London Newcastle signed England winger Harvey Barnes from Leicester in a deal worth a reported 38 million ($48 million) on Sunday.

Barnes agreed a five-year contract with the Magpies as he remains in the Premier League following Leicesters relegation to the Championship at the end of last season.

The 25-year-old is expected to fill the void in Eddie Howes squad left by the impending departure of Allan Saint-Maximin, who is reportedly set to join Saudi Arabian side Al Ahli.

Saint-Maximin was left out of the Newcastle squad which recently travelled to the United States for the Premier League Summer Series.

Its an amazing club and for me its a massive opportunity to come and be involved in a successful team thats doing exciting things, so Im absolutely buzzing to be here, Barnes said.

I think its an attackers dream to come into a team like this; its high paced, its physically demanding, but you can see the rewards of that with the chances and the goals scored, so I think Ill certainty suit the style.

Barnes can look forward to playing in the Champions League next season after Newcastle secured a top four finish in the Premier League last term.

Newcastle also reached a first domestic final since 1999 last season, losing to Manchester United in the League Cup final.  

Harvey is an exciting talent who I have admired for a long time so Im delighted to welcome him to Newcastle, Howe said.

He will add a different element to our play and we look forward to working with him as we prepare for the season ahead. 

Barnes made 187 appearances for Leicester after emerging from their youth academy, scoring 13 league goals and providing one assist last season.

He helped Leicester win the FA Cup in 2021 and has earned one cap for England, coming on against Wales three years ago.

Barnes is Newcastles second high-profile close-season signing following their 52 million swoop for AC Milan midfielder Sandro Tonali.

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San Francisco Twitter owner Elon Musk hinted late Saturday night that he may ditch the social media networks blue cartoon bird branding and soon for an edgier logo based on an everything app he has long alluded to called only X.

Soon we shall bid adieu to the twitter brand and, gradually, all the birds, he tweeted around midnight, implying an end to the imagery from where the very word tweet stems. 

Like this but X, the billionaire SpaceX boss said, above a picture of the Twitter bird over a black and white marbled background.

To embody the imperfections in us all that make us unique, he replied to the post. 

Twitter, founded in 2006 and whose name is a play on the sound of birds chattering, has used avian branding since its early days, when the company bought a stock symbol of a light blue bird for $15, according to the design website Creative Bloq. 

The 52-year-old Tesla founder has previously said that his rocky takeover of Twitter last year was an accelerant to creating X, the everything app, a reference to the X.com company he PayPal. 

Such an app could still function as a social media platform, and also include messaging and mobile payments.

Musk has already named Twitters parent company the X Corporation.

If a good enough X logo is posted tonight, well make (it) go live worldwide tomorrow, he said. 

Musk went on to make several other X-related comments, saying a new emblem should be of course, Art Deco style and that under the sites new identity a post would be called an X.

Twitter is thought to have around 200 million daily active users but it has suffered repeated technical failures since the tycoon bought the so-called bird app for $44 billion in 2022 and sacked much of its staff.

Since then, many users and advertisers alike have soured on the social media site thanks to charges introduced for previously free services, changes to content moderation and the return of previously banned right-wing accounts.

Musk said earlier this month that Twitter has lost roughly half of its advertising revenue since he took control in October.

Facebook parent Meta earlier this month launched its own text-based platform, called Threads, which has up to 150 million users according to some estimates. 

But the amount of time users spend on the rival app has plummeted in the weeks since its launch, however, according to data from market analysis firm Sensor Tower. 

The post Musk hints Twitters bird branding could be replaced appeared first on Iraqi News...

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The Iraqi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Fuad Hussein, during a meeting with his Yemeni counterpart on Sunday, expressed Iraqs readiness to play a mediating role to help find a solution to the war in Yemen, according to the Iraqi News Agency (INA).

In a joint press conference with the Yemeni Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, Hussein stated that there is a ceasefire or an unannounced truce currently in Yemen, expressing that he hopes the current situation will turn into a dialogue between all Yemeni parties.

Iraq is ready to help in this regard. We have good relations with all parties, and we can take advantage of these relations to serve stability and security in Yemen. We can move regionally in this regard, the Iraqi Foreign Minister said.

Mubarak elaborated that there has been an unannounced truce in Yemen since October 2022, and the Yemeni government is committed to this truce.

We believe it is time to end this war in Yemen, The Yemeni Foreign Minister added.

The conflict in Yemen, which has been ongoing since 2015 between the internationally recognized government and the Houthis, has caused hundreds of thousands of deaths and resulted in one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.

The country has been witnessing relative calm since reaching a truce under the auspices of the United Nations in 2022, which expired last October.

The post Iraq proposes mediation to end the war in Yemen appeared first on Iraqi News.

Baghdad (IraqiNews.com) The Iraqi Federal Intelligence and Investigations Agency (FIIA) announced on Saturday that its officers had arrested 404 terrorists and drug dealers within a week, the Iraqi News Agency (INA) reported.

A statement issued by the FIIA clarified that 86 terrorists and 318 drug dealers were arrested last week.

The FIIA also announced that 998 suspects involved in different crimes were arrested. Additionally, 126 different weapons and 12 improvised explosive devices were seized.

In relation to the protests taking place in Iraq, the Iraqi Presidency stated on Saturday that there is an attempt to show Iraq as an unsafe country for foreign missions, calling on international organizations and Western governments to stop incitement and hatred practices.

The Iraqi Presidency mentioned in a statement that it condemns the attacks on the Holy Quran and provoking the feelings of Muslims, calling on Iraqi citizens and political forces to be careful and not be drawn into a strife that is being provoked by figures or parties living in Western countries.

Iraqi protesters set fire to the Swedish embassy in Baghdad early Thursday ahead of a planned burning of a Quran in Sweden, AFP reported.

Swedish authorities approved an assembly to be held later outside the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm, where organizers plan to burn a copy of the Quran as well as an Iraqi flag, AFP added.

On Wednesday, the Iraqi Foreign Minister, Fuad Hussein, during a phone call with his Swedish counterpart, stressed the need to prevent the recurrence of acts offensive to Islam and the Holy Quran, according to INA.

On June 28, a 37-year-old refugee of Iraqi origin in Sweden tore up and burned several pages of a copy of the Holy Book outside Stockholms central mosque after the Swedish police granted him permission to do so, according to a judicial decision.

The post Iraqi security arrests 404 terrorists, drug dealers within a week appeared first on Iraqi News.

Athens High winds forecast for Sunday are expected to hamper firefighters battle to contain a blaze burning out of control on the Greek island of Rhodes, where some 30,000 people have been forced to evacuate.

The flames have burned for nearly a week on the island as Greece has been battered by an extended spell of extreme heat that has made it challenging to contain the blaze.

Local officials on Rhodes said on Saturday they had moved 30,000 people threatened by wildfires to safety including more than 2,500 who had to be ferried off beaches.

The wind is expected to become more intense from 12 to 5 pm, without excluding the possibility that could happen earlier, said fire department spokesman Vassilis Vathrakoyiannis.

The fires during the night reached the village of Laerma and were burning houses and a church there, while many hotels were damaged by the flames that at some occasions reached the sea. 

Authorities have warned that the battle to contain the flames, raging in the middle of peak tourism season for heavily visited Rhodes, will take several days.

Another fire brigade spokesman, Yannis Artopoios, told Greek TV that the main fronts of the fire were were in areas south of the village of Apollon.

Thousands of people, locals and tourists were evacuated on Saturday from at least six villages.  

In Athens, the foreign ministry said it had activated its crisis management unit to facilitate the evacuation of foreign citizens in Greece due to the ongoing forest fires. 

Tourists and some locals spent the night in gyms, schools and hotel conference centres on the island while firefighters battled the blaze.

In addition, three passenger ferries have been moored at the port of Rhodes to accommodate those rescued.  

It is an unprecedented situation for the island, Panagiotis Dimelis, head of the Archangelos village council, told Skai TV, adding that many locals had rushed to help the tourists. 

From the moment the evacuation alert sounded early in the afternoon, tourists headed for the beach, pulling their suitcases behind them.

A large part of the island was without electricity as the public power utility PPC shut down the local plant in the south for safety reasons.

More than 200 firefighters fought the blaze during the night, while the air support started early on Sunday. 

The post High winds feared as Rhodes fire rages appeared first on Iraqi News.

Washington After pausing in June, the US Federal Reserve is widely expected to hike interest rates again on Wednesday, adopting its most restrictive monetary stance for 22 years despite recent signs of slowing inflation.

After 10 consecutive hikes in just over a year, the Fed halted its aggressive campaign of monetary tightening last month to give policymakers more time to assess the health of the US economy, and the impact of recent banking stresses on lending conditions.

In the weeks since, positive upgrades to economic growth and cooler inflation data have reinforced the likelihood that the Feds rate-setting committee will vote for a quarter percentage-point hike on July 25-26.

This would raise the federal funds rate to a range between 5.25 and 5.5 percent its highest level since 2001. 

If I had to bet, I would bet they would raise the Fed funds rate 25 basis points at the next meeting, Joseph Gagnon, a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE), told AFP. 

The cooling of the economy is only happening slowly, Bank of Americas chief US economist Michael Gapen wrote in a recent investor note. 

We think most committee members believe further rebalancing of supply and demand is needed to ensure disinflation will continue, he added, explaining why he expects another hike on Wednesday.  

Futures traders now assign a probability of more than 99 percent that the Fed will hike its base rate by 25 basis points at its next meeting, according to CME Group.

While a July rate hike is now widely expected, questions remain about how much further the Fed will need to go this year to bring inflation back down to its long-term target of two percent. 

Recession risk fades

Since the Feds decision to pause in June, its favored measure of inflation has slowed to less than four percent year-on-year, while unemployment has remained close to record lows.

Economic growth has also been revised upward significantly for the first quarter on the back of stronger-than-expected consumer spending. 

The positive economic news has raised the chances of a so-called soft landing, in which the Fed succeeds in bringing down inflation by raising interest rates while avoiding a recession and a surge in unemployment. 

We see the line between mild recession and soft landing as increasingly fine and view the probabilities of the latter outcome undeniably on the rise, Deutsche Bank economists wrote in a recent note to clients. 

Goldman Sachs recently cut its probability of the US economy entering a recession in the next 12 months to 20 percent from 25 percent, although it remains slightly above average postwar levels. 

Recent data have reinforced our confidence that bringing inflation down to an acceptable level will not require a recess...

San Francisco After a wildly successful first few days, Threads popularity has waned in the weeks since Meta launched its challenge to Twitter, which lives on despite its problems.

The average amount of time people spend on Threads daily has plummeted more than 75 percent since the platform made a rock star debut on July 6, according to data from Sensor Tower, a market analysis firm.

Threads was quickly billed as a potential death knell for Twitter, a platform that has tumbled into chaos under the leadership of mercurial tycoon Elon Musk.

The launch saw sign-ups of more than 100 million users in less than five days, smashing the record of AI tool ChatGPT for fastest-growing consumer app and creating relief and excitement amongst early adopters fleeing Twitter.

I actually closed down my Twitter account after starting Threads, said Brooklyn resident Lauren Brose, head of marketing at a tech start-up.

I used to love Twitter. After Elon Musk took over Twitter, I found that the entire environment just changed completely.

But weeks later, Threads has since seen a material decline in new sign-ups, Sensor Tower said.

Twitter continues to dominate its space as a platform for online comment and news, and Musk would have to completely destroy it to drive away its audience for good, according to Silicon Valley investor and analyst Jeremiah Owyang.

Will Threads kill Twitter? Absolutely not. Its just not equivalent, he said.

Threads went live on Apple and Android app stores in 100 countries at its launch, though it is not available in Europe because parent company Meta is unsure how to navigate the European Unions data privacy legislation.

Twitter is thought to have around 200 million regular users but it has suffered repeated technical failures since Tesla tycoon Musk bought the platform last year and sacked much of its staff.

Musk, also the boss of SpaceX, has alienated users by introducing charges for previously free services and allowing banned right-wing accounts back on the platform.

There is little doubt that Threads had a major leg up compared to other wannabe Twitter alternatives. 

Several rivals have emerged but most are niche platforms without the capacity to grow at the necessary scale to dethrone Twitter.

But Meta was able to easily prompt Instagram users to start Threads accounts, tapping into a base of at least a billion users at the image-focused social network.

Not about news?

Threads has a lot to prove, and features to add, to become a formidable Twitter alternative, according to Insider Intelligence analyst Jasmine Enberg.

It needs to foster creators to engage users, and to find its own identity separate from Instagram and Twitter, Enberg said. 

Given that Twitter is in a state of disarray, the brillia...

Washington Mykhailo Mudryk finally found the net for Chelsea and new signings Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson also scored in a 4-3 friendly win over Brighton in Philadelphia on Saturday.

Brighton took the lead in 13th minute when a short corner routine ended with Kaoru Mitoma heading the ball across the box and Danny Welbeck firing home with a first-time drive.

French forward Nkunku, a recent acquisition from RB Leipzig for a reported 63 million ($80 million) brought the London club level in the 19th minute for his second goal of pre-season.

Brighton were reduced to ten men in the 59th minute when Dutch full-back Jan Paul van Hecke received a second yellow card after a reckless challenge on Cesare Casadei.

Five minutes later Chelsea went ahead when Ukrainian Mudryk burst in from the left and after a smart exchange with Jackson, unleashed a drive into the bottom corner from outside the box.

It was the first Chelsea goal for Mudryk who joined the club in a huge deal, reportedly costing up to 100 million euros (88 million, $108 million) in January.

Senegal international Jackson then set up Conor Gallagher to make it 3-1 and got on the scoresheet himself with the fourth for Mauricio Pochettinos team.

A 79th minute penalty from Joao Pedro gave Brighton some hope but although substitute Deniz Undav added a late third for Albion, Chelsea secured the win.

Chelseas next opponent in the Premier League Summer Series will be Newcastle United in Atlanta on Wednesday.

The post Mudryk on target as Chelsea beat ten-man Brighton 4-3 appeared first on Iraqi News.

Budapest Lewis Hamilton claimed his first pole position since 2021 after edging Max Verstappen in qualifying on Saturday for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

The seven-time world champion ended a barren run stretching back 33 races by claiming a record-increasing 104th pole of his career and his record ninth at the Hungaroring circuit. 

His success with a last-gasp lap was greeted with cheers by the crowd and ended defending double world champion Verstappens run of five straight poles for Red Bull.

I didnt expect this, for us to be fighting for pole position here this weekend, said a hoarse and emotional Hamilton, who had described his car as being at its worst on Friday. 

But hats off to the team. Theyve done a fantastic job added Hamilton, back on the front of the grid for the first time since the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 2021.

The Briton outpaced Verstappen by just 0.003 seconds in a thrilling conclusion to their contest. 

Verstappen, whose Red Bull car ran with an updates package, was disappointed. 

Weve not been on it so far this weekend,he said, but with a 99-point lead ahead of team-mate Perez in the title race, he could afford a rare off day.

Lando Norris was third ahead of his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri, Alfa Romeos Zhou Guanyu and Ferraris Charles Leclerc with Valtteri Bottas taking seventh for Alfa Romeo. 

Two-time champion Fernando Alonso was eighth for Aston Martin ahead of Red Bulls Sergio Perez, back in the top-ten shootout for the first time in six outings, and Nico Hulkenberg of Haas.

The post Hamilton ends drought to claim record pole in Hungary appeared first on Iraqi News.

New Delhi Energy ministers from the group of 20 nations meeting in India Saturday failed to agree on a roadmap to phase down the use of fossil fuels in the global energy mix.

A final statement after the meeting did not even mention coal, a major contributor to global warming.

The dirty fuel is also a key energy source for many developing economies such as India the worlds most-populous country and China, the worlds second-largest economy.

Campaigners were dismayed by the failure to reach agreement in Goa on COP goals including tripling the worlds renewable capacity and doubling energy efficiency by 2030.

It came despite G7 leaders agreeing in Hiroshima in May to accelerate the phase-out of unabated fossil fuels.

Global temperatures are hitting record highs, triggering floods, storms and heatwaves.

Explaining the stalemate, G20 president India said that some members had emphasised the importance of seeking a phase down of unabated fossil fuels, in line with different national circumstances.

But others had different views on the matter that abatement and removal technologies will address such concerns, it added. 

Alden Meyer, a senior associate at independent climate think tank E3G, condemned the outcome of the meeting.

With temperature records being set daily around the world and the impacts of climate change spiralling out of control, the world needed to hear a clarion call to action from the G20 energy ministers, he said in a statement.

Instead, what we got was very weak tea indeed.

Cannot afford delay

A coalition of key EU economies including Germany and France and some of the most vulnerable island states this week urged the G20 to accelerate plans to reach net zero emissions and phase out fossil fuels, adding: Humankind cannot afford to delay.

They called for greenhouse gas emissions to peak by 2025 at the latest and be cut by 43 percent by 2030, compared to 2019 levels, in line with recent updates from UN climate experts.

But many developing economies argue that the developed West must pay more as a legacy polluter and greenhouse contributor. 

They insist that any transition needs huge capital and new technology, while giving up on polluting fuels without affordable alternatives will condemn their huge populations to poverty. 

G20 host nation India is itself only pledging to reach net zero by 2070, 20 years later than the commitment made by many other countries.

A report prepared for its G20 presidency estimated the cost of the energy transition at $4 trillion a year and emphasised the importance of low-cost financing for developing countries and technology transfers a key demand of New Delhis.

Some major oil producers have also...

San Diego Pandoras Box is open when it comes to artificial intelligence, voice actors behind some of the worlds most popular animations and video games warned at this weeks Comic-Con event.

North Americas largest pop culture gathering is taking place during a major Hollywood strike, partly driven by actors and writers concerns about the encroachment of AI into art.

Voice actors are on the frontlines of the debate, with technology now readily available allowing users to clone somebodys voice and have it read new dialogue often without their permission or payment.

Tim Friedlander, founder of the National Association of Voice Actors, shared a recent example of a voice actor who had worked for a company for three years, but abruptly lost their work.

They said we have three years of your voice were just going to create an AI synthetic voice out what we already have,' Friedlander told press ahead of Saturdays panel.

The danger does not just come from studios. The last few years have seen a sharp rise in fans using AI deepfake mods to clone famous voices and have them read new material, often pornographic in nature.

I have children. There are things I dont want my voice to say and have my children hear and question if that is something that I have actually said, said Cissy Jones, of animated TV series The Owl House.

Zeke Alton, whose voice recently appeared in video game The Calisto Protocol, said voice actors were not trying to ban AI altogether.

Lets be clear Pandoras box is open, he said.

If youre going to replicate me or any other performer, we should consent to that, and then we should be compensated for the use of what makes us money.

Digital replica

Artificial intelligence is a key sticking point in stalled talks between Hollywood studios and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), which this month joined writers on strike.

Actors have accused studios of failing to take seriously concerns that would leave them vulnerable to having most of their work replaced by digital replicas.

The studios said Friday they had offered to establish informed consent and fair compensation when a digital replica is made of a performer or their voice, and that the union did not respond.

Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, chief negotiator for SAG-AFTRA, told journalists at Comic-Con that studios want to bury AI consent clauses in some sentence in the middle of a 12-page contract.

Voice actors are at the forefront of the AI debate, he warned, with changes happening more quickly with voice acting than it is in any other field.

...

Shoalwater Bay Australia and the United States rehearsed precision missile strikes during war games on Saturday as Canberra overhauls its military strategy in favour of long-range firepower.

A series of live-fire drills were held at the Shoalwater Bay military complex in the northeastern region of Queensland, showcasing the American-made HIMARS missile system recently sold to the Australian Defence Force.

More than 30,000 troops will take part in the biennial Talisman Sabre exercises over the next two weeks, including soldiers from Japan, France, Germany, and South Korea.

The drills come as Australia embarks upon a major overhaul of its armed forces, pivoting towards long-range strike capabilities in an effort to keep would-be foes such as China at arms length.

Australian Army Major Tony Purdy said the HIMARS weapon used to devastating effect by the Ukrainian military would provide a significant capability boost and much-needed long-range precision.

HIMARS or the High Mobility Artillery Rocket System was developed for the United States Army by Lockheed Martin in the 1990s.

Defence bosses have praised its coveted shoot and scoot ability it can be placed, fired, moved and reloaded quickly, making it more difficult for the enemy to find and target, lessening the risk to crew.

Australias first HIMARS are due in 2025 and are expected to come into use over the following two years.

Beijing has been keeping a close eye on the drills, which come amid increasing unease about Chinas growing military muscle in the Asia-Pacific.

A Chinese spy ship had been spotted off Australias northeastern coast as preparations were underway, Lieutenant General Greg Bilton, Australias chief of joint operations, told reporters on Friday.

The Talisman Sabre exercise will also see troops performing amphibious landings, air combat and maritime operations across several Australian states and territories.

Major Jimmy Sheehan, Talisman Sabre spokesperson for the US forces, said the exercise showed increased complexity, scope, and partner nation participation.

Language barriers aside, its challenging to synchronise long-range fires from both air and land, he told AFP. 

But today we saw service members from Australia, the US, Japan and the Republic of Korea successfully operate as a single unit from command and control to execution at the tactical level.

Speaking of the remainder of the exercise, he added: These initiatives and firsts ultimately create an exercise that will enhance Australia and the USs ability to respond to global security challenges in the region.

The post...

Moscow A Ukrainian drone attack on Crimea Saturday blew up an ammunition depot, sparking evacuations on the Moscow-annexed peninsula and halting rail traffic, just five days after drones damaged Russias symbolic bridge across the Kerch Strait. 

Crimea, annexed by Russia in 2014, has been targeted by Kyiv throughout Moscows 17-month long Ukraine offensive but has come under more intense, increased attacks in recent weeks. 

In a counteroffensive launched to retake lands lost to Moscow, Kyiv has increasingly made clear despite some Western unease that it aims to also take back the Black Sea peninsula. 

The goal is to return Crimea, Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky said, according to a transcript published by his office Saturday of a speech addressing the Aspen Security Forum Friday. 

He said Kyiv considers the Crimea bridge opened by Russian leader Vladimir Putin in 2018 as an enemy object and wants it to be neutralised.

Less than 24 hours later, the Moscow-installed head of Crimea Sergei Aksyonov, said an enemy drone had detonated an ammunition depot.

As a result of an attack by an enemy drone on the Krasnogvardeisky district, an ammunition depot detonated, Aksyonov said on Telegram, referring to an area that lies inland at the centre of Crimea. 

He did not specify exactly where it hit and ordered the evacuation of people living within five kilometres of the zone, without saying how many residents would be moved. 

Aksyonov reported no casualties and claimed there was little damage, but unverified videos on social media showed billowing smoke rising into the air. 

He also said rail traffic will be stopped on the peninsula: To minimise risks, it was also decided to halt rail traffic on Crimean railways.

Authorities later said that two trains going from Moscow to Crimeas main city of Simferopol and one in the opposite direction had been stopped.

Road traffic across the Crimea bridge one of the few ways to get out of Crimea as flights have been cancelled during the conflict only resumed Saturday after a Ukrainian attack damaged the bridge Tuesday, killing two people. 

Black Sea escalation

The attacks on Crimea have come as many of Kyivs Western allies feel uncomfortable about Ukrainian ambitions to take back the annexed land, fearing a larger scale conflict with Russia. 

They have also signified a sharp escalation in the Black Sea area, with Russia this week exiting the landmark grain deal that allowed the safe passage of cargo ships and saying it would consider vessels destined for Ukraine as potential military targets. 

Ukraine has also warned that it may consider vessels heading to Russian ports as carrying military cargo.

In his speech, Z...

Tokyo Paris Saint-Germain have left Kylian Mbappe out of their squad for a pre-season tour of Japan and South Korea, casting further doubt on the forwards future at the French champions.

PSG gave no reason for the omission of Frances captain but 24-year-old Mbappe is refusing to sign a new contract. 

His omission will fuel fresh speculation that he could leave to join Real Madrid before next season.

The forward declared in May that he did not want to extend his PSG contract, which expires next year, but indicated he wanted to remain at the club for a final season.

I still have a year left on my contract and I am going to honour my contract, he said.

That would allow him to become a free agent next summer and leave PSG for nothing, a prospect that club president Nasser al-Khelaifi said was impossible.

We cant let the best player in the world today leave for free, Khelaifi said.

Khelaifi even gave Mbappe an ultimatum of a maximum two weeks to make his decision sign a new contract or leave this summer. That date corresponds roughly with the departure of the team for Asia on Saturday.

When training resumed on July 15, Khelaifi again asked the Mbappe camp to clarify the situation. But he has not received a response, a source with knowledge of the negotiations told AFP.

Mbappe has been taking part in the clubs pre-season preparations and played the last 30 minutes and scored as PSG entertained Le Havre in a training ground friendly on Friday.

Mbappe, the clubs all-time top scorer with 212 goals in 260 appearances, remains the second most expensive player in history.

He was still a teenager when he joined PSG on a season-long loan from Monaco in August 2017.

The move turned into a permanent transfer the following year in a 180-million-euro ($200 million) deal.

The 29-player PSG squad that flies east will include Mbappes younger brother, 16-year-old Ethan Mbappe, as well as Neymar, the Brazilian whose transfer fee of 222 million euros in 2017 is the world record.

Madrid bound?

In a letter PSG sent to Mbappe on July 5, the club expressed a feeling of betrayal, saying it had helped you and supported your family since you were a teenager.

The club said Mbappe was not choosing the win-win solution extend and not leave for free or accept a transfer.

This is how all the great players, like you, left their club, PSG wrote in their July 3 letter to the player.

The club is convinced that Mbappe has already agreed to join Real Madrid for free in June 2024, with the promise of a staggering signing bonus, since the Spanish giants would have saved on the transfer.

A source involved in the negotiations insists that PSG have already received a 3...

Erbil (IraqiNews.com) An affordable national airline of the United Arab Emirates, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, has begun offering flights to Erbil, Iraq.

Beginning on October 6, there will be twice-weekly flights from Abu Dhabi to Erbil, on Monday and Friday. Tickets are currently being sold for as little as AED289 ($79) on wizzair.com and the airlines mobile app, both of which are available in Arabic.

Wizz Air Abu Dhabi is committed to strengthening connectivity between Abu Dhabi and the region, carrying the flag of ultra-low-cost travel, and creating exciting and affordable travel opportunities for everyone, said Johan Eidhagen, Managing Director of Wizz Air Abu Dhabi. We continue to play a pivotal role in contributing to the growth of the UAEs travel and tourism sector and connecting its capital with an eclectic mix of marvelous destinations, with Erbil the latest captivating city in our exciting expansion plans.

The post Wizz Air offers new route from Abu Dhabi to Erbil appeared first on Iraqi News.

Baghdad Iraqi security forces on Saturday dispersed roughly 1,000 supporters of Shiite Muslim cleric Moqtada Sadr who tried to march to Baghdads Green Zone housing foreign embassies, believing a Quran had been desecrated in Denmark.

The protesters were reacting to reports of an apparent desecration of the Muslim holy book.

On its Facebook page, the extreme right group Danske Patrioter posted on Friday video of a man burning what seemed to be a Quran and trampling an Iraqi flag.

Copenhagen Police deputy chief, Trine Fisker, told AFP that not more than a handful of protesters had gathered Friday across from the Iraqi embassy.

I can also confirm there was a book burnt. We do not know which book it was, she said. It was quite peaceful.

In central Baghdad, the protesters gathered in the pre-dawn darkness after midnight at Tahrir Square.

Yes, yes to the Quran! shouted the protesters, mostly young men.

Some carried portraits of Sadr, who has a following of millions among the countrys majority Shiite population and wields great influence over national politics.

Security forces cut two bridges leading to the high-security Green Zone where governmental institutions and foreign embassies are located.

The demonstrators tried to force their way through before officers pushed them back and the protesters eventually dispersed several hours later, after scuffles erupted, an interior ministry official told AFP, speaking anonymously because he was not allowed to brief the media.

Protesters were trying to reach the embassy of Denmark, the official said.

Early Saturday Iraqs foreign ministry had condemned the desecration of the holy Quran and the Iraqi flag in front of the embassy of Iraq in Denmark.

The ministrys statement said that these actions provoke reactions and put all the parties in delicate situations.

A separate statement said we cannot allow to happen again what occurred at the Swedish embassy.

It reaffirmed Baghdads full commitment to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and said it guarantees the protection and security provided to diplomatic teams.

Hundreds of Sadr supporters were behind the storming and burning of Swedens embassy in Baghdad early Thursday, over a planned burning of the Muslim holy book in Sweden, weeks after the same protester there lit pages of the Quran.

The actions of Sweden-based Iraqi refugee Salwan Momika triggered condemnation across the Muslim world.

Iraq condemned the attack on Swedens embassy but expelled Stockholms ambassador.

Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom called Momikas protest a clear provocation that in no way reflects the Swedish governments opinions&...

Seoul North Korea fired several cruise missiles into the Yellow Sea between China and the Korean peninsula on Saturday, South Koreas Joint Chiefs of Staff said. 

Pyongyangs latest provocation comes as concern grows over the whereabouts and wellbeing of a US soldier who made an unauthorised dash into North Korean territory earlier this week, with the reclusive regime so far remaining tight-lipped about the incident. 

Saturdays launches are just the latest in a series by Pyongyang, and come as Seoul and Washington ramp up defence cooperation, with relations between the two Koreas nearing an all-time low. 

The cruise missile launches took place around 4 am (1900 GMT) on Saturday, Seouls military said.

South Korean and US intelligence authorities were analysing the launches while monitoring signs of additional activities, the JCS said. 

North Korea had fired two ballistic missiles into the sea off its opposite coast toward Japan just three days earlier. 

Diplomacy between Pyongyang and Seoul has stalled, and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has called for ramping up weapons development, including tactical nukes.

In response, Seoul and Washington have staged joint military exercises with advanced stealth jets and US strategic assets, while an American nuclear-armed submarine this week made a South Korean port call for the first time in decades.

End of the regime

On his visit to the submarine on Wednesday, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol warned Pyongyang it would face the end of the regime if it attacked the South with nuclear weapons.  

I feel assured having seen the US most important nuclear strategic asset here, he said.

On Thursday, North Korean defence minister Kang Sun Nam said the Ohio-class submarines deployment might have fallen under the conditions of the use of nuclear weapons specified in the DPRK law on the nuclear force policy, using an acronym for the Norths official name.

North Korea last year adopted a sweeping nuclear law setting out an array of scenarios in which it could use its nukes, including pre-emptive strikes if threatened.

A day later, South Koreas defence ministry reiterated that any use of nuclear weapons by the North would prompt an immediate and decisive response resulting in the Kim regimes demise. 

Saturdays launches came just days after US soldier Travis King was believed to have been taken into North Korean custody after he broke away from a tour group visiting the Demilitarized Zone. 

The United States has said it is very concerned about Private Second Class Kings treatment, and as of Saturday, Pyongyang had yet to respond to inquiries about the soldier.

King had been due to return to the Un...

Athens Greece was Saturday facing its hottest July weekend in 50 years, with temperatures forecast to soar above 40 Celsius (104 Fahrenheit), while a record-breaking heat wave stretching across the southern United States was expected to expand in the coming days.

Tens of millions of people in the northern hemisphere have been suffering through intense heat this summer as the world appears headed for its hottest July on record.

As temperature records tumble, experts have pointed the finger at climate change driven by the burning of fossil fuels, saying global warming is playing a key role in destructive weather.

Across the southern United States, about 80 million Americans will swelter in temperatures of 41C and above this weekend, the National Weather Service (NWS) said.

The countrys worst heat of up to 46C is forecast for Phoenix, Arizona, which has seen a record-breaking three weeks in a row of highs above 43C.

There were hellish scenes in the city on Thursday when a fierce blaze erupted at a propane business near the international airport, sending tanks exploding into the air.

Unfortunately, on a hot day like this, these propane tanks with that expansion of heat, they literally become missiles They can travel upwards of 500 yards (metres), Fire Captain Rob McDade told KPHO television station.

Tourists, meanwhile, have been flocking to Death Valley National Park, which straddles the border between California and Nevada, in order to post selfies with a temperature display outside the visitor center.

Many are hoping to see it break a world record of 56.7C, which was set in July 1913 but was likely the result of a faulty measurement, according to several meteorologists.

Hottest absolute month

Regardless, July 2023 is on track to be the hottest absolute month not only since records began, but also in  hundreds, if not thousands, of years, leading NASA climatologist Gavin Schmidt said.

The effects cannot be attributed solely to the El Nino weather pattern, which has really only just emerged and isnt expected to strengthen until later on in the year.

El Nino is associated with the warming of ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.

Schmidt said the trend of extreme heat was expected to persist, and the reason why we think thats going to continue, is because we continue to put greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere.

Greece, which is battling dozens of forest fires, warned people not to venture out unnecessarily due to the baking heat.

The exceptional temperatures also mean key tourist sites such as the Acropolis will be closed during the hottest part of the day.

This weekend risks being the hottest registered in July in the past 50 years, said Panagiotis Giannopoulos, meteoro...

Fort Lauderdale Lionel Messi made a Hollywood start to his career in America, scoring a last-second winner in his debut game for Inter Miami on Friday.

Deep in the fourth minute of stoppage time, with the Leagues Cup match against Mexican club Cruz Azul standing at 1-1, Messi won a free-kick just outside the box, in perfect range for his famous left-foot.

The seven-times Ballon dOr winner took a glance at the position of Cruz Azul goalkeeper Andres Gudino, then put his head down before curling his shot high to the keepers right and into the top corner.

The capacity 20,000 crowd at Miamis DRV PNK Stadium went wild, with some fans running on to the field before being apprehended by security. Smoke bombs in Miamis trademark pink went off in the area behind the goal, occupied by the teams most passionate supporters.

Miami and Major League Soccer hope that the arrival of the Argentine World Cup winner and all-time great, will transform the sport and push it into the American mainstream.

If Messis debut was any guide, the former Barcelona star still has plenty to offer.

Even before his wonderful goal he had looked sharp and alert, his touch belying the fact that until little over a week ago he was vacationing on a Caribbean beach with his family.

Sergio Busquets, the Spanish midfielder and former Barca team-mate, who has joined Messi for his American adventure, also made a strong impression after they both entered the contest in the 54th minute as part of a triple change with Venezuelan Josef Martinez.

Busquets showed his famous, almost telepathic understanding with Messi remains, after over two years apart from each other, with the midfielder delivering pieces from all angles into the Argentines feet.

But it was Messis magical finish that will remain long in the memories of Inter Miami fans.

I knew I had to score, it was the last play of the game. I wanted to score so we didnt go to penalties. It was very important for us to get this win, its a new tournament, its going to give us confidence moving forward, said the Argentine.

In the Leagues Cup group teams are awarded a point each for a draw and then the winner of a penalty shoot-out gets an additional point, but Messi made sure Miami grabbed all three for a win.

He also made sure that the clubs co-owner David Beckham had a broad grin at the final whistle.

To be honest, as soon as I saw the free kick given I thought this is the way its meant to end. Especially when youve got players like Leo and Sergio on the pitch, thats what they produce, said the former England midfielder.

Its so exciting tonight for our fans. All of these people that come down here to see Leo just step onto the pitch, let alone just do what hes done. Its a dream come true for everyone in this stadium to see.

Marseille Chelsea striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has joined Marseille on a three-year contract, the French Ligue 1 club announced Friday. 

Come on OM See you in Marseille, the 34-year-old Gabon international said in a short video released by his new club on social media. 

Aubameyang scored just three goals in 22 appearances for Chelsea after reuniting with under former manager Thomas Tuchel in a 10.3m (12 million euros) deal from Barcelona last September.

Aubameyang had scored 79 goals in 95 appearances under Tuchel at Borussia Dortmund, earning a move to Arsenal in 2018 and finishing as joint top-scorer in the Premier League a year later.

But he was stripped of the Arsenal captaincy by Mikel Arteta before being sold to Barcelona just weeks later.

Aubameyang scored 13 goals in 23 matches in six months Spain, but was unable to reproduce that form during a season-long stay at Stamford Bridge.

France-born Aubameyang returns to French football, where he has worn the colours of Lille, Monaco and Saint-Etienne in the past. 

He stood out, especially, during his time at German Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund (2013-2018), before going lining out for Arsenal (2018-2022), Barcelona (2022) and Chelsea (2022-2023).

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