Germany says Bundesliga can restart in second half of May
Germany’s Bundesliga is set to become the first of Europe’s top football leagues to get under way following the novel coronavirus stoppage after the government said on Wednesday that it could re-start in the second half of May.The government said the Bundesliga and second-tier 2. Bundesliga could restart without spectators, adding that the German football league (DFL) would decide on the exact dates.Chancellor Angela Merkel made the announcement, which had been widely expected, as part of measures to begin easing the country’s lockdown aimed at halting the spread of the virus.The DFL is due to hold an assembly with its 36 member clubs on Thursday followed by a news conference in which more details are expected to be given.A government statement also said teams would have to go into quarantined training camps ahead of the restart.The league has been on hold since mid-March because of the coronavirus outbreak.Officials from the 16 states held a teleconference with Merkel on Wednesday to discuss easing the country’s lockdown measures.The coronavirus outbreak has brought football to a standstill around the world and Germany’s progress is likely to be closely watched by other leagues.Bayern Munich, chasing an eighth successive title, currently lead the table with 55 points from 25 games, four ahead of Borussia Dortmund with RB Leipzig third on 50.At the bottom, Werder Bremen and Paderborn are in the drop zone with Fortuna Duesseldorf in 16th, which is the relegation/promotion playoff spot.Germany’s professional teams have been training since mid-April, divided into small groups and under strict conditions, including extensive testing of all players and coaching staff.On Monday, the DFL said it had registered 10 positive cases in a blanket test of 1,724 players and staff at its 36 first and second division clubs.
Hollywood stuntman and Christian minister John Alden is coming to Donegal.Alden has worked on more than 150 feature films and television shows performing as a stuntman, stunt-actor or stunt coordinator.For years he was the stunt double for Harrison Ford, working on films such as “Clear and Present Danger,” “Air Force One” and “Six Days Seven Nights.” Alden is a guest of the LYIT Christian Union at An Dalann on the campus on Thursday at 7pm. STUNTMAN TO THE HOLLYWOOD STARS IN DONEGAL VISIT was last modified: January 21st, 2014 by John2Share this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window) Tags:HollywoodJohn AldenletterkennyStuntman
2 This feature appears in the current edition of Sport magazine. As usual the free weekly publication is packed full of brilliant content and you can download their app for FREE here. They have a Facebook page here and you can follow them on Twitter @SportMagUK.Antonio Conte had what the Italians call occhi umidi. Windows to the soul, his eyes steamed up and began to blink, the lids acting like wipers to wash away the tears.“If I hadn’t already signed for Chelsea, I wouldn’t have been able to abandon that group of lads,” he told Sky Italia’s Paolo Condo. The lads to whom Conte referred were his Italy players. Recalling their experience at Euro 2016 choked him up.“In the 50 days we spent together, we created something unique and extraordinary; a family,” he said. “When we lost to Germany, we cried because we knew we wouldn’t see each other the following day.”The Chelsea hierarchy did well to act swiftly and get Conte to commit to Stamford Bridge back in April – that is, before heart might overrule head. It would be wrong to call him a big softy who likes a cuddle every bit as much as Carlo Ancelotti, but the importance of being a family man to his management style often takes a backseat in the driving narrative of him as a win-at-all-costs, meticulous tactician who doesn’t suffer fools gladly.Andrea Pirlo christened the dressing room at the Juventus Stadium “Cape Canaveral” – home of the Kennedy Space Center – because of the number of objects launched into the air when Conte entered to deliver his half-time team talks. The Any Given Sunday-style speech he gave back in his first season at Juventus, imploring his players to make their title rivals “shit blood”, only added to his tough-guy image.CUTTING CLOTHBut there is a sense and sensibility about Conte, a lighter touch that has perhaps come as the biggest surprise to his new players. Starting a new family in west London meant walking into a broken home. Champions a year ago, a tight-knit team had come apart at the seams, torn asunder by Jose Mourinho, who himself unravelled. 2 Antonio Conte has transformed Chelsea since taking over in the summer Luckily, Conte announced himself as a tailor at his unveiling. The definition related to cutting his cloth according to the characteristics of the players available to him. It came in relation to whether he would play 3-5-2 or not, rather than how exactly he would stitch this team back together again. In order to do that, however, it wouldn’t be enough on its own to be a tailor.It’s not uncommon in Italy for coaches to liken the job they do to that of an exorcist. There are teams that go through so much trauma in such a short space of time that they become tormented by inner demons, needing someone to banish them.Conte is that man. He immediately took Juventus back to the top after back-to-back seventh-placed finishes in Serie A. As for Italy, two years on from being knocked out at the group stage of another World Cup, he made them the best team at Euro 2016. They didn’t win the tournament in France (Germany knocked them out on penalties in their quarter final), but no team played better football. A similar task awaited him at Chelsea – the worst defending champions English football had known since Everton in 1971.PICKING UPOver the past six weeks, Conte has made the job look like a piece of cake – a tiramisu, literally translated as ‘pick me up’, in every sense of the word. Chelsea have gone from eighth to top of the Premier League, winning seven straight league matches for the first time since 2007. Poignantly, Conte beat Jose Mourinho in a statement win against Manchester United. Last Saturday, his team defeated Tottenham, the league’s last unbeaten side. Christian Eriksen’s goal was the first Chelsea had conceded in more than 10 hours of league football.David Luiz is no longer a punchline. Marcos Alonso is unrecognisable from his Sunderland and Bolton days. Who knew Cesar Azpilicueta could play centreback? Victor Moses has been a revelation, recycled after loans at Liverpool, Stoke and West Ham, and repurposed as a wing-back. Eden Hazard is back to his PFA Player of the Year best. Pedro looks the player he was under Pep Guardiola at Barcelona, while Diego Costa is now channelling his aggression towards scoring goals. Champions less than 18 months ago, Chelsea are playing like champions again.It shouldn’t be taken for granted. Conte had a week’s holiday before taking the job. The Euros meant pre-season was shorter than usual. He didn’t get his first-choice transfer targets. Luiz, for instance, was a fallback option. Radja Nainggolan decided to stay at Roma. Alvaro Morata was serious about making it at Real Madrid. Conte himself had to get to grips with the language barrier, ensuring his message got across.MANAGING CHANGEThere were cultural issues as well. Premier League teams are not used to long hours of tactical sessions, shadow play and video analysis. Plus, Chelsea is deeply political. Conte has had to manage the John Terry situation and the expectations of one of the most demanding owners in football. After defeats to Liverpool and Arsenal in September, betting on Chelsea sacking Conte was briefly suspended – although sources at the club insist there was never any truth in it.The switch to a 3-4-3 formation in the second half against Arsenal is now considered the turning point in Chelsea’s season. Conte achieved great success with three at the back at Juventus, of course, but he is no one-system guy. This was a stick used to beat him when he returned to Juve as coach in 2011. At the time, local journalists claimed his teams played only one way – and that wasn’t 3-5-2, but 4-2-4. That was how Conte had got Bari and Siena up to Serie A, and would be the formation he went to first at Chelsea. Ultimately, for the 47-year-old, it’s about the characteristics of the players available and striking the right balance.The tailor has cut his cloth accordingly, and found that 3-4-3 suits Chelsea best, just as 3-5-2 suited Juventus and 4-2-4 suited Bari and Siena. The exorcist in Conte has rid Chelsea of their demons, while the family man has brought the team together and put a smile on his players’ faces.This is the very essence of Contismo, as Manchester City and Pep Guardiola will discover on Saturday.JAMES HORNCASTLE | @jameshorncastle
Those of us who must genuflect weekly at the gas pump have become painfully aware that distant, seemingly unrelated events can almost instantaneously translate into higher pump prices. With the price of gasoline up 40 percent over the last year, some suspect manipulation. Have unindicted former Enron officials taken over the oil industry? While the logical answer is no, one wonders if crooks have not, instead, infiltrated an even more lucrative venue — California state and local government. For those who live in Los Angeles, the cost of government, like the price of gasoline after Hurricane Katrina, is about to take another leap upward. Because the City Council voted to increase the monthly trash collection fee 254 percent — from $11 to $28 over the next four years — city residents will soon find themselves shelling out an additional $228 per year for this service. Here is where the manipulation and bookkeeping tricks that would warm the heart of an Enron accountant come into play. Los Angeles officials managed to pry loose this additional money from homeowners without triggering any of the right-to-vote provisions of Proposition 13 and Proposition 218, the Right to Vote on Taxes Act. How could this be? Weren’t those two measures designed to allow voters and property owners to approve government exactions? Yes, but a historical quirk in the City of Angels might let officials skate this time. Since 1958, when the burning of trash was banned in the Los Angeles Basin, the city has actually subsidized the cost of trash pickup. The laws pertaining to charges for trash collection allow a community to recover the cost of providing the service. Anything more and it is considered a tax, and Proposition 218 requires that it be presented to the voters. But in Los Angeles, since the city was subsidizing refuse collection, it can now charge the full amount and shift the money previously used for the subsidy to other purposes. In this case, city officials say the money will be used to hire additional police. Yet this plan has two problems that reveal Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the City Council are breaking faith with their constituents. First, although the city had subsidized trash pickup, this was no gift. The money was coming from the higher-than-average taxes that city residents have been paying for years. For example, the Los Angeles utility user tax of 10 percent is greater than in all but a handful of other jurisdictions. So through a duplicitous shuffling of accounts, the city has managed to avoid allowing residents to vote on the new charges, while still keeping all of the huge revenues. Second is the matter of where the “extra” money will be spent. To make it politically palatable, city officials have announced their intention to spend the funds on more police. However, their words are not legally binding. If other needs are perceived the money can be spent on something or anything else. In fact, a close examination of the new city budget shows the inclusion of $200 million to cover higher pension costs for city workers. Since the new trash charge, when fully implemented, is expected to generate an additional $127 million per year, we know now where all of the new money will really be going. Think of it as price manipulation, government-style.— Jon Coupal is president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. Contact him through the organization’s Web site, www.hjta.org. AD Quality Auto 360p 720p 1080p Top articles1/5READ MORE11 theater productions to see in Southern California this week, Dec. 27-Jan. 2160Want local news?Sign up for the Localist and stay informed Something went wrong. Please try again.subscribeCongratulations! You’re all set!
David Luiz has told talkSPORT he realised a long-held dream by winning the Premier League title with Chelsea last season, and insists the champions cannot let their form drop as they look to defend their crown.The Blues stormed to the title last season, finishing seven points clear of London rivals Tottenham in Antonio Conte’s first season in charge.But this summer has been less than rosy for club, with the manager reportedly frustrated by the lack of top signings and the number of departures.Chelsea also make their return to the Champions League this term having failed to make the cut last year, and many are questioning if their threadbare squad can handle the burden of challenging for both domestic and European honours.Defender Luiz joined talkSPORT at the launch of the new Premier League campaign on Wednesday and seemed upbeat and excited for the season ahead, insisting the team MUST be ready to fight ‘from the first game until the end’.Speaking to talkSPORT host Jim White, the Brazilian said: “It’s great to be here at Chelsea again.“Everybody knows I love to play for this club and I love this city, so it was great to take this opportunity to come back.“My dream came true because in my first spell here I didn’t have the opportunity to win the Premier League and I came back for that and we did it.“It was fantastic last season. We did it together with a great team, great passion and a great coach.“Everybody did an amazing job last season…we’ve got to try and keep that high level [into this season] because this is the Premier League.“In the Premier League you cannot afford to let it slip, you have to be ready from the first game until the end.”READ MORE:Antonio Conte refutes reports of a fall-out with Chelsea chiefs, telling talkSPORT: ‘I have a good relationship with the club’Diego Costa will be a big miss for Chelsea, Gary Cahill tells talkSPORT – LISTENGary Cahill responds to claims Antonio Conte is unhappy at Chelsea, telling talkSPORT: ‘He has been the same on the training field’
“There were much better parts of the game than last week that we will want to develop and improve.“We’re obviously upset not to win but there will be no excuses from us. We’ll just keep working.”There were stand-out displays for the visitors too, with Stuart Hogg impressive before he was forced off after 36 minutes with a back injury, while try-scorer Seymour was imperious under the high ball.“I thought it was a great performance from a number of players and Stuart was one of them,” added the head coach. “I thought Tommy Seymour was great in the air too. We just need to push a bit harder and become more accurate.”Skipper Grieg Laidlaw – who kicked 11 points – refused to point the finger of blame at Irish referee George Clancy, saying: “People make mistakes but I certainly thought [Davies] was offside. But we are not going to get that back.” Vern Cotter insists that his Scotland side is making progress despite the crushing manner of their 27-23 defeat to Wales.The Dark Blues led for much of the Six Nations match in Cardiff, but once again failed to match the intensity of their encouraging first 40 minutes.But Cotter believes there is much to be positive about, highlighting the improvement made since the Murrayfield loss to England last week.“We were in front until the 66th minute then let them score,” he said.
One person is dead and the leader of the group occupying federal property in Oregon, Ammon Bundy, is under arrest, along with several fellow protesters.The FBI and local law enforcement agencies stopped the group Tuesday outside of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.Sportsmen and women in North Carolina and the rest of the country have opposed the takeover of the refuge.Richard Mode, affiliate representative with the North Carolina Wildlife Federation, says because the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge belongs to taxpayers it is a personal issue for every American.“Those public lands are our lands,” says Mode. “They never were the state of Oregon’s, they’ve always been federal lands. Every citizen in America owns those lands and they’re very important to us.”Bundy and others are facing federal felony charges of conspiracy to impede officers of the U.S. through the use of force from discharging their official duties.The protesters were demanding the federal government release ranchers convicted of arson on federal lands, turn federal lands over to private ownership, void federal grazing permits and allow the local management of the lands in question.The NWF and other supporters who opposed the takeover of the refuge say local control of the lands puts public access to areas to hunt, fish, camp, hike and other activities in jeopardy. The occupiers have complained about federal management of the lands, but Mode says placing lands in local control would endanger a public resource.“The government is us,” he says. “We’re the owners of that property as citizens of America. We use it. It’s an important part of our outdoor heritage, our wildlife and natural resources heritage, and we want it stopped.”Mode says the issue of public lands is also an economic issue. The Outdoor Industry Association estimates public lands generate $646 billion annually in consumer spending and support more than 6 million jobs.
Halloween Horror Nights continues this week, with frights galore happening at Universal Studios on Saturday, Sunday, Thursday, and Friday.Fear Factor Live is currently closed, and it is unknown when it will reopen.CityWalk is open until 2am daily, and self parking is free after 6pm.Single-day park tickets will be at Value pricing all week. One-day base tickets to Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure will run you $110 per adult, and $105 per child (plus tax). 2-Park 1-Day tickets are $165 per adult and $160 per child (plus tax). A one-day ticket for Volcano Bay will be $67 per adult and $62 per child (plus tax).Notable HighlightsIf you plan to visit Halloween Horror nights on the weekends, you may want to consider the Halloween Horror Nights Express Pass. You can learn about and purchase the pass here.Dates for the 2018 A Celebration of Harry Potter were announced this week! Never too early to start planning for this magical weekend!See you next week! Share This!The Universal Orlando Preview is brought to you by Storybook Destinations. Storybook Destinations specializes in Disney and Universal travel, is consistently highly rated by our readers, and is owned by our own blogger extraordinaire, Tammy Whiting. Storybook also offers free subscriptions to TouringPlans to clients with qualified bookings.Welcome back! I’d like to take a second to say that I hope all that were directly affected by Hurricane Irma are safe. If your trip was interrupted or rescheduled due to the storm, or you are just needing an escape, let’s see how you can unwind at Universal Orlando this week!Weekly Crowd LevelPlease note these are the projected crowd levels at the time of publication. Due to many guests needing to change vacation plans at the last minute due to Irma, crowd levels may fluctuate. Detailed crowd level information can be found here.Weekly Weather ReportMid-week is looking good!! Check out the latest weather forecast here.Weekly Park Hours and Admission
Photo: Andreas Spaeth The independence and transparency of the Ethiopian investigation into the loss of a Boeing 737 MAX on March 10 which killed all 157 aboard has been called into question by one of the world’s leading crash investigators.Former Senior Crash Investigator with the NTSB Greg Feith said that “it is interesting that almost a month after Ethiopian Flight 302 went down, there is still no “official” information regarding the data that was retrieved from the CVR and DFDR, nor has the investigative team from the U.S. been provided with access to “all” of the data.”READ: FAA expects 737 MAX fix in two weeks.“As I discussed a couple of weeks ago on FB and John Goglia talked about on Fox over the weekend, where is the outrage over the fact the Ethiopian government has either withheld or been slow to provide safety-critical information to the NTSB, FAA, and Boeing,” said Feith.Feith, who is now an air safety consultant and commentator, outlines that under ICAO Annex 13, Ethiopia is the State where the accident occurred, thus they are the lead investigative authority. Annex 13, Chapter 5, Section 5.25, “Participation,” basically states, “Participation in the investigation shall confer entitlement to [designated participants such as the Accredited Representative (NTSB) and its technical advisory team (FAA and Boeing)] to participate in all aspects of the investigation, under the control of the investigator-in-charge, in particular to:a) visit the scene of the accident;b) examine the wreckage;c) obtain witness information and suggest areas of questioning;d) have full access to all relevant evidence as soon as possible [emphasis added by GAF];e) receive copies of all pertinent documents;f) participate in read-outs of recorded media [emphasis added by GAF];g) participate in off-scene investigative activities such as component examinations, technical briefings, tests and simulations;h) participate in investigation progress meetings including deliberations related to analysis, findings, causes and safety recommendations; andi) make submissions in respect of the various elements of the investigation….”In addition, Feith says that the Annex states, “In the event of an accident or an incident, it is important that any State which has assumed responsibility for the safety of an aircraft has the right to participate in an investigation, at least in respect of that responsibility. It is also important that the State conducting the investigation should have speedy access to all documents and other information relevant to that investigation.”Feith said that he is “concerned that the Ethiopian government has yet to share with the investigation participants all of the data so that it can be properly analyzed and interpreted to determine an accurate and logical accident sequence of events, which would include among other things, the initiating event and the crew’s identification of the event and their responding actions.”Unfortunately, the aviation industry (and the public) are building story-lines based on “leaked” factoids that don’t have sufficient or appropriate context. For example, the media has reported that an unidentified pilot is heard on the CVR stating “pitch up pitch up,” yet there is no context for that particular statement. No one outside the Ethiopian government knows for sure what that statement was related to – was it in response to first pitch oscillation, the second pitch oscillation or the final descent? In addition, it would seem logical to assume that if the comment was fact, it was likely made by the First Officer because if the situation was that complex or dire, the Captain would have taken control of the airplane and not made those statements to himself. However, anything is possible and since we don’t know the full extent of the conversations that were recorded on the CVR, or the corroborating data that exists on the DFDR, any number of storylines can be created with the supposed factoid.”Feith adds: “Yes, the Ethiopian government is the investigation authority and they can release to the public as much or as little as they chose. However, as a signatory to ICAO Annex 13, why hasn’t the investigative team been given “full access to all relevant evidence as soon as possible.” This is a safety-of-flight issue after all. I hope I am wrong with this part of the discussion but as far as I know, this has not occurred.”
Tawfik Ali put Yemen in front with an opportunistic strike in the 63rd minute after the Azkals failed to clear a corner.With a second straight draw against the Yemenis, the Azkals improved to eight points, two ahead of Tajikistan and Yemen.FEATURED STORIESSPORTSSEA Games: Biñan football stadium stands out in preparedness, completionSPORTSPrivate companies step in to help SEA Games hostingSPORTSBoxers Pacquiao, Petecio torchbearers for SEA Games openingThe Tajiks are ahead of Yemen on goal difference after beating Nepal, 3-0, in Dushanbe for their second straight winWhile the result didn’t clinch the Azkals an Asian Cup berth, it could ultimately prove crucial as the Filipinos next face Nepal in Kathmandu on Nov. 14.A victory in the Nepalese capital will seal qualification for the Azkals with a game to spare as Yemen will still play Tajikistan in Dushanbe. View comments Ethel Booba on hotel’s clarification that ‘kikiam’ is ‘chicken sausage’: ‘Kung di pa pansinin, baka isipin nila ok lang’ As proven in last month’s 2-2 draw in Bacolod, the Yemenis were always quick to punish the Azkals for their mistakes.And it was an error from Dennis Villanueva that nearly handed the Yemenis the lead four minutes before the break.Villanueva sent his pass out of defense straight at Ala Al-Sasi who took a first time shot from 25 yards only to be denied by the crossbar. The follow up from Al-Matari was weak with Neil Etheridge quick to collect.The Azkals opened the second half with another half chance, but the ball from Ott to Younghusband inside the area was a tad too heavy.The woodwork rescued the Azkals for the second time in the 56th minute when Nabil Hazaea found space in the area and had Etheridge beaten. Two minutes later, Kane had to clear Ali’s header off a corner kick off the line.Yemen finally got its reward just three minutes after the hour mark when Ali poked the ball home after the ball ricocheted off Mulders inside the area.Needing a response, the Azkals quickly brought more men forward with little effect until substitute Junior Muñoz showed grit and determination as he marauded down the right and cut the ball back for Younghusband who took a touch for Mulders.Mike Ott did a fine job staying onside before showing composure to finish as the Azkals summoned their never-say-die spirit to inch closer to a first Asian Cup appearance in 2019. Sports Related Videospowered by AdSparcRead Next ‘A complete lie:’ Drilon refutes ‘blabbermouth’ Salo’s claims LATEST STORIES FILE PHOTO – Mike Ott. Photo by tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.netMike Ott struck in the 89th minute as the Philippines salvaged a 1-1 draw with Yemen early Wednesday to stay on top of Group F of AFC Asian Cup Qualifying at Al Wakrah Stadium in Doha, Qatar.The Azkals struggled to break down the Yemenis for most of the match until Ott, who plays for Angthong United in the Thai first division, got on the end of a clever ball from Paul Mulders and beat Mohammad Ayash at his near post for the equalizer.ADVERTISEMENT Trump to designate Mexican drug cartels as terrorist groups Hotel says PH coach apologized for ‘kikiam for breakfast’ claim With four regular starters out due to injuries, Azkals coach Thomas Dooley was forced to improvise with his lineup.JPV Marikina defender Sean Kane was a surprise starter at central defense in his Azkals debut, while Davao Aguilas’ Simone Rota returned from injury and Daisuke Sato regained his leftback spot.Manny Ott’s absence meant Pika Minegishi was deployed up front with Phil Younghusband placed in an advanced role at midfield.The Azkals came out with more energy and vigor in the opening exchanges but the Yemenis’ speed on attack always posed a threat.Mike Ott forced a corner in the second minute with a deflected effort off a pass from Phil Younghusband.But other than that early opportunity, the Azkals were left wanting in the final third.ADVERTISEMENT MOST READ Argentine bishop appears at court hearing on abuse charges Winter storm threatens to scramble Thanksgiving travel plans Robredo: True leaders perform well despite having ‘uninspiring’ boss PLAY LIST 02:49Robredo: True leaders perform well despite having ‘uninspiring’ boss02:42PH underwater hockey team aims to make waves in SEA Games01:44Philippines marks anniversary of massacre with calls for justice01:19Fire erupts in Barangay Tatalon in Quezon City01:07Trump talks impeachment while meeting NCAA athletes02:49World-class track facilities installed at NCC for SEA Games Jordan delivers on promise: 2 Cobra choppers now in PH Folayang, Nguyen set friendship aside for ONE lightweight title bout Don’t miss out on the latest news and information. No more menthol cigarettes: New ban on tobacco, vape flavors