German Chancellor Angela Merkel is defending her country's coronavirus restrictions and calling on her compatriots to keep respecting social distancing rules.
Germany started loosening its lockdown restrictions on April 20 and since then has at least partly reopened many sectors. At the same time, the country has seen frequent protests against lockdown measures.
Merkel said in her weekly video message Saturday that the measures were necessary, and that officials must continue to justify why some restrictions can't be lifted while ensuring that they are proportionate.
Merkel said that Germany has "succeeded so far in achieving the aim of preventing our health system being overwhelmed.

Merkel defends Germany coronavirus restrictions

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France is allowing religious services to resume starting Saturday after a legal challenge to the government's ban on such gatherings.
Religious leaders welcomed the decision but said it will take time to put the necessary safety measures in place.
To prevent further spread of the virus, visitors to French places of worship must wear masks, wash their hands upon entering, and keep a distance of at least one meter (three feet) from other people.
The French government had banned religious services until June 2 even though stores and other businesses started reopening last week.
The Council of State, the country's highest administrative body, struck down the ban, and the government published a decree Saturday allowing services to resume.
The French Bishops Conference said it would work with church leaders to prepare for reopening, notably for Pentecost Sunday services May 31.
The rector of the Grand Mosque of Paris said that it will not be ready to reopen for services Sunday marking Eid ..

France allowing religious services to resume after a legal challenge to government ban

Chancellor Angela Merkel defends Germany's coronavirus restrictions

Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark and Sweden have put forward a counterproposal for a European coronavirus recovery fund with a two-year time limit and a concentration on loans.
The Austria Press Agency reported that the countries issued their position paper on Saturday. It follows a French-German proposal for a fund of 500 billion euros (USD 550 billion) that would make outright grants to help countries and endorses common borrowing.
The agency states that the four countries must not agree to instruments or measures that lead to a mutualisation of debt or significant increases" in the European Union's budget.
The proposal didn't put a figure on the aid that should be given, but APA reported that the Austrian chancellery said the money must be used for the rebuilding and resilience of the health sector and the economy.
Research, innovation and climate-related investments could be backed.
The EU's executive commission is expected to unveil its own proposal for a recovery fund next ...

Austria, Netherlands and Denmark pitch counterproposal for European coronavirus recovery fund

The Vatican Museums will open up again on June 1 with all visitors wearing face masks and having their temperature checked before entry.
The Vatican said Saturday that medical staff will be present and that, since reservations will now be required, advance ticketing fees of 4 euros (USD 4.50) are being waived.
On the Museums itinerary is the Sistine Chapel, with its ceiling frescoed by Michelangelo, while on Fridays and Saturdays thirsty visitors can reserve an aperitif at sunset in a Vatican courtyard.
Ticket sales and souvenir revenues are a major source of income for the Holy See. For now, the Museums are suspending the free-entry initiative on the last Sunday of each month.
Open bus tours of the manicured Vatican Gardens will be offered, and on weekends the public can tour the summer residence of popes in Castel Gandolfo, a hill town near Rome.
There have been 12 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in tiny Vatican City State or among its employees.

Coronavirus: Vatican Museums to open on June 1

The Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem will open on Sunday for the first time in two months.
It is built on the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected. Leaders of the three denominations sharing the site said in a statement Saturday that entrance will be limited to 50 people at a time.
Worshippers cannot enter if they have symptoms and must wear face masks and should keep a distance of 2 meters (six feet).
They should also avoid touching or kissing stones and other objects at the holy site.
The church was closed in March along with most other sites in the Holy Land, in keeping with strict measures imposed by Israel and the Palestinian Authority to contain the outbreak.
It remained closed throughout Holy Week and Easter last month, when Jerusalem's Old City is normally packed with tens of thousands of pilgrims and tourists. Priests observed Holy Week rituals in small groups, mostly behind closed doors.

Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem open again on Sunday

The much-anticipated HBO Max reboot of popular TV series Gossip Girl, has been pushed until 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic-caused global production shutdown.
HBO Max's chief content officer Kevin Reilly said the new Gossip Girl, which was scheduled to release later this year, has not started shooting yet and won't be ready until next year.
"They hadn't even started production yet; they were in pre-production and ready to roll. Things that would have been really meaningful and high profile have gotten pushed back," Reilly told Vulture magazine.
He added that it is "really disappointing" that content, which was supposed to premiere with HBO Max's upcoming May 27 launch in the US, won't be ready in time.
The reboot is set eight years after the original series and follows a new group of students at a New York private school dealing with a new generation of Gossip Girl.
Actors Emily Alyn Lind, Whitney Peak, Eli Brown, Johnathan Fernandez, and Jason Gotay will feature in the ...

Gossip Girl' reboot delayed until 2021 due to coronavirus pandemic

The wait for bowlers looking to resume Test cricket after the coronavirus hiatus will be longer than others as the ICC has set a preparation time of up to two to three months for them to avoid getting injured.
As member nations ease restrictions imposed to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, the International Cricket Council on Friday issued comprehensive guidelines aimed at getting the sport up and running around the world while at the same time maintaining the highest safety protocols.
But the bowlers will have to wait the most considering their higher chances of getting injured.
"Test cricket would require a minimum of 8-12 week preparation period (for bowlers), the final 4-5-week period would involve match intensity bowling.
"Bowlers are at a particularly high risk of injury on return to play after a period of enforced time-out," the sport's world governing body said in its 'back-to-cricket' guidelines.
Under the subhead cricket specific risks, the ICC mentioned about "safe and ...

Post COVID-19, ICC sets 2-3 months preparation time for bowlers resuming Test cricket

India is committed to strengthening the multi-faceted ties with Sri Lanka, especially the historical and deep civilisational, religious and cultural bonds, said the new Indian envoy to the island nation on Saturday.
Gopal Baglay, the new High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka, on Saturday visited the religious cultural sites here which he said were important in furthering the historical bonds between the two South Asian neighbours.
Baglay visited the prominent Gangaramaya Buddhist Temple, which is over 120 years old, and prayed for the health, peace and prosperity of the people of Sri Lanka and India and their friendship and cooperation, the Indian High Commission said in a statement.
This was his first movement from his official residence after observing stipulated health protocols since his arrival on May 8 on a special flight carrying a gift consignment of medicines and medical items from India to Sri Lanka.
Baglay presented his credentials to President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa on May .

India committed to strengthen multi-faceted ties with Sri Lanka: Envoy

Nepal has reported 41 new coronavirus cases, taking the nationwide tally to 548 with two deaths, the health ministry said on Saturday.
The Ministry of Health and Population said that eight people, including seven men and one women were identified as positive in Kapilavastu district.
Thirteen men were reported positive in Sarlahi district, one women in Bara district and one male in Kathmandu.
The ministry said that eight men were found infected in Rupandehi district and another in Chitwan district.
The affected people were in the age group of 17 to 52 years. The new cases were reported in the last 24 hours.
The country has so far reported two deaths from the deadly virus.
Earlier, the ministry had confirmed nine coronavirus patients on Friday night.
A total of 70 patients have recovered from the disease so far.

Nepal's nationwide COVID-19 tally reaches 548

The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on Saturday said the crashed Airbus A-320 was checked two months ago and it flew from Muscat to Lahore a day before the accident.
The cash-strapped national flag carrier, which has been running into huge financial losses, issued a summary detailing the technical history of the aircraft, saying there was "no defect related to the engine, landing gear or major aircraft system", the Dawn newspaper reported.
Ninety-seven people, including nine children, were killed and two passengers miraculously survived the fiery crash when the PIA flight PK-8303 with 99 travellers on board plunged into a densely populated residential area near the airport here.
Flight PK-8303 from Lahore crashed at the Jinnah Garden area near Model Colony in Malir on Friday afternoon, minutes before its landing in Karachi's Jinnah International Airport. Eleven people on the ground were injured.
According to the PIA's engineering and maintenance department, the last check of the 

PIA's crashed plane last checked 2 months ago, returned from Muscat day before

After entering the record books last year as Israel's longest-serving prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu will once again make history when he becomes the country's first sitting leader to go on trial.
Surrounded by security guards, Netanyahu is set to march into Jerusalem's district court for arraignment on a series of corruption charges on Sunday.
The stunning scene will push Israel into uncharted political and legal territory, launching a process that could ultimately end the career of a leader who has been undefeatable at the ballot box for over a decade.
Netanyahu has been charged with fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in a series of cases. He is accused of accepting expensive gifts, such as cartons of champagne and cigars, from wealthy friends and offering favors to media moguls in exchange for favorable news coverage of him and his family.
In the most serious case, he is accused of promoting legislation that delivered hundreds of millions of dollars of profits to the ..

Israel's Netanyahu, unbeaten in elections, is going on trial

England all-rounder Chris Woakes feels banning the use of saliva on balls will not be an issue as bowlers will eventually find other ways to shine the ball.
Earlier this week, the ICC Cricket Committee recommended a ban on the use of saliva to shine the ball owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Woakes feels appying saliva on the ball is a habit and it will take some practice to get rid of it when cricket resumes.
"Moving forward you're going to have remind yourself that you can't use those things to shine the ball," Woakes was quoted as saying by Wisden.
The 31-year-old said the bowlers' job will become harder without the use of saliva on the ball.
"Don't get me wrong, you can shine the ball without saliva and sweat, it probably just doesn't have the same effect. You might have to work a little bit harder on rubbing on the trousers," he said.
"We will find ways to shine the ball, whether that's being a little bit more aggressive on the shining side of things.  I'm sure we will find a way ..

We will find ways to shine the ball without saliva: Woakes

Netflix has greenlit its hit Spanish-language series "Elite" for a fourth season.
The teen drama thriller, created by Carlos Montero and Dario Madrona, is about the the misadventures of a group of teens who attend an exclusive private school in Spain called Las Encinas.
The news was shared by the show's cast, including Miguel Bernardeau and Claudia Salas, in a video message by the streamer's Twitter handle See What's Next.
"I wanted to tell you that we have got the scripts of season 4 and they look so good," Bernardeau said in the video.
"You better be prepared," said fellow cast member Aron Piper, teasing that the fourth season will be more "intense".
"Elite" also stars Georgina Amoros, Itzan Escamilla and Omar Ayuso. The show's third season premiered on Netflix in March this year.

'Elite' renewed by Netflix for fourth season

Americans Alison Riske and Danielle Collins and Aussie Ajla Tomljanovic were among the winners on the opening day of a women's tennis mini-tournament in Florida that offered pros a chance to play amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The WTA women's tennis tour cancelled four more events this week and won't resume until at least July 20.
But four women ranked in the top 60 in the world turned out for the UTR Pro Match Series event in Palm Beach, which followed a similar event for men two weeks ago.
World number 51 Collins toppled 28th-ranked compatriot Amanda Anisimova in the opening match 4-1, 4-2 and said she was "grateful" to be back on court even with no fans in attendance on Friday.
"I'm familiar with playing without fans but I definitely miss it," she said.
"One of the things that makes it so special to be a professional athlete is having people supporting you." Tomljanovic, ranked 56th, defeated 19th-ranked Riske 4-3, 4-1 and in the final round-robin match of the day Riske beat ...

WTA pros take the court in Florida mini-tournament

Mauricio Pochettino has insisted that he was "happy" that Jose Mourinho replaced him as Tottenham coach.
Mourinho took over in November despite Pochettino having enjoyed a successful five-and-a-half year spell in charge of the London side.
"I am so happy that he is at Tottenham, replacing me," admitted Pochettino who is now officially off the payroll at Spurs after his six-month gardening leave ended.
That leaves him free to take other jobs without the worry of prospective employers having to pay compensation.
"And of course I am happy as well to leave the club in the way that we left it, with all the facilities that are the best in the world.
"For sure, he is very grateful for the way that we helped to build the club, which is now his club." Potchettino recalled how he and Mourinho had forged a close relationship during their days as rivals in Spain's La Liga.
"With Jose, we know each other for a long time," he explained.
"When I was the coach of Espanyol, and he was at Real Madrid, .

Pochettino 'happy' that Mourinho replaced him at Tottenham

Singer Robbie Williams has revealed that his father Pete Williams has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease.
The 46-year-old singer, who is in lockdown in Los Angeles with his wife, actor Ayda Field, said he has been fighting ''fear and panic'' over his father and mother-in-law's health amid the coronavirus pandemic.
We've got a lot of family issues right now. My dad has got Parkinson's, my mother-in-law who I love dearly has got a very big illness. We can't get to them. My dad is thousands of miles away.
''My mum is just a year short of 80 and she's in isolation and I can see the things whirling in her mind and her eyes going, Williams told Daily Mirror.
The singer said initially during the lockdown there were times when he felt that because of the family issues he might get into depression and go back to the days when he suffered from alcohol and drug problems.
I noticed at the start of the lockdown that I was going into fear. But the difference between me now and the person I ...

Robbie Williams says his father has Parkinson's disease

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has said that he is following the situation in India and Bangladesh after cyclone Amphan struck the two countries and expressed sadness over the loss of lives.
Cyclone Amphan, the strongest to hit the region in nearly two decades, made landfall on Wednesday evening. It has killed over 85 people and directly affected around 1.5 crore others and destroyed more than 10 lakh houses in India.
In Bangladesh, it has killed at least 22 people and left many displaced in the coastal areas.
Guterres on Friday took to Twitter to express sadness over the loss of lives and destruction.
I've been following developments in Bangladesh and India after #CycloneAmphan made landfall Wednesday. Deeply saddened to hear lives have been lost and millions more have been affected. UN staff are on the ground assessing damage & emergency needs, the UN chief said in a tweet.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an advance interim assistance of Rs 1,000 crore for West ...

UN chief following cyclone Amphan situation in India, Bangla; saddened by loss of lives

With traditional competition shut down by the coronavirus pandemic, athletics has begun experimenting with imaginative and unusual ways to ensure that, somehow, the show goes on.
The Olympics and European Championships have been postponed and there no traditional meetings are scheduled until the Diamond League in Monaco on August 14, yet there has been a steady stream of creative initiatives to allow competition.
There have been long-distance pole-vault showdowns and solo races against the clock.
Micro meetings are planned and, in a sport built on direct competition, promoters of traditional meetings are looking at ways to stage meaningful one-runner races in arenas where no hands are clapping.
"In this period when nothing is happening, there is no bad idea, apart from taking health risks," Remy Charpentier, the organiser of the Monaco meeting, told AFP.
The postponed London Marathon launched the 2.6 Challenge in which participants attempted solo events based on that number. Some sat .

Seeking the spotlight, athletics takes a leap in the dark

Euro 2020 may have been swept from the calendar due to coronavirus, but UEFA's video-game eTournament version kicks off on Saturday regardless.
Instead of Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane or Cristiano Ronaldo racing around the pitch, gamers will slug it out, contesting the first ever eEuro from their armchairs.
"The weight of the whole thing is on our shoulders," said 21-year-old Frenchman Lotfi Derradji, who comes from the Paris suburbs but 'plays' for Monaco where he was crowned French champion in 2018.
"We will represent France not on the pitch but on the console, we're getting huge amounts of support," said Derradji's international and club teammate, Walid Rachid Tebane, who won the individual European title in June 2019.
"We are disappointed that the Euros have been postponed but at the same time it switches more attention on to us," added Derradji, who has been playing with international French striker - and gaming enthusiast - Antoine Griezmann.
These two bespectacled eSports ...

'Not on pitch but on console': Euro 2020 kicks off without footballers

Singapore has reported 642 new COVID-19 cases, a majority of them foreign workers living in dormitories, taking the total number of infections in the country to 31,068, the Health Ministry said on Saturday.
Six of the patients are either Singapore citizens or permanent residents (foreigners), it said.
Among the new 642 cases, 636 are foreign workers living in dormitories. The total number of infections has gone up to 31,068, the ministry said in its daily update.
Earlier on Saturday, National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said that after June 1 when the 'circuit breaker' ends, employees should only return to workplaces if they need specialised equipment and machinery that cannot be accessed from home, or if they need to fulfil legal requirements.
Wong, who co-chairs the multi ministry task force handling the COVID-19 outbreak, said that many employers and managers will need to adjust to this new normal.
For those who do have to be onsite, employers should consider if staff really 

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