United keen on Di Maria's transfer situation

Manchester United are continuing to monitor the possibility of a move for Real Madrid's Angel Di Maria.
Though, it seems the player would favour a move to Paris Saint-Germain.
Di Maria's preference is believed to be down to his desire to keep playing Champions League football, although UEFA's financial fair play rules could yet open the way for United.
Given that PSG are still attempting to strike a financial balance in order to conform to the regulations, they may have to sell big in order to fund a move for the Argentina international.
Di Maria, 26, knows his chances at Real will be limited this season and is expected to make a decision on his future in the coming days.
A year-long loan move to Paris Germain has been mooted, but United are keeping tabs on the situation. One of new manager Louis van Gaal's main targets is a tactically versatile attacking wide player, and Di Maria fits that bill.

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A Waiter was suspended for taking a selfie with Robin van Persie

A waiter in Barbados has been suspended from his job for two weeks for taking a pictures with footballer Robin van Persie.

Kyson Forde was working at celebrity hangout The Cliff Restaurant on the Caribbean island when he spied his Manchester United hero and asked for a photo.

While van Persie happily agreed, Forde has since been suspended for two weeks for using his mobile phone in the dining area.

A fellow worker was also given the harsh punishment for snapping the picture of the footballer and his waiter.

Striker van Persie was in Barbados for a week-long holiday with his wife Bouchra and two children, Shaqueel, eight, and Dina, five. 

 

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Lionel Messi with dad face tax charges

A Spanish judge on Monday rejected a prosecutor's request to drop charges of tax fraud against Lionel Messi and ordered the investigation into three cases of suspected unpaid taxes to proceed.
A court statement said there is "sufficient evidence" to believe the Barcelona and Argentina star "could have known and consented" to the creation of a fictitious corporate structure to avoid paying taxes on income from his image rights.
The statement was issued by the court in Gava, Barcelona, that was initially called on by prosecutors to investigate if there was a case for Messi and his father, Jorge Horacio Messi, to answer. Messi senior then told the media that he and his son were both cooperating fully with the authorities.
In June, Messi's public relations firm said a prosecutor had agreed to drop the tax fraud case against the player and his father.
Messi's father is under investigation for an alleged four million euros ($5.3 million) in unpaid taxes from 2007-09. He made a payment of more than five million euros ($6.6 million) in August 2013 to cover alleged unpaid taxes, plus interest.
Monday's statement said it was not necessary for Messi "to have full knowledge of all accounting or corporate transactions or the exact amount of the fraud" for him to have had a clear idea of an intention to defraud.
Spain has been cracking down on tax evasion as it fights to repair the country's public finances after a prolonged recession triggered by the collapse of its once-booming real estate sector.
Finance Minister Cristobal Montoro warned footballers they should make sure they were "comfortable" with their tax affairs.

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Please stop! Pope Francis Message for Israel and Palestine

Pope Francis on Sunday during his weekly Angelus address in Saint Peter's Square in reference to the myriad of violent conflicts happening right now around the globe. Nearing the end of his address, Francis said his thoughts were on the Middle East, Iraq and Ukraine as conflicts continue to ravage these places.
"Please stop! I ask you with all my heart, it's time to stop. Stop, please!"
The remarks were not part of Francis' prepared speech, but seemed to come from a more personal, emotional place, as evidenced by a slight crack in his voice as he said them.

"Brothers and sisters, never war, never war! I am thinking above all of children, who are deprived of the hope of a worthwhile life, of a future," he said.

"Dead children, injured children, mutilated children, orphaned children, children whose toys are things left over from war, children who can't smile any more."

Though Francis didn't make any direct reference to the current conflict in the Gaza Strip, they did come right after a planned truce in the Israel-Palestine conflict fell apart as fighting commenced in what has already claimed more than 1,000 lives, including dozens of children.
Vatican in the peace process. Of course, Francis has no tangible power to effect the situation in Gaza, but his influential voice speaks volumes. In the past few months, he's made similar moves such as inviting Muslim and Jewish religious leaders to pray together in the Vatican in an attempt to foster a peaceful dialogue. He also made headlines in May when he rested his forehead against the graffiti-covered concrete structure that separates Bethlehem from Jerusalem and prayed for peace.
The Vatican has generally been quite vocal in the Israel-Palestine conflict, with the past several popes making numerous attempts to foster peace in the region. Of course, Francis' most recent comments speak more broadly to the various violent conflicts raging throughout the world, but it's probably safe to assume he had an eye on the violence raging in the Gaza Strip right now. And even if he can't directly influence the situation, by at least alerting his millions of followers to the conflicts, more people will become aware of how bad wars have become, and that's a step in the right direction.

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Gunners deficient of a solid midfielder

Arsenal may have excited their fans with the acquisition of Alexis Sanchez, but Arsene Wenger would be making a mistake by not signing a new midfield anchorman.
That's not to say Mikel Arteta or Mathieu Flamini cannot do a job there, and Jack Wilshere is definitely worth a look in that role. Wilshere has the technical ability, but does he have the physical presence? It's an interesting question, and we could soon discover the answer. deficient
But if Arsenal really are going to make a bold statement then surely a proven top class midfielder to do the holding role is the way forward. They have certainly looked at a few, and they started the summer believing it was a priority so there's an acknowledgement that one is needed.
Sami Khedira, Morgan Schneiderlin and Lars Bender were all possibilities but now look to be off the agenda. Wenger often pushes the argument that players must be better than they already have, and Arteta and Flamini can both do an excellent job.
But over the course of last season, it was the area where Arsenal were most exposed. The need for a tough midfielder to protect the back four was obvious. It was almost as pressing as the need for a top striker, and they delivered on Sanchez for 33 million pounds, so it would be a shame not to buy well in other areas.
The interesting thing would be to see if Wilshere could do it. The ideal is to have a big physical presence, but you don't have to. That's why Wilshere could maybe do it to good effect. He has a big season ahead and will hope to nail down a place for club and country after too much frustration over the past couple of years.
His ability and quality are not in doubt; he's an excellent technical player who can pass well, keep the game moving and is not afraid of a tackle. But with so much competition in midfield with the likes of Aaron Ramsey, Mesut Ozil and Santi Cazorla all vying for attacking roles, there has to be an opportunity if one of the existing squad members can play deeper.
Arteta has performed there brilliantly but can't go on forever while Flamini, for whatever reason, didn't establish himself as a regular last season. My feeling was that Wenger would go for a new midfielder this summer, but as the weeks tick by, that is becoming less likely.
It's a shame as I still feel that is the key area -- providing protection for the back four -- where Arsenal need to strengthen.
They are so close to being a team capable of winning the title. They've proved their quality with another top four finish and the FA Cup to end their wait for a trophy.
Wenger has added a world class striker, but there's more work to be done if Arsenal are to win the league for the first time since 2004. Arteta is a terrific and somewhat under-appreciated player, Flamini is a warrior and Wilshere has big potential.
But maybe a big proven midfielder is what's really needed as the final piece of the puzzle.

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Nicki Minaj pushed back the release of 'Anaconda'

Nicki Minaj has pushed back the release of her new single "Anaconda". The raptress announced it on Instagram, Sunday, July 27, posting along with it another sexy picture of her posing in pink bikini.

"My darlingz, I've pushed the release of Anaconda to next week, Monday 8/4. I promise you will understand why before the week is out. Loveeeeeeee uuuuuu," she wrote in the caption without mentioning the reason of the delay.

The "Starships" hitmaker promoted the single just a few days ago with the cover art which exposed her naked butt. The racy picture soon created a buzz and fans have made memes of it. Minaj, however, asked fans to stop the meme spree.

"IG HAS NO CHILL," she wrote along with a "Lion King" meme. She said, "I can't," in another post and, "I'm sad," in a caption of a meme featuring Spongebob licking her butt. She further hoped that her fans would "chill [about the memes] on this fine Sunday."

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