Month: December 2019

When winter comes, Dalongtan Golden Monkey Research Center staff members in Shennongjia, Central China’s Hubei province, start providing extra food for golden monkeys to help them survive the winter. Staff members at the center usually provide 50 kg of sweet potato twice a day till the middle of March.

Since the center, which is 2,200 meters above sea level, started providing extra food in the winter of 2005, all baby monkeys there have survived the winter, a number that’s 6 percent higher than those living in the natural environment, according to the center.

To date, there are 13 species of golden monkeys with a total population over 1,300 living at Shennongjia, the center’s data showed.

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The Red Devils were in the market for attacking reinforcements during the January window of 2018 and came close to doing a deal for the Russian star

Manchester United initially had Fedor Smolov above Alexis Sanchez on their list of transfer priorities, claims the Russian forward’s agent, with a deal almost done after the Red Devils failed to land Paulo Dybala and Antoine Griezmann.

Those at Old Trafford looked to Europe for attacking inspiration before and during the winter window of 2018.

The plan was to land a marquee signing, with superstar figures plying their trade at Juventus and Atletico Madrid featuring prominently on the recruitment radar.

Dybala and Griezmann – who is now at Barcelona – proved to be out of reach, forcing United to turn their attention elsewhere.

Smolov, then on the books at Krasnodar and readying himself for a star showing at the 2018 World Cup with the host nation, was among those the Red Devils considered bringing on board.

Initial discussions were not followed up though once it became apparent that Chile international Sanchez could be lured away from an expiring contract at Premier League rivals Arsenal.

The South American arrived at Old Trafford amid much fanfare, but struggled to make his mark and is currently nursing a knock during a loan spell at Serie A giants Inter.

Things could have played out very differently for United had they pressed ahead with a bid for Smolov, with the 29-year-old’s representative ultimately taking his client to Lokomotiv Moscow.

German Tkachenko told Championat of a frontman who also sparked talk of interest from Borussia Dortmund and West Ham: “When we were dealing with the transfer, Manchester United emerged as a surprise option and their interest was real.

“They were looking for a striker and they had two main targets in Paulo Dybala and Antoine Griezmann. They were seeing us as an alternative option.

“When it was clear both players wouldn’t be joining them, we brought him onto the scene.

“We discussed the wages, agency fees, advertising and other details. Everything was ready but United took Alexis and our move fell through.”

Sanchez has managed just five goals in 45 appearances for United, with it difficult to see any future for him at Old Trafford despite being tied to a contract through to the summer of 2022.

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The Real Madrid goalkeeper wants to see his Santiago Bernabeu team-mate silence his critics by proving that he has learned a second language

Thibaut Courtois has challenged Real Madrid team-mate Gareth Bale to give an interview in Spanish and silence those who continue to question his commitment to the Blancos.

His reluctance to speak a second language in public has added fuel to the fire of those quick to write off the Wales international and his spell at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Bale has collected a healthy haul of silverware during his time in Spain, including four Champions League crowns, but has faced plenty of criticism for his actions on and off the field.

Niggling injuries have done his cause few favours, while his penchant for golf and apparent reluctance to integrate fully into the Madrid squad has seen him marginalised by some.

Courtois is among those to have fanned the flames with “the golfer” talk, but the Belgian claims to be a close associate of Bale.

The former Chelsea goalkeeper is happy to speak English with the ex-Tottenham winger, but can also hold a conversation with the 30-year-old in Spanish.

He is now looking for Bale to show the rest of the world that he has fully embraced a new culture, with the Welshman capable of giving an interview to the locals in Madrid “perfectly well”.

Courtois told Marca: “I get on best with the young players like Fede [Valverde] Brahim, before with [Sergio] Reguilon… I have Casemiro by my side and I also speak a lot with him, also with Isco and Eden [Hazard]… they are who I spend most time with.

“In the end, I’m an easy person to get along with. I speak four languages (English, Dutch, French and Spanish) and I always studied German at school, so I speak a little bit. And, with so many Brazilian teammates, I’m learning a bit of Portuguese.

“I like to keep up my English with Gareth, although he speaks better Spanish than people think. He could give an interview in Spanish perfectly well. I speak to him a lot, I also like golf.

“Gareth does everything to win matches.

“They always go after him for the same things: golf, the language… I want to see him go out and give an interview in Spanish because he speaks very well in the dressing room with lots of teammates and he understands it very well.

“But it’s his thing if he prefers to speak English, it would only be to stop people saying these things [about his Spanish] and they can see that he’s very devoted.”

Bale has endured another injury-hit campaign in 2019-20 and has mustered just two goals through 13 appearances.

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The 20-year-old midfielder has featured from the bench in both of the Spaniard’s games in charge so far, and is feeling optimistic about the future

Arsenal midfielder Joe Willock says the whole Gunners squad believe in new manager Mikel Arteta, despite taking only one point from his first two games.

After a promising start, Arsenal conceded twice in the last 10 minutes at home to Chelsea on Sunday to leave themselves as low as 12th in the Premier League table.

Following Freddie Ljungberg’s struggles as interim boss after the sacking of Unai Emery, the ‘new manager bounce’ appears to be eluding Arsenal – but Willock knows his side are in it for the long haul.

“He’s installed energy, he’s installed being there for each other and different tactics,” Willock said after the Chelsea game.

“I thought we did it in the first half and the first 15 minutes of the second half but we pushed back and they got on top of us so it’s really disappointing.

“We all believe in him; we all listen and we all try to put the tactics he does in training on to the pitch.

“It’s evident we tried to do it in the first half, but it’s a long journey, we’ve only had a week with him and we’re all looking forward to working with him.”

Willock, who turned 20 at the beginning of the season, has been an important squad player for Arsenal this season, appearing in all but four of their matches in all competitions.

His promising form has been one of the few positive notes of a dreadful season at Emirates Stadium, and he has four goals to show for his efforts.

He will be hoping to profit from Arteta’s new vision for the club. For now, though, focus is firmly fixed on upcoming home fixtures with Manchester United and Leeds.

“We tried to give a lot of energy and tried to help each other out but unfortunately we lost,” Willock added.

“We just need to keep positive, we all believe in each other and we know that we’re halfway through the season and we need to push on.

“We’re looking forward to the next game and hopefully, we can show the energy for a full 90 minutes.”

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The Bianconeri are through to the last 16 of the Champions League and top of Serie A – but there will be some comings and goings in Turin next month

Juventus’ summer transfer window was a success – but only because of their embarrassing failure to sell several high-profile players.

In a desperate bid to balance the books a year after the sensational €340 million (£293m/$375m) package they put together to sign Cristiano Ronaldo, the Bianconeri tried to offload Mario Mandzukic, Gonzalo Higuain and, most shockingly of all, Paulo Dybala.

Despite the best efforts of chief football officer Fabio Paratici, not one of that trio of forwards left Turin before the start of the 2019-20 campaign.

That proved a blessing in disguise because while Mandzukic was ostracised by new coach Maurizio Sarri, Argentine duo Higuain and Dybala both played pivotal roles in Juve’s solid first half of the season.

The Bianconeri topped their Champions League group, qualifying with two games to spare, while they entered the winter break level on points with Inter at the summit of the Serie A standings.

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Going into January, then, the focus will not be on strengthening an already formidable squad but on belatedly reducing the largest wage bill in Italy (€294m gross).

LIKELY SIGNINGS

Before the Champions League dead rubber against Bayer Leverkusen on matchday six, Paratici insisted that Juve would not make any major signings in January.

“We have a squad that is already very competitive right now,” he told Sky Sport Italia. “We won’t operate in the market. We’re already covered in midfield.”

However, that is precisely the one area in which Juve would consider strengthening should the right player become available – and, perhaps more importantly, at the right price.

The Old Lady is a long-time admirer of Sandro Tonali and the 19-year-old playmaker has impressed in what is his first season in Serie A.

However, Brescia would be reluctant to sell ‘the new Andrea Pirlo’ during the winter window given they are locked in a relegation battle – and certainly not for anything less than €50m.

Consequently, it seems far more likely that the Italy international will arrive in Turin next summer, when Juve traditionally prefer to do their transfer business.

There was a lot of talk in November of a deal with Barcelona for the out-of-favour Ivan Rakitic but the Croat has forced his way back into Ernesto Valverde’s starting line-up, starting six games in a row before the win over Alaves just before the winter break.

Leandro Paredes’ name has also been mentioned frequently, potentially as part of a swap deal involving both Emre Can and Mattia De Sciglio, but Paris Saint-Germain are reluctant to let the Argentine go in January.

There is also little chance of Dejan Kulusevski arriving in Turin, either in January or during the summer.

The Swedish sensation has taken Serie A by storm during his loan stay at Parma this season but the Atalanta-owned midfielder looks set to join Inter at the end of the season for approximately €35m (£30m/$39m).

Elsewhere, Sarri would welcome a reunion with Emerson Palmieri, with whom he worked at Chelsea, but the Blues would be more open to offloading fellow left-back Marcos Alonso during the winter window.

Like many other clubs in Europe, Juve were interested in RB Salzburg striking sensation Erling Haaland but the 19-year-old opted to join Borussia Dortmund, a team that can offer him a good deal of first-team starts in the short-term – something that the Bianconeri could not guarantee.

LIKELY DEPARTURES

The decision to offload Mandzukic, who has joined Qatar’s Al-Duhail, in such unceremonious fashion has upset many Juve fans, given the forward had been such a loyal servent, but the furore is of little concern to Juve.

The only thing that matters as far as the Italian champions are concerned is that they have removed the tenth highest-paid player in Serie A (€6m per annum after tax) from their wage bill – and for a reported fee of €7m (£6m/$7.8m).

Happily for Juve fans, Can should also be gone soon too.

The Bianconeri are renowned for their inspired free transfers but the €5m-a-year contract they gave the German midfielder when he parted company with Liverpool always looked like a waste of money – and so it has proved.

Can has started just two games in all competitions this season and has been looking to leave ever since Sarri left him out of his Champions League squad.

Despite fanciful talk of a return to England to link up with Manchester United as part of a deal to bring Paul Pogba back to Juventus, PSG does look the most likely destination for the 25-year-old.

The Bianconeri would rather Can stay until June, when they would have a better chance of persuading PSG to part with Paredes, but it would not be a surprise to see the unhappy Germany international force through a January transfer.

Marko Pjaca, meanwhile, is expected to end up at Genoa.

The Croatia international was considered one of the most exciting young attackers in the world when he joined Juve from Dinamo Zagreb in 2016, but his time in Turin has been blighted by misfortune – he has suffered injuries to both knees – and endured unsuccessful loan spells at Schalke and Fiorentina.

Despite rumours of Pjaca being used as a makeweight in a late bid to hijack Inter’s deal for Kulusevski, the winger is now set to spend the second half of the season at the Luigi Ferraris, where he should be joined by Mattia Perin.

The Italy goalkeeper saw his hopes of a summer switch to Benfica scuppered by a shoulder problem but he has made a full recovery and a return to Genoa is a real possibility.  

Defensive duo Merih Demiral and Daniele Rugani have featured just four and three times, respectively, this season and Juventus would certainly be willing to listen to offers for the latter.

However, despite interest from AC Milan and others in Demiral, the Turkey international will stay at Juve to provide cover for a backline still shorn of the services of the injured Giorgio Chiellini.

De Sciglio, though, could be allowed to move to Napoli if Aurelio De Laurentiis agrees to let Elseid Hysaj – a Sarri favourite from his time at the San Paolo – move in the other direction.

HOW THEY COULD LINE UP

With no major signings anticipated during the January window, Juve are likely to continue with their current shape and line-up.

Sarri’s preferred formation is obviously 4-3-3 but the former Chelsea boss has now embraced a 4-3-1-2 as Dybala has shown this season that he can thrive in the No.10 role, while Higuain is proving a more than capable foil for Ronaldo.

Pjanic is the one certain starter in midfield, given Aaron Ramsey’s unsurprising injury issues and Adrien Rabiot’s underwhelming form.

Juve are still struggling to replace Joao Cancelo at right-back but Matthijs de Ligt has recovered from an understandably shaky start to form a decent centre-half pairing with Leonardo Bonucci.

Sarri’s side have shown signs of gelling but Lazio have brutally exposed their limitations twice in the past month and doubts remain over whether the Bianconeri are really good enough to end their agonising wait for a first Champions League title since 1996.

If this season ends in further European disappointment, expect some major moves in the summer.

The 22-year-old was already known for his tireless work rate and hold-up play, but has now begun to add regular goals to his game

Dominic Calvert-Lewin has the potential to establish himself as Everton’s first-choice centre forward and could even force his way into the England squad, says Jamie Redknapp.

The 22-year-old scored twice in Everton’s 2-1 win at Newcastle on Saturday as Carlo Ancelotti became just the third Toffees manager to win his first two Premier League games in charge.

Speaking after the game Ancelotti said Calvert-Lewin had all the attributes to become a “top striker” in Europe.

Just 48 hours earlier the former Sheffield United youngster had also found the back of the net in a 1-0 Boxing Day win over Burnley at Goodison Park, with his tally for the season now a career-best 10 in 22 appearances in all competitions.

Five of those goals have come in his last five games, including a brace against Chelsea in the first of Duncan Ferguson’s four matches in caretaker charge earlier this month following the sacking of Marco Silva.

Like Calvert-Lewin, Ferguson used to wear the number nine shirt during his playing days at Goodison Park and Redknapp believes the Scot, now installed as one of Ancelotti’s assistants, is the ideal man to nurture the striker’s abilities.

And combined with the vast knowledge and experience brought by Ancelotti, he feels Calvert-Lewin has the perfect environment in which to fulfil his domestic and international ambitions.

“With Carlo Ancelotti as a manager and Duncan Ferguson as a mentor, Dominic Calvert-Lewin is getting the best of both worlds,” Redknapp told the Mail.

“One is a world-class coach who has worked with Cristiano Ronaldo, Didier Drogba, Andriy Shevchenko, Filippo Inzaghi and more. The other is a man who knows what it takes to be Everton’s No 9, and that is not an easy job.

“Think of the greats who wore that shirt in the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties, from Joe Royle to Bob Latchford to Graeme Sharp. Think of the defenders who had to face Big Dunc and got a face full of No 9 while trying to mark him.

“You could forgive Calvert-Lewin for maybe feeling haunted by those iconic players of the past. It comes with a great deal of pressure to carry that number on your back.

“My experience with centre forwards taught me that they are a different breed. They almost need the kid-glove treatment. They like to be loved and told how good they are.

“What Ancelotti said (after Saturday’s win over Newcastle) will give Calvert-Lewin belief. It will give him confidence to hear a man with his reputation saying that about him.”

One of the principal reasons behind Everton’s struggles in recent seasons has been their failure to adequately replace Romelu Lukaku, who left for Manchester United in the summer of 2017.

The likes of Sandro Ramirez, Wayne Rooney and Cenk Tosun have all tried – and failed – to replicate the Belgian’s goalscoring form since.

The Toffees have again been linked with a number of strikers in next month’s transfer window but Redknapp believes Calvert-Lewin could save the club several million pounds, as well as give Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate something to ponder ahead of this summer’s European Championships.

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“It feels like every transfer window, you hear about how Everton simply have to sign a top striker,” added the former England midfielder.

“But Calvert-Lewin should want to take on that role himself. I’d love to see him have a real crack at it.

“If this young forward is willing to listen and wants to learn, he might save that club an awful lot of money in the summer.

“Calvert-Lewin is already a nightmare to mark because he doesn’t stop running. You cannot doubt his work rate or desire. He is a big boy, too — strong, physical, capable of battling with any defender.

“He’s seen Tammy Abraham earn his shot with England under Gareth Southgate. He’s seen Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford rack up those caps. Calvert-Lewin should want that for himself, too.”

The Italy midfielder began the game on the bench but proved to be a pivotal figure in the final outcome following his first-half introduction

Chelsea substitute Jorginho says the Blues players were “too soft” in the opening stages of their clash with Arsenal, while also dismissing claims he should have been sent off in their 2-1 comeback win at Emirates Stadium .

Frank Lampard’s side fell behind to a 13th-minute header by Gunners top scorer Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Lampard responded to that slow start by making a tactical switch and bringing on Jorginho for Emerson after just 34 minutes.

Despite an improved performance, the Blues remained behind going into the final 10 minutes, before Jorginho capitalised on an error by Gunners goalkeeper Bernd Leno to tap home the equaliser from Mason Mount’s free kick. Four minutes later, Tammy Abraham finished off a swift Chelsea counterattack to secure the most dramatic of victories.

Speaking after the game, Jorginho says he was instructed to try and drive the team on after their poor opening.

“In this first 10 minutes we were too soft so I was told to push my mates,” he told Sky Sports. “I think we changed the game.”

Arsenal were left frustrated when Jorginho was not shown a second yellow card when the Gunners were still in front for a pull on Matteo Guendouzi as he looked to launch a counterattack.

Alexandre Lacazette was booked instead for protesting at the referee, with the Italy international rubbing salt into the wounds by scoring the equaliser less than 10 minutes later.

Jorginho, though, felt the referee made the correct decision, saying: “It was not my fault. Contact in football is normal. It was a foul but no more I think.”

Chelsea matchwinner Abraham also chose to highlight the impact of substitute Jorginho, saying the former Napoli man changed the course of the match.

“I give credit to the boys, I give credit to Jorginho,” the England striker told Sky Sports. “The first 30 minutes they dominated the ball, they were popping us in midfield, then this man (Jorginho) comes on and it was a whole different ball game.

“Him coming on lifted the whole team and the second half was a better performance.”

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Pas facile de quitter le nuage Miss Univers ! Et pourtant, pour Iris Mittenaere, rendre la couronne a aussi de bons côtés – comme retrouver, enfin, une certaine liberté.

“Faire les choses par soi-même, enfin pouvoir dire oui, non… Tout est possible !” Dans une interview accordée à Télé-Loisirs, Iris Mittenaere a loué sa liberté retrouvée. Aux yeux de l’ancienne Miss Univers, si l’année écoulée a été fabuleuse, elle a aussi été l’objet d’un certain nombre de règles très contraignantes – qui expliquent peut-être pourquoi elle a mis tant de temps à officialiser sa relation avec Kev Adams.

“Miss Univers est une année merveilleuse, mais on a très peu de liberté, confie-t-elle. On est très protégée, tout le temps accompagnée. Dans la voiture par exemple, c’est comme si on avait 6 ans et demi. On nous demande si on a bien nos affaires. Régulièrement, je disais : ‘mince j’ai oublié ma couronne’. Cela nous apprend à ne pas faire attention finalement…“.

Maintenant qu’elle a rendu sa couronne – avec un peu d’avance – Iris Mittenaere retrouve le plaisir de faire ses propres choix. Même s’il n’est pas toujours facile de revenir à un vie loin du tourbillon Miss Univers. “Le lendemain de Miss Univers, je me suis retrouvée à l’aéroport, et au moment de payer mes valises, j’ai réalisé que je n’avais pas mon portefeuille, raconte-t-elle. J’ai failli ne pas embarquer ! Ça m’a fait réfléchir. Être vraiment indépendante, refaire des choses par moi-même va me prendre du temps…“

Crédits photos : Bestimage

En cette période de voeux, l’heure est aux bonnes résolutions mais aussi aux pensées pour les êtres proches qui parfois nous ont quittés. Sur son compte Instagram le fils de Nicolas Sarkozy livre un vibrant message à l’adresse de sa grand-mère récemment disparue dont il était très proche.

Peu avant Noël, Nicolas Sarkozy et sa famille affrontaient une bien triste nouvelle, la disparition d’Andrée, la maman de l’ancien président. Très ému l’ancien chef de l’Etat avait posté un message, parlant de celle qui l’a élevé comme d’une “reine”. Il faut dire que la cheffe du clan Sarkozy avait beaucoup inspiré son fils… Très proche de Carla Bruni sa belle-fille, Andrée Sarkozy, Andrée Sarkozy avait élevé ses fils après que leur père a quitté le foyer.

Sur le canapé de Karine Le Marchand, Nicolas Sarkozy se confiait sur le départ de son père, son absence pendant son adolescence, et le rôle déterminant de sa mère dans sa vie. «Je lui dois tout, elle m’a élevée dans tous les sens du terme », avait confié Nicolas Sarkozy aux auteurs du livre Les politiques ont aussi une mère (Albin Michel). ” “J’étais plutôt soulagé que mon père ne soit pas là […] Il avait certainement des qualités, mais… disons qu’il était un peu brusque. Et peut-être pas adapté à des petits enfants. Il n’avait peut-être pas beaucoup de patience. Je ne peux pas dire que j’ai souffert de ça.” confiait alors l’ancien président.

"J’étais plutôt soulagé que mon père ne soit pas là…"@NicolasSarkozy se confie à @KarineLMOff#UneAmbitionIntime dimanche 9 octobre 21:00 pic.twitter.com/ZXsVJisJNM

Click Here: liverpool mens jersey— M6 (@M6) September 30, 2016

Sur Instagram, c’est son petit fils Pierre Sarkozy qui a rendu hommage à sa grand-mère, un message emprunt d’amour qui a ému les internautes. Pierre Sarkozy, le plus discret de la famille, est aussi un DJ de renom. Parmi ses derniers faits d’arme, le remix du single de Carla Bruni.

Sur la photo en noir et blanc postée par le fils de l’ancien président, on y voit Pierre et sa grand-mère complices pour son anniversaire. Un souvenir de bonheur.

Une joyeuse année à ceux qui vivent parmi nous, et à ceux qui vivent dans nos coeurs. ❤??

A post shared by Mosey (@moseyofficial) on Dec 31, 2017 at 4:52pm PST

Crédits photos : BEST IMAGE

Johnny Hallyday était d’une infinie gentillesse avec ses proches, mais il était également très exigeant. En particulier dans le monde du travail, lorsqu’il s’agissait des musiciens qui travaillaient avec lui.

Pendant plus de 15 ans, jusqu’à la mort du chanteur, Yvan Cassar a travaillé au côté de Johnny Hallyday. Il était son compositeur, son arrangeur, son pianiste, son directeur musical… Bien souvent, les fans du rockeur ont pu le voir sur scène avec leur star. Impossible de ne pas le reconnaître avec ses longs cheveux bouclés. Très proche du chanteur, il s’est confié sur le nombre de personnes qui rêvaient de collaborer avec « l’idole des jeunes ».

Interrogé par FranceInfo, il l’affirme : « Tout le monde avait envie d’écrire pour Johnny. Tout le monde avait envie de composer pour Johnny. C’était le rêve pour tout le monde. Tout musicien, tout artiste, tout auteur français. » Mais attention, pour travailler avec lui, il fallait être le meilleur, que l’on soit auteur, compositeur ou musicien : « Par instinct, il a toujours choisi les bonnes collaborations. Toutes ses chansons, il les choisissait avec beaucoup de précautions, beaucoup d’acuité. »

Johnny Hallyday ne s’en est jamais caché : s’il était connu pour sa gentillesse, il n’en était pas moins exigeant. Pas questions de mettre des semaines pour le convaincre : « Vous aviez intérêt à vous imposer, à faire vos preuves assez rapidement, sinon… ». Au cours de sa carrière, Johnny a chanté des titres signés par les plus grands auteurs-compositeurs français : de Charles Aznavour à Michel Berger, en passant par Zazie, Pascal Obispo ou Jean-Jacques Goldman. Tous ont contribué à faire de lui une véritable légende. Et si le rockeur a accepté de travailler avec eux, c’est pour une simple raison : il considérait qu’ils étaient la crème de la crème.

Crédits photos : DANIEL ANGELI / BESTIMAGE

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