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CNA
an hour ago
- Business
- CNA
Auckland City's Club World Cup participation is a privilege with a price
MIAMI :Adam Mitchell knows he is going to lose money this month. The Auckland City defender left his job selling houses in New Zealand to take part in the Club World Cup, where the eventual champions will pocket a staggering $125 million — while his semi-professional team plays on for pride and an appearance fee still under negotiation. "My business runs on a commission basis only," Mitchell told Reuters on Thursday after his side's humbling 10-0 defeat to European giants Bayern Munich at the expanded Club World Cup. "If I'm not back working, there's no income coming in. But a tournament like this, you have to be willing to make sacrifices and that's what a lot of us have done." The Club World Cup's new, lucrative format has attracted criticism for its schedule congestion at the end of a long European season. Mitchell and his teammates, many of whom work as teachers, delivery drivers, and tradesmen, are effectively paying out of their own pockets for the privilege of competing on this stage. It is not just Mitchell's earnings that are taking a hit. New Zealand's labour laws typically grant around four to five weeks of annual leave per year — most of which, for Auckland's players, was already used up during last year's Oceania qualifying tournament. "The players that went to the qualification for this tournament, well, we played in the Solomon Islands. That was three weeks," Mitchell explained. "Some people have run out of annual leave. People are kind of in negative days and taking unpaid leave. So, it's nice for people to know the sacrifices we make to be here." While the tournament offers prize money tiers based on performance, Auckland City, representing one of football's smallest confederations, will receive the lowest payout - a fraction of the $3.58 million meant for Oceania. Even that amount, Mitchell noted, is still subject to ongoing negotiations between the club and New Zealand Football. NO MERCY On the pitch, the gulf between part-time semi-professionals and global superstars was on brutal display. Bayern Munich, ranked among the world's elite, named a starting 11 packed with internationals, showing no mercy en route to a double-digit victory. 'Conceding 10 goals isn't a nice feeling,' Mitchell admitted. "But I think we have to realise the calibre of team and calibre of players we were up against. "The fact that they did put their strongest team out and they didn't take the pedal off the metal at all. They just kept going and going and going, which, it's not great for us, but in a way that's a sign of respect." The heavy defeat has not dampened spirits within the Auckland camp. With two more games to play in their group against Benfica and Boca Juniors, Mitchell said he and his teammates are determined to leave their mark. "If you watched the (Bayern) game, you could see we never give up regardless of the scoreline," he said. Back home, Mitchell juggles the demands of a commission-based real estate job with evening training sessions and coaching duties at the club. His typical day starts early, squeezing in gym sessions before work, and ends late at night after training. "It's not ideal for my wife," he joked. "I don't get to see her that often, but she really respects the fact that this is a sacrifice that we have to make and she also has to make. "(For her) just seeing myself and the whole team on the stage and obviously against the best players in the world, I think it's a really proud moment." Mitchell admits that while the financial hit stings, the exposure could pay off in other ways. "Maybe if someone was watching on TV and they realised I was in the industry, maybe they just want to have a chat and that's the way you can build some rapport," he said. To the critics who have questioned the inclusion of Auckland City in a competition of this scale, Mitchell remains unapologetic. "We don't bother too much about critics. We've earned the right to be here. People have to realise we are semi-professionals, but we do treat training and we treat our club like a professional club, with the resources we have," said Mitchell, whose side face Benfica on Friday.
CNA
an hour ago
- Sport
- CNA
Palmeiras net second half double to beat Al Ahly as Group A finally gets some goals
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., :Brazil's Palmeiras scored twice in the space of 10 second-half minutes to beat Al Ahly of Egypt 2-0 in their Group A Club World Cup clash which was halted for 50 minutes because of fears over stormy weather at the MetLife Stadium on Thursday. Ahly's Palestine international striker Wessam Abou Ali headed into his own net trying to defend a free kick whipped in by Anibal Moreno, getting into a mix-up with his defenders to hand Palmeiras a 49th minute lead. The first goal in the group was followed 10 minutes later by a swift counter-attack from the Brazilian club, expertly finished by Jose Manuel Lopez, who had come on at halftime. Immediately after the second goal, English referee Anthony Taylor took the two teams off the field while spectators were told by the public address announcer to leave their seats and seek shelter under the stadium concourse because of a 'severe weather threat'.
CNA
an hour ago
- Politics
- CNA
Trump says decision on US role in Israel-Iran conflict to come in two weeks
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump will decide in the next two weeks whether the United States will get involved in the escalating conflict between Israel and Iran, the White House said on Thursday (Jun 19). White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump was still weighing his options, citing a substantial chance of negotiations with Iran. "Based on the fact that there's a substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go within the next two weeks," Leavitt quoted Trump as saying. DIPLOMACY OR FORCE? Leavitt said Trump was open to diplomacy but insisted that Iran must not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon. "The president is always interested in a diplomatic solution ... he is a peacemaker in chief. He is the peace through strength president. And so if there's a chance for diplomacy, the president's always going to grab it," Leavitt said. "But he's not afraid to use strength as well, I will add." She added that any agreement with Tehran would need to prohibit uranium enrichment and eliminate Iran's ability to develop nuclear weapons. Leavitt declined to say whether Trump would seek congressional approval for any military action against Iran. The White House remains convinced that Iran is closer than ever to obtaining a nuclear weapon. ESCALATING CONFLICT Leavitt confirmed that Trump was briefed on Israel's strikes on Iranian nuclear sites on Thursday, which followed a barrage of missiles and drones launched by Iran, including one that hit an Israeli hospital. She warned that Iran would face "grave consequences" if it continued pursuing nuclear weapons and failed to engage in talks. Trump's administration has sent mixed signals in recent days. While Trump has repeatedly hinted at diplomacy, he has also spoken of military action. On Wednesday, he told reporters: "Nobody knows what I'm going to do." Earlier this week, he suggested in a social media post that Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei could be targeted, before demanding Iran's "unconditional surrender." BACKCHANNEL CONTACTS Three diplomats told Reuters that Trump's special envoy, Steve Witkoff, has held several phone calls with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi since Israel began its strikes last week. The nature of those discussions remains unclear, but they underscore Washington's dual-track approach, maintaining open diplomatic lines while preparing for potential military involvement. The escalating war, now in its second week, has shown no signs of abating. Iran, facing its most serious security threat since the 1979 revolution, has been weighing broader retaliation options.
CNA
an hour ago
- Climate
- CNA
Club World Cup match resumes after storm threat interruption
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., :The Club World Cup clash between Al Ahly of Egypt and Brazil's Palmeiras resumed after a 50-minute halt at the MetLife Stadium on Thursday because of a severe weather threat, the second time a match has been interrupted during the tournament. Referee Anthony Taylor told the teams to leave the pitch immediately after Palmeiras had taken a 2-0 lead in the 60th minute of their Group A clash after advice from a pitchside official at the 82,500-capacity stadium which will host next year's World Cup final. Repeated announcements over the stadium public address system told the public to leave their seats and take shelter inside the stadium concourse because of the threat of 'severe weather', although fans were slow to move out. Police had to persuade some spectators to move. There was no visible weather threat above the stadium, save for a batch of dark clouds in the distance on a hot and sunny day. After 30 minutes, an announcement said 'the situation has now been resolved and it is all clear and safe to return to your seats'. The game then restarted after the teams were allowed to warm up briefly. The weather forecast for the New York area on Thursday had predicted afternoon showers, but only after the completion of the match, which kicked off at midday local time. A heat wave is forecast across the eastern United States and expected to bring severe storms and several days of record high temperatures at the start of the weekend and into next week. The start of the Group F match in Orlando on Tuesday between South Africa's Mamelodi Sundowns and Ulsan of South Korea was delayed by 65 minutes because of the threat of lightning. Potentially dangerous weather conditions are closely monitored during sports events in the U.S. and interruptions and postponements are not uncommon.
CNA
an hour ago
- Business
- CNA
EU probes Musk's xAI buyout of X, Bloomberg News reports
Elon Musk's $33 billion xAI acquisition of X has drawn fresh scrutiny from the European Union, as regulators evaluate potential fines under the Digital Services Act, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday. The European Commission recently circulated fresh questions to X, probing the social media platform's corporate structure following its acquisition by xAI, the report said citing people familiar with the matter. Musk said in March the combination valued "xAI at $80 billion and X at $33 billion". Before its summer recess in August, the regulator could announce a fine on X for alleged infractions under the DSA, though delays are possible, according to the report. Representatives for the European Commission, xAI and X did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment. Any firm found in breach of the DSA faces a fine worth up to 6 per cent of its global turnover, and repeat offenders may be banned from operating in Europe altogether. Earlier this month, X highlighted a disclaimer to its blue checkmark in an attempt to head off a possible hefty fine from EU antitrust regulators. The Commission issued preliminary findings under the DSA in July last year that X violated rules on deceptive design, especially by turning the blue checkmark into a paid verification, assigning false credibility to users. X had disagreed with the assessment. The EU had announced a probe into X's alleged breaches of the DSA in December 2023.
