Author: Kanayan Tamar

Sport360, UK
 Saturday


Mesut Ozil can replace Henrikh Mkhitaryan and take on David Silva role
for Man United

by  Chris Bailey



Jose Mourinho should pursue German international and unlock potential
of Red Devils' attack, writes Chris Bailey

Mesut Ozil has been linked with a move to Man United

There should be no debate as to whether Manchester United need Mesut
Ozil. They do and desperately because their attack, as it stands, is
not good enough to win the Premier League.

Statistically United may have fired in as many goals as Manchester
City before Pep Guardiola's men smashed seven past Stoke but their
weaknesses up front have been apparent since the start of the season.

Ten of their 21 Premier League goals so far have arrived in the last
10 minutes of games – which begs the question of what United are doing
in the first 80.

It's all well and good capitalising when the opponent pushes forward
in one last throw of the dice but one day, United's luck will turn if
they don't press home their advantage sooner.

Splitting hairs? Not really. Though the Red Devils may have more
menace about them this season, they are trying to chase down a City
side that are raising the bar to improbable heights.

So let's break it down in two ways: why United's current personnel are
not up to scratch, and what makes Ozil a superior option.

MADDENING MKHITARYAN

Henrikh Mkhitaryan racked up assists at a rate which had fantasy
footballers owners frothing at the mouth earlier in the season – but
to suggest he has been a consistent force is pure fantasy too.

The Armenian's five Premier League assists so far this season all came
in August and the habitual fluctuation in form which earned him a flea
in the ear from Jose Mourinho last season clearly remains.

He is undeniably electric on the counter, and his quality of passing
can be very good indeed. But when he's not in sync with the rest of
the team he starts dawdling on the ball to compound the problem.

Before the international break, against lowly Crystal Palace, his
passing completion rate was 60 per cent. For someone who is supposed
to be directing the attack as a No10 to be so inaccurate is
inexcusable.

His slump reached a nadir on Wednesday as in a game which needed an
artist to brush aside a stubborn Benfica defence, Mkhitaryan lost the
ball a staggering 21 times.

Compare those type of statistics to City's ace in the hole, David
Silva. When play gets compact in the final third no one is better than
the diminutive Spanish maestro in protecting the ball and keeping the
play alive.

He does not play as an out-and-out No10 and often comes deeper, but
wherever he flits about on the field he treats the ball with utmost
respect.

He has a 90 per cent pass success rate so far this year and, what's
more, he is fiendishly hard to dispossess – having been knocked off
the ball seven times in eight EPL games this year to Mkhitaryan's 16.

Simply put, Mkhitaryan's game isn't about patience. And for the lack
of a Silva on the open market it is no surprise that the rumour mill
is cranking into overdrive about Ozil.

Mkhitaryan lost the ball 21 times in the clash with Benfica

THE ANSWER IS OZIL

Arsenal fans will not be sending Ozil off with their best wishes and
heartfelt gratitude. Even putting aside his contract stand-off, there
are a few ugly blots against his name.

He is lazy, flatters to deceive, is inconsistent, doesn't show enough
emotion – all charges which have done the rounds during Ozil's Arsenal
career.

Well, United aren't looking for a man to lead the charge from the
front and snap at heels. They have Romelu Lukaku, Marcus Rashford et
al to do that, with either Paul Pogba or Ander Herrera buzzing about
from behind and Nemanja Matic on mop up duty.

That's not to say Ozil would be allowed to prance around – the
anecdote of Mourinho sending a rocket up his backside while at Madrid
has been doing the rounds – but this is the one area of a Jose side
which does not require brute power and pace to work.

The German will be the key cutter in this team, the man who can pry
open a door before the others steam through. Say what you want about
Ozil's admittedly poor form, but last year he made three key passes a
game on average and was dispossessed fewer times than Kevin De Bruyne
and Christian Eriksen in the Premier League.

A change of scenery, in a more well-rounded team, will surely play to
his strengths. It's a move that United can afford to take an educated
gamble on and while he is not a Ballon D'Or nominee in waiting,
patience in attack is exactly what is needed at Old Trafford right
now.

As Silva has proved this year, brawn is no match for brains.

https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__sport360.com_article_football_english-2Dpremier-2Dleague_252315_mesut-2Dozil-2Dcan-2Dreplace-2Dhenrikh-2Dmkhitaryan-2Dand-2Dtake-2Don-2Ddavid-2Dsilva-2Drole-2Dfor-2Dman-2Dunited_&d=DwIFaQ&c=clK7kQUTWtAVEOVIgvi0NU5BOUHhpN0H8p7CSfnc_gI&r=LVw5zH6C4LHpVQcGEdVcrQ&m=VuFpHxpmqPcF5H7bi0vCjX930EWom4kYK4r3b4USQBk&s=kSs9yuTvMHEtNoyKNEkPCdS4AqqjJxvH67dfhB1Nhbk&e=

The Sunday Times (London)
October 1, 2017 Sunday


Don't dismiss the Kardashians as selfie-obsessed celebs. This loyal,
honest brood make terrific role models

by: India Knight



It's the 10th anniversary of Keeping Up with the Kardashians, which I
love. My mother and sisters don't love it, annoyingly, as my affection
is largely due to the show's depictions ofsister relationships and
motherdaughter dynamics. I put it on for mymother a few months ago and
said: "Come on. Just 10 minutes. Obviously we're not zillionaire
Californian reality stars with enormous bottoms, but there will be
things that resonate." But after about 30 seconds she reeled back,
horrified, and firmly said: "India, no!" She'd been profoundly
repulsed by the bottoms, or vulgarity, or somesuch.

The thing is, the series works at many levels, only one of which is
bottoms and bling. I'm not especially interested in what it says about
selfies or 21st-century fame, though I am wholly in favour of women
making gigantic amounts of money for themselves and their families,
including by monetising their own behinds or lipsticks or weight loss.
Kris, Kourtney, Kim, Khloé, Kendall and Kylie are all astute, clever
women.

What keeps me watching is the closeness of the family. I love how into
each other the sisters are. They enjoy each other's company hugely,
even when they're bickering. The show is like a bonkers, dysfunctional
Little Women. That level of sibling love and intimacy is absent from
TV dramas, soap operas or documentaries, as are women supporting each
other without an iota of envy or resentment. You don't see people
being passionately devoted to their mums unless they're fictional East
End gangsters, or being completely serene and loving as various bits
of their families splinter and reconfigure in a different format. The
Kardashians' capacity for love is great and adaptable; theirs is the
broadest tent. I also find it pleasing that they are constantly
eating.

They're very funny, even Kim, who can't move her beautiful face that
much (Kim: "Did you know that I'm, like, the number-one Google search
last week?" Kourtney: "Do you also know that you're number two on the
dumbest people?"). They're having a laugh - though not all the time:
traumatic, sad or frightening things happen to them too. Relationships
break up in terrible ways, people are left devastated. They seem
ridiculously plastic and fake, but also ridiculously human and real.
That's what keeps people watching.

Their closeness as a family seems culturally more European or Middle
Eastern than American (the late father, Robert Kardashian, was of
Armenian descent). I'm interested in their take onrace: they're often
berated for appropriating African-American culture, but doing that
skims too easily past the fact that if Kim, Kourtney andKhloé had been
transplanted to agrittier, less wealthy context as children, they are
(naturally) blackhaired and brown-skinned enough to have been called
names at school. It pleases me, a s a brown-skinned person , that
these essentially eastern-looking women are considered the acme of
beauty. It's a nice change from milk-fed blondes. I'd have liked to
have seen a bit of that when I was growing up.

As I was trying to show my mother, their deliberately melodramatic
lives are anchored in a healthy family model. They are completely
honest with each other. They have no secrets. They are monumentally
loyal, notably to their mother, Kris, who is also their manager. Kris
is hard as nails and faintly monstrous. She is also patient, loving
and kind, and an old-school matriarch. (Kris has lived about six
different lives, all of them fascinating.) I'm not suggesting that
there aren't better things you could do with your time - Alan
Hollinghurst's new novel is his best so far, in my view. But there are
lots of ways of understanding whatmakes us alike as human beings, and
you could do a lot worse than a leisurely veg on the sofa with the
Kardashians. Long may they reign .

Armenpress News Agency , Armenia
 Friday


President Sargsyan receives Egyptian Minister of Investment and
International Cooperation



YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 29, ARMENPRESS. President of Armenia Serzh Sargsyan
received on September 29 the delegation led by Egyptian Minister of
Investment and International CooperationSahar Nasr, who have arrived
in Armenia to participate in the 5th session of the Armenian-Egyptian
joint intergovernmental commission on issues of economic, scientific
and technical cooperation.

As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the Armenian
President’s Office, greeting the guest and noting that historical and
cultural interactions between the peoples of Armenia and Egypt go back
to ancient times, the President of the Republic stressed that sincere
friendship and mutual trust have always been characteristic for these
relations, based on which close inter-state relations were built
following the establishment of diplomatic relations.

Serzh Sargsyan recalled with warmth his last meeting with President of
Egypt Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and asked Minister Sahar Nasr to convey his
greetings to the President.

Minister Sahar Nasr noted that Egypt is interested in deepening trade
and economic relations and cooperation in the sphere of investments
with friendly Armenia, highlighting the involvement of the
private-sector of both countries in that works.

The Egyptian Minister emphasized that an agreement was reached in the
sidelines of the intergovernmental commission to develop a working
plan based on which the agreements will be brought to life. Sahar Nasr
noted that upon returning to Egypt she will prepare a relevant report
and submit to the President and the Government.

ARMINFO News Agency, Armenia
 Saturday


The export of cattle from Armenia is growing. Beef continues to go up

 Yerevan September 16

David Stepanyan. A significant increase in exports led to a
significant, about 8% rise in the price of beef meat sold on the
domestic market, Haykakan Zhamanak writes.

According to the data of the State Food Safety Service of Armenia,
only 1131 heads of large and 8,600 small cattle were exported from
Armenia in July-August.

Exports are mainly carried out in Qatar and Iran.

At the moment, kg of beef meat in Yerevan stores costs from 2,400 to 3200 drams.

Fresno Bee, CA
Sept 8 2017


Valley physicians’ medical mission changes Armenian lives – and their own

By Jeffrey L. Thomas, M.D.
 3:34 PM

Three years ago, I was fortunate to be invited by the Fresno Honorary
Consul of the Republic of Armenia, Berj Apkarian, to participate in my
first medical mission to Armenia.

As our third annual medical mission to Armenia approaches this fall, I
would like to take a moment to reflect upon its meaning and the
accomplishments we have made.

Three years ago, a mixed group of physicians, dentists and other
medical and specialty personnel planned and set forth on the inaugural
mission with mixed expectations.

We are healers; we are teachers; we are ambassadors of our profession,
and this aspect of our existence is often lost in the day-to-day
battles in the practice of “first world” medicine here in the United
States.

We were welcomed with open arms by the Health Ministry, regional
hospitals, local physicians and a host of patients in critical need of
our services. The first week of our mission was somewhat of an awkward
dance, as our providers and the Armenian system participated in a
needs-and-skills assessment to best focus our resources.

Once established, we wasted no time in impacting the lives of the
Armenian patients and the medical community which supports them in our
absence. Although I am an obstetrician/gynecologist and will share my
experiences in women’s health, the specialties of internal medicine,
neurology, dentistry, public health and many others all have similar
stories to share.

On our second mission, we were surprised and honored to find an eager
and hopeful group of over 100 patients who had assembled outside the
hospital simply because they knew about our work the prior year.
Likewise, all of the local physicians assembled and observed surgeries
and procedures through which they acquire valuable skills and
contemporary knowledge.

For those patients who were not able to receive treatment or surgery
due to our limited stay, we only hope that the training of local
physicians and donated instruments will provide a legacy of care to
last throughout the year.

Perhaps the best illustration of this concept occurred on my final day
of the mission last year. I was performing a complex pelvic floor
reconstruction with a junior physician at a hospital in Gyumri.

As always, there was a group of four-five physicians observing the
procedure over our shoulders, one of which was a senior surgeon who I
had instructed on the same procedure on days prior.

As there is a language barrier and we rely on lay translators in the
operating room, there is an inherent delay in instruction due to
communication. To my delight, before I was able to have my
instructions translated, the senior surgeon was quick to instruct his
junior on the appropriate next step.

It brought me great satisfaction to know that our efforts would lead
to better patient care and outcomes long after our departure. It was
also rewarding to know that a donated piece of equipment which we take
for granted in America can vastly improve the quality and efficiency
of the medical practice in Armenia.

Similar anecdotes could be shared by all participants of our mission,
each reflecting the difference we made in the delivery of health care
in Armenia. It seems as though our efforts leave an immeasurable mark
on the country, but I would be remiss in not recognizing how such work
defines us.

Our missionaries will admit that something about the experiences
changes our perspective on medicine and how we practice. It helps
define and put in reference our true purpose in the practice of
medicine. We are healers, we are teachers, we are ambassadors of our
profession and this aspect of our existence is often lost in the
day-to-day battles in the practice of “first world” medicine here in
the United States.

At this time, our Armenian colleagues are assembling a montage of
patients who are in desperate need of our services. Upon arrival, we
will immediately embark upon operations and evaluations in all
representative specialties.

This does not happen without our generous donors and resourceful
mission participants combining efforts to provide over $1 million of
medical supplies and equipment, which have been taken in over 100
personal luggage pieces to Armenia.

We also respect the efforts of local and Armenian politicians who
facilitated the export and import of these items to maximize our
efforts abroad. After spending a total of more than a month providing
care in Armenia, this year’s mission will prove to bring even more
necessary and valued resources to a people in need.


Our mission respects the ongoing support of our sponsors. Unlike many
medical missions, ours has little to no direct monetary contribution
but prides itself on the delivery of needed patient treatment, skills
training, and technology used in the direct care of patients at the
bedside.

This is a community effort, so if you would like more information
regarding our upcoming mission or would like to contribute, please
contact [email protected] or phone 559-696-0190.

Jeffery L. Thomas, M.D., is an obstetrician/gynecologist who has
participated in the mission during the past two years, and getting
ready for the upcoming mission. Thomas has been past president of the
medical staff at Community Medical Centers, and a member of the board
of trustees at Community Medical Centers.


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