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29 March 2024

Best of Web: Pundits red carded in sexism row

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By Staff & Agencies

Pundits red carded in sexism row

(GETTY IMAGES)

A pair of British television football pundits caught up in a sexism row have been dropped from covering Monday's Premier League game between Bolton and Chelsea.

Andy Gray, the former Scotland international, and Richard Keys were stood down by Sky Sports after making "unacceptable remarks" off-air about a woman assistant referee officiating at Saturday's match between Wolves and Liverpool.

Gray, a pundit, and Keys, a presenter, caused a stir when believing their microphones to be switched off discussed lineswoman Sian Massey and agreeing that female officials "don't know the offside rule".

Keys added: "I can guarantee you there'll be a big one today. (Liverpool manager) Kenny (Dalglish) will go potty."
Keys, who has been in trouble before with remarks made off air but caught on microphone, later apologised to Massey after he had been told he would not be presenting the Monday night game - Massey accepted it.

Barney Francis, managing director of Sky Sports, said: "I have spoken directly to both Richard Keys and Andy Gray this morning.
"Those views are inexcusable, entirely inconsistent with our ethos as a business and employer, and will rightly offend many of our customers, our people, and the wider public.

"They are inexcusable from anyone at Sky, regardless of their role or seniority.

"We have dealt with this matter by taking immediate disciplinary action.

"As with any employee it would not be right to go into detail on those proceedings.

"However, they have been clearly warned about their behaviour and reminded of their responsibilities.

"In addition, Richard and Andy will not be involved in any way with tonight's live Monday Night Football."

The Football Association gave their support to Massey, and England captain Rio Ferdinand also stepped in to the row, defending Massey against the Sky duo's "prehistoric views".

Ferdinand, writing on his Twitter account, said: "I'm all for women refereeing in football, discrimination should not happen in our game at all...prehistoric views if you think otherwise."

Massey defied Keys and Gray's opinions by making a correct borderline call in the build-up to Liverpool's first goal at Molineux, and Ferdinand added: "Did anyone see the decision the lineswoman made in the Liverpool vs Wolves game...top decision. Judge them like men on their ability to ref."

The FA gave their reaction in a statement which read: "The FA has made real strides in encouraging both male and female match officials to enter the game at every level, and will continue to offer every encouragement to all officials within the football family to progress to the highest levels possible.

"We are proud to have some of the world's best match officials, both male and female.
"Overall the number of female referees in England (Levels 1-8) stands at 853 and climbing, and all of our female match officials act as fantastic ambassadors for the game.

"They have our wholehearted and continuing support." AFP

Test drive goes horribly wrong

CONNECTICUT: An editor of wealth management magazine worth crashed a $250,650.00 Bentley in Connecticut during a test drive.

Kate Winick, the senior editor for the magazine that advises high-net-worth people how to manage their money, was test-driving a new Continental GTC Speed 8011, in Ridgefield, Connecticut, when she lost control of the pricey convertible on an icy road and had to swerve to avoid a parked UPS truck, Women's Wear Daily  reported.

“Lost its bumper,” is how Winick described last week's crash to the media. She said people at the car company were “lovely.”

“You know, they deal with this stuff all the time,” she added.

The car had to be towed back to New York City. It will get a mention in the next edition of the magazine, the report said.

Super-volcano set to erupt?

WYOMING: Two-thirds of the US could become uninhabitable if the super-volcano beneath Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming erupts for the first time in 600,000 years.

Spewing lava far into the sky, a cloud of plant-killing ash would fan out and dump a layer 10ft deep up to 1,000 miles away, reports Daily Mail.

Yellowstone National Park’s caldera has erupted three times in the last 2.1 million years and researchers monitoring it told the daily the world could be in for another eruption.

The super-volcano underneath the Wyoming park has been rising at a record rate since 2004 - its floor has gone up three inches per year for the last three years alone, the fastest rate since records began in 1923.
 
Mother's fiery fury at teen love

(AGENCY)

AUSTRALIA: A woman set fire to her neighbour's house while he was inside after he declared his love for her 16-year-old daughter, a court in Australia has heard.
 
Geelong County Court was told Vicki Clayton had committed a "long, persistent and particularly scary attack on her vulnerable victim" by setting fires all around his house, The Geelong Advertiser reported.

One of the fires caused $30,000 damage to the Office of Housing property, claimed the daily.

Clayton, 38, pleaded guilty to charges of arson, reckless conduct endangering a person and unlawful assault.

Crown Prosecutor said the victim lived two doors from Clayton, who was also aware the victim suffered from schizophrenia and mood changes.

The prosecutor told the court the victim had previously told Clayton he loved her 16-year-old daughter.

But after Clayton fought with her daughter following a heavy drinking session, Clayton accused the victim of being a paedophile and set several fires around his house with a cigarette lighter
 
80 bags of rubbish a year. No more

BRITAIN: Despite ministers' vows, bin police are at it again as families in Britain face being rationed to 80 bags of rubbish a year.

Households throwing away more waste will have to take it to the tip or buy a limited number of extra bags, reports Daily Mail.

The quotas are allegedly the latest attempt by local authorities to cut down on waste to meet EU targets, the paper said. However, the quotas fly in the face of vows from ministers to end such heavyhandedness.

The bag quota regime is to be imposed in Wokingham, Berkshire, and is already in operation in Broxbourne in Hertfordshire, the paper said.

Meanwhile, many of the 180 councils that still offer unrestricted weekly rubbish collections are watching the trial.
 
Dads banned from filming birth

(AP)

VICKTORIA: Video cameras are being banned in birthing suites by Victorian hospitals worried about legal repercussions, staff privacy and unnecessary distractions, reports Herald Sun.

The revelation comes a month after the the daily reported almost $20 million was paid in secret from court settlements in 2009 to families whose babies suffered bungled births in Victoria's public hospitals.

Obstetrics accounted for more compensation payouts than any other field of medicine.

The boom in video recording devices, such as mobile phones, is forcing hospitals to develop protocols on the filming of births - and many are choosing to ban it.