Nations League final: Spain-Portugal more than Yamal battle, says Ronaldo
Defending champions Spain face 2019 winners, and Iberian rivals, Portugal in Sunday’s Nations League final in Munich. Portugal captain Cristiano Ronaldo acknowledged that he was “another generation” to Spain starlet Lamine Yamal but said Sunday’s Nations League final was more than just a battle between the duo. The final in Munich has been framed as a showdown between veteran Ronaldo, 40, one of the game’s biggest names, and 17-year-old Yamal, the most exciting young talent in world football. Ronaldo scored the winner to send Portugal past Germany into the final, and Yamal was named man-of-the-match after bagging a brace in Spain’s wild 5-4 semifinal win over France. Ronaldo, however, said the focus on the two individuals was overblown, calling Spain “maybe the best national team in the world”. “There are different generations, one is coming in and another is exiting the stage. If you want to see me as another generation, then that’s OK. “When you talk about a clash between Cristiano and someone else, that’s not how it works. The media always try to hype things up, which is a normal thing, but it’s one team versus another team.” Advertisement “You’ve been talking about Lamine a lot and you’re right to do so because he’s very good,” Ronaldo told journalists, adding, “but I’d like to talk about the team. “They’ve got Nico Williams, great midfielders like Pedri and their coach [Luis] de la Fuente is very good, very strong, very disciplined.” Spain’s Lamine Yamal celebrates scoring his side’s third goal against France int the Nations League semifinal with Spain’s Nico Williams [Angelika Warmuth/Reuters] Portugal last beat their Iberian neighbours in a competitive fixture 21 years ago, in a match which Ronaldo started. Like Yamal, Ronaldo burst onto the scene at a young age. Aged just 18, Ronaldo impressed so much for boyhood side Sporting in a 3-1 win over Manchester United in a friendly in Lisbon that the English club decided to buy him, bringing him to Old Trafford less than a week later. Like a young Ronaldo, Yamal has consistently impressed since bursting onto the scene, winning a league and cup double with Barcelona this season after lifting the Euro 2024 title in Germany last year. The Portuguese veteran asked the media to allow the teenager to grow and improve without pressure, reminding them the Spanish star “with funny hair” was just “three years older than my son”. “The kid has been doing very well, but what I ask is for you to let him grow, not put him under pressure. For the good of football, we need to let him grow in his own way and enjoy the talent he has.” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente said Yamal was “only 17, but very mature for his age. Well-prepared, intelligent – he lives life as if it’s all normal, and that’s what we want for him”. De la Fuente said the national side were “trying to walk alongside [Yamal] in his education,” but added “you’d be surprised, shocked, how calm he is. Advertisement “He’s special. For some people, this would be a situation of maximum stress. But for him, he’s relaxed, he’s in control – he masters the situation.” The coach also took time to praise Ronaldo, calling him “a legend in football and an example of the values I like: effort, work rate, sacrifice, getting better every day and never letting your guard down. “Portugal are led by a footballer who will go down in history with an indelible legacy.” Both Spain and Portugal have already won the Nations League. Spain are the current champions from their win in 2023, while Portugal won the inaugural tournament back in 2019. Spain have won 16 and drawn two of their past 18 fixtures – and have not lost a competitive match since March 2023. Spain forward Mikel Oyarzabal told reporters his side “do not think we are better than anyone,” but “we trust ourselves 100 percent and know we can compete in every game. “We’ve shown that over the years. Our level is very high.” Adblock test (Why?)
ICE operating in LA for 2nd day amid protests against immigration raids
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested at least 44 people on Friday during a raid in downtown Los Angeles. Authorities in the United States have extended their immigration crackdown operation in the Los Angeles, California area for a second day following protests at a federal detention centre that were met with police tear gas and stun grenades. Border Patrol personnel stood in front of an industrial park in the city of Paramount, clad in riot gear and gas masks on Saturday, as bystanders jeered. “ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] out of Paramount. We see you for what you are,” a woman announced through a megaphone. “You are not welcome here.” One hand-held sign said, “No Human Being is Illegal.” The boulevard was closed to traffic as US Border Patrol circulated the area. ICE arrested at least 44 people on Friday after executing search warrants at multiple locations, including a clothing warehouse in what opponents described as an “oppressive and vile paramilitary operation”. The raids quickly triggered protests and demonstrators blocked entrances and exits for the Edward R Royal Federal Building in downtown LA, where detainees were being processed. Advertisement The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) denounced the raids and referred to the immigration authorities as “masked goons”. “We call on our elected officials to uphold their commitment to all Angelenos – immigrants and non-immigrants alike – by taking all action necessary to grind this oppressive and vile paramilitary operation to a halt and keep our city safe and whole,” the statement read. Senior White House aide, and Trump’s key anti-immigration proponent, Stephen Miller wrote on X on Saturday that the protests against the ICE raids were an “insurrection against the laws and sovereignty of the United States”. In a separate post, Miller said LA police chief Jim McDonnell was siding with “invaders over citizens” after he said his officers would not help ICE in any way. The immigration crackdown is part of President Donald Trump’s pledge to deport a record number of people living in the country illegally, as the White House set a goal for ICE to arrest at least 3,000 immigrants a day. LA Mayor Karen Bass strongly condemned the raids Friday: “These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city. We will not stand for this”. ICE acting Director Todd Lyons slammed Bass’s statement, claiming that the mayor had taken the side of “chaos and lawlessness over law enforcement”. “Make no mistake, ICE will continue to enforce our nation’s immigration laws and arrest criminal illegal aliens,” Lyons said. Adblock test (Why?)
Israel kills more than 70 in Gaza, including 16 in bombing family building
Israeli raids across Gaza have killed at least 75 Palestinians, with rescuers scrambling to find dozens of bodies under the rubble after the bombing of a residential building in Gaza City described by the enclave’s civil defence as a “full-fledged massacre”. Palestinian Civil Defence spokesperson Mahmoud Basel told Al Jazeera that the Israeli army gave “no warning, no alert” before Saturday’s strike on the house in the Sabra neighbourhood of Gaza City that left at least 16 people dead, including women and children. “This is truly a full-fledged massacre … a building full of civilians,” said Basel, who added that approximately 85 people were believed to be trapped under the rubble. “We woke up to the strikes, destruction, yelling, rocks hitting us,” said Hamed Keheel, a displaced Palestinian at the site, noting that the attack had taken place on the second day of Eid al-Adha. “This is the occupation,” he said. “Instead of waking up to cheer our children and dress them up to enjoy Eid, we wake up to carry women and children’s bodies from under rubble.” Advertisement Local resident Hassan Alkhor told Al Jazeera that the building belonged to the Abu Sharia family. “May God hold the Israeli forces and [Israeli Prime Minister] Netanyahu accountable,” he said. The Israeli military said afterwards that it had killed Asaad Abu Sharia, the leader of the Mujahideen Brigades, who it claimed had participated in the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel in 2023, according to a report in the Times of Israel published Saturday. Hamas confirmed the killing in a statement shared on Telegram, saying that Abu Sharia’s brother, Ahmed Abu Sharia, had also been assassinated in the attack, which it said was “part of a series of brutal massacres against civilians”. ‘A handful of rice for our starving children’ Also on Saturday, Israeli forces killed at least eight Palestinians waiting near an aid distribution site run by the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) in southern Gaza’s Rafah, the latest in a series of deadly incidents around the group’s operations that have killed 118 people and left others missing in less than two weeks. Gaza resident Samir Abu Hadid told the AFP news agency that thousands of people had gathered at the al-Alam roundabout near the aid site. “As soon as some people tried to advance towards the aid centre, the Israeli [forces] opened fire from armoured vehicles stationed near the centre, firing into the air and then at civilians,” Abu Hadid said. One woman told Al Jazeera her husband had been killed in the attack after going to the aid point to get “a handful of rice for our starving children”. Advertisement “He said he felt he was walking towards death, I begged him not to leave. He insisted to find anything to feed our children,” she said. The GHF, a shadowy United States-backed private group engaged by Israel to distribute aid under the protection of its troops and security contractors, began operations in late May, replacing existing networks run by the United Nations and charities that have worked for decades. Critics say the group does not abide by humanitarian principles of neutrality, claiming that its operations weaponise aid, serving Israel’s stated aims of ethnically cleansing large swaths of Gaza and controlling the entire enclave. GHF said on Saturday that it was unable to distribute any humanitarian relief because Hamas issued “direct threats” against its operations. “These threats made it impossible to proceed today without putting innocent lives at risk,” it said in a statement. Hamas told the Reuters news agency that it had no knowledge of these “alleged threats”. The United Nations, which has refused to cooperate with the GHF, has warned that most of Gaza’s 2.3 million population is at risk of famine after an 11-week Israeli blockade, with the rate of young children suffering from acute malnutrition nearly tripling. ‘Lost future generation’ As Israel continued its attacks amid the looming famine, it emerged that health authorities had recorded more than 300 miscarriages over an 80-day period in the enclave. Expectant mothers face an increased risk of miscarriage and premature births, with basic medical supplies such as iron supplements and prenatal vitamins impossible to obtain. Advertisement Brenda Kelly, a consultant obstetrician at Oxford University Hospital, told Al Jazeera that Gaza was “losing a future generation of children”, alluding to a “staggering rise” in stillbirths, miscarriages and pre-term births. “What we’re seeing now is the direct fallout of Israel’s weaponising of hunger in Gaza – impacting babies’ growth and growth restriction is one of the leading causes of miscarriages and stillbirth,” she said. Severe malnutrition among pregnant women is compounded by severe stress and psychological trauma, as well as repeated displacement and a lack of safe shelter, she said. Those babies that do survive face heightened health risks. “We know that famine experienced in-utero has lifelong consequences for children who then go into adulthood with much higher risks of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, as well as mental health disorders,” she said. Adblock test (Why?)
Iran condemns ‘racist mentality’ behind US travel ban
An Iranian spokesperson called the move a sign of a ‘supremacist and racist mentality’ dominating US policy. Iran has sharply criticised United States President Donald Trump’s travel ban on its nationals and those of several countries, calling it “racist” and a sign of deep-rooted hostility towards Iranians and Muslims. Trump earlier this week signed an executive order that bars and restricts travellers from 19 countries, including several African and Middle Eastern nations. The policy, set to take effect on Monday, echoes measures introduced during Trump’s previous term in office from 2017-2021. In the executive order, Trump said he “must act to protect the national security” of the US. Alireza Hashemi-Raja, who heads the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ department for Iranians abroad, said on Saturday that the decision reveals “the dominance of a supremacist and racist mentality among American policymakers”. “This measure indicates the deep hostility of American decision-makers towards the Iranian and Muslim people,” he said in a statement. The latest restrictions cover nationals from Iran, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, and Yemen. A limited ban has also been applied to travellers from seven other countries. Advertisement Hashemi-Raja argued that the policy breaches international legal norms and denies millions the basic right to travel, based solely on nationality or faith. He said the ban would “entail international responsibility for the US government”, without elaborating. The US and Iran have had no formal diplomatic relations since 1980, following the Islamic Revolution. Despite decades of strained ties, the US remains home to the world’s largest Iranian diaspora, with about 1.5 million Iranians living there as of 2020, according to Tehran’s Foreign Ministry. Adblock test (Why?)
ICE raids in Los Angeles a rush “to deport one million in a year”
[unable to retrieve full-text content] Nayna Gupta of American Immigration Council says US authorities go after non-citizens to rack up their arrest numbers.
Thailand and Cambodia reinforce troops along disputed border: Thai minister
Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai says Thailand reinforces military presence in response to Cambodia move. Thailand has reinforced its military presence along a disputed border with Cambodia following an increase in troops on the other side, the Thai defence minister has said. Tensions between the two Southeast Asian countries have been rising since a Cambodian soldier was killed on May 28 in a brief skirmish in an undemarcated border area. Since the incident, the two governments have been exchanging carefully worded statements committing to dialogue. Thailand’s Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai, who also serves as deputy prime minister, said on Saturday that Cambodia had rejected proposals in bilateral talks held on Thursday that could have led to a de-escalation. “Furthermore, there has been a reinforcement of military presence, which has exacerbated tensions along the border,” Phumtham said in a statement. “Consequently, the Royal Thai Government has deemed it necessary to implement additional measures and to reinforce our military posture accordingly.” He did not provide further details on the extent of reinforcements by either side. Advertisement There was no immediate comment from Cambodia. In a separate statement on Saturday, the Thai army said Cambodian civilians had also repeatedly made incursions into Thailand’s territory. “These provocations, and the buildup of military forces, indicate a clear intent to use force,” the Thai army said, adding it would take control of all Thai checkpoints along the Cambodia border. Thailand and Cambodia have for more than a century contested sovereignty at various undemarcated points along their 817km (508-mile) land border. Tension escalated in 2008 over an 11th-century Hindu temple, leading to skirmishes over several years and at least a dozen deaths, including during a weeklong exchange of artillery fire in 2011. On Monday, Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Manet said the government would file a complaint with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the border dispute. “Cambodia hopes that the Thai side will agree with Cambodia to jointly bring these issues to the International Court of Justice… to prevent armed confrontation again over border uncertainty,” Hun Manet said during a meeting between MPs and senators. Thailand has not recognised the ICJ’s jurisdiction since 1960 and has instead called for bilateral talks. Efforts have been made by Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who is the current chair of the Southeast Asian ASEAN bloc, and China to reduce tensions, but the border remains disputed. A meeting of the Cambodia-Thailand Joint Boundary Commission – which addresses border demarcation issues – is scheduled for June 14. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
Deported man Kilmar Abrego Garcia returned to US to face charges
After his mistaken deportation to El Salvador, Abrego Garcia faces US charges of transporting undocumented migrants. A man the Donald Trump administration mistakenly deported to El Salvador has been brought back to the United States, where authorities say he will face criminal charges. Kilmar Abrego Garcia, 29, a Salvadoran immigrant who had lived nearly half his life in Maryland before he was deported in March, faces charges of transporting undocumented migrants inside the US, according to recently unsealed court records. US Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Friday that Abrego Garcia was returned to the US to “face justice”. The indictment against him was filed on May 21, more than two months after he was deported in spite of a court order barring his removal. The charges stem from a 2022 traffic stop by the Tennessee Highway Patrol, which suspected Abrego Garcia of human trafficking but ultimately issued only a warning for an expired driver’s license, according to a Department of Homeland Security report. Bondi, speaking at a news conference, said a grand jury had “found that over the past nine years, Abrego Garcia has played a significant role in an alien smuggling ring”. Advertisement She said Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele agreed to return Abrego Garcia to the US after American officials presented his government with an arrest warrant. Abrego Garcia had been sent to El Salvador as part of a Trump scheme to move undocumented migrants it accuses of being gang members, to prison in the Central American country without due process. Bukele said in a social media post that his government works with the Trump administration and “of course” would not refuse a request to return “a gang member” to the US. US Attorney General Pam Bondi speaks during a news conference about Kilmar Abrego Garcia at the Justice Department, Friday, June 6, in Washington, DC [Julia Demaree Nikhinson/AP Photo] Deportation ‘a separate legal matter’ Al Jazeera’s Rosiland Jordan, reporting from Washington, DC, said Abrego Garcia could face up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine if convicted. But “that does not deal with the ongoing matter of whether or not he should be deported”, she added. “That’s a separate legal matter.” Abrego Garcia will have the chance to enter a plea in court and contest the charges at trial. If he is convicted, he would be deported to El Salvador after serving his sentence, Bondi said. In a statement, Abrego Garcia’s lawyer, Andrew Rossman, said it would now be up to the US judicial system to ensure he received due process. “Today’s action proves what we’ve known all along – that the administration had the ability to bring him back and just refused to do so,” said Rossman, a partner at law firm Quinn Emanuel. Advertisement Abrego Garcia’s deportation defied an immigration judge’s 2019 order granting him protection from being sent back to El Salvador, where it found he was likely to be persecuted by gangs if returned, court records show. Trump critics pointed to the erroneous deportation as an example of the excesses of the Republican president’s aggressive approach to stepping up deportations. Officials countered by alleging that Abrego Garcia was a member of the MS-13 gang. His lawyers have denied that he was a gang member and said he had not been convicted of any crime. Abrego Garcia’s case has become a flash point for escalating tensions between the executive branch and the judiciary, which has ruled against a number of Trump’s policies. The US Supreme Court ordered the Trump administration to facilitate Abrego Garcia’s return, with liberal Justice Sonia Sotomayor saying the government had cited no basis for what she called his “warrantless arrest”. US District Judge Paula Xinis also opened a probe into what, if anything, the Trump administration did to secure his return, after his lawyers accused officials of stonewalling their requests for information. Adblock test (Why?)
France honours veterans on 81st anniversary of D-Day
[unable to retrieve full-text content] Thousands gathered in Normandy for the 81st D-Day anniversary, honouring the WWII invasion.
Sinner beats Djokovic to set up French Open final with Alcaraz
Jannik Sinner downs Novac Djokovic to reach maiden French Open final against defending champion Carlos Alcaraz. Top-ranked Jannik Sinner beat Novak Djokovic 6-4, 7-5, 7-6 (3) to set up a French Open final against defending champion Carlos Alcaraz. Djokovic is the men’s record 24-time Grand Slam champion but could not counter Sinner’s relentless accuracy and pounding forehands on Court Philippe-Chatrier on Friday evening. Sinner became only the second Italian man to reach the final at Roland-Garros after Adriano Panatta, the 1976 champion. Earlier, Alcaraz led 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-0, 2-0 against Lorenzo Musetti when the eighth-seeded Italian retired with a leg injury. Sinner is aiming for his fourth major title, Alcaraz his fifth. Djokovic fought back in the third set but wilted in the tiebreaker, somehow missing an easy smash at the net to trail 3-0 and then lost on the second match point he faced when his forehand hit the net. “These are rare and special moments,” Sinner said. “I’m very happy.” He extended his winning streak in Grand Slam tournaments to 20 matches after winning the US Open and the Australian Open. Advertisement Djokovic was bidding for a record-extending 38th Grand Slam final, and eighth in Paris, where he was won three times. But he spent much of the semifinal camped behind the baseline, sliding at full stretch and grunting loudly while Sinner sent him scurrying left and right like a windscreen wiper. A cross-court two-handed backhand winner from Sinner in the ninth game of the third set was executed with such pure timing that it drew applause even from Djokovic. Sinner gave him almost no chances, but there was a glimmer of light in the 10th game, when Djokovic had four chances to break Sinner’s serve. The crowd broke out into prolonged chants of “Nole! Nole!” as Djokovic forced two break points at 15-40. Sinner saved both. Tensions were rising. The crowd started self-policing when a couple of rowdy fans shouted out as Sinner prepared to serve, telling the offenders to “Chut!” (French for shush). Djokovic’s forehand landed wide on his third break-point chance, making it deuce. The chair umpire, Damien Dumusois, came down to check the mark. Djokovic disagreed and walked over, saying, “It’s on the line.” Then Sinner came to the net and had a brief discussion with Djokovic, who lost the point but won the next with an overhead smash for a fourth set point, saved again by Sinner. Adblock test (Why?)
Alcaraz on course for French Open defence as Musetti retires injured
Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz set to defend French Open title on Sunday as Italy’s Lorenzo Musetti withdraws injured in semi. Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz secured a return to the French Open final after an early scare from eighth seed Lorenzo Musetti, who was eventually forced to retire with injury. Italian Musetti took the first set 6-4, before Alcaraz fought back to take the next two sets 7-6(3) 6-0 and lead 2-0 in the fourth before his opponent’s leg injury took hold on Friday. The Spaniard, who is attempting to become only the third man to retain his Roland Garros title this century after Rafa Nadal and Gustavo Kuerten, will face either world number one Jannik Sinner or 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic in Sunday’s final. “It’s never great to go through like this,” Alcaraz said, before hailing Musetti’s achievement of reaching at least the semifinals of all four elite claycourt events this year. “He’s a great player, he has had an incredible claycourt season … I wish him a speedy recovery and I’m sure we’ll be enjoying his tennis pretty soon.” Musetti twice denied Alcaraz the chance to break in the opening nine games before the 23-year-old suddenly dialled up the intensity and snatched the opening set when his Spanish opponent produced errors in a poor service game. Alcaraz of Spain returns a shot during his match against Musetti of Italy on day 13 at Roland Garros [Susan Mullane-Imagn Images/Reuters] A frustrated Alcaraz kicked his bench during the second set but finally found a way through Musetti’s dogged defence to draw level after a tiebreak and then produced a dazzling display of power and precision to dish out a bagel in the third set. Advertisement Musetti, who appeared to be hampered by a left thigh issue midway through the third set, threw in the towel after two games in the fourth. “The first two sets were tough. I had chances to be up in the match, but couldn’t make the most of them,” Alcaraz added. “When I won the second set, I was relieved, and I knew that I needed to be aggressive and be myself. I was calmer. I could see clearer and I could play great tennis at the start of the third. “I’m feeling great physically. It’s been three intense weeks, but I have one more step to take. I’m playing great tennis and I have great confidence. I’ve been doing great things in this tournament, and now is the time to give 100 percent in the final.” Alcaraz said he would tune into the second semifinal on Court Philippe Chatrier to study his potential opponents. “I’m not going to miss tonight’s match, it’s one of the best we can have right now, Sinner against Djokovic,” he said. “I’m going to watch it and enjoy it and take tactics from the match.” Adblock test (Why?)