Latest news with #safetyconcerns
News.com.au
a day ago
- Health
- News.com.au
‘Wouldn't put my kids in it': SBW apologises for promoting Run it Straight after New Zealand tragedy
Sonny Bill Williams has apologised for sharing a video promoting 'Run it Straight' just days after a teenager in New Zealand died while playing a similar game with friends. One of the modern game's hardest hitters, Williams played in the pre and post shoulder charge NRL era, and there are plenty of videos on social media of his most brutal tackles. One user found a clip from 2004 of Williams putting a big hit on Penrith's Joel Clinton. Williams shared the footage, to his 1.5 million followers with the caption: 'Playing run it straight before it was called run it straight…' The 39-year-old later apologised after being made aware of the tragedy that took place in New Zealand earlier in the week. Nineteen year old Ryan Satterthwaite died on Monday night after suffering a head injury while playing a private game of 'run it straight' with friends in Palmerston North. Satterthwaite's uncle said he was inspired to give the viral online craze a try after seeing clips of it on social media. 'I put a video up last night, and I just want to ask for forgiveness of the young fulla that passed away,' Williams said in a follow up Instagram story on Saturday. 'Please excuse me for my insensitivity. 'I did not know that had happened. 'I want to talk about it for a second right now. 'I've been asked to collab with the Run it Straight people, or a couple of people, and I haven't. 'Simply because I wouldn't put my kids in it. 'I have safety concerns, and that's just my thoughts on it.' 'Run it straight' has exploded in popularity over the last five months, with videos of big collisions going viral on social media. The new 'sport' has proved controversial though, with dozens of concussion experts, former players, mental health professionals and even Prime Minister of New Zealand condemning the controversial game. Although he has his reservations, Williams believes the trend will continue. 'I'd like weight classes and rules around head contact, but also age and experience classes as well,' he said. 'It's gonna carry on, because people love it. It's entertainment. 'But I'd like to see some heavily controlled safety restrictions come in. 'Once again to the family, my love and regards go out to you guys.' Run it Straight touts itself as the world's newest combat sport. It sees two competitors - one attacker with a rugby ball, and one defender - run directly at each other from opposite ends of a 20m 'battlefield.' The huge collisions have seen scary knockouts, concussions and, in one instance, left a man convulsing on the ground. Run it Straight has been widely criticised for the obvious concussion dangers, and several planned events in New Zealand have been cancelled.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Huge pop star's gig cancelled hours before taking the stage after safety scare
SHAKIRA'S latest gig has been cancelled over a safety scare - with just hours to go before she took to the stage. Fans eagerly awaiting her Boston, Massachusetts concert last night were left disappointed after Fenway Park officials abruptly called off the show. Singer Shakira, 48, was set to perform at 7:30pm as part of her Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran World Tour, which is making its way through the U.S. In a surprising move, the venue also canceled the following night's concert with country artists Jason Aldean and Brooks & Dunn. Fenway Park posted a brief message on social media stating: 'Refunds will be available at your point of purchase. We apologize for the inconvenience,' but did not initially explain the reason behind the cancellations. Later, Live Nation revealed the decision came after safety concerns arose during routine pre-show inspections. 'Structural elements were identified as not being up to standard, so the shows were canceled. All team members are safe.' The company confirmed in a statement to USA Today: "Structural elements were identified as not being up to standard, so the shows were canceled. All team members are safe." The last-minute announcement sparked confusion and anger among ticket holders, many of whom took to social media to voice their disappointment. One wrote on Instagram: 'How do two different shows get canceled so close to showtime?' Others felt a refund wasn't enough compensation for their disrupted plans. Someone else fumed, 'This is absolute c**p!' Shakira accidentally confirms Rihanna is 'pregnant' during live slip up on Met Gala red carpet On X, formerly Twitter, another demanded, 'And what was the reason? The show starts in 2 hours. At least put up a more elaborate explanation this is insane.' Her next show is still set to go ahead at Washington, D.C.'s Nationals Park on Saturday night. It comes just weeks after Shakira accidentally confirmed Rihanna's pregnancy on the Met Gala red carpet. The Hips Don't Lie appeared shocked and shrieked in horror when she realized she might have said too much during a live TV interview. Shakira had walked the blue carpet before her former collaborator even arrived. Due to photos of RiRi's baby bump being published before the event, some fans, including Shakira, already assumed she had confirmed her big news. However, before she was ever able to make the baby announcement on her own, Shakira made the almighty slip-up. Speaking to NBC News, Shakira said that Rihanna was the person she was 'most excited' to hang out with on fashion's biggest night. "I want to see Rihanna! I want to see her so bad. And I just heard the news too," she told the interviewer. When the reporter seemed confused as to what Shakira was referring to, she excitedly responded: "She's pregnant!" She then looked horrified as she realized that she had spoken out before Rihanna herself was even able to announce the news. The Grammy-winner put her hands up to her face and looked shocked as she confessed: "Am I not supposed to say that?" She then awkwardly laughed and walked away from the interview. 3 3
The Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Huge £3m adventure park in popular UK seaside town suddenly SHUTS after ‘crumbling concrete' found in roof
POPULAR seaside town's adventure park has been forced to shut after "crumbling concrete" was found on its roof. Building repairs are set to occur on the site after the Raac (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete) was discovered and raised safety concerns. 2 2 Flip Out Poole, which is located in Dorset's The Dolphin Centre, will close from Tuesday June 3 as building repairs are underway. A guest notice from The Flip Out Team has been shared on their website: "We know this isn't the news our amazing Poole community wanted to hear - and we want to say a huge thank you for all the energy, joy and epic memories you've brought through our doors up to now. "All guests with upcoming bookings will be automatically refunded in full, so there's nothing you need to do. We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience this may cause." The Raac concrete which was found on the roof of The Hub is considered to be an unstable material. It is weaker than conventional concrete and susceptible to collapsing, particularly when wet or does not have adequate support from steel beams. The Hub also housed offices for BCP Council workers. It is understood affected areas are only isolated to the Flip Out section of the shopping centre. There is subsequently no imminent danger posed to visitors or staff, according to an investigation by building and structural engineers for The Dolphin centre. Centre manager for The Dolphin, John Grinnell, said: 'Legal & General are committed to a proactive approach to building maintenance. "These works are a proactive measure to avoid any potential unsafe conditions in the future. What is RAAC concrete? 'We sincerely apologise for any inconvenience caused by the closure. Our team aims to complete these works as soon as possible, which will provide a permanent solution and ensure Flip Out Poole can reopen for many years to come." With the Raac concrete found only in one area of the centre, the rest of The Dolphin will remain open as usual whilst the repair works are happening. A post by the general manager of Flip Out was shared on social media, but has since been removed. He wrote: "To be clear this is due to the roof of the facility having been made with Raac concrete. 'The landlord must complete refurbishment works to ensure the building is safe to occupy.' The essential maintenance is being carried out by the landlord of The Dolphin. Raac concrete schools, hospitals and court house buildings. Adventure parks have also been facing challenges this year in terms of closures, which has been send as a blow to children's entertainment sites.
Fox News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Shakira, Jason Aldean concerts abruptly canceled at Boston's Fenway Park over stage safety concerns
Shakira, Jason Aldean and Brooks & Dunn's upcoming concerts were abruptly canceled on Thursday due to concerns about the safety of the stage at Fenway Park in Boston. The Colombian singer was set to perform on Thursday night, while the country star and the country music duo's show was scheduled for Friday night. However, Live Nation announced that the concerts would not go ahead as planned in a statement shared with Fox News Digital. "During a routine pre-show check, structural elements were identified as not being up to standard, so the shows were canceled. All team members are safe," a representative for Live Nation said. Fenway Park also shared the news of the cancellation in a post to the venue's page on X. "Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Shakira and Jason Aldean and Brooks & Dunn performances originally scheduled for May 29th and May 30th respectively at Fenway Park have been canceled. Refunds will be available at your point of purchase. We apologize for the inconvenience," the post read. According to local Boston ABC affiliate WCVB, sources said that the cancelations occurred after the "staging fell apart during rehearsal." The outlet reported that Boston Inspectorial Services conducted an inspection and found that the "staging was not structurally sound." Fox News Digital has reached out to representatives for Shakira, Aldean, Brooks & Dunn and Boston Inspectorial Services for comment. While Shakira has yet to publicly address the cancellations, Aldean and Brooks & Dunn shared Fenway Park's post on their social media platforms. Shakira's show was set to mark the opening of the 2025 Fenway Concert Series. The "Hips Don't Lie" hitmaker is currently on her "Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran" ("Women No Longer Cry") tour, which kicked off on May 13 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and will conclude on June 30 in San Francisco. On Wednesday, Shakira expressed her excitement over performing in Boston in a post on her X page, noting that she would be joined on stage by and Wyclef Jean. "Boston I'm coming! and Wycleff tomorrow! I can't ask for more!! And can't wait to be on stage with all of you!" she wrote. Aldean kicked off his "Full Throttle Tour 2025" in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, last weekend. The "Try That In a Small Town" singer was set to co-headline with Brooks & Dunn for the first time at Friday's concert in Boston. When the one-night-only show was announced in January, Aldean shared a statement that read: "Playing Fenway Park has always been a highlight for me over the years. I love the city of Boston, the people and the energy surrounding the city. Getting to play it with some of my musical heroes, Brooks & Dunn, is going to be one for the ages." Brooks & Dunn, which comprises singer-songwriters Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn, are set to join Morgan Wallen for several dates on his I'm the "Problem 2025" tour this summer. Shakira's show at Fenway Park was canceled just four hours before the Grammy winner was set to take the stage and several fans had already gathered outside the stadium. Local CBS affiliate WBZ News spoke with several fans who expressed their disappointment over the news. "We're a little disappointed because we came from Connecticut to see Shakira. I'm from Barranquilla, Colombia," one fan said. "We just got the news that the concert has been canceled like nine minutes ago." "I'm disappointed," another person told the outlet. "I've never been to a concert, it's my first time. I'm 63 years old and I'm disappointed." "We were supposed to come in November, and she rescheduled her entire tour," said one fan, who had traveled from Florida for Shakira's concert. "So, it's already six months, eight months down the line and it's canceled again so it's definitely sad."
CTV News
3 days ago
- General
- CTV News
‘Pure and utter chaos': Public safety worries prompt possible local state of emergency in B.C. community
The City of Williams Lake is considering a local state of emergency over public safety concerns – and it could happen as early as this weekend.
