Ticketmaster, Live Nation agree to all-in prices as part of Biden war on junk fees
By Jarrett Renshaw Live Nation and Ticketmaster will soon offer consumers all-in pricing on their popular ticket platforms,
2023-06-15 17:26
Cyberattacks on renewables: Europe power sector's dread in chaos of war
By Nora Buli, Nina Chestney and Christoph Steitz OSLO/LONDON/FRANKFURT Saboteurs target a nation leading the world in clean
2023-06-15 17:25
The ‘problem’ Kylian Mbappe faces after disrupting the entire transfer market
Paris Saint-Germain had long expected Kylian Mbappe’s letter, such was his overt dissatisfaction with how everything was going, but that was emphatically not the case with the rest of Europe. Monday’s news that the French star would not be signing his one-year contract extension caused “a scramble” around the continent’s top clubs. “Nobody was prepared for this,” one well-placed figure says. It instantly saw a number of sporting departments do a lot of investigation on Tuesday, to see if any deal might be possible. That’s the power of Mbappe, who has probably succeeded Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in becoming one player who clubs will drop everything for. It also speaks to that power that the player’s camp didn’t even feel the need to reach out to potential suitors beforehand. There were no backdoor soundings here. The door was instead blown off, with Mbappe himself then casually insisting he would still see out next season with PSG. That is dependent on a range of circumstances. Mbappe’s decision came down to some simple factors, though. While the primary issue was the club’s failure to progress at Champions League level, he is also conscious of how globally sidelined he is for most of the club season. Mbappe only really plays in about eight high-profile matches a year outside of tournaments, if even that. It is why so much is built up to those Champions League last-16 games. An irony is that this is a world PSG have also created. Their 2011 takeover fostered an almost one-team league in France, that just doesn’t command attractive broadcasting offers outside the country or Qatari station BeIn Sport. Mbappe destroying Ajaccio and Guingamp may make for a nice highlight reel on social media, but the interest for most fans doesn’t last beyond the time it takes to scroll up the feed. It’s all the more incongruous a situation given that Mbappe is the first player to truly realise the power that the Messi-Ronaldo era afforded the most famous players, especially those of his class. He gets it even more than they do. As such, he needs a move for the benefit of his life ambitions, not just his football ambitions. One increasing complication is that Mbappe faces a very modern dilemma. Just like Messi in 2021, his sheer value has actually limited his options. There are only a handful of clubs who could afford him in the current market. They are Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid. New Financial Fair Play constraints meanwhile limit that further. When one “big-six” executive was asked on Tuesday whether his club would be interested in pursuing a move, they just laughed. “Don’t be ridiculous.” City have a long-standing interest in Mbappe from 2017, but they – again – have the issue that came up with Messi in 2020 and 2021. It would take a complete rearrangement of their squad in order to accommodate him. This is really a profound illustration of FFP’s positives, even as there is so much debate about the regulations. They are visibly preventing the same small group of clubs hoarding even more players. Many might consider that a bit of a joke given Chelsea’s movements over the last year, but they almost need to sell an entire starting XI before they can even think of Mbappe. United offer a more interesting option, especially as they are actively looking for a No 9 – especially a fast one – and could come up with the budget. The issue is that it would prevent strengthening elsewhere, which raises another great variable in all of this. There remains the uncertainty of the sale of the club, as Qatar seek to buy United through Sheikh Jassim. PSG president Nasser Al Khelaifi’s involvement in discussions is now well known. Mbappe going to a Qatari-owned United could offer a clean solution for a lot of involved parties here, if not necessarily for the wider game. It would also display a further issue with state involvement in the sport, way beyond FFP. There are still a number of circumstances that need to change for that prospect to become a serious one, though. All of which again leaves Madrid as the most serious option. That has long felt like his career destiny, and the Spanish club have taken longer-term steps that make it even more likely. Madrid have spent the last few years reshaping their budget for more vintage Bernabeu outlay, and this had already been anticipated as the first summer window since 2019 where they go big. Even they didn’t expect this Mbappe news, though. It has caused a rethink in their transfer plans, with that already from another rethink after the surprising departure of Karim Benzema for Saudi Arabia. The idea in the last two weeks had been that Madrid would bring in Jude Bellingham and a two-year option like Harry Kane – with that move more advanced than many had anticipated. Tuesday instead brought intensive talks about what to do next. Mbappe is there to be signed. Florentino Perez may have had a bit of a huff when the player rejected them for PSG last summer, with some Bernabeu executives even making empty claims about the French star never being allowed to play for Madrid in the future, but Monday night ensured all of that was forgotten in a flash. The main problem may be political rather than financial. Such is the current relationship between Madrid and PSG that Perez does not want to give the Qatari-owned project any money in terms of a fee, and PSG do not want to sell to Madrid. The French champions are “livid” at the entire situation, particularly with Mbappe himself. They had long realised the need to restructure the club – especially in the wake of the Champions League defeat to City in 2020-21 – and the idea had been to do exactly as their French star wanted. They were actually going to go for a Madrid-style realigning, seeking to go for younger talent in a high-pressing style, with the Parisian Mbappe the centre of this. He has now disrupted all of that, while disrupting the entire transfer market. Read More Kylian Mbappe breaks silence after speculation over PSG exit What next for Kylian Mbappe? Real Madrid, Man Utd and other options for PSG forward How Jude Bellingham can become the anti-Haaland for Real Madrid Football rumours: Man United, Real Madrid and Chelsea fight for Kylian Mbappe Kylian Mbappe breaks silence after speculation over PSG exit Real Madrid or Man Utd? What next for Kylian Mbappe
2023-06-15 17:25
Kosovo tightens border security after saying 3 police officers 'kidnapped' by Serbian forces
Kosovo’s prime minister says border security will be tightened following what he described as Serbia’s role in the “kidnapping of three police officers.”
2023-06-15 17:23
UFO expert claims that the south pole is a 'air traffic control' for aliens
You may have been hearing a lot about UFOs lately, and that’s largely thanks to Ufologist Dr. Steven Greer who has been hosting a conference on the subject. A range of people were invited to share their insights as part of an event streamed online and it saw Eric Hecker describe the south pole as an “air traffic control” hub for aliens. The conspiracy theorist made some pretty out-there claims at the conference, but it’s the discussion about the Amundsen–Scott South Pole Station that was most significant. Hecker claimed that in 2010 Raytheon, the US aerospace and defence conglomerate chose him to be a contractor on the research centre operated by the United States National Science Foundation. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter There was “much more” to the station that first met the eye, according to Hecker. Monday, June 12, 2023! Dr. Greer's Groundbreaking National Press Club Event! FREE to Watch! www.youtube.com He claimed the station actually operated as an “air traffic control” centre for UFOs and communicated with “exotic” crafts by sending neutrino rays up into space. Hecker went further by talking about “digital optical modules” buried a mile beneath the surface under the ice. He claims they were buried in order to detect neutrino interactions while being deep enough not to interfere with radiation readings. He also said he personally saw a “powerful green laser” pointing “at the cosmos.” It comes after a whistleblower who claims that the US government has been operating UFO retrieval research in secret has reportedly said that UFOs have been responsible for the deaths of humans. David Grusch worked for the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and was involved with the Unidentified Aerial Phenomena Task Force. He claimed that some of the “non-human intelligences” discovered have malevolent intentions and have killed people. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.
2023-06-15 17:22
There has to be 'honest accounting' of US past and present within Republican Party, Obama says
The Republican Party should acknowledge issues of racial inequality in the US instead of continuing rhetoric that opportunities in the country are equal and fair, former President Barack Obama said in a newly released interview on "The Axe Files."
2023-06-15 17:21
Boris Johnson wilfully misled parliament, says UK report dubbed 'rubbish' by ex-PM
By Elizabeth Piper and William James LONDON (Reuters) -Britain's Boris Johnson should be denied automatic access to parliament for deliberately
2023-06-15 17:21
UAE Lenders Fill Financing Void Left by Global Banks in Turkey
United Arab Emirates-based banks are increasing loans to their Turkish counterparts, filling a gap left by Western lenders
2023-06-15 17:20
Brad Pitt and Ellen DeGenres may have something very surprising in common: An ex-girlfriend
While the identity of the woman has not been revealed, Ellen DeGeneres once told Brad Pitt that she may have dated one of his ex-girlfriends
2023-06-15 17:20
Bayern to repay 245,000 euros for breaking minimum wage rules
Bayern Munich have been forced to repay over 200,000 euros ($216,560) for failing to meet minimum wage requirements over a five-year period, Bavarian...
2023-06-15 17:19
Carabao Cup 2023/24 fixture dates and schedule revealed
After the Premier League 2023/24 fixtures were published, fans can also plot a path to the first piece of major silverware in 2024 after the Carabao Cup schedule was released. Manchester United picked up the first trophy of the Erik ten Hag era last year in the Wembley final. And the Red Devils will hope to defend their title after edging out Newcastle. Premier League fixtures LIVE: Opening weekend, Christmas matches and full schedules for every club Here are the key dates for this year’s competition, including the Wembley final: Carabao Cup 2023/24 schedule Carabao Cup Round Two - w/c 28 August 2023 Carabao Cup Round Three - w/c 25 September 2023 Carabao Cup Round Four - w/c 30 October 2023 Carabao Cup Quarter-Final - w/c 18 December 2023 Carabao Cup Semi-Final (first leg) - w/c 8 January 2024 Carabao Cup Semi-Final (second leg) - w/c 21 January 2024 Carabao Cup Final - Sunday 25 February 2024 The first major piece of silverware of the 2023/24 will be won on 25 February 2024. Read More Premier League fixtures LIVE: Opening weekend, Christmas matches and full schedules for every club Marcus Rashford couldn’t stomach Man City celebrations but England remain united England’s future is about to be defined – and it’s out of Gareth Southgate’s control
2023-06-15 17:19
'The Spider-Boys': Tom Holland reveals he has a special group chat with Andrew Garfield and Tobey Maguire
'We have this amazing bond as three people who have been through something that is so unique that we really are like brothers,' Tom Holland said
2023-06-15 17:19
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