Splash Instablog

                                Manchester United accelerated its recruitment drive this offseason by signing Germany captain Bastian Schweinsteiger and France international Morgan Schneiderlin on Monday, as the team revamps its midfield Having already brought in Italy right back Matteo Darmian and Netherlands winger Memphis Depay, United has reportedly spent 40 million pounds ($62 million) on a pair of central midfielders. United manager Louis van Gaal oversaw a spending spree of about 150 million pounds (then $250 million) last summer as the 20-time English champions looked to recover their lofty status after a woeful season under David Moyes in 2013-14, when the team finished seventh.  Bayern's Bastian Schweinsteiger watches the ball during the German Soccer Cup round of sixteen match between FC Bayern Munich and Ein...

                             U.S. movie "Bob and the Trees" by French director Diego Ongaro has won the top prize at the 50th edition of an international film festival in the Czech spa town of Karlovy Vary. The movie is a story about Massachusetts logger and farmer Bob Tarasuk, who is described by organizers as "a charismatic workhorse and hard-head with a soft spot for golf and gangsta rap." It is based on Ongaro's short about the same character. The winner was chosen from 13 contenders for the Crystal Globe by the festival's grand jury, which included U.S. cinema operator and distributor Tim League. Saturday's award also comes with a $25,000 cash prize.

                            Tents of TV crews stand in front of Palais Coburg where closed-door nuclear talks with Iran continue in Vienna, Austria, Monday, July 13, 2015. see more photo.........  The diplomats said at least two other issues still needed final agreement — Iran's demand for a lifting of a U.N. arms embargo and its insistence that any U.N. Security Council resolution approving the nuclear deal be written in a way that stops describing Iran's nuclear activities as illegal. They demanded anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss the negotiations. With a temporary deal set to expire at midnight Monday Vienna time (6 p.m. ET), diplomats said they hoped to complete and announce a final agreement before day's end. But they warned there was no guarantee, and some said the talks could stretch into Tuesday despite there be...

                                  The Iraqi government began on Monday a long-awaited large-scale military operation to dislodge Islamic State militants from Iraq's western Anbar province, a military spokesman announced.see more photo.. The spokesman for the Joint Operations Command, Brig. Gen. Yahya Rasool, said in a televised statement that the operation started at dawn Monday and that government forces are backed by Shiite and Sunni pro-government fighters. Rasool didn't clarify whether the U.S.-led international coalition is taking part. People inspect the scene of after an explosion hit a busy commercial area in Baghdad, Iraq Monday, July 13, 2015. A string of car bombs and explosive belts attacks across Baghdad killed and wounded dozens of people on Sunday, Iraqi officials said.