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Nearly half fail new FIFA test to get player agent license

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:57:12 GMT

ZURICH (AP) — Nearly half the candidates failed a new FIFA exam to work as a player agent in soccer, the governing body said Thursday.Only 1,962 people — 52% of the 3,800 candidates worldwide — passed last week’s test to get a license that will be mandatory to work in transfer and contract negotiations from October.FIFA is being challenged in multiple legal cases across Europe by agents and lawyers seeking to block the new licensing system that would cap fees and regulate an industry that earns hundreds of millions of dollars each year.A second round of exams will be held in September. It costs $600 to take the test and the pass mark is set at 75% for answering 20 questions in one hour in English, French or Spanish.The test is mandatory for would-be agents who were not licensed in 2015 under a previous system.Long-time agents, including some who have earned tens of millions of dollars from the highest-profile transfer deals, can be exempted from the test if they apply for a li...

Gold nugget over 11 pounds found in Colorado

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:57:12 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- With shows like "Gold Rush", "Parker's Trail", "Bering Sea Gold", and "Yukon Gold" growing in popularity over the years, learning the history of gold mining in Colorado is of high interest to many.In 1887, miners Tom Groves and Harry Lytton found the largest gold nugget in Colorado history. The nugget was located near Breckenridge around an area called Farncomb Hill. 8 iconic restaurants only found in Colorado Tom's BabyWhile there are many contradicting stories on how much the gold nugget actually weighed, it was over 11 pounds, according to the Town of Breckenridge.The nugget became known as Tom's Baby."It weighed more than 11 and 1/3 pounds and was named Tom’s Baby because Groves swaddled the nugget in a blanket like a baby and made his way to Main Street where the proud 'father' showed his prize to all. Tom's Baby remains today the largest gold nugget ever found in Colorado," the Town of Breckenridge explained when Prospector Park opened in 2015.There is a bro...

Talk show host Jerry Springer dies at 79: reports

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:57:12 GMT

(NEXSTAR) - Jerry Springer, the legendary talk show host and former mayor and news anchor, has died, according to a statement from his family shared with multiple outlets. He was 79. Springer passed away peacefully at his home in Chicago Thursday, his family tells WLWT. “Jerry’s ability to connect with people was at the heart of his success in everything he tried whether that was politics, broadcasting or just joking with people on the street who wanted a photo or a word,” Jene Galvin, a lifelong friend and spokesman for the family, told the outlet. “He’s irreplaceable and his loss hurts immensely, but memories of his intellect, heart and humor will live on.”Jerry Springer, as seen on the show's 25th Season Spectacular -- (Photo by: Virginia Sherwood/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images via Getty Images)FILE - Jerry Springer attends AOL Build Speaker Speakers at AOL Studios In New York on May 19, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Laura Cavanaugh/FilmMagic)FILE - Jerry Spri...

477 pets surrendered to Denver Animal Shelter already this year

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:57:12 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) — The Denver Animal Shelter is asking for the community's help after it has seen a large spike in the number of dogs being surrendered this year.According to data from the Denver Animal Shelter, from Jan. 1 of this year to April 23, the shelter has taken in 477 surrendered animals, which are mostly large dogs. This is compared to 348 animals surrendered over the same time period in 2022. That amounts to a 37% increase.This is a concerning trend that has continued since 2022 when the Denver Animal Shelter saw a 51% increase in surrenders compared to before the pandemic in 2019. Gold nugget over 170 ounces found in Colorado Denver Animal Shelter said this spike is a cause for concern because the surge in pets could overwhelm the already limited capacity of shelters across the city.How you can helpIn order to address the crisis, the animal shelter is reducing adoption fees for dogs over 40 pounds by $20. This offer is for a limited time only, so you can head to the Denv...

Jerry Springer, politician-turned-TV ringmaster, dies at 79

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:57:12 GMT

CINCINNATI (AP) — Jerry Springer, the onetime mayor and news anchor whose namesake TV show featured a three-ring circus of dysfunctional families willing to bare all on weekday afternoons including brawls, obscenities and blurred images of nudity, died Thursday at 79.At its peak, “The Jerry Springer Show” was a ratings powerhouse and a U.S. cultural pariah, synonymous with lurid drama. Known for chair-throwing and bleep-filled arguments, the daytime talk show was a favorite American guilty pleasure over its 27-year run, at one point topping Oprah Winfrey’s show.Springer called it “escapist entertainment,” while others saw the show as contributing to a dumbing-down decline in American social values.“Jerry’s ability to connect with people was at the heart of his success in everything he tried whether that was politics, broadcasting or just joking with people on the street who wanted a photo or a word,” said Jene Galvin, a family spokesperson and friend of Springer’s since 1970, ...

UK denies claim its Sudan evacuation hampered German efforts

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:57:12 GMT

LONDON — Foreign Secretary James Cleverly rejected claims the U.K’s evacuation of its diplomats from Sudan hampered Germany’s own bid to get its nationals out of the conflict-hit country.The BBC on Thursday quoted multiple German “political sources” who blamed the U.K.’s attempts to evacuate embassy staff over the weekend for delays Germany experienced as it tried to evacuate its own citizens. The broadcaster said that the Sudanese army initially refused access to the airfield north of Sudanese capital Khartoum after being angered by the unannounced presence of British military forces on the site.In what has been seen as a veiled swipe at the U.K., the BBC quoted German Defense Minister Boris Pistorious as saying British forces involved in the evacuation of diplomats “ignored what the Sudanese had stipulated.”Addressing MPs Thursday, Cleverly said the German government had not raised the issue with London.“It is not my understanding th...

Brian Walshe appears back in court, accused of murdering his wife Ana Walshe. But the whereabouts of her body remain a mystery

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:57:12 GMT

(CNN) — A Massachusetts father accused of killing and dismembering his wife is expected to appear in court Thursday, almost five months after the disappearance of Ana Walshe.Brian Walshe, 48, of Cohasset was indicted by a grand jury last month on charges of murder, misleading a police investigation/obstruction of justice, and improper conveyance of a human body, Norfolk District Attorney Michael W. Morrissey said.“Brian Walshe entered a plea of not guilty to the charge of murder at his Quincy District Court arraignment in January,” Morrissey said in March. “This indictment moves the case to the Norfolk Superior Court, where it will be arraigned.”Prosecutors have not said whether Ana Walshe’s body or remains have been found.The suspect’s defense attorney, Tracy Miner, has suggested the prosecutors’ case was not strong and accused them of leaking evidence to the media before making it available to her.“In my exp...

Trump back in New Hampshire, 1st event since Biden launch

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:57:12 GMT

MANCHESTER, N.H. (AP) — Former President Donald Trump is returning to New Hampshire on Thursday for his first campaign appearance since President Joe Biden launched his own reelection bid, heading for a potential 2024 rematch.The appearance in downtown Manchester, expected to be a smaller event than Trump’s typical large rallies, also marks his first return to an early voting state since his legal troubles increased. Earlier this month, he pleaded not guilty in New York to a 34-count felony indictment charging him with a scheme to bury allegations of extramarital affairs that arose during his first White House campaign.Trump is expected to use the event at a hotel to roll out new endorsements for his campaign and speak about the economy and the opioid epidemic, among other subjects.It comes two days after Biden kicked off his own long-expected reelection campaign, presenting himself as he did in 2020 as a buttress against Trump and his M...

Southwest posts record revenue despite holiday meltdown

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:57:12 GMT

(CNN) — Southwest Airlines’ passengers have finally returned to the airline following its winter holiday service meltdown, enabling record revenue during the first quarter.The airline said its bookings in March were strong, allowing revenue to soar 22% to $5.7 billion in the quarter. That was up from year-ago results that were still affected by the surge in Covid cases caused by the Omicron variant, and it was also up from the $5.1 billion it reported in the same period of 2019, a year before the pandemic.The strong demand led to higher fares, as passengers paid 10% more to fly each mile on Southwest during the quarter, compared to a year ago, and 12% more than they were paying in the same period of 2019.It wasn’t all good news: The lingering impact of massive service problems caused Southwest Airlines to report a first-quarter loss, as the airline warned would happen three months ago. Weak bookings in January and February caused a $325 million hit to rev...

US adult cigarette smoking rate hits new all-time low

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 14:57:12 GMT

NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. cigarette smoking dropped to another all-time low last year, with 1 in 9 adults saying they were current smokers, according to government survey data released Thursday. Meanwhile, electronic cigarette use rose, to about 1 in 17 adults.The preliminary findings from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are based on survey responses from more than 27,000 adults.Cigarette smoking is a risk factor for lung cancer, heart disease and stroke, and it’s long been considered the leading cause of preventable death.In the mid-1960s, 42% of U.S. adults were smokers. The rate has been gradually dropping for decades, due to cigarette taxes, tobacco product price hikes, smoking bans and changes in the social acceptability of lighting up in public.Last year, the percentage of adult smokers dropped to about 11%, down from about 12.5% in 2020 and 2021. The survey findings sometimes are revised after further analysis, and CDC is exp...