Posts

The Rode Duivels achieved their #1 status for the first time in their history back in November, and have held on to top spot largely due to the lack of games played in December. The Top 50 are mostly unchanged with only Iran, Sweden and Guinea moving upwards slightly. The top 10 is still unchanged, with 6 European (UEFA) teams and 4 South American (CONMEBOL) teams proving where football’s dominant powers originate from....

The Red Devils have long been heralded as the next major international power, with stars like Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne and Dries Mertens tipped to succeed on the international scene. However, they have flattered to deceive in recent tournaments, and must soon grasp an opportunity if their ‘Golden Generation’ is not to slip away. Qualification was smooth – Belgium finished top of Group H, winning nine games and drawing one – and Roberto Martinez’s men have a relatively straightforward group, featuring Panama, Tunisia and England....

The 21 year-old, who is on loan at the La Liga side from Chelsea, has been favoured by international coach Marc Wilmots of late, due to his impressive performances for Atelti. But the youngster was not impressed by Mignolet’s recent comments that he is attempting to sneak ahead of his rival before this summer’s show piece event in Brazil, claiming he is the undisputed first choice and his countryman could learn a lesson from Spain’s goalkeeping contingent....

I’m not that religious, but our baby is having a Roman Catholic baptism. We’re friends with a very loving couple who are not Catholic. Can we ask them to be our baby’s godparents? At a Catholic baptism, at least one godparent must be a baptized, confirmed and practicing Catholic. You can have one godparent or two. If there are two, one must be a man, the other a woman; both must be older than 16....

The author was born in Hopkinsville, Kentucky on September 25, 1952, under the birth name Gloria Jean Watkins. She chose to write using her great grandmother’s name, Bell Hooks, as a pen name in order to honor the women in her bloodline. She de-capitalized the first letters in her pen name in order to place greater emphasis on her ideas rather than the author behind them. Many view hooks’ works on the intersections of race, gender, politics, oppression and love to be groundbreaking and accessible....

After being unable to get his visa, Daley requested his release and fought in various promotions in Europe where he went 5-1. Daley makes his long awaited return on Friday night as he faces Andre Santos at Bellator 134. “Semtex” says its fantastic to return to the promotion. “It’s fantastic,” Daley told Sporting News. “Scott Coker has taken over things. Its an exciting time for Bellator. I’m happy to be apart of it....

Featuring the finals of the Heavyweight Grand Prix and the return of uber-prospect Aaron Pico, Saturday’s fight card at The Forum in Inglewood, Calif., had the whole of the MMA audience all to itself — and provided a thrilling night of action inside the cage. In the main event, Ryan Bader needed just 35 seconds to capture the vacant heavyweight title and wrap up the Heavyweight Grand Prix victory, knocking out Russian icon Fedor Emelianenko with the first real punch he threw....

New Orleans blasted an email to all NFL teams of its intentions to claim the quarterback off the waiver list. The Bears quickly moved in and picked up Shaw. MORE: NFL training camp 2016: Dates, locations for each team Shaw doesn’t seem too sad about not getting to play for the Saints. He tweeted out his excitement about his Chicago transition Friday afternoon.

Jay Cutler the caretaker? That’s something the Bears have to adopt now to save their season. LIVE: NFL scores, stats | More: Week 8 images | Picks | Weather watch They’ve done everything they can to cater to the mercurial quarterback, with the hiring of Marc Trestman standing out as Exhibit A. But Trestman can’t afford to keep trusting Cutler to be an efficient passer and consistent leader, and still expect to win enough games to make the NFC playoffs....

Forte sprained the MCL in his right knee in the team’s Week 8 matchup against the Vikings but went through an extensive pregame warmup before Sunday’s game against the Broncos without any setbacks, the report says. MORE: Best photos from NFL Week 11 | There’s still a gulf between Packers and rest of NFC North With rookie Jeremy Langford playing well in his place and Forte not expected to return to the club next season due to free agency, it remains unclear how many carries to expect from Forte on Thursday....

Harrison was born in Liverpool, England in 1943. He began playing guitar in 1956, after first hearing Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel.” In 1958, he auditioned for John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s skiffle group The Quarrymen, which later became the iconic group The Beatles. By the mid-1960’s, Harrison’s interest in folk and Indian music began to shift the Beatles’ musical direction. The guitarist began introducing non-Western instruments to the band by 1965’s Rubber Soul, where he played a sitar on “Norwegian Wood....

It seems an apt question in this, the putative season of giving, when it’s become axiomatic that much of the holiday run-up consists of the joyless pursuit of something that may well be unwanted and unused. By contrast, that gift that keeps on giving is something you already have. In other words, organ donation. If you just thought “what a downer,” listen to Roger Altman: “It’s the closest thing I’ve ever encountered to an authentic miracle....

In the U.K. and parts of mainland Europe, temperatures have recently soared up to 104 degrees Fahrenheit in one of the hottest heat waves since records began. This heat, while dangerous for humans and animals alike, may have particularly bad effects on the honey bee populations we rely so heavily upon. As reported in several stories that have gone viral, in severe heat, male honey bees could face a terrible fate: they begin to convulse, ejaculate explosively, then die....

The game has been extremely well-received critically and due to its free-to-play nature has seen an explosion of players flocking to the game and downloading it on Steam. Omega Strikers is full of nuance and strategy, so new players are looking to find any advantage they can, as few things feel better than going on a winning streak. 8 Try All Of The Characters Most people hopping into a game with a roster of characters will likely gravitate initially to whichever one feels most aesthetically pleasing and welcoming....

No one is saying “positive thinking” can cure cancer, or that patients should throw out their pills, let alone that illnesses that respond to the placebo effect are “all in your head”—imagined. But there is no denying the drumbeat of studies on the therapeutic power of placebos. Over the years they have been shown to relieve asthma, lower blood pressure, reduce angina and stop gastric reflux. An inert solution injected into the brains of patients with Parkinson’s disease reduced muscle rigidity about as well as standard drugs....

We discussed the weekend that was with Phill Gray, head of trading for Sports Interaction, breaking down the NFC and AFC Championship Games and whether they went in favor of the house or the bettors. We’ll also look into the opening odds for Super Bowl 57 to see where the early money resides. NFC Championship Betting Results: Eagles take advantage of Purdy injury After opening as -2 point favorites, the Eagles closed as -3 favorites despite 65 percent of SIA’s handle being bet on the 49ers’ moneyline (closed +138)....

The Shandong is China’s second carrier, but the first constructed from scratch in China. The first—the Liaoning—is a Kuznetsov-class Soviet Union carrier purchased from Ukraine and modernized before entering duty in 2012. The Shandong marks a key milestone for China’s military modernization, and doubles its aircraft carrier capacity. The carrier is now heading for the Bohai Sea where it will take part in military exercises over the next 22 days, China’s state-backed Global Times newspaper reported....

Kiatisuk Senamuang (Zico) may be plying his trade in a European league soon. The former Thailand national team head coach who recently departed from Port FC could soon join the coaching ranks at Belgium First Division B club, Oud-Heverlee Leuven (OHL). OHL is another clubs owned by King Power Group, who also owns 2016-17 English Premier League champions, Leicester City Football Club. Former Leicester City FC manager, Nigel Pearson is the current head coach of the club in the second tier of Belgium league football and Zico is being earmarked to take over the assistant head coach role....

Anything less than victory at Brussels’ King Baudouin Stadium would leave Wales relying on a setback for Poland, who host group leaders the Netherlands, to keep their chances of avoiding relegation to League B intact. With two games remaining for each team, Poland are three points above Wales. Belgium are a further three points ahead, three shy of the Oranje in pursuit of top spot and a place in the finals in June 2023....