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Cologne hit with FIFA transfer ban over youth player signing

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:14 GMT

COLOGNE, Germany (AP) — German soccer club Cologne said FIFA has banned it from signing new players next season as punishment for breaking transfer rules in the case of a promising 17-year-old forward from Slovenia.Cologne said in a statement late Wednesday that it was accused of inciting Jaka Cuber Potocnik to break his contract with Olimpija Ljubljana in his home country.Cologne said a FIFA tribunal fined the club 51,750 euros ($56,100), banned it from signing new players in the next two transfer windows, and suspended Potocnik for four months.The club, which announced plans to appeal the verdict to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, argues Potocnik left Olimpija because of “numerous breaches of contract” and says it has evidence it did not incite him to leave.FIFA has not published any details of the case.Potocnik is considered one of the brightest young talents in German club soccer. He has scored 13 goals in as many games in the under-19 league for Cologne this season an...

Alonso seeks 33rd Formula 1 win after 100 podium finishes

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:14 GMT

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — After claiming his 100th podium in Saudi Arabia in confusing and controversial circumstances, Fernando Alonso is looking for a better result at Sunday’s Australian Grand Prix than his two third-place finishes so far this Formula One season.Maybe even his 33rd Formula One win, and first in 10 years.The Aston Martin driver was behind the Red Bull pair of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez in the first two races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia in what has been a one-sided championship so far.Alosno believes the championship will become more competitive as the season progresses but is pleased with how his Aston Martin is performing leading into the Melbourne race.Practice sessions for the Australian Grand Prix begin on Friday, with another session on Saturday prior to qualifying.“At the moment we are extremely happy with the performance of the car, obviously. It was better than expected, especially in Jeddah,” Alonso said. “We arrived here with a good level of...

Russia’s top security agency says a reporter for the Wall Street Journal has been arrested on espionage charges

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:14 GMT

MOSCOW (AP) — Russia’s top security agency says a reporter for the Wall Street Journal has been arrested on espionage charges.Source

EU’s von der Leyen calls for tougher policy on China ahead of Beijing visit

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:14 GMT

BRUSSELS — Europe needs to be “bolder” on China, which has become “more repressive at home and more assertive abroad,” according to the president of the European Commission.In a scathing speech ahead of her visit to China next week, Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday warned Beijing not to side with Moscow in bringing compromised peace to Ukraine, saying: “How China continues to interact with Putin’s war will be a determining factor for EU-China relations going forward.”She implied, for the first time, that the EU could terminate pursuing a landmark trade deal with China, which was clinched in 2020 but subsequently stalled by the European Parliament after some of its members were sanctioned by Beijing.“We have to recognize that the world and China have changed in the last three years — and we need to reassess CAI in light of our wider China strategy,” she said at an event co-hosted by the European Policy Center and Merics, referring to the China trade deal, known as Compreh...

Russia detains Wall Street Journal reporter over spying allegations

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:14 GMT

Russian security services detained Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal correspondent, in Yekaterinburg on Thursday on suspicion of spying for the U.S., according to state media reports.Gershkovich, who is a U.S. citizen, is “suspected of espionage in the interests of the American government” and accused of “trying to obtain secret information,” Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) said in a statement, according to state news agency TASS.In Russia, the charge of espionage is punishable by 20 years in prison.Detaining a foreign journalist marks a significant escalation in hostility toward foreign media. Since President Vladimir Putin launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine last February, Russian authorities been making it increasingly difficult for foreign reporters to work in the country, denying and delaying visas and media accreditation and requiring local support staff to register as “foreign agents,” requiring them to file burdensome paper...

Police investigation underway in Charlestown

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:14 GMT

A large police investigation is underway in Charlestown Thursday morning. Boston Police, state police, K9s, and ambulances all responded to Terminal Street.Detectives set up a perimeter with privacy fences around that area. Police have not said what they are investigating. This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.

A pre-Opening Day conversation with Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:14 GMT

On Thursday, the Red Sox embark upon their 123rd season, their 112th year at Fenway Park, and their fourth campaign under the stewardship of Chaim Bloom.Has it really only been three years and change since the Red Sox hired him?So far, his time in Boston has been quite the tempestuous, turbulent roller coaster ride. His teams have finished last twice in three seasons, with a shocking ALCS run like the creme filling in between two disappointing halves of a cookie. He traded Mookie Betts and lost Xander Bogaerts, but got Rafael Devers to sign a franchise-record extension.Bloom won’t make excuses, nor is he looking for pity. And he’ll be the first to tell you that he’s unconcerned with his own legacy; his focus is on the team. Ahead of Opening Day, the Herald caught up with him at Fenway Park. Here’s the chief baseball officer in his own words.Boston Herald: “How are you feeling about the team compared to (when) pitchers and catchers (reported)?”Chaim Bloom: “Yo...

The Orioles’ last World Series title was 40 seasons ago. Fans hope rebuilt team is close to ending that drought.

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:14 GMT

Dominique Scott doesn’t know what he’s missing.Scott, a Baltimore native, was just a baby when the Orioles won the World Series in 1983 — the club’s third championship in 18 years, and also its most recent.“When you never had something, it’s hard to say what it feels like to miss it,” Scott, 40, said. “Every year, you hope you get your own, but I don’t know what it’s like to have one.”The Orioles’ 2023 season, which begins Thursday, will be the 40th since that plucky 1983 team reached baseball’s pinnacle. In the years since, the Orioles have been one of Major League Baseball’s worst franchises — only 13 winning seasons, five trips to the postseason and zero World Series appearances. The 39-year championship lull is the seventh-longest active drought in the sport.But now, with the painful rebuild and the 100-loss seasons in the rearview mirror, there’s optimism — among Baltimore fans...

Baseball strikes out with its new pitch clock: Putting a timer on changes the game in bad way

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:14 GMT

Baseball, the once national pastime, stood apart from all other major sports as the clock did not tick nor matter. After 150 years, this is changing as Major League Baseball is implementing a pitch clock for the season starting today.Early feedback from spring training is mostly positive as proponents of the change highlight that the clock forces the hitters to hit and the pitchers to pitch, instead of wasting time fixing batting gloves and stepping on and off the mound, while games averaged 2:35, 26 minutes faster than last year.But for this Mets die-hard and baseball purist, this is a change the game and its fans will soon regret.It is worth noting that the World Baseball Classic did not incorporate the pitch clock, despite the significant number of Major League players participating and the league’s desire to engage a global audience. For the title game, 4.5 million watched Japan defeat the United States, and the ratings for the tournament exceeded expectations — all ...

One person hurt in fight onboard TTC subway

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 11:35:14 GMT

One person has been taken to hospital after a fight onboard a subway train.It happened at Donlands Station around 7 p.m. Wednesday.Police say a male victim suffered minor injuries.They are looking for one suspect who fled the scene.ASSAULT:Donlands Subway– reports of a fight onboard a TTC subway @TTCnotices– police o/s– officers confirmed fight took place on the subway– male victim assaulted, @TorontoMedics took patient to hospital w/ minor injuries– suspect fled– ongoing investigation#GO693571^al— Toronto Police Operations (@TPSOperations) March 29, 2023