Sadio Mané will not feature in the Bayern Munich squad for the team’s weekend game against Hoffenheim as a result of “misconduct” following Bayern’s 3-0 defeat against Manchester City on Tuesday, according to a team statement.

BILD and Sky Germany both reported that Mané, 31, and teammate Leroy Sané argued in the dressing room after the loss, with the Senegalese forward striking Sané in the face.

Mané, a Champions League winner with Liverpool in 2019 and two-time African Footballer of the Year, joined Bayern from the Merseyside club in June 2022.

Bayern currently sit atop the Bundesliga, German football’s top division, with a two-point lead over Borussia Dortmund in second.

Its match against Hoffenheim takes place on Saturday, while the second leg of the Champions League tie against Manchester City takes place in Munich next Wednesday.

Several Major League Baseball teams have extended beer sales thanks to the newly implemented regulations for the 2023 season that have shortened the average game time.

Traditionally, teams stop all alcohol sales after the seventh inning, but the newly introduced pitch clock has dropped the average time of games by about 30 minutes to start the season.

The team is offering in-seat service to everyone which was “done partly in reaction to the pitch clock and the potential of shorter game times, so fans would not have to miss extended action waiting in lines at concession stands,” a team spokesperson said.

The Milwaukee Brewers have also extended beer sales into the eighth inning, according to MLB.com.

Brewers president of business operations Rick Schlesinger told MLB.com that on an “experimental basis,” alcohol sales at American Family Field have been extended.

“This is [reflective] of the fact that the games are shorter,” Schlesinger said. “From a time perspective, we’re probably looking at selling beer for the same amount of time by extending to the eighth inning that we did last year through the seventh.

“Obviously, the safety and the conduct of our fans has primacy. We’ve had no issues, but it’s a small sample size and we’re going to continue to test it and see if it makes sense. I know a number of other teams are doing the same thing.”

Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Matt Strahm cited potential safety reasons in disagreeing with the decisions.

He said stopping sales with two innings to go lessened the chance of someone leaving a ballpark drunk.

“Just using common sense, we stopped it in the seventh for the safety of fans and people getting home. It just makes no sense to me that you’re going to allow it to the eighth inning,” Strahm said on the “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast. “The reason we stopped [selling alcohol] in the seventh before was to give our fans time to sober up and drive home safe, correct?”

Strahm asked why ending beer sales in the sixth inning wouldn’t be better in the new era of faster-paced games.

“Instead, we’re going to the eighth, and now you’re putting our fans and our family at risk driving home with people who have just drank beers 22 minutes ago,” he said.

MLB introduced several new regulations – which include a pitch timer, defensive shift limits and bigger bases – when the 2023 season started on March 30.

The wildfire in New Jersey that has burned nearly 4,000 acres in is 75% contained are to reopen, the New Jersey Forest Fire Service tweeted Wednesday night.

The blaze that began in Manchester Township on Tuesday evening has burned 3,859 acres, authorities said, and all of the previously announced road closures in the area were to be lifted at 9 p.m.

The service said its personnel will continue to work in several locations and urged residents to “stay vigilant while driving through smoke conditions,” because firefighters may be working on the side of the road.

The fire remains under investigation, the forest service added.

The fire came as record heat sets in across the Northeast.

This single fire has burned more than half the average acres burned in New Jersey in an entire year, according to statistics from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.

About 170 structures in the Manchester Township area were evacuated Tuesday night, but all residents have since been allowed to return home, Manchester Police Chief Robert Dolan said during a news conference Wednesday.

No structures are damaged and no injuries have been reported, officials said, but firefighters have faced “extreme fire behavior,” said John Cecil, the assistant commissioner of state parks, forests and historic sites at the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection.

“We saw a wall of fire, 200-foot flames, raining fire embers. I don’t mean to be dramatic, but this was a severe situation that these guys and gals managed to keep in place and protect lives and property. And for that, we cannot thank them enough,” Cecil said.

The fire was primarily burning on federal, state and private property in Manchester Township, but it had jumped to the adjacent borough of Lakehurst.

Record heat will make fire conditions even worse

Summerlike temperatures are expected to last through Friday, with more than 25 potential high records falling.

The record heat will only make fire conditions worse during the week, as temperatures soar into the mid-80s across New Jersey and other parts of the Northeast along the I-95 corridor.

Overnight temperatures will also remain high, which will create challenging conditions for firefighters. Nighttime temperatures will only drop to the low 60s or upper 50s, which won’t allow for much recovery overnight.

“Relative humidity is calculated by temperature and the amount of moisture,” Wunderlin said. “So if you have record highs and low humidity, the relative humidity will drop below the 30% threshold that we look for extreme fire behavior.”

Places like New York City, New Brunswick, New Jersey, and even Philadelphia could break records Friday with temperatures expected to top out in the mid-80s.

Springfield, Massachusetts, could shatter its previous record of 77 by nearly 10 degrees if it hits the forecast high of 86 on Friday.

Winds will remain a factor as sustained winds are expected to stay around 15 mph with gusts up to 25 mph.

April is considered peak fire season for New Jersey. The state has seen other large fires in recent years, including one just last year that scored more than 13,000 acres. The fire in 2022 was roughly 50 miles from where the current fire is burning.

Summerlike heat will continue to build across the Midwest and Northeast through Friday, as temperatures soar to as much as 30 degrees above normal.

Nearly 90 daily records could be broken on Thursday and Friday, mainly across the Midwest and Northeast, and at least 50 record-high minimum temperatures could be set.

This comes after more than 35 daily record highs were broken on Wednesday from Nebraska to Delaware.

Sioux Falls, South Dakota, hit 92 degrees on Wednesday, shattering its old record of 85 set in 1908. Twin Cities, Minnesota, also broke a record after reaching a high of 88 degrees.

Record heat will continue

As an area of high pressure continues to build in the region, this will allow for temperatures to continue to warm and dry conditions to prevail.

“The dry airmass in place makes it quite easy to overachieve on highs and it is certainly possible that we approach 90 again in La Crosse,” the National Weather Service office in La Crosse, Wisconsin, said.

If La Crosse hits 90, that would shatter their old record of 80 degrees.

The heat will stretch as far as the Northeast and parts of New England, with New York City expected to top out in the mid-80s, which will come close to tying or breaking records for Thursday and Friday.

Cities including Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington and even Boston could set records this week.

[Very Warm, Summerlike Thursday!] Full sun & west breezes to bring a summerlike feel to today.

Many areas away from the coast are expected to see their first 80+ degree day since last Sept, with upper 80s in the CT Valley! It remains dry, so fire weather concerns will continue. pic.twitter.com/34KaVs0WRl

— NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) April 13, 2023

“Most areas away from Cape Cod, the immediate south coast and the North Shore should see their first 80 degree day since Sept/Oct 2022, and it is not out of the question that the Hartford and Springfield CT Valley areas could get very close to or reach 90,” the weather service office in Boston said.

Overnight lows are also staying warm, which doesn’t allow for much recovery from the heat. More than 75 record-high minimum temperatures could be set by Saturday morning.

Warm temperatures, along with low humidity levels and gusty winds, will create an elevated risk of wildfires.

Elevated fire risk

The weather service is warning of an elevated fire risk while the record warmth and dry conditions persist.

“Fine fuels in the form of dry or dead vegetation will be quite dry as well, and conducive to fire starts and fairly quick fire spread,” the weather service office in Mount Holly, New Jersey, warned. “This is particularly true in areas that have not received hardly any rainfall in the last 10 days, across much of Pennsylvania to northern and central New Jersey.”

Winds could gust as high as 35 mph, which will cause any fire that forms to spread quickly.

A wildfire has already broken out in New Jersey this week. The fire is now 75% contained, but it has already scorched roughly 4,000 acres and forced evacuations.

The Atlantic hurricane season doesn’t officially begin for another seven weeks, but early signs indicate there is more uncertainty than normal with this particular season – all thanks to El Niño.

Colorado State University released its 2023 Atlantic hurricane season forecast on Thursday morning and is predicting 13 named storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes (Category 3 or higher). Each of these numbers is slightly below the typical season average of 14 named storms, seven hurricanes, and three major hurricanes.

“We anticipate that the 2023 Atlantic basin hurricane season will have slightly below-average activity,” said Phil Klotzbach, a research scientist in the Department of Atmospheric Science at CSU.

“Current neutral ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation) conditions look fairly likely to transition to El Niño this summer/fall. However, there is considerable uncertainty as to how strong an El Niño would be, if it does develop.”

Klotzbach says that one of those factors leading to uncertainty is sea surface temperatures in the eastern and central Atlantic. Sea surface temperatures are one of the ingredients needed to fuel hurricanes. The warmer the ocean, the more fuel available for the storms to tap into. And currently, sea surface temperatures are much warmer than normal, which means, even if El Niño does develop, the potential still exists for a busy Atlantic hurricane season.

While CSU’s forecast calls for slightly below-average numbers overall, the odds of a US landfall appear to be as high as in any normal year.

Atlantic seasonal #hurricane forecast from @ColoradoStateU
calls for slightly below-normal season: 13 named storms, 6 hurricanes & 2 major hurricanes. Relative high chance of robust #ElNino but currently also very warm tropical/subtropical Atlantic:https://t.co/2e3xHcAGsm pic.twitter.com/25iAO7atOB

— Philip Klotzbach (@philklotzbach) April 13, 2023

“We anticipate a near-average probability for major hurricanes making landfall along the continental United States coastline and in the Caribbean,” Klotzbach said.

“As is the case with all hurricane seasons, coastal residents are reminded that it only takes one hurricane making landfall to make it an active season for them. They should prepare the same for every season, regardless of how much activity is predicted.”

The biggest factor this year will definitely be El Niño.

“You can’t accurately predict this hurricane season without accurately predicting when and how intense El Niño will get by this fall.”

It all comes down to El Niño

El Niño traditionally inhibits hurricane activity, whereas La Niña or ENSO neutral conditions create a more favorable environment for tropical storm development.

The Climate Prediction Center issued an El Niño Watch on Thursday morning, indicating there is a 62% chance of El Niño developing during May-July 2023.

The exact timing of El Nino formation will be key, as well as how robust this particular El Niño becomes.

“El Niño tends to have its strongest impacts on hurricanes forming in the deep tropics,” Klotzbach said. “So, Caribbean storms tend to really get knocked down in El Niño years, due to increases in vertical wind shear.”

But systems that form in different areas of the Atlantic (tropical regions versus higher latitudes) are affected differently by El Niño.

“That is why we tend to find a strong reduction of hurricanes making landfall in Florida and along the East Coast in El Niño years, especially when the El Niño is fairly strong.”

But this isn’t the case for all areas of the US coastline. Klotzbach cautions that the reduction of storm activity along the Gulf Coast is actually weaker.

“While Gulf landfalling hurricanes can come from either tropical Atlantic or Caribbean storms, these systems can also form in … the Gulf of Mexico from entities like cold fronts. These systems don’t appear to have much modulation by El Niño/La Niña.”

Even if the season does end up below average, at the end of the day, it only takes one landfalling storm to be impactful.

“I think it’s important to convey that seasonal forecasts in April always have lots of uncertainty, but this one has even more uncertainty than normal given the potential combination of a robust El Niño but also a very warm tropical Atlantic,” said Klotzbach.

In fact, Klotzbach points out that some weather forecast models are predicting the warmest August-September values on record for both the tropical eastern and central Pacific and tropical/subtropical Atlantic basins.

“Typically we say that a strong El Niño trumps a warm Atlantic, but it’s unclear exactly how strong El Niño would be and how warm the tropical Atlantic is going to be.”

Fort Lauderdale experienced the rainiest day in its history Wednesday – a 1-in-1,000-year rainfall event – sparking a flash flood emergency in Broward County that has prompted emergency rescues, forced drivers to abandon cars, shuttered schools and shut down the airport through 9 a.m. Friday. And more rain is coming down.

The region recorded widespread rainfall totals of more than a foot, while Fort Lauderdale tallied 25.91 inches in a 24-hour period, according to preliminary reports from the National Weather Service office in Miami.

Two weak tornadoes also hit Broward County Wednesday, one just west of Hollywood and another south of the Fort Lauderdale airport, according to the Miami National Weather Service. Both were short-lived and rated EF-0, the weakest category.

While the rain Thursday won’t reach nearly the amounts that fell on Wednesday, it will be problematic and create additional flooding, the National Weather Service said. Gusty winds, small hail and even isolated tornadoes are possible.

A flash flood warning for southern Broward County, including Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines and Hollywood, has been extended until 9:30 p.m., the National Weather Service said, and a severe thunderstorm warning is in effect for parts of Broward and Miami-Dade counties. The storms may bring winds of up to 60 mph and potentially small hail.

Thunderstorms are beginning to develop across southeastern Florida and will once again bring a risk of flash flooding to the region.

“Isolated instances of flash flooding are likely this afternoon with locally heavy rainfall capable of 1-3 inch per hour rates,” according to the Weather Prediction Center. “This may lead to additional localized rainfall totals of 3-5+ inches, which could possibly aggravate ongoing flooding conditions across the highly sensitive Fort Lauderdale region.”

While conditions are similar to Wednesday, favoring heavy rainfall, the prediction center stated that there are significant differences from yesterday that should limit the prolonged occurrence of very heavy rainfall rates.

Between 14 and 20 inches of rain have drenched the greater Fort Lauderdale metro area since Wednesday afternoon, according to a Thursday morning update from the National Weather Service office in Miami. The deluge is the “most severe flooding that I’ve ever seen,” one mayor said.

“This amount of rain in a 24-hour period is incredibly rare for South Florida,” said meteorologist Ana Torres-Vazquez from the weather service’s Miami forecast office.

Rainfall of 20 to 25 inches is similar to what the area can receive with a high-end hurricane over more than a day, Torres-Vazquez explained. She described the rainfall as a “1-in-1,000 year event, or greater,” meaning it’s an event so intense, the chance of it happening in any given year is just 0.1%.

During the peak of Wednesday’s deluge, a month’s worth of rain fell in just one hour. Fort Lauderdale’s average rainfall for April is 3 inches and it’s been nearly 25 years since the city totaled 20 inches of rain in an entire month.

Extreme rainfall is a signature consequence of a warming climate, and it is happening more frequently. The deluge in South Florida is just the latest instance after 1-in-1000 year rains struck over the past year in areas including Dallas, St. Louis, eastern Kentucky and Yellowstone.

“Even though the heavy rain has concluded, numerous roads remain closed,” the weather service said, adding that flooding is expected to persist.

Earlier, Fort Lauderdale was “experiencing severe flooding in multiple areas of the city,” Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue said on social media, warning to stay off the roads as vehicles may become stuck or submerged.

A flash flood emergency – the highest level of flood warning – that was in effect for portions of South Florida, including Fort Lauderdale, expired early Thursday.

“We’ve recorded over 12 inches of rain since midnight, and that’s on top of consecutive days of seemingly nonstop rain,” Levy said. “The ground was already saturated so there is extensive flooding all over our city and throughout South Florida. Many roadways are impassable. Lots of vehicles got stuck and left abandoned in the middle of our roadways.

“I’ve lived here my whole life. This is the most severe flooding that I’ve ever seen,” he said.

Several state agencies and emergency resources are assisting with the flood situation, according to a news release from Gov. Ron DeSantis.

DeSantis on Thursday declared a state of emergency for Broward County.

More rain and storms expected Thursday

South Florida could get inundated with more even rain as showers and strong storms are in the forecast Thursday.

“After a historic day of rainfall across portions of South Florida that many of us will not soon forget, another potential wet day is ahead for today,” the weather service in Miami said.

There is a slight risk, Level 2 of 5, for severe storms Thursday in parts of Florida, including Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Jacksonville, according to the Storm Prediction Center.

In Fort Lauderdale, airboats and high-clearance buggies have been secured from the county sheriff’s office and the Florida Wildlife Commission as officials activated their emergency operations center and will issue a proclamation of a local state of emergency, they said in a statement early Thursday.

Emergency crews worked continuously overnight responding to rescue calls across South Florida, Fort Lauderdale city officials said.

“City Hall remains closed. The ground floor is flooded, and staff is working to restore power to the building,” said a Thursday morning update.

City officials are asking neighbors to be patient as “flooding conditions remain impactful in the southern areas of the City this morning,” officials said.

“We expect the flooding to subside through the next hours and have seen improvements in certain areas of downtown.”

Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue crews received over 900 calls for service during overnight flooding, according to Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis.

The Broward Sheriff’s Office assisted the agency in 300 rescue calls received during the historic flooding event, according to the mayor.

“There is not one area of this city that has not been impacted,” Trantalis said.

Officials had asked residents to avoid driving or traveling in Fort Lauderdale amid the storms.

“Public Works staff are clearing drains and operating pumps to mitigate the water as quickly as possible. Efforts have been made to relieve traffic congestion through prioritized signaling to assist individuals leaving the City. We are requesting drivers to stay off the roads and avoid the City of Fort Lauderdale until the water has subsided,” the city of Fort Lauderdale said in a news release on Wednesday evening.

“Because of the extreme amount of water, most areas will need to drain naturally,” Trantalis said. “Crews are out in neighborhoods clearing storm drains to aid water receding from neighborhoods. Vacuum trucks are being deployed strategically throughout the city.”

The Florida Highway Patrol has closed several exits on Interstate 95 in Fort Lauderdale, the city’s fire department said.

In Coral Gables in Miami-Dade County, officials are working on two water main breaks, according to the Coral Gables Police Department.

Some roads in the city are shut down due to the flooding, while others have limited travel, police said, noting residents should give themselves extra time to commute to work.

The Broward Sheriff’s Office said in a statement Wednesday it is “being inundated with non-emergency 911 calls regarding the inclement weather” and asks residents to use 911 only for “true emergencies,” also telling residents to avoid driving and to call a tow truck company if a vehicle is stranded and not in an emergency.

Some local services are shuttering Thursday. The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport is closed due to ongoing flooding in the vicinity and will reopen Friday at 9 a.m., according to an update from the airport.

The Brightline train service was temporarily suspended between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, the service said on social media. It was restored Thursday.

Additionally, Broward County Public Schools announced the district will be closed for a second day Friday.

“No city could have planned for this,” Trantalis said.

Trantalis says he has spoken to the White House and Senator Marco Rubio about the situation.

The mayor said Gov. “DeSantis has not yet called but I’m sure he is very interested in what’s going on here.”

Trapped by floodwaters

Mandi-Lynn Guertin flew into Fort Lauderdale with her friends for a three-day country music festival that starts Friday.

The car they rented got stuck in about 3 feet of water, died and water quickly filled the inside, so they had to leave it on the side of the road.

“We currently can’t leave our Airbnb because the flood waters are too high and no Ubers will come out to get us,” Guertin said.

Guertin and her friends work in emergency services back home but Wednesday night, the quick nature of the flooding really scared them, she said.

“Southern hospitality and helping your ‘neighbors’ is truly a thing down here and I could not be more thankful today,” she wrote on Facebook. “So many strangers did so much for us tonight.”

For now, the group plans to wait it out at their Airbnb, without much of a choice and hope that enough water recedes so they can attend the music festival tomorrow, which has not been canceled yet.

Rock The Ocean’s Tortuga Music Festival, the oceanside festival, will “move forward” as planned, despite flood conditions in the city, according to event organizers.

Dawn Grayson lives 20 minutes from Fort Lauderdale – Hollywood International Airport and also got stuck on her way home Wednesday when torrential rain flooded the airport and surrounding roads.

“The parking garages were flooding, and vehicles got stuck,” Grayson said. “We were stuck in our vehicle for 5 hours on the terminal road.”

Snaking through the dense forests of Alishan, one of the tallest mountain ranges in Taiwan, the 111-year-old Alishan Forest Railway has long been a popular attraction for train fans.

And now, the train’s operators are freshening up its historic fleet by adding six sleek new rail cars.

Collectively named Formosensis, the new carriages are the product of two years and nine months of planning and construction. Test drives kicked off in March, with the company hoping to wrap things up by June.

Both the livery and interiors of the six new cars are lined with two types of cypresses native to the island – Taiwan red cypress (or Chamaecyparis formosensis – which inspired the name) and Taiwan cypress (Chamaecyparis Taiwanensis).

“Taiwan red cypress and Taiwan cypress are fine and uniform wood materials,” say Alishan Forest Railway officials in a statement. “They’re durable, resistant to erosion and insects. The essential oils it contains exudes a unique phytoncide scent (the scent of the forest), which is both energizing and cleansing. Passengers could enjoy a refreshing forest bathing experience.”

Formosensis will elevate the experience for travelers in several ways. For one, the current cypress-themed train doesn’t have air-conditioning or soft seating.

Each new car will be fitted with 18 leather seats, including two four-seat booths and two two-seat booths. They will also feature bigger windows and warmer lights compared to older models, all to enhance the viewing experience.

But travelers will have to wait a bit longer before they can climb aboard. Details of the routes and launch date have yet to be confirmed, according to the train office’s spokesperson.

Asia’s highest narrow-gauge mountain railway

The existing Alishan Railway Route runs from Chiayi city station to the Loco Shed Park, a garage-turned-park where visitors can see preserved old train engines and trains that served the Alishan Forest Railway.

Completed in 1912 under the Japanese occupation, the railway was once used to transport now-endangered Taiwan cypress trees from Alishan. After logging was banned, it became the only passenger train to ride up the mountains.

It’s believed to be the highest narrow-gauge mountain railway in Asia, climbing from 30 meters to 2,216 meters above sea level – some 16 meters higher than the famed Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, which ascends from 100 meters to 2,200 meters.

The Formosensis carriages will be the latest addition to Alishan Forest Railway’s historic fleet, which includes restored steam locomotives.

Train lovers can experience some of the 71.6-kilometer railway’s original features – including the many spiral and horseshoe bends along the tracks. (You can see the aerial photos of some of the tracks in the above photo gallery.)

The journey also offers a glimpse into Taiwan’s diverse natural beauty, as the train goes through a tropical forest, then a subtropical forest and finally a temperate forest during its ascent to the top of Alishan.

In addition to developing more modern trains for the route, Alishan Forest Railway has also been restoring some of its older trains, as well as historical attractions along the line.

In 2021, the Alishan Forestry Railway and Cultural Heritage Office completed restorations of the century-old Shay 21 steam locomotive. It’s Alishan’s first 28-ton steam train, imported from the United States in 1912, and is powered by its original coal-burning engine.

Meanwhile, a Shay 31 locomotive makes occasional appearances during the flower blossoming season, from March to May.

Getting to Alishan

The Alishan Forest Railway isn’t a continuous line – one section of track between Shizilu Station and Alishan Station was damaged in a typhoon.

Travelers can take the main line from Chiayi Station to Fenqihu Station (2 hours, 20 minutes) and continue the journey by bus from Fenqihu Station to Alishan Station.

Only one train departs daily from Chiayi, at 9 a.m on weekdays. Two more trains (at 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.) are added at weekends. (Find the schedule on this website).

From Alishan Station, there are a few branch lines that ferry passengers to the attractions around the Alishan Scenic Area.

Two of Indonesia’s biggest soccer teams Arema FC and Persebaya Surabaya played behind closed doors Tuesday in their first meeting since the deadly stadium disaster that killed more than 130 people in October.

The crush began when a number of the 42,000 Arema FC supporters ran onto the pitch following their 3-2 loss to rival Persebaya Surabaya at the Kanjuruhan stadium in Malang, East Java in October.

Some clashed with police, prompting security forces to fire tear gas into enclosed areas of the stadium – a crowd control measure banned by world soccer governing body FIFA.

Most of the deaths were found to have occurred as panicked fans attempted to flee the choking smoke, triggering a crush at the exits.

Several gates were still locked minutes after the referee blew the final whistle on the night of the disaster, the Football Association of Indonesia said in a statement last year.

Persebaya won 1-0 in Tuesday’s match, which took place without spectators at a stadium owned by the Indonesian police in Jakarta.

According to Reuters, Arema’s manager Joko Susilo said some of his players were still traumatized by last year’s stampede and were unable to play on Tuesday as a result.

“We know some of the players, one and two players were deeply (traumatized), but that was our job. And thank god, it was fine and we believe in our young talents in this second leg game, we believed they could do it,” Susilo added.

Following the stadium crush, which Indonesia’s National Police Chief described as one of the world’s deadliest stadium disasters, President Joko Widodo announced that Kanjuruhan Stadium in Malang would be demolished and rebuilt according to FIFA standards.

In March, two Indonesian soccer officials were sentenced up to 18 months in prison by a court over the deadly stadium crush, while three police officials charged with negligence will have their cases heard at a later date.

FIFA stripped Indonesia of hosting the men’s Under-20 World Cup later this year after an Indonesian official objected to the participation of Israel last month.

However, soccer’s global governing body said it “remains committed to actively assisting in the transformation process of Indonesian football following the tragedy.”

A third of players from the England and Australia teams took to the pitch for Tuesday’s international friendly without names on the back of their shirts.

It was an unusual sight for a professional game but one that carried significance, as both teams sought to raise awareness for UK charity Alzheimer’s Society.

The initiative was designed to show that one in three people born in the UK today will develop dementia, which the Alzheimer’s Society describes as “a set of symptoms that over time can affect memory, problem-solving, language and behaviour,” with Alzheimer’s disease being the most common type of dementia.

Different players wore the nameless shirts in the second half, which was designed to emphasize “the confusion and memory loss often experienced by those living with dementia,” England’s national team said.

The shirts will be auctioned to raise money for the Alzheimer’s Society.

“We hope by making this simple alternation with this gesture and getting both teams to show a sign of solidarity, we can put an important spotlight on just how much dementia can devastate lives,” Kate Lee, Alzheimer’s Society CEO, said.

“I hope it makes a massive impact from the stands to screens, inspiring people to donate so we can reach even more people with our life-changing support, which helps people through some of the hardest and most frightening times.”

A recent Swedish study found that male professional footballers are 50% more likely to develop dementia than the rest of the population, adding to a landmark Scottish study in 2019 that showed former male players were around a three and a half times more likely to die from neurodegenerative disease.

The topic has become increasingly prevalent in the UK in recent years, with five of the 11 players that started that 1966 World Cup final for England going on to develop some form of dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.

Australia beat England 2-0 in London on Tuesday, ending the Lionesses’ 30-game unbeaten run in what was the final match before head coach Sarina Wiegman picks her squad for the Women’s World Cup later this year.

Goals from superstar Sam Kerr and Charlotte Grant secured an impressive victory for Australia, which is the co-host for the upcoming World Cup alongside New Zealand.

Another game, another goal and yet another record for Erling Haaland.

The Norwegian superstar found the target yet again on Tuesday as Manchester City beat Bayern Munich 3-0 in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinal at the Etihad Stadium.

Haaland, who volleyed home his team’s third of the night, now has 45 goals in all competitions this season – the most ever by a Premier League player in history.

It’s yet another chapter in the 22-year-old’s astonishing debut season at City, which currently sees him top scorer in both the Premier League and Champions League.

However, despite his record-breaking achievement, Haaland’s goal was overshadowed by his teammate Rodri’s opener.

It was a remarkable strike from the Spaniard who raised the roof with a left-footed strike from distance which raced past Bayern goalkeeper Yann Sommer in the 27th minute.

It set the tone for the rest of the evening, with City humbling its visitor and all but ending the tie bar a miraculous comeback in the second leg.

City boss Pep Guardiola, who spent three years as Bayern manager, was more cautious about getting carried away.

“Here, we have our chances. Here in this stadium, we are something special this season. When we have the momentum, we are clinical.”

Tuesday’s win was a major statement from City which looks serious about winning its first ever Champions League title this season.

A game against the German champion was seen to be its biggest test of the campaign, but the host made it look all too easy.

After Rodri’s screamer, City upped the tempo in the second half and doubled its lead when the on-form Bernardo Silva – off a Haaland pass – directed his header into the roof of the net in the 70th minute.

Bayern defenders, notably Dayot Upamecano, looked devoid of confidence in the second half and gave City multiple chances to add to its lead.

Eventually, as he so often does, Haaland put the icing on the cake after he was left free to direct home a brilliant headed pass from John Stones.

“We got brutally punished for not a lot,” Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel told BT Sport after the game.

“It’s a huge mountain. We need to understand and swallow this kind of defeat.”

Elsewhere, Inter Milan beat Benfica 2-0 in Tuesday’s other Champions League quarterfinal first leg – Nicolo Barella and Romelu Lukaku getting the goals.

On Wednesday, defending champion Real Madrid hosts Chelsea and Napoli faces AC Milan in the remaining matches of the round.