Steven Gerrard to MLS: Ten things you should know about US soccer

Major League Soccer's popularity and quality is constantly increasing, with Steven Gerrard expected to join Robbie Keane, David Villa, Jermain Defoe and Clint Dempsey Stateside.
This is BBC Sport's 10-point guide to football/soccer in North America.
1. Michael Bradley earned more than Thierry Henry

US international Clint Dempsey was the highest paid player in MLS in 2014, earning �4.3m ($6.69m). Dempsey's countryman Michael Bradley was second at �4.2m ($6.5m). Four former Premier League stars were among the biggest earners in the league: Jermain Defoe, third, �4m ($6.18m); Robbie Keane, fifth, �2.9m ($4.5m); Thierry Henry, sixth, �2.8m ($4.35m); and Tim Cahill seventh, �2.3m ($3.63m).
At the other end of the scale, 54 players earned the league minimum of �23,800 ($36,500). The average MLS salary in 2014 was just under �137,700 ($208,000) - comparable to England's League One.
2. Sixty times more people watch the Super Bowl than the MLS final on TV

December's MLS Cup final - the championship match of the league - was watched by 1.9 million television viewers in the US. During the 2014 MLS campaign, the games broadcast nationally in the US on ESPN and ESPN2 drew an average audience of 240,000 viewers.
While television audiences are up significantly from 2013, they are still miniscule in the US sporting television landscape. In 2014, the NFL's Super Bowl drew an audience of 112 million, college basketball's national championship 21.2 million, and the final game of baseball's World Series 16.2 million.
3. MLS covers two countries

MLS serves as the top flight for two nations: the United States and Canada (England and Wales are separate countries for football but are both part of the United Kingdom politically). Toronto FC became the first Canadian club in the league in 2007. Vancouver Whitecaps followed in 2011 and Montreal Impact a year later. This precedent was set by the North American Soccer League of the 1960-80s, with clubs in five Canadian cities. Another part of the world where two nations are served by one senior division is the A-league of Australia and New Zealand which features Wellington Phoenix.
4. MLS is 20 years old

Major League Soccer (MLS) will mark its 20th season when the new campaign opens in March. The league was officially formed in 1995 and began the following year, with the inaugural match taking place on 6 April 1996.
Prior to MLS, the US went 11 years without a first division, as the North American Soccer League had disbanded following the 1984 season.
5. MLS draws bigger crowds than Brazil

The 2014 MLS season saw record crowds, with an average attendance of 19,151. The average crowd at a Premier League match in 2013-14 was 36,657.
The best supported MLS club in 2014 was Seattle Sounders, drawing an average of 43,734 spectators per match. In the football world, MLS ranked eighth in terms of crowds, ahead of first divisions in nations such as Brazil, Argentina, Portugal and Japan.
6. David Beckham has a rule named after him

MLS has a salary cap, which was �2m ($3.1m) per club in 2014. However, all clubs can also have three players they can pay as much as they want, and who are not part of the salary cap, under the Designated Player Rule.
Created in 2007 and known then unofficially as 'The Beckham Rule', this exception to the salary cap allows MLS clubs to attract - and pay - big-name stars from the US and overseas.

7. You don't win the league by finishing top

MLS uses a play-off system to determine its champion, which occurs in the final match of the year, the MLS Cup. In the 2015 campaign, 12 of the 20 clubs will qualify for the play-offs - also known as the post-season. Finishing top of the table during the regular season earns a club the Supporters' Shield, and the top seed in the play-offs.
8. MLS fans don't like the cold

Rather than following the standard pattern for a season that begins in August and ends in May, MLS starts its new season in March (6 March in 2015), and finishes with the MLS Cup final in December. This schedule was put in place when MLS launched for two major reasons: the fear that US fans would not attend matches in the coldest months, and an attempt to stay clear of the end of the NFL and American college football seasons.

9. MLS teams play fewer league games than Premier League sides

In the 2015 season, all 20 MLS clubs will play 34 regular-season matches before the post-season of the play-offs and MLS Cup final. Premier League sides play 38 league games.
The 17 US-based MLS clubs also compete in the US Open Cup, while the three clubs based in Canada enter the Canadian Championship. On top of that, five MLS clubs, including a minimum of one from Canada, qualify for the Concacaf Champions League.
10. 'It costs $100m to become an MLS club'

With no system for promotion, MLS adds new clubs through the process of expansion. Currently, the expansion fee charged by MLS to enter the league as a new club is a reported �65.2m ($100m). In 2015, two expansion clubs will begin life: the Manchester City-backed New York City FC, and Orlando SC. MLS officials have stated their desire to grow the league to 24 clubs by the 2020 season.

Gaza conflict: Israel and Hamas agree 12-hour window

srael and Hamas have said they have accepted a 12-hour humanitarian window in Gaza.

The truce is due to begin at 0800 local time (0500 GMT). Efforts to negotiate a seven-day ceasefire are still ongoing.

Earlier US Secretary of State John Kerry said he was still confident of a longer ceasefire, despite media reports that Israel had rejected one proposal.

More than 800 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and 36 Israelis have died since the conflict started on 8 July.

A spokesman for Hamas, the Islamist group that controls Gaza, Sami Abu Zuhri said there was "national consensus on a humanitarian truce... for 12 hours on Saturday".

The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later confirmed the truce on Twitter, but said it would "continue to locate and neutralise terror tunnels".

"We will respond if terrorists choose to exploit this time to attack IDF personnel or fire at Israeli civilians," it said in a statement.

The news came shortly after Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon warned that ground operations in Gaza could soon be broadened "significantly".


Mr Yaalon told soldiers: "You need to be ready for the possibility that very soon we will instruct the military to significantly broaden the ground operation in Gaza".

Hamas has previously said it would not agree to any long-term truce that did not lead to an end to Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip.

The British ambassador to the UN, Mark Lyall Grant, said he was disappointed at the failure to reach a longer-term truce.

But he welcomed Saturday's 12-hour truce, saying it could "open up a little bit of space to work on a more sustainable ceasefire."

West Bank clashes
According to the UN, Israeli air strikes killed a further 68 people in Gaza on Friday, bringing the total number of Palestinian dead to about 870.

There were also clashes during protests in the West Bank which left at least five Palestinians dead.

Palestinians in the West Bank had been taking part in a "Day of Rage" against Israel's military operation in the Gaza Strip.

Air strikes continued against targets in Gaza on Friday

Meanwhile Israel's military said its Iron Dome defence system had intercepted several rockets fired across the border by Hamas.

Israel launched its military offensive on 8 July with the declared objective of stopping Hamas firing rockets into Israel.

It has since extended its operation to destroy tunnels dug by militants to infiltrate Israel.

Several foreign ministers, including Mr Kerry, are due to hold a meeting in France on Saturday to seek a diplomatic solution.

"The goal is to bring together international efforts so that as quickly as possible conditions for a cease-fire in Gaza emerge," said a French foreign ministry spokesman.

The foreign ministers of the EU, UK, Germany, Turkey and Qatar will also take part.

Israel's Iron Dome system intercepted several rockets fired from Gaza on Friday

Air Algerie AH5017: 'No survivors' from crash in Mali

There are no survivors from the Air Algerie AH5017 passenger jet that crashed in Mali, says the French President, Francois Hollande.

Mr Hollande said one flight data recorder had been recovered, after French troops reached the crash site near Mali's border with Burkina Faso.

Air traffic controllers lost contact with the plane early on Thursday after pilots reported severe storms.

The 116 passengers on the Air Algerie flight included 51 French citizens.

The McDonnell Douglas MD-83 had been chartered from Spanish airline, Swiftair. It was flying from Burkina Faso's capital, Ougadougou, to Algiers.

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve told French radio network RTL that "the aircraft was destroyed at the moment it crashed".

"We think the aircraft crashed for reasons linked to the weather conditions, although no theory can be excluded at this point," he said.

A team of 100 French soldiers, with 30 vehicles, had travelled to the crash site on Friday, a French defence ministry official said.

The team was part of a force that was deployed to Mali last year to combat an insurgency backed by al-Qaeda.

"French soldiers who are on the ground have started the first investigations," French President Francois Hollande said on Friday. "Sadly there are no survivors."

Sandstorm alert
Contact with Flight AH 5017 was lost about 50 minutes after take-off from Ouagadougou early on Thursday morning, Air Algerie said.

The pilot had contacted Niger's control tower in Niamey at around 01:30 GMT to change course because of a sandstorm, officials say.

Burkina Faso authorities said the passenger list comprised 27 people from Burkina Faso, 51 French, eight Lebanese, six Algerians, two from Luxembourg, five Canadians, four Germans, one Cameroonian, one Belgian, one Egyptian, one Ukrainian, one Swiss, one Nigerian and one Malian.

The six crew members are Spanish, according to the Spanish pilots' union.

Acyclovir Pharmacology and Indication

Acyclovir is acyclic purine nucleoside analogue active against herpes simplex virus, varicella zoster, Epstein-Barr virus and cytomegalovirus. In the cell, undergo phosphorylation acyclovir acyclovir triphosphate into an active form that inhibit the herpes simplex virus DNA polymerase and viral DNA replication, thereby preventing viral DNA synthesis without affecting normal cell processes.

Acyclovir Pharmacology
Acyclovir is an antiviral agent highly active in vitro against herpes simplex virus (HSV) types I and II, and varicella zoster virus. Upon entry into the infected cell, the phosphorylated form of the active compound Acyclovir Acyclovir trifosfate. The initial phase of the process depends on the enzyme thymidine kinase viral-coded. Acyclovir trifosfate act as inhibitors and as a false substrate for the herpes-specified DNA polymerase which prevents viral DNA synthesis without affecting normal cellular processes.

Treatment of herpes simplex virus infections of the skin and mucous membranes including initial and recurrent genital herpes / recurrent, herpes zoster (shingles / shingles / shingles). Preventing recurrence of herpes simplex infections in patients with strong immune systems. Preventing herpes simplex infection in patients with poor immune systems.

Another acyclovir pharmacology is a treatment of herpes simplex virus infections of the skin and mucous membranes including initial and recurrent genital herpes / recurrent, herpes zoster (shingles / shingles / shingles); preventing recurrence of herpes simplex infections in patients with strong immune systems; preventing herpes simplex infection in patients with poor immune systems.

Acyclovir Indication
Acyclovir indication such as treatment of herpes simplex virus on the skin and mucus membranes, including initial and recurrent genital herpes; treatment of herpes zoster and varicella infections; treatment of infections caused by the herpes simplex of the skin and mucous membranes including initial and recurrent genital herpes, herpes simplex infection prevention in immuno-compromised patients; treatment of herpes zoster infection.

5 Tips In Finding Hotel

You are planning a holiday abroad for your family, and want everyone to have a good time. You surf the internet for hotel descriptions, but from the pictures you see and what you read, all hotels project a perfect image of themselves. How can you know which one is better? You have never been there and knows nothing of your destination. At the same time, you do not want a hotel room to spend your budget. How do you choose?

Check Independent Hotel Rating
Well, the first step you can take is to visit the hotel to see the search engine ratings from previous visitors. In order assessments for every hotel, most agents ask for an assessment of previous guests. Reading their comments will give you a fair idea of ​​what to expect from the hotel which is located in your destination. Make sure to read some of the comments in order to get a fair picture. Certain incidents described only a rare occurrence that may have been corrected.

Hotel Chains and Facilities
Are they part of an international hotel chain? Most international chains have strict standards attached and the default theme in all of the chain. They may have the same amenities (health club, spa, business center, etc.) are essential to maintain a high standard of hotel. Other things you can look out for shuttle services including concierge, to the city, airport transfers and laundry service is good.

Location
Perhaps one of the most important things when choosing a hotel is the location. Hotels close to shopping center, train station or city center level higher charge than those located elsewhere. Analyzing maps of the area before you order to determine the nearest shopping center or access to the train station that will provide you with a lot of ease in moving around. Also, check with the hotel if they have a large tour groups arrive at the same time. Hotel costs are higher during periods of high occupancy, and do not have the flexibility of late check-out. This is an important aspect that, if ignored, can affect your tour itinerary and your impression of the level of hotel hospitality.

Prices and Discounts
The hotel rates are a huge factor when it comes to choosing a hotel. However, paying more does not always mean that you will receive an equivalent level of service and standards. One way to maximize the price will check if they are part of an alliance with airlines or car rental companies, offering customers a discount for their allies. Sometimes, credit card companies offer their cardholders exclusive rate for special which can be very interesting. In addition, if it is possible to use your frequent flyer points to redeem hotel discounts, this could help reduce the cost of the hotel as well.

Boutique Hotel
Finally, apart from chain hotels, boutique hotels may be a good alternative for a romantic place for couples or families looking for a more typical of the theme. Many boutique hotels have less space but offer value added services such as in-room spa bed, breakfast in bed or even in-room massages. In the end, your choice of hotel really depends on what you want from your holiday.

Self-Confidence

Self-confidence is one aspect of personality that is very important in human life. Self confident people are confident about their own abilities and have realistic expectations, even when their expectations are not realized; they stayed positive and can take it.

Definition
Self-confidence is a mental or psychological condition of a person who gives a strong confidence in him to do or perform any act. People who do not believe in themselves have a negative self-concept, lack of confidence in his ability, because it is often kept to them. Self confidence is a mental or psychological condition, which individuals can evaluate the entirety of her strong belief in giving him the ability to take action in achieving various goals in life.
People who have good self-confidence, they have positive feelings toward themselves, have strong beliefs on him and had accurate knowledge of the capabilities. People who have good self-confidence are not the only person who feels capable of (but not really afford) but is a person who knows that he can be caused by experience and calculation that he did.
Synonyms:  aplomb, inner strength, positive self-image, self-assurance

Personality traits of people with low self-confidence
When this is linked to the practice of everyday life, people who have low self-confidence or have lost confidence, tend to feel / be as below:
• Do not have anything (desires, goals, targets) which fought energetically
• Do not have a decision to step decisive
• Easily frustrated or give up when faced with a problem or difficulty
• Less motivated to go forward, laziness or half and half
• Often fails to accomplish its tasks or responsibilities
• Awkward in dealing with people
• Can not demonstrate the ability to speak and the ability to listen to a convincing
• Often have unrealistic expectations
• Too perfectionist
• Too sensitive

Help: low self-confindence
Counselling,  life coaching, and hypnotherapy are common therapies used to help improve self-confidence.

Tips for a Healthy Pregnancy

Pregnancy is something that can make a mother feel happy. Keeping the baby in the womb to grow healthy and born alive is to be performed by a pregnant woman. The gestation period will determine the child's growth. Here we provide some tips on healthy during pregnancy.


Visit a Physician Regularly
During pregnancy, mothers can visit a physician/doctor regularly. Regularly check the baby in the womb is useful to know the condition and growth of the fetus. Likewise, if there is anything wrong in pregnancy should be immediately checked by a physician. Do this until the last month of pregnancy.

Important Eat Nutritious Foods
Begin to eat nutritious foods; it is important for pregnant women and fetal growth. Maternal diet usually eats small meals but often, about 5-6 times per day. It's better than eating large servings in 3 per day, a diet with smaller portions and more often to reduce nausea and vomiting in the morning, and stomach pain.

Folic Acid and Zinc
Healthy foods for pregnant mothers are foods that contain folic acid and zinc. Folic acid is useful for preventing neural tube defects in infants and spine. Foods that contain folic acid present in cereals, brown rice, oranges, green vegetables, beans, broccoli, and more. Zinc is useful to prevent anemia during pregnancy. Anemia is very dangerous for pregnant women, can cause bleeding during childbirth.

Avoid Cigarette Smoke
Cigarette and tobacco smoke are very harmful to the health of mother and fetus. Avoid cigarette smoke; try not to become passive smokers. If your husband is a smoker, warn not to smoke near you. And if you're also a smoker, stop smoking better. Cigarette smoke will make your baby born weighing less, easily hurt, slow growth; it can even cause miscarriage and death in the womb.

Drinking Adequate Water
Drinking adequate water is another important thing to note for pregnant women. Drinking lots of water is very useful for pregnant women, because the incoming fluid will help to increase the blood volume that occurs during pregnancy. Drink at least 6-8 glasses a day, can be fruit juice, milk, or water.

Taking Medications Safely
Be careful when taking some drugs. If you are attacked by a disease or pain, be careful taking drugs. You should immediately consult your physician before taking it. If you are pregnant and taking medication without rules would be harmful to the fetus in the womb.

Remain Active During Pregnancy
Pregnant women should remain active. Pregnant women can also do exercise such as walking. Taking a pregnancy exercise classes are also good, in addition to the benefits to the mother and fetus, the pregnant women in the class are able to share experiences and gain knowledge. In between activities, do not forget to rest

Vaccination During Pregnancy
Another important thing is vaccinated during pregnancy. Pregnant women should talk to their physicians to figure out which vaccines they might need and whether they should get them during pregnancy or wait until after their child is born. Hepatitis B, Influenza and Tetanus/Diphtheria are considered safe to give to women who might be at risk of infection.