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Former Tampa Bay Rays player Wander Franco was found criminally responsible for the sexual and psychological abuse of a minor

NEED TO KNOW

• Judge José Antonio Núñez delivered the ruling in Puerto Plata Collegiate Court in the Dominican Republic on Monday, May 25

• Franco was pardoned and will not serve jail time because the court found that he was simultaneously a victim of blackmail and extortion at the hands of the victim's mother, who took large sums of money from him and has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for "sexually trafficking" her daughter

Former Tampa Bay Rays player Wander Franco was found criminally responsible for the sexual and psychological abuse of a minor in a Dominican court, but a judge ruled on Monday, May 25, that he will not serve jail time.

Judge José Antonio Núñez delivered the ruling in Puerto Plata Collegiate Court in the Dominican Republic,The Athleticreported.

Franco, 25, while found "criminally responsible" for his interactions with a 14-year-old girl when he was 21, was simultaneously found to be the victim of "extortion" and "blackmail" after prosecutors found that the victim's mother was demanding large sums of money from him, according toESPN. The victim's mother was sentenced to 10 years in prison for "sexually trafficking" her daughter, per the outlet.

The former MLB player was initially arrested in 2024 after he was accused of engaging in an improper relationship with the young girl, The Athletic and ESPN reported. Franco was also accused of sending the girl's mother money in return for her silence, per the outlets.

He was placed on the restricted list amid an MLB investigation surrounding social media posts made about him in August 2023.

Now-deleted posts on X were the first to allege that Franco was involved in an inappropriate relationship with a minor,according to theTampa Bay Times.

The Rays confirmed that the team and the league “mutually agreed” to the move.“We were made aware of the social media posts that are circulating regarding Wander Franco,” the team said in a statement at the time. “We take the situation seriously and are in close contact with Major League Baseball as it conducts its due diligence."

"It seems contradictory to declare criminal responsibility and, at the same time, exempt him from punishment," Judge Núñez said in court on Monday, ESPN reported. "The court has granted Wander Franco a judicial pardon due to the particular circumstances that made him a material victim, but not a legal one."

“Here, the only victim is the minor, and Wander is a collateral victim,” Judge Núñez said in court, per The Athletic.

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Following the judge's ruling, Franco embraced his mother, according to ESPN.

"Thank God for everything," Franco said in court.

"We respect the legal process and the decision issued by the court," the Rays said in a statement, per the outlet. "This is a serious matter, and our thoughts remain with those affected by the case."

"The Rays will continue to cooperate fully with Major League Baseball as it completes its review under the league's Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy," the statement continued. "Out of respect for the legal process and all parties involved, we will have no further comment at this time."

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A full sentencing hearing is currently slated for June 16 in the Dominican Republic, per ESPN.

Franco was originally found guilty in June 2025, but in December 2025, the Court of Appeals of the Judicial Department of Puerto Plata ordered a new trial, according to Dominican newspaperListin Diario.The judge also ruled that a financial certificate for RD$2,100,000 (around $35,700) from Banco Agrícola is to be given to the victim when she reaches adulthood, per the outlet.

PEOPLE has reached out to a representative for the Rays for comment.

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By Ian Ransom

FILE PHOTO: A view of Victoria Park Barrambin in Brisbane

MELBOURNE, May 26 (Reuters) - A coalition of environmentalists and Indigenous Australian activists camping in the city park where the main stadium for the 2032 Olympics will be built is holding firm against threats they will be forcibly ‌removed to allow construction to start next week.

Victoria Park, one of Brisbane's few significant inner-city green spaces, is due to ‌be fenced off from Monday as building starts on the Olympic stadium precinct.

Protesters, who have pitched an Aboriginal tent embassy in the park, have been warned by the ​Queensland state government they will be removed if they do not vacate the area.

"As it stands, participants say they intend to remain at the site and continue their campaign," Aboriginal elder Gaja (Aunty) Kerry Charlton told Reuters by phone.

"They also point to protections under the (Queensland) Human Rights Act, which they argue supports their right to maintain and defend cultural heritage."

The construction schedule was set despite an outstanding application to the Australian government by Indigenous ‌groups to protect the park in perpetuity as ⁠a "significant Aboriginal area".

The park, which includes many old-growth trees, is known as Barrambin ("Windy Place") to the Yagara and Magandjin peoples, who consider it culturally and spiritually significant.

Premier Steve Crisafulli has said the state cannot afford any ⁠delays in the construction of the 63,000-seat stadium.

"Queensland is feeling a sense of pride, and we're not going to have that hijacked by a group of activists, I’m just not going to do that," he told media last week.

Workers contracted by the body that is charged with delivering 2032 Games ​venues began ​erecting fencing at the park on Tuesday, in an area adjacent to ​where a press conference was held by advocacy group ‌Save Victoria Park.

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'BIT OF HUMBUG'

The activists accused the Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority (GIICA) of trying to disrupt their press conference.

"We old grannies would say there was a bit of humbug happening there. It was probably, in layman's terms, some sabotage of our media gathering," said Charlton.

GIICA said it had been undertaking site investigation works since October and used temporary fencing for safety, while Queensland Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie said the workers were "left shaken" after being confronted by protesters.

Crisafulli confirmed Victoria Park as the location for the Olympic stadium over a year ago, ‌breaking an election promise that he would not green-light a new arena in ​the city.

He has said no more than a third of the park's green space ​will be used for the stadium and an aquatics centre ​being built for Australia's third Olympics.

The Save Victoria Park group commissioned an independent assessment by hydrogeologist Ted Hamer, ‌who found the area lies above a functioning watercourse ​fed by a natural spring which could ​be "permanently terminated or unacceptably diminished" by the Olympic stadium construction.

"The importance of permanent spring-fed freshwater sources, springs and the associated ecology to Aboriginal people and early settlers is undeniable," Hamer said in the assessment.

Charlton said activists were prepared to dig in for ​a prolonged fight to protect the park.

"My ‌ancestors were in the park, their children, grandchildren. We all visited there and played there," she said.

"That cultural heritage is ​tied to the protection of the spring and the trees -- and also those animals and habitats that are connected ​to that ecosystem."

(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by John Mair)

The NFL released the regular-season schedules for all 32 teams two weeks ago, and one of the biggest topics of discussion among fans, pundits, and experts is the lack of rest for some teams compared to others.

Rest differential is a real thing, according to NFL analystArif HasanandWarren Sharp.Hasan describes his version as the "sum net rest days vs. opponents across all 17 games." Hasan calculates it by adding up the difference in rest days between each team and its opponent for all games. A high positive number means the team has more recovery and preparation time than the teams it faces.

Sharp uses net rest edge to general rest advantage, and notes the unfavorable historical nature of the 2026 schedule for some teams.

A rest edge in the NFL is the number of extra days a team has to rest and prepare for their game over their opponent.

An example of rest edge: if theDolphinshave a full 7-day bye week ahead of their game vs. the Bills, and the Bills play on Monday Night Football and are on a short week, the Dolphins have a rest edge of +8 days before their game against the Bills. Conversely, the Bills have a rest edge of -8 days.

Based on Hasan's version, only the Steelers,Rams, Colts, Dolphins, Saints, Jets,Raiders,Eagles, and Chargers will play against 2026 opponents on less rest than theRavens.

On the positive end of the schedule spectrum, the NFL team with the highest net rest differential in Hasan's version is theChicago Bearsat +15, a total of 15 extra days compared to their opponents. The Bears, along with theBuffalo Bills(+14) and Dallas Cowboys (+11.5), have the highest net rest differentials in the league since 2002. The Bears, Cowboys, Bills, and 12 other teams won't face a single team off a bye week in 2026.

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Warren Sharp Rest Disparity

In Sharp's version, Baltimore has a -3 in rest differential, with 11 other teams getting less rest.

Baltimore opens the season on September 13 against theIndianapolis Coltsbefore hosting theNew Orleans Saintsin Week 2. One of the most unique games on the schedule arrives in Week 3 when the Ravens face the Dallas Cowboys in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, marking another major international showcase for the franchise.

Baltimore's 2026 slate again looks brutal, featuring matchups against playoff contenders such as the Buffalo Bills, Cincinnati Bengals, Chargers, and Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Ravens close the regular season with two massive AFC North battles against Pittsburgh in Weeks 15 and 18, potentially setting the stage for another dramatic division finish.

This article originally appeared on Ravens Wire:NFL scheduling metrics expose Ravens uphill battle in 2026

Sydney Sweeney’s breakout role in "Euphoria" may have made her one of Hollywood’s most talked-about young stars, but experts warn the same provocative image fueling her fame could eventually limit how seriously the industry takes her.

Sweeney's performance in "Euphoria" has dominated social media and headlines since theseason three premiere on April 12. This marks the last season of the award-winning HBO show that originally captivated its audience back in 2019.

"'Euphoria' clearly helped establish Sydney Sweeney as a fearless performer, physically and emotionally, and that’s part of why she broke through. The risk is that when the public conversation focuses more on the sexualized aspects of the role than on the performance, the same work that made her seem daring can start to narrow the brand," crisis and reputation management expert Dave Quast told Fox News Digital.

"Sexuality on screen is not inherently unserious," he added. "The problem is when it becomes the dominant shorthand for the actor. For Sweeney, the challenge is not that she has played sexualized roles. The challenge is making sure those roles continue to read as character choices, not as the entire brand proposition."

Sydney Sweeney Says She's 'Used To' Being Sexualized Since Her Breakout 'Euphoria' Role

Sweeney and "Euphoria" have faced criticism each week as her portrayal of Cassie has focused largely on her character's leap into theworld of OnlyFansand sexually explicit content. Some fans have gone so far as to label the show "humiliating" for Sweeney.

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"Sydney Sweeney in season 3 is literally just humiliating her. I don't get how they don't see that it's not about this, her role is reduced to basically HUMILIATING HER, she's not gonna win any awards like that," one user wroteon X, before referencing a future scene. "They dress her like a baby, pretending to be a baby with a pacifier for what?"

Still, industry insiders agreed that Sweeney is benefiting from the attention in the short term.

Sydney Sweeney Turns Controversy Into Cash As American Eagle Sales Jump

"Visibility is currency, and Sweeney has become one of the rare young actresses who can reliably generate conversation around almost anything she does," Quast, founder of EDQ Strategies, explained. "That has real commercial value."

But another crisis PR and reputation management expert warned that constant attention doesn’t always translate into long-term credibility.

"The price comes if the attention starts to feel one-dimensional," Kelcey Kintner, senior vice president at Red Banyan, told Fox News Digital. "If every headline is about her body, the showy scenes, or how provocative the role is, that can make it harder for the public to actually focus on and see her talent. I do think she is trying to make that effort to find balance in her career and grow as an actress."

‘Euphoria’ Slammed As ‘Fetish Slop’ As Backlash Explodes And Fans Call For Cancellation

According to Quast, Sweeney’s brand is now "walking a delicate line" as the cultural conversation surrounding her grows beyond just acting.

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"'Euphoria' created one perception of her, but the broader cultural conversation has created another," the brand expert explained. "Some audiences have been eager to read her as aconservative-coded alternative to more progressivecelebrity branding, and she has not exactly discouraged that interpretation. That’s risky, because once an actor becomes associated with a polarizing cultural argument, the work itself can get overshadowed. From a reputation standpoint, the challenge is not to let the cultural symbolism overtake the acting."

Kintner noted that "Euphoria" itself has become so culturally dominant that it can eclipse Sweeney’s other performances.

Sydney Sweeney Wrangles Python Nearly Nude In ‘Euphoria’ As Fans Blast ‘Snooze Fest’ Season

"The issue is that 'Euphoria' is such a loud show culturally," she explained. "It can overpower everything else in the conversation. So even if she is doing strong work elsewhere, one explicit or controversial scene can dominate a news cycle. That is the tricky part here. Her serious work is there, but her most viral work does not always reflect the full scope of her talent and abilities."

While Sweeney has earned praise for her recent serious projects –including "The Housemaid," "Christy,""Americana" and "Immaculate" – experts emphasized viral moments still tend to shape public perception faster than nuanced performances.

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"A provocative scene or image can dominate social media instantly, and that can create the illusion of cultural importance," Quast noted.

"Sexualization can create instant attention, and in today’s media environment, attention is money," Kintner added. "Aprovocative scene, red carpet look, or marketing moment can travel faster than a nuanced performance. That is just the reality of the world we live in with technology. But it is also a risky shortcut."

"It can get people talking, but it does not always build the kind of respect or longevity an actor wants," she added. "The real power move is turning the attention to something bigger, whether that is better roles, more creative control, or a brand that is not dependent on shock value. For Sydney, ‘Euphoria’ made people pay attention. The question is whether she can refocus that attention back to her talent and build a long-term, sustainable career in Hollywood."

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Quast said the explicit nature of "Euphoria" doesn’t necessarily damage Sweeney’s reputation as a serious actress, but warned that public perception of those scenes could ultimately shape how narrowly audiences define her brand.

"The deeper issue is not whether the scenes are explicit," the PR expert explained. "It’s whether the public sees them as serving a performance or simply serving the spectacle around Sydney Sweeney. If the audience talks about Cassie’s psychology, Sweeney benefits as an actress. If the audience only talks about the sexualized aspects of the role, the brand narrows.

"That’s why her next few choices matter," Quast emphasized. "She doesn’t need to run away from sexuality, but she does need to keep pairing it with roles that are emotionally, intellectually or dramatically specific."

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Original article source:Sydney Sweeney walks 'delicate line' as 'Euphoria' sex scenes overshadow her talent: expert

Venezuela Fury, 16, and Noah Price, 18, have been photographed enjoying their Spanish honeymoon following their private wedding ceremony earlier in May

NEED TO KNOW

• Footage from the wedding will air on the family's Netflix reality show At Home with the Furys

• Venezuela's mom Paris, defended her daughter marrying young, citing her own early engagement at age 17

Tyson Fury's 16-year-old daughterVenezuelais the picture of wedded bliss!

The teenager was photographed enjoying herhoneymoon in Marbella, Spain, alongside her 18-year-old boxer husband, Noah Price.

The pair were pictured walking along the beachfront location hand-in-hand, at one point stopping to enjoy a romantic kiss. The teens were dressed for the scorching temperatures, with Venezuela opting for patterned hot pants and a matching bandeau-style top, while her new husband kept it casual in a white T-shirt and tie-dye shorts. Both wore sandals and sunglasses.

Venezuela and Price wedin a private ceremony at the Royal Chapel of St. John on the Isle of Man on Saturday, May 16, as previously reported by PEOPLE.

The teen was walked down the aisle by her boxer dad, Tyson, 37. Her mom,Paris Fury, was also there, as well as 18 bridesmaids, including her cousin, Bambi Fury, 3, the daughter of Tyson's half-brother,Tommy Fury, andMolly-Mae Hague.

Her younger sisters, Valencia, 8, and Athena, 4, were also part of the wedding party. Tyson and Parisalso share sonsPrince John James, 15, Prince Tyson II, 9, Prince Adonis, 7, and Prince Rico Paris, 2.

Footage from the ceremony was captured by a camera crew and is expected to air as part of the family's Netflix reality show,At Home with the Furys.

Venezuela and Pricebecame engagedat Venezuela's 16th birthday party in September 2025.

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On May 18, just a few days after the wedding, Tysonshared his emotional reactionto seeing his daughter in her wedding dress on her big day. He said at that point the “realization” that she was “getting married was upon me,” adding, “wow.”

Paris has also defended her daughter marrying so young, tellingMirror U.K.that her daughter is “so mature” for her age.

"She's done so much in such a short time just because of who she is and the fact that she's got six younger brothers and sisters that she's helped bring up."

Venezuela's mom added to the outlet that she couldn't “deny” her daughter's wish to wed, as she herself was 17 when she got engaged.

“She's obviously following in my footsteps, so how can I judge her in any way. I know she's young. But I think she's found the person she loves, and if she's happy, I will completely support her."

The day after her wedding, Venezuela offered fans apeek inside the homeshe and Price will share. "R first ever home so proud of my Noah," Venezuela captioned the post showing off the single-story dwelling raised off the ground. Ina later post, Venezuela clarified that home is not technically a caravan, but a static "chalet."

Read the original article onPeople

May 25 (Reuters) - Iran's foreign ministry spokesperson ‌said on Monday ‌that conclusions have been ​reached on many topics discussed in a potential memorandum of understanding ‌with ⁠the U.S., but this does not ⁠mean Tehran is close to signing ​an agreement.

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The ​spokesperson, ​Esmaeil Baghaei, ‌added that Iran is negotiating an end to the war and is not currently ‌discussing nuclear ​issues, and ​repeated ​that changes in ‌the positions of ​U.S. ​officials create problems for any agreement.

(Reporting ​by ‌Elwely Elwelly and Tala ​Ramadan; Editing by ​Andrew Cawthorne)

RIGA, May 25 (Reuters) - Latvian opposition lawmaker Andris Kulbergs of the United List said on Monday he aimed to ‌form a four-party majority government after the ruling coalition collapsed ‌this month over national security concerns, though a final deal has yet to be ​struck.

The Baltic states, close allies of Kyiv and members of NATO, have reported repeated incursions by Russian drones in recent months as Ukraine steps up attacks on targets inside Russia, including near the Baltic Sea.

Prime ‌Minister Evika Silina stepped ⁠down after a dispute within her coalition over the government's handling of the drone incursions, triggering its ⁠collapse just five months before a scheduled general election.

"We have now reached a division plan," Kulbergs, who has been tasked by President Edgars Rinkevics ​with forming ​a new cabinet, told a ​press conference.

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"The way we reached ‌this solution, a division among four partners, was straightforward. We had to proceed based on the simplest possible principles – four partners, equal terms – and simply move forward from there," he said.

Kulbergs leads the United List, the largest opposition bloc in parliament, and would take office ‌if lawmakers approve him and his ​centre-right cabinet. Rinkevics said parliament could vote ​on a new government as ​early as this week.

National security is expected to ‌remain a top priority for Kulbergs' ​coalition, with the ​Baltic states maintaining a hard line on Russia and remaining among the most outspoken critics of Moscow over the war ​in Ukraine.

Silina's government will ‌remain in a caretaker role until a successor is sworn ​in.

(Reporting by Janis Laizans; writing by Anna Ringstrom, editing ​by Niklas Pollard and Essi Lehto)