Author: James Martin
WHEN HARRY MET WALLIESWhile The Fiver is happy to concede that it is invariably “a small minority” of England fans who tend to behave like strutting, entitled numbskulls, unfortunately it is they who tend to leave the most lasting impression. Just as the loudest, most stupid voices tend to get the most attention on social media disgraces, it is the loudest, most stupid Ingerland fans who tend to sing about German bombers, stick fireworks up their nether regions and “occupy” foreign city squares.Last night, they were at it again. As the England team was read out over the Wembley Tannoy,…
Here’s some more on Joe Biden speaking later about the Covid-19 pandemic. The president is set to announce a new White House initiative to incorporate a “one-stop shop website” designed to give Americans better access to tools and information in fighting coronavirus. The president will announce that the US is at “a new moment in the pandemic” with lifesaving tools such as improved testing, vaccines and treatments available, and that the website covid.gov will consolidate guidance into a single point of information. “With a click of a button, people will be able to find where to access all of these…
Non-league Staines Town have suspended all football operations with immediate effect due to a dispute with their landlord. Making the announcement on Tuesday, the club issued an extraordinary statement in which numerous allegations were made against Downing LLP, including breaches of the modern slavery act.Downing LLP have strenuously denied what they describe as “wild allegations”, labelling them an attempt to deflect attention from mismanagement of the club by its owner, Joe Dixon.Staines Town sit bottom of Isthmian League Southern Central Division and were due to host Chipstead on Saturday but that fixture will now not be fulfilled due to the…
The main suspect on trial for the 2015 Paris terrorist attacks has refused to explain his exact role in the series of suicide bombings and shootings that left 130 people dead and many more injured.It was supposed to be the most anticipated day in the nine-month trial as Salah Abdeslam took the stand on Wednesday to explain why he had not activated his suicide vest on 13 November 2015.However, there were groans from victims as well as friends and family present in the Paris court, when he announced: “I am exercising my right to remain silent.”Questioned by the lead judge,…
A teenager has been jailed for six weeks for racially abusing Marcus Rashford on Twitter after the Euro 2020 final, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has said.Justin Lee Price, 19, of Worcester, was sentenced on Wednesday at Kidderminster magistrates court, in Worcester.He directed a slur at the 24-year-old Manchester United striker after England’s defeat in a penalty shootout against Italy last summer.Price previously admitted one count of sending a grossly offensive message by a public communication network at a hearing at Worcester magistrates court on 17 March.He initially tried to avoid detection by changing his Twitter username after the post…
Mayor Eric Adams announced the expansion of the program, known as the Citywide Doula Initiative, on Wednesday. The project aims to provide access to doulas for 500 families by the end of June, according to Adams’ statement.A doula is a “professional labor assistant who provides physical and emotional support” during pregnancy and childbirth, according to the Mayo Clinic. Doulas are not required to have any professional health care experience. Nurse midwives, by contrast, are “advanced-practice providers” and are able to provide medical care, like by prescribing medications.Families benefiting from the program will receive three prenatal home visits from a trained…
The European Commission is calling for an end to fast fashion by 2030, as it announced a vast expansion of eco-design rules that could in future apply to any product, starting with textiles.The EU executive also wants large companies to disclose how much unsold stock they send to landfill, as part of a wide-ranging plan to crack down on throwaway culture.EU eco-design rules, which set energy efficiency standards for a host of consumer goods, such as toasters and washing machines, will also in future cover durability and recyclability. Manufacturers, for example, may have to use a certain amount of recycled…
The hardest-hit region was the Northeast, where BA.2 caused more than 70% of all cases. The South and Mountain West saw the fewest cases. BA.2 caused slightly more than one-third of infections in those regions last week.Though BA.2 is still just taking the stage in the US, it has had prominent runs in many other parts of the world, including Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific, and is winding down its European tour.According to the World Health Organization, BA.2 is also the main cause of Covid-19 globally, out-muscling two other Omicron lineages, BA.1 and BA 1.1, to become the dominant…
Rate, review, share on Apple Podcasts, Soundcloud, Audioboom, Mixcloud, Acast and Stitcher, and join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and email. On the podcast today; England beat Ivory Coast 3-0 at Wembley – but what can we learn from the game? Especially after Serge Aurier’s red card. The conversation about supporting the England team started by Barney on Monday’s show continues. Elsewhere, Portugal and Poland progress to the World Cup along with five nations in Africa – Egypt miss out with Mo Salah swarmed by lasers in their penalty shootout against Senegal. Plus, the almost farcical qualification process in Oceana…
More on our top story: Germany has declared an “early emergency” for gas supplies, convened a crisis group to monitor the situation, and is moving closer to gas rationing, ahead of Moscow’s Thursday deadline for gas payments in roubles. Germany, Europe’s largest economy, is particularly reliant on Russia for natural gas. The German economy minister Robert Habeck called on consumers and businesses to reduce consumption, telling them “every kilowatt hour counts”. While supplies were safe for now, “we must increase precautionary measures to be prepared for an escalation on the part of Russia”. Vladimir Putin said on 23 March that…