Merkel says Erdogan terror comments ‘absurd’…Read full details

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel / AFP PHOTO / TOBIAS SCHWARZ

German Chancellor Angela Merkel regards accusations by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that she supports “terrorists” as “clearly absurd”, her spokesman Steffen Seibert said late Monday.

“The chancellor has no intention of taking part in a game of provocation,” Seibert said in a brief written statement. “These accusations are clearly absurd.”

Erdogan, whose government is embroiled in a spiralling row with European governments over the cancellation of pro-Ankara rallies on their soil, had shortly earlier asked Merkel why she was “hiding terrorists” in her territory, accusing Berlin of not responding to 4,500 dossiers sent by Ankara on terror suspects.

“Mrs Merkel, why are you hiding terrorists in your country?… Why are you not doing anything?” Erdogan said in an interview with A-Haber television. “Mrs Merkel, you are supporting terrorists,” he added.

The scathing broadside against Merkel came hours after the European Union urged him to avoid inflammatory rhetoric in a growing standoff with Germany and the Netherlands over the blocking of ministers seeking to address rallies promoting a ‘yes’ vote in the April 16 referendum on giving him greater powers.

Erdogan had twice over the weekend accused NATO ally Netherlands of acting like the Nazis, comments that sparked outrage in a country bombed and occupied by German forces in World War II.

Erdogan has been seeking to harness the Turkish diaspora vote — which numbers as many as 1.4 million in Germany alone — ahead of the referendum on creating an executive presidency and scrapping the post of prime minister.

The row erupted on March 2 when local authorities in the western German town of Gaggenau cancelled a rally which Turkish Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag was set to attend, ostensibly for logistical reasons. Other local authorities followed suit, sparking fury in Ankara.

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Policeman killed in south Tunisia ambush…Read full details

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A police officer was killed and another wounded in a night-time ambush on a checkpoint in southern Tunisia, the interior ministry said on Sunday.

Two suspected jihadists were killed and another seriously wounded in the incident near Kebili, 480 kilometres (300 miles) south of Tunis, in what the ministry described as a “terrorist attack”.

The ambush by motorcycle-mounted gunmen occurred early Sunday on a police checkpoint, it said, adding that a fourth attacker fled the scene and was being hunted.

“Home-made explosives” were found on the motorbikes, the ministry added.

Interior Minister Hedi Majdoub was among a large crowd of mourners who attended the policeman’s funeral at Kebili on Sunday afternoon.

Since its 2011 revolution, the North African country has experienced an increase in jihadist attacks that have cost the lives of dozens of members of the security forces and also 59 foreign tourists.

A soldier was wounded when a mine exploded on Sunday in the Mount Sammama area of central-western Tunisia, a defence ministry spokesman said.

Mount Sammama is in a range of hills that are a favoured hideout of loyalists of Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

It is adjacent to Mount Chaambi, considered to be the main rear base of the jihadists near the border with Algeria.

The injured soldier was hospitalised, but his life is not in danger, the spokesman added.

Tunisia has been under a state of emergency since November 2015, when a suicide bombing in Tunis claimed by the Islamic State jihadist group killed 12 presidential guards.

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Freddie Gibbs – Crushed Glass [Mp3 + Lyrics]

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Gangsta Gibbs makes his long-awaited return. After almost having his career (and life) derailed by a false rape accusation last year, Freddie Gibbs is coming back strong in 2017. Today the Gary, Indiana rapper announced he’s releasing a new album called You Only Live 2wice on March 31

On the first single, “Crushed Glass,” Gibbs reflects on his drug dealing days, Donald Trump and his recent legal scare: “I just beat a rape case, groupie bitch I never fucked/Tried to give me 10 for some pussy that I never touched.” The accompanying video finds Freddie wandering around the desert, only to wake up in a cell

Take A Listen Below

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Young M.A – Hot Sauce [Mp3 + Lyrics]

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Young M.A has been careful about the material she has released since “OOOUUU” blew up last summer. After a quiet beginning to 2017, things are quickly heating up: she is releasing an EP sometime this month, then heads off on tour with 21 Savage in April

In a recent interview with the L.A. Leakers, Young M.A announced her plans to release the EP HerStory later this month. It will be followed by a second EP later this year, which all leads up to her debut album titled HerStory in The Making.Just days after revealing the news, the Brooklyn MC drops her new single “Hot Sauce.” Produced by Showtyme On The Beat, the catchy track can be purchase now on iTunes. Stream M.A

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2 Chainz Ft Ty Dolla $ign, Trey Songs & Jhene Aiko – It’s A Vibe [Mp3 + Lyrics]

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2 Chainz’ “Good Drank” with Quavo and Gucci Mane continues in regular rotation in the new year and has become another standout record in the Atlanta rapper’s growing catalogue. 2 Chainz follows its success by releasing the song “It’s a Vibe,” the lead single off his Pretty Girls Like Trap Music LP.Produced by Murda Beatz, the laid-back cool record features Jhené Aiko & Ty Dolla $ign and Trigga Trey Songz. Fans can purchase “It’s a Vibe” when it hits iTunes this Friday, as Pretty Girls Like Trap Music is scheduled to hit stores on April 7 via Def Jam Records

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Premier League champions Leicester sack Ranieri

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Leicester City's coach Claudio Ranieri / AFP PHOTO / EMMANUEL DUNAND

Claudio Ranieri has been sacked as manager of Leicester City just months after leading the club to a remarkable Premier League title triumph, the Midlands side announced Thursday.

The Italian’s position has come under intense scrutiny this season during a slump that has left the Foxes just a point above the relegation zone.

That follows their startling title triumph, with Leicester 5,000/1 no-hopers before the start of the 2015/16 season.

Not even a gutsy 2-1 loss away to Sevilla in the first leg of a Champions League last 16 tie on Wednesday was enough to spare Ranieri, 65, the sack, even though the statement from Thai-owned Leicester confirming his departure from the King Power Stadium proclaimed him the club’s “most successful manager”.

“Leicester City Football Club has tonight (Thursday) parted company with its first-team manager, Claudio Ranieri,” said the statement.

“Claudio, appointed City manager in July 2015, led the Foxes to the greatest triumph in the club’s 133-year history last season, as we were crowned champions of England for the first time. His status as the most successful Leicester City manager of all time is without question.”

Leicester though have won just five of their 25 league games this term and are yet to score a league goal in 2017, having also been knocked out of the FA Cup by third-tier Millwall.

“However, domestic results in the current campaign have placed the club’s Premier League status under threat and the board reluctantly feels that a change of leadership, while admittedly painful, is necessary in the club’s greatest interest,” the club statement added.

– ‘Forever grateful’ –

Leicester vice-chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha said ditching Ranieri had been the hardest decision the current owners had made but one they had to take when, with 13 games left to play, there was still a chance of Premier League survival.

“This has been the most difficult decision we have had to make in nearly seven years since King Power took ownership of Leicester City,” he said.

“Claudio has brought outstanding qualities to his office. His skilful management, powers of motivation and measured approach have been reflective of the rich experience we always knew he would bring to Leicester City.

“His warmth, charm and charisma have helped transform perceptions of the club and develop its profile on a global scale. We will forever be grateful to him for what he has helped us to achieve.

“It was never our expectation that the extraordinary feats of last season should be replicated this season. Indeed, survival in the Premier League was our first and only target at the start of the campaign.

“But we are now faced with a fight to reach that objective and feel a change is necessary to maximise the opportunity presented by the final 13 games.”

– ‘Gut-wrenching’ –

Former Leicester and England striker Gary Lineker, now a television football presenter, reacted to Ranieri’s exit by tweeting: “After all that Claudio Ranieri has done for Leicester City, to sack him now is inexplicable, unforgivable and gut-wrenchingly sad.”

Leicester’s title success came after they narrowly avoided relegation under former manager Nigel Pearson.

But they have not won in their last nine matches in all competitions since a 2-1 FA Cup success at Everton on January 7, with their last league victory a 1-0 win over West Ham on December 31.

Assistant manager Craig Shakespeare and Mike Stowell will take caretaker charge ahead of Monday’s match against Liverpool.

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Mourinho gives no guarantees on Rooney future

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Manchester United's English striker Wayne Rooney. Oli SCARFF / AFP

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho was coy on questions over Wayne Rooney’s future at the club as he confirmed the striker was still not fit enough to return for their Europa League clash with Saint-Etienne.

There have been rumours that Rooney, who is no longer an integral part of the United side under Mourinho, could eventually leave for the mega-rich Chinese Super League.

“You have to ask him,” said Mourinho on Tuesday when asked if there was any chance the 31-year-old could follow in the footsteps of the likes of former United team-mate Carlos Tevez and move there before the transfer window closes next week.

“Of course I can’t guarantee (he will be here). I can’t guarantee that I’m here next week, how can I guarantee that a player is here next season?”

Mourinho, though, insisted he wants Rooney to stay, saying: “I would never push, or try to push, a legend of this club to another destiny.”

Rooney trained with his United team-mates in Manchester on Tuesday morning but was not part of the 20-man squad that flew to France for Wednesday’s last 32 second leg.

Asked if he would be fit for Sunday’s English Football League Cup final against Southampton, Mourinho was non-committal.

“I don’t know. This morning was the first time he trained and didn’t even train 100 percent with the group,” the Portuguese boss told reporters at Saint-Etienne’s Stade Geoffroy-Guichard.

“He is injured, I cannot do miracles at that level,” said the boss.

“Rooney is injured, he (has been) injured for two or three weeks.

“When you don’t have a player, you have others. The team is in a good moment. In the past few months we’ve lost only one game and it was one we could lose as it was a two-legged match.”

– ‘Shaw must wait’ –

The Europa League has taken on added importance for United, who are battling on four fronts, as it offers a qualification place to next season’s Champions League for the winners.

With United in a tight battle for a top-four finish in the Premier League — there will likely be three places up for grabs between five teams behind runaway leaders Chelsea — Mourinho said he wouldn’t be prioritising competitions.

“I want to win tomorrow (Wednesday). I don’t want to win Europa League or Premier League, I want to win tomorrow,” he said.

“I want to win the final on Sunday — Sunday at 7pm. I want to win against Bournemouth in the Premier League. That is the way I think all the time and during my career.”

Another player who didn’t make the match-day squad is England international full-back Luke Shaw, who has been out of favour with Mourinho.

After battling back from last season’s double leg fracture, Shaw has found games hard to come by since Mourinho succeeded Louis van Gaal, playing only once since November.

And Mourinho gave little indication the 21-year-old is likely to earn a starting place any time soon.

“Luke has to wait for his chance, he has to work better and better, knowing that I give nothing for free.

“When I give something for the players it is expensive for me, it is not cheap. They have to work really hard every day, they have to play well, so he has to wait and in this moment he is behind the others.”

United won last week’s first leg at Old Trafford 3-0 thanks to Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s hat-trick and Mourinho believes there will be no way back for Saint-Etienne if his team performs well on Wednesday.

“If we play normally, as we usually play, I think it is mission impossible for Saint-Etienne.

“Even though I think we played badly in the first 45 minutes of the first leg. I shall tell my players to forget about the final on Sunday. I want my players to be focused.”

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2m9twU8