Hertz filed for bankruptcy protection Friday, unable to withstand the coronavirus pandemic that has crippled global travel and with it, the heavily indebted 102-year-old car rental company's business.
The Estero, Florida-based company's lenders were unwilling to grant it another extension on its auto lease debt payments past a Friday deadline, triggering the filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware.
By the end of March, Hertz Global Holdings Inc. had racked up $18.7 billion in debt with only $1 billion of available cash.
Starting in mid-March, the company  whose car-rental bands also include Dollar and Thrifty  lost all revenue when travel shut down due to the novel coronavirus, and it started missing payments in April. Hertz has also been plagued by management upheaval, naming its fourth CEO in six years on May 18.
No business is built for zero revenue, former CEO Kathryn Marinello said on the company's first-quarter earnings conference call May 12. There's only so long that ...

Debt and coronavirus push Hertz into bankruptcy protection

PTI Automatic

South Korea reported 23 new cases of the coronavirus, mostly from the densely populated Seoul metropolitan area where authorities have shut down thousands of nightclubs, bars and karaoke rooms in a desperate attempt to stem transmissions.
Figures announced by the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Saturday brought national totals to 11,165 cases and 266 deaths.
Thirteen of the new cases came from Gyeonggi province surrounding capital Seoul, which on Saturday issued an administrative order to ban gatherings at an additional 2,629 bars and karaoke rooms, bringing its number of shut-down entertainment venues to 8,363.
The country was reporting around 500 new cases a day in early March before using aggressive tracing and testing to stabilize its outbreak. But there's growing concern over the steady rise of infections in the greater capital area, where about half of South Korea's 51 million people live, which came after health authorities relaxed social distancing ...

South Korea reports 23 new coronavirus cases

Inmates brawled among each other with fists and guns at a prison in western Mexico on Friday, leaving seven prisoners dead and nine others wounded.
Jalisco state authorities described the killings at the infamous Puente Grande prison complex as a fight between inmates, rather than a riot.
"There was never a riot," said the state's prison director, Jos Antonio Prez.
There was never a dispute for control of the facility.
Officials did not explain how the inmates got the two guns used in the fight.
Prez said a group of inmates began attacking other prisoners who had not caused problems, leading the rest of the prison population to turn on the attackers.
Prosecutors said five of the attackers were arrested.
The killings followed a prison baseball game, but it was not clear if that was related to the dispute. Nor was it clear if allegiance to rival drug gangs could have been involved in the dispute, as is often the case in prison fights in Mexico.
Of the seven dead, three were shot to ...

Inmate brawl kills 7 prisoners at jail in western Mexico

Thousands of Indian students, along with their friends and family across the US and India, on Friday attended a one-of-its kind virtual graduation ceremony for their class of 2020, in an event that was reflective of the ground realities during the coronavirus pandemic.
"These unprecedented times are also times of unprecedented opportunities. Innovation is a part of the journey ahead and you will be the pioneers who shape the world," India's Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu said in his address to the students.
Organised by the Embassy of India Student Hub, the event was aimed at recognising the students' academic accomplishments and boosting their morale in the face of the continuing uncertainty caused by the pandemic.
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, in-person graduation ceremonies across the US have been cancelled this year.
Notable figures like singer and entrepreneur Lalitya Munshaw, actress Gautami Tadimalla, tabla maestro Pt Divyang Vakil, former director of AIIMS P ...

Virtual graduation ceremony for Indian students in US in time of coronavirus pandemic

A US judge on Friday approved moving forward with the sale of Venezuela's prized US-based CITGO refineries, allowing a Canadian mining company to collect USD 1.4 billion it lost in a decade-old takeover in the South American nation by the late socialist President Hugo Chvez.
The ruling strikes a blow to Venezuela's opposition led by Juan Guaid, which was banking on profits from the Houston-based company to finance the crisis-torn nation's recovery  if they were ever able to force President Nicols Maduro from power.
The order by Chief Judge Leonard P Stark of US District Court in Delaware follows a decision by the US Supreme Court on Monday that upheld an earlier ruling by Stark authorizing CITGO's liquidation.
Before moving ahead with CITGO's sale, the bankrupt Canadian mining company Crystallex must first get a license from US Treasury officials, which had temporarily shielded Venezuela's opposition from losing CITGO.
Crystallex and attorneys for Venezuela also have to agree on how ..

Judge approves sale of Venezuela's prized US-refineries

A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced a legislation in both the chambers of the US Congress proposing major reforms in skilled non-immigrant visa programmes by giving priority to US-educated foreign technology professionals in issuing H-1B work visas.
The H-1B and L-1 Visa Reform Act, as introduced in House of Representatives and Senate, will require US Citizenship and Immigration Services to prioritize for the first time the annual allocation of H-1B visas.
The new system would ensure that the best and brightest students being educated in the United States receive preference for an H-1B visa, including advanced degree holders, those being paid a high wage, and those with valuable skills, proponents of this major legislative reforms said Friday.
In the Senate, it was introduced by Senators Chuck Grassley and Dick Durbin. In the House of Representatives, it was introduced by Congressmen Bill Pascrell, Paul Gosar, Ro Khanna, Frank Pallone and Lance Gooden.
The legislation ...

H-1B legislations introduced in Congress to give priority to US-educated foreign youths

Brazil's health ministry said Friday there were 3,30,890 confirmed COVID-19 cases. That is more than Russia, the country that has the second-highest number of cases in the world on the Johns Hopkins University tally.
Brazil reported 1,001 deaths over the previous 24 hours, bringing its total death toll to more than 21,000. It is the hardest hit nation in Latin America.
The news came as states and cities across Brazil debate whether to loosen restrictive measures introduced to limit the spread of the virus, or implement stricter lockdowns.
While the mayor of Rio de Janeiro said he wants to gradually reopen non-essential shops in the next few days, newspaper Folha de S. Paulo reported Friday that Sao Paulo was reevaluating its previously announced plans to reopen commerce and instead may enter lockdown.

Brazil surpasses Russia in confirmed virus cases

Vice President Mike Pence on Friday praised Georgia's decision to quickly reopen businesses during the coronavirus outbreak during a visit to the state that included lunch with the governor at an Atlanta caf that had resumed dine-in service.
We just went out to lunch and had a great meal, and we were able to do that because of what the people of Georgia have done, Pence said at a discussion later in the day with restaurant owners and Gov. Brian Kemp.
He said Georgia was leading the way in reopening and called Kemp's leadership clear and courageous and principled. The words were a marked departure from the criticism Kemp faced from President Donald Trump after Kemp announced in April he planned to allow salons, restaurants, gyms and other businesses to reopen later that month.
Georgia was one of the first states to allow businesses to start up again during the pandemic.
Trump initially told Kemp he supported the move, but then said publicly he strongly disagreed with it and wasn't ...

Pence visits Georgia cafe that reopened despite virus

A profanity-laced video showing Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro expressing frustration at his inability to get information from police and vowing to change Cabinet ministers if needed to protect his family was released Friday at the order of a Supreme Court justice in a new blow to a president whose popularity has been sagging.
The two-hour video of a Cabinet meeting, with portions redacted, was released as part of a probe into allegations that the president was trying to illegally interfere in a criminal investigation of his son, a claim made by former Justice Minister Srgio Moro when he resigned last month.
The former minister told investigators Bolsonaro openly demanded he make changes in key federal police positions, including the head of the agency as a whole. Moro resigned after Bolsonaro fired the federal police director-general without consulting him.
Bolsonaro has denied inappropriate pressure and insisted his quotes were misinterpreted.
The video shows the president ...

Video of Cabinet meeting puts Brazil's Bolsonaro under fire

Joe Biden said he "should not have been so cavalier" in comments on Friday in which he suggested African Americans who back President Donald Trump "ain't black".
Biden addressed the controversy during a conference call with the US Black Chamber of Commerce Friday afternoon.
Biden earlier suggested that African Americans who back President Donald Trump ain't black, comments that stirred controversy over whether he was being condescending to voters who could decide whether he wins the White House.
The presumptive Democratic presidential nominee appeared on the Breakfast Club, a radio program that is widely regarded in the black community.
The host, Charlamagne Tha God, pressed Biden on reports that he is considering Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who is white, to be vice president and told him black voters saved your political life in the primaries and have things they want from you.
I'm not acknowledging anybody who is being considered, Biden said.
But I guarantee you there are multiple 

Biden says he was too 'cavalier' about black Trump backers

At least 82 people were killed when a Pakistan International Airlines plane with 99 people on board crashed into a densely populated residential area near the Jinnah International Airport here on Friday, officials said, nearly a week after the COVID-19-induced air travel restrictions were lifted by the government.
Flight PK-8303 from Lahore crashed at the Jinnah Garden area near Model Colony in Malir minutes before its landing in Karachi, they said.
The PIA Airbus A320 carrying 91 passengers and eight crew members has crash-landed into the Jinnah Housing Society located near the airport, a spokesperson of the national carrier said.
Thick black smoke rose from the accident scene in the Model Colony area.
Sindh Health Minister Azra Pechuho told the media late Friday night that 82 bodies have been recovered from the site of the crash so far.
It is, however, unclear if the deceased were all on board the flight or include residents of the area where the crash took place.
She said there are 

At least 82 dead as Pakistan plane crashes in residential area in Karachi

US regulators on Friday approved a birth control gel that works in a new way to prevent pregnancy.
Phexxi  pronounced FECK'-see  comes in an applicator that women insert before intercourse. The gel made by San Diego-based Evofem Biosciences contains lactic acid, citric acid and potassium bitartrate, all of which are common food additives.
The new gel has some similarities to spermicides, which block the entrance to the cervix and slow sperm down. But Phexxi works differently.
The vagina's pH  a measure of acidity  is usually in the range of 3.5 to 4.5, the level needed to maintain healthy bacteria. Sperm typically raise that to a more hospitable level of 7 to 8. Phexxi keeps it in the usual acidic range, killing the sperm.
Unlike some other contraceptives, it only needs to be taken shortly before sex and it doesn't contain hormones, which can cause side effects some women can't tolerate.

US regulators approve new type of contraceptive gel

An Iranian-American aviation magnate and gunrunner tied to the CIA and the Iran-Contra scandal must pay a sheikhdom in the United Arab Emirates over USD 4.1 million over a series of business disputes, a British court ruled Friday.
The ruling against Farhad Azima caps a yearslong legal dispute stretching across the world between the Kansas City, Missouri resident and the emirate of Ras al-Khaimah, one of UAE's seven sheikhdoms along with Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
The case renewed questions over whether Azima had what one prosecutor said was a stay-out-of-jail-free card because of secretive work he had performed for the U.S. government.
While ruling in the emirate's favor, the High Court's judgement also paints Ras al-Khaimah as the Wild West of frontier investing. The 127-page ruling describes the emirate's ruling family, alleging it was a victim of a $2 billion embezzlement and saying it pressured people through detention without charges and worried about internal power struggles.

UK court orders gunrunner to pay over USD 4.1M to UAE emirate

FBI Director Christopher Wray has ordered an internal review into possible misconduct in the investigation of former Trump administration national security adviser Michael Flynn, the bureau said Friday.
The review will examine whether any employees engaged in misconduct during the course of the investigation and evaluate whether any improvements need to be made.
The Justice Department moved earlier this month to dismiss the criminal case against Flynn, who had pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI. That request is pending before a judge.

FBI director orders internal review of Flynn investigation

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi telephoned UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday to convey its concern over India's decision to change the domicile law for Jammu and Kashmir.
Under the domicile rules, all those persons and their children who have resided for 15 years in Jammu and Kashmir or have studied for seven years and appeared in class 10 or 12 examinations in an educational institution in the Union Territory are eligible for grant of domicile.
The Foreign Office said that Qureshi updated the UN chief on the situation in Kashmir.
The Foreign Minister alluded to the recent domicile law in Kashmir, which was in violation of relevant UN Security Council resolutions and international law, including the 4th Geneva Convention.
He also claimed that India may resort to some false flag operation.
The foreign minister said that Pakistan remained ready to allow the UNMOGIP to authenticate the claim over terror launch pads, if India provides any specific ...

Qureshi calls UN chief to discuss situation in Kashmir

US President Donald Trump on Friday designated all houses of worship as places that provide essential services, paving the way for reopening of churches, temples, mosques and gurdwaras despite the threat of coronavirus.
He asked the state governors to reopen churches and other places of worship, threatening to "override" the state leaders if they refused to follow his directive.
At my direction, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is issuing guidance for communities of faith, Trump told reporters at the White House.
Today I am identifying houses of worship, churches, synagogues, and mosque as essential places that provide essential services, he said.
Houses of worship across the country had been closed due to social distancing measures implemented to stop the spread of coronavirus.
More than 94,000 Americans have died of the virus as of Thursday evening, according to Johns Hopkins University.
More than 1.5 million coronavirus cases have been diagnosed in the country.
The ...

Trump asks governors to open houses of worship

All Rohingya refugees staying at an island in the Bay of Bengal are safe after super-cyclone Amphan ravaged Bangladesh's southwestern coastlines, Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said on Friday, dismissing the international concern about their safety.
Bangladesh last year constructed facilities for 100,000 people on Bhashan Char, a silt islet in the coastal belt, saying they needed to take the pressure off crowded border camps that are home to almost one million Rohingya.
Many people thought that cyclone surges would inundate Bhashan Char but the tidal waves could not penetrate there...all who are staying at the island are safe, he said in a statement through virtual media.
Cyclone Amphan has killed at least 22 people in Bangladesh and left many displaced in the country's coastal areas.
Cyclone 'Amphan', the strongest to hit the region in nearly two decades, made landfall on Wednesday evening. It was the most powerful storm since cyclone 'Sidr' killed nearly 3,500 people in 2007.
Momen 

All Rohingya refugees at Bangladesh's Bhashan Char island safe: Minister

At least 57 people were killed when a Pakistan International Airlines plane with 99 people on board crashed into a densely populated residential area near the Jinnah International Airport here on Friday, officials said, nearly a week after the COVID-19-induced air travel restrictions were lifted by the government.
Flight PK-8303 from Lahore was about to land in Karachi when it crashed at the Jinnah Garden area near Model Colony in Malir, minutes before its landing, they said.
The PIA Airbus A320 carrying 91 passengers and eight crew members has crash- landed into the Jinnah Housing Society located near the airport, a spokesperson of the national carrier said.
Thick black smoke rose from the accident scene of devastation in the Model Colony area.
Earlier, a PIA spokesperson and many media reports said that there were 107 people on board the aircraft.
Sindh Health Minister Azra Pechuho and rescue officials confirmed that 57 dead bodies have been recovered so far from the site of the ...

At least 57 dead as Pakistan plane crashes in residential area in Karachi

Alex Hales deserves a "second chance" with England after being sent into international exile as a result of recreational drug use, according to Chris Woakes.
Opening batsman Hales was dropped from the World Cup squad shortly before last year's tournament after it emerged he had tested positive for drugs.  England went on to win the event on home soil in dramatic fashion without him and he has not played international cricket since.
Despite his months in the wilderness, there is speculation Hales could be in line for a white-ball recall.
England are set to announce separate Test and one-day squads as they bid to complete a full international home programme against the West Indies, Pakistan, Australia and Ireland despite the coronavirus pandemic.
And the Twenty20 World Cup in Australia is still scheduled to take place later this year.
Warwickshire all-rounder Woakes, asked about the prospect of Hales playing for England again, told reporters on Friday: "I don't know 100 percent if it's .

Hales deserves 'second chance', says England's Woakes

At least 45 people were killed when a Pakistan International Airlines plane with 99 people on board crashed into a densely populated residential area near the Jinnah International Airport here on Friday, officials said, nearly a week after the COVID-19-induced air travel restrictions were lifted by the government.
Flight PK-8303 from Lahore was about to land in Karachi when it crashed at the Jinnah Garden area near Model Colony in Malir, minutes before its landing, they said.
The PIA Airbus A320 carrying 91 passengers and eight crew members has crashed landed into the Jinnah Housing Society located near the airport, a spokesperson of the national carrier said.
Thick black smoke rose from the accident scene of devastation in the Model Colony area.
Earlier, a PIA spokesperson and many media reports said that there were 107 people on board the aircraft.
Faisal Edhi of the Edhi Welfare Trust told reporters that so far 45 bodies have been recovered from the crashed plane.
Our rescue ...

At least 45 dead as Pakistan plane crashes in residential area in Karachi

The coach and 10 players from a Peruvian football team tested positive for the new coronavirus just before they were due to board a humanitarian flight, the ministry of health said on Friday.
The 11 members of the third division Credicoop San Roman have been placed in quarantine in a hotel in the southeastern city of Juliaca, near Lake Titicaca.  They were due to board a flight from Juliaca, where they are based, to the capital Lima.
"A total of 66 rapid COVID-19 tests were administered, 12 gave positive results, 11 are male patients that are part of a football team," the ministry said in a statement.
Amongst them is 52-year-old coach Juan Carlos Bazalar, a former player for Peru's two biggest clubs, Universitario de Deportes and Alianza Lima.
"We're isolated and ready to begin the two weeks (of isolation) as the protocols demand," said Bazalar, who won the Copa Sudamericana -- the South American equivalent of the Europa League -- as a player with Cusco's Cienciano in 2003.
"Yet again 

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