Switzerland go into their last-16 World Cup match against Sweden in St Petersburg on Tuesday with a much more exciting squad than those at past tournaments, but only victory will secure a lasting legacy for their so-called ‘Golden generation’.The Swiss may lack quality up front, but sound organisation and teamwork have enabled them to overcome their shortcomings, although they are bound to be tested by the absence of their captain Stephan Lichtsteiner and Fabian Schar.The defensive duo, who are suspended after picking up two yellow cards each, are an integral part of the Swiss back line, and if the is to progress at the tournament it must first work out how to cope without the two.But with players such as Ricardo Rodriguez, Xherdan Shaqiri and Granit Xhaka, who ply their trade in Europe’s top leagues, the Swiss still have a decent chance of reaching the quarter-finals for the first time since they hosted the World Cup 1954.Draws with Brazil and Costa Rica and victory over Serbia secured second place in Group E for the Swiss behind Brazil, while Germany’s shock elimination means Vladimir Petkovic’s side face far more limited opponents in Sweden than they would have dared to hope for when the draw was first made.Like the Swiss, the Swedes have gone about their campaign with a brisk, businesslike efficiency, with their only blip coming in their last-minute 2-1 loss to Germany, which was bracketed by victories over South Korea and Mexico.Both teams escaped the group stages with a minimum of fuss, scoring five goals each.The goals have been spread around, with Swedish skipper Andreas Granqvist the only player on either team to have scored more than once in Russia, with both his goals coming from the penalty spot.The group stages have shown that Sweden may be content to block the spaces in midfield without pressing too high and try to pinch a goal on the counter as they look to match or better their run to the semi-finals in 1994.The plan will be to usher the Swiss down the wings and rely on their imposing centre backs Granqvist and Victor Lindelof to deal with any crosses into the box.Sweden coach Janne Andersson’s admission that he has a list of penalty takers sorted in his mind before the match tells its own story, and given each team’s well-drilled defence, a penalty shootout is not beyond the realms of possibility.While that might offend the purists, Sweden midfielder Albin Ekdal has already responded to criticism that his side are not the most easy on the eye.“Who the hell cares?” he said. “We’re best at maximising. We can’t compete with France or Spain when it comes to skill on the ball, but luckily football is not decided by ‘tiki-taka’ passes.” read more

Fabregas should have doubled Chelsea’s lead before half-time when he lofted a pass to Branislav Ivanovic and surged onto the return ball, only to miscue his left-footed shot over the bar.Schalke gradually came into the match and Ghana midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng lashed in a fierce long-range effort that brought a fine save from Thibaut Courtois.The visitors came even closer to equalising on the stroke of half-time when Julian Draxler’s impressive acceleration took him past Ivanovic and Gary Cahill and into the area where he drilled a low shot just past the far post with only Courtois to beat.Ivanovic was denied by Faehrmann from an acute angle as the hosts pressed for the killer second goal after the interval.There was more frustration for Chelsea when Drogba muscled his way into a dangerous position from Hazard’s pass, but then clipped his shot wide.And Schalke made Mourinho’s side pay for their profligacy in the 62nd minute.In a reversal of Chelsea’s goal, Fabregas was dispossessed after a possible foul from Huntelaar, whose pass released Draxler to launch a rapid counter-attack that ended with Dutch striker Huntelaar planting a clinical low strike past Courtois to stun the Bridge into silence.Mourinho called for the cavalry, sending on Costa and Loic Remy for the final 18 minutes.Remy went close to bagging the winner, but the France striker’s shot was headed off the line by Roman Neustaedter.That set the stage for a tense finale as Chelsea poured forward, but Hazard shot over and then saw his poked effort blocked by Faehrmann.0Shares0000(Visited 1 times, 1 visits today) 0Shares0000LONDON, September 18- Chelsea made a spluttering start to their Champions League campaign as Klaas-Jan Huntelaar’s second-half equaliser earned Schalke a surprise 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday.Jose Mourinho’s side had been in dominant mood in the early weeks of the season and they looked well in control of their Group G opener after an early strike from Spain midfielder Cesc Fabregas. But Fabregas’s first goal for Chelsea since his £27 million ($44 million) pre-season move from Barcelona was the prelude to a frustrating evening for the Blues, who wasted a string of chances to finish off Schalke and were made to pay when Huntelaar fired home to give the Germans the point their perseverance deserved.The Premier League leaders will still expect to qualify from a group also including Sporting Lisbon and Maribor, but this was hardly the kind of ruthless performance required to go one step further than last season’s semi-final appearance.“I’m frustrated because we had very good chances to make it 2-0 and after the 1-1 we had a fantastic reaction and had more chances to win the game,” Mourinho said.“Schalke fought hard and congratulations to them. It’s a good point for them and a point for us, but not a fantastic pointSchalke manager Jens Keller by contrast was ecstatic with his side’s performance.“I’m very proud of what we did against such a top team. Our plan went perfectly.It’s possible they underestimated us, but my team produced a really good tactical performance.”Fuelled by the predatory finishing of Spain striker Diego Costa, who has scored seven times in four matches since arriving from Atletico Madrid, Mourinho’s men had reeled off four successive victories.But despite Costa’s impressive form, Mourinho opted to rest the Brazil-born star and handed Didier Drogba his first start since his return to the Bridge.Chelsea defeated Schalke both home and away in the Champions League group stage last season and it wasn’t long before Keller’s men were in trouble again as the Blues took the lead in controversial fashion in the 11th minute.Stretching to win possession, Fabregas lunged in on Max Meyer, missing the ball and leaving the Schalke midfielder writhing in agony.With furious Schalke players appealing for the foul, Croatian referee Ivan Bebek instead waved play on and Fabregas sprinted to receive a clever back-flicked pass from Eden Hazard in the area before guiding a cool finish past Ralf Faehrmann. – Made to pay – read more

0Shares0000SYDNEY, November 28- A “broken” Sean Abbott faced rebuilding his life Friday after delivering the ball that killed Australian batsman Phillip Hughes, although Cricket Australia said the young bowler was holding up well given the circumstances.The 22-year-old was doing what he always does for his state New South Wales, bowling fast, when Hughes misjudged a pull shot at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Tuesday and collapsed to the ground unconscious after being hit on the base of the skull. He never recovered and died on Thursday after massive bleeding to the brain.Test veteran Jason Gillespie said Abbott’s personal and professional life had been turned upside down by the unprecedented tragedy.“That lad is absolutely shaken and broken at the moment,” he told Fox Sports, while former Australian captain Mark Taylor said he would be haunted by the incident.“He’s got no questions to answer but I’m sure he’ll be feeling some guilt today and probably will be for a long time,” he said.“I really hope Sean can get over it and we one day see Sean back playing for NSW and maybe Australia.”Up-and-coming bowler Abbott, who made his one-day and Twenty20 debut for Australia in October, was seen cradling the injured player immediately after the incident.– ‘In our thoughts and prayers’ –Cricket Australia chief executive James Sutherland spoke with him on Thursday evening and said he was impressed with the way he was handling the situation, adding “this is a grieving process that will affect people in different ways”.“I think it’s been fantastic the way in which people have shown concern for Sean,” he said.“What we will do and the relevant experts will do will be to provide Sean with all of the support he needs to work through this.“But right now I can say that he is holding up very well and I’m incredibly impressed with him.”Despite this, Pakistan great Waqar Younis questioned whether Abbott, who has made no comment, would be able to continue in cricket.“How will he continue?,” Waqar, one of the outstanding fast bowlers of his generation and now Pakistan’s coach, told AFP.“He needs counselling, which I am sure must have started, and needs to stay calm.”Abbott visited Hughes in Sydney’s St Vincent’s Hospital and has been getting support from cricketing officials and his teammates.Reports said Australian captain Michael Clarke and Hughes’ sister Megan went out of their way to spend a significant amount of time with him this week.While the outpouring of grief and sympathy on social media has been for Hughes, there have also been plenty of encouraging words for Abbott.“Spare a thought for Sean Abbott,” tweeted England great Ian Botham, while West Indies legend Viv Richards also sent his best wishes: “Deepest sympathy for Phillip’s family, friends & associates. Sean Abbott in our thoughts & prayers also.”Former Australian Test fast bowler player Stuart Clark spent time with Abbott, who has a naturally quiet temperament, on Thursday night and said he appeared OK with at least three supporters always around him, but it was early days.“I think it will be the hardest for him when it’s quiet and there’s nothing happening,” he told Sky Sports radio.“When he’s sitting at home at night before he goes to bed — that’s, I think, when the thoughts will start recurring in his mind.”0Shares0000(Visited 1 times, 1 visits today) read more

AD Quality Auto 360p 720p 1080p Top articles1/5READ MOREGift Box shows no rust in San Antonio Stakes win at Santa Anita160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! During this recent holiday season and its many family gatherings, some adult children have gleaned a bit of unwelcome information: Mom and Dad need help if they want to continue living independently. The search for someone to care for seniors in their homes can be confusing. A dizzying array of agencies, companies and independent workers provide far-flung services from elaborate medical care to companionship. Medicare and long-term care policies do cover some services, but many families end up paying out-of-pocket. Interest in home care is surging, partly because the cost of a private room in a nursing home has hit $74,095 a year, according to a recent survey by MetLife. Many grown children live far away from parents and can’t handle the caregiving themselves. Also, there’s a growing acknowledgement among people who work with seniors that many do better physically and emotionally if they can stay at home. First, Size Up the Needs To find a caregiver, families first need to decide what level of care is needed. Registered nurses provide hands-on medical care. Certified nursing assistants and home health aides, who get several months of training and are licensed by many states, can help seniors with bathing and dressing. If Mom just needs someone to help her run errands or cook or remind her to take her medication, a “companion” provider might do. Generally, the hourly cost rises with the level of training. The services of a companion, home-health aide or nursing assistant can run $12 to $30 an hour. A nurse or social worker can cost up to $150 an hour. Experts recommend that families make sure the caregiver has undergone a criminal background check and that his or her agency pays worker’s compensation and Social Security levies. Families can also hire independent contractors, who may be cheaper, but then have to do background checks and pay taxes themselves. The American Association for Homecare has a Web site where users can search for agencies nearby (www.aahomecare.org). Stumped? Geriatric-care managers can help families wade through the many home-care options; check out www.caremanager.org online. They generally charge between $80 and $150 an hour. Retired nurse Bettie Fisher has a caregiver come six hours a day, five days a week to the Walnut Creek, Calif., home she shares with her husband, Carl, a retired physician who has Alzheimer’s disease. The caregiver drives the couple (she is 89; he is 90) to doctor’s appointments, takes them shopping and does laundry. “I knew the time had to come when it would be very helpful,” Mrs. Fisher says. “We want to stay here.” See if Medicare Can Help Medicare offers some homecare coverage, but its requirements are stringent. Still, it always makes sense to check Medicare before paying out of pocket: Seniors hospitalized and then discharged to recover at home may well qualify. To to be eligible, recipients must need nursing services, physical therapy or speech therapy. Patients also must be deemed “home-bound,” which means they can leave the house only for limited reasons, including doctor visits and church services. Recipients must get care from aMedicare-certified agency or association. (Check out www.medicare.gov/hhcompare/home.asp for a list of providers.) Most, but not all, long-term care insurance covers home care: It usually is sold bundled along with nursing-home coverage. To use the benefit, recipients usually must be diagnosed either as having some cognitive impairment or as needing help with at least two activities of daily living (such as bathing, dressing and eating) for at least 90 days. Most policies cover a set dollar amount per day. Many require use of licensed professionals but some will pay for “informal” caregivers, which could include a family member or friend. read more

The Iraq war and ouster of Saddam, though, may show that the U.S. military is not trending well in terms of naming operations. There’s the Frosted Flakes-suited All American Tiger (and speaking of cereal, try Wolfpack Crunch), the mythology-meets-Texas Centaur Rodeo, the highly unoriginal snoozer Clear Area, the orange-juicy Mandarin Squeeze, the Eminem-esque Slim Shady (in Kirkuk, not Detroit), or the really inexplicable Tombstone Piledriver or Grizzly Forced Entry. There’s Operation Matador, which targeted bullish insurgents near the Syrian border, but could have conversely fended off French soccer players. And in the tragic steps of Hollywood not being able to come up with something original, some operations have sequels: Cajun Mousetrap II and Cajun Mousetrap III, Iron Fury I and II, and Ivy Cyclone I and II. The last is not to be confused with operations Ivy Blizzard, Ivy Lightning, Ivy Needle and Ivy Serpent – did someone go to Harvard? There’s also the question of how many Hades-inspired names can you cram into one war: Devil Clinch, Devil Siphon, Devil Thrust? Frankly, I’m a big proponent of truth in advertising. If an army’s job is to beat the living tar out of the enemy, why sugarcoat it? So consider these suggestions: Operation Open a Can, Operation Up One Side and Down the Other or the frighteningly hormonal Operation PMS. If it’s positive humanitarian-aid publicity you crave, go for Operation Kiss-Up or Operation You Like Me, You Really Really Like Me. Because war is hell, but naming them can be an art – or a real bomb. Bridget Johnson writes for the Daily News. E-mail her at bridget.johnson@dailynews.com.160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! I can’t believe my high-school guidance counselor – who clearly slacked on the job anyway – never named one career to which my talents may have been particularly suited: naming military operations. Even stormier than naming hurricanes, less landmark-centric than naming wildfires, the moniker for a military operation can make the enemy whimper in fright – or make your stalwart forces sound like complete wussies. The plot within Germany’s Reserve Army to assassinate Adolf Hitler, disarm the SS, arrest Nazi leadership and take control of German cities was valiantly dubbed Operation Valkyrie, a name shared with a mythological band of warrior maidens. It didn’t work, but at least the attempt to bring down evil incarnate went down in history with a cool name. Fast-forward to this May, when a 10,000-strong force of Afghan and coalition soldiers began an effort to rout insurgents, with a name that seems unfit to print in a family newspaper: Operation Mountain Thrust. AD Quality Auto 360p 720p 1080p Top articles1/5READ MORE11 theater productions to see in Southern California this week, Dec. 27-Jan. 2Or how about Israel’s effort to rescue captured soldier Gilad Shalit and suppress Hamas rocket fire from Gaza? Operation Summer Rain sounds like a plug-in air freshener or feminine-care product, not soon to strike fear in the hearts of your foes. Hamas has been raining Qassam missiles on Israel, but the operation was named before they started going for distance records and raising the ire of the Israeli Defense Forces. But the 2004 Israeli incursion into Gaza was called Operation Rainbow. These military activities are starting to sound like a “Teletubbies” episode, especially if you add Operation Purple Warrior, a 1987 British military exercise incorporating lessons learned from the Falklands War. According to Lt. Col. Gregory C. Sieminski, who wrote “The Art of Naming Operations” years ago for the U.S. Army War College quarterly Parameters, nicknaming duty initially falls to midlevel staff officers. In 1975, the Joint Chiefs of Staff created a computer system that assigned different Department of Defense components two-letter sequences, requiring that the first word of the military operation start with these two letters. Naming trends have since gone in a different direction. “Since 1989,” wrote Sieminski, “major U.S. military operations have been nicknamed with an eye toward shaping domestic and international perceptions about the activities they describe.” Think Panama’s Operation Just Cause, or Provide Comfort, which aided Iraq’s Kurds in 1991. Not that every military operation has been lacking in nomenclature ferocity: Since the ouster of the Taliban in Afghanistan, operations have included Anaconda, Avalanche, Mountain Viper, Lightning Resolve, Mountain Resolve and, in what may be an underhanded comparison of southern Afghanistan to New Jersey, Asbury Park. read more

“In Bent Jbail it looks like the Israelis have pulled out and are now preparing the ground to come in again,” Morczynski said, after Hezbollah fighters had pushed the limited Israeli ground force to the southern edges of the town. Also, he said, there was evidence Hezbollah’s communications were intact and their fire-and-run tactics were still effective. There was no sign that the guerrillas’ supply of rockets was dwindling and Israel has had limited success in targeting their launchers. Morczynski said the peacekeepers occasionally intercept Hezbollah communications. He recalled a typical such exchange: “Allah is great. My brothers, this is number 13 and we are going to operation number 7. We hope that our brothers are safe for the day.” Hezbollah uses numbers and letters as codes to identify the fighter and the location. Hezbollah firepower would seem to be a combination of sophisticated missiles and the older Katyusha rockets, Morczynski said. Some rockets are launched from the back of trucks, while older ones are ferried on motorcycles and fired from portable triangular-shape launchers. “They have thousands of them. They are scattered everywhere – in caves, houses, bushes, abandoned buildings. They aren’t all in one, two or three depots that you can hit and say now we have wiped them out,” he said, adding that Israel wanted to clear Hezbollah from a two-kilometer strip along its northern border. “The only way to prevent the launch of rockets is to erase all launching positions of Hezbollah. That is the only solution,” Pellegrini said. “But it is difficult.” Despite the sophistication of the Israeli military machine, the advantage seems still to lie with Hezbollah, Morczynski said. While it takes the Israelis only about two minutes to target the origin of a Hezbollah rocket and retaliate, it hasn’t stopped the barrage and it is unclear how many fighters have been hit.160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set! NAQOURA, Lebanon – A top U.N. peacekeeping official on Friday said he feared that the war in southern Lebanon would continue until late August and voiced fears Israel would flatten Lebanon’s southern villages and destroy Tyre “neighborhood by neighborhood” if Hezbollah rockets keep landing in the Jewish state. At U.N. peacekeeping headquarters in Naqoura, barely a stone’s throw from Israel, political affairs officer Ryszard Morczynski said Tyre would become a target of intense Israeli attacks because Hezbollah was firing rockets from the city’s suburbs into Israel’s northern port of Haifa. Hezbollah boasted Friday of a new kind of rocket it called the Khaibar-1 that it fired deeper inside Israel than the hundreds of others sent since the outbreak of fighting more than two weeks ago. “I have no doubt that Israel will flatten Tyre if civilian casualties continue in Haifa. Tyre will be taken off neighborhood by neighborhood,” Morczynski said. “I think Israel is contemplating flattening villages, flattening every single house to deny Hezbollah any advantage of urban fighting in the streets.” AD Quality Auto 360p 720p 1080p Top articles1/5READ MORE11 theater productions to see in Southern California this week, Dec. 27-Jan. 2He estimated that 80 percent of the roughly half-million people who live in southern Lebanon have already fled the embattled area. He also said he feared that the civilian death toll in Lebanon was more than 600, well more than the official count of 400-plus. “Hezbollah are still strong” 17 days into the conflict, peacekeeping chief Maj. Gen. Alain Pellegrini told The Associated Press. And according to Morczynski’s calculation, roughly 800 Hezbollah fighters operate in the southern region on any given day. “They are mobile, well-prepared, devoted and willing to act,” he said. “When there is shelling … they are not sitting in their bunkers.” The Hezbollah stronghold of Bent Jbail attests to the militants’ tenacity. read more

A Marengo man was involved in a two-vehicle accident Tuesday afternoon at Ind. 37 and 39th Street.According to a Bedford Police report, Michael Jones of Bedford was traveling east on River Bluff Road and told police he saw a car going south in the right lane of Ind. 37 so he waited for it to pass and then proceeded to attempt to cross the southbound lanes of Ind. 37 to get to the median so that he could continue north on Ind. 37. Jones told police that a 2008 Chevrolet Cobalt driven by 55-year-old Crecelius Perry of Marengo was in the left lane but didn’t see the car because an unknown vehicle in the right lane was blocking his view.Jones’ 2000 Toyota Corolla then collided with Perry’s car causing Jones’ vehicle to stop in the median, south of the intersection.Perry told police he didn’t have a chance to stop to avoid the accident.Jones did not complainof an injury, but both drivers were treated at the scene by an IU Health Hospital ambulance crew. read more

Indiana State Police detectives and crime scene investigators at the request of Michigan City Police Chief Mark Swistek are investigating an off duty police shooting.  The shooting occurred at approximately 3:54 p.m., this Saturday, April 22, 2017, afternoon.Preliminary investigation revealed two Michigan City police officers who were off duty but working security at Franciscan Health in Michigan City were called to the hospital parking lot by family about a family member who refused to leave his vehicle and seek medical assistance.Both officers, fully uniformed, were able to make contact with this individual, a forty-six year old white male, who was later identified as Thomas J. Walsh III of Michigan City, sitting on the passenger side of an F-150 Ford pick-up.  At one point, during their interaction with him, Walsh, withdrew a handgun from within the pickup, pointed that weapon at one of the officers standing by the driver’s door. The officer standing on the passenger side for fear of injury/death to the other officer, pulled his weapon, and shot Walsh several times.Medical assistance was immediately given at the scene and Walsh was eventually flown to Memorial Hospital in South Bend for treatment where he is in critical condition.  Family has been notified.This investigation is continuing and can take several weeks to complete.  No further information will be released at this time.  After the investigation is complete it will be turned over to the La Porte County Prosecutor for determination.The Michigan City Police Department will release the names of their officers at their discretion.All criminal defendants are to be presumed innocent until, and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. read more

Presidential candidate Peter Casey has visited the county today – an hour after Donegal County Council decided to not nominate a candidate for the 2018 Election. The decision was followed by a visit from Áras hopeful Peter Casey, who visited Donegal County Council to meet with councillors after the nomination deadline passed.Cathaoirleach Seamus Ó Domhnaill announced at today’s monthly meeting that the council would not be nominating a presidential candidate as no special motion was put down by any councillors before midday.  Áras candidate Peter Casey visits Donegal County Council Donegal-based businessman and Dragons’ Den star Peter Casey then arrived at the Lifford council building before lunchtime to meet and greet with local representatives.However, as no special meeting was called to nominate a candidate in Donegal, Mr Casey was not given an opportunity to speak. Áras candidate Peter Casey visits Donegal County CouncilThe Co. Derry man, who has a home in Inishowen, secured his place on the Presidential ballot last Tuesday.Before sitting with councillors outside the chamber at the interval, Mr Casey tweeted: “Looking forward to meeting with councillors in @donegalcouncil today but as I have the required nominations, I won’t be seeking their endorsement. Thank you to everyone who has been in touch with messages of support and well wishes.”In his explanation on why Donegal County Council was not nominating a candidate, Cllr Seamus Ó Domhnaill said that he informed the July council that he was willing and able to facilitate a meeting for the local authority.Cllr Ó Domhnaill said he was contacted by a number of councillors to hold the meeting, but that request subsided and the nominee that was on the minds of councillors was duly nominated by other councils.It was then deemed that there was no need to hold a special meeting today (Monday) as no councillors submitted a special motion before the deadline at 12noon.Presidential candidate Casey visits Donegal councillors but there’ll be no nomination was last modified: September 25th, 2018 by Rachel McLaughlinShare this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window) read more

Related Posts richard macmanus 8 Best WordPress Hosting Solutions on the Market Why Tech Companies Need Simpler Terms of Servic… This from Sir Robert Scoble:“Watch for more business deals and from places you wouldn’t expect them. I’m hearing from several of my friends, for instance, that AOL is looking for media properties blogging networks.”Interesting… I wonder if AOL read my Network of Niches post – I know some MSN folks did 😉 That post, and the one before it, caught the attention of a few Blog Network owners who pinged me afterwards. I won’t lie to you – I’m hoping one of them signs me up, pronto. You see, I finish at my day job on 24 August and I’m fishing for some blog writing work. I want to do some paid blogging to complement the analysis/research work I’m already doing. If you’d like to hire a smart, focused, analytical Web 2.0/RSS/Social Media dude for your blog network – send me an email.This offer won’t last – someone is sure to snap me up very soon in this blog network bubble 😉 Top Reasons to Go With Managed WordPress Hosting A Web Developer’s New Best Friend is the AI Wai… Tags:#New Media#web read more