Firestone a perfect place for Tiger to salvage season

Tiger Woods of the U.S. watches his tee shot on the fifth hole during the final round of the British Open Championship at the Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Hoylake, northern England July 20, 2014.

Tiger Woods, still tournament rusty after spending much of this year recovering from back surgery, could not have picked a better venue as he strives to turn his season around at this week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.

Woods has won the elite World Golf Championships (WGC) crown a record eight times at the Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio and would dearly love to add a ninth in his bid to qualify for the PGA Tour's lucrative season-ending FedExCup playoffs.
The former world number one has just three events remaining to advance from his lowly 215th spot in the FedExCup points list and book his place among the top 125 who will tee off in the playoff opener, The Barclays tournament from Aug. 21-24.

Barcelona's Pique relishing return of 'angry' Suarez

 Spain's player Gerard Pique runs during a training session ahead of the 2014/15 season at Camp Nuo, July 31, 2014.

Barcelona defender Gerard Pique believes an "angry" Luis Suarez will be desperate to prove himself when he has served out a four-month ban for a biting incident at the World Cup.

Uruguay striker Suarez was given a nine-match international suspension and banned from all football-related activity for four months by FIFA after he bit Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup in Brazil last month.

Barca have since lured him from English Premier League side Liverpool and the 27-year-old could make his debut for the Catalan club in the La Liga "Clasico" against Real Madrid at the end of October.

Tevez father kidnapped, released after ransom paid

The father of Juventus striker Carlos Tevez was kidnapped in Buenos Aires on Tuesday before being released following the payment of a ransom, according to local media.

Reports said the footballer had initially looked to fly from Turin, where he is in pre-season training, to Argentina on hearing the news of the kidnapping but he remained in Italy.Tevez said on Twitter that his father had been released without harm.

“I thank everyone for their support always. I’m able to tell you my father is ok, safe and sound. That’s what’s most important,” he said on his Twitter account (@carlitos3210).“I also thank... the Buenos Aires and Federal and Anti-kidnapping police (forces) for their support for my family.”

(OPINION) : To combat Ebola, first build back trust in healthcare workers

The worst-ever outbreak of Ebola is spreading out of control in Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and now Nigeria, where almost 700 people have already died from the virus. Healthcare workers caring for Ebola patients have themselves fallen victim to the disease, including two American physicians. And, at its root, the size of this outbreak can be blamed on a lack of trust in healthcare workers.

Ebola is spread through direct contact with an infected person or their body fluids, which may include sweat, blood, urine, feces or vomit, making it difficult to contain outside of proper medical facilities.
There is no cure for Ebola, though supportive measures like intravenous fluids and antibiotics may be helpful in treating some of the complications of the disease. There is no vaccine to halt the spread of the virus. The only way to stop the transmission of Ebola is to identify and quarantine infected persons.

EU adopts toughest Russian sanctions yet, targets five Russian banks

Russia's President Vladimir Putin (C) chairs a government meeting at the Novo-Ogaryovo state residence outside Moscow, July 30, 2014.

The European Union has published a law that will curb arms sales to Russia and to cut off financing for five major Russian banks over Moscow's support for rebels in Ukraine.

Russia has denounced the measures, agreed by the 28 EU member states on Tuesday, as "destructive and short-sighted", while fighting has intensified in eastern Ukraine between Kiev forces and the pro-Russian separatists.

EU officials say the sanctions aim to inflict maximum pain on Russia and minimum pain on the EU. "We will for sure have an effect and a very substantial and concrete effect on Russia," one EU official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The toughest measures aim to prevent Russian banks from raising money on Western capital markets, while others limit defence sales and the export of hi-tech equipment for the oil sector.