Neymar and Brazil arrive in Russia

Russian police said early on Wednesday they had received multiple bomb threats in the World Cup host city of Rostov-on-Don, causing bars and restaurants to be evacuated across the city.

"On June 26, police received a series of phone calls about explosives planted at locations in Rostov-on-Don," local police said in a statement.

"Police forces made all the necessary checks and no dangerous objects were found," the statement said. "Currently, all the venues are operating normally."

Increasingly isolated on the global stage, Russia is keen to use the World Cup to project an image of stability and strength. Authorities have vowed to host a safe event and any security incidents involving fans could jeopardise Moscow's efforts.

A policeman at the Topos Congress-Hotel in Rostov-on-Don, which was evacuated at around 2000 GMT on Tuesday, said 16 venues had been evacuated across the city as part of a drill.

On the other side of the city, a manager at the Luciano Italian restaurant said staff had been told to evacuate the building for around two hours after receiving a bomb threat.

"There was a phone call, an anonymous phone call, they said there was a bomb in the building," said the manager, who declined to give their name because they were not authorised to speak to the media.

A spokesman for soccer's world governing body FIFA was not immediately available for comment.

The Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, some 955 km (593 miles) south of Moscow, has so far hosted four matches in the World Cup, including Croatia's 2-1 win over Iceland earlier on Tuesday. The next scheduled match at the venue is on Monday.

The city is just a short distance from Russia's border with eastern Ukraine, where rebels backed by Moscow have been fighting Ukrainian troops since 2014, and its close proximity to the conflict had caused security concerns ahead of the tournament.

The Topos Congress-Hotel is listed as an official World Cup hotel by FIFA, but none of the competing teams are staying there, according to official documents.

Police at the scene said the hotel had been evacuated due to a bomb threat and sniffer dogs were seen entering the building, a Reuters witness said.

Security services were seen questioning people on the street outside the hotel, next to emergency vehicles and a crowd of around 60 evacuated guests who had not yet been allowed back into the building.

Russia was subject to a wave of hoax bomb threats last summer, causing disruption at businesses and public buildings in towns and cities across the country.

The Russian Federal Security Service said in October it had identified four Russian citizens behind the hoax campaign, who were living abroad and using internet phone services to call in the threats anonymously.

Neymar announced Thursday he was returning to Brazilian club Santos, where he started his career, after ending his injury-plagued spell with Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal.

"I will sign a contract with Santos Futebol Clube," Neymar wrote on social media in a post accompanied by images of his past with the Sao Paulo-based team, where football icon Pele spent most of his career.

"My feelings for the club and fans have never changed."

Santos' X account replied to Neymar's post, saying: "Your home awaits you. Your people await you."

Neymar will be presented to fans in a ceremony at the club's Estadio Urbano Caldeira, featuring concerts by several local music stars, on Friday.

The 32-year-old former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain forward played just seven times for Al Hilal despite a reported salary of around $104 million a year.

Neymar, Brazil's all-time top scorer, joined Al Hilal in August 2023, following fellow superstars Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema to the Gulf.

But two months after his arrival in Riyadh, he ruptured a cruciate ligament in his left knee while playing for Brazil in a 2026 World Cup qualifier, which kept him on the sidelines for a year.

He then suffered a series of hamstring and knee injuries as he tried to return to action.

The club's coach Jorge Jesus said recently: "He can no longer play at the level we are used to. Things have become difficult for him, unfortunately."

Neymar's return to Brazil is likely the last chance of his faltering career.

Neymar has scored 79 goals in 128 matches for his country.

Neymar had been courted by MLS teams in the United States but has chosen to return home with the goal of earning selection for the Brazil squad for the 2026 World Cup in Mexico, the United States and Canada.

"Now I need to play again," said Neymar. "And only a club like Santos can provide the love I need to prepare for the coming challenges of the next years."

He faces a huge challenge at Santos, who only returned to the elite division in 2024 after a year in the second tier.

Neymar will face a busy schedule punctuated by long flights across Brazil, with the Sao Paulo State tournament, the Brazilian Cup and the national championship which begins at the end of March on the program.

The presence of such a big name will attract huge interest from Santos fans, but Neymar's best days are almost certainly behind him.

Pele's heir

At the start of his career he was cast as the heir to Pele.

After scoring 136 goals in 225 appearances for Santos, he joined Barcelona in 2013, becoming the young star of a team that also featured Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez, which swept to the Champions League title in 2015 by beating Juventus 3-1 in the final in Berlin.

In 2014 his participation in the World Cup in Brazil was cut short by injury in the quarter-finals and Brazil crashed out after a humiliating 7-1 defeat by Germany in the semi-finals.

Neymar gained some redemption in 2016 when he scored the winning penalty in a shootout as Brazil won the men's football gold medal at the Rio Olympics.

In 2017, Qatar-owned Paris Saint-Germain prised him away from Barcelona with what is still a world-record transfer fee of 220 million euros ($230 million).

He won five Ligue 1 titles and he and prolific French forward Kylian Mbappe led PSG to the final of the Champions League in the Covid-blighted 2019-2020 season, but they lost to Bayern Munich.

PSG reunited Neymar with Messi in the French capital, but the trio with Mbappe failed to gel as personal rivalries got in the way and he was pushed to the exit, and to Saudi Arabia, by the Parisian management in 2023.

Brazil fans mocked Lionel Messi and celebrated Argentina’s defeat as they were singing `Messi Ciao’ (Goodbye Messi) in St. Petersburg on Thursday night. The Selecao fans parodied the famous Spanish song Bella Ciao (O darling goodbye).

The fans are always interested about how their rivals are doing in tournaments like Copa America and the World Cup.

Lionel Messi cut a lonely figure as Argentina fell to a demoralising 3-0 defeat at the hands of Croatia at which has left their qualification hopes hanging by a thread.

Both Brazil and Argentina drew their opening games at the 2018 World Cup. Brazilians however found something to celebrate as they mocked Argentina’s star player.

Brazilian forward Neymar made his long-awaited return to his childhood club Santos in a lacklustre 1-1 draw with Botafogo in the Brazilian Paulista Championship on Wednesday.

The Urbano Caldeira stadium erupted in celebration as jubilant and tearful fans lit up their mobile phones to give the striker, who left the club 12 years ago, a hero's welcome before kick-off.

Neymar, who was celebrating his 33rd birthday, started on the bench and came on after the break as Santos had taken the lead through Tiquinho Soares' first-half penalty.

However, the forward struggled under the pressure of his first game in 16 months.

He tried to conjure up some of the magic that placed him among the world's best for five years at Barcelona, but it wasn't enough.

Botafogo equalised through Alexandre de Jesus in the 67th minute. Wallison was sent off four minutes later for a foul on Neymar but Santos were unable to take advantage of their superior numbers.

"I can't find the words to express the feeling when you love something. I love Santos very much and I can't find the words to describe the feeling I felt when I stepped out onto the pitch today," Neymar said after the match.

"It was a very difficult game. I had even commented that my father was there on the side. I said, it's a difficult game, they're marking a lot at the back, they're a team that defends a lot, a lot of hitting. And they found a ball and scored. I think it's time for me to be patient and get some practice," the player added.

Neymar, who joined Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal from Paris St Germain, was limited to seven appearances after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus in his left knee in a World Cup qualifier against Uruguay in October.

His return to Santos is a deal that the forward has said will bring his illustrious career full circle, as he tries to do what he loves most: "play football again".

Apple is considering increasing iPhone assembly in Brazil to reduce the impact of new US tariffs on Chinese imports, according to a recent report by Apple-centric news platform 9to5Mac. US President Donald Trump recently announced steep tariffs on goods from several countries, including a 34% levy on Chinese products—a major concern for Apple, which manufactures most of its devices in China.  

As per 9to5Mac, sources familiar with the matter told the Brazilian magazine Exame that Apple has been exploring ways to expand its production facilities in Brazil, where it already assembles entry-level iPhones through a partnership with Foxconn. The move could help Apple lower costs, as imports from Brazil face only a 10% US tariff—far less than those from China (34%) or India (26%).  

Brazil's telecom regulator, Anatel, recently certified Apple and Foxconn to produce the iPhone 16 locally, alongside existing assembly of the iPhone 13, 14, and 15, states the 9to5Mac report. The report also suggests Apple may even begin manufacturing iPhone 16 Pro models in Brazil for the first time. If successful, the Brazil-made iPhones could not only supply the local market but also be exported to the US, reducing Apple's tax burden.  

The tariffs have already hit Apple's stock, which has dropped over 10%, wiping out $300 billion in market value. Other US tech giants like Nvidia have also seen declines. By shifting more production to Brazil, Apple hopes to mitigate financial losses while navigating the escalating trade tensions.