Pentagon Announces The Killing Of ISIS Second-In-Command

The Pentagon said Friday that it had killed ISIS’ finance minister, Abd al-Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli, whom many analysts consider the group’s No. 2 leader.

Those analysts believe al-Qaduli would have been expected to take control of the day-to-day running of ISIS, also called ISIL, if its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was killed or incapacitated.

The U.S. operation was intended to capture him alive, a U.S. official told CNN. Helicopters loaded with special operations forces swooped in on a vehicle carrying al-Qaduli, but at the last moment something happened that caused them to decide to fire on the vehicle instead. The official would not say what it was that caused them to modify the plan.

Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced the death at a news conference Friday morning.

“We are systematically eliminating ISIL’s cabinet,” Carter said, adding it was “the second senior ISIL leader we’ve successfully targeted this month.”

Explaining the significance of this particular figure, Carter noted, “We’ve taken out the leader who oversees the funding for ISIL’s operations, hurting their ability to pay fighters and hire recruits.”

source: bossip

FOOTBALL: Manchester United set to pay Jose Mourinho £60m in a 3-yr deal

The contract, including bonuses for titles and cups won, will make Mourinho the highest-paid football manager in history.

It is almost double what Louis van Gaal currently earns. And while there has been no pre-contract signed between United and Mourinho, there is a verbal agreement in place that he will take over in May.

The Portuguese boss and his advisors are therefore convinced it is a done deal, which will see him trouser up to £20m a year.

It has long been an ambition of Mourinho’s to take over at Old Trafford. He was stunned when he was overlooked after Alex Ferguson retired in favour of David Moyes.

The Special One ended up back at Chelsea where he won the title last season but was sacked on December 17.

SunSport exclusively revealed on December 21 that United were immediately in contact with Mourinho.

Van Gaal has seen his regime unravel and is beginning to accept he will be out at the end of the season.

source: the sun

FOOTBALL: Gary Neville effigy burned during Valencia festival

Protesting supporters attached a cut-out of the Mestalla boss’ face to a pyre at the city’s annual ‘Festival of Fire’.

Las Fallas is a festival where locals burn paper mache and cardboard figurines in a symbolic gesture to express the desire for something better to rise from the ashes.

Spain’s president Mariano Rajoy and Pope Francis were also scorched, as were Valencia owner Peter Lim and chairwoman Layhoon Chan.

The La Liga giants are 14th in the table and have lost their last three league games in a row.

And last month’s 7-0 Copa del Rey humiliation at the hands of Barcelona has made Neville an unpopular figure at the club.

SOURCE: the sun

FOOTBALL: LUKAKU'S DAD WANTS HIM TO JOIN MANCHESTER UNITED FC...

Romelu Lukaku should play for Manchester United or Bayern Munich, according to the Everton striker’s father.

The 22-year-old, who joined Everton in a permanent £28 million deal from Chelsea in 2014, has scored 25 goals in 36 appearances this season.

The Belgium international has been linked with moves to a host of top European sides, and Roger Lukaku believes his son is ready to make the transition.“He's ready,” Lukaku Sr. told Het Laatste Nieuws. 

“I see that there is interest from Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Chelsea and Manchester United.
“I think he must choose Manchester United or Bayern Munich. Manchester United is a team under construction with no real focus.

“Bayern Munich is a machine where he can rotate well. The only condition is if Robert Lewandowski leaves.”

SOURCE:GOAL.COM

Al Jazeera have lost their mind!

Earlier today, International news channel, Al Jazeera, published an article on their twitter handle with the headline above. The article was written to celebrate a Nigerian female mechanic. However many Nigerians on twitter felt the story title was inappropriate as it kinda portrayed all Nigerian women as prostitutes. See their reactions after the cut..

source: lindaikejisblog.com

RUSSIA: Man allegedly rapes 5 year old foster daughter to death!

The man, identified only as Denis, from the village of Gnilushi, in south-west Russia's Lipetsk region, is said to only have stopped beating the disabled toddler once she started bleeding heavily.
Doctors said she died from massive internal injuries and blood loss. 

A police spokesman said:

"The autopsy results said the girl died from internal bleeding caused by the fracture of internal organs. Denis has admitted his guilt. He has been detained."

The girl was adopted by Denis and his wife from an orphanage. The couple already have four children of their own.

Authorities said the injuries sustained by the little girl were so severe that it might not have been the first time she was assaulted.

Meanwhile the couple's four children have been taken into care while Denis awaits trial in prison. 

HOPE YA'LL GET IT RIGHT?!? IT'S NOT A COMPETITION...

Enough said...

PUZZLE: HOW MANY SQUARES?

How squares altogether? 

FOOTBALL: Barcelona wants Ozil (RUMOURS)

Barcelona will attempt to make Mesut Ozil their headline summer signing and are prepared to offer Arsenal Arda Turan, Munir and Sandro in exchange, according to AS.

The Germany international has enjoyed his best season to date in the Premier League but has yet to begin talks on an extension to the contract he signed upon arriving in north London in August of 2013.

Ozil’s future has been the subject of some speculation in recent weeks but he appeared to downplay suggestions of a summer move when he took to Twitter earlier this week to deny that a rift between himself and Arsene Wenger could spark a summer exit.

In any case, a move to Barcelona could be complicated by a clause, previously reported by Football Leaks, that claims if Arsenal were to accept an offer for Ozil from a Liga side, the Gunners would subsequently be obliged to offer the Wold Cup winner to Real Madrid, his previous club, on the same terms.

source: goal.com

FOOTBALL: Madrid return a real possibility-Morata

Morata joined Juve in 2014 and is currently in his second season in Turin, but Real retain a buy-back option and could decide to exercise that clause in order to bring back their homegrown striker in July.

"It's a real option," Morata told Goal in an exclusive interview. "Everybody knows that. But what I want is for all this buy-back deadline stuff to end. 

"I want to belong to my club, to know that I will be there for several years and to look to the future."

Madrid's buy-back option is valid this summer and next, but the Spanish side will be unable to sign players in 2017 unless their Fifa-imposed transfer ban is lifted.

It doesn't have to be at Real Madrid," Morata added. "But what I want is to know where I am going to be and where I will spend the next few years."

Morata says he is constant contact with Madrid's director of institutional relations, Emilio Butragueno, who took a similar route through the youth system at Castilla before starring with Real and Spain.

"I'm always really grateful to Butragueno," he said. "He asks me how I am doing, he congratulates me when I score... I will always be grateful. 

"I believe you have to take care of the kids from the youth team, the ones coming through, and people like Butragueno know how to do that.

"He has worn the Real Madrid shirt, he came through the youth system and he was an international. He and others are concerned with how you are doing and many aspects. 

"For example: I also speak with [Fernando] Morientes from time to time and it makes me proud because when I was little I would wait for him to sign my shirts."
Morata's current club, Juventus, were knocked out of the Champions League by Bayern Munich and the forward now hopes his former team can go on to lift the trophy at San Siro in May.

"Of course I am rooting for Real Madrid [in the Champions League] now," he said. "I want my friends to win it. I would be very happy if they could lift the trophy."

Before that, Madrid face the latest Clasico against Barcelona at Camp Nou on April 2 and the 23-year-old believes Zinedine Zidane's side can win the famous fixture on their rivals' turf.
"Madrid have a chance of winning it," he said. "They have an incredible attack and you can see that when they are together on the pitch, and when they play well, they are one of the most dangerous teams in Europe. Of course they can win the Clasico."