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Airlines worldwide face an unprecedented existential threat as the COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed more than 9,000 people around the world, shuts down global travel.

Global airlines need up to $200 billion in emergency aid, says IATA

Press Trust of India

The Turkish Football Federation plans to suspend the Super Lig for one month after receiving criticism for insisting games go ahead despite the coronavirus pandemic, local media reported Thursday.
TFF chief Nihat Ozdemir would inform Sports Minister Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoglu of the TFF executive board's decision later on Thursday, Turkish sports daily Fanatik said.
The final decision is expected to be announced after their meeting, the newspaper said.
Super Lig games have been going ahead behind closed doors but the TFF U-turn comes after former Nigeria international John Obi Mikel quit Turkish football club Trabzonspor because he did not want to play in the midst of the pandemic.
Other players and coaches, including legendary manager and ex-player Fatih Terim, have called on the TFF to suspend the championship, like most other countries.
Two people have died in Turkey while 191 cases have been officially recorded, the Turkish health minister said late Wednesday.

Turkish federation seeks one-month Super Lig suspension: report

PTI Automatic

Keen to avoid unnecessary travel while maintaining social contact, Bayern Munich have set up 'cyber-training' sessions where players work out together online by following exercises streamed from the club's headquarters.
"We all have to try to deal with the situation in a positive way," Bayern coach Hansi Flick told the club's website.
"Yesterday (Wednesday) at 11 am, we had our first 'Cyber Training', where the team were coached remotely. Everyone was motivated, everyone did very well."
The state of Bavaria has not yet introduced mandatory confinement measures, but Bundesliga leaders Bayern have decided to keep their players at home in order to best respect the instructions from health authorities.
"The guys are equipped with the fitness recording clocks. That means we get all relevant data of each player, such as the heart rate, on our monitors," said Holger Broich, the club's head fitness coach.
Flick contends that keeping players in touch on a regular basis is just as essential as .

Bayern take training online to reduce virus risk

"Everything will be fine. Stay at home." Sassuolo striker Francesco Caputo understood before everyone else.
The Italian's reassuring message came hours before the government halted all sport in the country amid the devastating coronavirus pandemic.
Italy was already worried, the disease had done a lot of damage, and movement restrictions were about to be implemented.
It was March 9 and Europe was still playing football despite the escalating health crisis.
That night in Emilia-Romagna, a region hard hit by the virus, home side Sassuolo beat Brescia 3-0 in what would be the last match in an Italian championship since suspended.
After the first of his two goals, Caputo turned to a camera and held up a hand-written message on a sheet of paper. "Andra tutto bene. Restate a casa": everything will be fine, stay home.
A few hours later, the head of the Italian government Giuseppe Conte used the same words - "Stay at home" - to explain to Italians the new draconian provisions put in place to .

Caputo, the voice of optimism in Italian football

Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko on Thursday denounced "psychosis" over the coronavirus pandemic, warning the panic could be more destructive than the infection itself.
"I call this coronavirus nothing but psychosis and I will stand by this," the Belarusian leader said at a government meeting according to his office.
"Together we have lived through many psychoses, and we know what they have led to. I'm certain that this is another psychosis that will benefit some and harm others."
"I am absolutely sure that we can suffer more from the panic than the virus itself."
In power since 1994, the 65-year-old leader this week called on the Belarusians to keep calm and work the land.
"The tractor will heal everyone. The fields heal everyone," he has said.
He said on Thursday that "excessive quarantining" does not work but promised to test anyone who was in contact with a coronavirus patient. He also urged the government to help some 8,000 Belarusians stuck abroad.
The country of 9.4 million .

Belarus leader warns of virus 'psychosis'

The EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has the novel coronavirus that is sweeping the globe, he announced on Thursday.
"I tested positive yesterday for Covid-19. I'm as well as I can be, strictly confined to my home," the 69-year-old Frenchman said in a video posted on his Twitter account.
"I'm fine, morale is good," the former French foreign minister added, speaking from France, one of the countries hardest hit by the virus.
"I naturally am following all instructions, as does my team. My message to all those who are affected or currently isolated: we will get through this together!" Speaking in front of a well-stocked bookshelf and dressed in a sweater, Barnier expressed "solidarity" with "the many families affected by this disease" and "respect for all caregivers, who are doing a great job".
Messages of support poured in from across Europe as well as Britain, where former UK Brexit minister Steve Barclay called for his speedy recovery.
"You, your teams and all our European .

EU's Brexit negotiator Barnier says he has COVID-19

World powers were on a war footing against the spiralling coronavirus pandemic on Thursday despite a sign of hope from China where zero new domestic cases were reported for the first time.
Italy extended its lockdown after suffering the world's highest single-day death toll while Europe and the United States unleashed nearly a trillion dollars to prop up the teetering global economy.
Across the planet, the death toll has risen to over 9,000 with more than 217,000 infections reported, according to an AFP tally based on official sources.
As countries tried to stem the mounting crisis, Australia and New Zealand moved to seal off their borders with unprecedented entry bans aimed at halting the march of COVID-19.
China marked a major milestone by listing no new domestic infections for the first time since the outbreak first erupted in the central city of Wuhan in December, although a spike in imported cases threatened its progress.
It appeared to have staunched the virus with strict ...

World wages 'war' on virus as China offers ray of hope

France on Thursday mooted extending a two-week lockdown to try to stem the spread of the coronavirus as the interior minister blasted "idiots" who flout home confinement rules and put others at risk.
President Emmanuel Macron has ordered French residents to stay at home except for essential excursions such as going to the doctor, walking the dog, or going for a solitary run, and banned any gatherings.
For a two-week period that began on Tuesday, people can go to work only if their employer cannot make tele-commuting possible.
But news reports have shown groups of friends and families strolling in parks despite the clampdown, prompting calls from some officials for even stricter limits.
Many have been observed ignoring the one-metre (three feet) safe inter-personal distance in queues at the essential businesses that were allowed to stay open.
Interior Minister Christophe Castaner said people ignoring the measures were "idiots".
"There are people who underestimate the risk... There are .

France may extend lockdown as many flout the rules

Luxembourg announced Thursday that it plans to close its international airport to passengers before next week, in the latest move to try and slow the spread of the coronavirus around Europe.
Many flights have already been halted but there are still some scheduled services to the grand duchy operated by British Airways and KLM.
"We really want passenger traffic to end by Monday, because it makes no sense," Luxembourg's defence, internal security and mobility minister Francois Bausch told a video news conference.  Freight services will be maintained.
Last year, Luxembourg airport handled 4.4 million passengers.  Airlines and governments across the world have begun halting services to prevent passengers' spreading the epidemic.  Luxembourg's flag-carrier Luxair has begun bringing home its nationals who are marooned abroad.
By Thursday, Luxembourg had recorded 335 cases of coronavirus infection and four deaths.

Luxembourg to close airport in latest virus response

Spain on Thursday announced deaths due to the novel coronavirus had risen about 30 percent over the past 24 hours to 767.
A total of 17,147 people have contracted the disease in the country, a roughly 25 percent increase over the previous day, according to the health ministry, with the figure expected to rise further in the coming days as testing for COVID-19 becomes more readily available.

Spain virus death toll hits 767, 30 percent jump in 24 hours

Up to USD 200 billion is needed to rescue the world's airlines during the coronavirus crisis, the global aviation association said Thursday, appealing especially to African and Middle Eastern countries to provide emergency assistance.
"Support measures are urgently needed," the International Air Transport Association said in a statement, adding that "on a global basis, IATA estimates that emergency aid of up to $200 billion is required".

Up to USD 200 billion in emergency aid needed for airlines amid pandemic: IATA

Iran on Thursday announced 149 new deaths due to the novel coronavirus, raising the toll to 1,284, according to the health ministry.
A total of 18,407 people have contracted the disease in the country -- one of the worst hit by the novel coronavirus -- according to figures provided by Deputy Health Minister Alireza Raisi.

Iran says 149 new coronavirus deaths, toll reaches 1,284

World athletics chief Sebastian Coe admitted on Thursday that the Tokyo Olympics could be moved to later in the year by the coronavirus outbreak, but said it was too early to make a definitive decision.
Olympic bosses acknowledged on Wednesday there was no "ideal" solution as a growing number of athletes expressed concern.
The COVID-19 pandemic is playing havoc with the global sporting calendar, forcing the postponement of Euro 2020 and a suspension of the tennis season.
International Olympic Committee chairman Thomas Bach said earlier this week that starting on schedule on July 24 remained the organisation's goal.
But Coe, who is a member of the Tokyo Olympics Games Coordination Commission, conceded in an interview with the BBC that a delay was possible.
"That is possible, anything is possible at the moment," said Coe when asked whether the Games could be postponed to September or October.
"But I think the position that sport has certainly taken, and it was certainly the temperature .

Olympics could be delayed, admits athletics chief Coe

Greece on Thursday handed over the Olympic flame to Tokyo 2020 organisers at a ceremony held behind closed doors amid calls for the Olympics to be postponed over the coronavirus pandemic.
In the absence of spectators, Olympic gymnastics champion Lefteris Petrounias ran a lap with the flame and Olympic pole vault champion Katerina Stefanidi lit a cauldron inside the all-marble Panathenaic stadium, where the first modern Olympics were held in 1896.
The flame was then handed to Tokyo 2020 representative Naoko Imoto, a swimmer who competed in the Atlanta 1996 Olympics. Imoto, a UNICEF representative, was reportedly a last-minute appointment as she already lives in Greece and did not have to travel from Japan.
Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou in a statement said the ancient Olympic values of "concord, goodwill, brotherhood... are the weapon to use" against the virus.
- Hard decisions -
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Last week's flame lighting ceremony in ancient Olympia was also carried out ...

Greece hands over Olympic flame to Tokyo 2020

The funeral of former Wales rugby player Matthew J Watkins is to be streamed online because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Watkins, who won 18 caps for Wales between 2003 and 2006, died earlier this month at the age of 41 after being diagnosed with a rare form of pelvic cancer in 2013.
The former Dragons, Scarlets and Gloucester centre's funeral will take place on March 31 and a large gathering had been expected in Cardiff.
But Woodfield Park Funeral Directors said in a statement on their website: "During these uncertain times we ask that only family and close friends attend Matthew's funeral service."
The added: "The funeral service will be streamed online for anyone wishing to see from the safety of their own home."
Watkins made more than 300 club appearances in a 14-year senior career before he retired in 2011.

Funeral of Wales rugby player Watkins to be streamed over virus fears

Premier League clubs will attempt to hammer out a plan to complete their suspended season when they meet via a conference call on Thursday.
English football is in lockdown as part of the worldwide bid to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Top-flight fixtures have been suspended until April 4 at the earliest and while it seems certain that the lay-off will be extended, the postponement of the Euro 2020 finals has created room for manoeuvre.
It is understood the focus at the meeting will be on concluding the 2019/20 campaign at some point rather than on what might happen should they be unable to restart.
There are signs that clubs are split on the way forward.
Brighton and Hove Albion chief executive Paul Barber said if the season were to be "frozen" it would be unjust on Liverpool, who are on the brink of their first top-flight title for 30 years.
But West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady said if the fixtures could not be completed, the only fair solution would be to declare the season .

Premier League to discuss plans to complete season

Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed comparisons to a tsar on Thursday, arguing he "works every day" and listens to what people want.
"Well, this is not true," Putin said when asked about being described as a Russian imperial-era ruler.
"Maybe someone else can be called a tsar. But in my case, I don't reign, I work every day," he told the state-run TASS news agency.
The interview aired on Thursday as part of a series rolled out by TASS this month to mark 20 years since the 67-year-old Putin took the helm of Russian politics.
It was not clear when the segments were recorded, but the series began airing before Putin said this month that he wants an opportunity to run for president again, as part of his constitutional reforms.
The reforms proposed in January include granting more power to parliament and strengthening the role of the State Council.
An amendment approved last week would allow Putin to run for another six years in the Kremlin in 2024 and again in 2030. The reforms ...

Putin says he's not a 'tsar' after 20 years in power

French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire accused Amazon on Thursday of placing "unacceptable" pressure on employees after unions claimed the retailer will not pay staff who refuse to go in to work fearing coronavirus contagion.
"This coercion is unacceptable and we are going to make sure Amazon knows this," Le Maire told France Inter radio.
About 200 of the 1,700 employees at Amazon's distribution centre near Douai in northern France refused to work on Tuesday, exercising the "right of refusal" in France's labour code if an employee considers there is a risk to health or safety.
And half of the full-time employees at its Montelimar facility in southeast France walked out on Wednesday, union sources said.
They added that management had indicated these workers would not be paid.
The French government announced strict confinement measures starting Tuesday, under which workers will be allowed to go into the office only if their employers cannot make tele-commuting possible, and then ...

France warns Amazon over 'unacceptable' pressure on workers

US automakers announced they will temporarily shut down North American production as the economic hit from the coronavirus spreads to manufacturing.
The "Big Three" car makers -- General Motors, Fiat Chrysler and Ford -- will halt operations throughout North America through the end of the month, the companies announced in conjunction with the United Auto Workers (UAW).
The move comes only hours after the companies said the plants would be kept open with modified procedures to employ social distancing.
But that plan quickly fell by the wayside as the number of coronavirus cases in the US rises.
UAW officials admitted privately they were facing a situation where absenteeism was increasing as schools closed in states such as Michigan and Ohio. In addition, employees were refusing to work after co-workers tested positive for the virus.
"Today's action is the prudent thing to do. By taking a shutdown and working through next steps, we protect UAW members, their families and the community," 

US automakers to shut North American plants due to virus

Germany has recorded 10,999 cases of the novel coronavirus, official data showed Thursday, with the number of new reported infections rising by 2,801 in a single day.
Twenty people have died from the viral infection, data from the disease control agency Robert Koch Institute (RKI) showed.  North Rhine-Westphalia remains the worst-hit state, with 3,033 COVID-19 cases, up 661 from a day ago.
The data is compiled from regional authorities of cases tested for the virus. But depending on an individual state's policies, many other possible cases may not have been tested because they show only mild symptoms or have not been in contact with a known case.
With the contagion showing no signs of abating authorities have ordered schools closed, non-essential shops shut and made repeated calls for Germans to stay home.
With the pleas appearing to fall on the deaf ears of some, two small Bavarian villages have imposed a lockdown.
Leaders in bigger cities and regions have also warned that they may ..

Coronavirus cases in Germany soar past 10,000

Elon Musk's SpaceX will send astronauts to the International Space Station for the first time in May, NASA said, announcing the first crewed launch from the United States to the platform since 2011.
The tech entrepreneur's company will launch a Falcon 9 rocket to transport NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley in a first for the space agency as it looks to cut costs.
"NASA and SpaceX are currently targeting no earlier than mid-to-late May for launch," the US space agency said in a statement Wednesday.
In March, Musk's Crew Dragon capsule made a round trip to the ISS, which is in orbit more than 250 miles (400 kilometers) above Earth, with a mannequin on board, before returning to the Atlantic after six days in space.
Since the last US space shuttle mission in 2011, after 30 years of service, only the Russians have been going back and forth to the ISS.
SpaceX has made the trip 15 times since 2012, but only to refuel the station.  It is not the only private company servicing NASA: 

AFP

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