VANCOUVER, April 29 — Fifa on Tuesday boosted overall World Cup cash distributions to nearly US$900 million (RM3.5 billion) following concerns over the spiraling costs for teams taking part in the tournament.

Football’s global governing body said in a statement that money shared between the 48 teams taking part in the finals in Mexico, Canada and the United States would now total US$871 million, up from an initial figure of US$727 million announced in December.

The cash injection was announced following a meeting of Fifa’s ruling council ahead of the body’s Congress taking place in Vancouver on Thursday.

The hefty increase comes after several Fifa members reportedly argued that the high cost of travel, tax and overall operations could result in them losing money from taking part in the tournament.

Fifa has now moved to alleviate those concerns, hiking an award of US$1.5 million for “preparation costs” to US$2.5 million for each of the qualified teams.

A payment of US$9 million for qualifying for the tournament has also been increased to US$10 million.

Further contributions for team delegation costs and increased team ticketing allocations are also part of the overall increase.

“Fifa is proud to be in its most solid financial position ever, enabling us to help all our member associations in an unprecedented way,” Fifa President Gianni Infantino said in a statement.

“This is one more example of how Fifa’s resources are reinvested back into the game.”

Fifa is projected to earn around US$13 billion from the current four-year World Cup cycle, which concludes with this year’s tournament, the largest World Cup in history.

Fifa’s prize money for the 2026 tournament announced last year had already shattered the cash handed out at the 2022 World Cup, increasing by 50 percent.

The increase in cash payments comes with Fifa increasingly under fire for the high cost of tickets to the tournament, while some local authorities in the United States have dramatically raised transport costs during the event.

Mouth-covering crackdown 

Fifa, meanwhile, also confirmed law changes which will be rolled out at the World Cup, which kicks off in Mexico City on June 11.

From now on, players who cover their mouths during confrontations with opponents will face a red card as part of a new initiative aimed at combating racism.

In a statement following a meeting of the International Football Association Board (IFAB) in Vancouver on Tuesday, Fifa confirmed that the rule was one of two law changes that would be introduced at the World Cup.

“At the discretion of the competition organiser, any player covering their mouth in a confrontational situation with an opponent may be sanctioned with a red card,” Fifa said.

The new rule follows controversy earlier this year when Benfica winger Gianluca Prestianni was accused of racially abusing Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior during a Champions League game in February.

Prestianni was accused of calling Vinicius a “monkey” repeatedly while covering his mouth. Prestianni denied racially abusing Vinicius but was later banned for six matches — with three of those suspended — for “homophobic conduct”.

In a separate law change announced on Tuesday to be enforced at the World Cup, Fifa said that red cards would also be introduced for players leaving the field of play in protest at a referee’s decision.

Fifa also said a team causing a game to be abandoned will forfeit the match.

The move follows the uproar at this year’s final of the Africa Cup of Nations, when Senegal’s players, head coach Pape Thiaw and his staff walked off the pitch in Rabat after Morocco were awarded a penalty in added time, which forward Brahim Diaz ultimately missed.

Senegal went on to win the final 1-0 in extra time, but were sensationally stripped of the title by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in a bombshell decision issued last month.

Fifa has also approved a change to the way sanctions are enforced during the World Cup.

From this year’s tournament, single yellow cards issued to players in the group stage will be cancelled after the first round, and then again after the quarter-finals.

The move is aimed at ensuring that star players do not find themselves suspended for crucial games in the tournament after collecting two separate yellow cards. — AFP 

Remarks marking 250th anniversary of American independence tell US lawmakers: ‘The actions of this great nation matter’

King Charles has extolled the importance of Britain’s “special relationship” with the US in a speech to Congress that made pointed reference to the importance of Nato, the defence of Ukraine and the climate crisis.

In a speech that will be read as a veiled plea to Donald Trump to return to the US’s traditional European alliances and restore his country’s role as a defender of liberal values, Charles said: “America’s words carry weight and meaning, as they have since independence. The actions of this great nation matter even more.”

Positions ‘terminated, effective immediately’, says email to scientists sent on president’s behalf, in move labelled ‘dangerous attack’ on US innovation

The Trump administration has fired members of an independent board that oversees the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Members of the National Science Board received an email on Friday sent from the Presidential Personnel Office “on behalf of President Donald J Trump” stating that their position was “terminated, effective immediately”.

Redrawn map could flip up to five seats to Republicans as Trump’s party seeks to keep control of Congress

The US supreme court formally reinstated on Monday a redrawn Texas electoral map that was designed to add more Republicans to the US House of Representatives, as Donald Trump’s party seeks to keep control of Congress in the November congressional elections.

The move by the court, which has a 6-3 conservative majority, formalizes an interim decision it made in December to revive the map of US House districts in Texas.

Special session comes after Virginia voted to redraw maps and as Trump pressures Republicans to protect House majority

Florida begins a special session on Tuesday in what may be the last front of the redistricting war before the 2026 election, with Republicans trying to redraw maps to pick up more seats in Congress.

Lawmakers enter the session in Tallahassee cloaked in mystery, with no preview of a proposed map to consider and no clear path for Republicans to increase their representation in what appears to be a hostile year for their party.

LONDON, April 26 — Britain’s government remains in close cooperation with ‌US security services ahead of King Charles’ visit to the United States this week, a ‌senior minister said on Sunday, after a shooting at the White House correspondents’ dinner.

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump were rushed out of the dinner in Washington by Secret Service agents on Saturday night after a man opened fire on security personnel nearby.

Asked about the ‌incident on Sky News, Darren ⁠Jones, chief secretary to Prime ⁠Minister Keir Starmer, ⁠said the British government and ⁠Buckingham Palace ⁠took the security of King Charles “very seriously”, with extensive discussions already underway that would ⁠continue over the coming days.

“In respect of His Majesty’s visit to the United States next week... our security services obviously remain in close cooperation in ⁠advance of that,” Jones added.

King Charles and his wife, Camilla, are due to ⁠arrive in the United States on Monday for ⁠a ⁠four-day trip that includes a private meeting with Trump and an address to Congress, ‌marking 250 years since the US declaration of independence from British rule. — Reuters

Tom Kean, who has not voted since 5 March and whose seat is top Democratic target, due back ‘very soon’, speaker says

A vulnerable Republican congressman who has not voted in weeks “is attending to a personal health matter”, the speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, said on Friday as he struggles to maintain his historically small majority in Congress’s lower chamber.

Tom Kean Jr’s New Jersey district is a top pickup target for Democrats in the November midterms, but the congressman has not cast a vote in the House since 5 March.