Raheem Sterling’s representatives in talks with seven Champions League level clubs, Tottenham and Burnley also interested in England winger, and Cole Palmer out of Manchester United‘s price range.
The representatives of England winger Raheem Sterling, 31, who left Chelsea by mutual consent earlier this week, are in talks with seven Champions League level clubs who want to sign him. (Sky Sports)
Tottenham are seriously considering signing Sterling, who is now a free agent, and manager Thomas Frank is “on board” with the move. (Teamtalk)
Burnley, along with Italian Serie A sides Juventus and Napoli, are also interested in Sterling. (Mail)
Manchester United will not be signing Chelsea midfielder Cole Palmer, 23, this summer, as bosses know the England international is out of the club’s price range. (Mirror)
Chelseaare planning on spending 150m euros (£129m) on Real Madrid and England midfielder Jude Bellingham, 22, this summer. (Fichajes – in Spanish)
Ajax are set to sign Ukraine midfielder Oleksandr Zinchenko, 29, who is on loan at Nottingham Forestfrom Arsenal, on a permanent deal for about 1.5m euros (£1.3m), plus add-ons dependant on the Dutch side qualifying for the Champions League. (Fabrizio Romano)
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery, 54, is on Real Madrid’s shortlist to become the Spanish club’s new manager this summer. (Sky Germany)
Chelsea remain in talks with Rennes to sign 20-year-old French centre-back Jeremy Jacquet before the January transfer window closes. (Givemesport)
Real Madrid want to sign Manchester United and Portugal full-back Diogo Dalot, 26, because of their defensive weaknesses. (Fichajes – in Spanish)
Anthony Joshua has posted a video – described as a “short message from the heart” – thanking fans for their support following the deaths of his two close friends in a car crash.
The former world heavyweight champion, 36, sustained minor injuries in the incident in Nigeria on 29 December which killed Sina Ghami and Latif ‘Latz’ Ayodele.
Joshua, along with Ghami and Ayodele, were passengers in the vehicle when it collided with a stationary truck on a major road near Lagos.
Ghami and Ayodele were both pronounced dead at the scene, while Joshua was pictured being helped from the wreckage.
In a six-minute video posted on his social media channels, the British heavyweight acknowledged supporters worldwide “who were showing so much love, support through that tragic, traumatic time”.
He added: “One day my time will come and I’m not scared either at all.
“It’s actually comforting knowing I got two brothers on the other side.
2 days ago
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The two friends were also part of Joshua’s team, with Ghami his strength and conditioning coach and Ayodele his personal trainer.
Joshua said the trio formed a close bond and were living together, adding: “We became business partners. We became hustlers. We became lieutenants. We became generals. We became everything.”
Last week, Adeniyi Kayode, 46, the chauffeur who was driving the Lexus SUV, appeared in court in Nigeria and has been charged with four offences, including causing death by dangerous driving.
Joshua continued: “Not only did their parents, their uncles, their cousins, their friends and myself lose two great men, we lost people that we dearly care about and have been major players in all of our lives.
“It’s tough. It’s really tough.”
Joshua added he will help Ghami and Ayodele’s families “achieve their goals” and “fulfill their dreams”.
“I’m sure their parents 100% are proud of them [because] I am.”
Earlier this month, Joshua returned to the gym, posting a video on Snapchat of him hitting the pads and working out, with the message “mental strength therapy”.
US gymnast Jordan Chiles may win back a bronze medal that was stripped from her in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Chiles, 24, lost her third place finish after an appeal, with Romania’s Ana Barbosu upgraded from fourth to take bronze.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) found in favour of Barbosu in 2024, but Switzerland’s supreme court has sent the case back.
Chiles lost her medal after it was decided that an inquiry submitted by the US team about her score fell outside the one-minute time limit.
But Cas will now examine a recording that could show the challenge was lodged in time.
“In the highly exceptional circumstances of the case in question,” the Swiss Federal Tribunal said in a statement, “it considers that there is a likelihood for the audio-visual recording of the final to lead to a modification of the contested award in favour of the applicant (Chiles).”
Cas said in a statement it “can now ensure a thorough judicial review of the new evidence that has since been made available”.
As US President Donald Trump struggles to navigate a series of crises – rising economic concerns, threats of war against Iran, and rising tensions over his aggressive mass deportation raids – First Lady Melania Trump is going to the movies.
The documentary film, Melania, detailing the first lady’s life over 20 days leading up to her husband’s inauguration in January 2025, promises an intimate view of a figure known for keeping a low profile.
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“Hello, Mr President, congratulations,” Melania Trump says in a phone call with her husband that appears in the film’s trailer. Asked by Trump if she had watched his speech, she responds, “I did not, I will see it on the news.”
But the film has not been able to escape the controversy surrounding Trump’s presidency. As ultra-wealthy donors and tech executives seek to win favour with the White House, the film’s large budget and sizable fee for Melania Trump herself, who served as executive producer, have raised eyebrows.
Here’s what you need to know about the documentary:
President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump dance at the Liberty Ball, part of the 60th Presidential Inauguration, on Monday, January 20, 2025, in Washington, DC [File: Evan Vucci/AP Photo]
What is the movie about?
The 104-minute documentary follows Melania Trump, the Slovenian-American first lady, for nearly three weeks leading up to her husband’s inauguration on January 20, 2025. Amazon MGM Studios, which is distributing the film, says that it will give viewers “unprecedented access” into Melania’s life.
Marc Beckman, the film’s producer, said in an interview this week that the first lady spearheaded the film’s creative direction.
“This is not a political film at all,” Beckman said.
The movie highlights her fashion choices, diplomatic engagements and the operations surrounding her Secret Service protection. Beckman said viewers also will see moments that capture the president’s sense of humour.
When will the movie be released in theatres?
The film will debut on Thursday at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, which Trump has asserted control over and been appointed chairman of.
Melania held a private screening at the White House on January 24, attended by about 70 people, including several business executives. The first lady said in a social media post that she was “humbled” and called the release “a historic moment”.
The film was set for release in approximately 1,600 screens worldwide on Friday, including about 1,500 in the United States. The premiere will be simulcast in 21 theatres nationwide on Thursday for invited guests to help build excitement for the launch.
What was Melania’s budget?
Amazon MGM Studios bought the rights to the film in a $40m deal, in addition to $35m for a splashy advertising campaign, including a black-and-white projection of the film’s trailer onto The Sphere in Las Vegas.
The New York Times has reported that the figure includes a related docuseries that will be released later this year. Amazon paid about $26m more than the second-highest bid for the film, which came from Disney, and the film’s advertising budget is about 10 times the size of other high-profile documentaries.
Beckman, who produced the film, oversaw the movie deal with Amazon MGM Studios, plus a follow-up documentary series set for release later this year focusing on some of Melania Trump’s priorities, including children in foster care.
How much did the first lady get paid for the movie?
Melania served as executive producer of the film, giving her substantial control over editorial decisions, and will reportedly receive 70 percent of the $40m sum herself, according to the news service AFP.
What are advance ticket sales?
Trump has urged his supporters to see the film, saying that tickets are “selling out, FAST!”
According to media outlet Puck News, the documentary is expected to earn about $5m during its opening weekend in the US and Canada, according to projections from the National Research Group (NRG).
Other figures from the market researcher Boxoffice are lower, predicting opening-weekend ticket sales of between $1 and $2 million.
Neither estimate would put the film on track to break even. No major publication has reviewed the film thus far, but the critical reception is also expected to be underwhelming.
The Guardian has reported that the chief executive of Vue, one of the largest cinema operators in the United Kingdom, said that ticket sales have so far been “soft”, with just one ticket sold for the first screening on Friday at the firm’s flagship Islington branch in London.
Across social media, the film and its PR campaign have drawn ridicule with several internet users posting screenshots showing cinemas that have sold no seats for screenings of “Melania.”
How does the film’s budget compare with other documentaries?
Analysts have compared Melania with other well-known documentaries.
In a CNN segment, polling analyst Harry Enten noted that the 2004 Michael Moore documentary Fahrenheit 9/11, about the buildup to the US invasion of Iraq, had a budget of $6m, or a little more than $10m adjusted for inflation.
Enten said that the documentary brought in about $24m over its opening weekend, about $41m adjusted for inflation.
“Melania, not anywhere close,” Enten added.
“Am I Racist?”, a satirical documentary criticising “woke” culture by right-wing political commentator Matt Walsh, made about $4.5m over the opening weekend in 2024. It went on to become the year’s highest-grossing documentary film, with a budget of just $3m.
“2016: Obama’s America”, another documentary by a right-wing figure, Dinesh D’Souza, grossed a total of $33.5m domestically after being released in 2012. The film had a budget of $2.5m, about $3.5m in inflation-adjusted dollars.
Who directed ‘Melania’?
The filmmaker Brett Ratner, known for the Rush Hour franchise, directed the film.
His involvement marked an unexpected return to filmmaking after a series of sexual assault allegations largely derailed his career in 2017. Ratner has denied those allegations.
Beckman, who is also an adviser and agent for Melania Trump, told the Los Angeles Times that Ratner was “one of the most talented directors of our lifetime” who knows “not just how to create something that’s gorgeous, but also how to reach the passions and emotions of his audience”.
The 56-year-old Ratner is also set to direct a fourth Rush Hour film for Paramount Studios, which merged with Skydance Media with the approval of the Trump administration in July.
“He was very talented,” Melania Trump told Fox. “He was the best one, and he was great to work with.”
Ratner shares producer credits with the first lady, Beckman and Fernando Sulichin of New Element Media. Filming began in December 2024.
The merger placed David Ellison, son of close Trump ally and Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison, in charge of operations. Trump had reportedly urged Ellison to reboot the Rush Hour franchise.
Why is the ‘Melania’ controversial?
The documentary’s substantial price tag, compared with relatively modest box office expectations, has led many to speculate that the film was bought at an inflated price to win favour with the Trump administration.
Trump’s second term has already come under scrutiny for its close ties to powerful donors and companies, which have poured money into Trump’s lavish inauguration fund, his push to build a ballroom at the White House, and a series of crypto holdings tied to Trump and his family.
An analysis by Bloomberg found that the family generated about $1.4bn from crypto ventures during Trump’s first year back in office, which has treated the industry with a light touch and tossed out lawsuits and probes into alleged wrongdoing by prominent donors.
In that context, some see the documentary as a high-priced donation to the president known for his personalistic approach to wielding power.
Conversely, in South Africa, the country’s main cinema houses have pulled the documentary with the distributor citing “the current climate”, without elaborating, local media reported.
The South African government has strained ties with Trump’s administration, which has repeated false accusations that Pretoria is behind a “white genocide” of the Afrikaans community.
Nevertheless, Ted Hope, who worked at Amazon from 2015 to 2020 and played a central role in kickstarting the company’s film division, suggested to the New York Times that Amazon’s purchase of the film “equated with currying favour”.
France is moving closer to banning social media for users under the age of 15, citing growing concerns over young people’s mental health. The move comes as other European countries consider similar restrictions. Al Jazeera’s Aly Zein Mohamed explains.
French energy giant TotalEnergies has restarted construction of a $20bn liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in Mozambique after being forced to pause operations indefinitely owing to escalating violence in the region.
The company’s executive Patrick Pouyanne and Mozambique’s President Daniel Chapo jointly announced the official relaunch of the project on Thursday at a ceremony near the construction site in Afungi, located in the gas-rich Cabo Delgado province in Mozambique’s northeast.
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The project, considered one of the largest LNG projects on the continent, was suspended in 2021 as Mozambique, with the help of regional forces, battled to contain ISIL-linked fighting that has killed more than 6,400 people in the past eight years, according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED).
The project, which is designed to produce more than 13 million tonnes of LNG annually, is expected to come on stream in 2029, potentially generating as much as $35bn for government coffers over its lifetime from taxes, oil profits and other contributions, according to Chapo, cited by Reuters news agency.
Pouyanne said in a statement issued by TotalEnergies that the project would bring “significant economic benefits” to the country, creating up to 7,000 direct jobs for Mozambicans during construction, with contracts awarded to local companies “expected to amount to more than USD 4 billion”.
Security is deemed to have improved in Cabo Delgado, particularly with the deployment of Rwandan soldiers around the Afungi construction site. But the delays have cost significant sums of money, forcing the project’s parties to renegotiate terms.
Environmental and human rights concerns
Environmental and human rights groups have denounced the development, claiming it will bring little benefit to Mozambicans, more than 80 percent of whom lived below the poverty line of $3 per day in 2022, according to World Bank data.
Campaign group Friends of the Earth has called the project “a carbon timebomb with huge climate impacts”, alleging that it has also become a lightning rod for human rights abuses, including “killings, beheadings and entire communities fleeing the Cabo Delgado region”.
TotalEnergies is facing two legal proceedings in France, including a manslaughter investigation, after survivors and relatives of victims of the 2021 attack accused it of failing to protect its subcontractors.
It is also the subject of a complaint for “complicity in war crimes, torture and enforced disappearance” filed by the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR), a German NGO, with France’s national “anti-terrorism” prosecutor.
“The oil and gas major is accused of having directly financed and materially supported the Joint Task Force, composed of Mozambican armed forces, which between July and September 2021, allegedly detained, tortured and killed dozens of civilians on TotalEnergies’ gas site,” said ECCHR last month.
