For people hunkering down due to the coronavirus epidemic, the tech sector has become their new best friend with an array of lifestyle solutions making "social distancing" easier.
Those wanting to avoid crowds can have meals delivered from restaurants, stream blockbuster films, socialize online with friends, and work remotely.
The latest tech-inspired lifestyle solutions are gaining traction as more people are advised to work from home, and many conferences and gatherings are cancelled.
Anyone with an internet connection can use Amazon or e-commerce rivals to deliver provisions from groceries to toilet paper and over-the-counter medicine.
"We can have anything and everything delivered to our homes including hard and soft goods, doctor visits, laundry services, and even pet services," said Moor Insights and Strategy principal analyst Patrick Moorhead.
"The irony is that many of the items criticized about technology have become a 'safe' place to escape to in the wake of coronavirus." ...

Tech lifestyles enable 'safe escape' from coronavirus

PTI Automatic

Britain's Tyrrell Hatton fired a one-over par 73 in a brutal third round at windy Bay Hill to seize a two-stroke lead Saturday at the US PGA Arnold Palmer Invitational.
The 28-year-old Englishman, playing only his second tournament since right wrist surgery in November, closed with a dramatic 31-foot birdie putt -- only the day's third birdie at 18 -- to stand on six-under 210.
"It was extremely tough out there," Hatton said.
"You could be made to look pretty silly at times without hitting too bad a golf shot. It was just amazing how much firmer the greens got throughout the day."
Top-ranked Rory McIlroy was hot on his heels after a difficult day in Orlando where the scoring average soared to 76.
"It felt like a US Open out there, so yeah, it was a good test," McIlroy said.
"I'm trying to enjoy it as much as I can." Four-time major winner McIlroy, seeking a sixth consecutive top-five finish, shot 73 to share second on 212 with Australian Marc Leishman.
Another stroke back were South ..

Hatton grabs lead but McIlroy lurks at brutal Bay Hill

Pep Guardiola admitted he never imagined that he would be quite so dominant over Manchester United as Manchester City manager ahead of his side's trip to Old Trafford on Sunday.
Since Guardiola came to England in 2016, City have finished above United every season with a combined points difference of 60 over that time.
Even though City are 25 points behind Premier League champions-elect Liverpool, they still hold a 15-point advantage over their city rivals.
And last Sunday's League Cup success was a sixth major honour for Guardiola in England, compared to two for United in the same period.
"I never expected when I arrived in England to have this distance over United in these three or four years," said Guardiola.
"There are no doubts about United's quality and I appreciate a lot the manager, and he represents the club in an exceptional way.
"When you analyse their players in an individual and collective way, they are so good. That's why I did not expect this gap."
City are looking for a 

Guardiola surprised by City's dominance over Man Utd

The ATP and WTA announced measures aimed at combatting the spread of deadly coronavirus on Saturday, days before the start of the BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells, California.
"As the outbreak of COVID-19 continues to cause concern on a global scale, the ATP and WTA have jointly announced a series of precautionary health measures that will be implemented on-site at upcoming events including the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, the Miami Open presented by Itau and WTA's Volvo Car Open in Charleston," a joint statement from the men's and women's tours said.
Under the new measures, players and mascots won't hold hands when they walk on court. Ball kids at the tournaments will be provided with gloves and won't handle player towels or drinks during matches.
Players will be instructed not to distribute used towels, headbands, shirts and sweatbands -- which are sometimes tossed to fans as souvenirs.  Players also won't accept pens, tennis balls or other items to  be signed.
"The health and .

ATP, WTA announce measures aimed to limit coronavirus spread

Quique Setien insisted Barcelona have not lost their confidence, despite needing a dubious late penalty, converted by Lionel Messi, to scrape past Real Sociedad 1-0 on Saturday inside a frustrated Camp Nou.
Messi's 24th goal of the season, and fifth in four games, was enough to save Barca, despite a drab display that threatened to bring more disappointment following last weekend's loss against Real Madrid.
As tension grew inside Camp Nou, some of the home fans whistled to express their dissatisfaction, which Jordi Alba then seemed to confront when celebrating a late goal, ruled out for offside, by putting his fingers in his ears.
"We have not lost confidence in what we are doing," said Setien.
"The fans sometimes don't expect the opposition to restrict you but you have to take into account that Real Sociedad are a great team." On his own reaction, Alba said:
"I respect the fans but the fans have to respect me. Nobody likes to be whistled, and even less after 15 minutes at 0-0."
Madrid 

Barcelona confidence unaffected by fan frustration, says Setien

World number four Bianca Andreescu won't defend her title at Indian Wells, pulling out of next week's BNP Paribas Open with a left knee injury.
The Canadian was hurt at the WTA Finals in Shenzhen in October, and the injury has delayed her start to the 2020 campaign.
Andreescu withdrew from four events to start the year, including the Australian Open, and said Saturday she wouldn't be at Indian Wells -- where her scintillating run to the title launched a 2019 campaign capped by her first Grand Slam title at the US Open.
"As many of you know, I've been working through an injury I suffered last year during the WTA Finals," Andreescu said in a statement.
"It has been a long road to recovery, and while I was looking forward to getting back on court and defending my title at Indian Wells, unfortunately, I'm still not 100 percent."
Andreescu is just the latest high-profile player to pull out of the elite hardcourt tournament in the California desert.
Reigning Wimbledon champion Simona Halep .

Defending champ Andreescu out of Indian Wells

An inspired performance by Thorgan Hazard against his former club helped Borussia Dortmund claim a crucial three points in the title race with a 2-1 win away at Borussia Moenchengladbach on Saturday.
The match was tense throughout and featured a Bundesliga season-high 10 yellow cards, with players from both teams needing to be pulled away from each other by Dortmund coach Lucien Favre at full-time.
"It was a difficult game. Gladbach are efficient and our first half wasn't great," said Favre.
"But after it was 1-1, we played well - and that was good, very good."
Dortmund took the lead inside 10 minutes when ex-Gladbach midfielder Hazard took a pass from Erling Braut Haaland and shrugged off three defenders to curl a floating shot into the top left-hand corner of the net.
Gladbach equalised in the 50th minute when Lars Stindl tapped in a shot from Alassane Plea to score his fifth goal from his past four games.
The turning point for Dortmund came in the 66th minute when Jadon Sancho -- ..

Hazard inspires Dortmund to win over former side Gladbach

Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho was behind bars on Saturday after being arrested for entering Paraguay on a fake passport, a judge in Asuncion confirmed Saturday.
The two-time world player of the year and his brother Roberto, who was detained with him, had spent the night in the headquarters of the Specialized Police Group in the capital city.
The pair appeared Saturday morning before Judge Clara Ruiz Diaz at the Palace of Justice.
Prosecutor Osmar Legal said Ronaldinho -- his full name is Ronaldo de Assis Moreira -- and his brother were being charged with using false official documents, and he requested that they be held in preventive detention.
The judge agreed. "They committed a serious act that threatens the state," she said, and ordered them held.
A lawyer for the brothers, Tarek Tuma, called the judge's decision "irrational (and) arbitrary" and demanded that the judge recuse herself.
- Visitors and fast food -
==========================
Ronaldinho was the star of Brazil's ..

Judge in Asuncion orders Brazil football icon Ronaldinho held

Mikel Arteta admitted he cannot guarantee Alexandre Lacazette will win back his place in the Arsenal team after the French striker came off the bench to clinch a 1-0 victory against West Ham on Saturday.
Arteta's side struggled to find any momentum for long periods at the Emirates Stadium and could easily have been behind before Lacazette settled a scrappy London derby.
He turned in Mesut Ozil's header with 12 minutes left, but it took several minutes before VAR finally confirmed the German was onside when he laid on the goal.
It was a sweet moment for Lacazette, who has been reduced to a substitute role on several occasions since Arteta took charge in December.
"It is my job to give the manager a big headache. I'm struggling to make the team but I'm happy to score again," said Lacazette, who has three goals in his last four games.
"Now I have to play well again the next game. Everyone wants to give their best." Arteta praised Lacazette's focus in the face of his demotion.
But he said 

Super-sub Lacazette lifts Arsenal's Euro bid

Liverpool moved to within nine points of claiming the Premier League title by coming from behind to beat Bournemouth 2-1 as Tottenham and Wolves missed the chance to put pressure on Chelsea for a top-four finish.
Sheffield United were the big winners in the race for a place in the Champions League next season with a 1-0 win over Norwich to move up to sixth, while Arsenal moved to within five points of the top four by beating West Ham 1-0.
Liverpool had suffered three defeats in four games in all competitions, including their first in the Premier League for 45 matches at Watford last weekend.
Callum Wilson's controversial early opener threatened another major upset. But all of Liverpool's setbacks of late have come away from Anfield and they set an English top-flight record for 22 consecutive home league wins as two quickfire goals from
Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane turned the game around.
The runaway league leaders still needed a miraculous goal-line clearance from James Milner to deny 

Liverpool bounce back, Arsenal close gap on top four

Millions of people were placed under forced quarantine in northern Italy early on Sunday as the government approved drastic measures in an attempt to halt the spread of the deadly coronavirus that is sweeping the globe.
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Twitter he had signed off on plans to strictly limit movement into and out of large areas of the north, including Milan and Venice.
"#Coronavirus, the new decree is finally approved," Conte wrote.

Italy puts large parts of north on virus lockdown: govt

A person who attended a gathering of top US political conservatives including President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence has tested positive for the new coronavirus, officials said Saturday.
The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) is one of the country's largest annual gatherings of political conservatives, attracting thousands, and in addition to Trump and Pence the February 26-29 event near Washington also featured several Cabinet members and top White House officials.
"The exposure occurred previous to the conference. A New Jersey hospital tested the person, and CDC confirmed the positive result," the event's organizer American Conservative Union tweeted, referring to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The individual is quarantined and under medical care in New Jersey.
"This attendee had no interaction with the President or the Vice President and never attended the events in the main hall," the statement added.
COVID-19 is spread via small ...

Attendee at political summit featuring Trump has coronavirus

The Italian government is planning to quarantine the entire Lombardy region around Milan to limit the spread of the coronavirus as well as areas around and including Venice and the northern cities of Parma and Rimini, Italian media has reported.
A draft of the government resolution obtained by Italy's Corriere Della Sera newspaper and other media said movement into and out of the regions would be severely restricted until April 3.
Milan is the Italian financial capital and has a population of just under 1.4 million people. The entire Lombardy region is home to 10 million.
The government decree also covers parts of the Veneto region around Venice as well as Emilia-Romagna's Parma and Rimini. Those three cities have a combine population of around 540,000 people.
It was not immediately clear from either the decree or the media reports on Saturday as to when the measure would go into effect. Corriere Della Sera said it was "imminent".
Italy has emerged as a coronavirus hotspot since the ..

Italy to quarantine Milan, Venice and other regions: media

Four soldiers and at least 13 militia members were killed during clashes in eastern DR Congo, the army said.
The two sides clashed in the Beni province of North Kivu bordering Uganda on Friday, said Lieutenant Anthony Mualushayi, spokesman for the army in the region.
At least another five soldiers were wounded he said on Saturday, adding that the fighting had been particularly fierce because the enemy forces were concentrated.
While Mualushayi said 14F militia members had been killed in the fighting, another army spokesman, Sylvain Ekenge, put the figure at 13 in comments to the UN's Okapi radio.
TheF began as an Islamist-rooted rebel group in Uganda that opposed President Yoweri Museveni.
It then fell back to North Kivu, DR Congo's border province with Uganda, during the Congo Wars of the 1990s.
The militia appears to have halted raids inside Uganda and its recruits today are of various nationalities.
Already blamed for hundreds of civilian deaths in the Beni region since 2014, the ..

Four soldiers, at least 13 rebels killed in DRCongo: army

A fire engulfed a refugee shelter on the island of Lesbos as Greece announced further restrictions towards asylum seekers in response to a migration surge enabled by Turkey.
The fire on Saturday at One Happy Family, a Swiss-operated family care centre for refugees just outside the island capital, came after violence at the weekend directed at aid groups and journalists on Lesbos.
"The school building has a lot of damage, we can't say more at the moment," a source among the operators told AFP.
"The fire brigade is there, our team on the ground as well," they added.  There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Over 1,700 migrants have landed on Lesbos and four other Aegean islands from Turkey over the past week, adding to the 38,000 already crammed into abysmal and overstretched refugee centres.
The new surge has ramped up already high tensions on Lesbos, an island that has been on the migration frontline for years.
Frustration exploded into violence last weekend with mobs setting up ..

Refugee shelter burns as Greece rolls out new asylum restrictions

Another five people have died from the coronavirus in France bringing the total to 16, the health ministry announced Saturday.
There were 45 people in intensive care, six more than when the last summary was issued on Friday, said the director general of health, Jerome Salomon.
The latest deaths were recorded in eastern parts of the country, Salomon added.
France has already registered deaths in Hauts-de-France in the north; Brittany in the northwest and Ile de France, the Paris region.
Of the 16 who died, there were 11 men and five women, all of whom had pre-existing health conditions, he said.
The number of COVID-19 cases now stood at 949 -- which was 336 more than 24 hours earlier, said Salomon.

French coronavirus deaths up 5 to 16: health ministry

Pope Francis decided to deliver Sunday's prayer by livestream and Italy called in retired doctors as the new coronavirus epidemic gathered strength, emptying streets in Europe's worst affected country.
The 83-year-old pontiff broke with centuries of tradition by enlisting the help of technology to keep crowds from descending on Saint Peter's Square for the traditional Angelus Prayer.
"The prayer will be broadcast via livestream by Vatican News and on screens in Saint Peter's Square," the Vatican said in a statement.
It had originally promised to review the Argentine-born pope's schedule "to avoid the dissemination" of the new COVID-19 disease.
The Vatican appears to believe that the pope's absence from his traditional spot at the window will keep the crowds on the vast square down and the threat of contagion low.
The pope himself has been out of action for more than a week with a cold.
The Vatican is in the process of unrolling unprecedented health precautions designed to keep the ...

Pope goes livestream to fight viral epidemic

Oil prices have plummeted by more than 30 per cent since the start of the year but for producers the worst may be yet to come, warn experts, as the coronavirus epidemic weighs heavily on demand.
The OPEC cartel of oil-producing countries and its allies failed to reach a deal on production cuts Friday, after Moscow refused to tighten supply to counter the effects of the outbreak, sending oil prices tumbling.
OPEC nations -- led by the world's third-largest oil producer Saudi Arabia -- had agreed the day before to recommend "a further adjustment of 1.5 million barrels per day until 30 June 2020."
The 10 allies that join the member nations in the grouping known as OPEC+ would have taken on 500,000 barrels of the cuts, with the 13 OPEC members themselves shouldering the rest.
But Russia "didn't take the bait," Andrew Lebow of Commodity Research Group told AFP.
"They've got a different view of the market than the Saudis or OPEC," he said, adding that the Russian economy is more diversified 

As demand crunch deepens, how far can oil plummet?

Scotland's women's Six Nations match against France was postponed after a Scottish player tested positive for the coronavirus, officials said.
The game had been scheduled to take place in Glasgow on Saturday.
"This decision has been taken as a result of a Scottish player testing positive for coronavirus today," said a Scottish Rugby statement.
"Seven members of management and players are self-isolating on medical advice. The player has been admitted to a health care facility as part of the protocol but is otherwise well."
The Scotland women's team returned from northern Italy on February 23 after their scheduled match against Italy was postponed.
In Italy, 197 people have died from the coronavirus, making it Europe's worst affected country.
"We are pleased that our player is doing well and that all the correct medical procedures have been followed and continue to be followed," said James Robson, Scottish Rugby's Chief Medical officer.

Women's Six Nations match postponed as Scottish player tests positive for coronavirus

British police said Saturday they were reviewing an investigation into the disappearance of the Dubai ruler's daughter after a court found that she had been abducted by her father.
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, who is vice-president and prime minister of the United Arab Emirates, orchestrated the forcible return home of Sheikha Shamsa from Britain in 2000, the High Court ruled earlier this week.
The finding was part of a damning judgement that also revealed the sheikh had seized Shamsa's sister Latifa, now 35, twice and returned her to Dubai.
Police in the English city of Cambridge investigated Shamsa's disappearance there two decades ago, when she was 19, but there was insufficient evidence to take any further action.
A review in 2017 came to a similar conclusion, but the force is now conducting a further review in the wake of the court ruling.
A spokeswoman for Cambridgeshire police noted that the standard of proof in criminal cases is significantly different to that of ...

UK police review probe into abduction of Dubai ruler's daughter

Basketball superstar LeBron James said he won't play if his Los Angeles Lakers have to hold games behind closed doors due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The NBA has reportedly told teams to look into strategies on how to play without fans in the arena amid concerns over the spreading virus.
"Nah. It's impossible," James said after the Lakers' 113-102 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
"If I show up to the arena and there ain't no fans in the crowd, then I ain't playing."
The league sent a memo to each team on Friday asking them to develop contingency plans to combat the spread of the virus. One of the alternatives is playing games behind closed doors.
"I ain't never played the game without no fans," James said.
"Ever since I started. This ain't Europe.
"I play for my teammates and I play for the fans. That's what it is all about."
James and Anthony Davis scored all but one of the Lakers' points in the final quarter Friday as they rallied to beat the NBA-leading Bucks and clinch their first ..

AFP

AFP

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