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Messi’s Inter Miami held by Al Ahly at FIFA Club World Cup

Messi’s Inter Miami held by Al Ahly at FIFA Club World Cup

Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi inspires bright second half in Club World Cup opener, but Egypt’s Al Ahly hold on for 0-0 draw. Lionel Messi led a strong second-half resurgence from Inter Miami in a surprisingly thrilling 0-0 draw with Al Ahly in Group A to open the FIFA Club World Cup in Florida. The Argentinian forward, much like the rest of his teammates, had a quiet first half at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on Saturday. Egyptian giants Al Ahly dominated the play and the chances in the opening 45 minutes but were denied on numerous occasions by Inter keeper Oscar Ustari. It appeared that the 39-year-old’s efforts were going to be in vain going in at the break, when Trezeguet stepped up from the spot in the 43rd minute, but Ustari was equal to the Al Ahly threat once more. Inter Miami’s Argentinian goalkeeper Oscar Ustari makes a save on a penalty kick by Al Ahly’s Egyptian midfielder Trezeguet [Chandan Khanna/AFP] The second period was a vastly improved performance by the Major League Soccer side, and ended with Messi thumping a long-range effort off the bar. Al Ahly keeper Mohamed El Shenawy managed to get fingertips onto Messi’s late left-footed curler. The stopper had to be just as alert from the resulting corner – deep into stoppage time – to deny Maximiliano Falcon’s header. Al Ahly’s Mohamed El Shenawy makes a save from Lionel Messi [Hannah Mckay/Reuters] It was his opposite number, Ustari, who kept his side in the contest at the break, leading Inter manager Javier Mascherano to reflect that his side were only “alive” thanks to their keeper. Advertisement Wessam Abou Ali and Emam Ashour were both denied from close-range chances, but the big moment came after Zizo cut into the box before being clipped from behind by Telasco Segovia. Former Premier League player with Aston Villa, Trezeguet, stepped up from the spot and sent his kick to his left – the keeper guessed correctly and made the save. “I’m happy with the performance. It was much better in the second half,” Mascherano continued in conversation with broadcaster DAZN after the full-time whistle. “In the first period, we lost some balls and some transitions, where they are very dangerous. “We dominated the second half and had the chances to win the game.” Inter Miami’s Tadeo Allende shoots at goal [Marco Bello/Reuters] Inter’s first big chance came just a few minutes after the break, when Tadeo Allende was denied with a similarly smothering save from Al Ahly keeper El Shenawy as had been seen by his opposite number early in the piece. The possession and pressure had clearly switched to the home side, who looked a vastly different side to the showing in the opening 45 minutes. Messi hit the side netting with a free kick, and was a constant thorn in the side of the Egyptians, who, with 155 trophies, are the most successful side in the world. Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi shoots at goal from a free kick [Hannah Mckay/Reuters] It was late in the game, though, that a short corner taken by Messi was rolled back to him on the right and he whipped a shot to the far post, only for the keeper to tip it onto the bar and over. Advertisement The recovery by the home side was even more impressive given the extraordinary turnout of Egyptian fans, who made themselves heard from start to finish. Their team, however, could not do the same with their performance on the field. “It’s not about what went wrong. We had a decent amount of chances in the first half to put the game into a different space. We couldn’t,” Al Ahly’s new manager, Jose Riviera, told DAZN after the match. “In the second half, we had a time where we were suffering, but a lot of positives and things to correct to do better next time. “It seems like we were playing in Cairo. It was a big surprise for me in my first match. Hopefully, next time, we can give them a victory.” The second match of the group is played on Sunday between Palmeiras of Brazil and Porto of Portugal. Inter then face Porto, while Al Ahly face Palmeiras in the next round of fixtures on Thursday. Adblock test (Why?)

Trump presides over Army parade: Celebration or ‘dictator behaviour’?

Trump presides over Army parade: Celebration or ‘dictator behaviour’?

Washington, DC – It was the 250th birthday of the United States Army, and Trump’s 79th. Tanks and other armoured military vehicles rumbled down the streets of Washington, DC, on Saturday, in what Trump had teased as an “unforgettable” event and critics had called a pricey tribute to the “egoist-in-chief”. Speaking after the hour-long procession, which cut through a balmy evening dotted with raindrops, Trump framed the spectacle as a long time coming. “Every other country celebrates their victories. It’s about time America did, too,” he told the crowd, which sprawled sparsely across the National Mall. “That’s what we’re doing tonight,” he said. Vice President JD Vance, who introduced the president at the end of the parade, was the only official to acknowledge the dual birthdays. “June 14th is, of course, the birthday of the army. It is, of course, the birthday of the president of the United States,” he said. “Happy birthday, Mr President.” For critics, the overlapping dates sent a disconcerting message. Advertisement Away from the celebrations, among about 100 protesters at Logan Circle in Washington, DC, Terry Mahoney, a 55-year-old Marine veteran, described the parade as “dictator behaviour”. “If you take everything else he’s done, stomping on the US Constitution, this parade may just be window dressing,” he told Al Jazeera. Soldiers march during a military parade to commemorate the US Army’s 250th Birthday in Washington, DC [Brian Snyder/Reuters] “But it’s the worst kind of window dressing,” said Mahoney, who was among the tens of thousands of protests who took to the streets nationally to oppose Trump’s leadership on Saturday. “So I wanted to make sure that my voice was represented today.” But blocks away, near the entrance to the heavily fortified parade route, Taras Voronyy, who travelled from South Carolina, was less concerned about the blurred lines of the parade than the soldiers it was honouring. “It’s a chance to celebrate the military, and also, Trump will be here,” he told Al Jazeera. “I was actually a little confused if it was supposed to be for the Army’s 250th anniversary or for Trump’s birthday,” he said. “So I guess it’s a twofer.” A birthday celebration Trump had sought a massive military parade ever since attending a Bastille Day celebration in Paris in 2017, but faced pushback from defence officials during his first term. This time around, he sent 28 Abrams tanks, a horde of armoured vehicles, cavalry, military planes and helicopters, both modern and antique, to the US capital, in a show of military hardware without comparison since 1991, when the US marked the end of the Gulf War. Advertisement Spectators gathered along Constitution Avenue – a thoroughfare that connects the White House to the US Capitol – for a pageant that stretched from the Army’s 1775 birth, through World War II, the Vietnam War, and the so-called “war on terror”. Trump’s arrival prompted cheers, and a handful of jeers, from the crowd, which was dotted with red Make America Great Again (MAGA) hats. Attendance appeared to be less than the military’s prediction of about 200,000 people. For Freddie Delacruz, a 63-year-old US Army veteran who travelled from North Carolina for the parade, Trump’s birthday and the Army celebration were distinct phenomena. “It’s a coincidence,” he said. “I got married on June 6, which is the anniversary of D-day [the landing of allied forces on the beaches of Normandy, France].” “So these things happen,” he said. “But we’re here to support the army. I spent 32 years in the army – I want to see the tanks, the planes, the helicopters flying around.” A person holds up a ‘No Kings’ sign in protest against US President Donald Trump’s policies and federal immigration sweeps, during the US Army’s 250th birthday festival in Washington, DC, US, June 14, 2025 [Carlos Barria/Reuters] Delacruz also did not see much significance in Trump’s deployment earlier this week of the US National Guard to California to respond to protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in Los Angeles and other cities. Local officials and rights advocates have said the deployment, which was soon followed by Trump sending Marines to protect federal property and personnel, represented a major escalation and overreach of presidential power. Advertisement A judge on Thursday sided with a lawsuit filed by California Governor Gavin Newsom, ruling that Trump’s deployment without the governor’s approval was unlawful. However, an appeals court paused the ruling just hours later, allowing the deployment to temporarily continue. Delacruz acknowledged that Trump has “got a lot of power… I mean, he’s got the Department of Defense, he’s got the Department of Department of State and now, all the Cabinet members are supporting him 100 percent”. “But he’s still just the president, and he can’t control Congress,” he added. “This is what the people voted for.” Freddie Delacruz attends the US Army parade in Washington, DC [Joseph Stepansky/Al Jazeera] Aaron M, a 57-year-old Army veteran from Miami, Florida, also said he did not see an issue with how Trump has used federal forces in local law enforcement. Trump’s decision was the first time since 1965 that a president had activated the National Guard without a governor’s consent. Both Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have indicated that the approach could be replicated across the country. In recent days, Trump has also floated invoking the Insurrection Act of 1807, which would allow US troops to take part in domestic law enforcement, in what critics call a step towards martial law, but has not yet done so. “If governors can’t get their states under control, then Trump should send [the National Guard] in,” said Aaron, who declined to give his last name. “Look, I was born in Nicaragua. I came here when I was 12,” Aaron added. Advertisement “I know what a dictator is. This is not a dictator,” he said, motioning to the grandstand from where Trump watched the parade. Armoured vehicles take part in a military parade to commemorate the US Army’s 250th birthday in

G7 summit: Who is attending and what’s on the agenda?

G7 summit: Who is attending and what’s on the agenda?

Leaders of the Group of Seven (G7) countries – Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the US – will meet on Sunday in the remote town of Kananaskis, Alberta, nestled in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies, for three days of intense discussions. This will be the 51st G7 summit meeting. The first took place in 1975 in Rambouillet, France. Back then, it was known as the G6 meeting, as Canada did not become a member until the following year. Russia joined the forum in 1998, making it the G8, but was effectively expelled in 2014, following its annexation of Crimea. Since then, the forum has been known as the G7. Tensions at this year’s gathering, taking place June 15-17, are likely to be high for many reasons. Intense discussions are expected about the unfolding crisis in the Middle East after Israel carried out massive strikes on military and nuclear sites in Iran on Friday. This year’s meeting also takes place against the backdrop of aggressive trade tariffs set – and then paused for all countries except China, which has now reached a deal with the US – by US President Donald Trump earlier this year. Advertisement Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney may also still be reeling from comments by Trump that Canada should become the 51st US state. In May, Carney stated that Canada was “not for sale … ever” during a meeting with Trump at the White House. The G7 represents 44 percent of global gross domestic product (GDP) but only 10 percent of the world’s population. Within the group, the US is by far the largest economy. Having campaigned for the presidency on an “America First” message, Trump has frequently expressed displeasure about how much it contributes to global affairs. At the last G7 summit attended by Trump in 2018, his national security adviser, John Bolton, posted on social media: “Just another G7 where other countries expect America will always be their bank. The President made it clear today. No more.” So, who is coming this year and what will they be talking about? Who is attending the G7 meeting this year? Canada is hosting this year’s G7 meeting – it’s the seventh time it has assumed the presidency of the group. Besides leaders of the G7 countries and the EU, which is also represented at the summit, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has invited several heads of state from non-G7 countries as guests. These include Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, who confirmed her attendance on Monday after saying in May that she was undecided, and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was invited, but it is unclear whether he will attend. The invitation for Modi has raised eyebrows in Canada. Relations between India and Canada have been strained since former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused India of assassinating a Sikh separatist leader in Canada in 2023. The World Sikh Organisation said Carney’s invitation was a “betrayal of Sikh Canadians”, and the Sikh Federation of Canada called it “a grave insult”. Advertisement But Carney, who is trying to diversify Canadian trade away from the US, defended his decision, saying it makes sense for the G7 to invite India, since it is the world’s fifth-largest economy and is at the heart of a number of trading supply chains. “In addition, bilaterally, we have now agreed, importantly, to continued law enforcement dialogue, so there’s been some progress on that, that recognises issues of accountability. I extended the invitation to Prime Minister Modi in that context,” Carney told reporters in Ottawa. In March, Carney also invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to this week’s gathering. Leaders of Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, South Africa and South Korea are also expected to attend. [Al Jazeera] Will they discuss US trade tariffs? During his current tenure as president, Trump has imposed broad tariffs on every member of the G7, as well as on most other countries around the world, sparking a global trade war in the process. Trump says he wants to reverse large trade deficits between the US and other countries. However, it is unlikely this issue will be formally addressed during G7 discussions as Carney will primarily be trying to prevent a fallout over trade between the member states, many of whom are still scrambling to secure trade deals with the US. The UK reached the first trade agreement with the US in May, when it agreed to reduce tariffs on US goods from 5.1 percent to 1.8 percent and provide greater access for US goods. In return, the US dropped higher tariffs, leaving only its universal 10-percent tariff in place. Advertisement Both the EU and Japan are hoping to strike their own agreements before the July 9 end of Trump’s 90-day pause on reciprocal tariffs. Trump also had a rocky relationship with the G7 during his first term as US president and left the 2018 summit – also in Canada – in a huff. At the end of what was thought to be a successful gathering, Trump wrote on social media that he had directed his staff not to sign the final communique – the statement G7 countries issue in a show of unity at the end of the summit – and called then-Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau “very dishonest and weak”. Even though the communique is never usually formally “signed”, the incident pointed to Trump’s unpredictability, experts say. John Kirton of the G7 Research Group, based at the University of Toronto, said Trump is less likely to cause a scene this year. He told Indian channel NDTV World that Carney is on better terms with Trump and noted that the US is due to host the G7 in 2027. “He doesn’t want to kill the G7 golden goose before he can produce the ‘biggest, best summit ever’ for the whole world stage two years from now,” Kirton said. So, what will be on the agenda for this G7 meeting? The G7 2025 summit