Karijera Lionela Messija započela je 1995. godine u klubu Newell's Old Boys, gdje je igrao do 2000. godine. Njegov je potencijal ubrzo primijetila Barcelona.
Sa 13 godina (2000) napustio je mladu ekipu Newell's Old Boysa i s porodicom se preselio u Evropu, budući da je Barcelona ponudila da će platiti liječenje njegovog nedostatka hormona rasta. Debitiravši u sezoni 2004/05, srušio je ligaški rekord za najmlađeg igrača koji je zaigrao u ligaškoj utakmici, a postao je i najmlađi strijelac u historiji.
Messi je spektakularno napredovao u svim uzrastima Barcelone, prešavši vrlo brzo iz Barcelone C (juniorske ekipe) u Barcelonu B (rezervnu ekipu), a sa 16 godina debitirao je za prvi tim, u prijateljskom susretu protiv Porta na otvaranju novog stadiona "Dragão", koji je portugalski sastav dobio rezultatom 2-0. Maradona ga je proglasio svojim nasljednikom zbog nevjerovatne tehnike, preciznosti i brzine.
Nadolazeća sezona Messiju je donijela prvi nastup na službenoj utakmici, 16. oktobra2004, u gradskom derbiju protiv Espanyola naOlimpijskom stadionu, u pobjedi Barcelone 1-0. Zbog povreda nekoliko prvotimaca, Messi je postao standardni član Barceloninog prvog tima. 1. maja2005. u utakmici protiv Albacetea postao je najmlađi igrač koji je postigao pogodak za Barcelonu - imao je samo 17 godina, 10 mjeseci i 7 dana.
Na Svjetskom prvenstvu U-20 u Holandiji2005. Messi je ne samo osvojio naslov prvaka već je bio i najbolji strijelac te je proglašen najboljim igračem prvenstva. Ubrzo nakon toga debitirao je i za argentinsku reprezentaciju u prijateljskoj utakmici protiv Mađarske.
Sredinom sezone 2005/06. Messi je promijenio broj dresa s 30 na 19, kao rezultat promjene u njegovoj registraciji s kojom je imao problema. To se odnosi samo na španski kup i prvenstvo, dok će u Ligi prvaka i dalje nastupati pod brojem 30.
Messi je 2006. produžio ugovor sa Barcelonom do 2014.
Cristiano Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro, poznat kao Cristiano Ronaldo (Funchal, 5. februara1985) portugalski je nogometaš, koji trenutno igra za Real Madrid. Kao mladić počeo je u malom klubu Andorinha, gdje je igrao dvije godine da bi 1995. otišao u Nacional. Godine 1997. Ronaldo je stigao u redove portugalskog giganta Sportinga, da bi 2003. njegov talent primjetio trener Manchester Uniteda Alex Ferguson, tako da Ronaldo sa samo 18 godina odlazi na Ostrvo u transferu vrijednom 12,24 miliona funti. U narednoj sezoni osvojio je i svoj prvi trofej, FA kup, a s reprezentacijom Portugala nastupio je u finalu Evropskog prvenstva 2004. Na tom turniru je postigao i svoj prvi pogodak za izabrani tim.
Godine 2008. Ronaldo je s Manchester Unitedom osvojio Ligu prvaka i proglašen je igračem utakmice iako je u finalu promašio jedanaesterac.
11. juna 2009. objavljeno je da je Manchester United prihvatio ponudu madridskog Reala za Ronalda u iznosu od 80 miliona funti (oko 94 miliona eura), što je postao najveći nogometni transfer u historiji.
Sezone 2010/2011. oborio je rekord po broju postignutih pogodaka u jednoj sezoni. Postigao ih je 40. Time je oborio rekord Telma Zarre i Huga Sancheza. Njih dvojica su uspjeli postići 38.
Image copyrightEPAImage captionImplementation of the scheme did not spare drivers some of Delhi's notorious jams...
New restrictions on private cars, which are being enforced to tackle hazardous pollution levels in Delhi, faced their first serious test on Monday as residents headed back to work following the New Year weekend.
The scheme was launched on Friday and authorities in the Indian capital said that most drivers had complied with the rules, which require private cars with even- and odd-number plates to take to the roads on alternate days until 15 January.
There were fears many would flout the rules on the scheme's first full working day.
But the city's usually clogged roads saw less traffic than normal, police said, suggesting motorists with odd-number plates had sought alternative ways of getting around.
"There were doubts about what would happen when all the offices opened," said Delhi Transport Minister Gopal Rai. "We are glad that people are following the rules."
One way of getting people on board was through a full-page advertisement in Monday's newspapers which compared the lungs of a 52-year-old Delhi citizen with those of a resident of a similar age from Himachal Pradesh, a mountainous state in northern India.
"DELHI HAS NOW DECLARED A WAR ON AIR POLLUTION. ON WHICH SIDE ARE YOU?" it asked readers.
Bad air
The car limiting plan is in place between 08:00 and 20:00 daily except on Sundays and the city government has put an additional 3,000 buses into service to handle an increased load.
Image copyrightAPImage caption... and it may take a while to have any effect on pollution
The city's Metro has also had to deal with a rise in passengers but on Monday, Mangu Singh, the managing director of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, said the network was operating smoothly.
Taxi operators, which like motorcycles and women drivers, are exempt from the scheme, appeared to witness increased business.
"It's encouraging that people have worked with the government on this. This is most important because it affects our health and our children," said retired engineer RC Taneja, who owns both an odd- and even-plated car but chose to take the Metro for an appointment on Monday morning.
Some residents have even called for the scheme to be made permanent.
Those caught violating the rules face a fine of 2,000 rupees ($30), although many were let off with a verbal warning on Friday and Saturday.
The Press Trust of India said 1,231 people had been fined on Monday.
But what impact has it had on the city's air quality, which the World Health Organization (WHO) says is the world's dirtiest and a Delhi-based environmental group says is responsible for up to 30,000 deaths each year?
A visible layer of smog hovered over the city on Monday and overall pollution levels continued to be deemed "hazardous" on the US embassy's air quality index. It advised the elderly and children to stay indoors and for everyone to avoid physical activity outdoors.
Meanwhile, PM 2.5, the small particles in the air considered dangerous for lungs and the heart, stood at 403.6 micrograms per cubic metre in the Indian capital as of 14:00 - while the safe limit defined by the WHO in 25.
What are PM 2.5 particles?
Particulate matter, or PM, 2.5 is a type of pollution involving fine particles less than 2.5 microns (0.0025mm) in diameter
A second type, PM 10, is of coarser particles with a diameter of up to 10 microns
Some occur naturally - e.g. from dust storms and forest fires, others from human industrial processes
They often consist of fragments that are small enough to reach the lungs or, in the smallest cases, to cross into the bloodstream as well
A build-up of PM2.5 in the lungs has been associated with causing respiratory illnesses and lung damage
As well as vehicles, experts say the burning of crops and dust from construction also heavily affect Delhi's toxic air.
In an editorial on Monday, the Business Standard newspaper applauded the Delhi government, led by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who carpooled to work on Monday with colleagues, for "making a sincere effort in curbing vehicular pollution".
But it added that more needed to be done, including encouraging people to buy and use battery-operated motorcycles given that "over a third of Delhi's pollution is caused by emissions from two-wheelers".
It also called for expanding public transport networks and upgrading them so "that people can use them with comfort in preference to their private vehicles".
Some residents agreed.
Abheyraj Singh, 25, a smart-phone app designer, said buses "move super slow, making travelling a pain" and that "my nearest Metro station is 3-4km away, making it really hard for me to use". He added: "I really want to use public transport and I feel everyone should, but only if it were more connected."
Image copyrightEPAImage captionNicolas Maduro had been granted powers of decree by the outgoing National Assembly
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has limited the National Assembly's powers over the Central Bank.
President Maduro approved the changes on Wednesday, but it only became public on Monday.
The president will now no longer need legislative approval to hire and fire Central Bank directors.
The change was announced shortly before a new assembly, controlled by an opposition coalition, is due to be sworn in later on Tuesday.
Last-minute change
Mr Maduro approved the change to the law governing Venezuela's Central Bank on 30 December, one day before his power to legislate by decree expired.
He was granted the power to govern by decree in March by the National Assembly, which at the time was dominated by his supporters.
Image copyrightAPImage captionLater on Tuesday, newly elected lawmakers will be sworn in at the National Assembly
The amended law not only curtails the powers of the assembly over Central Bank appointments, it also allows the bank to withhold data if it deems its publication a threat to national security or economic stability.
Opposition lawmakers, who won a landslide victory in elections on 6 December, had said they would press for the publication of key data.
Inflation figures, estimated to be among the highest in the world, have not been made public since December 2014,
'Monstrosity'
Under the new law, the Central Bank can also allocate money to the state without the approval of the National Assembly.
Opposition politicians said it was the latest in a series of moves to undermine the power of the legislative following last month's elections.
"The reform [of the Central Bank law] is a legal monstrosity to protect a highly questioned president," opposition lawmaker Jose Guerra said.
The opposition had announced that it would make economic reform one of its legislative priorities.
Rival rallies of government and opposition supporters are expected to be held in Caracas ahead of Tuesday's swearing-in of the new assembly.
Image copyrightAPImage captionAlmost 3,800 people drowned last year trying to cross the Mediterranean to the shores of the EU
Their boats are thought to have capsized while crossing to the island of Lesbos.At least 17 bodies have been washed up on the Turkish coast in the latest tragedy to hit migrants and refugees trying to cross the sea to Greece.
The bodies were found on beaches at Ayvalik and Dikili some 30 miles (50km) apart. Several were children.
More than one million migrants crossed the Mediterranean in 2015 and the vast majority went from Turkey to Greece.
According to the UN, 3,771 people were listed as dead of missing.
Conditions in the Aegean Sea in the early hours of Tuesday were described as rough and officials said the migrants who had tried to reach Lesbos were in rubber dinghies.
Coast guards at Ayvalik searched the area for survivors and rescued eight people who had climbed on to a breakwater, reported Dogan news agency.
Image copyrightAPImage captionLesbos is by far the most popular destination for boats carrying migrants and refugees to Greece
Residents said the boat that sank off Ayvalik appeared to have hit rocks. "I'm guessing these people died as they were trying to swim from the rocks," one man said.
Security forces pulled some bodies from the water while other could be seen on the beach, all wearing life jackets. Some were clearly children.
Although their nationalities were not confirmed, local governor Namik Kemal Nazli Hurriyet said they were Syrians, Iraqis and Algerians.
On Sunday, dozens of people were rescued from a small island off the town of Dikili as they tried to cross to Lesbos. Helicopters had to be called in because the island was too rocky for rescue boats to get to.
Boats are continuing to arrive on the Greek islands every day, despite the wintry weather. Lesbos is by far the most popular destination for migrants leaving Turkey. More than 500,000 reached the island in 2015.
Late last year, Turkey reached a deal with the European Union to tighten its borders and reduce the numbers crossing to Greece in return for €3bn (£2.1bn) and political concessions.
Supermarket group Sainsbury's has said it made a bid approach for Argos and Homebase owner Home Retail Group in November, but the offer was rejected.
"The combination of Sainsbury's and Home Retail Group is an attractive proposition for the customers and shareholders of both companies," it said in a statement.
Sainsbury's said it was now "considering its position".
But it cautioned there was no certainty this would result in a formal offer.
Under UK takeover rules Sainsbury's has until 2 February to decide whether to make a formal offer.
Over the past year Sainsbury's has been trialling Argos concessions in some of its stores, and the supermarket group said the two firms had "complementary products".
Image copyrightReuters
In its statement, Sainsbury's outlined its case for buying Home Retail Group saying it would boost sales growth, improve its delivery networks, and meant they could sell their products to each other's customers.
Sainsbury's is now the second-largest British supermarket in the UK, with a 16.7% share of the grocery market, according to Kantar Worldpanel.
The research firm's latest figures showed the supermarket was the only one of the big four to post a growth in sales for the 12 weeks to 6 December.
Sainsbury's, which was founded in 1869, now has about 1,200 supermarkets and convenience stores and employs about 161,000 people.
Home Retail Group, which is valued at around £1bn at its current share price, has been mooted as a possible takeover target since it issued a profit warning in October, which it blamed on the impact of Black Friday shopping deals and investment in its online ordering system.
Home Retail Group has about 271 stores across the UK and employs 18,000 staff.
Sainsbury's originally co-founded the Homebase chain, but sold it in 2000 in a deal worth £969m in total.
Conlumino food and grocery analyst George Scott said this meant Sainsbury's already had a good understanding of the sector.
He said if the deal went ahead it would help Sainsbury's to better establish its presence in the non-food market.
"It would give it scope for shops within its existing stores where it has excess space. I think it's a well thought out proposition," he added.
Former Real Madrid coach John Toshack says Rafael Benitez's departure from the Spanish giants will not adversely affect Wales forward Gareth Bale.
Benitez has been sacked after just seven months in charge, with club legend Zinedine Zidane replacing him.
Bale, 26, is reportedly upset by Benitez's exit but Toshack thinks his compatriot will stay at the Bernabeu.
"I don't see it affecting Gareth at all," Toshack said. "I don't see that as a problem."
Bale joined Madrid in a world record £85m move from Tottenham in 2013 and has scored seven goals in his past six games for Real - but he has been linked with a return to the Premier League with Manchester United.
Zinedine Zidane (left) was named as the new coach of Real Madrid by club president Florentino Perez
Former Liverpool and Chelsea boss Benitez's final game was Sunday's 2-2 draw with Valencia, which left them third in La Liga, four points behind leaders Atletico Madrid and two adrift of Barcelona.
Frenchman Zidane is the 11th coach to be appointed in Florentino Perez's 12 years as club president and his first match in charge will be Saturday's home league game against Deportivo la Coruna.
Ex-Wales manager Toshack, who had two spells in charge at the Bernabeu, is not surprised by Benitez's departure.
"Benitez was up against it right from the off," Toshack told BBC Radio Wales Sport.
"Right from the minute he walked through the door something was not quite right. I don't think his face fitted.
"I think he'll be looking to take a bit of a rest season, probably until the end of this season and maybe look at something next pre-season."
Kuwait has announced it is recalling its ambassador to Iran as a regional row over the execution of a Shia cleric in Saudi Arabia deepens.
Saudi Arabia's embassy in Tehran was ransacked and set alight on Saturday, after it executed Shia Muslim cleric Sheikh Nimr al-Nimr and 46 others.
Saudi Arabia broke off diplomatic ties with Iran in response, followed on Monday by its allies Bahrain and Sudan.
The US, UN and Turkey are among those calling for calm in the region.
Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia and Shia Iran are major rivals for power in the Middle East and back opposing sides in the conflicts in Syria and Yemen.
Saudi insists peace efforts should not be affected by the dispute but has criticised Iran's contribution to the process.
Iran has reiterated its condemnation of Saudi Arabia, with President Hassan Rouhani saying it cannot "hide its crime of beheading a religious leader by severing political relations with Iran".
The Kuwaiti government said it was recalling its ambassador from the Iranian capital, describing the attacks as a "flagrant breach of international norms".
It did not expel Tehran's ambassador or downgrade diplomatic ties.
Saudi Arabia's unexpected decision to carry out the executions - following convictions over terror offences - prompted an expression of "deep dismay" from the UN secretary general, while the US accused Saudi of exacerbating tensions "at a time when they urgently need to be reduced".
But since then, Saudi Arabia has gained support from some allies in its response to the attacks on its missions in Tehran and the Iranian city of Mashhad.
Image copyrightReutersImage captionIranians' violent response to the cleric's execution has been condemned by the UN Security CouncilImage copyrightAPImage captionBahrain's Sunni leadership has expressed solidarity with Saudi Arabia, despite protests among its Shia-majority populationImage copyrightReutersImage captionThere have also been demonstrations in the Indian capital Delhi
Saudi authorities on Sunday severed diplomatic relations with Iran. They said that all commercial and air traffic links were being cut and that Saudi citizens were banned from travelling to Iran.
As well as the moves by Bahrain, Sudan and Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has downgraded its diplomatic team in Iran.
And on Monday, the UN Security Council issued a strongly worded statement condemning the attack on the Saudi embassy - making no mention of the execution of the cleric.
However, several of the smaller Gulf Arab states have good working relationships with Iran, and two of them, Oman and Qatar, have yet to take any action at all, says the BBC's Jim Muir in Beirut.
Sunni-Shia divide
The split arises from a dispute soon after the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632 over who should lead the Muslim community
Sunnis are estimated to make up between 85% and 90% of Muslims
Although the two branches have co-existed for centuries and share many fundamental beliefs and practices, differences lie in the fields of doctrine, ritual, law, theology and religious organisation
Protests against Saudi Arabia have erupted outside Iran, including in Shia-majority Bahrain, where nonetheless Sunni authorities moved to express solidarity with Saudi, clamping down on demonstrations.
Iran has responded angrily to the diplomatic moves, insisting it had no hand in the violent protests that followed the execution.
Earlier, in New York, Saudi UN ambassador Abdallah al-Mouallimi accused Iran of "interfering in the affairs of other countries, including our own", and "taking provocative and negative positions".
The UN's special international envoy for peace in Syria, Staffan de Mistura, is holding talks in both countries and will be hoping the storm will blow over before a major peace conference on Syria is held towards the end of the month, our correspondent reports.
