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Showing posts from March 16, 2020

Coronavirus: Horse racing behind closed doors in Britain until end of March

68,859 people attended Cheltenham on Friday when Al Boum Photo won the Gold Cup Horse racing in Britain will be held behind closed doors from Tuesday until at least the end of March because of the coronavirus pandemic. Racing in England had continued despite the outbreak, with the Cheltenham Festival recording an attendance of 251,684 across four days last week. The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) said it plans for scheduled meetings to go ahead, but some may be cancelled. The Grand National is set to take place at Aintree on 4 April. The BHA has indicated it will liaise with the government over whether the event can go ahead. "Any fixtures that take place in England, Wales and Scotland, initially until the end of March, will take place without spectators and with restrictions on the number of attendees," a BHA statement said. Tuesday's meetings at Taunton and Wetherby will be the first affected by the announcement. Races in Scotland, including M

Cesc Fabregas: Monaco and ex-Chelsea star shares hilarious bet with Willy Caballero

A man of his word or a bit of a sore loser? Cesc Fabregas has revealed he bought Willy Caballero a Range Rover when they played together at Chelsea... but it wasn't quite the new car the Argentine goalkeeper was hoping for. Report The Spanish World Cup winner, a man rarely afraid to step up to the penalty spot, said he would practice penalties after training and would often have "little bets" with goalkeepers to "put a bit of spice into the challenge". Having scored 15 penalties in his career, it's understandable he became "too confident" when he challenged Caballero, promising his team-mate a Ranger Rover if he saved his penalty. And sure enough, Caballero, who is also known for having a decent penalty record between the sticks, stepped up and made the save. Fabregas not only had to fork out for the car, but he was left feeling like "the most stupid guy on earth". However, the initial bet didn't state that the

Coronavirus: EFL say 'no decisions taken yet' on what may happen next

The English Football League says no decisions have been taken regarding the next steps after games were suspended until 3 April because of coronavirus. The EFL said its board were due to meet again this week and it would continue with its "contingency planning". A further update will be issued following that board meeting. "Now is the time for cool heads and calm reflection, rather than speculation," EFL chair Rick Parry said in a statement issued on Monday. Footballers treated as 'guinea pigs' - Rooney Cancelling season could be 'disastrous' - Rochdale CEO Bottomley The EFL added: "The health and wellbeing of EFL staff, players, club employees and supporters is of paramount importance and will be key to the decisions made by football. "It is with that in the forefront of the league's mind that it notes the intense speculation that has appeared across the local, national and international media over the weekend. "

Coronavirus: Mini-tournament could decide Champions League and Europa League

A mini-tournament to decide the Champions League and Europa League will be one option put forward to ease fixture congestion caused by the coronavirus outbreak. European football's governing body, Uefa, is hosting a video conference with major stakeholders on Tuesday. Euro 2020 is set to be postponed to allow league seasons to be completed. A source close to the situation says all parties must be ready to sacrifice something to reach a solution. All 55 Uefa members, the boards of the European Club Association and the European Leagues, and a representative of world players' union Fifpro have been invited to Tuesday's meeting. The Uefa members will also hold an additional meeting to discuss their own reaction. All Uefa competitions, including Champions League and Europa League, postponed How coronavirus has impacted sporting events around the world Italian FA calls for Euros postponement How would a mini-tournament work? As with the Premier League, who on

oronavirus: US man who stockpiled hand sanitiser probed for price gouging

A man who stockpiled 17,700 bottles of hand sanitiser to sell on Amazon is being investigated for price gouging. Matt Colvin, from Chattanooga in Tennessee,  told the New York Times  he had faced a "huge amount of whiplash". Online platforms have cracked down on sellers listing coronavirus-related items at inflated prices. Mr Colvin later said he would donate his goods but on the same day Tennessee's attorney general opened an investigation, the Times reported. Mr Colvin said that from 1 March, the day after the first coronavirus-related death in the US was confirmed, he and his brother had spent three days driving across Tennessee, buying up all the hand sanitiser they could find. He then listed the bottles on Amazon, selling some for as much as $70 (£57). LIVE UPDATES:  Follow the latest developments here EASY STEPS:  How to keep safe A SIMPLE GUIDE:  What are the symptoms? GETTING READY:  How prepared is the UK? TRAVEL PLANS:  What are your rights?

Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust: 20 deaths or serious harm cases in maternity

At least 20 maternity deaths or serious harm cases have been linked to a Devon hospital since 2008, according to NHS reports obtained by the BBC. A 2017 review - never released - raised "serious questions" about maternity care at North Devon District Hospital. The BBC spent two years trying to obtain the report and won access to it at a tribunal earlier this year. Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust (NDHT) said the unit was "completely different" after recommended reforms. A 2013 review by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) investigated 11 serious clinical incidents at the unit, dating back as far as 2008. The report identified failings in the working relationships at the unit, finding some midwives were working autonomously and some senior doctors failed to give guidance to junior colleagues. 'Lack of trust' Despite the identified problems with "morale", the subsequent investigation by RCOG in 2017 expresse

Coronavirus: Germany latest country to close borders

Germany has become the latest country to close borders as European nations try to stem the spread of the coronavirus. Its borders with France, Austria and Switzerland were shut on Monday morning, except for commercial traffic. France is considering more stringent lockdowns, with its health chief saying the situation is "deteriorating fast". Latest World Health Organization (WHO) figures  list 164,000 confirmed cases and 6,470 deaths worldwide. However, last week it  said Europe was now the "epicentre" of the virus  and urged governments to act aggressively to control the spread of the Covid-19 disease. A visual guide to the pandemic Leaders of the G7 nations are to hold a video conference on Monday to discuss a joint response to the coronavirus pandemic. Central banks around the world, including the US Federal Reserve and those in the UK, Japan, Canada, and Switzerland have cut interest rates and taken other measures to try to curb the economic turmo