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Axel Witsel quits international soccer, ends 15-year career with Belgium

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:52:57 GMT

BRUSSELS (AP) — Veteran midfielder Axel Witsel is the latest member of Belgium’s so-called Golden Generation to end his international career.The 34-year-old Witsel made 130 appearances in a 15-year career with Belgium, scoring 12 goals. He said on Friday he wants to dedicate more time to his family and focus on his career with Spanish club Atletico Madrid.“Good luck to the new generation who I am sure will make us live again incredible moments,” Witsel said on social media.In March, new Belgium coach Domenico Tedesco dropped Witsel in his first squad since being appointed with a mission to rebuild. Tedesco insisted at the time that the door remained open for Witsel to return.Tedesco replaced Roberto Martinez, who led Belgium to a third-place finish at the 2018 World Cup and was in charge for six years. Martinez stepped down after the Red Devils failed to progress to the knockout stage last year in Qatar.Belgium was ranked No. 1 by FIFA for four years during Martinez’s tenure b...

Astros star Jose Altuve to begin injury rehab assignment at Triple-A

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:52:57 GMT

CHICAGO (AP) — Houston Astros star Jose Altuve is moving a step closer to returning from a broken right thumb.Altuve was set to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sugar Land on Friday.The eight-time All-Star and 2017 AL MVP broke his thumb when he was hit by a pitch playing for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic. He had surgery March 22, and general manager Dana Brown said after the operation he’d be out at least eight weeks. This is the longest Altuve has been sidelined. He batted .300 with 103 runs, 28 homers and 18 steals for the World Series champion Astros last season.Mauricio Dubón has played well in his absence, with a .287 average entering Friday’s game against the Chicago White Sox.Sugar Land was scheduled to play El Paso, San Diego’s Triple-A club.___AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb and https://twitter.com/AP_SportsSource

Canadian diver charged with University of Utah dorm room rape

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:52:57 GMT

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A University of Utah diver has been arrested and charged with raping a young woman in her dorm room during the first week of the school year last fall.Prosecutors have charged Ben Smyth, a Canadian diver in his second year at Utah, with sodomy, sexual abuse and rape. In an indictment filed this week, detectives say Smyth went to a woman’s dorm room after confirming she was alone last August. He asked her to play “truth or dare” and then allegedly raped her while she resisted physically, said she “did not want to do that,” shook her head no and told him she was in pain.When detectives interviewed him, he initially denied knowing the woman but later acknowledged having sex with her and that she was in pain.The indictment, which does not name the woman, also says that when detectives went to serve Smyth with a protective order to keep him away from the woman, a roommate said he had moved out. A private investigator later told detectives that Smyth had returned to ...

Chief: Officers fatally shot man who attacked officer in cruiser

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:52:57 GMT

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) — Virginia police officers shot and killed a man who had attacked a third police officer inside his cruiser, the police chief said.A Fairfax County police officer was investigating a U-Haul truck at a gas station in the Alexandria area that had been reported stolen and approached a man standing beside the truck Thursday, police Chief Kevin Davis said at a news conference.Police say the officer informed the man that he was going to be detained in connection with the stolen truck. The man then shoved the officer through the open door of his cruiser and got on top of the officer, attacking him, Davis said. The cruiser then reversed out of control into the parking lot of a neighboring McDonald’s restaurant, where it hit a parked car.At that point the officer broadcast calls for help saying the man had his gun, Davis said.Two uniformed officers arrived. One fired several rounds and the other ran toward the vehicle, pulled the man off the officer being attacked and fi...

Here we go again? Flyers push back at narrative recycled players run the show

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:52:57 GMT

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The head of the Philadelphia Flyers understood the optics of a franchise going on 48 years since winning a Stanley Cup deciding to hire more former Flyers in the front office to try and win one.But the Flyers did it anyway.“I know some people are thinking,” Comcast Spectacor chairman Dan Hilferty said, “here they go again, hiring two former Flyers isn’t a fresh start.”The Flyers on Friday introduced Keith Jones — yeah, their former long-time broadcaster — as team president and stamped general manager Danny Briere as one of the leaders of the franchise. Jones and Briere each played for the Flyers and both have remained connected to the franchise in retirement.They both remember when the Flyers were an elite franchise — Briere as a star postseason player that led them to the last Stanley Cup Final in 2010 and Jones as a sharp-witted analyst affectionately known as “Jonesy” that watched it happen from the broadcast booth.But it’s been a long time since t...

More than 150 bear sightings reported to wildlife department

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:52:57 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- Temperatures are rising, spring is in full bloom and bears are waking up from their long winter's naps. That means they're hungry and are looking for food. Colorado Parks and Wildlife said it has received 173 reports of bear activity in 25 counties so far this year. Many of the calls are coming from residential areas as bears are attracted by the smell of food from unsecured trash cans and bird feeders. “Every time a bear gets a treat, a bird feeder, a hummingbird feeder, or trash, it teaches the bear that people mean food,” said Matt Yamashita, CPW’s area wildlife manager for Area 8 which covers Aspen, Glenwood Springs and Eagle and Pitkin counties. “People who think that it’s one time, no big deal, are totally wrong. It is a big deal when you compound that ‘one time’ with how many ‘one timers’ they get from your neighbors, too. It adds up.” Mountain lion punctures 11-year-old girl’s face The video in the player above shows how smart bears are as this one got int...

Newly elected pet mayors taking office in Louisville

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:52:57 GMT

DENVER (KDVR) -- The most adorable mayors in the history of Louisville will be sworn in Tuesday. Meet Arlo and Hops, the newly elected co-pet mayors.Their job as co-pet mayors is to spread a sense of community and positivity while educating the youth on the power of voting and bringing awareness to local pet charities. Meet Duncan: Denver Zoo’s newest Asian elephant bachelor The Youth Advisory Board began the Pet Mayor Project based on that mission and began the election in April.There were over 80 candidates, some of them dogs or cats, even a rabbit and a guinea pig. Polls were closed on April 25, and the vote count was a tie. It was decided that the two would be co-pet mayors for a two-year term, and they will be officially sworn in at the City Council meeting on May 16.Meet the mayorsArlo was rescued from a shelter and had some physical challenges from a bad breeding situation, according to a press release from the City of Louisville. He enjoys naps, spreading cheer and perform...

Jury: Vallow guilty of murdering her 2 children

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:52:57 GMT

BOISE, Idaho (NewsNation) — An Idaho jury found Lori Vallow guilty of first-degree murder in the deaths of her two youngest children, almost-17-year-old Tylee Ryan and JJ Vallow, 7.She was also found guilty of all other charges she faced, including conspiracy to commit first-degree murder in the case of her husband, Chad Daybell's, previous wife Tammy, and grand theft. Vallow sat emotionless with a blank stare looking at the jury as the guilty verdicts were read Friday at the Ada County Courthouse in Boise, Idaho. Some in the courtroom gallery wiped tears from their eyes. Former Santos aide: ‘He can’t afford to resign’ The trial lasted for weeks, and more than 60 witnesses were called to testify. Vallow herself did not testify, nor did her defense team call any witnesses. Vallow's son, JJ and daughter, Tylee, went missing in September 2019, and their bodies were later found on the Idaho property of Chad Daybell. Meanwhile, Tammy Daybell died in October 2019 of what authorities ini...

Mobile disaster recovery centers to offer assistance to flood victims in Broward County

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:52:57 GMT

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and state Mobile Disaster Recovery Centers will be stopping in Broward County to aid those impacted by the severe storms, tornadoes and flooding last month. This weekend, the Mobile Disaster Recovery Centers will be available at two locations from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. They will be stationed at Orangebrook Golf & Country Club’s parking lot at 400 Entrada Drive in Hollywood and at St. George Community Park at 3501 NW 8th Street in Lauderhill. https://twitter.com/femaregion4/status/1657109375859806210There is also a fixed Disaster Recovery Center available for those affected by the disaster at Hortt Park, 1700 SW 14TH Court in Fort Lauderdale. The center will be open from Monday to Saturday, operating from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and will be closed on Sundays.The purpose of the Disaster Recovery Centers is to provide those impacted by the disaster with a range of assistance, including guidance on how to apply for federal disaster aid, leg...

Brush fire burns near Lynn Reservoir

Published Thu, 20 Feb 2025 15:52:57 GMT

A brush fire broke out in Lynn Friday afternoon, sending large plumes of smoke into the sky.SKY7-HD was over the scene around 3:30 p.m. on the north side of the Lynn Reservoir, where large flames were also visible. There was no further information immediately available. This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.