Coronavirus
Liverpool reiterate need for safe celebrations ahead of Villa clash
Liverpool have again urged their supporters to avoid mass gatherings in the city and to celebrate their Premier League triumph safely at home in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, chief executive Peter Moore said on Friday. Liverpool’s 30-year wait for their 19th English top-flight crown ended last week when Manchester City lost at Chelsea and thousands of fans turned up at their Anfield stadium to celebrate. Local media reported that fans launched fireworks at the Royal Liver Building, with a fire breaking out on the balcony of the landmark owned by Farhad Moshiri, the majority shareholder of the side’s local rivals Everton. Liverpool, Merseyside police and the City Council issued a statement condemning the “wholly unacceptable” behaviour, while manager Juergen Klopp requeste...
FIFA U-20/U-17: CAF set to announce African qualifiers new dates
Getty Images The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is set to announce a revised date for the remaining qualifying matches of the 2021 FIFA U-20 and U-17 Women’s World Cup slated for January to March of next year. Prompt News exclusively gathered that CAF will within a week write Member Associations (MAs) including Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) on the new dates for the African qualifiers which came to a halt at the outbreak of the novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. “I want to assure you that Member Associations will next week or before then receive directives from CAF headquarters on the new dates for the African qualifier matches. I can confirm that CAF Competitions Department, Youth Department and Organising Committee are currently working out the modalities for the restart ...
Nick Cave’s ‘Idiot Prayer’ Virtual Concert Will Feature ‘Rare Tracks’
Nick Cave, like the rest of us, is stuck in lockdown and waiting for the (coronavirus) cloud to lift. He’s not been sat idle. Just last month, the veteran Australian singer, songwriter and bandleader shot Idiot Prayer: Nick Cave Alone at London’s Alexandra Palace, footage from which will stream in full on July 23. The ARIA Hall of Fame-inducted artist performed songs from his back catalogue, including early Bad Seeds and Grinderman, through to the most recent Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds album, Ghosteen, and “rare tracks that most fans will be hearing for the first time,” reads a statement. Idiot Prayer was filmed by the acclaimed cinematographer Robbie Ryan (The Favourite, Marriage Story, American Honey) in Ally Pally’s cavernous West Hall, a venue he filled out 15 years ago, well before...
‘Hamilton’ Parody Makes Light of the Debate Over Wearing Face Masks: Watch
The ongoing mask debate across the United States has gotten the Hamilton treatment just in time for the musical’s Disney+ premiere this weekend. A YouTube parody brings the coronavirus pandemic pro-mask and anti-mask sides head to head, with lyrics themed the soundtrack of Hamilton. The clip, uploaded by the Holderness Family, gets straight to the topic as it opens with a call-and-response to the tune of “Aaron Burr, Sir”: “Pardon me, do you have germs, sir?” “No, I don’t — and that’s my business, not yours, sir. I have my rights and have my freedom.” “To be sure, sir…” “But this corona is a sham.” “I’m getting nervous, sir.” The humorous song goes on to address everything from the v...
No Laughing Matter: D.L. Hughley Says He Unknowingly Spread The Coronavirus To His Team
Source: Michael S. Schwartz / Getty It turns out there were more consequences to D.L. Hughley testing positive for COVID-19. The actor/comedian had fans worried when he suddenly passed out during a standup show at a Tennessee comedy club. He provided us with an update that he fainted due to exhaustion and dehydration but also learned that he tested positive for COVID-19. Hughley didn’t experience any symptoms and is considered an asymptomatic carrier of COVID-19. Hughley revealed in an exclusive interview with TMZ, that he has a pretty good idea where he caught the coronavirus and that he unknowingly spread the virus to his radio show team and son. He jokingly referred to himself as a “regular Typhoid Mary.” Per TMZ: “Hughley says he was in Dallas for a few days — where COV...
Only a Third of Americans Want to Return to Movie Theaters in 2020: Survey
While Hollywood is adamant on getting theaters re-opened, Americans don’t exactly share that sentiment. According to a new poll conducted by The Hollywood Reporter, only a third of Americans say they’d go see a movie in 2020. The publication, in conjunction with global data intelligence company Morning Consult, surveyed 2,200 people from June 26th to June 29th. Ultimately, their findings reveal a country that’s much too hesitant on returning to theaters. As the report indicates, 65% of Americans are “very unlikely” to return to theaters immediately with 35% writing off the experience altogether in 2020. In fact, 19% wouldn’t change their minds even if masks are required. However, half of those Americans say they would return within the first few months of 2021. And not surprisingly, t...
Ed Sheeran, Rolling Stones and More U.K. Music Stars Plead With Government for Live Sector Aid
Some 1,500 artists backing #LetTheMusicPlay warn of ‘mass insolvencies’ from ongoing concert lockdowns due to COVID-19. Some of the U.K.’s biggest music stars are pleading with their government to come to the aid of the £4.5 billion ($5.6 billion) live music sector during the coronavirus lockdown, warning that government support is vital to prevent “mass insolvencies.” A group of 1,500 artists — including Ed Sheeran, Dua Lipa, The Rolling Stones, Rita Ora and many others — signed a letter to Oliver Dowden, the secretary of state for digital, culture, media and sport, urging the government to create a funding package for the live sector similar to what Germany’s government did last month. “With no end to social distancing in sight or financial support from government yet agreed,...
Novak Djokovic, wife recover from coronavirus
Novak Djokovic and his wife Jelena, who last week both tested positive for coronavirus following his exhibition tournament in the Balkans, have now tested negative, his press service said Thursday. Neither the 33-year-old player nor his partner felt any symptoms, the statement said. The couple had been self-isolating since returning to Belgrade from Zadar in Croatia, the town which hosted the second leg of Djokovic’s ill-fated Adria Tour. Four players — Djokovic, Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki — tested positive for the virus after the event which saw little social distancing and packed stands. The world number one’s coach Goran Ivanisevic also contracted COVID-19. Players had embraced across the net, played basketball and even danced in a nightclub during the week of the f...
Jay-Z Made In America Festival 2020 Officially Cancelled
Source: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz You knew this was going to happen. Jay-Z’s annual Made In America Festival had been cancelled this year due to the coronavirus. Roc Nation issued a statement on Wednesday (July 1) announcing that it was officially grand opening, grand closing. “2020 is a year like no other,” reads part of the statement. “We are in a pivotal time in this nation’s history. Collectively, we are fighting parallel pandemics, COVID-19, systematic racism, and police brutality. Now is the time to protect the health of our artists, fans, partners, and community as well as focus on our support for organizations and individuals fighting for social justice and equality in our country. Therefore, the Made In America festival will be rescheduled for Labor Day Weekend 2021.” The MI...
Vanilla Ice to Perform In Texas Despite Surge in Virus Cases
Robert Matthew Van Winkle, best known by his stage name Vanilla Ice, is scheduled to perform at the Emerald Point Bar & Grill in Austin, Texas on Friday, according to a social media post from the venue. The concert, dubbed “Independence Day Throwback Beach Party,” will celebrate the Fourth of July holiday on an outdoor stage. This event arrives amid the surge in COVID-19 cases across Texas. According to The Texas Tribune, the number of COVID-19 cases has nearly quadrupled since Memorial Day. As of Wednesday, the state reported 8,000 new cases and 21 additional deaths. 2,481 people in Texas have died from COVID-19, with 168,062 Texans testing positive. There were 3,000 hospitalized in the Houston region, with 800 in intensive care. “We are looking forward to a fun and ...
Austin City Limits 2020 Festival Officially Canceled
Austin City Limits has officially canceled its 2020 festival amid ongoing concerns over the coronavirus pandemic. The Texas music festival was quietly holding out hope that it could continue as scheduled for this fall, likely because this year marks the 20th anniversary of Austin City Limits and special celebrations were in the works for such. Thankfully, ACL will celebrate that milestone next year when it returns to Zilker Park on October 1st – 3rd and October 8th – 10th in 2021. “We would have loved to put on another memorable show this year, however, with the uncertainty surrounding the current situation in Texas, this decision is the only responsible solution,” ACL organizers wrote in a statement. “The health and safety of our fans, artists, partners, staff, and the entire Austin commu...
Rona Rumble: Black Man Cracks White Man Over The Head With A Bottle During Bar Brawl
Source: Yui Mok – PA Images / Getty Rona has people on edge and understandably so. One white man learned the hard way not to invade the space of a Black man and his girlfriend. Another day, some more white folks have lost their minds. A video is making its rounds on social media highlighting a bar brawl that took place on Saturday (Jun.27) at an Arkansas bar that started over social distancing, according to witnesses. According to a police report, a Black woman wearing a mask is visibly upset, issued some stern warnings to a white couple who she claimed was sitting entirely too close to them. According to an employee at the establishment, Karen was “purposely coughing on other customers.” A white man wearing the official uniform of MAGA fans, a ‘USA’ T-shirt, also was antagonizing th...
