Tag Archives: Nayab Chohan

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Everyone – including the West – share the blame for the Ottoman deportation of Armenians in 1915

23 Wednesday Apr 2014

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⚽️ Two Spaniards (no Barcelona), one German and one English side into the last four of the Champions League 🥅 🏟

10 Thursday Apr 2014

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ANALYSIS 

We are now into the semi finals of the Champions League and apart from Barcelona being ousted by Atletico, it’s the usual suspects – Bayern, Real Madrid and José Mourinho (this time with Chelsea).
European football, and probably the World game, is currently dominated by German and Spanish teams, something that will no doubt be reflected in this summer’s World Cup also.
For the Champions League, Atletico look the sharpest, their attacking style that is conducted at a lightning speed will take some beating – even for a team like Bayern. Of the remaining sides, Chelsea are clearly the weakest, although they have a manager who is used to winning at this level with Real and of course Porto. And as a consequence this ageing Blues side can never really be discounted, although the semi final stage may prove to be a step too far for them.
And what to make of Ronaldo’s Real who are also challenging for the La Liga title with Barcelona and Atletico – well, they like Bayern are in transition and as a result, they can be beaten, as can their Spanish rivals and pretenders Atletico who despite all their energy and pace often miss in front of goal.
So, all bets are off for one of the most open Champions League tournaments in years and the good news for the impartial observer is that the same can be said for Brazil 2014.

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Lionel Messi outshines Ronaldo and Bale to show who is the best player in the world

24 Monday Mar 2014

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TEMPLATE ANALYSIS

The two most expensive players in earth were on show last night as Real Madrid did battle with their great rivals Barcelona at the Bernabeu in a fixture simply known as El Clasico.
There was also an up and coming Brazilian called Neymar, as well as a galaxy of stars and talent.
None of this mattered, however, as the greatest player on earth propelled his side to a 3-2 win to throw the La Liga title race wide open – there are now three contenders Atletico Madrid, Real Madrid and of course Barcelona. All is set up for an incredible title decider between Atletico and Barcelona at the Nou Camp at the end of the season.
Lionel Messi had been criticised of late for not being on the ball, there’s even been talk the second highest scorer in La Liga history may leave the club that’s been his home since he was a childhood prodigy. Well, that’s not going to happen now – when it matters Messi makes it count. It was so against Manchester City in the Champions League, and it was so last night as he scored his second hat-trick in a row to silence the some 53, 000 that had gathered largely to watch and pay homage to their own Cristiano Ronaldo.
Real Madrid were reduced to ten men for the last twenty minutes of this pulsating game, which saw Messi set up the first goal before a Ronaldo penalty put the homeside 2-1 ahead within fifteen minutes. At that point,  it looked as though Barcelona may rue three missed chances against their much fancied opponents. By the half time whistle Messi had restored parity in a game that had been played at a blistering pace. Surely, both sides couldn’t keep this up in the second – yes they could as Messi cooly slotted in two penalties to become the highest scorer in El Clasico history. Real will complain that they were handicapped by the referee, but they also had the two most expensive players in the world on their side. Money of course can’t buy you success and as Messi showed last night it doesn’t make you the greatest player on earth either.
FT: REAL MADRID 3 BARCELONA 4

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Budget 2014: Coalition can’t hide that Britain is suffocating under a failed economic policy

20 Thursday Mar 2014

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TEMPLATE ANALYSIS

George Osborne’s budget for the year 2014 was a clear attempt by the Conservative Party to shore up its core voters –  the old and the rich who have been largely shielded as the county has suffered under the weight of austerity.
But there was no real attempt to help those who have been hit by the 40 per cent rate of tax,  the very people that championed Thatcher and her reforms.
The Chancellor fears that they will move to UKIP during the next general election yet his budget did little to redress the central problem of the tax rates –  that middle England is paying the same rate as the very richest,  and all the while the level of debt this country owes has remained largely the same.
Even the news that the level of personal allowance is to be raised above £10 000 has a sting in its tail – it could mean a rise in temporary work.
That on top of of the few pence that were recently added on the minimum wage means that there was little to help the little man.
More than this Osborne’s demeanour and PR statements talking up how well he has handled the economy show that this is a party and coalition government that has lost touch.
All they need to do is take a walk down any street in any town. And they will see Britain isn’t breathing, it’s suffocating under a failed economic programme.

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🪖 A new cold war? 🇷🇺 – 🇺🇦

18 Tuesday Mar 2014

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⚽️ Four sides are up for the Premier League Title 🥅 🏟

17 Monday Mar 2014

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TEMPLATE ANALYSIS

So, in the year after the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson four sides that would have struggled had he remained manager are now bidding for the title of Premier League Champions.
Yesterday’s results that saw Liverpool humble the ageing giant that is now Manchester United,  and Arsenal grinding out a result against a Spurs side that showed plenty of energy but little else, means that the Premier League is wide open, and promises to be even more exciting this year than it was when Manchester City grabbed a winner in the dying minutes of the season to steal the title.
Only one of the top four has the distraction of Europe – though that should not be a problem for Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea, whose side’s shock defeat on Saturday to Aston Villa now means all bets are off.
Mourinho has the experience and steely determination to steer his side through two tough tournaments simultaneously, although his Chelsea side are not the sharpest in the Premier League – that is surely Manchester City who are now favourites to take their second title in three seasons.
Mathematically, Liverpool can’t win should Chelsea win all their games, although this remains a league where the bottom side can still inflict a defeat on the top one. And that leaves Arsène Wenger’s Arsenal who having lost to Bayern Munich despite a very encouraging performance, who are in with a shout for the FA Cup and who managed to make Tottenham look like a second league side despite their North London rivals having most of the possession.
Until yesterday’s win, most people had written off the Gunners’ chances.  But they remain contenders – whether they can make it count this season is of course another matter.

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⚽️ TEMPLATE ANALYSIS The end of Manchester United as a football force? 🥅 🏟

16 Sunday Mar 2014

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TEMPLATE ANALYSIS

When Muhammad Ali was beaten by some one called Trevor Berbick, it was clear that the world of boxing was witnessing the end of an era.
Was the same happening at Old Trafford today where Liverpool outplayed the once mighty side called Manchester United to win 3-0.
There were three penalties – two of which were converted by Steven Gerrard – and the killer blow that ensured David Moyes’ men were out of it was made by their star striker Luis Suarez, who no doubt was the reason for the appearance of Diego Maradona in the crowd.
At least two of the penalties were questionable, but Brendan Rogers’ men had numerous other opportunities against an oppostion that despite fielding Robin Van Persie and the highly paid but sadly overrated Wayne Rooney showed no sparkle.
Currently, the Premier League Champions look a pale shadow of that triumphant side which looked unstoppable for season after season under the stewardship of Sir Alex Ferguson.
Of course, they need major surgery although the haste to sign Wayne Rooney for a massive contract or some of the other additions like Fellaini have not helped David Moyes’ cause.
Whether Van Persie will remain next season despite his claims to wanting to stay is another matter given the likelihood that the current Manchester United side may not even qualify for Europe – unless they win the Champions League title.
So are we looking at the end of an era?
Well, four sides are now clearly breathing and functioning in the absence of the great man. The board at Old Trafford will of course stick with their man but if they are in the same position this time next season and the side will look as hopeless as they did today they will find it difficult to justify keeping the under pressure Moyes.
At the moment, United look a top seven side side will little chance like say Spurs of breaking into the top four. That can change for a team the size of this club with the right signings. And one other thing Aberdeen have just won Scottish Cup, their first trophy since Ferguson left their club for an up and coming one called Manchester United.  Are the Old Trafford faithful who so memorably supported their side today despite an abject performance prepared to wait that long for their next taste of success?

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Protected: Farewell Tony Benn, the Leftwinger who kept the Tories in power

14 Friday Mar 2014

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ARSENAL BLEW IT AGAIN

12 Wednesday Mar 2014

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TEMPLATE ANALYSIS

No one gave the Gunners a chance last night as they attempted to overturn a two goal deficit against the European Champions on their home turf.
Surely, lightning doesn’t strike twice, surely last year’s 1-0 win at Bayern Munich was a freak result.
Well, for the first twenty minutes or so it looked like Arsene Wenger’s nearly men were never going to get a sniff of chance at the opposition goal, as the powerful Germans played lockdown.
For the rest of the half Arsenal had their moments but nothing more.
And when Bayern’s Bastien Schweinsteiger grabbed a goal early in the second half, it looked like the floodgates had opened. But then something astonishing happened when the German forward Lukas Podolski literally brushed aside a Bayern defender and fired in the equaliser against his old club.
Podolski had expected to be booked but Arsenal had got back in and the manner had stunned the opposition who like the powerful national side folded now they were under the cosh.
After this Bayern looked ordinary as Arsenal had numerous opportunities to seal the deal. Trouble is they just did not have the quality up front to make that happen.  Mesut Ozil the man who had missed that penalty in the first leg and who could been the made the difference here had been subsituted for the second half of this leg for what later turned out to be a hamstring injury.
It could have been Arsenal’s day – a fact underlined by Bayern’s Thomas Muller missing a penalty in the last minute, after Lukasz Fabianski dived the right way and then dived again to prevent a follow up.
But Arsenal blew it – sure there were positives, Wenger’s men had made the superhuman Germans look ordinary, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was energetic, but he like the rest of the fowards just didn’t make it count.
And with that it another year out of the Champions league for the Premier League’s great underachievers.

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