Sports
Salah’s absence: Liverpool seek new heroes against Barca
Liverpool face mission impossible as they seek to overturn a 3-0 Champions League semi-final first-leg deficit on Tuesday against Lionel Messi’s Barcelona without forwards Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino.
The absence of two of their most potent weapons leaves Jurgen Klopp’s side at a huge disadvantage in a match that was already a massive challenge — but defender Trent Alexander-Arnold says it will be a night for someone else to rise to the occasion.
“Obviously we’ve got two of our main goalscorers out, but it also presents an opportunity for some of the other lads to come in, make a name for themselves and make themselves heroes,” said Alexander-Arnold.
“If we do overturn the deficit tomorrow then whoever scores, their name will always be remembered because I am sure it will be one of those really special nights.”
Liverpool look like ending the season empty-handed after Manchester City’s nervy 1-0 win over Leicester on Monday put Pep Guardiola’s men in the driving seat to regain their Premier League title on Sunday.
Klopp hopes to have Salah back for the final league match against Wolves on Sunday, providing the Egyptian recovers from the concussion he suffered in a collision with Newcastle ‘keeper Martin Dubravka in the 3-2 win on Saturday that kept alive their chances of a first league title for 29 years.
“It’s a concussion so that means he would not even be allowed to play (on Tuesday),” Klopp said on Monday.
“He feels OK but it is not good enough from a medical point of view that is all. He’s desperate (to play) but we cannot do it.”
It is the second year running that Salah has suffered the cruellest of luck in the Champions League — in last season’s final he had to leave the field with an injured shoulder after he was wrestled to the ground by Sergio Ramos. Real Madrid went on to win 3-1.
Klopp was realistic about his side’s chances of progressing to a second consecutive final, but with the memory of Liverpool’s remarkable comeback in the 2005 final against AC Milan fresh in their fans’ minds, the German refuses to give up hope.
“Together with our supporters it was a long season and there is at least a little chance to make it even longer,” Klopp added.
“Two of the world’s best strikers are not available tomorrow night and we have to score four goals against Barcelona to go through after 90 minutes.
“It doesn’t make life easier, but as long as we have 11 players on the pitch, we will try it.”
– Anfield an extra man –
Luis Suarez scored the opening goal against his former club in last week’s first leg at the Camp Nou, but ahead of his return to Anfield, the Uruguayan warned his current teammates that Liverpool will get a huge lift from playing on home soil.
“To play at Anfield is like playing with an extra man for what the fans transmit to the Liverpool players,” said Suarez.
And Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde believes the attack will be the best form of defence — if the Catalans get an away goal, Liverpool will need to score five.
“What we have to do is score,” said Valverde.
Suarez will be joined by Messi and Philippe Coutinho on his return to Liverpool after a £142 million ($186 million) move to Barca last year.
But the often-injured Ousmane Dembele is missing due to a hamstring problem and Valverde believes the Frenchman will be missed just as much as Salah and Firmino.
“We don’t want any player to be injured. It would have been extraordinary to see them all on the field. They are all important,” he said.
“Dembele’s absence is a problem. Against a team that concedes space (in behind) it is always important to have player like Ousmane.”
International
US ELECTION: Second Attempt To Assassinate Pres. Trump Fails, Other Historical Assassination Attempts
This time it was Ryan Wesley Routh sticking out an AK-47 Riffle through a fence beside the golf course in Florida where Mr Trump was playing, but before he fired a shot, the Secret Service spotted him.
On Sunday the 15th of September, there was a second attempt to assassinate the 45th US President, Donald John Trump, while golfing at his Trump’s International Golf Course in Florida.
On July the 13th, a would-be assassin, Matthew Crook, shot at him during a rally in Butler Pennsylvania, nicking his right ear, killing a bystander and injuring others, raising urgent concerns about Trump’s security as he campaigns for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination,
This time it was Ryan Wesley Routh sticking out an AK-47 Riffle through a fence beside the golf course in Florida where Mr Trump was playing, but before he fired a shot, the Secret Service spotted him.
Ryan had fled the scene but was later apprehended by the Secret Service unlike Matthew Crook who was gunned down on the spot in July.
Though President Trump confirmed safe and unhurt, but the incident puts the Secret Service under new scrutiny.
The two failed assassination attempts on President Trump have raised questions about who is trying to get the 45th US President and Republican Party’s Presidential nominee for the November elections out of the way at all cost.
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There have been allegations and accusations of the Democrats, while others point fingers at the Republicans, globalists, etc. but a matter of life and death, more especially, concerning the US 45th President must not be politicised.
According to reports, these “incidents involving President Donald Trump have prompted a bipartisan call for the condemnation of violence and a reflection on the state of political discourse in the country. It is a moment that requires leaders and citizens alike to reaffirm their commitment to a politics free from violence and intimidation.”
The FBI described the incident as an “attempted assassination,” marking the second time in two months that Trump has been targeted. The attack occurred while Trump was golfing, prompting swift action from the Secret Service, which fired at the assailant before he fled the scene.
The suspect, Ryan Wesley Routh, 58, of Hawaii, was armed with an AK-47-style rifle with a scope and was hiding in the bushes near the edge of the golf course. According to local law enforcement, Routh was spotted about 400 to 500 yards from Trump. He fled the scene but was apprehended shortly after by sheriff’s deputies on Interstate 95.
RYAN WESLEY ROUTH
This assassination attempt intensifies ongoing concerns about political violence in the US, especially amid the ongoing presidential campaign. Given Trump’s polarizing role in American politics, these incidents underscore the heightened risks faced by presidential candidates in an increasingly charged political environment.
This assassination attempt intensifies ongoing concerns about political violence in the US, especially amid the ongoing presidential campaign. Given Trump’s polarizing role in American politics, these incidents underscore the heightened risks faced by presidential candidates in an increasingly charged political environment.
The recurrence of such attempts is alarming, particularly as Trump continues to hold public events and rallies. The fact that Routh, armed with a semi-automatic rifle, was able to get within shooting distance of Trump again raises serious questions about the level of protection being provided. Trump’s status as a former president, rather than a sitting one, has led to a lighter security detail, but his public visibility and controversial nature make him an ongoing target.
These incidents are also likely to increase scrutiny on the US Secret Service and its ability to secure candidates, especially as the 2024 presidential election draws near. Political violence has been a growing concern in recent years, with fears that it could escalate as the election nears.
Trump’s campaign, already shaped by his legal battles and public appearances, now faces the additional challenge of ensuring his personal safety amid the threats against him.
Here are some historical examples of political violence:
Assassination of Abraham Lincoln (1865): The 16th President of the United States was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth, an actor and Confederate sympathizer, at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. This event marked the first assassination of a U.S. president.
Wilmington Insurrection (1898): In Wilmington, North Carolina, white supremacists overthrew the local government, which was elected with a significant African American voter base, in a violent coup that left many African Americans dead or expelled from the city
The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand (1914): The heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne was assassinated by Gavrilo Princip, a Bosnian Serb nationalist, leading to the outbreak of World War I.
The October Revolution (1917): The Bolsheviks, led by Vladimir Lenin, overthrew the Russian Provisional Government in a coup, leading to the establishment of the Soviet Union.
The Assassination of Mahatma Gandhi (1948): Mahatma Gandhi, the leader of the Indian independence movement against British rule, was assassinated by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu nationalist.
The Troubles in Northern Ireland (Late 1960s-1998): A complex conflict characterized by sectarian violence, paramilitary operations, and political strife between mainly Protestant unionists and mainly Catholic nationalists.
The Rwandan Genocide (1994): Political violence escalated into a genocide against the Tutsi population, with estimates of up to a million people killed.
The Assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin (1995): Rabin was assassinated by Yigal Amir, an Israeli ultranationalist, due to his role in the signing of the Oslo Accords.
Sports
2024 Women’s U20 World Cup: Nigeria drawn with Germany, Korea Republic, Venezuela
Cup holders Spain are in Group C alongside three-time winners USA, Paraguay and another African representative team, Morocco.
2022 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup quarter-finalists Nigeria have been drawn to play three-time winners Germany, Venezuela and Korea Republic in Group D of this year’s FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup finals.
The final competition, which will welcome 24 teams for the first time, will be staged in four venues in three cities in Colombia, 31st August – 22nd September.
Cup holders Spain are in Group C alongside three-time winners USA, Paraguay and another African representative team, Morocco.
Two-time winners Korea Democratic People’s Republic will contend with Argentina, Costa Rica and the Netherlands in Group F, while hosts Colombia are up against Australia, Cameroon and Mexico in Group A.
Full draw
GROUP A: Colombia, Australia, Cameroon, Mexico
GROUP B: France, Canada, Brazil, Fiji
GROUP C: Spain, USA, Paraguay, Morocco
GROUP D: Germany, Venezuela, Nigeria, Korea Republic
GROUP E: Japan, New Zealand, Ghana, Austria
GROUP F: Korea DPR, Argentina, Costa Rica, The Netherlands
Kamaru Usman has been handed a massive 180-day medical suspension after breaking his nose against Jorge Masvidal.
The Nigerian Nightmare, 33, suffered a broken nose as he retained his UFC welterweight title last weekend.
He will also be forced to avoid any contact for at least three weeks while the nose heals.
Meanwhile, Masvidal, 35, will miss a month himself due to a forehead laceration sustained in his defeat.
The American veteran took the fight on just six days’ notice but failed to pull off a miraculous win.
Masvidal has now been handed a 30-day medical suspension to allow a nasty gash on his face to heal.
As with Usman, he will be forced to avoid any contact work for three weeks. Vanguard
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