Soviet-era ‘rock star poet’ Yevtushenko in hospital after fall |
- Soviet-era ‘rock star poet’ Yevtushenko in hospital after fall
- Ligue 1: PSG, Marseille in surprising defeats
- La Liga: Atletico’s 28-match unbeaten home run ends
- Merkel, Hollande want Poroshenko to go ahead with reforms
- Van Gaal: In-form United ‘forcing luck’
- Stay neutral, comedian Cosby tells black media in US
| Soviet-era ‘rock star poet’ Yevtushenko in hospital after fall Posted: 14 Dec 2014 04:52 PM PST
The 81-year-old was "admitted this morning in a hospital at Rostov-on-Don following health problems", the health minister of the southern region told the Interfax news agency. "The doctors are satisfied with his current condition given his age," Tatiana Bykovskaya said. According to the LifeNews television channel, the feisty poet was placed in intensive care after falling on Saturday after attending a concert. Despite his attacks on Stalinism and Soviet bureaucracy culminating in The Heirs of Stalin (1962), Yevtushenko remained a privileged member of the Soviet cultural elite. His demands for greater artistic freedom were tacitly sanctioned by the Communist party and he was allowed to travel widely abroad, where he read to enthusiastic audiences. With his boyish good looks and his message of revolt against the burden of the past, Yevtushenko appeared an emblematic figure of the 1960s. His work was translated into several languages and sold millions of volumes around the world. But his dissident fire dimmed somewhat after premier Nikita Khrushchev's removal from office in 1963, and by the 1970s he was being regularly accused of selling out to Soviet orthodoxy. Yevtushenko was born in Zima, near Irkutsk, in 1933, a fourth-generation descendant of Ukrainian exiles. He has been living for the past two decades in the United States and has been teaching at the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma. His 1961 poem "Babi Yar" inspired Russian composer Dmitry Shostakovich to write his Symphony No. 13 and in 1961, Time Magazine dedicated its cover story to Yevtushenko. — AFP  |
| Ligue 1: PSG, Marseille in surprising defeats Posted: 14 Dec 2014 04:51 PM PST
But the shock reverse was softened when league leaders Marseille, on 38 points, also lost 1-0 at Monaco in Sunday's late game, leaving the champions second just a point adrift of the top and Lyon third on 36 points. Victory would have made Marseille 'Champions of Autumn', league leaders going into the winter break, but Bernardo Silva's precise shot from the edge of the area on 68 minutes handed Monaco a deserved win. Fresh from securing their passage into the last-16 of the Champions League as group winners on Tuesday, Monaco's disciplined display left the usually swashbuckling Marseille frustrated. Rod Fanni missed a simple chance for the visitors with an open goal begging just before half-time, and Marseille's star striker Andre-Pierre Gignac was kept quiet. PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi had been furious as his side lost 3-1 in Barcelona on Wednesday. But yesterday's performance was far worse. Jeremy Pied got Guingamp's goal with a flying header on the edge of the six-yard box in the 11th minute with the Paris central defence of Thiago Silva and David Luiz nowhere to be seen. "It was poor marking all round, even me I got it wrong," said PSG midfielder Blaise Matuidi. "We're really upset. We're just not used to losing and now that's two in a week." Edinson Cavani had hit the crossbar in the second minute and Zlatan Ibrahimovic had the ball in the net in the 35th minute only to see an offside flag go up. PSG had ten wins and seven draws going into the game and, despite dominating, Guingamp's bloody-minded resistance was eventually more than a match for the Qatari-backed PSG side. "This is not just a bad week, it's a dreadful one," said PSG coach Laurent Blanc. "If we lose because the other side were good that's one thing, but this we cannot tolerate." Lille, dumped out of the Europa League in midweek, picked up three welcome points with a 3-0 win over Toulouse, thanks to goals from Djibril Sibide, Ryan Mendes and Nolan Roux. Earlier, Saint Etienne coach Christophe Galtier was left with a bitter taste after a 0-0 stalemate with Nice saw his midfielder Ismael Diomande sent off for a second yellow after a clash with Nice's Carlos Eduardo, who was also given a straight red for his studs in the face challenge. "He got kicked in the face, I can't explain it," said Galtier of the second yellow. "The guy from Nice deserved his red though." On Saturday a freak own goal helped Nantes to a 2-1 win over Bordeaux to end a three-match losing run thanks to Jordan Veretout's opener, cancelled out by Kian Hansen's own goal. In the 66th minute Bordeaux's young Slovenian reserve keeper Azbe Jug haplessly scored the decider when the ball, rebounding off a post, struck him on the head and ended up in his own net. Rennes were thwarted 2-0 at Bastia, playing much of the game a man down after Fallou Diagne's 26th minute red card. A first half stoppage time goal from Ryad Boudebouz and Yannick Cahuzac's effort nine minutes from time earned Bastia a precious fourth win of the season. Reims' Brazilian midfielder Rigonato scored either side of the break in Reims' pulsating defeat of Evian, while on a high-scoring day in the French top flight Lens came from behind to salvage a 3-3 draw at Montpellier. On Friday, Ligue 1's leading scorer Alexandre Lacazette grabbed a brace as Lyon beat bottom club Caen 3-0 to make it eight consecutive home wins. — AFP |
| La Liga: Atletico’s 28-match unbeaten home run ends Posted: 14 Dec 2014 04:47 PM PST
An uncharacteristically error-strewn performance from Diego Simeone's men was deservedly punished by the visitors, who could have been out of sight before the goal but for two fine saves by Miguel Angel Moya. Defeat leaves Atletico now seven points adrift of leaders Real Madrid and still three off second-placed Barcelona, who were the last team to beat Atletico on home soil in La Liga back in May 2013, whilst Villarreal move up to sixth. The result also rounded off a perfect weekend for Real Madrid as they extended their lead at the top to four points after sealing their 20th consecutive win in all competitions 4-1 over Almeria on Friday, whilst Barcelona stumbled to a 0-0 draw at Getafe 24 hours later. "I can only talk about the match because I was concentrated on the play," said Simeone, who gave Vietto his professional debut during his stint in charge of Racing Club in Argentina. "They won the game with a goal by Vietto and I am happy for him despite the fact we had gone more than a year without losing here." Villarreal boss Marcelino, meanwhile, believed his side deserved the win after running Real Madrid, Barcelona and Sevilla close this season. "This group deserved a victory like this," he said. "We have been very close in other games against the big sides where we have played well but not won." Atletico were playing for the first time at the Calderon since a Deportivo La Coruna fan was killed in clashes near the stadium ahead of a meeting between the two sides a fortnight ago. The club had promised to crackdown on their unruly ultras, but the unusually flat atmosphere in front of a half-empty stadium seemed to affect the Spanish champions in a first-half littered with errors. Villarreal had the best chance of the opening half when Denis Cheryshev burst clear but opted to go for goal himself rather than square to the unmarked Vietto and Moya made a comfortable save. Mario Mandzukic had a wonderful chance to continue his fine goalscoring form when he latched onto Diego Godin's knockdown after the break, but former Atletico 'keeper Asenjo bravely blocked the Croatian's effort from point black range. Moyes stalemate Moments later Mandzukic was denied by referee Pedro Jesus Perez Montero as he harshly ruled out the former Bayern Munich man's headed finish for a push on Mario Gaspar. In their push for a winner, though, Atletico were leaving themselves exposed on the counter and were only pardoned by a poor touch from Vietto when he was released clean through on goal by Cheryshev which allowed Moya to save. Atletico were thankful to another fine stop from Moya to prevent Cheryshev opening the scoring with a piledriver from a narrow angle. Yet, there was nothing he could do to prevent Vietto inflicting a first league defeat at home in 19 months when he turned Godin and fired high into the net late on. David Moyes's first taste of the Basque derby ended in a 1-1 draw as his Real Sociedad side were pegged back by 10-man Athletic Bilbao at Anoeta. Carlos Vela had got the hosts off to the perfect start when he headed home Chori Castro's cross after just two minutes. However, Moyes's men were left to rue missed chances by Inigo Martinez and Alfred Finnbogason as Athletic struck back on the hour mark with a superb equaliser when Oscar de Marcos volleyed home Markel Susaeta's cross. The visitors ended the match a man light when Aymeric Laporte saw a second yellow card 11 minutes from time, but a Sergio Canales free-kick that clipped the top of the bar was the closest Sociedad came to making their advantage count as both sides settled for a point. Sevilla's hopes of securing a return to the Champions League next season suffered a blow as they were held 0-0 at home by a resilient Eibar at the Sanchez Pizjuan. A point means Sevilla remain in fourth, but are now only two points in front of Valencia, whilst Eibar move up to ninth. — AFP |
| Merkel, Hollande want Poroshenko to go ahead with reforms Posted: 14 Dec 2014 04:42 PM PST
Merkel's spokesman Steffen Seibert said in a statement the two leaders encouraged Poroshenko in a telephone call "to get the planned sweeping reforms under way." "Only that way can the economy recover and the necessary international financial help be advanced," he said. Ukraine's parliament last week approved the new government's economic programmememe of tough reforms aimed at securing billions of dollars in financial aid from the International Monetary Fund and other backers. The programme, outlined by Prime Minister Arseny Yatseniuk, includes overhauling the tax system, raising energy tariffs and privatising state firms in a bid to root out corruption that has helped push Ukraine to the brink of bankruptcy. Poroshenko told Merkel and Hollande that there had been no fatalities in the conflict with pro-Russian separatists in eastern Ukraine since a ceasefire agreed last week, although the terms of the ceasefire had been violated, said Seibert. All three leaders insisted that the original ceasefire deal agreed in Minsk in September remained the only way forwards for a lasting solution to the crisis in Ukraine, he said. — Reuters |
| Van Gaal: In-form United ‘forcing luck’ Posted: 14 Dec 2014 04:39 PM PST
Yesterday's win, secured by goals from Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata and Robin van Persie, was United's sixth in a row and galvanised their grip on third place in the table, but there were rough edges to the hosts' display. Liverpool created a host of chances, with David de Gea earning the man-of-the-match award for a series of spectacular saves, while Mata's goal should have been ruled out for offside. It had been a similar story last Monday when United won 2-1 at Southampton despite registering only three attempts at goal. But van Gaal believes that United are now a different team to the one that slithered to a seventh-place finish last season following their travails under his hapless predecessor, David Moyes. Asked for the secret to United's current form, the decorated Dutch coach told his post-match press conference: "Because we have a way of playing that always takes into account the qualities of the opponent. "I have a staff that always are looking for the way we can do pain to the opponent. And we found this today (Sunday) again. "It's not for nothing that we scored the way we have scored today. You need luck, but you can force the luck, and we are forcing the luck now. That was not the case at the start." Rooney, who played in midfield, set United on their way in the 12th minute by sweeping home a cut-back from Antonio Valencia. Mata headed home five minutes before half-time — a goal described with some justification by Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers as "clearly offside" — and then teed up van Persie for United's third in the 71st minute. 'Recapture the team ethos' An injury to Marcos Rojo obliged van Gaal to deploy midfielder Michael Carrick as one of three centre-backs in a defensive set-up that mirrored Liverpool's. The visitors regularly found a way in behind United's defence, with De Gea thwarting Raheem Sterling and substitute Mario Balotelli three times each, but van Gaal felt his players adapted well to the enforced changes. "Only yesterday (Saturday), Rojo in a training session got injured and then I have to change my line-up again, which I have to do every week," he said. "But the most important thing is my philosophy and when you stick by your philosophy, every player can do that because every player has played already in that philosophy." Defeat completed a miserable few days for Liverpool, who were knocked out of the Champions League by Basel last Tuesday and now trail United by 10 points. Rodgers admitted that his squad had lost some of the team spirit that saw them come within a whisker of pipping Manchester City to the title last season. "For me, the whole scenario is about looking to build a team again," said the Northern Irishman, who lost Luis Suarez to Barcelona in the close season and is currently without striker Daniel Sturridge due to injury. "We had a team that was growing for a couple of years that has changed now, the squad and injuries and whatnot. "But we're having to recapture the team ethos again and that's something we're looking to build towards." Rodgers sprang a surprise by dropping goalkeeper Simon Mignolet, whose form has come under scrutiny, and he confirmed that Australian Brad Jones would remain in goal for Wednesday's League Cup quarter-final at Bournemouth. "Simon has been fine. He's a really good professional. I spoke to him the other day and he accepted it," said Rodgers. "I said to Simon it was for an indefinite period. He has played in a lot of games, Simon, and Brad in my first year came in and did very well. "It is something that can happen to keepers, taking them out of the firing line and giving them time to reflect." — AFP |
| Stay neutral, comedian Cosby tells black media in US Posted: 14 Dec 2014 04:39 PM PST
His comments were directed in particular at America's black media, with which he has had a hot-and-cold relationship over the years. "Let me say this. I only expect the black media to uphold the standards of excellence in journalism and when you do that you have to go in with a neutral mind," Cosby reportedly told the New York Post newspaper when reached by telephone on Friday at his Massachusetts home. The Post wrote that Cosby, 77, also said his wife was sticking by his side, despite the growing number of women claiming that "The Cosby Show" star had drugged and raped them. The veteran actor, described by the Post as sounding "upbeat", said he had been advised by his lawyers against talking with reporters about the allegations. Cosby is a beloved icon and long was seen as a role model for millions of Americans. But his relations at times have been strained among US blacks, because of remarks a decade ago — deemed by some in the community as unduly harsh — in which he criticised the values of African American youth. In his comments to the Post, the actor praised his wife of half a century, Camille, for her support amid the current controversy. "Love and the strength of womanhood," he said. "Let me say it again, love and the strength of womanhood. And, you could reverse it, the strength of womanhood and love." Most of the sex assault claims from more than 20 women date from decades ago. Almost all of the allegations fall outside the statute of limitations for criminal charges. But one woman, former Playboy hostess Judy Huth, filed a sexual assault lawsuit in Los Angeles against the Emmy and Golden Globe winner. In the midst of the scandal, Cosby has cancelled public appearances and stepped down from his board of directors post at Temple University. Last week, trailblazing black supermodel Beverly Johnson claimed she was drugged by Cosby and resisted his advances. Unlike other accusers who have come forward, the model did not make explicit allegations of sexual assault against Cosby. — AFP |
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