Viral News Drift

Ajax won the first leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final against Tottenham Hotspur with 1-0 in London on Tuesday. Donny van de Beek gave the youthful Dutch side the win, edging Ajax toward a first European Cup final in 23 years. A Tottenham side depleted by injuries and suspension gifted the visitors too much space to string together slick passes early on, and the 22-year-old Van de Beek ghosted into the penalty area to receive a throughball from Hakim Ziyech before knocking a shot past goalkeeper Hugo Lloris in the 15th minute. Barcelona host Liverpool in the other semi-final on Wednesday evening. Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen had to be helped off the field shortly after attempting to play on following a clash of heads, putting a fresh spotlight on soccer’s handling of potential concussions. Concussion protocol Vertonghen challenged for a header in the Ajax area but slammed his face into the back of teammate Toby Alderweireld’s head, leaving him with blood pouring f

Jeff Chiu/Associated Press The Golden State Warriors needed seven games to dispatch of the Houston Rockets in last season’s Western Conference Finals, but they are already halfway to a sweep in this year’s second-round showdown following Tuesday’s 115-109 victory in Game 2 at Oracle Arena. The two-time defending champions are also two victories away from their fifth consecutive trip to the Western Conference Finals after holding serve in the first two games at home. All five Warriors starters scored in double figures, including Kevin Durant (29 points, five   rebounds and four   assists), Klay Thompson (21   points, five   rebounds and three   steals), Stephen Curry (20   points and five   assists) and Draymond Green (15   points, 12   rebounds and seven   assists).  James Harden spearheaded the Rockets’ effort with 29   points and seven   rebounds, but he had six   turnovers and dealt with an eye injury for much of the game. What’s Next? The series shifts to Houston for

Gary Dineen/Getty Images The Milwaukee Bucks dominated the regular season by establishing an identity that served them well. They shot heaps of threes, spaced the floor at every position and vacated the lane so Giannis Antetokounmpo could barrel into the paint, overwhelming whatever lone defender stood in front of him. Those basic tactics produced the league’s best record and highest net rating. There’s a good chance they’ll lead to an MVP award for Antetokounmpo, and they worked just fine in a 4-0 sweep of the Detroit Pistons in the first round. They also produced a pretty clear scouting report, and the Boston Celtics executed it perfectly in Sunday’s Game 1 victory. The loss was effectively an identity crisis for the Bucks. In Tuesday’s 123-102 Game 2 win, the Bucks solved that crisis by departing from their core identity, even if sometimes only subtly. In doing so, Milwaukee did more to legitimize its status as a true contender than anything else it achieved during its

Japan’ s new Emperor Naruhito has formally ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne, a day after his father Akihito abdicated from the world’s oldest monarchy and ushered in a new imperial era. Naruhito officially became emperor at the stroke of midnight local time (1500GMT Tuesday) but the process will be formalised on Wednesday with the 10-minute ritual, which is off-limits to female royals – even his wife Masako. It took place on the first day of the new imperial era of Reiwa , meaning “beautiful harmony”, which will last throughout Naruhito’s reign. The 59-year-old was presented with the sacred imperial treasures of a sword and a jewel, as well as the seal of state and his personal imperial seal, at a solemn ceremony in the Room of Pine in the Imperial Palace at 10:30am local time (01:30 GMT).  Shortly afterwards, joined by Masako and other royals, Naruhito addressed the nation for the first time as its 126th emperor, as he vowed to stand with the Japanese people. He swore to “act

Hundreds of Venezuelans rallied on Tuesday after opposition leader Juan Guaido called for a “military uprising” in his strongest move to take down President Nicolas Maduro since declaring himself interim president earlier this year.  Guaido, in a video posted on Twitter earlier on Tuesday, said he had started the “final phase” of his campaign to remove Maduro from power, calling on Venezuelans and the military to back him. He was surrounded by individuals in military uniforms and opposition politician Leopoldo Lopez in Venezuela , who has been under house arrest since being found guilty of inciting violence during anti-government protests in 2014. Guaido said he was at the Caracas airbase La Carlota and called for people to come out in support as well.  “The time is now,” Guaido said. “We are going to achieve freedom and democracy in Venezuela,” he added, urging supporters to take to the streets. Shortly after, a small group of armed troops, who had appeared to pledge their sup

Steve Luciano/Associated Press The National Football League filed a trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office last week in an effort to obtain exclusive rights to the Duluth Eskimos, a defunct franchise that operated during the 1926 and 1927 seasons.  Trademark attorney Josh Gerben provided analysis of the filing, though he later noted the NFL released a statement noting no team will use the name during the 2019 campaign as he initially suggested: Josh Gerben @JoshGerben The NFL has filed a trademark application for DULUTH ESKIMOS. The trademark application suggests that a NFL team could play a game as the DULUTH ESKIMOS this coming year. Here is my analysis of the filing #nfl https://t.co/67jHP6nlME Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk reported it’s part of a larger effort to secure rights to former franchises as part of the league’s 100th-anniversary celebration. The NFL could face resistance in its Duluth efforts because the C

Aaron Gash/Associated Press After finding a new franchise cornerstone in Luka Doncic this past season, the Dallas Mavericks have big hopes for free agency this summer to boost their surrounding talent.  According to  Marc Stein of the  New York Times , the Mavs are looking for “s hooters, athleticism and veterans.” Stein mentioned Khris Middleton and Kemba Walker as two of their top targets.  The Mavericks should have ample salary-cap space to sign free agents. They currently have only $45.9 million in guaranteed salary on their books for next season, per   Basketball Insiders , although they’ll also have to re-sign Kristaps Porzingis this summer.  Per   Shams Charania   of The Athletic and Stadium, the NBA ‘s projected salary cap for 2019-20 is $109 million, while the luxury-tax threshold is projected to be $132 million.  Stein said the Mavs are hopeful they will have a shot at signing one of either Middleton or Walker.  Dallas is already one of the most intriguing teams

Patrick Mahomes II @PatrickMahomes Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh LETS GOOOOOOOOO #GOT @Maisie_Williams Blake Griffin @blakegriffin23 arya with the mj switch in mid air!!!! Aaron Rodgers @AaronRodgers12 Busy, next 82 minutes…. Kevin Love @kevinlove Game of Thrones man….wow Matt Ryan @M_Ryan02 What do I even tweet right now? #GameOfThrones Christian McCaffrey @run__cmc Greatest television episode of all time. Period. No discussion. Thank you @GameOfThrones CJ McCollum @CJMcCollum Arya is the Jordan of our generation . We aren’t worthy Alex Caruso @ACFresh21 ARYA STARK WITH THE GREATEST HESI CROSS OF ALL TIME Eric Ebron @Ebron85 #AryaStark I BEEN TELLING YALL SHE LIKE THAT!!! Marquette King @MarquetteKing All you tellin me was Arya just needed a lil work to do all this damage??? Lesean McCoy @CutonDime25 Game of thrones !!!!!! Corey Davis @TheCDavis84 Oms https://t.co/mOlG85lNHO Zach Ertz @ZERTZ_86 A

Sudanese protest leaders have called for a mass rally amid mounting tensions over the composition of a joint civilian-military council to run the country following the removal of Sudan ‘s longtime ruler, Omar al-Bashir.  In a statement on Tuesday, the political parties and movements behind the months-long anti-government protests urged supporters  to gather for a “million-strong march” on May 2 to keep up the pressure for civilian rule. The appeal came hours after Sudan’s military rulers warned against “chaos” and called on protesters to clear roads and railways, saying seven provinces were running low on essential supplies.  Mohamed  Naji al-Assam, spokesman for the Sudanese Professionals Association (SPA), the main protest group, said the ruling military council  was “not serious” about transferring power to civilians. “With the passing of time the powers of the military council are expanded and this is a very big danger for the Sudanese revolution,” he said.  Protesters want t

Torrential rain continued to batter northern Mozambique  on Tuesday, several days after Cyclone Kenneth, as the United Nations said aid workers faced “an incredibly difficult situation” in reaching thousands of survivors. The rains grounded aid operations for a third consecutive day leaving some of the worst-hit communities cut off with very limited supplies. A planned World Food Programme (WFP) flight to the island of Ibo was on standby until the weather improved, according to Deborah Nguyen, spokeswoman for the agency. “We are really concerned about the situation for people on Ibo island,” she said, as they had been left out in the open after the majority of homes were destroyed, and with very limited food. “For us, it’s a frustrating day … There is not much we can do to reach these islands now,” she said. The government again urged residents of the main city of Pemba to flee to higher ground as flooding continued.  More than 570 millilitres has fallen in Pemba since Kenneth m

Wesley Hitt/Getty Images Jamaal Charles is set to sign a one-day contract with the Kansas City Chiefs before he retires from the NFL , according to 610 Sports Radio in Kansas City on Tuesday. The 32-year-old appeared in two games for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2018, rushing for seven yards on six attempts. The two-time All-Pro was never the same after persistent knee injuries wreaked havoc on his agility and speed. Charles’ knee issues date back to 2011, when he played in two games for the Chiefs before he tore his left  ACL  and missed the rest of the season. He returned as strong as ever, reaching the Pro Bowl three years in a row from 2012 to 2014, totaling 3,829 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns during that span. Another major setback came in October 2015, when he  tore his right ACL , wiping out the remainder of his campaign after he appeared in five games. Charles’ recovery from knee surgery kept him out until Week 4 in 2016. He rushed for 40 yards on 12 carries in

0 of 33 Danielle Del Valle/Getty Images The 2019 NFL draft is over. While this means football fans now face the long lull between the draft and training camps, it also means anticipation of rookie-year impact has begun. Every team looks better on paper after the draft than it did before, but some look more improved than others. Kyler Murray brings an immediate sense of excitement to the Arizona Cardinals. Though he plays the exact same position, the selection of Daniel Jones does not scream excitement. Does this mean that the Cardinals nailed the draft while the New York Giants failed it? It’s not exactly that simple. Football fans know classes have to be evaluated as a whole, not as a single selection. Of course, nothing separates the good classes from questionable one like good old-fashioned letter grades. That’s precisely what you’ll find here, along with analysis of each class and some of the most significant selections. 1 of 33 Grading players who have yet to t