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French Polynesia nuke tests slightly increased cancer risk: study
French Polynesia nuke tests slightly increased cancer risk: study
Polynesians exposed to fallout from France's nuclear tests in the South Pacific have a slightly increased risk of developing thyroid cancer, a study suggested on Monday that used declassified...
1970-01-01 08:00
Chelsea set for more Premier League scrutiny over Roman Abramovich era
Chelsea set for more Premier League scrutiny over Roman Abramovich era
Chelsea are set to face further scrutiny from the Premier League over reports of payments connected to the club’s former owner Roman Abramovich. The Guardian has reported that Abramovich, a Russian billionaire who owned the club for 19 years until he was sanctioned by the British Government last year, used offshore companies to make payments which appear to have been for the club’s benefit. The Premier League is already investigating the club after their new owners became aware of “potentially incomplete financial reporting” linked to the Abramovich era while completing their due diligence as part of the takeover and self-reported the information they discovered to the league and other regulators. The Premier League has not commented on Wednesday’s report, but it is likely it will now look closely at the information reported by the Guardian. A Chelsea spokesperson said: “These allegations pre-date the club’s current ownership. They are based on documents which the club has not been shown and do not relate to any individual who is presently at the club.” Chelsea’s stance under their new owners has been consistent – to examine any allegations of impropriety under the previous ownership as soon as they become aware of them. Abramovich bought Chelsea in 2003 and invested millions as the club enjoyed unprecedented success, including Champions League victories in 2012 and 2021 as well as five Premier League titles. He was forced to sell the club last year after his assets were frozen by the Government following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The FA has confirmed it is investigating, although it is unclear at this stage whether its investigation relates to the information Chelsea self-reported or the new allegations reported by the Guardian. Chelsea entered into a 10 million euro (£8.7million) settlement with UEFA after also self-reporting the information which came to light during the 2022 takeover to European football’s governing body. Read More Jon Rahm rules out replacing Rory McIlroy on PGA Tour policy board Andrew Flintoff named head coach of Northern Superchargers Adam Azim sends warning to Franck Petitjean ahead of super-lightweight bout
2023-11-15 19:02
Emhoff visits New York's Cornell University as he seeks to reassure Jewish community after threats
Emhoff visits New York's Cornell University as he seeks to reassure Jewish community after threats
Doug Emhoff, the husband of Vice President Kamala Harris, has met with students and administrators at Cornell University as he offered support to the school’s Jewish community after threats of violence amid Israel’s war against Hamas
2023-11-10 03:37
Jimmy Fallon apologizes to Tonight Show staff, but his 'heavy drinking' had NBC bosses worried
Jimmy Fallon apologizes to Tonight Show staff, but his 'heavy drinking' had NBC bosses worried
Among the former employees, several quipped that they had to leave the show because of their mental health conditions
2023-09-08 15:03
LEGO 2K Drive is set for release in May
LEGO 2K Drive is set for release in May
2K and LEGO Group are planning to release many more games in the AAA series.
1970-01-01 08:00
When will HGTV's 'Revealed' air? Release date, time, and how to watch renovation show showcasing family heritage
When will HGTV's 'Revealed' air? Release date, time, and how to watch renovation show showcasing family heritage
Uncover captivating stories and witness stunning transformations on HGTV's 'Revealed' Season 1 where expert renovators bring family history to life
2023-06-20 18:05
‘A dangerous mess’: Uefa under more pressure from fans after Champions League final chaos
‘A dangerous mess’: Uefa under more pressure from fans after Champions League final chaos
Uefa are facing more pressure about their ability to stage major events, as another Champions League final descended into “dangerous” chaos, and supporters complained that the situation again put their safety at risk. Among a series of serious issues faced at Istanbul’s highly-criticised Ataturk Stadium for Manchester City’s victory over Internazionale were: Supporters forced to travel on shuttles for up to three hours without water or toilets A total lack of guidance and minimal travel options post-game, which left elderly fans and those in wheelchairs forced to traverse a mile of slip road in order to hail down gridlocked taxis, which charged up to €200 Only two concession stands for an entire end of fans, creating waits for simple cartons of water for up to two hours Fewer than 20 toilets serving 20,000 people in the fan zones Fans having to abandon transport and climb over scrubland and “building site” surroundings to even make kick-off The organisation of the event has been described by attending fans as a “dangerous mess”, with supporters incredulous at how a major event in 2023 could be held in such a poorly-equipped stadium over 20km from the city centre. One of the problems that immediately became visible was that the Ataturk really only has two access routes from a notoriously congested city infrastructure, a narrow road system and a recently built metro. Both inevitably became completely gridlocked as early as six hours before the 10pm kick-off with the problem getting worse three hours after the game ended. Some stories involve supporters vomiting on the two-hour-plus shuttle trips due to the lack of water, and people bursting into tears due to the stress from waiting so long to go to the toilet. Questions have been raised within the game about how and why the Ataturk Stadium was selected, especially as President Recep Erdogan has been so keen to host major football events for so long. As one prominent football figure confided to the Independent: “No way should this stadium be hosting a Champions League final”. The problem was all the worse given Istanbul’s staging of the final was already postponed twice in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid, which should have allowed ample preparation time. It only follows the near-disaster that was the 2022 final at Paris’ Stade de France involving Liverpool and Real Madrid, which prompted a wide-ranging and excoriating review from Uefa. The European governing body has been contacted for comment, but sources within the organisation insist that the review made a series of recommendations they are continuing to act on. It was in the aftermath of Paris that Uefa signed a memorandum of understanding with Football Supporters Europe, and the representative group were an active party in site visits to the Ataturk prior to the final. While sources insist the venue “seemed OK” on those visits, fans have been amazed at the acceptance it was a suitable given how obvious the travel issues alone were. A number of people came forward to the Independent to explain the worrying chronology of the day, such was the concern with what happened. Nick Stapleton, a City season-ticket holder and freelance journalist first introduced to the club as a child by his father, the longtime TV presenter John Stapleton, who has been attending since the 1950s. They could sense issues developing early in the day. One of the immediate complications was that Uefa had advised Inter supporters to travel by metro and City by shuttle. “There was already a huge queue for the buses at 4pm, and there were no facilities at all, which we were warned about,” Stapleton says. “So we brought water and prepared for the fact there wasn’t a loo. But we were stood there in the heat for 45 minutes and when we eventually got on the buses, police and stewards took our water off us as we couldn’t bring anything from outside into the stadium. “Our bus took two hours, but others took three, with no water or toilets for all that time. One guy threw up on the bus because of the heat, with that then spilling around the surface. Others were so desperate for the toilet that they were peeing out windows and gaps, and we were told of another bus where someone had to demand the driver pull over.” The long travel time for a journey that can usually take 40 minutes was because of complete gridlock around the stadium. Metros were also over-capacity at least five hours before kick-off. Ger Gilroy, an Irish broadcaster, was one of many who had to resort to desperate alternatives. “We had to abandon our minibus and scale a steep briar-infested scrubland to make it in time for kick-off,” he said. “Before we got there we had to shimmy down a stone wall and jump over an open sewer!” A number of those attending complained that the “horrible logistics” around the stadium even after arriving were just not fit for purpose, with too few signposts or even access routes. A common line, articulated by Stapleton, was that it was “a building site”. One elderly fan, who declined to be named, said he had to walk 6km around the stadium to get to their entry point. Inter fans meanwhile found that metro stations closest to the stadium were eventually closed due to congestion. Stapleton, whose father is 77 and recently had a hip operation, encountered similar difficulties. “The first thing we did when we arrived was go to the fanzone for the loos. Dad was already feeling the heat, and feeling frail and tired. But the loos were just a collection of caravans, maybe 10-15 toilets for 20,000 people. “Female fans couldn’t just pee on the fence, so they were queuing for an hour. One woman told me she burst into tears at one point as she was so desperate. “We then went into the stadium around 7:30pm, although a bottleneck already started to build up as there was a bag search, ticket check and pat-down search again. At that point it was fine, so I said to dad he should go and sit down and I’d get water. We hadn’t had any since ours was taken off us three hours prior. We also hadn’t had food. “We were in block 333, the far left side of the lower tier, where 10 to 15,000 of City’s 20,000 fans were. There were only two concession stands - two - with six people serving each, and only four card machines. This was an event sponsored by Mastercard and had four machines, and one of those broke down. That meant it took me one hour and 45 minutes to buy water. People were going mad. I felt for the guys running the stall, as they were completely overwhelmed. It then cost almost 50 euro for two pieces of cheap meat, two cartons of water and a bottle of Pepsi. “The game itself was an incredible experience. My dad was crying at the final whistle, and it was amazing to experience it with him. “But that’s part of it as regards any incentive to change. Loyal football fans are always going to go through hell and high water for the once-in-a-lifetime experience of watching your club win the Champions League. “After the players lifted the trophy, we made our way out of the ground about 1pm, expecting the same system as before the game.” It was here when the worst problems actually began, though. One individual who was among the party for Inter players’ families, but declines to be named for reasons of discretion, explains the situation at their end. He says: “Our exit from the stadium was dangerous. Everyone was filtering through one small exit, which wasn’t big enough for two people to pass through. Thousands were trying to get through this, and then onto crumbling steps into the car park. “From there, families were walking down the sides of motorways trying to find cabs. It was dangerous.” Stapleton found the same experience from the other side. “What emerged when we got to the waiting area was there was no help, only a few signs, and the two buses for our area were already full. Loads of City fans were confused, not knowing what was going on. “There was also gridlock due to a huge queue of taxis coming and buses trying to get out. The road was only so wide, with two cars door to door if they tried to go through at the same time. Nobody seemed to be taking any control of this. “So even people on the buses were stuck there until 3am. We were among thousands of City fans walking down the motorway and picking our way through traffic, a lot of them elderly or even in wheelchairs. This was another thing as the stadium was not really wheelchair-accessible. “This was not safe, and my dad did not seem comfortable. He was exhausted, and when you have a hip replacement one of the big risks is a fall as you need to have it reconstructed. “When we eventually found a taxi, one wanted €200 to take us back. A second said €100 and we took it as we were scared and in a bit of a panic. “So many fans were in the same situation. Istanbul is a great city but I don’t understand why they chose to send us to that stadium, it’s insane. When it’s that much of a challenge to even have water.” Uefa, Football Supporters Europe, Manchester City and Internazionale have been approached for comment. Read More Pep Guardiola ended 12 years of hurt thanks to masterful midfield reinvention Man City secure landmark Champions League victory that stretches beyond historic treble Romelu Lukaku has another harrowing moment to ponder as Inter fall short Inter Milan can hold heads high after Champions League loss, says Simone Inzaghi Manchester City’s Champions League celebrations in pictures Kevin De Bruyne could miss start of new season after hamstring injury
2023-06-11 22:13
Silvio Berlusconi, scandal-scarred ex-Italian leader, dies at 86
Silvio Berlusconi, scandal-scarred ex-Italian leader, dies at 86
Italian media are reporting that Silvio Berlusconi, the boastful billionaire media mogul who was Italy’s longest-serving premier despite scandals over his sex-fueled parties and allegations of corruption and bribery, has died at age 86
2023-06-12 17:11
Top Gun's Cast Then and Now: Cult movie's lead stars through the years
Top Gun's Cast Then and Now: Cult movie's lead stars through the years
From Tom Cruise to Val Kilmer and Kelly McGillis, the stars of the 1986 action film thrived in the years after the smash hit
2023-09-09 22:01
Southern Gaza in Israel's sights as world leaders seek pause in fighting
Southern Gaza in Israel's sights as world leaders seek pause in fighting
By Nidal al-Mughrabi and Emily Rose GAZA/JERUSALEM (Reuters) -Israel's military intensified its bombing of southern Gaza overnight after one of
2023-10-25 18:30
'Secret Invasion' Episode 2 Review: Is Nick Fury married? Marvel series adds domestic angle to plot
'Secret Invasion' Episode 2 Review: Is Nick Fury married? Marvel series adds domestic angle to plot
'Secret Invasion' Episode 2 ends with an unexpected cliffhanger!
2023-06-28 16:50
Adyen Is Still Expensive After $23 Billion Meltdown
Adyen Is Still Expensive After $23 Billion Meltdown
Even after a record slump that wiped out €21 billion ($23 billion) in value, some investors think Adyen
2023-08-22 18:21