When Joan Monfort took photos of Lionel Messi with a baby for a charity calendar almost 17 years ago, he knew the long-haired young man would make it big in soccer. He could not have imagined the little boy would as well. The baby in the photos — which have gone viral — was none other than Lamine Yamal, the Spanish wunderkind, who at 16 is showing such promise that he’s already being compared to the greats. The youngest to have played for Spain, he became the youngest player ever in the ongoing European Championship in Germany. Messi’s 109th goal leads defending champion Argentina over Canada 2-0 and into Copa America final One of the long-forgotten photos from 2007 resurfaced after Yamal’s father posted it on Instagram last week with the text “the beginning of two legends.” Monfort, 56, who works as a freelance photographer for The Associated Press and others, said the photo shoot took place in the visitors’ locker room at Barcelona’s Camp Nou in the autumn of 2007, when Yamal was just a few months old. Barcelona players posed with children and their families for a calendar as part of an annual charity drive by local newspaper Diario Sport and UNICEF. Monfort was in charge of the photo shoots — and it just so happened that Messi was paired with Yamal’s family. His mother, who is from Equatorial Guinea, is next to Messi and the baby in one of the photos. “We made the calendar with the help of UNICEF. So UNICEF did a raffle in the neighborhood of Roca Fonda in Mataró where Lamine’s family lived. They signed up for the raffle to have their picture taken at the Camp Nou with a Barca player. And they won the raffle,” Monfort said. It wasn’t an easy assignment, he recalled, mainly because Messi wasn’t sure how to interact with baby Lamine, who was in a plastic tub for the shoot. “Messi is a pretty introverted guy, he’s shy,” Monfort said. “He was coming out of the locker room and suddenly he finds himself in another locker room with a plastic tub full of water and a baby in it. It was complicated. He didn’t even know how to hold him at first.” Messi was 20 at the time and already considered a big talent, but it would take a couple of years before he made his mark as the most outstanding player of his generation for Barcelona and Argentina. Sr. Division Football : Mohakhali Ekadosh beat Bangladesh Boys by 1-0 goal Like Messi, Yamal has gone through Barcelona’s renowned La Masia youth academy. Despite his age, he’s been one of Spain’s best players at Euro 2024, where his team will play France in the semifinals on Tuesday. Yamal will turn 17 on Saturday, the day before the final in Berlin. Monfort, 56, had no idea it was Yamal in those photos from 2007 until a friend messaged him as they started trending online. He’s had a long career as a sports photographer since 1991, following Barcelona around the world, but said he’s never experienced this level of excitement around any of his photos. “It’s very exciting to be associated with something that has caused such a sensation,” he said. “To tell you the truth it’s a very nice feeling.”

Lenovo is one of the most well-known brands when it comes to design and innovation. It’s the same company that brought the world’s first foldable laptop with the ThinkPad X1 Fold. This year, Lenovo took things a step further by unveiling the world’s first transparent laptop at the MWC (Mobile World Congress) 2024. Here’s what we know so far.  The Story So Far  This year, the trend seems to be transparent. Earlier, at the CES 2024, both Samsung and LG showcased transparent televisions as the future of in-house entertainment systems. LG went a notch up with a retractable black screen for a more ‘normalized’ viewing experience.  Keeping up with that, Lenovo brought a proof-of-concept product Project Crystal in the CES 2024. It was a Concept Laptop with a transparent display.  Read more: Samsung Galaxy Ring: Specs, Features, and Probable Release Date The completely transparent laptop, called ThinkBook, was finally displayed by Lenovo at the MWS2024 event in Barcelona.   Making Transparent Laptop a Reality Tom Butler, the executive director of Lenovo’s Worldwide Product Management division talked in detail about the new transparent laptop. The 17.3-inch laptop uses micro-LED technology to achieve the transparent look of the ThinkBook. Lenovo incorporated a 55% transparency on the display to make it optimally visible for both indoor and outdoor use. The display can churn out up to 1000 nits with the screen resolution standing at 720P.  Lenovo talked about the limitations of OLED and why they had to opt for a micro-LED solution. With the currently available tech, the R&D team couldn't push beyond 480P with an OLED panel. There’s also the limitation of transparency as the laptop cannot incorporate a black screen for absolute contrast.  Read more: OPPO Air Glass 3: What's Special About It A Paradigm Shift For the Future  With its current set of limitations, it is clear that Lenovo isn’t planning to release the ThinkBook as a mainstream laptop. Instead, the proof-of-concept product would see its feature trickle down to the mainstream product lineup over the next 5 years. 

Xavi Hernández won't continue as Barcelona's coach after this season, saying he can't get the team out of a slump. Xavi announced his decision on Saturday, minutes after Barcelona lost to Villarreal 5-3 in the Spanish league, leaving it 10 points adrift of leader Real Madrid. "I would like to announce that on June 30 I will cease being the coach of Barça," Xavi said. "As a Barcelona fan, I can't allow this situation to continue, we need a change of course and of dynamics." BPL Football: Both fixtures end goalless on Saturday Xavi said he made the decision "several days ago," and although the hard defeat to Villarreal set the scene for him to announce the decision, he "would have made" it soon enough. He said he hoped this decision will decrease the stress and tension his team is enduring. "The feeling of being the coach of Barcelona is cruel, it is unpleasant, you feel like you don't get the respect you deserve," Xavi said. "It wears you down, affects your mental health, your emotions, up to the point that you say you can't go on. My loved ones know that." Xavi returned to Barcelona as the coach in November 2021 with his only experience a stint in Qatar. He has a contract through the end of next season. The 44-year-old Xavi led Barcelona to the Spanish Super Cup title and the Spanish league title last season, the club's first trophies since the exit of Lionel Messi. The club mortgaged its future to help him do that by signing players like Robert Lewandowski. BPL Football: Holders Bashundhara Kings to play Dhaka Abahani Ltd in a titan battle on Friday But Barcelona has struggled this season and has shown severe signs of suffering a collapse this month. Barcelona saw its best two chances of getting a title in this campaign evaporate recently. Xavi's side exited the Copa del Rey quarterfinals after losing in extra time at Athletic Bilbao 4-2 on Wednesday, a loss that came two weeks after Barcelona was dismantled by Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup. After the Villarreal debacle Xavi said his players' lacked the "maturity" to know how to hold onto leads, and after the Bilbao loss he also underscored that he was playing with several young players. But that seemed at odds with the fact that his starting side was led with veterans like Lewandowski, Ilkay Gundogan and players in their prime like Pedri González and Frenkie de Jong. Federation Cup Football: Sheikh Jamal DC assure knock out stage outplaying Rahmatganj MFS 4-1 Barcelona is set to play Napoli in the Champions League round of 16 next month. Xavi said he was still motivated to lead the team at what is no doubt a long-shot bid at ending his stint with a European Cup.

Huawei is offering a three-day tour to Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2024, scheduled to be held in Spain's Barcelona, through a social media contest. "Anyone can participate in the #SeedsTourMWC24 UGC Campaign. The top three winners will go on the tour from 25-28 February. Huawei will provide air tickets and accommodation for four nights," said a press release. Two-day long Islami Bank business development conference begins To participate in the campaign, in the first round, participants must share Huawei's campaign announcement (https://www.facebook.com/huawei/posts/pfbid02P6DSsd6AjUQaYRunPL9toKDyCGA...) post on their personal Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn accounts, accompanied by their response to the question, "What are you most excited to discover at MWC 2024 Barcelona?".

The football community was shaken on June 7 by the announcement that Lionel Messi, widely regarded as one of the all-time greats in the sport, will be joining Major League Soccer (MLS) and playing for Inter Miami CF following his departure from Paris Saint-Germain.  The Argentine football star is set to become the newest addition to the star-studded roster of Major League Soccer. Despite rumored offers from Saudi Arabia and a potential return to Barcelona, Messi has decided to make his way to Miami, Florida in the US, for the concluding phase of his illustrious career. Messi’s Contract and Salary Detail at Inter Miami Messi was earning an estimated $45 million per year (net) during his time in Paris. However, it’s important to note that MLS has a strict salary cap and roster regulations in place to prevent excessive contracts with individual players. As a result, the specific details of the deal Messi could potentially secure in MLS would be subject to these regulations. The terms of his contract would need to follow the salary cap and roster rules set by the league. Read Mission completed: Man City beats Inter Milan to end wait for first Champions League title  According to reports, Messi has reached an agreement on a two-and-a-half-year contract with Inter Miami, with the inclusion of a 12-month option for 2026. This complex agreement, reportedly involving contributions from Apple and Adidas, has been planned to facilitate the move, benefitting all parties involved in the long term. The contract entails Messi receiving a base salary along with additional bonuses. Messi’s contract is reportedly valued at around $125 million to $150 million. MLS sponsors Apple and Adidas are said to be working on agreements that will be tied to the revenue Messi generates as a prominent figure in the league.  Additionally, there is a possibility of Messi being granted an ownership stake, similar to the arrangement given to David Beckham when he joined MLS. Read more: No homecoming for Messi as Barcelona again fails to do enough to lure him back When is Messi’s First Match with Inter Miami? The specific date of Lionel Messi’s debut in MLS with Inter Miami CF has not been officially announced at the moment. Various reports suggest different dates, but it is widely believed that Messi’s proposed debut could take place on July 21. However, alternative timeframes such as “later in July, at the earliest” or even “August” have also been mentioned. The MLS regular season will end on October 21 and playoffs will start from October 25. And the final game is set to take place on December 9. So, Messi might get a few matches in the regular season. However, July 21 is a significant date as Inter Miami will host Mexican club Cruz Azul  for the Leagues Cup. Another date to keep an eye on is July 19, as it marks the grand unveiling event: the 2023 MLS All-Star Game at DC United’s Audi Field. On this occasion, the MLS All-Star XI will face English Premier League team Arsenal in the highly anticipated annual showcase match. If Messi is not participating in this game, it is highly likely that he will be introduced to a thrilled crowd during a prime-time presentation. Read more: Lionel Messi picks MLS's Inter Miami in a move that stuns soccer after exit from Paris Saint-Germain What Kind of Impact Can Messi Make? To begin with, Inter Miami is expanding DRV PNK Stadium by adding approximately 2,500 to 3,000 seats. This development indicates that the capacity will likely increase to 22,000 spectators. Moreover, Miami Freedom Park is set to debut in March 2025. Just envision the spectacle of opening night with Messi in the starting lineup.

Real Madrid will side against Barcelona in the legal proceedings that the rival is facing over its payments of millions of euros over several years to a company that belonged to the vice president of Spain’s soccer refereeing committee, Madrid said Sunday after an urgent board meeting. The decision came two days after prosecutors formally accused Barcelona of alleged corruption in sports, fraudulent management and falsification of mercantile documentation. An investigating judge will decide whether the accusations should lead to charges. “Real Madrid wishes to express its utmost concern regarding the gravity of the facts and reiterates its confidence in the legal system,” Madrid said in a statement after the board meeting. “The club has agreed that, in defense of its legitimate rights, it will appear at the trial when the judge opens it up to the affected parties.” It was the first time Madrid officially weighed in on the matter. Other clubs had already expressed their concerns over the Barcelona payments, as did the Spanish league and the Spanish soccer federation. The league also planned to take action against Barcelona in the legal proceedings. Barcelona has been under scrutiny since the payments to the committee official became public last month. The payments were initially investigated as part of a tax probe into the company. Barcelona has consistently denied any wrongdoing or conflict of interest, saying it paid for technical reports on referees but never tried to influence their decisions in games. Prosecutors said in court documents seen by The Associated Press that the payments by the club added up to 7.3 million euros ($7.7 million) from 2001-18. They added that this “quantity was not justified because it was not foreseen in the statutes of the club nor approved by its general assembly (of club members).” Prosecutors alleged that the former vice president of the committee, José María Enríquez Negreira, “in exchange for money, was to carry out acts tending to favor Barcelona football club in the decision-making process of referees in the games played by Barcelona, and in the results of the competitions.” There is so far no evidence that referees or game results were actually influenced.

A demonstration on how the use of 5G will make it possible to secure high-risk industrial management in the future has been exhibited at the ongoing Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. King Felipe of Spain on Monday inaugurated the four-day conference of all the telecom companies of the world. Some 80,000 delegates are expected at the annual gathering of the big players of the telecom industry. At the Mobile World Congress, many tech manufacturers are announcing 5G technology for virtual interactive applications, robot clusters, automated driving, smart wearables, automated patrol inspections, smart mining, smart tunneling, and other applications in coal mining. The 5G has been the centre of attention at this year’s congress. The industry giants have been demonstrating the necessary use of 5G technologies not only in industrial production but also in people’s lives. The demonstrations of 5 G-powered devices include, among others, unmanned helicopters and routers. T-Mobile is exhibiting unmanned helicopters. This helicopter can take off and land safely with passengers without a pilot. The helicopter can even make an emergency landing by choosing the nearest safe place if it detects any adverse conditions while flying in the sky. The 5G router will be completely different from the current routers. Meanwhile, the 5G technology will completely overhaul the routers we see today. The 5G-powered wireless routers will only connect to the network through a code from a specific operator. And with the bandwidth that this router will have, it will be possible to keep all kinds of smart devices in the family connected to high-speed Internet.  

King Felipe VI of Spain on Monday inaugurated the Mobile World Congress (MWC)-2023, an annual get-together of the big players of the telecom industry.  Some 80,000 delegates are expected at the four-day get-together of all the industrial titans, which is back to near full strength following years of pandemic-related disruption.  The Spanish King inaugurated the congress in front of about one and a half million people in Barcelona. The country’s president Prado Sanchez also attended the opening ceremony. One of the aspects of this year’s event is the addition of ‘Velocity’, the outline of an upcoming smart world. Velocity is a global initiative by the telecom industries around the world which is the centre of focus in this year’s Mobile World Congress (MWC).  According to the velocity initiative, nearly one billion people will be connected to the 5G network by the end of 2023. Countries around the world are expected to come under smart technologies from next year.  The initiative was taken to ensure that no country is left behind on the way forward to digital transformation.  In a world divided by culture, ethnicity, and language, the velocity initiative also aims to bridge the gap among the people around the world.  Hundreds of thousands of tech enthusiasts from more than 200 countries attended the opening ceremony of the event. At the ceremony, King Felipe called on everyone to ensure the humane use of technology for the future.  “We will go further with technology. However, innovators and service providers need to be aware that their  technology doesn't dehumanize people and turn them into heartless machines,” he said.  The telecom industry giants have pledged to be at the forefront of the "tsunami of innovation." "We are at the doors of a new change of era driven by the intersection of Telco, Computing, Artificial Intelligence and Web3," said Jose Maria Alvarez-Pallete, boss of Spanish operator Telefonica and current chairman of industry body GSMA, which organizes the Barcelona event. He promised the telecoms industry would be at the forefront of the "tsunami of innovation", adding: "Without telcos there is no digital future." GSMA Chairman said, the purpose of this year's Mobile World Congress is a little different than before, which is reflected in the main theme. This year's main theme is to ensure the use of information technology to build a world free from poverty This year's Mobile World Congress has the exhibition center of ten thousand companies from almost two hundred countries. Industrial titans like Huawei, Nokia and Samsung are set to showcase their latest innovations, flanked by smartphone makers like Oppo and Xiaomi and network operators like Orange, Verizon, and China Mobile.  The world is now gripped by a fear that the machine is leading to the destruction of human civilization. Tech giants from around the world said they are working on humanizing the machines. They’re also showing people how technology is changing people's lives and the pattern of work. According to the innovators attending the conference, it is now necessary for people to learn about new technologies. Technology will not replace people’s jobs, rather it will make their work easier, they said.     

Vinícius Júnior had his share of chances to break the deadlock. More than once, the Brazil forward was in front of the opposition goal with only the 'keeper to beat. But Vinicius and his teammates couldn't get the job done on Sunday as Real Madrid was held to a 0-0 draw at home by third-place Real Sociedad to lose ground to Barcelona at the top of the Spanish league. The result left defending champion Madrid five points behind the Catalan rival, which won 1-0 at Girona on Saturday. Sociedad stayed three points behind Madrid, and eight behind Barcelona. Both Madrid and Barcelona have a game in hand. Vinícius played well overall and created some good opportunities for himself, but in the end was thwarted by a great performance from Sociedad goalkeeper Álex Remiro. He made three key saves against close-range attempts by Vinícius, and also saw the Brazilian send the ball wide in a one-on-one situation. “Vinícius played a good match, if he had scored it would have been a spectacular one," Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “He has been playing well. Sometimes he will miss, but he is always trying.” Karim Benzema and Rodrygo also couldn't break through the Sociedad defense as Madrid was held scoreless for the first time this season despite more than 20 attempts against Sociedad, which also had its opportunities in an intense match at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium. Read more: Benzema keeps on scoring, Madrid stays close to Barcelona “We played a very complete game but couldn't score,” Ancelotti said. “We were close. I'm satisfied with the draw because we played well.” Madrid, coming off a home win in the derby against Atletico Madrid in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey, remains unbeaten against Sociedad since a 4-3 home loss in the quarterfinals of the Copa in 2020, a competition the Basque Country side won. Sociedad was coming off a 1-0 loss at Barcelona in the Copa quarterfinals, a result that ended its nine-game winning streak in all competitions. It had been one of the hottest teams in Spain until the consecutive setbacks against the powerhouses. ATLETICO REBOUNDS Atletico Madrid bounced back from its Copa elimination against Madrid with a 1-0 win at seventh-place Osasuna. Substitute Saúl Ñíguez scored the winner less than 10 minutes after he had entered the match in the 65th. Atletico relinquished a late 1-0 lead against Madrid to lose 2-1 in the quarterfinals of the Copa del Rey on Thursday. The cup was the only competition Atletico realistically had a chance to win as it had already been eliminated from the Champions League and the Europa League, and it currently trails league leader Barcelona by 13 points. “We are out of the Champions (League) and the Copa, but the motivation to play for Atletico remains,” Atletico coach Diego Simeone said. “I’ll always demand that from my players.” Read more: Barça beats Betis to set up Super Cup final against Madrid It was the third win in four games in all competitions for Simeone’s team, while struggling Osasuna remained winless in four straight. Osasuna has only one victory in eight matches overall, though it hadn't lost since last year. Atletico hadn’t won an away match in the league since October at Real Betis. WILLIAMS’ RUN ENDS Iñaki Williams’ absence in Athletic Bilbao’s 1-0 loss at Celta Vigo ended his record of 251 consecutive league appearances. He did not play in Vigo because of injury. Williams had played in every league match for Bilbao since April 2016. Veteran striker Iago Aspas scored Celta's winner in the 71st. The result moved Celta to 16th place, while Bilbao remained eighth. Bilbao is winless in five league games, since a 3-0 home victory against Valladolid before the World Cup. VALENCIA’S STRUGGLES Valencia’s struggles continued with a 1-0 loss at Valladolid, adding pressure on coach Gennaro Gattuso. Valencia has only one win in its last 10 league games, against Real Betis before the World Cup. It dropped to 14th place and one point above the relegation zone. Canadian forward Cyle Larin scored a 90th-minute winner for 17th-place Valladolid, which ended its five-game losing streak across all competitions.

Goal after goal, Karim Benzema keeps putting his World Cup disappointment behind him. Benzema scored for the sixth time after being dropped from France’s World Cup squad because of an injury, leading Real Madrid to a 2-0 win at Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish league on Sunday. “He came back with the same quality,” Madrid coach Carlos Ancelotti said. “He helps us a lot in attack.” The goal allowed Benzema to join former Madrid great Raúl with 228 league goals with the club — second to Cristiano Ronaldo’s 311. It also helped Madrid get back within three points of league leader Barcelona, which earlier Sunday had defeated Getafe 1-0 at the Camp Nou. Read more: Benzema posts tweet indicating international retirement Toni Kroos sealed the victory for Madrid with a low shot from outside the area in the 90th. Benzema’s sixth goal in six matches since the World Cup came with a left-footed volley from inside the area in the 24th minute at San Mames Stadium. “It’s incredible. Karim has been spectacular,” Madrid defender Nacho said. “He continues to help us with his goals, just like he did last season.” Benzema won the men's Ballon d’Or award after a great season and had high expectations heading into the World Cup, but he was dropped from France's squad because of a thigh injury sustained in training just days before the team’s debut. The only game in which he had not scored after the World Cup was in Madrid's 3-2 come-from-behind win at Villarreal in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey on Thursday. Eighth-place Athletic had advanced past Espanyol in the Copa but remains winless in three consecutive league games. It lost the Basque Country derby to Real Sociedad in the previous round. Madrid had not won a league game since December. BARCELONA'S WINS ANOTHER Barcelona defeated relegation-threatened Getafe to extend its winning streak to three matches in all competitions. Pedri scored a first-half winner for the Catalan club, which has won four of its last five matches, with its only setback a draw against Real Betis in the semifinals of the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, where it advanced in a penalty shootout before eventually winning the title in a final against Madrid. “We didn't play well but it was an important victory," Barcelona coach Xavi said. Getafe players did the guard of honor before the match at the Camp Nou because of Barcelona's Super Cup title. Captain Sergio Busquets also was honored for having surpassed 700 appearances with the Catalan club. Barcelona defeated Getafe despite playing without suspended striker Robert Lewandowski, the league’s leading scorer. The Poland player was serving the second of a three-game suspension for disrespecting a referee in a league game last year. Forward Ferran Torres also wasn't available for Barcelona coach Xavi because of a red-card suspension. Pedri scored the winning goal from close range after an assist from Raphinha in the 35th minute. Getafe has lost four in a row, including three consecutive in the league. The Madrid club has only four league victories and sits in 16th place, just outside the relegation zone. Read more: Brilliant Benzema and His Road to Ballon d’Or Glory LATE PENALTIES FOR VILLARREAL Villarreal converted one penalty kick and missed another in stoppage time in a 1-0 home win over Girona. Striker Gerard Moreno had his spot kick saved four minutes into added time, but playmaker Dani Parejo converted his attempt in the final play of the game in the 111th minute. The late win left Villarreal in fifth place, tied on points with fourth-place Atletico Madrid, which holds the final qualification spot for the Champions League. Mid-table Girona played a man down from the 78th as defender Santiago Bueno was sent off with a second yellow card. Villarreal was coming off a 3-2 home loss against Real Madrid in the round of 16 of the Copa del Rey, when it squandered a two-goal first-half lead. It had beaten Madrid 2-1 two rounds ago in the league, then drew 1-1 at Celta Vigo. Last-place Elche drew 1-1 with seventh-place Osasuna at home to remain the only team yet to win after 18 Spanish league games this season.