The highly anticipated Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool, scheduled for Saturday, December 7, at 12:30 GMT, has been postponed due to severe weather caused by Storm Darragh.

A Saturday statement on the club website revealed this.

It is titled, “Everton v Liverpool postponed because of bad weather.”

The Merseyside derby was supposed to the opener game for game week 14 this weekend.

An emergency Safety Advisory Group meeting held at Goodison Park this morning, involving officials from both clubs, Merseyside Police, and Liverpool City Council, deemed the match unsafe due to strong wind gusts and an amber severe wind warning in effect until 6:00 GMT on Sunday.

In a joint decision, the fixture was called off to ensure the safety of fans, players, and staff, as high winds overnight also caused significant travel disruptions across Merseyside.

Everton, Liverpool statement
Everton expressed their regret over the postponement, stating, “We apologise for the inconvenience caused and thank supporters for their understanding.

“Whilst we appreciate this will be deeply disappointing for supporters, the safety of fans, staff, and players is of paramount importance.

“Information relating to a rearranged date for the fixture will be announced in due course. All tickets purchased for the original fixture will remain valid for the rearranged fixture.”

Liverpool echoed similar sentiments, adding “We appreciate this will be deeply disappointing for supporters, but the safety of fans, staff, and players is of paramount importance.

“Severe weather and high winds have also resulted in severe travel disruption in and around Merseyside.”

Travel Chaos, FPL Implications
Storm Darragh has wreaked havoc across the region, with gale-force winds disrupting travel and causing dangerous conditions. Fans travelling to the game faced major difficulties, solidifying the decision to postpone the fixture.

For Fantasy Premier League managers, the deadline to finalise squads remains unchanged at 11:00 GMT on Saturday, despite the postponement of this fixture.

Next Steps
Details regarding a new date for the fixture will be announced soon. Fans are advised to retain their tickets, which will remain valid for the rescheduled match.

This postponement underlines the unpredictable impact of extreme weather on football, as safety takes precedence over all else. Rugby union and horse racing were also affected among other matches.

Merseyside Police have advised against any non-essential travel in the region on Saturday, with an amber weather warning in place, Skysports reports.

It was set to be the final derby taking place at Goodison before Everton move to their new stadium.

Tennis icon Serena Williams has dismissed speculation that she bleaches her skin, following a viral video that sparked online debate.

During an Instagram Live session, the 43-year-old addressed the rumours while walking fans through her makeup routine. She attributed the perceived difference in her skin tone to lighting and stage makeup she had worn while volunteering at her daughter Olympia’s school play.

“There is a thing called sunlight, and in that sunlight, you get different colours,” Williams explained.

She emphasized her pride in her identity, saying, “I’m a dark Black woman, and I love who I am and how I look. That’s just not my thing.”

While firmly denying the allegations, she acknowledged that skin-lightening practices are a personal choice for some: “If people do it, that’s their thing, and they have every opportunity, and they should. I don’t judge. But no, I actually don’t bleach my skin. So can we just kind of clear that up?”

The video that ignited the rumors showed Williams with her husband, Alexis Ohanian, volunteering at Olympia’s school play.

Comments flooded social media, with some speculating that her lighter appearance was due to chemical peels or makeup, while others defended her, attributing the change to lighting or the absence of extended sun exposure following her retirement.

NewsSerena Williams denies skin bleaching rumors amid backlash

Published 3 hours ago on December 3, 2024By Faith Alofe

Tennis icon Serena Williams has dismissed speculation that she bleaches her skin, following a viral video that sparked online debate.

During an Instagram Live session on Monday, the 43-year-old addressed the rumors while walking fans through her makeup routine.

Responding directly to critics, Williams stated, “And no, for you haters out there, I do not bleach my skin.”

She attributed the perceived difference in her skin tone to lighting and stage makeup she had worn while volunteering at her daughter Olympia’s school play.

“There is a thing called sunlight, and in that sunlight, you get different colors,” Williams explained.

She emphasized her pride in her identity, saying, “I’m a dark Black woman, and I love who I am and how I look. That’s just not my thing.”

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While firmly denying the allegations, she acknowledged that skin-lightening practices are a personal choice for some: “If people do it, that’s their thing, and they have every opportunity, and they should. I don’t judge. But no, I actually don’t bleach my skin. So can we just kind of clear that up?”

The video that ignited the rumors showed Williams with her husband, Alexis Ohanian, volunteering at Olympia’s school play.

Comments flooded social media, with some speculating that her lighter appearance was due to chemical peels or makeup, while others defended her, attributing the change to lighting or the absence of extended sun exposure following her retirement.

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“She’s retired from playing tennis in the sun, 12 hours a day. People are so weird and stupid,” one supporter wrote.

Another added, “She ain’t bleaching; she just doesn’t know how to do her makeup.”

Williams also pointed out that her golden bathroom wallpaper and lighting can sometimes alter the way her skin tone appears in photos and videos.

Williams, who turned 43 in September, has been retired from professional tennis since her final appearance at the 2022 US Open.

Dozens of people were killed Sunday in clashes between fans at a football match in N’Zerekore, Guinea’s second largest city, hospital sources told AFP, describing scenes of mass carnage.

“There are bodies lined up as far as the eye can see in the hospital. Others are lying on the floor in the hallways. The morgue is full,” one doctor said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak to the media.

He said “there are around 100 dead”, with bodies filling the local hospital and morgue. Another doctor said there were “dozens of dead”.

Videos circulating on social media, which AFP was unable to immediately verify, showed scenes of chaos in the street outside the match and numerous bodies lying on the ground.

Angry demonstrators also vandalised and set fire to the N’Zerekore police station, according to witnesses.

“It all started with a contested decision by the referee. Then fans invaded the pitch,” a witness told AFP, asking that his name be withheld for safety reasons.

Local media said the match was part of a tournament organised in honour of Guinea’s junta leader, Mamadi Doumbouya, who seized power in a 2021 coup and has installed himself as president.

Such tournaments have become common in the West African nation as Doumbouya eyes a potential run in presidential elections expected next year and political alliances form.

– Prolonged transition –

Doumbouya seized power by force in September 2021 by overthrowing President Alpha Conde, who had placed the then-colonel in charge of an elite force tasked with protecting the head of state from such coups.

Under international pressure, he pledged to hand power back to a civilian government by the end of 2024 but has since made clear he will not.

The military leader “exceptionally” promoted himself to the rank of lieutenant general in January and last month he elevated himself to the rank of army general.

Doumbouya has presided over an ongoing crackdown on dissent, with many opposition leaders detained, brought before the courts or forced into exile.

A “transitional charter” drawn up by the junta shortly after the coup said that no member of the junta could stand in either national or local elections.