Dinamo Zagreb midfielder Martin Baturina reportedly ‘rejected’ an offer to join Real Madrid amidst interest from Manchester United and Barcelona.
Baturina, 21, is one of the hottest talents in Croatia and has nine goal contributions in 17 matches across all competitions this term.
His best performance of the season came in the Champions League against AS Monaco, who had beaten Barcelona the matchday prior. He scored and assisted in a 2-2 draw at home to the French side.
The young playmaker also has seven caps for the Croatian national team, scoring and assisting against Poland in his most recent appearance for his country.
Several clubs are reportedly keen on signing Baturina from Dinamo Zagreb and interest from Real Madrid, Barcelona and Man Utd shows just how highly rated he is.
Man Utd ‘interested’ in next Luka Modric
According to German journalist Patrick Berger, Baturina has ‘rejected’ a contract offer from Madrid.
Indeed, the European champions attempted to ‘lure him with a five-year contract’ and the chance to play on loan in Spain for the next two years.
The idea of replicating Croatian legend Luka Modric surely appeals to Baturina but the 21-year-old ‘wants to be a permanent fixture in a top team from the summer onwards’.
Berger adds that Barcelona, Atletico Madrid and Man Utd ‘are also interested’.
MORE ON MAN UTD FROM F365 👉 Onana on course for Golden Glove but Pope best in Premier League 👉 Premier League winners and losers: Liverpool strengthen grip as Dr Tottenham saves another patient 👉 REVEALED: Why Liverpool will officially be massive bottlers if they don’t win Premier League title
Furthermore, Baturina ‘plans to leave Dinamo’ at the end of the season and views Bundesliga as the ‘perfect step’ in his career.
There is no release clause in the player’s contract and will cost ‘around €20-25m’ (£16.6-20.8m).
Berger wrote on X: ‘Croatia’s top talent Martin Baturina (21) has rejected an offer from Real Madrid! The Spaniards lured him with a five-year contract, but the Royal’s plan also included loaning Baturina out within Spain for two years.
‘The attacking midfielder, who has a big fan and supporter in Luka Modric (39), wants to be a permanent fixture in a top team from the summer onwards.
‘Barca, Atletico and Manchester United are also interested. Baturina plans to leave Dinamo Zagreb after the season and sees the Bundesliga as the perfect step.
‘No release, price tag is around €20-25m.’
Man Utd: Malacia finally returns after 518 days out
Meanwhile, Man Utd left-back Tyrell Malacia returned to action on Tuesday evening, 518 days after his last appearance.
He started for the club’s Under-21 side against Huddersfield Town in the EFL Trophy.
Mestia City Hall called on residents of Chuberi and Haisha villages to disconnect mining farms due to the critical load on the power grid. Due to preferential electricity tariffs, the region has become a center of uncontrolled cryptocurrency mining.
In Georgia, the Mestia City Hall called on residents of the villages of Chuberi and Khaisha to immediately turn off their "bitcoin machines". Uncontrolled mining may leave part of the region without electricity this winter, UNN reports with reference to Novosti Georgia.
"Electricity consumption in administrative units has increased dramatically due to uncontrolled cryptocurrency mining," the statement said.
Power supply systems operate with overload and can shut down at any time.
If the situation is not resolved, it will be impossible to supply electricity to the population, the authorities warn.
"Please understand that your personal interests are being sacrificed for the welfare of the rest of the population – your neighbors, your relatives, your friends," the mayor's office calls.
The problem with electricity due to mining has been relevant in Mestia for years. The emergence of a large number of mining farms in Mestia is due to low electricity tariffs and special benefits for residents of the highland region.
Bitcoin has risen sharply above $89,000: what caused the record growth of the cryptocurrencyNov 12 2024, 08:18 AM • 20557 views
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will head the Russian delegation to the Group of Twenty (G20) summit instead of Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Russian state news agency TASS reported on Nov. 12, citing Russian Ambassador Marat Berdyev.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) in March 2023 issued a warrant for Putin's arrest due to his role in the deportation of Ukrainian children. Brazil is a party to the ICC's Rome Statute and, therefore, is required to detain Putin if he enters the country.
Brazil previously issued a standard invitation to Putin for the summit, which will convene heads of state of G20 nations in Rio de Janeiro Nov. 18-19.
In October, Putin said he would not attend the Rio de Janeiro summit, claiming he did not want to "disrupt the normal work of the forum."
Lavrov has repeatedly represented Putin at events involving world leaders, including sessions of the U.N. General Assembly and last year's G20 summit in India.
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said in September 2023 that the decision to detain Putin at the G20 would be left to his country's judiciary.
Putin visited Mongolia, an ICC member state, in September of this year, his first such visit since his arrest warrant was made public. Despite Mongolia's obligation under international law to arrest Putin, the Russian president received a warm welcome in Ulaanbaatar.
Ukrainian lawmakers described Putin's Mongolia visit as "a well-planned provocation" meant to show his indifference to the rule of law.
The Pentagon announced the availability of another $7.1 billion for military support to Ukraine under USAI. The funds include $4.3 billion for 2024 and $2.8 billion in refunds.
The United States has $7.1 billion left for military support to Ukraine under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. This was announced by the Pentagon spokesman at a briefing, UNN reports.
Details
According to a Pentagon spokesman, these funds include $4.3 billion for fiscal year 2024 and $2.8 billion in returned funds, of which $2.21 billion remain in the United States.
The Pentagon spokesman emphasized that the United States will continue to actively assist Ukraine, using these resources to provide the necessary means to deter Russian aggression.
In addition, another $2.2 billion is available under the USAI program, which will also help strengthen Ukraine's defense capabilities.
US arms support for Ukraine will continue – PentagonFeb 16 2024, 02:49 AM • 47059 views
Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson believes that British forces could be deployed in Ukraine if US President-elect Donald Trump reduces military aid to Kyiv.
Source: European Pravda, citing Johnson's interview with GB News
Details: Johnson explained that abandoning support for Ukraine would lead to far greater costs for the UK in the future.
Quote: "What I'm saying is for people watching, thinking why are we supporting the Ukrainians? It's because otherwise our collective security will be really degraded by a resurgent Russia threatening all sorts of parts of Europe."
The former PM warned that such a scenario would compel the UK to send troops directly, stating, "We will then have to pay to send British troops to help defend Ukraine."
Commenting on Trump’s stance on Ukraine, Johnson highlighted the conflicting influences within the US Republican Party.
Quote: "Donald Trump has lots of different voices in his ears and there's a front of the Republican Party, quite a lot of them actually, who take the wrong line on Ukraine."
Johnson criticised some Republicans for what he described as "a kind of weird sort of fanboy thing about Putin".
Nevertheless, he praised Trump's support for Ukraine during his first term. "This is the same Trump who made a huge difference to the fortunes of Ukraine when he authorised the supply of the Javelin shoulder-launched anti-tank weapons," Johnson noted, adding that without this support from the 45th US president, "the battle for Kyiv might have been very, very different".
Background:
Last month, Boris Johnson stated that Trump's unpredictability might have been enough to deter Vladimir Putin from launching a full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
He also expressed confidence that Trump would not abandon Ukraine if he became president.
A Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 hit severe turbulence during a flight from Buenos Aires to Frankfurt. The incident occurred at an altitude of 10,000 meters, with 329 passengers and 19 crew members on board.
The Boeing 747-8, carrying 329 passengers and 19 crew members, hit the air pits.
Writes UNN with reference to Het Nieuwsblad.
A Lufthansa Boeing 747-8 flying between Ezeiza International Airport (Buenos Aires) and Frankfurt experienced severe turbulence while flying over the area between South America and Africa. The incident occurred on Monday at around 18:00 when the plane was at an altitude of 10,000 meters.
Lufthansa said that despite the turbulence, the safety of the plane itself was not in danger. “The safety of the flight was not at any point in jeopardy,” a company spokesperson emphasized. The airline expressed its regrets for the inconvenience caused.
Recall
The German Air Force twice deployed Eurofighter fighters to intercept Russian Il-20Ms. The Russian planes flew without a plan or transponders.
In Armenia, unexpected snow trapped hundreds of cars on a mountain roadNov 12 2024, 03:51 PM • 12518 views
Over the past week, Russia had been gathering forces in what appears to be preparations for a decisive push in the country's Kursk Oblast.
"The situation is changing every day. Not long ago, we were on the offensive, and now we are on the defensive," a 35-year-old artilleryman with the callsign Spys, fighting in the area, told the Kyiv Independent.
In light of the recent advances of Russian troops in Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv oblasts, the country now faces a new challenge: defending the positions gained in the August cross-border offensive.
Ukrainian soldiers are holding off nearly 50,000 troops in Russia's embattled Kursk Oblast, President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Nov. 11.
Spared from decreasing the number of personnel conducting assaults in Ukraine's east and beefed up by over 10,000 soldiers from North Korea, Russia is likely to attempt to launch a major offensive from the north, potentially not stopping at the now nonexistent border.
Ukraine's Commander-in-Chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, reported in early October that Russia had transferred around 50,000 soldiers from the front to Kursk Oblast. In early November, Ukrainian officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the New York Times (NYT) that an assault involving these soldiers would take place "very soon."
The Russian grouping in Kursk Oblast consists of marine brigades, including the 155th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade of the Pacific Fleet and the 810th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade of the Black Sea Fleet, an airborne division, special forces battalion units, and a number of assault battalions, according to Vadym Mysnyk, a spokesperson for Ukraine's Operational Tactical Group Siversk.
Experts who spoke to the Kyiv Independent noted that Russia had also deployed troops from the Leningrad Military District, stationed near St. Petersburg, and even formed some infantry units from military personnel who had previously maintained Russian airfields.
"The Ukrainian military was able to gain advantageous heights in Kursk Oblast and thus lured Russian reserves," Ukrainian military expert Dmytro Zhmailo told the Kyiv Independent.
A visualization of Russian advances around Kursk Oblast over autumn 2024. (Nizar al-Rifai/The Kyiv Independent)
"If we had not done this, 50,000 troops would have definitely replenished the Pokrovsk, Kurakhove, and other priority directions for the Russians, and then the (Russian) advance in the east (of Ukraine) would have been more painful," Zhmailo added.
Although the Kursk operation has been ongoing for several months, the Russian military involved in the area is still coordinating and forming combat units.
As of early November, about 11,000 North Korean soldiers were already in Kursk Oblast. According to a report by the New York Times, North Korean troops would be fighting as light infantry, vulnerable to Ukrainian artillery and drone attacks, without the assistance of armored vehicles.
Zhmailo agreed with the following assessment, adding that the number of North Korean soldiers transferred to Kursk Oblast will not significantly affect the course of the battle, given the recent Russian losses.
He added that it is difficult to determine how effective North Korean troops are as there have been very few military clashes. Another Ukrainian defense expert, Andrii Kharuk, echoes Zhmailo's stance, mentioning that North Korean troops have not been involved in wars since 1953.
The deployment of North Korean soldiers as light infantry is the most rational in terms of tactics, Kharuk added.
"During the Korean War in 1950-1953, North Korean troops acted in small groups, using the tactic of 'infiltration' (between the opponent's military units) and consolidation of assault operations. This is a traditional tactic for them," Kharuk said.
Among the challenges faced by North Korean soldiers, Kharuk mentioned the language barrier and that the North Korean army mainly fought in mountainous terrain. In Kursk Oblast, it faces a gently undulating plain.
Yet, the expert emphasized that in any case, 50,000 personnel in this area is a "rather large number."
"These are actually Russian losses of a month or a month and a half. It will take us a month and a half to knock out this number of troops ," Kharuk said.
"Their accumulation in Kursk Oblast is a positive thing. On the other hand, we cannot say for sure how many Ukrainian troops are involved in deterring Russian and North Korean troops."
Open road to Sumy
The Ukrainian command hasn't provided updates on the state affairs for Ukrainian forces in Kursk Oblast. Officials also do not disclose which units are fighting in this area.
DeepState, a Ukrainian crowdsourced monitoring website, reported late on Oct. 10 that Russia managed to push through the left flank of Ukraine's salient in Kursk Oblast.
"The enemy is now trying to establish a foothold near the settlements of Novoivanovka and Zeleny Shliakh," DeepState reported on Telegram. The two settlements lie some 15 kilometers from the Ukrainian-held town of Sudzha and around 10 kilometers north of the Ukrainian border.
Parallel messages also appeared on Russian pro-war channels. The well-known Rybar channel wrote that Russian forces launched several attacks in the Korenevsky and Sudzhansky districts, in which Ukraine established its foothold.
"I suspect both sides are taking significant losses in Kursk Oblast, with the Russians likely suffering considerably higher losses given that they are on the offensive," John Hardie, deputy director of the Russia Program at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told the Kyiv Independent.
"Ukraine's casualty rate may start to rise as trees shed their leaves, providing less concealment from Russian reconnaissance drones and exposing Ukrainian troops to greater threats from Russian artillery, glide bombs, and so on."
Ukraine continues to maintain its positions on Russian territory not only from a strategic point of view but also from a geopolitical one, experts interviewed by the Kyiv Independent said.
"Withdrawing Ukrainian units from Kursk Oblast could help in the east (of Ukraine), though it would also mean sacrificing a potential bargaining chip in peace talks. However, stabilizing its lines in the east is also critical for Ukraine's negotiating position, and I doubt Moscow will be willing to begin negotiations until it has retaken all the territory in Kursk (Oblast)," Hardie said.
While Ukraine continues to retain Russian territories in Kursk Oblast, Russia keeps advancing at an increased pace deeper into Donetsk Oblast and beyond. In August and September, Moscow seized 5.5 times more Ukrainian territory than in all of 2023, according to the Ua War Infographics project.
Kharuk called the potential loss of positions in Kursk Oblast in favor of reinforcing troops in other parts of the front "insignificant" for Ukraine from a psychological point of view, as it is Russian territory.
At the same time, experts agree that Ukraine can hold Russian territories at least until early 2025.
Zhmailo said that Russian troops would most likely advance into northern Sumy Oblast if they breach Ukrainian defenses in the neighboring Kursk Oblast.
Ukraine's operation in Russia's Kursk Oblast has helped prevent the occupation of Sumy Oblast and its regional center, the city of Sumy, Zelensky said on a number of occasions since the start of the offensive in early August.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. presidential election has cast a shadow over further American assistance to Ukraine. The Republican candidate has repeatedly made controversial statements about the war and the Ukrainian government, including Zelensky.
"No country in the world, except for the U.S. and China, can stand up to Russia's military on its own. So, unfortunately, we are dependent on our partners here," Zmailo added, speaking about further Ukrainian operations on Russian soil.
While the debate over future military aid for Ukraine rages on, the Ukrainian military still holds the front in Kursk Oblast. The artilleryman with the call sign Spys, who has been fighting in the Kursk sector since August, said that things are still "more or less stable."
"Russian troops are bombarding us with glide bombs. One road leading to this (Kursk) direction is constantly monitored by Russian FPV (first-person-view) drones. This road is dotted with broken equipment. And we can't do anything about it — the territory is small, and drones can be launched from any direction," Spys told the Kyiv Independent.
"It is hard to say what will happen next. Our positions are being attacked regularly, but the contact line has not changed significantly so far."
The President of Ukraine had a phone conversation with the Prime Minister of Canada to discuss support for the Victory Plan and NATO membership. The leaders also agreed on positions ahead of the G20 summit and discussed defense cooperation.
President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy had a telephone conversation with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, UNN reports with reference to the OP.
The Head of State thanked Canada for its comprehensive assistance and principled support of the Victory Plan.
"Ukraine expects Canada to continue to actively advocate for its first point – an invitation to NATO. Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on Justin Trudeau to continue working with the allies in future multilateral formats and in direct negotiations," the statement said.
Zelenskyy and Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau discuss countering Russian disinformationSep 25 2024, 03:24 AM • 102403 views
The President also thanked Canada for its public support of allowing the use of long-range weapons against military targets in Russia.
In addition, the leaders coordinated steps ahead of the G20 meeting. It is important that Ukraine's position on a just and lasting peace be voiced there.
The parties also discussed the continuation of defense cooperation, in particular, agreed on the current needs of Ukrainian soldiers.
Zelenskiy asks Trudeau to lobby for authorization to strike russia – ReutersSep 4 2024, 12:54 AM • 144397 views
During a speech by Alexei Navalny's widow at the Web Summit tech conference, Ukrainian activists staged a protest. They chanted anti-Russian slogans and sounded an air raid siren.
Ukrainian activists disrupted the speech of Yulia, the widow of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, at the Web Summit 2024 technology conference in Lisbon. This was reported by marketer and blogger Khrystyna Zhuk on social media, UNN reports.
"The protesters' speech at the website was disrupted, and I thank all Ukrainians who joined the action. A Ukrainian woman took the stage, our voice was heard. Citizens of the country 404 (Russian Federation – ed.) should know that this is what awaits them anywhere in the world," Zhuk signed the video on the X network.
In one of the videos, an air raid alarm can be heard sounding during Navalnaya's speech. Another video shows Ukrainian activists shouting slogans such as "Stop Russia" and "Stop the War.
Add
The Web Summit conference is one of the most famous in the world, and some even call it "the place where the future is born." More than 70 thousand visitors gather here every year, including developers, entrepreneurs, and investors.
This year's Web Summit 2024 is taking place in Lisbon, Portugal, from November 11 to 14. More than 1000 speakers are scheduled, including representatives of such well-known companies as: Microsoft, Etsy, Meta, Picsart, and many others.
The Ukrainian delegation will also take part in this conference. This event will be an opportunity to demonstrate their innovative developments to large technology companies, sign lucrative contracts and attract investments. The Ukrainian delegation will include 24 startups.
Addendum
Daria, the daughter of Russian politician Alexei Navalny, worked at the campaign headquarters of the Democratic presidential candidate, current Vice President Kamala Harris.
According to the official version of the Russian authorities, Navalny died at the age of 47 in a penal colony in February this year. In August, investigators officially confirmed that Navalny died of a "combined disease" and an "arrhythmia." The politician's widow refutes the official version and believes that he was murdered and that the evidence is being hidden.
In September, The Insider gained access to classified documents related to Navalny's death. Among them was allegedly information that he had symptoms of poisoning before his death.
The Kyiv IndependentChris York
