Pep Guardiola has been told he has a massive task on his hands to rebuild Manchester City after agreeing a contract extension, with seven stars in “natural decline” at the Etihad.
Guardiola has won six Premier League titles in his time at the club, including the last four, and also led City to their first Champions league title.
The Spaniard was set to leave the club at the end of the season before signing a one-year extension earlier this week, with the option of a further year which would keep him at the club until the end of the 2026/2027 season.
It means he will be heading what looks to be a significant rebuild at the club, with a number of their older players like Kevin De Bruyne and Ederson heavily linked with moves away.
Alan Shearer picked the seven members of Guardiola’s squad who are “in a state of natural decline” and believes “it’s a big ask” for the current group to win the Premier League title again.
Speaking to Betfair, the ex-Newcastle striker said: “Looking through their current squad, you’ve got Kevin De Bruyne, Bernardo Silva, Mateo Kovacic, Ilkay Gundogan, Kyle Walker, Ederson & even John Stones who are all 30+ years old, so you could argue the bulk of their squad is in a state of natural decline.
“However, you could also argue whether a little bit of their hunger may have also decreased, because a lot of those players have been incredibly successful and I don’t care who or what you are, it’s difficult to keep going again, again and again.
“They’ve done it so many times now so it’s a big ask for them to come back and go again, and only time will tell. They also have the off-field charges that have been put to them as a football club to deal with, and the questions that are going to be asked there too.
“Plenty of people will say that the current charges hanging over City shouldn’t affect the players that are on the pitch, ‘they just have to go out and play’, and I understand that, but ultimately what happens at the top of the football club always filters its way down to the pitch at some stage.
“It shouldn’t do but often it does. Having said all that, if you ask me if they’ll be there or thereabouts come the end of the season, my answer to that would be yes.”
Honda has launched a demonstration center in Japan for mass production of solid-state batteries. The company plans to accelerate research and start production in the second half of the 2020s.
Honda has opened a demonstration facility in Japan to showcase its plans to mass-produce solid-state batteries at a lower cost, which could be crucial to the path to longer-lasting electric vehicles with a greater range in the future, reports The Verge, according to UNN.
Details
Solid-state batteries have been "elusive" for many companies due to the difficulty of scaling up production. The technology replaces the liquid electrolytes used in today's lithium-ion batteries with dry conductive materials that promise higher energy density and longer life. But it will require a completely new production process to be successful.
Several companies are actively pursuing solid-state batteries, including QuantumScape, which is backed by Volkswagen, Nissan, and Factorial, which is testing semi-solid-state batteries that fit in the Dodge Charger.
Honda says it is accelerating research at its new 27 ,000-square-meter demonstration facility set up in Sakura, Japan, and reducing the time it takes to produce a single unit. The facility has full-scale equipment that is divided among three buildings: the first for cathode formation and cell assembly; the second for anode formation; and the third for electrolyte activation and module assembly.
The plan calls for the use of an inline continuous mixer, which Honda says is "three times faster" than conventional batch processing. Honda plans to produce batteries on this line in January.
Honda is preparing its solid-state technology for mass production in the second half of the 2020s. The company's CEO Toshihiro Mibe has evaded the fact that solid-state batteries will also be the key to producing cheaper electric vehicles.
Addendum
Meanwhile, Honda is building on its other efforts to stay on top of the electric vehicle game. The Honda Prologue SUV, built on GM's electric vehicle platform, has been a big success in the US, and the company is preparing a larger SUV for 2025. At CES, it will also unveil a production car that will use the new Honda Zero platform powered by LG batteries (Honda and LG are jointly building a battery plant in Ohio).
Gold deposits worth more than $83 billion were discovered in Hunan Province. At a depth of 2,000 meters, 300 tons of gold were found in 40 areas of the Wanggu deposit.
Chinese geologists have discovered extra-large gold reserves at a deposit in the central province of Hunan. This was reported by Xinhua with reference to the geological department of the region, UNN reports.
Details
According to experts, the value of the discovered resources is approximately 600 billion yuan (over $83 billion).
The publication notes that geologists have discovered more than 40 gold deposits with reserves of 300 tons at a depth of two thousand meters under the Wanggu deposit in Pingjiang County.
New ore exploration technologies such as 3D geological modeling were used at the Wanggu deposit. Gold was also found during drilling around the peripheral areas of the site, which opens up new prospects.
Which countries have the largest gold reserves: infographicOct 30 2024, 12:11 PM • 16971 view
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that during the Nov. 21 strike on Dnipro, Russia tested a new intermediate-range ballistic missile — Oreshnik (Hazel).
Russian forces launched a missile attack on the city earlier in the day, reportedly using a new type of ballistic missile. Ukrainian authorities have not confirmed the type of missile used in the strike.
Putin claimed Ukraine targeted facilities in Russia’s Kursk and Bryansk oblasts with long-range ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles on Nov. 19 and 20. In response, Russian forces launched a combined attack on a defense industry facility in Dnipro, according to the Russian president.
The Oreshnik missile is designed to carry nuclear weapons. However, Putin said it was not armed with a nuclear warhead in this instance. Putin warned that Russia would use weapons against any country whose arms are used to strike Russian targets. Putin claimed that the U.S. was allegedly planning to produce and deploy medium- and shorter-range missiles in Ukraine. The Russian president also promised that he would warn Ukrainian civilians and citizens of other countries in advance to leave the area of possible weapons impact. President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier that Putin is using Ukraine as "a testing ground" by launching missiles at Ukrainian cities. The recent attack against damaged an industrial enterprise, two houses, and nine garages and caused two fires, said Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Serhii Lysak. A rehabilitation center for people with disabilities was also damaged, Mayor Borys Filatov said. Two people were injured in the strike.
In the temporarily occupied areas of Zaporizhzhia region, utility workers have not been paid since the summer. This has led to massive layoffs and a critical shortage of staff.
A dangerous situation has arisen in the temporarily occupied districts of Zaporizhzhia region due to the suspension of salary payments to housing and communal services workers. This was reported by the Center of National Resistance (CNR), UNN reports.
Details
It is noted that due to the suspension of payments, the situation is getting out of control. There is a critical shortage of workers in the housing and utilities sector, and those who are trying to ensure the life of the Melitopol district are not receiving salaries.
83 employees of the Yakymivka district's "reformed" housing and communal services have been working "for gratitude" since the summer. As a result, layoffs have begun at the company. The situation looks especially dangerous at the beginning of the heating season and winter,
– the statement said.
The CNS added that the work of the occupiers in the bombed-out Ukrainian cities is only to spray the Kremlin's funds allocated for "reconstruction.
For example, in the temporarily occupied Mariupol, local residents were promised to install windows in their destroyed houses only after the end of the "military operation",
-summarized in the Resistance.
russians militarize Ukrainian children in the occupied part of Zaporizhzhia – FedorovFeb 14 2024, 05:11 PM • 26645 views
The United States has officially confirmed that Russia struck Dnipro on the morning of 21 November with a ballistic missile derived from a RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
Source: Sabrina Singh, Pentagon spokesperson, during a briefing, reported by European Pravda
Details: Singh stated that, according to US intelligence, Russia launched an experimental medium-range ballistic missile (MRBM) at the city of Dnipro.
Quote: "This IRBM was based on Russia’s RS-26 Rubezh intercontinental ballistic missile model. The US was prenotified briefly before the launch through nuclear risk reduction channels."
Ukrainian sources had previously also indicated that Russia used the Rubezh ICBM in the Dnipro strike.
The Pentagon spokesperson reiterated that the US has frequently observed "dangerous and reckless rhetoric from President Putin" and that President Joe Biden's administration remains focused on "continuing to provide Ukraine with what it needs".
Quote: "Ukraine, as you know, has been successful and continuing to push back against Russia and aggression. We just rolled out another 275 million-dollar package yesterday. You’re going to see more packages continue in the weeks and months ahead left of this administration."
She emphasised that while the US "takes seriously the rhetoric coming out of Russia", it will persist in supporting Ukraine with the resources it most urgently needs on the battlefield.
Background:
Russian leader Vladimir Putin stated that the Russians used an Oreshnik medium-range missile during the morning attack on Dnipro on 21 November.
He also threatened Western nations with strikes following their authorisation for Ukraine to use their missiles to target Russian territory.
The Lebanese Air Force conducted a third series of strikes on Hezbollah command centers in the Dahiyeh neighborhood of Beirut. The attacks targeted weapons production facilities that the terrorists had placed in civilian areas.
The Lebanese Air Force conducted a third series of strikes on the command centers of the Hezbollah group in the southern district of Dahiyeh, a key Hezbollah stronghold in Beirut. This was reported by the IDF, according to UNN.
Details
It is noted that the militants deliberately placed their infrastructure in these civilian areas, using the Lebanese civilian population as human shields.
Prior to the strikes, numerous measures were taken to mitigate harm to civilians, including through preliminary intelligence gathering, the use of aerial surveillance, and advance warning to civilians in the area.
Today's strikes targeted Hezbollah's terrorist infrastructure and are part of the IDF's efforts to dismantle the group's weapons production and storage facilities. The IDF will continue to act to weaken Hezbollah's ability to launch attacks against Israel,
– the statement said.
Recall
The Israeli military conducted a large-scale operation against terrorist targets in Gaza and Lebanon. Military facilities, weapons depots and launchers were destroyed, and dozens of terrorists were killed.
Russia used new 'Oreshnik' intermediate-range ballistic missile against Ukraine, Putin says
Ukrainian UAVs reportedly strike Russian border regions, industrial facility hit
Hungary deploys air defenses near Ukraine, cites war escalation after US allows strikes in Russia
Russian troops suspected of executing Ukrainian POWs in Kursk Oblast, ombudsman says
Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant faces 2nd blackout of the week after Russian attacks
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that during the Nov. 21 strike on Dnipro, Russia tested a new intermediate-range ballistic missile — Oreshnik (Hazel).
Russian forces launched a missile attack on the city earlier in the day, reportedly using a new type of ballistic missile. Ukrainian authorities have not confirmed the type of missile used in the strike.
Putin claimed Ukraine targeted facilities in Russia's Kursk and Bryansk oblasts with long-range ATACMS and Storm Shadow missiles on Nov. 19 and 20. In response, Russian forces launched a combined attack on a defense industry facility in Dnipro, according to the Russian president.
The Oreshnik missile is designed to carry nuclear weapons. However, Putin said it was not armed with a nuclear warhead in this instance. Putin warned that Russia would use weapons against any country whose arms are used to strike Russian targets. Putin claimed that the U.S. was allegedly planning to produce and deploy medium- and shorter-range missiles in Ukraine. The Russian president also promised that he would warn Ukrainian civilians and citizens of other countries in advance to leave the area of possible weapons impact. President Volodymyr Zelensky said earlier that Putin is using Ukraine as "a testing ground" by launching missiles at Ukrainian cities. The recent attack against damaged an industrial enterprise, two houses, and nine garages and caused two fires, said Dnipropetrovsk Oblast Governor Serhii Lysak. A rehabilitation center for people with disabilities was also damaged, Mayor Borys Filatov said. Two people were injured in the strike.
Ukrainian UAVs reportedly strike Russian border regions, industrial facility hit
Russian authorities reported Ukrainian drone strikes against the border regions of Rostov and Voronezh on Nov. 21, claiming that an industrial facility had been hit.
Russia's Defense Ministry claimed that its forces intercepted two drones over the two regions, making no mention of possible damage or whether some of the drones slipped through the defenses.
Yuri Slyusar, the acting governor of Rostov Oblast, said on his Telegram channel that a fire broke out at an industrial facility in the central Konstantinovsky district because of a "drone crash."
Slyusar claimed that firefighters quickly extinguished the fire. The type of the facility and the full extent of damage were not specified.
Another drone was reportedly downed in Rostov Oblast's Myasnikovsky district, inflicting no damage. No casualties were reported.
The airport in the city of Volgograd, lying northeast of Rostov Oblast, temporarily suspended operations due to safety concerns, the Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) reported.
The Kyiv Independent could not verify all of the claims.
Kyiv launches regular drone strikes against Russian territory, targeting military and industrial facilities to undermine Russia's war effort in Ukraine.
Two industrial facilities – including a factory producing cargo drones for the Russian military – and a military arsenal were allegedly hit during drone attacks overnight on Nov. 20.
Hungary deploys air defenses near Ukraine, cites war escalation after US allows strikes in Russia
Hungary is deploying air defense systems near the Ukrainian border, citing increased risks after the West allowed the use of long-range weapons inside Russian territory, Defense Minister Kristof Szalay-Bobrovniczky said on Nov. 20.
The minister ordered the deployment of air defense systems in the country's northeastern regions, saying that "the war has entered its most dangerous phase."
Szalay-Bobrovniczky attributed this escalation namely to the easing of restrictions on Ukrainian strikes with Western arms and linked it to Russian President Vladimir Putin's approval of an updated nuclear doctrine.
This decision comes after two Russian missiles were shot down on Nov. 17 in Zakarpattia Oblast, Ukraine's westernmost region bordering Hungary and home to an estimated 75,000 ethnic Hungarians.
On that occasion, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said that it was necessary to "strengthen efforts to bring peace" as "each day brings with it the risk of escalating war."
Budapest has consistently criticized and obstructed Western military support for Ukraine, claiming it would lead to an escalation, and has maintained warm ties with Moscow throughout the full-scale war.
Previously, Russian drones and missiles launched during strikes on Ukraine have crossed into the airspace of other countries, namely Poland, Latvia, Romania, Moldova, and Belarus.
The latest development in Hungary follows a series of increasingly strong resolutions by Ukraine's Western allies.
After U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken pledged that the Biden administration would bolster support for Kyiv before the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, President Joe Biden on Nov. 17 allowed Ukraine to use ATACMS missiles to strike deep inside Russian territory.
Ukraine reportedly used ATACMS missiles to strike a Russian military arsenal in Bryansk Oblast on Nov. 19 and allegedly also used U.K.-supplied Storm Shadow on Nov. 20, marking the first instance of these weapons being used on Russian soil.
Other Western allies have expressed their position on their own supplied weapons.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Nov. 18 that Paris "remained open" to allowing Ukraine to use French long-range missiles to strike military targets inside Russia, reported Le Monde.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said that she "understands" the U.S. response to Russia, but Rome makes a "different choice" and focuses on air defenses for Ukraine.
Russian troops suspected of executing Ukrainian POWs in Kursk Oblast, ombudsman says
Russian forces are suspected of summarily executing a group of Ukrainian prisoners of war (POW) in Russia's Kursk Oblast, Ombudsman Dmytro Lubinets reported on Nov. 20.
Lubinets said that the prisoners were "surrounded" but gave no other details, in particular on the number of victims.
Reports of murders, torture, and ill-treatment of Ukrainian POWs are received regularly by Ukrainian authorities and have spiked in recent months.
"I have sent letters to the U.N. and the ICRC about this crime," Lubinets said, reporting the suspected crime on his Telegram channel.
"The international community must act immediately. The occupying country has once again violated the Geneva Convention on the treatment of prisoners of war," he added.
The Armyinform news outlet ties this announcement to a video taken by a drone camera purporting to show the execution.
It shows 10 unarmed people lying on the ground with at least five armed men standing over them. At one point, they start shooting at the people on the ground.
Heavy fighting has been ongoing in the Russian border region of Kursk since Ukraine launched an offensive there in early August.
Earlier the same day, the Prosecutor General's Office announced another shooting of captured Ukrainian military personnel by Russian troops in the Pokrovsk area in Ukraine.
Former Prosecutor General Kostin on Oct. 15 called the killing of captured Ukrainian service members in captivity a "deliberate policy of the Russian Federation."
The execution of prisoners of war constitutes a grave violation of the Geneva Convention.
Russian forces had executed at least 124 Ukrainian prisoners of war since 2022 as of Nov. 6, authorities said at the time, while the number continues to grow. On top of that, at least 177 Ukrainian prisoners have died in Russian captivity, according to a representative of the Ukrainian Coordination Center for the Treatment of Prisoners of War.
Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant faces 2nd blackout of the week after Russian attacks
The Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is on the verge of a blackout after Russian attacks on power lines left the plant connected to only one line, the Energy Ministry reported on Nov. 21.
This is the second time this week that the plant has been seriously threatened by a blackout, which could compromise conditions for safe operation and cause an accident.
At the moment, the plant is connected to the Ukrainian power grid by only one transmission line.
Similar incidents have been reported throughout the full-scale war, with Kyiv accusing Russia of threatening the security of the plant. Russia has occupied the Zaporizhzhia plant, the largest nuclear station in Europe, since March 2022.
Energy Minister Herman Halushchenko confirmed that if the last line is cut off, there will be a complete blackout, as reported by the Energy Ministry's Telegram channel.
The Zaporizhzhia plant is not the only one causing concern.
The Khmelnytskyi, Rivne, and Southern Ukrainian plants were forced to decrease output on Nov. 17 after a massive Russian aerial strike targeted several substations critical to their power supply.
Greenpeace warned that Ukraine's power grid was at "heightened risk of catastrophic failure" after the mass missile and drone attack targeted the electrical substations.
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, confirmed in a statement on Nov. 17 that Ukraine's nuclear power plants had to reduce their electricity production as a precautionary measure due to large-scale missile attacks.
The attacks on Ukraine's infrastructure led to "increased nuclear safety and security risks," Grossi agreed.
Allowing Ukraine to regain control "is the only way to ensure the safe operation of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant," Halushchenko said.
The UN has expressed concern over Russia's use of new intermediate-range ballistic missile weapons to attack Ukraine. The organization calls for de-escalation of the conflict in accordance with international law.
The United Nations has expressed concern over Russia's use of new intermediate-range ballistic missile weapons to strike Ukraine. This was reported by CNN, according to UNN.
The situation is going in the wrong direction. We want all parties to take immediate steps to de-escalate the situation. We want to put an end to this conflict in accordance with General Assembly resolutions, international law and territorial integrity.
– the statement said.
Recall
Ukraine's Foreign Ministry reacted to Putin's statement about the Oreshnik missile strike on the Dnipro. The Foreign Ministry spokesperson emphasized Ukraine's right to strike military targets on the territory of Russia in accordance with Article 51 of the UN Charter.
A scheduled session of the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian parliament) for 22 November has been cancelled. Members of parliament were warned of a potential Russian strike targeting the government quarter.
Source: Ukrainska Pravda sources among MPs; MP Oleksii Honcharenko on Telegram
Details: Ukrainska Pravda sources revealed that MPs were notified about the threat of bombardment and urged to limit their presence, as well as that of their families, in the government quarter.
Honcharenko stated that the session was supposed to include a question hour with the government. The next session is planned for December.
Background:
Russian leader Vladimir Putin has stated that the Russians used an Oreshnik medium-range missile during the morning attack on Dnipro on 21 November.
He also claimed that in the future, Ukrainian civilians will supposedly be warned about the use of Oreshnik medium-range missiles.
The Kyiv IndependentChris York
