JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he had dropped a central element of the bitterly contested judicial overhaul plans

Fifa have claimed a significant victory in their attempt to regulate the world’s top football agents, as the European Commission has backed the governing body’s move to bring in strict new rules including a cap on fees. Although it will be a hearing at the European Court of Justice that ultimately settles the issue, the Commission’s written submission to judges carry significant weight. It is seen by sources involved as a “huge development” and being hailed as a win for Fifa in what had been developing into a highly fractious conflict. Agents argue that the global body is attempting to unfairly affect their earning potential through a labour negotiation issue that actually has nothing to do with football, and goes against European Union antitrust laws. One strident position has been that setting a price cap would essentially represent a price-fixing cartel by the clubs, which top agents had been putting a lot of focus on. The European Commission have instead argued that a cap is entirely justified in order to protect players and contractual stability, as well as limiting conflicts of interest while protecting players who lack experience or information about the transfer system. An additional note was that agents’ fees are actually excessive and out of kilter with any normal fees for a service. The Commission’s observations also pointed to the “degree of discretion” which EU law generally affords sporting associations in order to fairly govern. Of the cap, it was stated “the defendant has plausibly pointed out that very high agency commissions, which are completely decoupled from the cost of the consideration, create a strong incentive to exert massive influence on players in particular in order to force an early transfer.” A further issue the new rules are set to tackle is on representing various parties on the same deal. The Commission has also backed restriction of this, arguing it “appears suitable” to mitigate against potential conflict of interest. A date for the hearing at the court in Luxembourg has not yet been set. Read More Fifa must secure Saudi promise over World Cup human rights, Amnesty warns Saudi Arabian World Cup in 2034 sparks ‘significant concern’ from major leagues Saudi Arabia set to host World Cup 2034 as Australia opts against bid

Brentford boss Thomas Frank paid tribute to debutant goalkeeper Ellery Balcombe after his two spot-kick saves ensured the Bees edged past Newport 3-0 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Rodney Parade. Mathias Jensen thought he had won the Carabao Cup tie for the visitors in the 88th minute but teenage substitute Kiban Rai headed home deep into stoppage time for the hosts to take the game to spot-kicks. Adam Lewis then hit a post with Newport’s first effort, before Balcombe saved from Nathan Wood and Bryn Morris, and Keane Lewis-Potter settled the contest in the Premier League side’s favour. “Our debut goalkeeper made fantastic saves in the shoot-out,” said Frank. “He’s been at the club since he was eight years old and it’s a fantastic story for him to make a debut like this with his family watching in the stadium. “We want to go far in the cup competitions, and you need to get the job done. We did that in the end.” Frank praised League Two County for their dogged display. “It’s all about getting through,” added the Dane, who was forced into bringing on Jensen, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa after an hour. “Of course, we’d have loved to come here and win 3-0 but it’s never easy. “I had to bring on three more experienced guys. It’s always a balance. You want to play some of the ones who don’t play so much. With all due respect, that should be enough to win the game. But we just made it right in the end. “Big credit to Newport, I think they defended very well. They put a lot of effort into it and made it very difficult for us. “I could definitely see why they have created upsets in the past, and they’ve had a decent start to the season with three wins in the first five. I see them having a very good season.” Exiles manager Graham Coughlan had mixed emotions after a fantastic effort from his players. Midfielder Harry Charsley typified their performance, heading off the line to deny Lewis-Potter early on before heading just wide at the other end from an Omar Bogle cross. “I am proud of the lads. They will get all of the plaudits and pats on backs they deserve but, at the end of the day, you want to win football matches,” he said. “We were very good but that didn’t get us through to the next round and we want to be winners and to be successful. “We had probably the best chance of the game with Harry Charsley stealing into the six-yard box. “When you play the big boys, you need those moments and slices of luck.”

President Joe Biden made false claims about a variety of topics, notably including gun policy, during a series of official speeches and campaign remarks over the last two weeks.

Bryce Harper wants to take a swing at the Olympics

Bayern Munich honorary president Uli Hoeneß is confident that England captain Harry Kane will switch to the club from Tottenham this summer

The jersey Tom Brady wore in the last game of his 23-season career is heading to auction in Las Vegas next month, where it could fetch as much as $2.5 million.

Luka Modric explains his reason for staying at Real Madrid over choosing Saudi Arabia transfer.

By Daina Beth Solomon MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -U.S. labor officials on Friday asked Mexico to investigate alleged worker rights abuses

On ABC's 'The Bachelor' spinoff, 71-year-old widower Gerry Turner from Indiana is searching for love once more among these 22 faces

Military officials say a 14-year-old girl reported missing from her San Diego home was found in the barracks at Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base last month and a Marine was detained briefly for questioning

By Supantha Mukherjee and Martin Coulter STOCKHOLM/LONDON Top artificial intelligence (AI) executives including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on