Israel’s recent military exercises in Gaza, according to German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, were inadmissible because of how serious civilian casualties are as a result of Hamas’ attacks. He reaffirmed Germany’s desire to remain Israel’s ally, but he warned that if it continues on this path, it could alienate its closest allies.
Cristiano Ronaldo has indicated that he will leave Al Nassr and possibly join the lucrative Saudi Pro League.
The 40-year-old Portugal striker made the announcement via his social media account on the platform X just hours after his team’s final game of the season.
The post’s title read, “The story,” and included a photo of him wearing an Al Nassr jersey. Still being written. grateful to everyone.
The former Manchester United, Real Madrid, and Juventus forward’s future has now become a hot topic in the media.
Al Jazeera examines potential outcomes for a player who continues to be one of football’s most financially secure assets.
Ronaldo made a shock-inducing move by leaving Manchester United for Al Nassr in January 2023.
The Saudi Pro League needed the marquee signing to improve its reputation internationally thanks to the five-time world champion.
His lucrative two-and-a-half-year agreement, which is expected to be worth $200 million ($214.5 million), expires in June but was widely anticipated to be renewed.
Al Nassr finished third in the league this year, but they have failed to win any titles during Ronaldo’s time at the club. This is disappointing because they have missed out on places at both the Asian Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup.
They now have the best chance of winning a playoff spot in Asia’s Champions League Two.
The chapter has ended.
The narrative ? Still being written.
Thankful to everyone. pic. twitter.com/Vuvl5siEB3
Yes . A special transfer window has been set aside for the 32 clubs that compete in the Club World Cup.
Just before the tournament in the United States debuts on June 14, when Inter Miami takes on Al Ahly, will be held there from June 1 through June 10.
Ronaldo’s participation in the expanded and rebranded tournament is being discussed, according to FIFA President Gianni Infantino last week.
1. Real Madrid
Ronaldo joined the Spanish giants from Manchester United in 2009 for what was then a record-breaking 80 million euros ($91 million) fee.
Given the difficulties Los Blancos faced in figuring out how to make Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr., and Rodrygo fit into the front three as Real attempted to defend its Champions League and La Liga titles, it is unlikely even to make a temporary return to Real for the tournament.
It’s difficult to think of a Real return for Ronaldo because Jude Bellingham had to adapt to a new role already last season and Mbappe left from Paris Saint-Germain (PSG).
Juventus, one of his former clubs at the time, at least giving fans the chance to make memories. Juventus are unlikely to want to upset the team that had already been invited to the tournament because such a move would only be temporary.
2. Inter Miami
The biggest statement would undoubtedly be a collaboration with Lionel Messi, Ronaldo’s all-time best player, for the title of best player in the world.
In 2023, the Argentinian forward left Paris Saint-Germain to join the David Beckham-owned Major League Soccer (MLS) team.
Since Ronaldo had been linked with an MLS move prior to joining Al Nassr, it was a sensational score for Miami.
There would be no bigger headline-grabber than a pairing between two players who have each won the title of world player of the year on 13 occasions if Infantino and FIFA see Ronaldo’s participation in the Club World Cup as a boost to the competition.
When asked if Inter Miami might sign Ronaldo, Infantino laughed and said, “It’s possible.”
3. Al Hilal
Al Hilal, the Saudi Pro League champion from 2023 to 2024, is a strong candidate for Ronaldo’s signature both short and long term.
All parties will understand the decision. The Saudi domestic league’s marquee signing will continue to compete in the competition, compete in the Club World Cup, and be the spearhead of the country’s assault on the Asian Champions League championship in the coming year.
Ronaldo’s choice would mean continuing to reside in the country’s capital, where many of his current business and commercial interests are based.
Al Ain from the United Arab Emirates and Al Ahly from Egypt, who are also competing in the region’s regional competition, could compete for the African Champions League next year. The Saudi Pro League would undoubtedly prefer to avoid losing Ronaldo to a neighboring football team.
4. Botafogo
Ronaldo and the Brazilian megaclub Botafogo are in talks, according to a report from Marca last week.
Because they could possibly afford a short-term deal with Ronaldo, that news made sense at the time. That announcement, however, came before the player’s announcement that Al Nassr might have ended his relationship with him.
Despite its rich history and legacy, it seems unlikely to make a long-term move to Brazil. A move to a Club World Cup participant who wants a contract after the competition’s conclusion is a possibility, provided the short-term agreement is kept.
The top flight of Brazil will also be represented at the tournament by Palmeiras, Fluminense, and Flamengo.
5. Seattle Sounders
Signing a long-term deal with one of the US-based participants would probably be the best option for Ronaldo’s appearance at the Club World Cup, according to one of the choices.
Ronaldo’s signing would significantly improve the MLS, in the same way that the Saudi Pro League did to increase its exposure, whether it was on a match against Messi or in a match between the two players.
As part of a longer-term plan to establish himself as a MLS champion in the US, his move to the Seattle Sounders would also give his appearance more credibility.
If a potential Messi and Ronaldo pairing at the Club World Cup were to be planned, it would also be a huge talking point.
Messi prefers to play either on the right, cutting in with his famous left foot, or playing a deeper role through the middle, with the team circling him.
Ronaldo, who started out on the left, is now only able to move in the middle, preferring a more advanced position.
The viability of a potential partnership would be questioned if both scenarios worked, but both would lead to Messi making runs into Ronaldo’s field.
The pair’s long-running battle for the coveted Ballon d’Or title has long drawn ire from the public, making the annual ceremony to honor the world’s best player a frequently content affair.
With Messi and Ronaldo playing for Real Madrid and Messi for Barcelona, the two teams engaged in heated debate over who was the better player at their peak.
The pair frequently cryptically contributed to the conversation, but there was consistently no sign of love lost when the pair met on the field of play.
One of the biggest box office successes in football history would be the Club World Cup, which would also help to draw in much-needed interest.
In a massive chemical plant explosion in eastern China, at least five people have died and 19 have been injured, according to reports from state media.
According to Chinese state media and the state-run Xinhua agency, six people are still missing after the explosion at the Shandong Youdao Chemical plant in the city of Weifang in Shandong province late on Tuesday morning.
According to them, the plant, which is situated in a park, produces chemical components for use in pharmaceuticals and pesticides.
Orange and black smoke plumes atop the sky were captured in videos that were posted on Chinese social media and were verified by the Reuters news agency.
One of the videos revealed that the explosion had removed the windows from nearby buildings’ hinges.
More than 230 responders were dispatched to the scene in response to the explosion and the blaze that started, according to CCTV.
Smoke emitted from a second, unidentified facility close to the chemical plant and from a second, unidentified facility was captured by a drone video posted by The Beijing News, a government-run publication.
A textile company, a machinery company, and an industrial coating material manufacturing company are listed next to Youdao’s plant in Baidu Maps, a navigation app.
No results were made available at the time the Weifang Ecological Environment Bureau conducted a site-test at the blast site, according to the company’s statement. According to The Beijing News, it advised residents in the vicinity to use face masks in the interim.
A local resident who declined to be identified because of fear of reprisals claimed in a video that his home, which is located more than 7 kilometers (4. 3 miles) from the plant, shook as a result of the explosion’s impact.
Response teams should quickly contain the fire and count the people who were impacted, according to a statement from China’s emergency response authority.
According to the company’s website, Shandong Youdao Chemical was founded in the Gaomi Renhe chemical park in Weifang in August 2019. The plant employs more than 300 people and has a total area of 47 hectares (116 acres).
In recent years, there have been blasts at chemical plants in China, including one in the northwest of Ningxia in 2024 and another in Jiangxi, in 2023.
More than 170 people were killed and 700 were hurt in two massive explosions that occurred in Tianjin’s port city in 2015, which also left 700 people injured. The incident led to the government enforcing regulations governing chemical storage.
13 people were killed in a second explosion at a Shandong chemical plant in 2015.
Queen Camilla and King Charles III’s first official visit to Canada since Charles became the British monarch in 2022.
Although brief, the two-day trip has symbolic significance given that US President Donald Trump has threatened and imposed tariffs on Canada.
What information about the visit is important to you.
His scheduled speech from the Canadian Senate on Tuesday is a major highlight of Charles’s visit.
The governor general delivers the address on the behalf of the monarch, which is customarily known as a “Speech from the Throne.”
The speech is solemn and does not have any connection to a new legislative session. It should include reflections on Canada’s democratic institutions, unity-promoting messages, and a focus on reconciliation with indigenous peoples.
Although symbolic, Canadians rarely have the chance to hear from the monarch in a legislative setting during the speech. Additionally, it affirms the king’s status as Canada’s head of state in front of the public.
It is the first British monarch to address Canada since 1977.
Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney said the speech would outline the government’s strategy for making the changes that “Canadians deserve and want” to be delivered.
According to Carney, this includes defining “a new economic and security relationship with the United States… to lower the cost of living and keep communities safe.”
The speech will be delivered by Charles shortly after 11 a.m. local time (15:00 GMT).
The royal couple’s two-day tour of Canada, which began on Monday, has begun.
At Carney’s request, they arrived. Although the visit was brief, it included a number of significant engagements that reflected Canada’s long-standing ties to the monarchy.
According to the official website of the Canadian government, the itinerary includes official ceremonies, cultural events, and meetings with indigenous leaders.
Charles’s trip to Canada has a number of symbolic and practical purposes. It aims to highlight shared values and historical ties and first-classly, strengthen the enduring relationship between Canada and the Crown.
The visit comes at a particularly interesting time because it coincides with heightened tensions caused by US President Donald Trump’s outrageous tariffs and controversial remarks suggesting Canada’s annexation.
According to some, Carney’s request for Charles to deliver the “Speech from the Throne” seeks to reaffirm Canada’s sovereignty and legal framework.
Canadians have found Trump’s remarks about making Canada into the 51st US state “deeply offensive,” according to Barbara Messamore, a professor of history at the University of the Fraser Valley.
Messamore told Al Jazeera, “I think it’s a good time to show the world that we’re a distinct nation with a distinct history, and we want to keep it that way.” We value our friendship with our American friends and neighbors, of course, but we don’t want to leave them.
While the British royal family has frequently visited Canada over the years, the current monarch has not been one to make such a trip. During her seven-decade reign, Queen Elizabeth II, for instance, traveled to Canada 22 times.
Charles is first to visit the nation as a monarch. He was still the Prince of Wales at the time of his 2022 visit.
What connection does Canada have to the monarchy?
The king is recognized as Canada’s official head of state because it is a constitutional monarchy.
The Crown is a significant part of Canada’s political system, despite its largely ceremonial nature. The governor general, Mary Simon, who serves as the monarch’s representative at the federal level, is in charge of carrying out the king’s duties in Canada.
The constitutional framework of Canada incorporates the monarchy. The king or queen was made a part of the Canadian Parliament in 1867, along with the House of Commons and the Senate.
The Crown is crucial in Indigenous relations beyond politics. Numerous historical treaties were signed directly with Canada’s government, not with the British Crown.
According to Messamore, local media coverage has largely highlighted this.
“Indigenous nations are at the forefront, and they value that kinship relationship,” she said.
Although there are varying levels of monarchy support across Canada, many Canadians still question the legitimacy of the institution.
Because it has always served as a “bulwark against American ambitions,” Messamore said.
These are significant instances of Canadian patriotism,” the statement read. She claimed that the king’s visit had a positive impact.
The anti-Islam campaigner left HMP Woodhill in Buckinghamshire on Tuesday after a high court cut his 18-month sentence by four months.
After admitting to having violated an injunction by making false claims about a Syrian schoolboy, the 42-year-old was imprisoned in October of that year for contempt of court.
Jamal Hijazi, a Syrian refugee who assaulted himself at his school in Huddersfield in 2018, had brought the libel case to the court, so Robinson lost.
Robinson then posted a number of defamatory remarks online after a video of the attack went viral. He was later ordered to pay £100, 000 ($124, 000) in damages and legal costs.
He posed for 20 minutes with his X account, had long hair, and a rosary, and appeared in a scraggly beard before being released.
In a video posted on his social media account, he criticized the British government and thanked X owner Elon Musk.
Robinson had requested release from prison in the middle of July, but he requested that his contempt order be removed.
He was alleged to have violated the injunction ten times. These included promoting a movie called Silenced, which featured the debunked allegations, and showcasing the same movie at a rally in central London last year.
Justice Johnson acknowledged Robinson’s lack of regrets at the time of sentencing in a ruling last week, but noted a “change in attitude” over the course of the past few weeks. The judge affirmed that “he has given an assurance that he will follow through on the injunction in the future] and that “he has no intention of violating it once more.”
The solicitor general brought the civil lawsuit because he claimed Robinson had purposefully authorized and distributed the movie and repeatedly reiterated the allegations in 2023 during multiple interviews.
Justice Johnson warned that any additional offenses could lead to a maximum sentence of two years in prison despite the sentence reduction.
Robinson, who is well-known for his anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim rhetoric and frequent legal fights linked to his political activism, is still a polarizing figure in the UK.
He denies that he was responsible for the country’s worst riots in 2024.
London, United Kingdom — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer proudly described a new agreement with the European Union that covers defense, security, and trade as a “win-win” pact that puts the country “back on the international stage”.
The deal announced on May 19 has sparked a sigh of relief for some and stinging criticism for others, underscoring how divided the nation is still is by the force of Brexit. Nine years later, Britain narrowly voted in favor of leaving the EU.
While many members of British society have praised the agreement, Reform UK MP Richard Tice responded with the phrase “Betrayal.” ”
The agreement also offers discounts for British citizens applying for European visas, shorter airport line lines, and possibly less expensive food in the UK. However, the UK has agreed to extend the 12-year extension of European fishing fleets’ access to British waters.
Those who are delighted include Phil Rusted, the owner of the Suffolk-based Practical Plants business that imports plants from Europe.
According to him, this is the best news we have received in nine years. It almost brings us back to the situation before Brexit. In order to grow my business, I can take on more staff. The last few years have been very unpredictable; I’ll know more accurately what my expenses will be. ”
Overall, the overall business sector has largely accepted the agreement.
Trade agreements, even if they are comparatively minor, are generally good news in a world where higher US tariffs are threatening to reverse globalization, according to Philip Shaw, chief economist at Investec Bank. The food industry will gain from a decrease in border checks, which could significantly lower exporters’ and importers’ costs. ”
The EU agreement, according to the Federation of Small Businesses, was praised for “untangling the rules for small exporters of plant and animal products,” calling it “genuine progress.”
Small businesses have been bearing the burden of erratic customs regulations and bureaucracy, which have sapped confidence and ambition for too long, it said.
Additionally, it appears that the agreement is backed by popular opinion in the UK. According to YouGov poll results, 66 percent of people want to be more connected to the EU, compared to just 14 percent who do not.
Certain experts agree that the UK must also compromise. According to Paul Dales, chief economist at Capital Economics, “the devil in a trade deal is always in the details.” Dales remarked that the UK has consented to the EU’s request to grant him access to British waters for fishing, as well as agreeing to pay an unspecified “appropriate financial contribution” to join the European Court of Justice’s jurisdiction.
However, there has also been a lot of backlash against the agreement.
The agreement offers the best chance for growth for the fishing industry and coastal communities, according to the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organizations, according to a statement released on May 19.
The deal, according to a more incisive statement issued three days later, “drags UK fishing back into a past we thought had been left behind”.
Shaw acknowledged that the fishing sector stood “at the other end of the scale” if the deal had brought in significant benefits for the food industry.
Additionally, there are other occupations. A wider debate has also been sparked by the deal, which seeks to re-establish whether the UK is breaking the terms of the Brexit deal.
In a post on X, former prime minister Boris Johnson, who led Britain’s formal withdrawal from the EU in 2020, described the deal as an “appalling sell out.”
That’s the opinion of Tony Gabana, a London-based web developer who was too young to cast a ballot in 2016.
Whether or not it is a good deal, Gabana said, “It does seem to attempt to change what a lot of people voted for.” It doesn’t fit my style, I said. No one voted in favor of any further concessions, either.