Exclusive invitations

POITIERS, France: Four Tour de France teams, including that of defending champion Egan Bernal, are racing on a knife edge after one of their members tested positive for the coronavirus amid confusion over how exclusion rules will apply. The rules state that should two members of a team test positive within a seven-day period, the whole outfit will be excluded from the race. Yet a source with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters that organisers may backtrack and reset the day-count after consultation with the French government. Apart from Bernal's Ineos-Grenadiers, the other teams who had one staff member test positive for the coronavirus are AG2R-La Mondiale, Cofidis and Mitchelton-Scott. Half of each team was tested last Sunday and the other half last Monday and they will be tested again next Sunday and Monday in the same way. This means that if any of the positive tests were from last Monday then the team risks exclusion should they have another positive test on … [Read more...] about Teams race on a knife edge amid confusion over COVID-19 exclusion rules

REUTERS: Asian Cup champions Qatar have been invited to the CONCACAF Gold Cup, becoming the first side from the Middle East to take part in the tournament following a joint agreement between the two confederations. Qatar, who host the next men's World Cup finals in 2022, have been invited to the Gold Cup next year and in 2023, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) said in a statement on Thursday. AFC President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa said the agreement that was signed in 2017 was designed for not only greater co-operation between the confederations but also to help develop match officials and operational staff. Qatar will be the second Asian team to take part in the Gold Cup, which is the continental tournament for teams from the CONCACAF region of North and Central America and the Caribbean, after South Korea were invited in 2000 and 2002. The 2021 Gold Cup is scheduled for the United States from July 2-25. (Reporting by Greg Stutchbury in Wellington; Editing … [Read more...] about Soccer: Asian champs Qatar first Gulf side invited to CONCACAF Gold Cup

ONLY half of young people in the UK are exclusively attracted to the opposite sex, new research has revealed. A survey by research group Ipsos Mori has revealed that 50 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds (known as Generation Z) are "only attracted to those of the opposite sex". But the researchers - who quizzed 1,127 Brits - found that the proportion of people who are only attracted to the opposite sex increased with age, The Times reports. It comes as celebrities such as Miley Cyrus , Cara Delevingne , Riverdale's Lili Reinheart and Willow Smith revealed they are attracted to both sexes over the past few years. Psychologists believe the study - which found similar results in the US - shows a generational shift in how young people view sexuality. Karen Blair, an expert in the psychology of sexual orientation at Trent University, told the publication: "The increases at least partially represent an increase in willingness and ability to come out. "Each recent … [Read more...] about Only half of young people are exclusively attracted to opposite sex, new survey reveals

REUTERS: China's ByteDance told engineers of its popular short-video app TikTok this week to make contingencies should it need to shut down its U.S. operations, even as it works toward divesting them, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday. ByteDance has been ordered by President Donald Trump to divest TikTok in the United States, amid security concerns over the personal data it handles. Microsoft Corp and Oracle Corp are among U.S. companies vying to acquire the assets of TikTok, which claims about 100 million monthly active users in the U.S. ByteDance is expected to pick a bidder to enter into exclusive talks as early as Friday, according to the sources. Trump issued an executive order on Aug. 6 that would ban transactions with TikTok and its Chinese parent in 45 days. While TikTok has filed a lawsuit challenging the order, it is preparing for the possibility that it will have to shut down if it has not reached a deal with an acquirer by mid-September, the sources … [Read more...] about Exclusive: ByteDance asks TikTok to draw up US shutdown contingencies

NICE, France: French health authorities have introduced stricter regulations for exclusions from the Tour de France in the event of coronavirus cases, hours before the race is due to start. The government's interministerial crisis committee has ruled that a team should be pulled out if two or more of its members test positive within seven days, race organisers said on Saturday. Until now this year's race, which gets under way in Nice on Saturday, was operating under International Cycling Union (UCI) guidelines for teams to be excluded if two or more riders were to test positive over the same period. The new regulations from the committee, which overrules the UCI, cover support staff as well as riders, organisers told Reuters. Tour teams comprise eight riders and a maximum of 22 support staff. Organisers however said that the Lotto Soudal team, which saw two staff members test COVID-positive on Thursday, remained in the race because the stricter measure did not take effect … [Read more...] about Tour’s COVID-19 exclusion rules toughened on race day one