US Women's equal pay claim dismissed by court
The lawsuit was filed by 28 women's national team players last year against the US Soccer Federation (USSF).
They had been seeking $66m (£52.8m) in damages under the Equal Pay Act.
Molly Levinson, the players' spokeswoman, said that they planned to appeal against the decision.
"We are shocked and disappointed," said Levinson. "We will not give up our hard work for equal pay.
"We are confident in our case and steadfast in our commitment to ensuring that girls and women who play this sport will not be valued as lesser just because of their gender."Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee for US president in this year's election, told the team to not "give up this fight", adding:
"This is not over yet.
"To US Soccer: equal pay, now. Or else when I'm president, you can go elsewhere for World Cup funding."Federal judge Gary Klausner allowed the players' case for unfair treatment in travel, housing and medical support to go to trial, which is set for 16 June in Los Angeles.
Giving its ruling, the court said:
"The women's team has been paid more on both a cumulative and an average per-game basis than the men's team over the class period."The US team won the Women's World Cup last summer for their fourth title overall. They have also won five Olympic gold medals.
After the equal pay claim was dismissed, striker Megan Rapinoe, who won the Golden Ball and Golden Boot at last year's World Cup, tweeted:
"We will never stop fighting for equality."Fellow US striker Alex Morgan said:
"Although disappointing to hear this news, this will not discourage us in our fight for equality."The USSF said it wanted to work with the team to "chart a positive path forward to grow the game both here at home and around the world".
Its statement added: "US Soccer has long been the world leader for the women's game on and off the field and we are committed to continuing that work."
More Premier League clubs open to using neutral venues if relegation is removed
Top-flight clubs have been told that using up to 10 neutral stadiums will be the only way to complete the season.
Brighton say they are "not in favour" of using neutral venues because it may affect the "integrity" of the league.
Clubs near the bottom of the table feel it is unfair to play in such different conditions when at risk of relegation.
The Premier League has been suspended since 13 March because of the coronavirus pandemic but all clubs are committed to playing the 92 remaining fixtures of the 2019-20 season if and when safe to do so.
Clubs accept matches may need to be played behind closed doors for an extended period and that it may well not be financially viable to wait until normal playing conditions, such as having fans attending, can resume.
However, those near the bottom are concerned playing matches at neutral stadiums, behind closed doors and with the ongoing uncertainty over the availability of players whose contracts expire on 30 June makes for a vastly different situation to that in which their first 28 or 29 fixtures this season were played.
They argue it is impossible to uphold the integrity of the competition under these circumstances.
Brighton chief executive Paul Barber said the club "fully appreciate why playing behind closed doors is very likely to be a necessary compromise to play our remaining games".
However, he added:
"At this critical point in the season, playing matches in neutral venues has, in our view, potential to have a material effect on the integrity of the competition."Clubs who risk losing large amounts of money if relegated are also worried their finances could take a further hit if they still have to play matches behind closed doors in next year's Championship.
If there was no relegation from the Premier League, two or three teams could still be promoted from this year's Championship and a 22- or 23-team top flight run next season.
A major factor in the decision to require neutral venues is reducing the chance of fans congregating, and the selection of grounds will be largely based on a rating from the police and the Sports Grounds Safety Authority.
Tokyo 2020 Olympics will be 'scrapped' instead of delayed again, says Games chief
Tokyo 2020 is now scheduled to run from 23 July to 8 August next year after being delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Health experts have cast doubt on whether the Games could be held next summer without a vaccine or effective drugs to treat Covid-19 being found.
When asked if the event could be moved again to 2022, Mori replied: "No".
"In that case, the Olympics will be scrapped," he added.However, the Tokyo 2020 president said he was confident the rescheduled Games would go ahead.
"This Olympics would be much more valuable than any Olympics in the past if we could go ahead with it after winning this battle," he told Nikkan Sports.
"We have to believe this, otherwise our hard work and efforts will not be rewarded."The president of Japan's medical association, Yoshitake Yokokura, said on Tuesday it will be "difficult" to hold the Olympics in 2021 without vaccines or effective drugs being developed.
"I am not saying that Japan should or shouldn't host the Olympics, but that it would be difficult to do so," he said.
Hungarian Grand Prix to be held without fans
The country's government announced on Thursday a ban on all gatherings of more than 500 people until 15 August.
Organisers said they had "pursued all possible ways" to stage the event with fans but this was "no longer possible".
They added:
"It is now evident that any F1 race in Hungary can now only be held behind closed doors."The statement said that holding a race without spectators was "not an ideal scenario [but] we do believe that staging the event behind closed doors - which our fans can still watch on television - is preferable to not having a race at all.
"Furthermore, it will also ensure that a global audience of millions can still watch the race taking place in Hungary via F1's vast international broadcast coverage. As such, we are continuing our working with F1 to try and find a way to make this possible."
A race at the Hungaroring is part of Formula 1's plans to revive the 2020 championship this summer, once conditions in enough countries allow.
The race was originally scheduled for 2 August, but the F1 calendar has been almost completely ripped up, and published dates effectively irrelevant, as the sport's bosses seek to re-shape the season and fit in enough races for a legitimate championship.
Hungarian organisers are confident their race will be able to go ahead at a date later in the summer.
Organisers believe the grand prix could run as a closed event and be allowed more than 500 people as without spectators it would be classed as a broadcast operation not an event.
And the date they are working on with F1 is after the current restrictions end.
Hungary has become the second race to announce that it will be held without fans, after Silverstone.
from Bola Esho's Blog
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