UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer called Israel’s Gaza aid “totally and utterly inadequate.” Only five aid trucks have entered Gaza since Monday. Britain, France and Canada have threatened “concrete actions” against Israel if it does not stop it offensive in Gaza.
Published On 20 May 202520 May 2025
Who: Manchester United vs Tottenham Hotspur
What: UEFA Europa League final 2025
Where: San Mames Stadium in Bilbao, Spain
When: Wednesday at 9pm (19:00 GMT)
Follow Al Jazeera Sport‘s live text and photo commentary stream.
Manchester United clash with Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday in an all-English Europa League final, which has major implications on and off the field.
The winner of this final not only – and unexpectedly, based on their horrendous bottom-five domestic form – take home a European crown, but also punch their golden ticket for entry into next season’s lucrative UEFA Champions League, resulting in tens of millions of dollars in extra revenue.
Al Jazeera Sport chronicles the key talking points ahead of a classic winner-takes-most showdown between two of England’s highest-profile clubs looking to reverse their regrettable seasons with an unexpected European triumph.
There has never been any final, in any UEFA competition, where both clubs have been so low in their domestic league tables.
Both clubs head to Bilbao for the final, assailed by stinging criticism amid their worst seasons of the English Premier League era.
United sit 16th on the ladder, and Tottenham are one point worse off in 17th, with just one league game remaining.
Only the struggles of relegated trio Ipswich, Leicester and Southampton saved United and Tottenham from a highly embarrassing battle to avoid crashing into the second-tier championship.
UEFA allows the winners of their second-tier Europa League competition direct entry into the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League, without the need for additional qualifying matches.
Additionally, they will earn the right to play against the winners of the 2024-25 Champions League in the UEFA Super Cup on August 13.
For the losers of the final in Bilbao, the hangover from this catastrophic domestic season threatens to be a long one, with the possibility of European football exile until at least the 2026-27 season.
The winners of the Europa League final could receive up to a 65-million-euro ($73m) boost.
This calculation is reached by combining the Europa League prize money and the TV and gate revenue derived from the winning team’s participation in the league phase of next season’s Champions League.
The teams last met at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London on February 16, with James Maddison’s 13th-minute game-winner handing the home team a 1-0 victory against United.
Spurs have won all three of their meetings with United in all competitions this season, twice in the Premier League and once in the EFL Cup quarterfinals.
United’s last win in the Premier League was on March 16, a 3-0 victory at Leicester. Since then, Ruben Amorim’s side has registered six defeats and two draws in the domestic competition.
United’s only two victories in May came in the Europa League semifinals against Athletic Club.
Spurs have been equally dreadful in the final two months of the Premier League season, losing five and drawing once in their last six games.
Their last domestic league victory was a 3-1 home win against Southampton way back on April 6, leading to constant media speculation that manager Ange Postecoglou’s job is under threat for next season.
San Mames Stadium in Bilbao, Spain is the venue for the final.
With a seating capacity in excess of 50,000, the stadium is home to Athletic Club, who, by chance, are the team Manchester United defeated on May 8 in the Europa League semifinal to progress to the final.
UEFA has confirmed that the two teams will receive an allocation of 15,000 tickets each, with a further 11,000 tickets up for general sale and the remainder offered to hospitality and sponsors.
According to Manchester United’s official website, the Red Devils received a triple boost on the eve of the UEFA Europa League final with sidelined stars Diogo Dalot, Leny Yoro, and Joshua Zirkzee spotted taking part in the team’s build-up training session on Tuesday.
Zirkzee had been ruled out for the rest of the season after suffering a hamstring injury in April, but could be available for selection after missing United’s last eight games.
Another Dutchman, centre-back Matthijs de Ligt, is also questionable ahead of the match, but he was seen running through some training drills in an individual workout on Tuesday.
Striker Rasmus Hojlund, who has struggled up front for large parts of the season, is tipped to lead the line for Amorim’s side.
Spurs will line up without key midfield players Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, as well as promising youngster Lucas Bergvall, who are all ruled out with injury.
Maddison, who was set to miss the rest of the season with a knee issue, did board the team bus for Bilbao, leading to rampant media speculation he might play in the final, despite being ruled out by Postecoglou.
Tottenham captain Son Heung-Min, who sustained a foot injury in April and missed seven consecutive matches, is on course to be fit for the final after making his first start against Aston Villa last Friday, according to the team.
Better news in the backline for Tottenham, with previously injured defenders Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven both available for selection.
United possible starting XI: Onana (GK); Yoro, Maguire, Lindelof; Mazraoui, Casemiro, Ugarte, Dorgu; Fernandes, Amad; Hojlund
Tottenham possible starting XI: Vicario (GK); Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Sarr, Bissouma, Bentancur; Johnson, Solanke, Son
The winners of the 2025 Europa League final will receive a prize money of 13 million euros ($14.6m). The runners-up are allocated 7 million euros ($7.87m).
Both clubs could use the money to pay down their debt: Spurs recorded an annual operating loss of 26 million pounds ($34.7m) last year, while United’s deficit was 113 million pounds ($151m) over the same period.
Ruben Amorim, Manchester United manager: “I feel it’s a mixed feeling. I’m really excited, but at the same time, I know my responsibility as Manchester United coach. I have always [had] that feeling of frustration for the season, so I want really badly to help the team win this final. We’ve got to give something to the club, to the fans, to the staff, to everybody.”
Ange Postecoglou, Tottenham Hotspur manager: “I mean, who cares if we’re struggling in the league? Why is that important? If it’s so easy to get to a final, then why doesn’t everyone who finishes in the top three do it?
“We understand our league form hasn’t been great. We understand the struggles we’ve had. A lot of them are because of the situation we’ve been in. But how does that diminish the achievement of getting to a final?
“I couldn’t care less who’s struggling and who’s not. I think both us and United have earned the right to be there.”
Son Heung-Min, Tottenham captain: “We always respect our opponents, but I think it’s important to do what we need to do. I think the Manchester United players would think the same. It’s definitely going to be a great game, but it will be a difficult one. But I think we want to win it even more.
“I have accomplished everything in the 10 years I’ve been at Tottenham, except for one thing [winning a European title]. I’ve worked hard to make up for that and have always dreamed of winning a trophy in a Tottenham shirt. So, I hope we can make that dream a reality.”
It also imposes new sanctions, targeting illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The British government says it will suspend new free trade negotiations with Israel due to its military conduct in the war on Gaza, where hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in recent days under bombardment and as a new ground offensive has been launched.
The United Kingdom also announced on Tuesday that it was imposing sanctions on illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
The actions came a day after the UK, France and Canada condemned Israel’s handling of the war in Gaza and assaults and raids in the West Bank.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer ramped up his pointed criticism of Israel on Tuesday, saying the level of suffering by children in Gaza was “utterly intolerable” and repeated his call for a ceasefire.
The Labour government has been heavily criticised at home for not saying or doing enough in support of Palestinians under constant fire and facing starvation in besieged Gaza. Stop the War demonstrations continue to draw thousands of protesters weekly.
Settler violence against Palestinians, backed by the Israeli army, has surged in recent months, as the military also carries out daily raids in the territory.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy said the UK’s existing trade agreement is still in effect, but new discussions cannot be undertaken with an Israeli government pursuing “egregious policies” in Gaza and the West Bank.
Lammy said the persistent cycle of violence by Israeli settlers in the West Bank demanded action. In addition to previous sanctions imposed, the UK was now imposing sanctions on another “three individuals, two illegal settler outposts and two organizations supporting violence against the Palestinian community”, he added.
“The Israeli government has a responsibility to intervene and halt these aggressive actions,” Lammy said. “Their consistent failure to act is putting Palestinian communities and the two-state solution in peril.”
Israel quickly denounced the UK decision: “Even prior to today’s announcement, the free trade agreement negotiations were not being advanced at all by the current UK government,” the Israeli Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The ministry called the UK sanctions “unjustified and regrettable.
Brussels and London acting ‘in concert’ after Trump failed to secure ceasefire promise from Putin.
The European Union and the United Kingdom have announced coordinated packages of sanctions against Russia in a bid to ramp up pressure on President Vladimir Putin to end the war against Ukraine, as diplomatic momentum to reach a ceasefire accelerates.
The packages, which were unveiled Tuesday, will see both the EU and the UK taking aim at Russia’s so-called shadow fleet of oil tankers that illicitly transport oil to circumvent Western restrictions, with Brussels targeting 189 ships.
The UK’s wide-ranging package will also target the supply chains of Russian weapons systems, including Iskander missiles, Kremlin-funded information operations, and financial institutions that help Russia evade sanctions.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said an 18th package of sanctions was already being prepared by the EU, to follow the newly adopted 17th, with further meaningful measures.
“It’s time to intensify the pressure on Russia to bring about the ceasefire,” she posted on X, after a phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
Reporting from London, Al Jazeera’s Jonah Hull noted that the EU and UK were “acting in concert”, simultaneously releasing the new sanctions after sealing a new defence and security pact during reset talks in London the previous day.
Responding to the sanctions, Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said on Tuesday that Russia would never bow to ultimatums from anyone, adding that it was clear Europe wanted to re-arm Ukraine to continue the war.
The coordinated action came a day after United States President Donald Trump failed to secure a promise for a ceasefire in Ukraine from Putin in the pair’s highly anticipated phone call on Monday – without any corresponding steps from Washington, despite intense lobbying from European leaders and Zelenskyy.
Eager to set the terms, Putin said after the call that Moscow was ready to work with Ukraine on a memorandum about a future peace accord, saying that discussions on the memorandum would include the principles of a settlement and the timing and definitions of a possible ceasefire.
The Kremlin’s Zakharova told reporters “the ball is in Kyiv’s court,” adding that she hoped Ukraine would take a constructive position on the proposed memorandum for the sake of its own “self-preservation”.
Zelenskyy said on Telegram on Tuesday that it was “obvious that Russia is trying to buy time to continue the war and occupation”.
“We are working with partners to put pressure on the Russians to behave differently,” he added, in an apparent reference to further international sanctions on Russia.
After announcing their measures, Brussels and London both suggested that more sanctions could follow, and France’s Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot called for further action to “push Vladimir Putin to put an end to his imperialist fantasy”.
Germany’s Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said: “Putin is clearly playing for time; unfortunately we have to say Putin is not really interested in peace.”
The European Union has lifted all sanctions on Syria. The decision follows Donald Trump’s recent announcement than the US would also lift sanctions, as Syria’s new government looks to rebuild the country.
Published On 20 May 202520 May 2025
Ukraine’s European allies are considering the possibility of using their air forces to defend the country’s western skies from drone and missile attacks without the help of the United States, sources familiar with the talks tell Al Jazeera.
The plan, known as Skyshield, could put NATO planes and pilots into Ukrainian airspace for the first time, sending a powerful political message to Russia that Europe is committed to Ukraine’s defence.
Skyshield is more likely to come into effect as part of any ceasefire, especially if European ground forces are committed. But it was designed by Ukrainian and British aviation experts to work under combat conditions as well.
“It’s being taken very seriously into consideration by the UK, France,” said Victoria Vdovychenko, an expert on hybrid warfare at Cambridge University’s Centre for Geopolitics, who has sat at some of the meetings. “German colleagues and Italian colleagues also do know about that, as well as the Scandinavian colleagues,” she said.
When it comes to implementing Skyshield in wartime conditions, she admits, “some of the partners are still fluctuating in their decision making”.
Skyshield was published in February and is the brainchild of Price of Freedom, a Ukrainian think tank founded by Lesya Orobets. She came up with the idea during an air defence crisis last spring, when Republican lawmakers in the US delayed the passage of a $60bn bill to send more aid to Ukraine.
During a phone call with the head of Ukraine’s air force, Orobets was told, “We are in the middle of a missile crisis. We don’t have enough [interceptors] to shoot down the missiles.”
Skyshield calls for the deployment of 120 European aircraft to protect Ukrainian civilian infrastructure and export corridors along the Danube River and the Black Sea, freeing up the Ukrainian Air Force to focus on the first line of defence in the contested east of the country.
“There would be a piece of land of 200 kilometres [125 miles] between them at least,” said Orobets.
European jets would be based in neighbouring Poland and Romania, and fly mostly west of the Dnipro, protecting Kyiv on both sides of the river in the north of the country.
Western commanders are wary of costs, casualties and military implications.
Hourly flight costs, which include training, parts and maintenance, range from $28,000 for an F-16 to about $45,000 for a fourth-generation Rafale jet, Colonel Konstantinos Zikidis of the Hellenic Air Force told Al Jazeera.
“We’d have to pay for people to be there, several shifts a day in all specialities … it will be exhausting,” he said, referring to aircraft technicians and pilots.
“On the other hand, the proposal downplays the effectiveness of air defence systems, which are very effective against cruise missiles and have a far lower hourly operating cost than aircraft,” Zikidis said.
“It’s also not really the job of aircraft to hunt down cruise missiles. They can do it if they are given coordinates by air command. They can’t go out on flight patrol and spot them by chance. So you need a very thick radar array to cover a given area, especially at low altitude.”
European NATO members do not operate AWACS airborne radar, which would be the ideal tool for the job according to Zikidis, but Ukrainian pilots have already downed Russian cruise missiles using air-to-air missiles, suggesting the ground-based radar assets are there.
Europe has provided Ukraine with Patriot and Samp-T long-range air defence systems and Iris-T medium-range systems, but these are enough only to protect larger urban centres, said Vdovychenko. Russia is also stepping up its attacks. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on May 4 that Russia had launched almost 1,200 long-range kamikaze drones and 10 missiles in just a week.
These types of weapons are routinely directed at civilian and industrial infrastructure, not the front lines, and Russian President Vladimir Putin is increasing production. Last year, Russia’s factory at Alabuga produced 6,000 Shahed/Geran long-range drones, said Ukraine’s head of the Center for Countering Disinformation, Andriy Kovalenko, last month. He said Putin set production at 8,000-10,000 drones this year.
The effects are visible. High-profile attacks on Kryvyi Rih, Kharkiv and Kyiv have killed dozens of people this year.
The second problem European air forces would face is that of casualties.
“If one European plane falls and a pilot is killed, it will be very difficult for a European government to explain it,” said Zikidis. “For a Greek pilot to go and get killed in Ukraine could bring the government down,” he added.
“I don’t think that there is a political will [for that], and that is what stops this partially,” said Vdovychenko.
But Orobets put this risk in a wider context.
“We’re talking about catching cruise missiles and putting down the offensive drones, which is quite an easy target for trained pilots,” she told Al Jazeera. “So we do consider Skyshield to be less risky [than enforcing a no-fly zone] or any participation of the European troops closer to the front line.”
Thirdly, there are the military implications. Skyshield is partly about freeing up the Ukrainian Air Force to strike deeper inside Russia, deploying the estimated 85 F-16s it is being given.
That is because Russia has this year intensified its use of controlled air bombs (CABs), which are directed against front lines, reportedly dropping 5,000 in April versus 4,800 in March, 3,370 in February and 1,830 in January.
Ukraine would target the airfields from which Russian jets take off to drop the CABs. It would also move missile launch systems closer to the front lines, increasing their reach inside Russia.
CABs are Russia’s most effective weapon at the front, and it has successfully leveraged its nuclear arsenal to intimidate NATO into allowing them to be flown in.
The Biden administration had refused to allow Ukraine to deploy Army Tactical Missile Systems (ATACMSs), which have a range of 300km (190 miles), because Russia considered their use dependent on US intelligence, in its view, making the US a cobelligerent in the war.
It has expressed exactly the same view of Germany sending its 500km (310-mile) range Taurus missile to Ukraine.
In the same vein, Russia has threatened to act against any European force deployment to Ukraine.
Russian Security Council Secretary Sergei Shoigu last month told a summit of the foreign ministers of the BRICS group of states in Rio de Janeiro that “military units of Western states on Ukrainian territory … will be considered as legitimate targets”.
These threats have been effective. The Biden administration was against the idea of allowing the Polish and Romanian air forces to shoot down drones and missiles in Ukrainian airspace that were headed into Polish and Romanian airspace, Orobets said.
The Biden administration “thought that if any American pilot on any American jet or any Western jet would enter the Ukrainian airspace, then America or another country would become cobelligerent”, she said.
The same applied to the notion of Europeans entering Ukraine’s airspace.
“They were scared that Russians would then escalate to the level of a conflict they could not sustain. So that was the only reason. There was no reason like, ‘Oh, we cannot do that’,” she said.
DEVELOPING STORYDEVELOPING STORY,
Sanctions were levied during the rule of Bashar al-Assad, who was toppled in December.
European Union countries have given a green light to lifting all economic sanctions on Syria in a bid to help the war-torn country recover after the ouster of Bashar al-Assad, according to diplomats speaking to news agencies.
Ambassadors from the EU’s 27 member states struck a preliminary agreement for the move, which should be formally unveiled by foreign ministers meeting in Brussels later on Tuesday, diplomats said, noting that the final decision is up to ministers.
This follows an announcement by the United States last week that it is lifting sanctions on Damascus.
Reporting from the EU headquarters, Al Jazeera’s Hashem Ahelbarra described the reported agreement to lift the sanctions as a “really significant” development.
“It’s first of all an acknowledgement that the EU recognises the authority which is operating now in Syria, and that there need to be more financial transactions to pave the way for the creation of financial stability and improve the living standards of the people in Syria,” he said.
Sanctions were levied during the rule of al-Assad in 2012 and 2013 and concern the transport, energy and the banking sectors, Ahelbarra said.
The country’s new leadership has urged the West to ease the restrictions to help Syria recover from years of despotic rule and civil war.
EU diplomats told AFP the agreement should see sanctions cutting Syrian banks off from the global system and freezing central bank assets lifted.
But diplomats said the bloc was intending to impose new individual sanctions on those responsible for stirring ethnic tensions, following deadly attacks targeting the Alawite minority.
Other measures targeting the al-Assad regime and prohibiting the sale of weapons or equipment that could be used to repress civilians were set to remain in place.
The latest move from the EU comes after its first step in February, suspending some sanctions on key Syrian economic sectors.
Officials said those measures could be reimposed if Syria’s new leaders break promises to respect the rights of minorities and move towards democracy.
This is a developing story, more to come…
A small town in western France has set a new world record for the largest gathering of people dressed as Smurfs, organisers say, with more than 3,000 participants counted over the weekend.
Landerneau, a town of 16,000 in Brittany’s far west, had twice previously attempted to claim the record from Lauchringen, a German town that brought together 2,762 Smurfs in 2019.
But on Saturday, the French enthusiasts finally broke through, assembling 3,076 people clad in blue outfits, faces painted, donning white hats and singing “smurfy songs”.
The Smurfs – created by Belgian cartoonist Peyo in 1958 and known as “Schtroumpfs” in French – are tiny, human-like beings who live in the forest.
The beloved characters have since become a global franchise, spawning films, television series, advertising, video games, theme parks and toys.
“A friend encouraged me to join and I thought: ‘Why not?’” said Simone Pronost, 82, dressed as a Smurfette.
Albane Delariviere, a 20-year-old student, made the journey from Rennes, more than 200km (125 miles) away, to join the festivities.
“We thought it was a cool idea to help Landerneau out,” she said.
Landerneau’s mayor, Patrick Leclerc, also in full Smurf attire, said the event “brings people together and gives them something else to think about than the times we’re living in”.
Pascal Soun, head of the association behind the gathering, said the event “allows people to have fun and enter an imaginary world for a few hours”.
Participants were relieved to have good weather, after last year’s attempt was hampered by heavy rain that deterred many from attending.
Here is where things stand on Tuesday, May 20:
Brighton, Brentford and Bournemouth all have an outside chance of qualifying for Europe – but need Chelsea to win the Conference League and finish seventh in the Premier League.
The final matches in the Premier League take place on Sunday and there is still a scenario in which 10 of the teams, external would be playing in European competition in 2025-26.
Six English clubs will be in the Champions League – Liverpool and Arsenal have already secured their spots and will be joined by three of Newcastle, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Manchester City and Nottingham Forest.
Manchester United play Tottenham in the final of the Europa League in Bilbao, Spain on Wednesday and the winner of that match will also be in next season’s Champions League.
Crystal Palace’s 1-0 win over Manchester City in the FA Cup final has taken the Eagles into the 2025-26 Europa League, where they will be joined by whichever team finishes sixth in the Premier League.
The complication comes with Newcastle, whose Carabao Cup victory has ensured themselves a Conference League place at least. But if they finish sixth they would go into the Europa League instead, while a top-five place for Eddie Howe’s team would move them into the Champions League instead.
Chelsea play Real Betis in the Conference League final on Wednesday, 28 May, with the winner qualifying for the Europa League. But Enzo Maresca’s Blues also could still claim Champions League football with a top-five Premier League finish.
If Chelsea win the Conference League and come seventh, that would open up their Conference League place to the Premier League team which finishes eighth – with Brighton, who beat Liverpool 3-2 on Monday, in that spot, although Brentford and Bournemouth could still overtake them.
It is a similar situation if Chelsea win the Conference League and come sixth, with Newcastle seventh, meaning eighth in the Premier League would again be enough for European competition.
If Chelsea lose the Conference League final or finish in a Champions League place, the picture becomes much clearer.
The top five plus the Europa League winners would be in the Champions League, Crystal Palace and the sixth-placed team would be in the Europa League and the side that finishes seventh in the Premier League would be in the Conference League.
THE BOSS of an iconic car brand has revealed a major update on its merger with a rival, as the company admits the EV push is hurting sales.
Despite rumours of a potential tie-up between Stellantis and Renault, both companies have denied seeking a partnership.
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John Elkann, Stellantis Chairman, told the Financial Times: “We are not discussing any merger.”
Management at the automotive giant has been turbulent following the resignation of the former CEO, Carlos Tavares, who they still haven’t replaced.
The automotive giant currently oversees many carmakers such as Peugeot, Fiat and Vauxhall.
However, Stellantis has several underperforming brands, such as Chrysler, described as “a shadow of its former self,” according to motor1.com
Another failing car manufacturer is Abarth, which has seen revenues drop during its push to go fully electric.
This has caused major concern at Stellantis, adding to the company’s decision not to get involved in a massive merger.
Last year, the Auto conglomerate recorded a 12 per cent drop in shipments, which they blamed on “temporary gaps in product offerings”.
On the other hand, the Renault group reported their highest sales.
The two major companies share a common ground regarding the future of cars in Europe.
Both share concerns over strict emission regulations negatively impacting their profit and production of gas-powered city cars.
The European Union recently granted automakers an extension to meet their emission targets.
However, by 2030, stricter regulations will come into force, banning the sale of new cars with harmful emissions across the EU.
This comes after Europe’s second-largest carmaker halted production of an iconic model as its EV lineup faces “deep trouble”.
An initial manufacturing break at Stellantis has now been extended as bosses report a collapse in demand for electric cars.
The Fiat 500 was one of the vast company’s most successful and beloved models across two production runs lasting a collective 35 years.
Dating back to 1957, it has sold more than six million units between its two iterations.
However, the 500e, unveiled in 2020 as an electric alternative, has proved less popular.
The model is intended as the long-term successor to the 500 beyond the 2035 ban on petrol and diesel car sales.
But stuttering demand has now forced a pause in its production.
The latest data suggest that both the petrol and electric 500 sol 74,885 units from January to July.
That’s almost a quarter down on the same period last year.
Bosses told Autocar that poor sales were “linked to the deep difficulties experienced in the European EV market by all producers.”
They have also reportedly told union reps that the electric car segment is facing “deep trouble” more generally.
Fiat CEO Olivier François said: “We obviously, like everyone else, thought that the world would go electric faster and the cost of electrification would go down faster.
“But we couldn’t imagine that Covid would happen, shortage of raw materials would happen [and] the European Society – not all, not the youngest part – would turn their backs on the sustainable solutions.
“But this is the reality. We have to face those realities.”
British presenter and former England football captain Gary Lineker has stepped down from his role at the BBC.
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US President Donald Trump spoke with the leaders of both Ukraine and Russia in back-to-back calls.
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United States President Donald Trump has said, after a more than two-hour call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, that Moscow and Kyiv “will immediately start negotiations” toward a ceasefire and an end to the war, now in its fourth bloody year.
Putin said that efforts to end the conflict seemed “on the right track” and that Moscow was ready to work with Ukraine on a memorandum about a future peace accord.
Putin thanked Trump for supporting the resumption of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine, and said that Trump noted Russia’s support for peace, though the key question was how to move towards peace.
“We have agreed with the president of the United States that Russia will propose and is ready to work with the Ukrainian side on a memorandum on a possible future peace accord, defining a number of positions, such as, for example, the principles of settlement, the timing of a possible peace agreement,” Putin told reporters near the Black Sea resort of Sochi.
If appropriate agreements are reached, then there could be a ceasefire, Putin said, adding that direct talks between Russia and Ukraine “gives reason to believe that we are generally on the right track”.
“I would like to note that, on the whole, Russia’s position is clear. The main thing for us is to eliminate the root causes of this crisis,” Putin said. “We just need to determine the most effective ways to move towards peace.”
For his part, Trump said the call went very well. In a post on Truth Social, Trump said that the Vatican, “as represented by the Pope, has stated that it would be very interested in hosting the negotiations. Let the process begin!”
Al Jazeera’s Yulia Shapovalova, reporting from Moscow, said the call was “very important” for Putin.
“He [Putin] believes that the US – because of its influence – can resolve any problems. Vladimir Putin believes that initially the US was standing behind Ukraine in this conflict, masterminding it,” Shapovalova said.
“So, to address the so-called root causes of the conflict, it was important to speak directly with Donald Trump and with the US.”
Trump briefed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders on the call. Zelenskyy has insisted if Putin doesn’t commit to a ceasefire stronger sanctions on Russia should be imposed.
Trump, who has promised to bring a swift end to Europe’s deadliest war since World War Two, has repeatedly called for a ceasefire after years in which Washington joined other Western countries in arming Ukraine.
Putin recently rejected an offer by Zelenskyy to meet in-person in Turkiye, for talks between the two nations the Russian leader suggested himself, as an alternative to a 30-day ceasefire urged by Ukraine and its Western allies, including Washington.
Those inconclusive direct talks, the first in three years, between delegations from Ukraine and Russia in Turkiye’s Istanbul on Friday were brief and only yielded an agreement to swap 1,000 prisoners of war, according to the heads of both delegations, in what would be their biggest such exchange since the war began.
A senior Ukrainian official familiar with the talks said Russian negotiators demanded Kyiv pull its troops out of all its regions claimed by Moscow before they would agree to a ceasefire. That is a red line for Ukraine, and as it stands, Russia does not have full control in those regions.
Ukraine’s intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, told Ukrainian television Saturday that the exchanges could happen as early as this week.
While wrapping up his four-day trip to the Middle East, Trump said Friday that Putin had not gone to Istanbul because Trump himself wasn’t there.
“He and I will meet, and I think we’ll solve it or maybe not,” Trump told reporters after boarding Air Force One. “At least we’ll know. And if we don’t solve it, it’ll be very interesting.”
European leaders have said they want the United States to join them in imposing tough new sanctions on Russia for refusing a ceasefire. The leaders of Britain, France, Germany and Italy spoke to Trump on Sunday ahead of his call with Putin.
Al Jazeera’s John Hendren, reporting from Kyiv, said there has been no reaction in Ukraine so far.
“There’s probably not going to be a lot of celebrations unless the details are much more revealing than what we’ve seen so far,” Hendren said.
The calls have taken place a day after Russia launched its largest drone attack on Ukraine since the start of the war.
Ukraine’s intelligence service said it also believed Moscow intended to fire an intercontinental ballistic missile on Sunday, though there was no confirmation from Russia that it had done so.
BRITISH seas have been invaded by huge European octopuses devouring our crabs and lobsters.
The creatures have swum from the Mediterranean to the coast of Devon and Cornwall.
They break into crab and lobster pots “totally destroying” the seafood.
Fishermen have urged authorities to relax a bylaw stopping them selling 5kg octopus they find in their pots for £7 per kilo to eager Spain.
One, Brian Tapper from Plymouth, said: “This time of year we’d normally see 60 to 100kg of lobster a day and 500-800kg of crab.
“Last week we had 8kg of lobster and 50kg of crab.
“Suspending the law means we could ride out this Biblical invasion.”
The Devon & Severn Fisheries Authority ruled boats can exclusively target octopus.
But they cannot keep any found trapped in crab or lobster pots.
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Pope Leo XIV met with US Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio at the Vatican, a day after his inaugural Mass. Vance, whose hardline immigration stance has drawn past criticism from Leo, invited the US-born pontiff to visit the US.
Published On 19 May 202519 May 2025
The Baltic nation is seeking damages, including compensation for border reinforcement costs.
Lithuania has initiated legal proceedings against Belarus at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), accusing its neighbour of orchestrating a refugee and migrant crisis by facilitating the smuggling of people across their border.
“The Belarusian regime must be held legally accountable for orchestrating the wave of illegal migration and the resulting human rights violations,” Lithuanian Justice Minister Rimantas Mockus said in a statement on Monday.
“We are taking this case to the International Court of Justice to send a clear message: no state can use vulnerable people as political pawns without facing consequences under international law.”
The case, submitted to the ICJ in The Hague, centres on alleged violations by Belarus of the United Nations Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air.
Lithuania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said attempts to resolve the issue through bilateral talks failed and it has evidence showing direct involvement by the Belarusian state in organising refugee and migrant flows, including a surge in flights from the Middle East operated by Belarusian state-owned airlines.
After landing in Belarus, many of the passengers were escorted to the Lithuanian border by Belarusian security forces and forced to cross illegally, Lithuanian officials said.
Lithuania also accused Belarus of refusing to cooperate with its border services in preventing irregular crossings and said it is seeking compensation through the ICJ for alleged damages caused, including costs related to border reinforcement.
Tensions between the two countries have simmered since 2021 when thousands of people – mostly from the Middle East and Africa – began arriving at the borders of Lithuania, Poland and Latvia from Belarus.
Belarus had previously deported Middle Eastern refugees and migrants with more than 400 Iraqis repatriated to Baghdad on a charter flight from Minsk in November 2021.
That same year, a Human Rights Watch report accused Belarus of manufacturing the crisis, finding that “accounts of violence, inhuman and degrading treatment and coercion by Belarusian border guards were commonplace”.
European Union officials have also accused Minsk of “weaponising” migration in an effort to destabilise the bloc. The claims are strongly denied by Belarus.
In December, the EU approved emergency measures allowing member states bordering Belarus and Russia to temporarily suspend asylum rights in cases in which migration is being manipulated for political ends.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez says Israel should be excluded from the Eurovision Song Contest over its war in Gaza. His comments follow protests against Israel’s participation at last weekend’s event in Switzerland, in which Israel finished second behind Austria.
Published On 19 May 202519 May 2025
Britain’s top football host will not front 2026 World Cup coverage and is ‘bowing out by mutual agreement’ after backlash to a social media post about Zionism.
Gary Lineker, a former England captain and the face of football on British television for more than two decades, will leave the BBC, the public broadcaster said in a statement on Monday.
Lineker, 64, had been due to cover the 2026 FIFA World Cup for the BBC, but his early departure comes after he apologised last week for sharing a social media post about Zionism which featured a picture of a rat, historically used as an anti-Semitic insult.
Lineker said that he deleted the posts after learning of the offensive references.
According to multiple British media reports, the high-profile host is “bowing out by mutual agreement”.
He rose to become the BBC’s highest-paid star after presenting its Match of the Day (MOTD) highlights show for 25 years. The BBC announced last November that he would step down from MOTD this year, but carry on working for it until 2026.
“Gary has acknowledged the mistake he made. Accordingly, we have agreed he will step back from further presenting after this season,” BBC director general Tim Davie said in a statement.
Lineker repeated his apology on Monday, saying he would never consciously repost anything anti-Semitic.
“I recognise the error and upset that I caused, and reiterate how sorry I am,” he said. “Stepping back now feels like the responsible course of action.”
In recent years, Lineker’s desire to put forward his political views on social media has caused headaches for the BBC, which has strict rules on impartiality.
He was temporarily taken off air in 2023 after he criticised the previous government’s immigration policy on social media. In 2018, he opposed Brexit and called for a second referendum.
But it was Lineker’s support for the Palestinians affected by the war on Gaza that most recently brought him into conflict with the BBC.
Lineker had already caused friction at the public broadcaster when he recently said Israel was to blame for the origins of the Gaza conflict, because it turned the occupied territory into an “outdoor prison”.
Speaking on May 9 in an interview with The Telegraph at the Football Business Awards, just days before he was accused of the anti-Semitic social post on X, Lineker expressed that his issues are with the Israeli government rather than Jewish people.
“Obviously, October 7 was awful, but it’s very important to know your history and to study the massacres that happened prior to this, many of them against the Palestinian people,” he said in the interview with The Telegraph, which was published last Thursday, on May 15.
“Yes, Israelis have a right to defend themselves. But it appears that Palestinians don’t – and that is where it’s wrong. Palestinians are caged in this outdoor prison in Gaza, and now it’s an outdoor prison that they’re bombing,” Lineker added.
In the same interview, the TV host also disputed whether Israel could justifiably argue that it was still acting in self-defence. “I understand that they needed to avenge, but I don’t think they’ve helped their own hostage situation at all,” Lineker said.
“People say it’s a complex issue, but I don’t think it is. It’s inevitable that the Israeli occupation was going to cause massive problems, and I just feel for the Palestinians.”
The former striker played for England for eight years until 1992 and had been a top scorer for Leicester City, Everton and Tottenham Hotspur in the 1980s and early 1990s.
He is also the co-founder of a podcasting production business, Goalhanger, which makes series such as the podcasts The Rest Is History and The Rest Is Football.
Lineker will leave his role at the BBC on Sunday after his final episode of Match of the Day.
Russia claims members of the international rights group have backed ‘extremist’ organisations and ‘foreign agents’.
Russian authorities have designated Amnesty International as an “undesirable” organisation, alleging that the rights group propagates pro-war content backed by the Western allies of Ukraine, in the latest crackdown on Kremlin critics.
The Russian Prosecutor General’s Office said in a statement on Monday that Amnesty’s London office has acted as a “centre for the preparation of global Russophobic projects paid for by accomplices of the Kyiv regime”, according to state-run media.
It claimed that since the start of the war in February 2022, Amnesty has been “doing everything possible to intensify the military confrontation in the region”, including by “insisting on the political and economic isolation of our country”.
The office also emphasised that members of the international rights group “support extremist organisations and finance the activities of foreign agents”.
Amnesty did not immediately respond to the allegations.
The designation means the international human rights group must stop any work in Russia, and those accused of cooperating with or supporting it will be exposed to criminal prosecution.
This could even include anyone who shares Amnesty International’s reports on social media.
Russia currently recognises 223 entities as “undesirable” organisations, including some prominent independent, as well as Western-backed news outlets and rights groups. Some of those include Transparency International, Latvia-based outlet Meduza, and US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL).
Amnesty International was established in 1961 to document and report human rights violations around the globe and campaign for the release of those deemed unjustly imprisoned.
The organisation won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1977, having been recognised “for worldwide respect for human rights” and efforts to combat torture, advocate for prisoners of conscience, and promote global adherence to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
In addition to covering human rights violations during the Ukraine war, the group has documented massacres in the Gaza Strip and Israeli apartheid, as well as atrocities in Sudan and many other countries.
Moscow has intensified its crackdown on human rights groups and civil society organisations as relations with the West plummeted over the Ukraine war and the expansion of NATO.
This has included expanding the “undesirable” and “foreign agent” designations to shut down opposing voices, as well as the suppression of some minority groups’ rights.
The move on Monday came as US President Donald Trump was due to hold a phone call with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy amid efforts to end the fighting.
The diplomatic efforts follow inconclusive direct talks, the first in three years, between delegations from Ukraine and Russia in Turkiye’s Istanbul on Friday.
The brief talks yielded only an agreement to swap 1,000 prisoners of war, according to the heads of both delegations, in what would be their biggest such exchange since the war began.
A senior Ukrainian official familiar with the talks said Russian negotiators demanded Kyiv pull its troops out of all its regions claimed by Moscow before they would agree to a ceasefire. That is a red line for Ukraine, and as it stands, Russia does not have full control in those regions.