last minute Dummet thunderbolt rescues point for Newcastle

Paul Dummett's late strike rescued a point for Newcastle as Manchester United missed the chance to go level on points with fourth-placed Tottenham.

It was a remarkable end to a game that had seen the away side lead twice.

Wayne Rooney's penalty and Jesse Lingard's finish put them 2-0 up before Georginio Wijnaldum and Aleksandar Mitrovic's penalty levelled the scores.

Rooney's second looked to have won it for Louis van Gaal's side but Dummett salvaged the draw in the last minute.

The point earned is not enough to lift Newcastle out of the bottom three - they remain a point and place behind 17th-placed Swansea - but it represents another notable improvement following three successive 1-0 league defeats.

For Louis van Gaal's side, it will represent two points lost and a step backwards after back-to-back Premier League and FA Cup victories had offered improvement on a winless December.

Following criticism of Manchester United's attacking prowess, in a season that had seen them score just 24 goals in 20 league games prior to Tuesday, Van Gaal himself admitted on Monday that he has been "very bored" at times watching his side.

He can have no such complaints after this hugely entertaining, see-saw game, which produced some of their best attacking play of the season.

Rooney was magnificent.

The England striker gave them the lead from the spot after Mike Dean's controversial call to award a penalty against Chancel Mbemba after his arm blocked Marouane Fellaini's back-post header from a corner.

But it was his role in setting up Lingard for the second - holding the ball up before rolling a perfectly timed pass into the winger's path for a low, angled finish - and his superbly struck 20-yard second, after Memphis Depay's shot had deflected to him, that really showcased the 30-year-old's talent.

Ultimately, though, Van Gaal will be left bemoaning an area in which his side have largely excelled this season, as a series of defensive lapses cost them victory

This game screamed dull like a toddler who drops an ice-cream after one lick. Neither side has been playing well, both have struggled to score goals and nobody expected them to offer anything different after a gruelling schedule

With both managers under pressure, it promised to be a tight, cagey affair with little to entertain a live television audience. But this is the season of shocks and instead of drab, we were given a thriller, full of drama, wonderful individual performances, controversial decisions and some spectacular goals. It is a contender for game of the season and befitting of the tremendously entertaining United teams of years gone by.

It sounds like Paul Scholes doesn't really mind if United lose games as long as they entertain him. It would be great to see how Scholes might get on as a manager - he's spent most of this season slagging off Van Gaal's tactics and how boring the team has been. Now they've dropped two points to relegation candidates - let's not forget that this is what has happened - he sounds almost pleased that at least some players ran down the wing.

Managers Reactions:

Steve McClaren has said that having watched the replay of that opening penalty the decision was "ridiculous" and that it was Mbemba's momentum that put his hand where it was. Hmmm.

"I think we deserved the point. Boring United? They weren't boring.

"Building and growing, fighting for 90 minutes and tonight we got the rewards.

"People are questioning [the player's effort] and the players have come through showing fantastic character - especially Coloccini."

Mr Van Gaal looks absolutely furious and a bit sad at the same time. Sort of like when you lose a cup final in the last minute on Football Manager.

"I think it was a duel - I've seen the video and you see Mitrovic is pushing with the hand, the head of Smalling. You cannot decide which is the most worse I think, but the referee is not losing the game for us.

"When you want to avoid a hazard of Fellaini - your hands to the ball? I do not think is ball to the hands, it is hands to the ball. I do not think it is a discussion.

"I think also we were unlucky. When you see where the ball is going [Dummett's last minute equaliser] it is going into the hands of De Gea. Before that we are running behind and you have to push forwards, you have to push the ball under pressure, and then you get these kinds of things.

"They have to finish of course but it's always difficult. Rooney had also a very big chance in the first half. We could have made here six goals I think. There were big possibilities so when you lose two points it's very sad and everybody knows it is our own fault.

"Now we have given two points away. It is a big game for Man Utd and for Liverpool but now I am still with my mind with this game and yeh... that is not so happy ending."

Oil could crash to $10 a barrel as the bears are out in force

            The oil bears are out in force

Petrol prices could fall back to levels last seen in 2009 in a $10-a-barrel world as major banks say there is no bottom in sight for the world's lopsided market.

Oil prices have fallen to fresh lows of less than $30 a barrel amid warnings the price rout could reach as low as $10 and bring down petrol prices to levels last seen in 2009.

Standard Chartered became the latest major bank to downgrade its oil outlook, joining the likes of Goldman Sachs, RBS and Morgan Stanley in making ultra-bearish calls as prices have collapsed by 15pc this year.

Brent crude has now slipped to a fresh 12-year low of $30.41 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate - the US benchmark - is trading at $29.93. Analysts warn the oil market remains fundmentally out of balance as record over-supply and stagnant demand weighs on traders.

Standard Chartered said there would be no bottom in sight, until prices fall to $10 and "money managers in the market conceded that matters had gone too far".

"Given that no fundamental relationship is currently driving the oil market towards any equilibrium, prices are being moved almost entirely by financial flows caused by fluctuations in other asset prices, including the dollar and equity markets," said Standard Chartered.

Oil last slumped to $10 during the height of the Asian financial crisis in 1998. A $10 world would lead to petrol prices falling back to 86p-per-litre - said Simon Williams at RAC.

"The last time we saw average prices this low was in early 2009", said Mr Williams. "However, for prices to get this low the pound would have to get no weaker against the dollar than it is today."

Christine Lagarde, chief of the International Monetary Fund, said supply and demand factors meant commodity prices would "likely to stay low for a sustained period".

The warnings came as Opec - the cartel that controls a third of the world's supply - said it would not cede to requests from some of its members to hold an emergency meeting.

Opec meets twice a year, but its latest gathering in December ending in a fractious stalemate over production targets, as Saudi Arabia and Iran struggle for dominance of the world's market share.

With the next regular meeting is scheduled for June, Nigeria's oil minister yesterday said at least two members had called for an extraordinary gathering to address the price rout. But hopes were quickly dashed after the United Arab Emirates said dismissed the prospect.

Energy minister Suhail bin Mohammed al-Mazroui said Opec's decision to maintain production and crowd out rivals was still bearing dividend, hinting that it would take another 18 months for prices to start picking up.

"I'm not convinced Opec alone can change or can solely unilaterally change this strategy just because we have seen a low in the market," said Mr al-Mazroui.

The 13-member cartel has previously said it would only agree on lower production targets if non-Opec states - notably Russia - also signed up to reduce their record output.

"Something has to give," warned analysts at Energy Aspects, who calculate that demand for oil ground to halt due to an unsesaonably warm end to the year.

"The scale of supply declines has to be even higher to kick-start the rebalancing. So even though weather is normalising somewhat, and supplies are starting to decline, the risk of further price falls and weakness in spreads is still on the cards."

With The Telegraph

Quadri, Toriola To Compete ITTF Africa Top 16 Cup in Sudan

                            Segun Toriola

Africa’s number two table tennis player, Aruna Quadri and six-time Olympian, Segun Toriola as well as Olufunke Oshonaike and Edem Offiong have been confirmed as Nigeria’s representatives at next month’s ITTF Africa Top 16 Cup holding in Khartoum, Sudan.

In the list of qualified players released by the Africa Table Tennis Federation (ATTF), Quadri who won the tournament in 2014 in Lagos will battle for the title against his rival, Egypt’s Omar Assar who has remained a threat to the Nigerian rise in the continent.

The tournament scheduled to hold on February 14 to 15 has the top 15 players in the continent including a player from the host country to complete the top 16.

Toriola will join Quadri to cmpete for the laurel in the men’s event while Oshonaike who has already secured a place at this year’s Rio Olympic Games in Brazil will be joined in the women event by Edem Offiong who is at present plying her trade in the Portuguese elite league.

Having claimed three titles in 2015, the Egyptian duo of Omar Assar and Dina Meshref, top the list of invitees for the two-day tournament to be staged at the International Conference Centre in Khartoum, the capital city of Sudan.
Winners in the men and women events will represent the continent at the 2016 World Cups.

The players competing at the event are:

Men: Omar Assar (Egypt), Quadri Aruna (Nigeria), El-Sayed Lashin (Egypt), Saheed Idowu (Congo Brazzaville), Segun Toriola (Nigeria), Idir Khourta (Algeria), Suraju Saka (Congo Brazzaville), Olouwachehoun Guiganfode (Benin), Mawussi Agbetoglo (Togo), Sofiène Boudjadja (Algeria), Adem Hamam (Tunisia), Fessou Lawson-Gaizer (Togo), Alain Patrick Jague Niken Jiotsa (Cameroon), Derek Abrefa (Ghana), Emmanuel Ngwe Nikeng (Cameroon)

Women: Dina Meshref (Egypt), Nadeen El-Dawlatly (Egypt), Han Xing (Congo Brazzaville), Olufunke Oshonaike (Nigeria), Offiong Edem (Nigeria), Sara Hanffou (Cameroon), Islem Laid (Algeria), Lynda Loghraibi (Algeria), Zodwa Maphanga (South Africa), Amma Liobaka (Democratic Republic of Congo), Onyinyechi Nwachukwu (Congo Brazzaville), Cynthia Kwabi (Ghana), Harriet Ntumnyuy (Cameroon), Celia baah-Danso (Ghana), Isabel Albino (Angola).

Egypt’s Omar Assar and Dina Meshref are the defending champions of the competition.

With Channel Television

America's oldest teacher at 102

                                                            THE 74/VIA YOUTUBE

America's oldest teacher turned 102 on Tuesday, and is still going strong.

Agnes Zhelesnik works 35 hours a week at the private Sundance School in New Jersey, teaching very young students how to cook and sew.

The Watchung resident, who began working as a teacher when she was 81, has no plans to stop anytime soon.

"These children have to grow up to be a hundred first," she cracked to the Courier News of Bridgewater on Friday, when she was still 101. "I am going to stay as long as I can, make them happy as good as I can. Who could get it better?"

Zhelesnik teaches pre-kindergarten to fifth-grade students at the North Plainfield school. She is known at the school, where her daughter also works, as "granny."

At the birthday celebration at the school on Friday, her daughter, granddaughter and 18-month-old great-granddaughter were also present.

"She is an icon in this school," Principal Benjamin Fox told the paper. "Besides the fact that she feeds everyone and makes the school smell wonderful, she just makes everybody smile. They are always hugging her. It's like a family and she is the granny of our family."

With News Wire Services

Joaquin (El Chapo) Guzman show new prison hairstyle

                    FEDERAL SOCIAL READAPTATION CENTER

A new mugshot shows the Sinaloa Cartel kingpin, Joaquin Guzman, with a shaven head and no mustache.

The look is a far cry from his now-famous photo shaking hands with Sean Penn, where Guzman rocked a spiffy blue shirt, thick 'stache and full head of hair.

Meanwhile, Rolling Stone released the full 17-minute interview Guzman recorded shortly before his capture Friday.

In the recording Guzman, responding to questions Penn sent by Blackberry Messenger, said "no sir" when asked if he considered himself a violent person.

“Look, all I do is defend myself. Nothing more. But do I start looking for trouble? Never,” Guzman said.

This week the Mexican government began the long process of extraditing Guzman to the U.S. to face trial.

The handoff will probably take “one year or longer,” the head of Mexico’s extradition office, Manuel Merino, told Radio Formula on Monday.

It’s unclear where Guzman would be brought to justice once he arrives in the U.S. He has two separate arrest warrants in California and Texas.

Those warrants, which include charges of organized crime, embezzlement and murder, are in addition to indictments in Illinois, New York, Florida and New Hampshire.

Mexico’s willingness to extradite Guzman is a sharp turnaround from the last time he was captured, in 2014, when then-Mexican Attorney General Jesus Murillo Karam said the extradition would happen only after he finished his sentence in Mexico in “300 or 400 years.”

Guzman’s lawyers have already begun the legal effort against his detention and extradition.


With News Wire Services

Okorocha Intervenes In Lingering Fuel Crisis

                                                                 Rochas Okorocha

The Imo State Government has intervened in the lingering fuel crisis rocking the state over the past weeks.

The intervention came after the Independent Petroleum Marketers in Imo State shut down their stations and stopped dispensing fuel to the public in protest to an alleged intimidation and harassment of their members by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), according to Channel News.

In compliance with the Federal Government’s directive of ensuring that PMS is being sold at 86.50 Naira per litre, the DPR in Imo State embarked on a monitoring exercise to enforce this directive and forced most petrol stations to sell at 86.50 Naira per litre, said Channel News.

The action by the DPR angered the Independent Petroleum Marketers in the state as over 95 per cent of petroleum marketers shut down businesses to the public in what looked likes a protest.

They maintained that they do not buy the product at tank farms at government approved price and therefore, would not sell at 86.50 Naira per liter, or they will run at a loss.

Pastor on the run after raping and impregnating teenage girl

                              WEST WHITELAND TOWNSHIP POLICE

Jacob Malone, pervy Pennsylvania pastor, may have fled the state after he was charged last week with rape and institutional sexual assault, the West Whiteland Township police said.

The 33 years old, is on the run after raping and impregnating a teenage girl who apparently was lured around the country by the sicko for years, authorities say.

The young victim had first met Malone when he was a pastor at a church in Mesa, Ariz., when she was 12 years old. When she was 17, Malone invited her to stay with his family in Minnesota after he became a pastor at a local church, cops said. After moving to Chester County in Pennsylvania last year, the pastor again invited the teen to live with his family and even found a high school for her to attend.

Malone began sexually assaulting her last year while she was living with the pastor's family in Exton, cops say. In at least one incident Malone provided the girl with alcohol before he molested her, the West Whiteland Township police said.

The victim also claimed that Malone tried to have inappropriate contact with her when they lived in Minnesota, according to authorities.

Church leaders in Pennsylvania confronted Malone two months ago after learning about the girl's pregnancy and about another possible victim in another state, Philly.com reported. He has resigned from Calvary Fellowship, a non-denominational church in Downingtown, according to the news website.

"Our church's goal in difficult moments like this is to protect the innocents, first of all," Bill Bateman, a pastor at the church, told Philly.com Monday. "And, number two, we strive to bring about repentance and restoration of the offender.""Our church's goal in difficult moments like this is to protect the innocents, first of all," Bill Bateman, a pastor at the church, told Philly.com Monday. "And, number two, we strive to bring about repentance and restoration of the offender."

PDP Laments Dissemination Of Untrue Reports On Metuh

In a statement released and signed by Richard Ihediwa,Special Assistant to The National Publicity Secretary, said "the attention of the office of the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Chief Olisa Metuh has been drawn to desperations to use a section of the media to spur public sentiments against the PDP spokesman, who has been in the EFCC custody since last Tuesday".

Chief Metuh believes that the continued false reports in the media, the latest being the publication claiming that he told investigators that he would “rather starve than refund any money”, is part of the blackmail and scheme to pitch him against the public.

He said, the grand design to sway the public and derail the course of proper investigation started with misleading and malicious reports that Chief Metuh made away with N1.4 billion arms deal cash and had been receiving a monthly N4 million stipend from the Office of the National Security Adviser. 

When this deliberate falsehood could not be sustained, it was adjusted to him receiving N400 million from ONSA.

Richard said that, the office wishes to state categorically that Chief Metuh has fully cooperated with investigators within his constitutionally guaranteed rights. In exercise of his rights, he has since given his statement to the EFCC wherein he submitted that he received the sum of N400 million from the former President for an assignment, which he executed to the satisfaction of the former President.

He said in further exercise of his rights, Chief Metuh has also indicated his readiness to make public the nature of this assignment, but only in an open court in line with the laws of the land, and where his statement would not be distorted by anybody.

“Chief Metuh therefore believes that his continued incarceration and failure to charge him to court are deliberately intended to prevent him from telling his own story in the open court for all Nigerians to know.”

The Party wish to state that contrary to the impression that the issue of N400 million was a product of investigation, it was actually a product of Chief Metuh’s voluntary statement.

Chief Metuh had since informed that sometime in December 2015, the ONSA published an invitation to companies they believed executed contracts for it for a chat.

Upon ONSA invitation via a text message, Chief Metuh, regardless of the fact that he did not execute any contract for the Office, appeared before the ONSA panel, wherein he presented his company’s statement ofaccount showing that the sum of N400 million paid on the instruction of the ex-President for an assignment was traceable to the ONSA account.

Recall that Chief Metuh, even before visiting ONSA had at a media briefing acknowledged the receipt of N400 million from the ex-President for the exercise of the said assignment.

Following the developments, Chief Metuh, as a responsible citizen canceled his intended travels for the Yuletide and issued a statement wherein he noted his readiness for any invitation and investigation by the EFCC or any other agency of government for that matter.

“We are therefore worried at the continued media persecution where a citizen is being charged, sentenced and jailed in the court of the media instead of being charged to the law court as required by the law.”

The party  urges Nigerians not to lose sight of the sequence and inconsistencies in the investigation and publications regarding Chief Metuh’s case. The Party believe that in this case, the law must not be.

Benue Assembly Summons DPR Over Fuel Scarcity

                                               Benue State House Assembly

According to a report, Benue State House of Assembly has passed a resolution, inviting the controller, Department of Petroleum Resources (DRP) to explain the reasons for the acute fuel scarcity in the state.

The resolution followed a motion moved by Mr Dominic Usher, who lamented the long queues and increasing activities of black marketers who sold the product as high as 200 Naira per liter.

Consequently, the House unanimously agreed to the motion to summon the DPR Controller to appear before it by 10.00am on Tuesday and asked Governor Samuel Ortom to reconstitute the State Task Force Fuel Monitoring Committee.

The Lafia-Makurdi Federal Highway was shut to free flow of traffic throughout the weekend due to pressure mounted by motorist to buy fuel from the NNPC Mega station.

The scarcity, which ran throughout Benue State, caught the attention of the State Assembly, who among other things, resolved at its first sitting in 2016 to summon the DPR Controller.

The State Assembly also passed a resolution against consumption of rat, a local delicacy of the Tiv ethnic group, following the outbreak of Lassa fever in Makurdi, the capital of Benue State,  where one person is being treated, said Channel Television.

The outbreak of the disease in Benue State, has raised concerns among the lawmakers who believe that, Benue residence would be at a bigger risk, if they continue to consume rat meat.

Pep Guardiola: My Apology To Premier League Managers

The Bayeren Munich Coach Pep Guardiola has apologised to the managers in the Premier League who are feeling the heat with the Spaniard set to arrive next season.

 

                                 Pep Guardiola, Bayern Munich Coach

The Spaniard announced last month that he would leave the German champions at the end of the season to seek a move to the Premier League, prompting links to Manchester City and Manchester United, as well as Chelsea and to a lesser extent Arsenal.

Manuel Pellegrini has received little public assurance from City about his long-term future at the club and has commented that even winning the Premier League title might not be enough to save him.

Across town Louis van Gaal has been under constant pressure this season with Manchester United struggling for consistency in the league and out of the Champions League already.

Chelsea are actively looking for a permanent replacement for Jose Mourinho for next season, with Guus Hiddink taking temporary control of the Premier League champions.

Guardiola said he was sorry for the pressure his announcement had placed on his fellow managers.

"I am sorry," said Guardiola.

"Normally in my career as a trainer and as a player, I respect my colleagues a lot. 

So I am sorry. It wasn't my intention.

"I will reveal my new club once I have actually signed a contract."

Catholic Church: Reason Behind Father Mbaka Plans Transfer

                                                           Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka

According to a report, the decision to remove Mbaka is aimed to affect other priests in an attempt to make it look like a routine church affair.

Speaking with Daily Sun, another source revealed that the church was afraid of the possible reaction of his followers, who make up more than 80% of the population of Enugu Catholic Diocese.

Commenting on the issue, Rev. Fr. Joseph Offor, the director of social communications of the Diocese, said that there would be general posting and re-posting of priests this year. He added that the Diocese embarks on postings of priests every six years.

“Yes, the postings will be announced this week. The bishop decides who should be posted where; it has nothing to do with a particular individual. It is a routine practice which is done every six years,” he said.

Also speaking on the development, Val Nnadozie, a politician and adoration faithful said:

“For me, I think it’s just a rumour which is making the rounds. And it is my view that the bishop has the right to transfer any priest.

“However, it won’t be right if such a transfer is done with malice or as a punitive measure for holding an opinion on an issue.”

Another source revealed that Mbaka might be posted to the adoration ground, Emene, which is not yet a parish.

The fiery priest was strongly criticized by the clergies in the South East when he backed President Muhammadu Buhari to beat Goodluck Jonathan in the presidential election.

In a recent New Year message, Mbaka blasted those who labeled him a false prophet and enveiled his predictions for 2016.

The priest raised the alarm over a plot to assassinate President Buhari by saying: “Many people are planning to kill Buhari; there are many plans on how to eliminate his life so that corruption will continue; so that embezzlement will continue”.

PDP Salutes The Courage And Gallantry Of Bayelsa People…..Demands Inquest Into Killings

A statement release and signed by  Prince Uche secondus, Acting National Chairman said, the national leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party and indeed all lovers of democracy salute the people of Bayelsa State for standing against intimidation, rigging and violence to ensure that their will as a people prevailed in Saturday’s supplementary election

"In fact, the steadfastness and resilience shown by the people, particularly in Southern Ijaw will go down in history as one of the many sacrifices made to defend democracy in the land."

He said, rising from what happened in Bayelsa state on Saturday, it is very clear that the APC-led Federal Government under the watch of President Muhammadu Buhari is not disposed to free, fair and credible electoral process in the country despite being a huge beneficiary of PDP’s electoral reform.



"However, by standing against intimidation and remaining resilient, the people have greatly contributed in deepening democracy in the country and by so doing ensuring that their own destiny is right in their own hands."

"Bayelsa is a core PDP state and ones wonders how APC thought it could win in this gubernatorial election with its discredited candidate, knowing the strength and popularity of our great party in the state, in addition to the record of achievements of our candidate, Governor Seriake Dickson."

"The PDP however decries the desperation of the APC whose thugs and compromised security operatives openly engaged in violence resulting in the killing and maiming of innocent Bayelsans. We hereby demand a comprehensive inquest into these killings and that all perpetrators be brought to book."

The party finally congratulates Governor Dickson for his well-deserved victory and statesmanly handling of the situation in the face of provocations.