The Greek Super League is waiting on government approval to return from its coronavirus-enforced suspension on June 6 after the league's board voted unanimously on Monday to complete the 2019/2020 campaign.
A positive decision to Monday's request is expected from the state health authorities this week.
An important step towards resumption was made with clubs being allowed to begin training in larger groups in line with health protocols.
The play-offs to determine the title and European spots is expected to be completed by July 19 with the Greek Cup semi-finals between PAOK and Olympiakos and AEK and Aris to follow.
Government health authorities said last week that should league action resume and a player is found to be affected by COVID-19, he would be placed in quarantine at home and the rest of the team will be isolated for five days.
Up to now, no player has been found with the virus during regular checks at training sessions.
The government had given the okay for teams to train in 

Greek Super League hoping for June 6 return

PTI Automatic

UEFA has postponed a potentially key meeting of its Executive Committee until June 17, European football's governing body said on Monday.
The meeting was initially due to be held on May 27 but has been put back due to concerns surrounding some of the venues for the next European Championship.
UEFA cited "some remaining open points regarding a small number of proposed venues for the rearranged UEFA Euro 2020 next year."
The Euro was pushed back by a year to June and July 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic. It was due to be staged in 12 cities across 12 different European nations, but that format could be modified.
"The idea is that we stay in the same cities," UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said in an interview with broadcaster beIN Sports last week.
"We have had conversations with nine cities and everything is set. With three cities, we have some issues.
"So we will discuss further, and in principle, we will do it in 12 cities. But if not, we are ready to do it in 10, nine or 

UEFA pushes back key meeting to June due to Euro venue concerns

Chelsea and England winger Callum Hudson-Odoi was arrested at the weekend after police responded to a report of an "unwell woman", British media reported on Monday.
Police officers and an ambulance attended Hudson-Odoi's London home in the early hours of Sunday.
The 19-year-old was arrested and taken into custody before being released and bailed.
"Police and London ambulance service were called at 03:53hrs on Sunday, 17 May to a report of an unwell woman," a police spokesman said, adding that the woman was taken to hospital.
The reports said Hudson-Odoi was in breach of coronavirus lockdown guidelines.  Chelsea have declined to comment, according to the reports.
Hudson-Odoi made a full recovery after becoming the first Premier League player to test positive for COVID-19 in March.

Chelsea's Hudson-Odoi arrested and bailed: reports

A top Tibetan official is being investigated for alleged corruption, the Chinese Communist Party graft watchdog said Monday, as Beijing cracks its whip on officials not toeing the line.
Tashi Gyatso, deputy secretary general of the regional government in Tibet, is under investigation for "suspected severe violations of discipline and law", the Tibet Discipline Inspection and Supervision Network said in a brief statement Monday without providing further details.
"Violations of discipline" is a common euphemism used by Beijing when an official is being investigated for taking bribes or abusing his position.  Gyatso was also a member of Tibet's leading Communist Party members' group -- an elite regional policy-making body in charge of security, poverty alleviation and other areas of government.
Born in Sichuan province, which borders Tibet, Gyatso joined the Communist Party in 1995 and rose through its ranks.
His previous positions included working in Tibet's propaganda department and ...

Top Tibetan official caught in China's graft net

Premier League clubs will return to training in small groups from Tuesday after the latest stage of "Project Restart" was approved on Monday.
Clubs unanimously voted to allow players to start socially distanced training in a bid to meet the Premier League's mid-June date to resume the season.
Contact training is not permitted at this stage and corner flags, balls, cones, goalposts, playing surfaces and other equipment will be disinfected after each session.
Testing for the coronavirus has taken place at Premier League clubs over the last few days and will continue throughout the training period.
"Strict medical protocols of the highest standard will ensure everyone returns to training in the safest environment possible," a Premier League statement said.
"The health and well-being of all participants is the Premier League's priority, and the safe return to training is a step-by-step process.
"Full consultation will now continue with players, managers, clubs, the PFA and LMA as ...

Premier League clubs agree group training return from Tuesday

The Bundesliga drew bumper global audiences for its restart at the weekend behind closed doors, but a top league official said the players will be reminded to maintain social distancing even during goal celebrations.
Germany's top-flight became the first top European league to resume after a two-month hiatus, behind closed doors and surrounded by draconian hygiene measures.
But despite the restrictions, the weekend's matches passed off without problems.  Players and staff were regularly tested for the COVID-19 virus in the weeks before the games, while the small number of accredited officials and media members had their temperatures checked before being allowed into stadiums.
Police fears that fans would gather outside the grounds did not materialise.
"There was a big sense of relief," the CEO of the international arm of the Bundesliga, Robert Klein, told AFP and other media Monday.
"We want to finish the season, but are aware there is a big responsibility that we do this ...

German league restart draws global audiences - but players reminded to keep distance

World Health Organization member states agreed during their main annual assembly Monday to delay a controversial discussion on granting Taiwan observer status, despite the United States and others stepping up pressure in recent days.
At the start of the first-ever virtual World Health Assembly, countries unanimously agreed to postpone a decision on granting observer access to Taiwan -- a move vehemently opposed by Beijing -- until later in the year to avoid diverting attention from the COVID-19 pandemic.

WHO's assembly delays decision on Taiwan observer status

Spanish clubs began training in groups of 10 players on Monday, in line with health protocols, as La Liga takes another step towards the planned resumption of the coronavirus-hit season next month.
Barcelona confirmed that their squad was back on the training ground at 9:30am (0730 GMT), with pictures published on their Twitter account showing several players including Gerard Pique and Sergio Busquets taking part in the session.
Real Madrid players also trained at the club's base on the outskirts of the Spanish capital, as clubs begin the last step towards being able to work with their full squads together.
Spanish government protocol allows training sessions to be expanded by all clubs, even those belonging to areas that are further behind in the country's programme of de-escalation from a strict lockdown.
That means teams like Real, Barcelona and Aletico Madrid are able to train in groups of 10, despite both Madrid and Catalonia remaining in 'phase 0' as two of Spain's worst-hit ...

Spanish clubs begin group training as La Liga eyes June restart

Britain's Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden is hopeful the Premier League can resume by mid-June despite concerns raised by players and coaches over the need for an extended period of training before matches restart.
Premier League clubs are meeting on Monday to sign off on protocols that will allow a return to training this week, whilst maintaining social distancing guidelines.
The last top-flight match in England was on March 9 and Newcastle manager Steve Bruce said on Sunday his players could "fall down like a pack of cards" with injuries if matches return before the end of June.
England international Raheem Sterling also expressed his concern at a quick turnaround between a resumption of training and playing matches.
The Premier League have reportedly been aiming for a return on June 12.  Dowden insisted public safety remained the priority, but is also hoping a restart is only around a month away.
"I had some very constructive discussions on Thursday with the FA, the EFL (English ...

British government eyes mid-June Premier League return

Celtic were crowned champions for a record-equalling ninth consecutive season as the Scottish Premiership campaign was declared over on Monday.
Neil Lennon's men were 13 points clear at the top of the table when the season was stopped due to the coronavirus pandemic in March with eight games remaining for the majority of clubs.
Second-placed Rangers had a game in hand to try and cut that gap and were due to face Celtic twice more before the end of the season.
A points-per-game formula for determining final league placings also sees bottom club Hearts relegated unless there is any progress in talks over league reconstruction.
"It is, of course, a real shame that we were not able to see out the league in front of our fans. However, no one can deny how deserved this title is," said Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell.
"While we rightly celebrate this fantastic, deserved achievement we must take time to consider the wider circumstances we have all been experiencing and remember those who 

Celtic declared champions as Scottish season is ended

US biotech firm Moderna on Monday reported "positive interim" results in the first clinical tests of its vaccine against the new coronavirus performed on a small number of volunteers.
The vaccine appeared to produce an immune response in eight people who received it, of the same amplitude as that observed in people infected with the virus, the company said, adding that phase 3 trials with a large number of volunteers would begin in July.

US firm announces 'positive interim' phase 1 results for virus vaccine

Paul Pogba's older brother Florentin Pogba has joined Sochaux in the French second division, the club said on Monday.
The 29-year old defender has agreed a three-year deal and will take a medical, the club added.
Florentin was born in Conakry but played for France at youth level before going on to become a Guinean international.
He began his career at Celta Vigo in Spain and has had stints at Sedan and Saint-Etienne in France as well as Genclerbirligi in Turkey. He has been a free agent since MLS outfit Atlanta United released him late last year.
Sochaux were 14th in Ligue 2 when competition was halted in mid-March by the coronavirus pandemic.

Pogba's big brother Florentin joining Ligue 2 Sochaux

The World Health Organisation on Monday kicked off its first ever virtual assembly, but fears abound that US-China tensions could derail the strong action needed to address the coronavirus pandemic.
The World Health Assembly, which has been trimmed from the usual three weeks to just two days, Monday and Tuesday, is expected to focus almost solely on COVID-19, which in a matter of months has killed more than 310,000 globally, and infected nearly 4.7 million.
The UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opened the event, lamenting that a number of countries had ignored the recommendations of the WHO.
"Different countries have followed different, sometimes contradictory, strategies and we are all paying a heavy price," he warned in a video address.
WHO director Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was also due to address the virtual assembly, as were a number of heads of state, including Xi Jinping of China, government chiefs and health ministers.
Tedros said on Friday the event would be "one of the .

WHO kicks off virtual assembly as US-China tensions

Former England batsman Rob Key is recovering after suffering a "mini stroke".
Key revealed he needed hospital treatment when the stroke occurred at the weekend.  Alongside an Instagram selfie, the 41-year-old wrote: "Long weekend. Turns out I've had a mini stroke.
"Thanks to everyone at the Kent and Canterbury hospital especially Charlie And dr baht. Now got to eat food with no flavour and take pills #triffic."
Key played in 15 Tests for England and made five one-day international appearances, as well as playing in one Twenty20 game for his country.
Key's finest moment for England was an innings of 221 against the West Indies in July 2004, the only time he would go past three figures in an international match.
He scored nearly 20,000 first-class runs between 1998 and 2015 in a stellar county career with Kent, leading them for nine seasons across two spells, before becoming member of Sky Sports' cricket coverage.

Former England batsman Key recovering from 'mini stroke'

Singapore F1 organisers Monday said it was "not feasible" to hold the race behind closed doors, threatening further problems for the coronavirus-ravaged season.
After 10 races were cancelled or postponed, Formula One bosses are aiming to begin the season with two races in Austria in July, both without fans. Races in other countries are also expected to go ahead in closed venues.
But the Singapore Grand Prix, scheduled for September, is a nighttime street race around the city-state's waterfront, where it would be challenging to keep spectators away.
Organisers said they have been in talks with Formula One, the Singapore government and others involved "to assess different possibilities" for holding the race.
But a spokesperson added that "as the Singapore F1 race is a street circuit, it is not feasible to conduct the race behind closed doors".
Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel won last year's race, which drew 268,000 spectators over three days, a substantial portion of them coming from ...

Singapore F1 can't be held behind closed doors: organisers

Chinese technology giant Huawei on Monday assailed the latest US move to cut it off from semiconductor suppliers as a "pernicious" attack that will sow chaos in the global technology sector and other industries.
The Commerce Department said on Friday it was tightening sanctions on Huawei -- seen by Washington as a security risk -- to include denying access to semiconductor designs developed using US software and technology.
The company had withheld immediate comment, but came out swinging on Monday.
"The decision was arbitrary and pernicious and threatens to undermine the entire (technology) industry worldwide," a Huawei spokesman said.
Huawei, which has largely weathered an escalating 18-month campaign by the Trump administration to isolate it internationally, said its business "will inevitably be affected" by the new American salvo.
It will "impact the expansion, maintenance and continuous operations of networks worth hundreds of billions of dollars that we have rolled out in more ..

Huawei says 'pernicious' US chip restrictions threaten global economy

French cyclist Remy Di Gregorio has been hit with a four-year doping ban related to a positive drugs test for EPO in 2018, the International Cycling Union said on Monday.
In a previous case, the Marseille-born rider was thrown off the 2012 Tour de France on suspicion of doping after he was arrested at his team hotel during the race.
Di Gregorio, 34, has always denied doping but was found guilty of possessing banned materials and received a one-year suspended prison sentence in July 2018.
He eventually tested positive for the banned blood-booster EPO during the Paris-Nice race in March 2018, and is now banned from racing until March 2022.

Four-year doping ban for French cyclist thrown off Tour de France

Premier League clubs received a boost to their hopes of completing the season on Monday as the government published a "roadmap" that could see the return of elite sport in England from June 1.
As the 20 English top-flight clubs met for further talks on "Project Restart", ministers announced plans to ease the coronavirus lockdown.
Under step two of that process, which cannot begin any earlier than June 1, sporting events would be allowed "to take place behind closed doors for broadcast, while avoiding the risk of large-scale social contact".
Such events will only be allowed if sufficient progress is made in limiting the spread of the virus.
Premier League clubs had been planning for a return to action no earlier than the week beginning June 8.
English top-flight clubs were talking on Monday about a possible resumption despite growing disquiet among players over safety issues and divisions over proposals on how to finish the season.
Before the resumption of matches can be considered, ...

Premier League gets green light for June re-start

David Alaba says Bayern Munich are "hungry" and enjoying their return to full-team training ahead of the restart of the Bundesliga this weekend behind closed doors.
The German top flight resumes on Saturday after the season was suspended in mid-March to help slow the spread of the coronavirus.
It will be the first major European league to resume after the outbreak of the pandemic, which has so far claimed around 7,500 lives in Germany.
Bayern coach Hansi Flick has been putting his players through their paces in training sessions at the Allianz Arena.
Bayern, who were four points clear of second-placed Borussia Dortmund in their bid for an eighth straight Bundesliga title when football was halted, restart their season at Union Berlin on Sunday.
"It was really very, very nice to be back on the pitch, training as a whole team," said Alaba.
"You could tell how much we have all looked forward to this moment.
"You could feel that in training, everyone was hungry -- and looking forward to ...

'Hungry' Bayern delighted to be back in training, says Alaba

Retired four-time NBA champion Shaquille O'Neal says the league would be smart to call off the halted 2019-20 campaign and avoid crowning a champion that would carry an "asterisk."
O'Neal, in an interview with USA Today, said players should start to prepare for a 2020-21 season and set aside a campaign halted in March by the coronavirus pandemic with five weeks of regular-season games and two months of playoffs remaining.
"I think we should scrap the season. Everybody go home, get healthy, come back next year. Just scrap the season. Just scrap it," O'Neal told the newspaper.
"To try and come back now and do a rush playoffs as a player? Any team that wins this year, there's an asterisk. They're not going to get the respect.
"What if a team that's not really in the mix of things all of a sudden wins with a new playoff format? Nobody is going to respect that. So, scrap it. Worry about the safety of the fans and the people. Come back next year."
Dominating center O'Neal combined with the .

Shaq says scrap NBA season without an 'asterisk' champ

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation and cybersecurity experts believe Chinese hackers are trying to steal research on developing a vaccine against coronavirus, two newspapers reported Monday.
The FBI and Department of Homeland Security are planning to release a warning about the Chinese hacking as governments and private firms race to develop a vaccine for COVID-19, the Wall Street Journal and New York Times reported.
The hackers are also targeting information and intellectual property on treatments and testing for COVID-19.
US officials alleged that the hackers are linked to the Chinese government, the reports say.
The official warning could come within days.
In Beijing Foreign Affairs ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian rejected the allegation, saying China firmly opposes all cyber attacks.
"We are leading the world in COVID-19 treatment and vaccine research. It is immoral to target China with rumors and slanders in the absence of any evidence," Zhao said.
The warning would add to a ..

AFP

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