Liverpool sign Wirtz shattering club record transfer fee
Liverpool delivered a huge statement of intent after winning the Premier League title by signing Germany star Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen. The transfer fee could climb to 116 million pounds ($156m), which would make the 22-year-old Wirtz the most expensive player in the history of British football. “I feel very happy and very proud,” Wirtz told the official Liverpool website on Friday. “Finally, it’s done, and I was waiting for a long time. “I’m really excited to have a new adventure in front of me. This was also a big point of my thoughts: That I want to have something completely new, to go out of the Bundesliga and to join the Premier League. “I will see how I can perform there. I hope I can do my best. I spoke also with some players who played there, and they told me that it’s perfect for me and every pitch is perfect, you can enjoy every game. I’m really looking forward to playing my first game.” Florian Wirtz practises his shooting during the warm-up before a Bayer Leverkusen match in February [Fabian Bimmer/Reuters] Liverpool, determined to keep moving forward despite securing a record-tying 20th English top-flight title, splashed out a club record to bring in not only one of the best players from Germany, but one of the top youngsters in the world. Wirtz has been a key first-team player for Leverkusen since he was 17. He was the outstanding attacking player in the team that won the Bundesliga and German Cup in 2023-24 without losing a game, and is a regular in Germany’s national team. Advertisement It is why Liverpool was ready to pay a guaranteed 100 million pounds ($134.4m), plus 16 million pounds ($21.5m) in potential add-ons. Wirtz had two years left on his contract, giving Leverkusen leverage in negotiations. The Premier League record for an initial fee was set when Chelsea signed Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for 106.7 million pounds ($131.4m at the time) in 2023, before the London club agreed to pay up to 115 million pounds ($146m at the time) for midfielder Moises Caicedo from Brighton later that year. Liverpool manager Arne Slot arrived last summer and signed just one outfield player — forward Federico Chiesa — for the 2024-25 season. Chiesa barely played and the Reds won the league by 10 points, after which Slot and some of his players — including Virgil van Dijk — spoke about there being big plans for this transfer window. Having already signed right-wing back Jeremie Frimpong from Leverkusen for a reported 35 to 40 million euros ($39.7 million to $45.4 million), Liverpool has returned to the German club to take Wirtz, who rejected an opportunity to join Bayern Munich — a Bundesliga rival which has long pursued him. One obstacle to that move was the size of the fee Leverkusen wanted. Another was concern over how Wirtz might fit into the same lineup as Jamal Musiala, Germany’s other standout young attacking midfielder. Losing Wirtz leaves Leverkusen and its new coach, Erik ten Hag with an even bigger rebuild following the departure of Xabi Alonso for Real Madrid. Just after his 17th birthday, Wirtz became the youngest player in Leverkusen’s history when he made his debut against Werder Bremen in May 2020, in an empty stadium at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. A month later, he was the youngest player to score in Bundesliga history, though that record has since been toppled. Wirtz’s versatile attacking midfield play was a vital ingredient in Alonso transforming Leverkusen into a team that could win the Bundesliga and German Cup without losing a game. He and Alonso stayed for another sometimes-disappointing season, which ended with second place to Bayern in the league and a loss to Bayern in the Champions League round of 16. Wirtz showed he can deal with adversity when a cruciate ligament tear in his knee ruled him out for almost all of 2022, including Alonso’s first games as coach, before he returned to power Leverkusen to its league and cup double in 2023-24. France’s Manu Kone in action with Germany’s Florian Wirtz during the 2025 Nations League third-place playoff [Heiko Becker/Reuters] Wirtz has become a vital player for the German national team with 29 caps. He played all five of its matches at Euro 2024 on home soil. Advertisement He has also had to contend with hostility from fans of his boyhood club Cologne, which he left for nearby Leverkusen at 16. Liverpool and Bayern were reportedly interested then, too. Cologne claimed that deal broke an agreement between the clubs not to pursue each other’s youth players. Leverkusen argued Wirtz was so talented that he counted as a first-team player despite his age. Cologne and Leverkusen are barely 10 kilometres (six miles) apart, so going to Liverpool will be the first time that Wirtz has moved away from his roots. His parents, Hans Wirtz and Karin Gross, have played a big role in his career — they were also his agents until last year — and he is close to his older sister Juliane, a professional player for Werder Bremen in the women’s Bundesliga. Wirtz’s decision to turn down Bayern and the Bundesliga for Liverpool has raised some eyebrows in Germany. “I wouldn’t have thought Florian would make this switch so early,” former Germany great Lothar Matthaus told broadcaster n-tv last month. “But he wants to get out of his comfort zone.” Wirtz seems likely to slot in as the No. 10 at Liverpool, a more creative solution in that role compared with the hard-running Dominik Szoboszlai. Whether Slot also now pushes for a new striker as an upgrade to current options Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez remains to be seen. Szoboszlai could drop back into one of the two deeper midfield positions, competing with Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Curtis Jones. Adblock test (Why?)
Iran, Israel trade air attacks as conflict enters second week
Israel has launched strikes on dozens of targets in Iran, including missile production sites, and Iran fired a barrage of missiles that hit near industrial facilities in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba, as the conflict between the two sides entered its second week. An Iranian nuclear scientist was killed on Friday morning following an Israeli strike in Tehran, according to the Israeli public broadcaster Kan. The news followed reports from the Iranian media saying that a residential building in the capital’s central Gisha district was hit by a drone strike. The identity of the scientist was not immediately clear. Israel has killed several nuclear scientists since it started attacking Iran on June 13. A hospital in Tehran was hit in a separate Israeli missile strike, the third such medical facility damaged in the past eight days, Iran’s health ministry was quoted by the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) as saying. There were no immediate reports of casualties from the hospital strike, but six ambulances were damaged, the ministry said. Despite the attacks, thousands of Iranians took to the streets of Tehran following Friday prayers to denounce Israel and the US for the deadly attacks in the country. In the northwestern province of Kermanshah, a medical clinic was also hit, leaving it completely damaged, according to Press TV. Both Iran and Israel have been exchanging allegations of targeting medical facilities, which is prohibited by international humanitarian law. In a statement, Israel’s Defence Minister Israeli Katz said he has instructed the military to intensify attacks on “symbols of the regime” in Tehran, aiming to destabilise it. Advertisement “We must strike at all the symbols of the regime and the mechanisms of oppression of the population, such as the Basij [militia], and the regime’s power base, such as the Revolutionary Guard,” Katz said. Earlier on Friday, at least seven people were lightly injured after Iranian missile strikes hit Beersheba, the largest city in the Negev desert in southern Israel, according to Israeli media. The attack temporarily shut the city’s central rail station and damaged several buildings including the Microsoft office located inside a technology park, which is also near an Israeli army military telecommunications branch. After air raid sirens sounded later on Friday, Israeli media reported there were potential impacts in Tel Aviv, Beersheba and Haifa. At least two wounded people were in a serious condition after they were hit with shrapnel in Haifa, according to local media. “The south of Israel is more sparsely populated, and the one missile that we could see landed before the beginning of business hours, so there were no people in the offices, presumably,” Al Jazeera’s Nour Odeh, reporting from Amman, Jordan said. Iran-Europe meeting Against the backdrop of deadly exchanges, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in the Swiss capital, Geneva, ahead of a meeting with his French, German, British and European Union counterparts. Ahead of the talks, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the only way to end the conflict is for Israel to stop its air attacks. “We have always pursued peace and stability,” he said in a statement cited in Iranian media on Friday. Foad Izadi, professor of international relations at the University of Tehran, told Al Jazeera that it was clear that Araghchi was not prepared to hold any negotiations while Israeli strikes were continuing. “When you negotiate, it’s give and take,” he said. “Iran cannot engage in that style of give and take when we have bombs falling” on Tehran and other parts of the country. Still, Araghchi’s presence in Geneva also sends out a message “that they’re not closing the door to the possibility of diplomacy,” said Al Jazeera’s Tohid Asadi, who is reporting from Tehran. Meanwhile, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that Ali Shamkhani, a close adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was seriously wounded in an Israeli attack a week ago, was now in stable condition after round-the-clock efforts of doctors. “I am alive and ready to sacrifice myself,” Tasnim quoted Shamkani as saying in a message. Advertisement Adblock test (Why?)
Armenian PM in Turkiye for ‘historic’ visit aimed at normalising ties
Nikol Pashinyan’s visit marks Ankara and Yerevan’s second attempt at reconciliation. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan is on a rare visit to Istanbul to hold talks with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in what Yerevan has described as a “historic” step towards regional peace. The visit forms part of the two countries’ efforts to normalise ties strained over historical disputes and Ankara’s alliance with Azerbaijan, which has been in a long-simmering conflict with Armenia. “This is a historic visit, as it will be the first time a head of the Republic of Armenia visits Turkiye at this level. All regional issues will be discussed,” Armenian parliament speaker Alen Simonyan told reporters on Friday. “The risks of war [with Azerbaijan] are currently minimal, and we must work to neutralise them. Pashinyan’s visit to Turkiye is a step in that direction.” Pashinyan’s visit comes a day after Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev held talks in Turkiye with Erdogan, during which he praised the Turkish-Azerbaijani alliance as “a significant factor, not only regionally but also globally”, and Erdogan reiterated his support for “the establishment of peace between Azerbaijan and Armenia”. Baku and Yerevan agreed on the text of a peace deal in March, but Baku has since outlined a host of demands, including changes to Armenia’s constitution, that it wants met before it will sign the document. Pashinyan is scheduled to meet Erdogan at Istanbul’s Dolmabahce Palace at 15:00 GMT, Erdogan’s office said. An Armenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs official told the AFP news agency that the pair will discuss efforts to sign a comprehensive peace treaty. Advertisement The regional fallout from the Israel-Iran conflict, which began last Friday when Israel launched several waves of air strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities and military sites, will also be discussed. Armenia and Turkiye have never established formal diplomatic ties, and their shared border has been closed since 1993. Attempts at normalisation Relations between the two nations have been historically strained over the World War I-era mass killings of Armenians in the Ottoman Empire – atrocities historians and Yerevan say amount to genocide. Turkiye rejects the label, contending that while many people died in that era, the death toll is inflated and the deaths resulted from civil unrest. Ankara has also backed its close ally, Turkic-speaking Azerbaijan, in the long-running Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Armenia. This region, which had a mostly ethnic Armenian population at the time, broke away from Azerbaijan with support from Armenia in the late 1980s. In 2020, Turkiye backed Azerbaijan in its second war with Armenia, which ended after six weeks with a Russia-brokered peace deal that saw Azerbaijan gain control of a significant part of the region. Pashinyan has actively sought to normalise relations with both Baku and Ankara. Ankara and Yerevan appointed special envoys in late 2021 to lead a normalisation process, and resumed commercial flights in 2022 after a two-year pause. Earlier this year, Pashinyan announced Armenia would halt its campaign for international recognition of the 1915 mass killings of Armenians as genocide – a major concession to Turkiye that sparked widespread criticism at home. Pashinyan’s first visit to Turkiye was to attend Erdogan’s inauguration in 2023. This is Ankara and Yerevan’s second attempt at reconciliation. Turkiye and Armenia reached an agreement in 2009 to establish formal relations and open their shared border, but the deal was never ratified because of strong opposition from Azerbaijan. Adblock test (Why?)
Botafogo upset UCL champs PSG at FIFA Club World Cup
Igor Jesus’ 36th minute goal was enough for Botafago to defeat the Europeans champions PSG at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles. Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) suffered a shock 1-0 Club World Cup defeat against Brazilian side Botafogo in a hard-fought battle between the reigning champions of Europe and South America. A first-half goal from Brazilian international Igor Jesus proved the difference on Thursday as Botafogo all but sealed a place in the knockout rounds in front of a 53,699 crowd at the Pasadena Rose Bowl. French champions PSG are widely regarded as one of the favourites for FIFA’s 32-team tournament after a dazzling season which culminated with a scintillating 5-0 demolition of Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League final last month. But their hopes of securing a victory, which would have seen them become the first side to reach the last 16, were stymied by a resilient performance from their opponents from Rio de Janeiro. “A lot of people wondered, but we showed how strong Botafogo is,” goal scorer Jesus said after the win. “It was a difficult game, and we had to defend well, and we did our job and scored a goal. “We’re really happy – we knew how important this game was. One team was the champion of the Champions League, the other team was the champion of South America,” added Jesus, who had been strongly linked with a move to English Premier League side Nottingham Forest earlier this year before opting to stay with the Brazilians to play in the Club World Cup. “I think I made the right choice to stay in Botafogo,” Jesus quipped. Jesus scores the game-winning goal in the 36th minute against PSG at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles on June 19, 2025 [Yuri Cortez/AFP] Setback for PSG PSG coach Luis Enrique said his team had expected a tough battle. Advertisement “We knew it was going to be a very difficult match – they defended very well,” the Spaniard said. “This Club World Cup is very intense and difficult, and all the teams are highly motivated, especially when they’re playing against us.” The PSG manager, though, was adamant that the European champions still had plenty of time to resurrect their campaign. “If there’s a team that can turn it around, it’s our team,” he said. “We’ve got to analyse this and there’s things we can improve. But I think our performance was good.” PSG picked up where they had left off in Sunday’s 4-0 Group B rout of Atletico Madrid, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia testing Botafogo goalkeeper John with an early curling effort after just two minutes. But that early effort was as close as PSG came to scoring in a scrappy first half punctuated by a series of niggling fouls that prevented the European champions from settling into their passing game. Botafogo’s midfield trio of Marlon Freitas, Gregore and Allan worked tirelessly to close down Vitinha, denying the skilful PSG playmaker time and space to launch attacks despite dominating possession. Instead, it was Botafogo who took the lead with a goal against the run of play on 36 minutes. Jefferson Savarino’s perfectly weighted through ball split the PSG defence and sent Jesus racing through on goal. The Botafogo striker did brilliantly to wrongfoot the covering Willian Pacho before sweeping a shot that took a slight deflection past PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma on its way into the net. PSG continued to dominate possession through the second half, and spent long periods camped in the final third. But Botafogo’s defence held firm and the result leaves the Brazilians firmly on course for the last 16, with a final group game against Atletico Madrid to come in Pasadena on Monday. Botafogo players celebrate after winning the match 1-0 against PSG [Frederic J Brown/AFP] Adblock test (Why?)
Iran, European officials to hold first meeting since Israel conflict began
Iran, UK, Germany, France and EU foreign ministers to meet in bid to avoid further escalation between Israel and Iran. Iran will hold talks with the United Kingdom, France and Germany in Geneva on Friday in an attempt to prevent an escalation in its conflict with Israel, after United States President Donald Trump said he would decide within two weeks whether to join the assault on Tehran. “We will meet with the European delegation in Geneva on Friday,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a statement, carried by state news agency IRNA. European diplomats confirmed the planned talks in Switzerland, set to involve French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul, and European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas. Kallas and the ministers from the three European countries – known as the E3 – spoke to Araghchi earlier this week and discussed the need to return to the negotiating table and avoid further escalation. At Iran’s suggestion, the two sides agreed to meet face-to-face. French President Emmanuel Macron said European nations were planning to suggest a negotiated solution to end the conflict. On Wednesday, he asked his foreign minister to draw up an initiative with “close partners” to that end. Speaking in Paris after talks on the crisis with the Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi on Thursday, Barrot said the three nations “stand ready to bring our competence and experience on this matter”. “We are ready to take part in negotiations aimed at obtaining from Iran a lasting rollback of its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes,” he added. Advertisement The UK’s Lammy was scheduled to travel to Switzerland following his visit to Washington, DC, where he met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and White House Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff. “We are determined that Iran must never have a nuclear weapon … A window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution,” Lammy said in a statement. Kallas, in coordination with European countries, has insisted that diplomacy remains the best path towards ensuring that Iran does not develop a nuclear bomb. Israel has repeatedly said its series of strikes is a preemptive move to stop Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Iran denies it is building nuclear weapons and insists that its nuclear programme is peaceful. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it has found no evidence that Iran was building such weapons. Trump weighs intervention The ramping up of diplomatic efforts comes as Trump said he is weighing military action against Iran’s nuclear facilities. Trump said on Thursday he would make up his mind within two weeks on whether Washington will get directly involved militarily in the conflict, given the “substantial chance” for renewed diplomatic negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear programme. Iran’s well-defended Fordow uranium enrichment facility, which is buried under a mountain, is widely considered to be out of reach of all but the US’s so-called “bunker-buster” bombs. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he trusted that Trump would “do what’s best for America”. “I can tell you that they’re already helping a lot,” he told reporters in Beersheba. The talks will be held in Geneva, where an initial accord between Iran and world powers to curb its nuclear programme in return for lifting sanctions was struck in 2013, before a comprehensive deal in 2015. Trump left the Iran nuclear deal during his first term as president in 2018, defying last-ditch diplomatic efforts by his European allies to convince him otherwise. Negotiations between Iran and the US had been taking place when Israel launched what it called Operation Rising Lion against Iran’s nuclear facilities and ballistic capabilities on June 12. The conflict erupted with a surprise wave of Israeli attacks targeting Iranian nuclear and military sites and killing top generals and nuclear scientists. At least 639 people, including 263 civilians, have been killed in Iran and more than 1,300 wounded since Israel launched a surprise wave of air raids against Iran a week ago, according to the US-based rights group Human Rights Activists. Advertisement In Israel, at least 24 people have been killed and hundreds of others wounded in Iranian attacks, according to Israeli health authorities. Adblock test (Why?)
A simple visual guide to Iran and its people
Iran has re-emerged at the centre of international attention, following Israeli attacks on the Middle East’s second-largest country on June 13. Stretching from the Caspian Sea in the north to the Gulf of Oman in the south, Iran’s landscape is as varied as its history, with key access to critical waterways, including the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of the world’s oil flows. Iran’s history spans millennia, making it one of the world’s most ancient and culturally rich nations, continuously inhabited and influential throughout history. In this visual explainer, Al Jazeera provides a snapshot of Iran’s geography, key cities, population makeup, and ethnic diversity. Iran at a glance With a population of 92 million, Iran is the 17th-largest country in the world by population and land area. Iran’s nominal gross domestic product (GDP) is $418bn, ranking it 36th in terms of the economy size. It has an unemployment rate of about 7.2 percent. The country’s adult literacy rate is 89 percent, with youth literacy nearing 99 percent, though these rates vary between rural and urban areas. The country is rich in oil and gas, ranking as the world’s ninth-largest oil producer and third-largest natural gas producer. How big is Iran? Located in Western Asia, Iran is the second-largest country in the Middle East after Saudi Arabia and the 17th-largest in the world, covering approximately 1.65 million square kilometres (636,000 square miles). Iran shares land borders with seven countries, the longest being Iraq, followed by Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Turkiye and Armenia. Advertisement Iran covers about one-sixth the equivalent land area of the United States, nearly as large as the state of Alaska. It is about one-sixth the size of Europe, about one-fifth the size of Australia, roughly half the size of India and about 80 times larger than Israel. Where are Iran’s main population centres? Most of Iran’s 92 million people live in the western half of the country, where the terrain features rugged mountains alongside fertile valleys and river basins that sustain much of the population. With 9.6 million inhabitants, Tehran has been the capital since 1795 and is the country’s largest city. Situated beneath the Alborz Mountains, Tehran’s history dates back more than 6,000 years. Mashhad, in the northeast, is Iran’s second-largest city with 3.4 million people and a history spanning more than 1,200 years. It is a major religious and cultural centre and is home to the Imam Reza Shrine, which brings in millions of pilgrims from around the world. Isfahan, the third-largest city, is home to some 2.3 million people. More than 2,500 years old, the city was once the capital of the Safavid Empire, which lasted from 1501 to 1722. Isfahan hosts major educational institutions and is a centre for textiles, steel and manufacturing, along with nuclear and aerospace industries. Other populous cities across Iran include: Shiraz (1.7 million), Tabriz (1.7 million), Karaj (1.6 million), Qom (1.4 million) and Ahvaz (1.3 million). Demographic breakdown Nearly 60 percent of Iran’s population is below the age of 39, according to figures from the United Nations Statistics Division. The country’s median age is 33-34 years, and about 77 percent of Iranians live in urban areas. The largest age groups in Iran are those aged 30-34 and 35-39, meaning most of the population was born after the 1979 Islamic Revolution that toppled the Pahlavi Shah regime. However, there has been a significant emigration of Iranian professionals in recent years, largely driven by economic hardship. What are Iran’s ethnicities? Iran is a highly diverse country, both ethnically and culturally. Persians make up approximately 61 percent of the population, while significant minority groups include Azerbaijanis (16 percent), Kurds (10 percent) and others, such as Lurs (6 percent), Arabs (2 percent), Baloch (2 percent) and Turkic groups (2 percent). Iran is predominantly Shia Muslim, making up about 90 percent of the population, while Sunni Muslims and other Muslim sects account for roughly 9 percent. The remaining 1 percent includes roughly 300,000 Baha’i, 300,000 Christians, 35,000 Zoroastrians, 20,000 Jews, and 10,000 Sabean Mandeans according to the Minority Rights Group. Advertisement In border regions such as Kurdistan, Khuzestan and Sistan-Baluchestan, ethnic groups play a key role in shaping the country’s ethnic and religious diversity as well as its regional politics. While Persian (Farsi) is the official national language, many regions across the country speak a variety of other languages. Adblock test (Why?)
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
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?)
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
Air India flight crashes in Ahmedabad with more than 240 people on board
An Air India passenger plane bound for London with more than 240 people on board has crashed in India’s northwestern city of Ahmedabad, the airline says. Firefighters doused the smoking wreckage of the plane, which would have been fully loaded with fuel shortly after takeoff on Thursday, and an adjacent multistorey building. The airline said the Gatwick Airport-bound flight was carrying 242 passengers and crew. Of those, Air India said, there were 169 Indians, 53 Britons, seven Portuguese and one Canadian. Faiz Ahmed Kidwai, the director general of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, told The Associated Press news agency that Air India Flight 171 crashed into a residential area called Meghani Nagar five minutes after taking off at 1:38pm (08:08 GMT). He said 244 people were on board the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner and it was not immediately possible to reconcile the discrepancy with Air India’s numbers. All efforts were being made to ensure medical aid and relief support at the site, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu posted on X. Advertisement The 787 Dreamliner is a wide-body, twin-engine plane. This is the first crash ever of the aircraft, according to the Aviation Safety Network database. Boeing said it was aware of the reports of the crash and was “working to gather more information”. The last major passenger plane crash in India was in 2020 when an Air India Express Boeing 737 skidded off a hilltop runway in southern India, killing 21 people. The deadliest air disaster in India was on November 12, 1996, when a Saudi Arabian Airlines flight collided midair with a Kazakhstan Airlines flight near Charki Dadri in Haryana state, killing all 349 people on board the two planes. Adblock test (Why?)