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For the first time in 16 years there will be no Lionel Messi involved, but both teams have new young stars such as Ansu Fati (Barcelona) and Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid), whose careers will be marked by the head-to-head battle that regularly decides the Spanish La Liga title. These two teams have combined to win 60 of the 90 La Liga championships and 15 of the past 17. While Real Madrid (second, 17 points) is expected to contend for the title once more after finishing second last season, there are plenty more questions surrounding cash-strapped Barcelona (fifth, 15 points) in the post-Messi era....

Benfica playing hardball with Lindelof sale Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez all returned from extended breaks to complete a full session as the holders prepare for the last-16 first leg against Ernesto Valverde’s side on Thursday. Defender Javier Mascherano was also back on the Tito Vilanova training pitch as Luis Enrique’s squad practised in full for the first time in 2017. Goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen was the only player to sit out the session, with the Netherlands international having been ruled out for two weeks with a calf injury....

According to the Unwanted Horse Coalition, there are approximately 6,000 to 10,000 horses taken in by rescues at any given time. Much of the time, the horses are in need of medical care before they’re able to find a forever home. This was the case with a 10-year-old Belgian gelding named Shane. Shane was brought to Colby’s Crew after he was rescued from and auction in July 2021. The rescue website said that Shane was “incredibly lame when he arrived, and his feet were in the worst condition that we had ever seen....

Bartolo Colon hasn’t thrown a pitch in the majors since September 2018, but the soon-to-be 47-year-old isn’t quite ready to give up on his pro career. “I thought that last year maybe I would have the opportunity,” Colon said on a video call with ESPN. “I know that if it didn’t happen last year, this year would be less likely. I’m getting older and the game is all about the young pitchers coming up....

“I came here with the idea wanting to damn well show you what I’m worth now,” he told Fox Sports as he arrived hoping to make a good impression on new coach Ronald Koeman in the upcoming games against England and Portugal. The Sporting CP striker has built on last season’s 34-goal haul in the Primeira Liga to score 23 in as many games this term from just 52 shots and 30 on target, netting back-to-back hat-tricks along the way....

As Michael Wilbon pointed out in a column following the incident, the brawl “wasn’t that big a deal.” Yet, the NBA still came down with the mandatory punishments in response. The NBA was different then. The league was just two years removed from the infamous Malice in the Palace — a 2004 brawl between Pacers and Pistons players and fans. Players were told they’d be punished if they didn’t remain on the sideline during on-court scuffles, connected on any blows or showed up to the arena without a suit and tie on....

Certain benchmarks are helpful in evaluating players’ cases. Traditionally, there are the round numbers, like 500 home runs or 3,000 hits. There also is the Jaffe War Score system (JAWS) , created by Jay Jaffe to measure the peaks of players’ careers within eras. What about comparing within eras? Most people would agree that if you are the best player in baseball for 10 years, you probably belong in Cooperstown....

Cancer statistics are collected by the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program and by the National Program of Cancer Registries of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Most Common Causes of Death Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, behind heart disease. The most common cancer in men is prostate cancer, but the most common cause of cancer death in men is lung cancer....

Scientists tracking basking shark numbers off California have found that between the 1960s and 1990s, around 4,000 sharks appeared there every year. But then all of a sudden, sightings stopped. Since the 1990s, there have been less than 60 sightings per year. Why these sharks left California is a mystery. Basking sharks are the second-largest shark species on the planet, growing to over 26 feet long and weighing over 11,000 pounds....

Shortly after a quick-strike drive by the Bengals put the Seahawks in a 7-0 hole and signaled the potential for a long day, Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson rallied his offense on a 4:30 drive, including 46 total yards from the Seahawks running game (still missing star back Marshawn Lynch) on the ground. The runs set up a perfect 30-yard toss from Wilson to wide-open receiver Jermaine Kearse. MORE: Scoreboard | Worst moments of Week 5 | Rodgers’ streak ends...

Britain’s book business is getting bigger, in every way. The Henley Center, a London-based consultancy, recently reported that Brits are buying more books than ever (more than 3 billion worth in 1998) and spending more time reading. A record number of titles are being published–more than 100,000 last year. The boom can be attributed partly to the Internet, which has made book-buying easier, and mostly to book prices, which have tumbled dramatically in Britain....

Then came another era, one first of civil rights, later of quotas and set-asides. And blacks tried to regain lost ground-sometimes at the expense of whites. The state of affirmative action in Chicago-long-frustrated blacks, newly frustrated whites-tells us much about the escalating national debate over racial and gender preferences in American life. As always, it is a debate where both sides have a point, yet passionate polemics from the right and the left fail to explain how affirmative action really works....

The iconic Frenchman has been out of work since walking away from Real Madrid over the summer. He had tasted La Liga and Champions League success with the Blancos, with an historic run of three successive crowns enjoyed in Europe. The decision was taken to step away from that pressure and recharge the batteries before heading back to the dugout. Zidane appears to now be edging his way towards the touchline once more, with it possible that several high-profile positions could soon become available....

Bayern’s captain will make his final career appearance against Freiburg at the Allianz Arena on Saturday having been at the club for his entire career, barring a two-year loan spell at Stuttgart. Kaka: Zidane’s coaching success a big surprise Lahm, who skippered Germany in their World Cup triumph in 2014, will become the first Bayern player to join the Hall of Fame since legendary goalkeeper Oliver Kahn in 2008....

The separation is effective immediately. MORE: Briles reportedly skipped meeting with victim | Grobe plans to ‘steady ship’ Both the university and Briles “acknowledge that there were serious shortcomings in the response to reports of sexual violence by some student-athletes,” according to the statement. It adds that Baylor is working to address to “address those shortcomings” and make improvements going forward. The university will not issue further statements or comments, according to the Waco Tribune-Herald....

Don't think it can't happen. Don't think Nos. 1 and 2 can't lose on the last week of the season. Remember, people, a four-win Pitt team beat No. 2 West Virginia in 2007 — while No. 1 Missouri lost to Oklahoma. The one thing that absolutely won't happen: a one-loss SEC team jumping Ohio State. MORE: Full BCS Standings | Polls: AP | Coaches | Harris | Week 14 schedule | Action images...

One the car owners is Alyssa Brenteson from Akhiok, a village located about 90 miles from the airport. Brenteson had parked her car for two days in the Island Air parking lot at the airport, but when she returned she found a caved-in roof, a broken window, ripped seats, and muddy bear prints all over the vehicles, The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported. Brenteson said that in total, the car had suffered around $15,000 in damage....

The Schenectady Police Department said in a statement on Tuesday that it had received several reports of a bear traveling through the Woodlawn neighborhood of the city. The type of bear spotted was unclear. The bear later retreated to woodland. According to the department, officers requested the assistance of the state Department of Environmental Conservation. Local schools were notified and police advised those living in the area to stay updated on the evolving situation....