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Sports Briefs

* Baseball

Shinji Mori released

The Tampa Bay Devil Rays released Japanese reliever Shinji Mori on Monday. An All-Star in Japan, Mori agreed to a US$1.4 million, two-year US Major League Baseball contract with Tampa Bay in January last year but never threw a pitch for the Devil Rays. Two months later, he tore the labrum in his right shoulder during his spring training debut in a minor league game. The 32-year-old right-hander was a five-time All-Star with the Seibu Lions of the Pacific League in Japan.

* rugby union

Grewcock out for six weeks

Danny Grewcock's place in England's World Cup squad is in danger after the lock forward was banned for six weeks for punching an opponent. The suspension, which begins at the start of the season on Aug. 4, would rule the Bath forward out of England's three warmup games as well as its first two group matches at the championship which starts on Sept. 7 in France. Grewcock was found guilty of punching Thibault Privat in Bath's European Challenge Cup final loss to Clermont Auvergne on May 19. England coach Brian Ashton will name his initial training squad of 40 on Friday and has to decide whether to select a player who will miss five important games.

* soccer

Henry linked with Barca

Arsenal striker Thierry Henry has reached an agreement to transfer to Barcelona, the Web site of a French sports magazine reported on Monday. Henry's agent and Barcelona's sports director agreed to a three-year contract, and it's now up to "convincing" the north London club, France Football reports in its edition to be published yesterday. Details were not immediately available. The site only showed a photo of the magazine's cover page featuring a photo of Henry under the headline "Barca-Henry: Deal Reached."

* tennis

Americans advance

Top-seeded Francesca Schiavone and Meghann Shaughnessy of the US won their opening matches at the Barcelona KIA Open on Monday. Schiavone, who is looking for her first tournament title after three runner-up finishes last year, advanced to the second round when fellow Italian Romina Oprandi retired with a right arm injury after losing the first set 6-2. Shaughnessy, seeded sixth, beat Spanish wildcard Nuria Llagostera Vives 6-3, 6-4 to advance to the second round. Third-seeded Emilie Loit of France worked hard to get past Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland 7-5, 6-3.

* soccer

Urs Linsi leaves FIFA

Urs Linsi is leaving FIFA after five years as general secretary of world soccer's governing body. Linsi was appointed general secretary in December 2002 after temporarily filling in for Michael Zen-Ruffinen, who left the organization after accusing FIFA president Sepp Blatter of corruption. "Dr. Urs Linsi has decided to seek new challenges elsewhere," FIFA said on Monday in a statement. "FIFA hereby thanks Urs Linsi for his significant achievements." Markus Kattner, the director of finance and controlling, will take over as acting general secretary, FIFA said. Blatter served as general secretary for 17 years under former FIFA president Joao Havelange. Since succeeding Havelange, Blatter will be getting his third general secretary since 1998. FIFA's Executive Committee will decide on a new organizational structure for the 2007-2010 period at a meeting on June 27.

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