• Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates on his debut for Al Nassr with teammate Anderson Talisca, who scored the winner in the 1-0 Saudi Pro League victory over Al Ettifaq at Mrsool Park, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on January 22, 2023. Reuters
    Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates on his debut for Al Nassr with teammate Anderson Talisca, who scored the winner in the 1-0 Saudi Pro League victory over Al Ettifaq at Mrsool Park, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on January 22, 2023. Reuters
  • Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates with Anderson Talisca, who scored Al Nassr's winner against Al Ettifaq. Reuters
    Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates with Anderson Talisca, who scored Al Nassr's winner against Al Ettifaq. Reuters
  • Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates with Anderson Talisca. Reuters
    Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates with Anderson Talisca. Reuters
  • Cristiano Ronaldo makes a run on his Al Nassr debut. Getty
    Cristiano Ronaldo makes a run on his Al Nassr debut. Getty
  • Cristiano Ronaldo in action for Al Nassr against Al Ettifaq. Reuters
    Cristiano Ronaldo in action for Al Nassr against Al Ettifaq. Reuters
  • Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates Anderson Talisca's winning goal. Reuters
    Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates Anderson Talisca's winning goal. Reuters
  • Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr runs with the ball. Getty
    Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr runs with the ball. Getty
  • Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr during the game at Mrsool Park Stadium. Getty
    Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr during the game at Mrsool Park Stadium. Getty
  • Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr during the game against Al Ittifaq. Getty
    Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr during the game against Al Ittifaq. Getty
  • Cristiano Ronaldo reacts during the Saudi Pro League match between Al Nassr and Al Ittifaq. Getty
    Cristiano Ronaldo reacts during the Saudi Pro League match between Al Nassr and Al Ittifaq. Getty
  • Al Nassr's Anderson Talisca celebrates scoring their winner with Cristiano Ronaldo. Reuters
    Al Nassr's Anderson Talisca celebrates scoring their winner with Cristiano Ronaldo. Reuters
  • Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo fights for the ball. AP
    Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo fights for the ball. AP
  • All Nassr's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo checks on teammate Pity Martinez during the game. AFP
    All Nassr's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo checks on teammate Pity Martinez during the game. AFP
  • Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr before kick-off. Getty
    Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr before kick-off. Getty
  • RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - JANUARY 22: Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr leads the team out prior to the Saudi Pro League match between Al Nassr and Al-Ittifaq Club at Mrsool Park Stadium on January 22, 2023 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh / Getty Images)
    RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - JANUARY 22: Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr leads the team out prior to the Saudi Pro League match between Al Nassr and Al-Ittifaq Club at Mrsool Park Stadium on January 22, 2023 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Yasser Bakhsh / Getty Images)
  • Al Nassr's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo takes a shot. AFP
    Al Nassr's Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo takes a shot. AFP
  • Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr during the game. Getty
    Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr during the game. Getty
  • Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates Al Nassr's winner with teammates. AFP
    Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates Al Nassr's winner with teammates. AFP
  • Cristiano Ronaldo takes a free-kick during. AFP
    Cristiano Ronaldo takes a free-kick during. AFP
  • Cristiano Ronaldo dribbles with the ball. AFP
    Cristiano Ronaldo dribbles with the ball. AFP
  • Al Nassr's Anderson Talisca celebrates scoring their winner with Ali Al Lajami and Cristiano Ronaldo. Reuters
    Al Nassr's Anderson Talisca celebrates scoring their winner with Ali Al Lajami and Cristiano Ronaldo. Reuters
  • Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo reacts during the match. EPA
    Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo reacts during the match. EPA
  • Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo wins a header. EPA
    Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo wins a header. EPA
  • Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo greets supporters ahead of the match against Al Ettifaq. AFP
    Al Nassr's Cristiano Ronaldo greets supporters ahead of the match against Al Ettifaq. AFP
  • Al Nassr forward Cristiano Ronaldo battles at a corner-kick. AFP
    Al Nassr forward Cristiano Ronaldo battles at a corner-kick. AFP
  • Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr before the game. Getty
    Cristiano Ronaldo of Al Nassr before the game. Getty
  • A supporter of Al Nassr with a Cristiano Ronaldo shirt. AFP
    A supporter of Al Nassr with a Cristiano Ronaldo shirt. AFP
  • Al Nassr fans sit under a giant poster of Cristiano Ronaldo. AP
    Al Nassr fans sit under a giant poster of Cristiano Ronaldo. AP
  • A fan of Al Nassr's holds up a Cristiano Ronaldo poster before the match. Reuters
    A fan of Al Nassr's holds up a Cristiano Ronaldo poster before the match. Reuters
  • A fan Al Nassr with a Cristiano Ronaldo banner. Getty
    A fan Al Nassr with a Cristiano Ronaldo banner. Getty

Cristiano Ronaldo thanks fans for 'incredible support' after Al Nassr debut


Steve Luckings
  • English
  • Arabic

Cristiano Ronaldo thanked fans for their "incredible support" as the Portuguese superstar marked his first game for new club Al Nassr with a win on Sunday.

Following last week's high-profile exhibition match, in which Ronaldo captained a Riyadh Allstar XI against his old rival Lionel Messi and his Paris Saint-Germain teammates, Ronaldo was handed the captain's armband by Nassr coach Rudi Garcia for his Saudi Pro League debut.

The 37-year-old helped his new club to a 1-0 victory against Al Ettifaq at Mrsool Park to take his side back to the top of the table ahead of Riyadh rivals Al Hilal, who have a game in hand, by one point.

The former Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus striker Ronaldo failed to get on the scoresheet, with Brazilian teammate Anderson Taslica claiming the game's only goal on 30 minutes.

"First game, first win - well done guys. Thanks to all the fans for incredible support," Ronaldo tweeted after the match.

Portugal captain Ronaldo joined Nassr in November after terminating his Manchester United contract by mutual consent. He signed a two-and-a-half-year deal with Nassr understood to be worth more than $200 million per year.

Nassr's next game is against third-placed Al Ittihad on Thursday, albeit in the Saudi Super Cup.

Asia Cup Qualifier

Venue: Kuala Lumpur

Result: Winners play at Asia Cup in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in September

Fixtures:

Wed Aug 29: Malaysia v Hong Kong, Nepal v Oman, UAE v Singapore

Thu Aug 30: UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v Singapore, Malaysia v Oman

Sat Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong, Oman v Singapore, Malaysia v Nepal

Sun Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman, Malaysia v UAE, Nepal v Singapore

Tue Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore, UAE v Oman, Nepal v Hong Kong

Thu Sep 6: Final

 

Asia Cup

Venue: Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Schedule: Sep 15-28

Teams: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, plus the winner of the Qualifier

WOMAN AND CHILD

Director: Saeed Roustaee

Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi

Rating: 4/5

TWISTERS

Director: Lee Isaac Chung

Starring: Glen Powell, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Anthony Ramos

Rating: 2.5/5

UAE v Ireland

1st ODI, UAE win by 6 wickets

2nd ODI, January 12

3rd ODI, January 14

4th ODI, January 16

Dunki
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rajkumar%20Hirani%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Shah%20Rukh%20Khan%2C%20Taapsee%20Pannu%2C%20Vikram%20Kochhar%20and%20Anil%20Grover%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Avatar: Fire and Ash

Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

Libya's Gold

UN Panel of Experts found regime secretly sold a fifth of the country's gold reserves. 

The panel’s 2017 report followed a trail to West Africa where large sums of cash and gold were hidden by Abdullah Al Senussi, Qaddafi’s former intelligence chief, in 2011.

Cases filled with cash that was said to amount to $560m in 100 dollar notes, that was kept by a group of Libyans in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

A second stash was said to have been held in Accra, Ghana, inside boxes at the local offices of an international human rights organisation based in France.

The Written World: How Literature Shaped History
Martin Puchner
Granta

Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics

 

TOURNAMENT INFO

Women’s World Twenty20 Qualifier

Jul 3- 14, in the Netherlands
The top two teams will qualify to play at the World T20 in the West Indies in November

UAE squad
Humaira Tasneem (captain), Chamani Seneviratne, Subha Srinivasan, Neha Sharma, Kavisha Kumari, Judit Cleetus, Chaya Mughal, Roopa Nagraj, Heena Hotchandani, Namita D’Souza, Ishani Senevirathne, Esha Oza, Nisha Ali, Udeni Kuruppuarachchi

German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

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%3Cul%3E%0A%3Cli%3ENever%20click%20on%20links%20provided%20via%20app%20or%20SMS%2C%20even%20if%20they%20seem%20to%20come%20from%20authorised%20senders%20at%20first%20glance%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EAlways%20double-check%20the%20authenticity%20of%20websites%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EEnable%20Two-Factor%20Authentication%20(2FA)%20for%20all%20your%20working%20and%20personal%20services%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EOnly%20use%20official%20links%20published%20by%20the%20respective%20entity%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3Cli%3EDouble-check%20the%20web%20addresses%20to%20reduce%20exposure%20to%20fake%20sites%20created%20with%20domain%20names%20containing%20spelling%20errors%3C%2Fli%3E%0A%3C%2Ful%3E%0A
Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

Updated: January 24, 2023, 6:03 AM