling disgusted” by the recent disorder as they issue on fresh update on Stephen Ogilvie’s condition

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The family of Stephen Ogilvie, victim of the horrific knife attack in Belfast on Monday, have given a major update on his condition as protests continue to cause chaos in the city.

His family said through police that they have witnessed a lot of false information circulating on social media.

They added: “It is now forcing us to clarify that our loved one is in fact in a stable condition, and we are solely focused on his recovery at this time,” they said in a statement distributed by the PSNI.

The family added: “We are also appealing to the media and the public to please give us some space. We need privacy to focus on our family right now, without cameras or people speculating about what happened via social media.”

They urged the violence to stop, saying they had been left “feeling disgusted” by the recent disorder.

Stephen Ogilvie, 44, lost an eye and suffered other serious injuries following the incident on Kinnaird Avenue on June 8.

Hadi Alodid, 30, of Duncairn Avenue in Belfast, appeared before the city’s magistrates’ court on Wednesday, charged with the attempted murder of Stephen Ogilvie, threatening to kill an NHS radiographer and possession of a knife.

UUP leader Jon Burrows spoke to the father of Stephen Ogilvie on Wednesday morning, following the scenes of violence and disorder across Belfast and other towns in NI on Tuesday night.

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Mr Burrows said the victim’s father had a direct appeal he wanted him to pass on. As well as providing a condition update from the time Burrows said: “The victim’s father has also asked me to pass on a direct appeal to those spreading disinformation online: please stop. This has shockingly included false posts on social media at various times that his son has died.

“This is causing immense additional distress to a family already going through an unimaginable ordeal. I echo that appeal wholeheartedly and urge everyone to act with decency and respect for this family.”

In an earlier statement issued through Independent Councillor Stafford Ward, the family of Stephen Ogilvie said that they “want to make it clear that overnight unrest is not welcome”.

“We are aware of the tensions and talk of protests following this incident. We want to make it absolutely clear that overnight unrest is not welcome, and peaceful protest is the only way forward.

“We have many migrants who make a deeply valuable contribution to our country, including in our healthcare system and hospitality sector and we depend on them to make our country work. We do not want this terrible tragedy to be used to divide people or fuel hostility,”

Darlington Borough Council will partner with Esh Homes Limited to drive the development of the Burtree Garden Village. 

The partnership will provide the infrastructure, build and sale of homes at the site under the company name of High Faverdale Park JV Limited. 

The Burtree development, in Faverdale, will ultimately see 2,000 new homes built over 20 years. (Image: Hellens Group)

It comes after an agreement in March 2025 to enter into an Infrastructure Development Agreement with Homes England for the construction and adoption of a spine road over the council’s land at Faverdale. 

With the infrastructure works now nearing completion, the Joint Venture Company will purchase land to deliver new homes. 

Planning permission has recently been obtained for 130 houses on the site. 

The Burtree development, in Faverdale, will ultimately see 2,000 new homes built over 20 years. 

A new school, community centre, pub, and health facilities are also proposed. It will be built on old farmland near Burtree Lane, Faverdale Industrial Estate, and the A68. 

The development will be built on old farmland near Rotary Way, Faverdale Industrial Estate, and the A68.

The Joint Venture Company will be fully funded by the council through prudential borrowing of up to £8.382 million. 

A second garden village, Skerningham, will also be built in Darlington over the next few decades. It is due to cover 487 hectares to the north of Darlington and will adjoin the existing communities at Beaumont Hill, Whinfield and Great Burdon. 

Fire crews are at the scene

Firefighters were called to a Cambridgeshire village after receiving reports of a house fire on Wednesday, June 10. Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service were called at 2.54pm to reports of a house in flames on Telegraph Street in Cottenham.

Crews from Cambridge along with the south roaming fire engine and turntable ladder are at the scene. A spokesperson for Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service said they are “working hard to extinguish the fire”.

The spokesperson said in full: “At 2.54pm crews from Cambridge along with the south roaming fire engine and turntable ladder were called to a house fire on Telegraph Street in Cottenham.

“Crews are currently at the scene and working hard to extinguish the fire.”

On Wednesday, Trump told reporters, in reference to Iran: “We’re going to ⁠be attacking them, ⁠attacking them very hard.”

The latest strikes come after US military began targeted sites inside Iran in response to the downing of a military helicopter over the Strait of Hormuz earlier in the week.

Iran responded by launching missiles against bases that host US forces in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan.

For weeks, Trump insisted that a peace deal between the US and Iran is close, but the conflict this week suggests time has run out to reach a diplomatic solution to the crisis, Al Jazeera news agency reported.

First, a confession. I’m that smug and condescending person that gloats to others about how I would never fall for an online scam.

I’ve sat through hundreds of online safety Compliance modules and pride myself on having a Sam Maguire level of cop on when it comes to being potentially swindled online.

It’s never happened to me. And I was cock sure it never would. Annoyingly sure.

That was until around 7pm on Saturday night.

While keeping one eye on the Galway v Dublin Leinster hurling final and simultaneously supervising two teenagers sitting State exams, I found myself scrolling through TikTok when something stopped me in my tracks.

An O’Neills GAA sale. And at first glance. A bloody brilliant O’Neills sale.

As the parent of two teens that practically live in O’Neills GAA gear, this felt like a genuine find. A golden opportunity to grab a few Dublin GAA bits ahead of our summer holiday.

Not to mention the chance to pick up some Meath GAA merchandise for a man who’s well past the age of sporting any GAA gear.

But a Meath jersey for €15. Where do I sign up?

Shorts for €5. How many would you like?

It sounds utterly daft in hindsight, and those reading this must be wondering what sort of eejit I am, but the website appeared completely legitimate and we’re all conditioned to these one-off ‘clearance sales’ from various brands.

Caught off guard and distracted by Galway’s demolition of the Dubs, I took the bait and handed over €63 of my hard-earned money to ‘purchase’ several items. My wife isn’t daft. She sensed something wasn’t right, and shortly after I’d clicked purchase, she voiced her suspicions that this seemed too good to be true.

‘Don’t worry,’ I reassured her in my finest Alan Partridge voice, ‘I’ve just got a confirmation email.’

That’s when reality hit me. Like an enormous Croke Park-sized coin crashing down on my skull.

You’ve been scammed. You absolute eejit!

The email address looked suspicious, the text was riddled with grammatical errors, and the amount I’d paid didn’t match what appeared on the receipt. This fool had been taken in.

Working in GAA photography and graphics, once I viewed the site on a desktop, it became glaringly obvious this was a fraudulent copycat website.

Fair play to the scammers, though. They’d earn an 8/10 in the match ratings. They’d made it appear incredibly convincing on mobile. I was even provided with a bogus tracking number.

To be honest, as my wife had pointed out, it was far too good to be true. But by then it was too late. The match was done. The final whistle had sounded. The scammers had lifted the silverware.

Credit to Revolut, they’re putting in serious effort to recover my funds. But rather like Meath’s prospects of capturing the All-Ireland title, the chances are slim.

I reached out to O’Neills to alert them that fraudsters were duplicating their website to flog non-existent goods, and they verified that they don’t run advertisements on TikTok. They said: “Based on the information provided, this does not appear to be a legitimate O’Neills purchase. We do not sell our products via TikTok or any other social media marketplaces. All official O’Neills products are sold through our official website and authorised retail locations.

“Unfortunately, fraudulent websites and advertisements can sometimes appear online offering heavily discounted products in order to mislead customers.”

Consider this a cautionary tale – even if you reckon you’re savvy enough to avoid it, falling victim to online scams can happen to anyone.

And when a deal looks suspiciously good, chances are it’s dodgy.

Penning this serves as both a cathartic exercise and a public service announcement to remain vigilant, as this bogus website continues to operate.

Or medium, as my phantom jersey was meant to be.

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Online figures such as Tommy Robinson provide “really easy narratives” that have helped to fuel disorder in Belfast, a researcher has said.

Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, continually posted on X during Tuesday night, commenting that “Belfast is burning with rage tonight” and “It’s happening. Unite”.

Dr Darja Wischerath, from the University of Bath’s Institute of Digital Security and Behaviour (IDSB), analysed the impact of Robinson’s public Telegram channel on rioting in the summer of 2024. In July and August of that year, widespread unrest and disorder was seen across the UK in response to the Southport murders.

The researchers found that Robinson used his Telegram channel to comment on ongoing events and legitimise violence during the anti-immigration protests and riots without ever giving direct instructions, allowing him to maintain plausible deniability.

Dr Wischerath told PA: “They establish this parasocial relationship with their audience, which already puts them in a position where they are kind of a really good authority on all of the things that are going on in the world and are already trusted more both cognitively and emotionally”.

The Fortune came to an end after four episodes on Channel 5, with its replacement next week confirmed.

The Fortune has come to an end on Channel 5 with a replacement airing in its slot next week.

Poldark actress Eleanor Tomlinson starred alongside Harry Potter actor Matthew Lewis in the gripping thriller.

It followed her character Amanda as a woman with a seemingly perfect life unravelling when she inherited a mysterious fortune.

The four-part programme came to an end on Wednesday, June 10, with Amanda discovering secrets behind the mystery as truths came to light.

The Fortune ending explained

Amanda was concerned with the disappearance of her mother Linda from her care home, while also dealing with her husband Jimmy disappearing.

Initially, she feared the worst, and confronted Sandy about secret meetings with Jimmy, only to find out that he only wanted Sandy to pressure Amanda to keep the money.

As she struggles to know what to do, and is warned not to contact the police, Amanda tries to find clues from the box of photographs she was sent.

She also gets a call from Fiona, who wants to take 50% of the money from Amanda, and cut out Anthony from the deal.

Amanda eventually manages to track down Jimmy’s last known location but while hoping to find him, is threatened by Anthony, who wants more of the money’s share.

Secrets continue to disrupt Anthony and Fiona’s relationship, as at their home, she finds a shirt full of blood, though he offers no explanation.

Amanda, on her way to find Jimmy, locates her mum in an old fishing hut that was pictured in one of the photos, but Linda isn’t alone.

She finds a stranger there, later confirmed to be Barry, with Linda revealing that Barry is actually Amanda’s dad, who she thought was dead for decades.

All along, Barry had wanted Amanda to keep the money for herself, explaining that the money had originally been his, but Martin had taken it for himself.

Martin had also asked Boots to kill Barry, but Barry had set up a trap and escaped, leaving Amanda thinking he was dead.

Barry also reveals he had asked Jimmy to help him, who returns, apologising to Amanda for keeping secrets.

Going to meet Anthony and Fiona at their estate, Amanda gets a call from their lawyer, who informs them that Anthony isn’t really Martin’s son.

Confronting them, Amanda tells the truth about the Worrall’s money, that it actually came from her dad.

Though Fiona had no idea of the truth, Anthony tries to hide behind lies and denies killing Boots, but Barry walks in, a ghost from the past.

In a moment of despair, Anthony threatens to shoot Fiona and Barry, before pointing the gun at himself.

The final scenes, after Linda’s heartbreaking death in the fishing hut, see Amanda return to Sandy’s to ask for her job back, and revealing she accepted the money, but let Fiona keep the house.

The Fortune’s replacement confirmed

The Fortune has been airing on Channel 5 for two weeks, on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Next week on Tuesday, June 16, after Reuben Owens: Life in the Dales slots at 8pm, Little Disasters airs at 9pm on Channel 5.

Its synopsis reads: “As the investigation continues, shocking discoveries are made. Cracks form in the Carrisford family as their friends become increasingly involved, and hidden secrets come to light.”

Then on Wednesday, at the same time, a repeat episode of Surgeons: A Matter of Life or Death will air, as per Freeview.

The Fortune is available to watch on Channel 5

The EU’s new Entry and Exit System (EES) was first introduced in October last year, before the rollout ramped up on April 10.

The new system requires British travellers, and other non-EU visitors, to provide biometric data, including fingerprints and facial scans, when entering the Schengen Area.

The new EES has received significant backlash since its introduction, with it causing long waits for passengers at airports.

Major airlines, including Jet2 and Ryanair, have called for the rollout of the new system to be suspended until after the summer to allow for a “smoother airport experience” during peak travel season.

CEO of Ryanair’s Malta subsidiary, Malta Air, David O’Brien, even threatened to pull all flights to Malta due to the extended wait times caused by the EES at airports.

Brits have previously been warned of six-hour waits at airports in Portugal caused by the new EES.

A fresh warning of more six-hour waits has now been issued for several major European airports.

Brits warned of 6-hour airport queues – see the holiday hotpots affected

Airline industry leaders have warned that the new EES checks could dramatically increase processing times at passport control.

Vice-president for Europe at IATA, Rafael Schvartzman, said the system increases passenger processing times from around 20-25 seconds to as much as 90 seconds per traveller, creating a “hard risk” of lengthy queues and missed flights, The Times reported.

Mr Schvartzman told IATA’s annual meeting that places were implementing the system differently, some did not have the required technology or infrastructure, and kiosks were understaffed.

He added: “What we are seeing is a very hard risk of really challenging times or waiting times, talking about expectations of three, four, five, six hours, which is unacceptable.

“We know for a fact there are many cases where people have lost flights or their connectivity.”

The worst-affected holiday hotspots are:

• Lisbon
• Lanzarote
• Alicante
• Mallorca (Majorca)

How long are EES delays at airports expected to continue?

Deputy executive director of EU border agency Frontex, Uku Sarekanno, said some member states are “struggling” to adopt the EES, and it could take up to two years for things to “stabilise”.

Addressing a summit of travel industry leaders organised by Abta in Westminster, Mr Sarekanno said: “We expect that the situation will stabilise in one or two years.

“The most challenging part is the first enrolment, that is the moment where fingerprints and facial images will be taken.

“If a person is visiting the EU again (within three years), they don’t have to go through the same process, so they can have a more fast track of entry.”

He continued: “Member states are still adjusting to the new reality.

“There are ones which are managing it rather well, who have dedicated resources.

“There are the others who are still struggling.

“This adjustment… is taking some time and effort.”

Chief executive of industry body Airlines UK, added: “If the EU’s own expectation is that queues will last up to two years, that’s not a teething problem – that’s a serious policy failure.

“Member states must make use of the flexibilities available to them, right now, to protect airline passengers this summer and beyond.”

EU rules currently allow the checks to be temporarily halted to avoid queues at peak periods but that is not always happening.

EES is not the only travel change Brits need to worry about in 2026

Britons have also been warned to prepare for the introduction of the European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS), expected to launch later in 2026.

Under the scheme, visa-exempt travellers, including UK passport holders, will need permission to enter 30 European countries for short stays.

Applications will cost €20, although under-18s and over-70s will be exempt from the fee.

Have you used the new EU’s new entry/exit system yet? Let us know about your experience in the poll above or in the comments below.

The mother of a young girl who nearly died in a stabbing outside an Irish school has revealed how her daughter is doing after the attack.

The child, aged five at the time, was seriously injured along with another young girl, a boy and a creche worker during a stabbing on Dublin’s Parnell Square.

Riad Bouchaker, 52, originally from Algeria, is accused of attempted murder of three children and other charges over the incident on November 23, 2023.

He has denied the charges and claimed he was ‘not in his right mind’ at the time, the Irish Times reports.

The girl’s mum was left in limbo over whether her daughter would survive the attack as the youngster was rushed into surgery following significant blood loss.

The mum’s first question to the medics was ‘is she dead?’ after a life-saving operation.

Her daughter, who has not been named for legal reasons, had suffered a wound to her heart and her brain was left without oxygen for around 40 minutes.

The girl stayed in the ICU for three weeks and was under heavy sedation so that doctors could understand the extent of damage to her brain.

She has been required to relearn everything over the course of her recovery, her family said previously.

At the moment, she is non-verbal and in a wheelchair, and learning to swallow again.

She uses blinking to indicate yes or no, and she relies on medication to go to sleep.

The woman told a Central Criminal Court jury how she received a tearful call from the creche owner where her daughter attended before school on the day of the stabbing.

The owner told the mum, who worked nearby, ‘Oh my God, oh my God, […] has been stabbed, you have to come’ and that it happened in front of the school.

She told the court: ‘I stopped breathing for a second but I kept running and I got there.’

The mum could see her daughter’s pink backpack and pink shoes near the school entrance as the emergency workers surrounded her.

‘I stopped and let them work because I could not do anything for her at that moment,’ she said.

Her daughter had celebrated her fifth birthday at the time of the events.

Bouchaker, of no fixed abode, is charged with attempted murder of two girls and one boy, and assault causing serious harm to a care worker, assaulting three people and producing a 36cm kitchen knife.

He has pleaded not guilty to all charges through an interpreter.

The trial continues.

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