Новости за 19.03.2020

The coronavirus has precipitated an unprecedented economic crisis.

THE HAGUE – Britain's Prince Harry told army veterans on Thursday that he was "really sorry" his Invictus Games international sporting event was postponed by at least a year due to the coronavirus outbreak, in a video posted on Twitter.

DUBLIN – The suspension of rugby's PRO14 2019/20 competition has been extended indefinitely and the final scheduled for June has been cancelled due to coronavirus, organisers said on Thursday.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is committed to staging the Tokyo Games as planned from July 24-Aug. 9 despite growing dissent among athletes as the coronavirus pandemic brings world sport to a standstill.

JOHANNESBURG - Balwin Properties sold some 2700 apartments in the year to February 29, compared with 2437 in 2019, evidence of continued strong demand for its lifestyle apartments.

The group said in a trading update yesterday that it held R475 million in cash at year-end, representing an increase of R150m over the previous year.

LONDON – Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta is back to working from home, the club confirmed on Thursday after he had tested positive for coronavirus last week.

CAPE TOWN - The local motor and component manufacturing industry, employing some 475000 jobs nationally, yesterday implemented tough measures to reduce the spread of the Covid-19 virus.

However, unlike some of the global vehicle manufacturers in European countries where the spread of the virus is worse than in South Africa, all local plants would remain operational.

PRETORIA – On 5 March 2020 at the inaugural Fast Company SA Most Innovative Companies ceremony, Pilog Group was awarded to be one of the top 25 of South Africa’s Fast Company – 2020 Most Innovative Companies.

An updated list of major sports events around the world that have been hit by the coronavirus pandemic:

JOHANNESBURG - The minerals Council said yesterday it was ready to use wards in mine hospitals, which had expertise in screening for tuberculosis, for Covid-19 patients.

“This could extend beyond industry employees and regional partnerships established with State health facilities in certain mining regions,” said the council, adding that although its main objective was to serve its members.

Johannesburg - Police have been ordered to pay R5 million as damages to an Eastern Cape man that was arrested for no reason whatsoever in August 2011 and only released five months later.

CAPE TOWN - Two of South Africa’s biggest shopping centre and commercial property companies yesterday outlined the steps they had taken so far to address the growing spread of the Covid-19 virus.

Accelerate, which owns centres such as Fourways Mall and Cedar Square Shopping Centre, has set up a committee of executive and senior managers to monitor the situation, including the implementation of recommendations issued by authorities and health organisations.

BELGRADE – The Serbian government is set to press charges against the country's Real Madrid striker Luka Jovic for breaking his mandatory 28-day coronavirus quarantine, the state Tanjug news agency said on Thursday.

PRETORIA – News came out that Sasol was in trouble after its stock crashed. Sasol's crash has been considered a “biggest crash across all emerging markets”.

JOHANNESBURG – The cut of 100 basis points in the repo rate by the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) on Thursday came for some as a surprise but overall most economists believed that it should have be the minimum.

Nelson Mandela University’s own scientists are urgently producing hand sanitiser as part of its efforts in preventing the spread of the coronavirus.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Sassa beneficiaries were advised to rather access monies via their bank accounts and not rush to paypoints on the first day of payment.

Cape Town - As part of its Covid-19 mitigation measures, the City of Cape Town has decided to temporarily close the Green Point Park as well as the Company’s Garden in the Central Business District.

JOHANNESBURG - African Bank customers were the most satisfied of the country’s six biggest banks in 2019, the South African Customer Satisfaction Index (SA-csi) for Banking reported yesterday.

African Bank toppled Capitec which had been leading the index for six years at a high score of 85 points, a seven-point improvement from the 2018 SA-csi.

Three more people in KZN have tested positive for Covid-19. According to the Health Ministry, things brings the total number of confirmed cases in SA to 150

CAPE TOWN – The Premier Soccer league (PSL) Board of Governors has decided to uphold an earlier decision to suspend the Absa Premiership.

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases on Thursday confirmed 34 new Covid-19 cases in South Africa bringing the total number of coronavirus cases in the country to 150.

GENEVA - More than 200,000 cases of Covid-19 have been reported globally to the World Health Organisation (WHO), among which more than 8,000 people have lost their lives, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said.

CAPE TOWN - Some R4Trillion in shareholder value has been lost on the JSE so far this year due to massive selling triggered by fears of weakening economies and global trade from the Covid-19 virus, JSE chief executive Dr Leila Fourie said yesterday.

With most South Africans’ pensions, savings and investments held in JSE shares, the financial loss to these people has been “extreme”, Fourie said in an interview yesterday.

LONDON – The Latest on the coronavirus outbreak's effect on sports around the world (all times local):