Malaysia to deport North Korean arrested in Kim killing

http://ift.tt/2lKD5HK

Kim Jong-Un / AFP PHOTO / KCNA VIA KNS / KNS / South Korea OUT / REPUBLIC OF KOREA OUT —

The only North Korean arrested over the dramatic airport assassination of Kim Jong-Nam is to be deported, Malaysia said Thursday, as it announced the abrupt cancellation of a visa-waiver programme with Pyongyang.

The moves came the day after two young women appeared in court charged with murdering the estranged half-brother of North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un with a banned nerve agent.

Attorney general Mohamed Apandi Ali said 47-year-old Ri Jong-Chol would be released and deported on Friday.

“He is a free man. His remand expires and there is insufficient evidence to charge him,” Apandi said.

“He has no proper [travel] documents so we will deport him.”

Seven other North Koreans are wanted in connection with the killing, including a diplomat and an airline employee who are believed to be in Malaysia.

Four others are thought to have fled to Pyongyang on the day of the murder.

Ri was arrested days after Kim suffered an agonising death when he was attacked at Kuala Lumpur International Airport as he waited to board a flight to Macau.

CCTV footage shows two women approaching the heavyset 45-year-old and appearing to thrust a cloth in his face.

Police say he suffered a seizure and died less than 20 minutes later, without reaching hospital.

Swabs of the dead man’s face revealed traces of the VX nerve agent, a synthetic chemical so deadly that it is classed as a weapon of mass destruction.

Indonesian Siti Aisyah, 25, and Doan Thi Huong, 28, from Vietnam, were charged with murder on Wednesday. If found guilty, they could be hanged.

Both women say they thought they were taking part in a prank video but police have dismissed the claims.

– Visa waiver –

South Korea has consistently pointed the finger of blame at North Korea, citing what they say was a standing order from Kim Jong-Un to kill his exiled half-brother.

Pyongyang — which has never acknowledged Kim’s identity — has denied the charge and disputes the autopsy, claiming Malaysia is in cahoots with its enemies.

In a press conference at the North Korean embassy in Kuala Lumpur, the North’s deputy envoy to the United Nations, Ri Tong-Il, reiterated Pyongyang’s assertion that Kim had died of a heart attack and that South Korea was peddling conspiracy theories regarding the use of nerve agents to damage the North’s image.

“A strong indication for the cause of death is a heart attack,” said Ri who flew to Malaysia three days ago.

The senior diplomat dismissed the use of a toxin and once again urged Malaysia to release Kim’s body to the North Korean authorities.

The two countries, which had enjoyed relatively warm relations, have been at diplomatic daggers drawn since the killing.

On Thursday Kuala Lumpur — which had earlier recalled its ambassador — said it was cancelling its visa-free travel deal with Pyongyang.

The government was implementing the change on the grounds of national security, Malaysian news agency Bernama quoted deputy prime minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi as saying.

– ‘Downgrading ties’ –

The cancellation will take effect on March 6, after which North Koreans entering Malaysia will be required to obtain a visa, the report added.

“We are not looking for enemies but if they use Malaysia as a platform to carry out their agenda, they should not accuse Malaysia and tarnish our image on the international diplomatic front,” Ahmad Zahid told a public event.

“We will act firmly to guarantee the safety of the people. Do not think you can use Malaysia to do what you want to do. Do not use Malaysia to carry out your illegal activities,” he added.

Malaysia was one of only a tiny handful of countries around the world that had such a visa waiver scheme with North Korea.

A senior Malaysian official told AFP that the government was mulling further “downgrading diplomatic ties” with North Korea.

“Malaysia is considering shutting down its mission in Pyongyang,” he said, as well as the expulsion of the North Korean ambassador following his “baseless allegations”, a reference to accusations of bias in the murder probe.

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2mG9sN1

Is Deepika Padukone Too Busy For Ranveer Singh Now? – She Speaks Up!…Read full details

http://ift.tt/2jpNMQ9

Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh as a couple are God’s gift to mankind. The two of them are adorable and I think I would be personally affected it they ever decide to part ways. Deepika recently had her first Hollywood release, xXx, and that had her very busy and constantly travelling. Did her schedule put a strain on her relationship with Ranveer?

In an interview to Rajeev Masand, she said:

Romance is the least priority right now out of the many things I like to juggle. Not that it doesn’t feature, it definitely features in the list of things that I need that are very important part of my life… To be in a peaceful relationship, it requires two people to be extremely secure about themselves and be extremely secure about the relationship itself. I think it also comes down to understanding each other’s professions. If some people may not completely understand the time demands or the travel demands and things like that… I think it’s important. You can’t choose that but one can be in a positive space if both partners are understanding of the other person’s demands.

So perfect :’)

The post Is Deepika Padukone Too Busy For Ranveer Singh Now? – She Speaks Up! is copyright of MissMalini.

Source: Miss Malini

Vía Uzomedia http://ift.tt/2m1oqvy

Clerics, others describe Okogie as an enigma

The bad weather on Osinbajo’s way

http://ift.tt/eA8V8J

By Emmanuel Aziken

In his about 14 years as a politically exposed person, no one has been able to relate Prof. Yemi Osinbajo to any of the political intrigues that swirl around politicians, well until this week when the weather blew against him.

Prof Osinbajo cut his political experience as a special assistant to Alhaji Bola Ajibola, the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation between 1988 and 1992, who he served as an assistant on litigation matters. He was said to have sufficiently acquitted himself in that office and may have partly recommended him for a place in the Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu cabinet in 1999.

His stewardship for the eight years he served as Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice is well referenced in the reforms he introduced into the Lagos judiciary which have been copiously copied by the federal judiciary.

Among the reforms was the introduction of the frontloading of witnesses and processes which helped to quicken judicial proceeding. He also reactivated or enhanced the Alternative Dispute Resolution, ADR option for settling cases.

But by far the most conspicuous evidence of Osinbajo’s reforms was the enhancement of the welfare of judicial officers, a system that was well copied by the federal judiciary. The enhancement of the welfare of the judicial officers was to minimise the temptation for judicial officers.

However, some allege that once the welfare of judges was enhanced, that the Lagos State Government never lost cases at the Lagos High Courts! It was as such the practice that those desperate in their cases against the Lagos State Government had to resort to the Federal High Courts and where not, would take the route of joining federal bodies like the Attorney General of the Federation to provide the locus.

But Osinbajo’s focus on administrative reforms did not mean that he abandoned his duties as attorney general as he took time leading the state’s legal team in several important cases especially constitutionally related matters.

For a man who understudied the Lagos political navigator, that is Tinubu for eight years the fact that he did not turn into a super political tactician in his own right was surprising. He, in fact, belongs to the fraction of appointees who served eight straight years, a fact ably helped by his apparent zero tolerance for oozing lucre.

At the end of his eight-year political stint, Osinbajo went back to his legal practise shocking those who thought he should have translated his very impressive success in office into political gain.

Well, that was to those who did not know the superior call of God upon him. After leaving office, he upped his ministry at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG rising to become a provincial pastor.

Since his return to the political space in 2015, Osinbajo had been largely under cover, understandably so in a presidential system where the president and governors wield power maximally with scant regard for their deputies.

However, in the Muhammadu Buhari–Osinbajo relationship, many would have also seen the effectual hand of the vice-president in the packaging and promulgation of policies. He is especially known to have been actively involved in the social welfare scheme of the administration.

For such policy wonks, their actions are often credited to their political principals, especially where such principals are of the charismatic hue. For all that Osinbajo he did in Lagos State, the reforms are still credited to Tinubu. Likewise, his contributions to the present federal administration would be credited to President Buhari.

With Buhari presently on leave, Osinbajo, has, however, been exposed! Last week and again on Monday, attempts to fly to Akure in continuation of his visits to the Niger Delta states were unsuccessful.  Penultimate Friday, bad weather at Akure Airport stopped his presidential jet from landing, and he had to make a return to Abuja.

Again last Monday, bad weather still stopped the acting president from even venturing towards Akure. The visit would also have been an opportunity for the acting president to commission some projects undertaken by former Governor Segun Mimiko who left office yesterday.

However, the inability of the acting president to visit Akure during Mimiko’s watch has been laced with political interpretations. Few, if any insightful political observer, would forget how the once cordial relationship between Mimiko and Osinbajo’s political leader, Tinubu moved into stormy weather after the former governor came to office in 2012.

So when it was claimed that weather twice stopped Osinbajo from meeting Mimiko the inclination of some to read political meanings into it would not have been difficult. While few would doubt the narrative of bad weather as given by Osinbajo’s media aide, Pastor Laolu Akande, the coincidence was just poignant enough to put the first suspicion of intrigue around the Acting President!

 

The post The bad weather on Osinbajo’s way appeared first on Vanguard News.

Vía Vanguard News http://ift.tt/2mnF4n0

Circumstances that will make me marry a poor man — Titi Adeoye

Trump heads to Florida to reconnect with his base

http://ift.tt/2m79nNR

NORTH CHARLESTON, SC – FEBRUARY 17: U.S. President Donald Trump addresses a crowd during the debut event for the Dreamliner 787-10 at Boeing's South Carolina facilities on February 17, 2017 in North Charleston, South Carolina. The airplane begins flight testing later this year and will be delivered to airline customers starting in 2018. Sean Rayford/Getty Images/AFP<br />Sean Rayford / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP

President Donald Trump will bask in the adulation of supporters on Saturday as he holds a campaign-style rally in Florida, reconnecting with his base outside Washington after a stormy first month in office.

“Looking forward to the Florida rally tomorrow. Big crowd expected!” the Republican leader tweeted Friday evening.

Following a grievance-filled press conference that raised questions about his temperament, the real estate mogul is getting back to basics and back on script.

On Friday, he visited a Boeing plant in South Carolina and pitched himself as a champion of US jobs and industry.

“As your president, I’m going to do everything I can to unleash the power of the American spirit and to put our great people back to work,” Trump said.

“This is our mantra, ‘buy American and hire American.’ We want products made in America, made by American hands,” he said, pledging to wean the country off imports.

On the campaign trail, Trump tapped a rich seam of unease among American workers.

Although the unemployment rate is at a low five percent and wages are rising steadily, a triple whammy of deindustrialization, globalization and automation has battered the US heartland.

Trump repeatedly touted his business acumen and promised to transfer boardroom smarts to the Oval Office in order to bring back jobs.

But poor management and scandal have plagued his first month in office.

In four tumultuous weeks, Trump has seen his national security advisor ousted, a cabinet nominee withdraw, a centerpiece immigration policy fail in the courts and a tidal wave of damaging leaks.

The perception of a White House in disarray was further fueled as Trump’s pick to replace national security advisor Michael Flynn turned down the job, leaving a glaring hole in the National Security Council.

Trump said Friday he was considering new candidates.

The president was spending his third consecutive weekend at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, and on Saturday he heads north to Melbourne, near Orlando, for a rally at 5 pm (2200 GMT).

The event will likely be reminiscent of his campaign trail appearances, with his cheering supporters providing a boost to Trump after he was frozen out by significant portions of the Washington establishment.

Trump was already on the offensive Friday evening. A day after a rambling press conference in which he blamed journalists for his administration’s troubles, Trump tweeted that “FAKE NEWS media” was the “enemy of the American People,” naming several prominent outlets.

– Back to business –
The commander-in-chief appeared to be in his element at Boeing, praising the roll-out of the 787-10, touring the cockpit and joking with CEO Dennis Muilenburg about negotiations for an order of F-18 Super Hornets.

“We are looking seriously at a big order, and we will see how that — you know, the problem is that Dennis is a very, very tough negotiator. But I think we may get there,” he said.

The US manufacturer employs some 7,500 people in South Carolina, where it has invested more than $2 billion since beginning operations in the southeastern state in 2009.

Trump’s prescription to drain the pockets of economic malaise that dot the country has been to rip up “bad trade deals” and impose tougher tariffs on imports.

“It has to be much easier to manufacture in our country and much harder to leave. I don’t want companies leaving our country. Making their product, selling it back, no tax, no nothing, firing everybody in our country,” he said.

That may be a winning approach politically, but few economists believe it would be good for Americans’ pocket books.

Richard Baldwin, a professor of international economics at the Graduate Institute, Geneva recently accused Trump’s team of pursuing “20th-century solutions for America’s 21st-century industrial problems.”

“In 2017, US workers are not competing with low-wage foreign labor, capital, and technology, as they did in the 1970s. Rather, they are competing with a nearly unbeatable combination of low-wage foreign labor and US knowhow,” he said.

Ironically, the Boeing Dreamliner may be a case in point.

From nose to tail fin, many of the Boeing’s components are made around the world: Wing tips in South Korea, the landing gear in England.

“If the Trump administration imposes tariffs, it will turn the US into a high-cost island for industrial inputs,” said Baldwin.

“Firms might be induced to move some production back to the US, if it is strictly aimed at US consumers. But they will be equally encouraged to offshore production that is aimed at export markets.”

Vía The Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2m6Vb7w

Police arrests Chocolate City boss Audu Maikori

http://ift.tt/2m75Grj

Audu Maikori

The Nigerian Police has arrested lawyer. founder and president of Chocolate City Group Audu Maikori, his lawyer Mark Jacobs and Chocolate City’s chief executive officer and recording artist Jude ‘MI’ Abaga confirmed on Friday.

Our civil rights must not be encroached!! @audu has been detained in Abuja right now.. #freeAudu @bellanaija @lindaikeji

— Yung denzL (@MI_Abaga) February 17, 2017

//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Maikori was allegedly arrested over ‘inciting comments’ he made on social media on Southern Kaduna killings. In a series of tweets on January 23, he alleged that five students of Kaduna State College of Education, Gidan Waya, Kafanchan, were murdered by Fulani herdsmen.

“My driver’s younger brother and five others students of college of education Gidan Waya were ambushed and killed by herdsmen yesterday #SouthernKaduna,” he said in one of the tweets.

But the school’s management denied that any of its students was killed. Kaduna State also condemned the misinformation and vowed to prosecute rumour peddlers.

While the police has remained silent on the arrest, Maikori’s lawyer said his client was kept at the Force Headquarters in Abuja

“I arrived at the Force Headquarters and learnt that a detention order has already been signed for him,” said Jacobs. “I am not sure he will be released tonight.”

Before his arrest, however, Maikori apologised for the wrong information contained in his tweets, claiming that he was misled by his driver, who himself was an indigene of Southern Kaduna. The driver, he said, was handed over to the police after he (Maikori) decided to further investigate the story to “ensure that all the facts of the case and evidence were presented to the authorities.”

“I hereby tender an unreserved and sincere apology to the Management of the College of Education, Gidan Waya, His Excellency the Governor of Kaduna State and the Kaduna State Government, and also to the people of Southern Kaduna and the Fulani community and also VANGUARD newspapers whose source was my driver for the false statement by my driver which I also publicized believing same to be true,” Maikori said in a statement on February 5.

“This action is made even more imperative because I understand that as a leader in my community, my statements are taken seriously and shapes the narrative. But nothing is more important in leadership than owning up to mistakes honestly and with integrity regardless of the repercussions or circumstances.”

Southern Kaduna, for a few weeks, was a scene of bloody conflicts between suspected Fulani herdsmen and indigenes of the area with scores of the residents killed. The conflicts forced the state government to impose a 24-hour curfew on Zangon Kataf which was only relaxed on February 4 to “6 pm and 6 am”.

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

Federer vs Nadal, captivating but lopsided rivalry (Read full details)

http://ift.tt/2jHqaGD

The head-to-head record between the elegant Swiss and the snarling Spaniard is anything but even, with Nadal winning 23 matches out of 34, slightly more than two-thirds.

The rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal transcends tennis and has long captivated fans, who are happy to overlook its big flaw: it’s heavily weighted to one side.

The head-to-head record between the elegant Swiss and the snarling Spaniard is anything but even, with Nadal winning 23 matches out of 34, slightly more than two-thirds.

On the biggest occasions, Nadal has been even more dominant, winning six of their eight Grand Slam finals. Federer must cast his mind back nearly a decade to his last win over Nadal in a major title match, at Wimbledon in 2007.

Since then, Nadal has won on all surfaces, maintaining his dominance on the clay of Roland Garros but also beating Federer twice on the grass of Wimbledon and once at the Australian Open, their only major hardcourt final.

Without Nadal’s emergence, Federer could by now be the proud owner of more than 20 Grand Slam titles, even more than his existing record of 17.

The 35-year-old is still smarting over the pivotal, and riveting, Wimbledon final of 2008, when he fought back from two sets down only to lose 9-7 in the fifth, in a match that lasted just under five hours.

It was a turning point: after Nadal had finally overcome Federer on his favourite surface, he won again five months and another five sets later in Melbourne, a defeat which left the Swiss in tears.

– ‘Now it’s different’ –
“Maybe I lost the Wimbledon finals in 2008 because of too many clay court matches, because he crushed me at the French Open final (a month previously),” Federer said, after reaching this week’s final.

“I said that before. I think it affected my first two sets at Wimbledon. Maybe that’s why I ended up losing.” Now Federer can tilt the balance back in his favour if he beats Nadal on Sunday, an opportunity he seems to relish.

“Now it’s a different time. A lot of time has gone by. I know this court allows me to play a certain game against Rafa that I cannot do on centre court at the French Open,” Federer said.

Compared to some of tennis’s other great rivalries, Federer versus Nadal isn’t much on paper.

John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg were locked at 7-7 when the Swede retired; Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert wound up at 43-37 and Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras were 14-20.

But what holds the interest is the clash of styles and personalities and, as the rivalry has gone on, the fascination with whether Federer can finally put one over on his Spanish nemesis.

“It’s been amazing for me and I think for tennis, too,” said Nadal, when asked how he saw their match-up. “It’s the combination of two different styles that makes the matches really special. It’s different ways to play tennis.

“Both of us have had a lot of good success with these two different styles. I feel that this rivalry goes (beyond) the tennis world. “People from outside of our world talks about this, and that’s good for our sport. It’s good that we are back there.”

Federer vs Nadal, captivating but lopsided rivalry

Vía Uzomedia http://ift.tt/2kdDeah

Iran’s Rouhani to Trump: ‘Now is not the time to build walls’

http://ift.tt/2kDLL2F

A handout picture provided by the office of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani shows him (R) meeting with Kuwait's Foreign Minister Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah (L) in the capital Tehran, on January 25, 2017. Kuwait's foreign minister said on January 24 he will deliver a letter from the emir on the troubled ties between the Islamic republic and its Arab neighbours in the Gulf.<br />HO / IRANIAN PRESIDENCY / AFP

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani criticised his US counterpart Donald Trump on Saturday, saying now was “not the time to build walls between nations”.

“They have forgotten that the Berlin Wall collapsed many years ago. Even if there are walls between nations, they must be removed,” Rouhani said at a tourism convention in Tehran.

His remarks came after Trump ordered construction of a wall along the US-Mexico border and imposed tough new controls on travellers from seven Muslim countries, among them Iran.

Rouhani did not comment directly on the visa ban, but said Iran had “opened its doors” to foreign tourists since the signing of a nuclear agreement with world powers in 2015.

With more than a million Iranians living in the United States, many families are deeply concerned about the implications of Trump’s visa ban, which also affects citizens from Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

No visas will be issued for migrants or visitors from these countries for at least 90 days, a restriction which can be extended if the countries in question do not provide extensive information on individuals seeking to enter the United States.

Tehran and Washington have not had diplomatic ties since students stormed the US embassy in Tehran in 1980 following an Islamic revolution that toppled the US-backed shah.

Vía The Guardian NigeriaThe Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2joO1tI

Federer vs Nadal, captivating but lopsided rivalry

http://ift.tt/2jHqaGD

The head-to-head record between the elegant Swiss and the snarling Spaniard is anything but even, with Nadal winning 23 matches out of 34, slightly more than two-thirds.

The rivalry between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal transcends tennis and has long captivated fans, who are happy to overlook its big flaw: it’s heavily weighted to one side.

The head-to-head record between the elegant Swiss and the snarling Spaniard is anything but even, with Nadal winning 23 matches out of 34, slightly more than two-thirds.

On the biggest occasions, Nadal has been even more dominant, winning six of their eight Grand Slam finals. Federer must cast his mind back nearly a decade to his last win over Nadal in a major title match, at Wimbledon in 2007.

Since then, Nadal has won on all surfaces, maintaining his dominance on the clay of Roland Garros but also beating Federer twice on the grass of Wimbledon and once at the Australian Open, their only major hardcourt final.

Without Nadal’s emergence, Federer could by now be the proud owner of more than 20 Grand Slam titles, even more than his existing record of 17.

The 35-year-old is still smarting over the pivotal, and riveting, Wimbledon final of 2008, when he fought back from two sets down only to lose 9-7 in the fifth, in a match that lasted just under five hours.

It was a turning point: after Nadal had finally overcome Federer on his favourite surface, he won again five months and another five sets later in Melbourne, a defeat which left the Swiss in tears.

– ‘Now it’s different’ –
“Maybe I lost the Wimbledon finals in 2008 because of too many clay court matches, because he crushed me at the French Open final (a month previously),” Federer said, after reaching this week’s final.

“I said that before. I think it affected my first two sets at Wimbledon. Maybe that’s why I ended up losing.” Now Federer can tilt the balance back in his favour if he beats Nadal on Sunday, an opportunity he seems to relish.

“Now it’s a different time. A lot of time has gone by. I know this court allows me to play a certain game against Rafa that I cannot do on centre court at the French Open,” Federer said.

Compared to some of tennis’s other great rivalries, Federer versus Nadal isn’t much on paper.

John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg were locked at 7-7 when the Swede retired; Martina Navratilova and Chris Evert wound up at 43-37 and Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras were 14-20.

But what holds the interest is the clash of styles and personalities and, as the rivalry has gone on, the fascination with whether Federer can finally put one over on his Spanish nemesis.

“It’s been amazing for me and I think for tennis, too,” said Nadal, when asked how he saw their match-up. “It’s the combination of two different styles that makes the matches really special. It’s different ways to play tennis.

“Both of us have had a lot of good success with these two different styles. I feel that this rivalry goes (beyond) the tennis world. “People from outside of our world talks about this, and that’s good for our sport. It’s good that we are back there.”

Vía The Guardian NigeriaThe Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2jzATVN

Man Utd survive Hull scare to reach League Cup final (Read full details)

http://ift.tt/2kzXXpf

Manchester United's Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic (L) has a shot on goal by Hull City's English defender Michael Dawson during the EFL (English Football League) Cup semi-final second-leg football match between Hull City and Manchester United at the KCOM Stadium in Kingston upon Hull, north east England on January 26, 2017. PHOTO: Oli SCARFF / AFP

Manchester United survived a scare to reach the League Cup final after Oumar Niasse’s late goal earned Hull City a 2-1 victory in Thursday’s semi-final second leg.

Leading 2-0 from the first leg, United saw their advantage at an ice-cold KCOM Stadium halved by Tom Huddlestone’s 35th-minute penalty and then restored by Paul Pogba’s second-half strike.

Niasse’s goal set up a nervy finish for Jose Mourinho’s men, but they survived to complete a 3-2 aggregate win that sets up a date with Southampton in the final at Wembley on February 26.

“I just want to say congratulations to my players,” said Mourinho, who seemed to be aggrieved about Hull’s penalty.

“It was a difficult road to be in the final and we are in the final.”

It will be United’s first League Cup final since 2010, when they beat Aston Villa 2-1, and with Southampton having cleared Liverpool from their path, they will go into the game as favourites.

Hull once again showed signs of stiffened resolve under new coach Marco Silva and could console themselves with a first win over United since a 2-0 success at the old Boothferry Park in November 1974.

The club also used the occasion to show their support for Ryan Mason, recovering in hospital after fracturing his skull at Chelsea on Sunday, with T-shirts bearing his name and a minute’s applause.

“It was a good win, but not enough for our goal,” said Silva.

“I congratulated the players in the dressing room.”

A paltry home crowd reflected both the significant edge that Marouane Fellaini’s late header had given United in the first leg and ongoing dissent towards Hull’s owner Assem Allam.

Silva’s decision to make seven changes to his starting XI, meanwhile, did not seem to indicate a desperate desire to turn the tie around.

– Smalling penalty shout –

But in the first half the cohesive football all came from Hull and it was United who looked a team of strangers, with centre-backs Phil Jones and Chris Smalling conspicuously unconvincing.

Hull had the first serious attempt of the match, David de Gea boxing away a free-kick from Sam Clucas, and the United goalkeeper was soon involved again.

After allowing Huddlestone’s up-and-under to drift over his head, Smalling had to make a last-ditch block to thwart Michael Dawson and Niasse’s follow-up was fisted away by De Gea.

The hosts duly took the lead on the night 10 minutes before half-time, Huddlestone planting his spot-kick low to De Gea’s right after Marcos Rojo was penalised for tugging Harry Maguire’s shirt.

It took United until the 38th minute to register a shot on target, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s side-foot effort palmed behind by David Marshall.

United had three penalty appeals early in the second half and while the first and third centred on Pogba and Marcus Rashford going to ground too easily, the second was more compelling.

After seizing on a loose ball inside the Hull box, Smalling appeared to be pushed in the chest by Huddlestone, sending him down, but referee Jon Moss shook his head.

If Huddlestone got away with one there, fortune deserted him in the 66th minute.

Having tracked Rashford’s run towards the byline on the United left, he managed to toe the ball away from him, but could only send it into the path of Pogba, who stabbed a low shot past Marshall.

Their nerves eased, United threatened to move out of sight, Ibrahimovic seeing a shot blocked by Dawson after dancing past Huddlestone and Rojo clipping the bar with a header.

But Niasse then headed against the bar at the other end and with five minutes remaining he gave Hull victory in the game — if not the tie — by tucking away David Meyler’s volleyed cross.

Man Utd survive Hull scare to reach League Cup final

Vía Uzomedia http://ift.tt/2jwaB6V

Serena, Venus set up dream Australian final

http://ift.tt/2jzW73r

Venus Williams ( R ) and Serena Williams ( L) pose for a picture before their 2015 US Open Women's Singles Quarterfinals match at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center September 8, 2015 in New York. AFP PHOTO/KENA BETANCUR / AFP PHOTO / KENA BETANCUR

Unstoppable Serena Williams zeroed in on a record-breaking 23rd Grand Slam title Thursday by setting up an Australian Open final against her older sister Venus, as the siblings’ dream came true.

The ruthless world number two proved one step too far for unseeded Croat Mirjana Lucic-Baroni, whose fairytale tournament was finally ended in a crushing 6-2, 6-1 defeat in just 50 minutes.

In swatting aside the 34-year-old, in their first meeting since 1998, Serena, 35, stayed on track for a seventh Australian title which would take her past Steffi Graf’s Open-era record of 22 major wins.

She has refused to talk about the possibility of finally surpassing the German, but now has a golden chance of further cementing her place in history.

Winning the title would also mean the world number one ranking would be hers again, after Angelique Kerber snatched deposed her late last year.

Only Venus stands in the way after the elder Williams rolled back the years to beat fellow American Coco Vandeweghe 6-7 (3/7), 6-2, 6-3 in the other semi-final.

It ensured another chapter in their eventful family history as they meet for their ninth Grand Slam final on Saturday, eight years after the last. Serena holds a 6-2 advantage.

“I didn’t watch (Venus). Obviously I was really proud, she’s an inspiration, my big sister,” said Serena.

“She’s my world, my life, she means everything to me. I couldn’t be happier for us both to be in the final. It’s the biggest dream come true for us.”

She also paid tribute to Lucic-Baroni, a former teenage prodigy when the Williams sisters were emerging in the 1990s before her career was derailed by personal problems.

“Mirjana is an inspiration, she deserves all the credit today. To get this far, after everything she has gone through, that just inspires me.”

– One-way traffic –
Despite her serve not being up to scratch in Melbourne until now, Williams has so many other weapons in her armoury that her opponents have been unable to cope.

Lucic-Baroni was no different.

Her left thigh was again heavily strapped and the problem put her at an immediate disadvantage, restricting her movement against a player known for her pounding forehand winners.

They both held serve comfortably to shake off any early nerves but Williams was looking sharp, capitalising on an unforced error to get the first break and go 2-1 ahead.

She consolidated her lead by holding serve again, and a Lucic-Baroni double fault handed her a 4-1 lead.

It was one-way traffic as the second seed asserted her authority, unloading some powerful groundstrokes to unsettle the Croat and easily take the first set in 25 minutes.

The pair were playing each other for the first time since Wimbledon 19 years ago, a match the American won. Since then their careers have taken very different turns.

While Williams went on to win 22 Grand Slams, the Croat dropped out of top-level tennis for most of the 2003-2010 period after fleeing an abusive and controlling father and suffering money and injury problems.

Her return to the big time in Melbourne has been the feel-good story of the tournament, winning her legions of new fans with her emotional progression to her first Grand Slam semi-final since Wimbledon in 1999.

But it was only ever going to come to an end against the dominant Williams, who after seeing Venus make the final was never going to throw away the chance to meet her once again.

The second set went the way of the first, with Williams crushing Lucic-Baroni’s serve to again break in the third game.

She was broken again in game five as her magnificent run drew to a close and Williams moved into her 29th Grand Slam final.

Vía The Guardian NigeriaThe Guardian Nigeria http://ift.tt/2jsrBe7

Rowlene – Attitude Problem [Mp3, Lyrics, Wiki + Bio]

http://ift.tt/2j3O9DD

19 year old rapper / singer from Capetown, Rowlene returns with her trap influenced single Attitude Problem.

Rowlene joins a growing list of female rappers in South Africa. Attitude Problem is produced by Tellaman. Listen to Rowlene below…

DOWNLOAD

Vía Uzomedia http://ift.tt/2khunBp