Speculation
Totality Corp CEO explains why India is still largely untapped for NFTs
Despite ranking as one of the highest adopters of cryptocurrency among emerging markets, the majority of the Indian market is yet to embrace nonfungible tokens (NFTs). In an interview with Cointelegraph, Totality Corp Founder and CEO Anshul Rustaggi explained that social and cultural barriers, as well as anti-crypto regulations, are holding back NFTs from mass adoption — particularly in some of the lower-tier cities in the country. India has a population of 1.38 billion people and is the second-most populous country in the world sitting just behind China. Last month, the United Nations forecast the country to overtake its competitor sometime in 2023. However, Rustaggi explained that crypto trading and NFT collection are seen as speculative investments — a concept that is frowned upon in In...
Russians nationals detained in Chad desert say they are tourists
A group of Russians detained by the police in a part of northern Chad where the army has been battling a rebel invasion from Libya said on Wednesday that they were tourists who had come to sightsee in the Sahara Desert. The roughly 10 Russians were picked up last week by the police near the town of Faya Largeau because they were in a military operational zone, according to national police spokesperson Amane Issac Azina. Azina said they had not broken any laws and had not been arrested, but rather evacuated to the capital N’Djamena for their own safety. “We decided this time to visit the Republic of Chad because it is very interesting,” one of the Russians, Alexey Kamerzanov, told Reuters at an N’Djamena hotel. “Usually world travellers do not visit the Republic of Chad because it’s not the...
Cristiano Ronaldo is unconcerned over Juventus future
Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo insists his sole focus is on Euro 2020 and reports of interest from rival clubs are causing him no “sleepless nights”. Ronaldo left Real Madrid for Juve in 2019, but the move has not worked out quite as planned. Although the Bianconeri won the Serie A title for a ninth successive season in the forward’s first campaign, they lost their crown to Inter this term and scraped Champions League qualification. Success in Europe’s premier club competition, which Ronaldo won five times with Manchester United and Madrid, continues to evade the Turin giants. A frustrating season ended with Massimiliano Allegri returning to replace Andrea Pirlo, and there has been speculation Ronaldo could follow his coach out of the door. Madrid, United and Paris Saint-Germain have...
Cristiano Ronaldo is unconcerned over Juventus future
Juventus superstar Cristiano Ronaldo insists his sole focus is on Euro 2020 and reports of interest from rival clubs are causing him no “sleepless nights”. Ronaldo left Real Madrid for Juve in 2019, but the move has not worked out quite as planned. Although the Bianconeri won the Serie A title for a ninth successive season in the forward’s first campaign, they lost their crown to Inter this term and scraped Champions League qualification. Success in Europe’s premier club competition, which Ronaldo won five times with Manchester United and Madrid, continues to evade the Turin giants. A frustrating season ended with Massimiliano Allegri returning to replace Andrea Pirlo, and there has been speculation Ronaldo could follow his coach out of the door. Madrid, United and Paris Saint-Germain have...
Rapid spread of Delta variant throws England’s re-opening into doubt
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s hopes of ending England’s coronavirus lockdown on June 21 hung in the balance on Friday as data showed a further rise in cases of the rapidly spreading Delta variant. Johnson is due to announce on Monday whether the planned lifting of restrictions, which would see an end to limits on social contact, can go ahead on time. But the rapid spread of the Delta variant, officially a “variant of concern”, has thrown those plans into jeopardy, prompting speculation that the June 21 date will be pushed back, or that some restrictions will remain. “We have to be really careful. We had a very big opening on the 17th of May where people could meet friends indoors, in a restaurant, in a pub, and socialise indoors as well,” COVID-19 vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi t...
Xavi explains why he has snubbed Barcelona managerial job twice
Xavi has been explaining why two offers from Barcelona to become their next manager were snubbed. The Liga giants have sounded out a familiar face on a couple of occasions in recent years when finding themselves in need of inspiration from the dugout. Both approaches have been knocked back, with a club legend who continues to cut his coaching teeth in Qatar with Al Sadd not yet of the opinion that the time is right to retrace his steps to Camp Nou. Discussing his decision to reject two advances from Catalunya, Xavi has told La Vanguardia: “Fortunately or unfortunately I have said no to Barcelona twice, due to different circumstances, family, professional, contractual… “And of course it was very difficult because I am a Barcelona fan, but it was not the [right] time.” The World Cup winner a...
Bernd Leno: I don’t want to leave Arsenal
Bernd Leno has insisted that he does not want to leave Arsenal while outlining his ambition to help the club reach the Champions League again. Leno completed a £23 million ($33m) move to Emirates Stadium from Bayer Leverkusen in 2018, venturing outside of Germany for the first time in his professional career in the process. The 29-year-old has since nailed down the number one spot in Arsenal’s team; however, it has been suggested that he is one of several first-team stars likely to depart in the summer transfer window. Mikel Arteta is being tipped to reshape his squad after a turbulent 2020-21 campaign, but Leno has dismissed the ongoing speculation surrounding his future while revealing he intends to see out the final two years of his contract. “I don’t want to flee here, I feel good and ...
Report: Barcelona open to selling Antoine Griezmann for the right price
Italian Sky Sports journalist Matteo Moretto has proclaimed that Barcelona are willing to sell French superstar Antoine Griezmann in the summer if they were to receive an adequate offer, in order to try and ease the pressure on their accounts. After a far from optimal start to his stint in Garnet and Blue, Griezmann has largely managed to turn his fortunes around. He has established himself as a very useful asset for Barcelona, and proved to be an instrumental part of the Catalans’ Copa del Rey triumph. However, despite his turn of form, there has been constant speculation regarding Antoine Griezmann’s departure from Barcelona. Considering the massive cost of his transfer from Atletico Madrid two seasons ago and his high wages, the club might be open to a sale in the summer. The upcoming t...
Jorge Mendes rubbishes Cristiano Ronaldo’s Sporting Lisbon return links
Former Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo will not be returning to Sporting Lisbon this summer. The Portuguese international has been linked with a fairy tale return to his boyhood club ahead of the 2021/22 season after enduring a mixed campaign with Serie A giants Juventus. Ronaldo’s mother Dolores Aveiro also fuelled speculation over him going back to Lisbon by claiming she would ‘talk to her son about a return’. However, despite speculation over the 36-year old’s next move, as he enters the final year over his contract in Turin, his agent Jorge Mendes has confirmed there will be no move this summer. “Cristiano is proud of the title won by Sporting (this season), as he has publicly demonstrated,” Mendes told an interview with Portuguese outlet Record. “But at the moment his career p...
Borussia Dortmund confident of retaining Erling Haaland in 2021
Borussia Dortmund remain convinced they will keep hold of superstar striker Erling Haaland this summer. The Norwegian international has been heavily linked with a mega money move away from the Bundesliga giants with La Liga pair Barcelona and Real Madrid both tracking him with interest. However, despite the ongoing speculation over where the 20-year old will be playing his football next season, Dortmund Sporting Director Sebastian Kehl has insisted their stance has not changed. “I understand Erling Haaland will play for Borussia Dortmund next season,” he told an interview with Sport1, as reported via Diario AS. “Erling totally agrees. I see him every day and I can say he completely identifies with the club.” Kehl’s comments come on the back of Haaland’s agent Mino Raiola hint that the Germ...
Washington denies Iran state media report saying prisoner swap agreed
The United States on Sunday denied a report by Iran’s state television that the arch-foes had reached a prisoner swap deal in exchange for the release of $7 billion frozen Iranian oil funds under U.S. sanctions in other countries. Iranian state television said on Sunday that Tehran would free four Americans accused of spying in exchange for four Iranians held in the United States and the release of $7 billion in frozen Iranian funds. The U.S. government denied that an exchange was in the works. The state TV, quoting an unnamed Iranian official, also said British-Iranian national Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe would be released once Britain had paid off a debt on military equipment owed to Tehran. A British Foreign Office official played down that report. Iran and world powers are holding talks ...
Christian Pulisic dismisses Chelsea exit rumours
Chelsea winger Christian Pulisic has dismissed rumours he could quit Stamford Bridge this summer. The United States international has found himself in and out of the side under Thomas Tuchel and admitted he was “very frustrated” not to start against Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final second leg earlier this month, giving rise to speculation he could seek a move this summer. However, Pulisic says he isn’t going anywhere and is “up for the challenge” of proving himself in west London. When asked whether he saw his long-term future at Chelsea, Pulisic told ESPN: “Yeah, I’m obviously happy here. It has been an incredible two years. “People have always doubted and said: ‘Oh, he’s not playing, does he want to go here, does he want to go there?’ I’m always up for a challenge, I love c...