Jakob Ingebrigtsen edged out brother Henrik to set a national 5km road race record as athletics returned to Norway after a coronavirus-enforced absence.
Jakob clocked 13min 29sec in Stavanger with Henrik just a couple of seconds behind, also inside the old record time of 13:37.
"The most important thing for the boys is to have a good experience and to get started with the season," Gjert Ingebrigtsen, the father and coach of Jakob and Henrik, told Norwegian broadcaster NRK in remarks carried by Athletics Weekly.
The 2.5km loop course street race had been adapted to meet health rules because of the pandemic.

Jakob Ingebrigtsen triumphs in family affair as racing returns in Norway

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After nearly two months sidelined in Guam with a coronavirus outbreak, the USS Theodore Roosevelt has gone out to sea for training, in preparation to return to duty in the Pacific.
The ship has been docked in Guam since March 27, as the 4,800 crew members went through rotations of quarantine, and more than 1,000 of them have tested positive for the virus over that time.
It feels great to be back at sea, Rear Adm. Stu Baker, commander of Carrier Strike Group 9, said in a statement. Getting Theodore Roosevelt and Carrier Air Wing 11 one step closer to returning to their mission in the Indo-Pacific is a great achievement for the crew."
In an Associated Press interview from the aircraft carrier earlier this week, Navy Capt. Carlos Sardiello said the ship will sail with a scaled-back crew of about 3,000, leaving about 1,800 sailors on shore who are still in quarantine or working with those who are.
The sailors in quarantine include up to 14 who recently tested positive again for the virus, 

Aircraft carrier returns to sea after coronavirus outbreak

Floodwaters surging through Central Michigan on Wednesday were mixing with containment ponds at a Dow Chemical Co. plant and could displace sediment from a downstream Superfund site, though the company said there was no risk to people or the environment.
Dow said the ponds held only water, and it has detected no chemical releases from the plant in Midland where the company was founded, though the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said state officials would evaluate the plant when they're able.
Once the flooding recedes, Dow will be required to assess the Superfund site  contaminated with dioxins the company dumped in the last century  to determine if any contamination was released, the EPA said.
Meanwhile, the Tittabawassee River crested at just over 35 feet (11 meters) in Midland, about 3 feet (90 centimeters) below the forecast level.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer had warned that the city of 42,000 people could end up under 9 feet (2.7 meters) of water by Wednesday evening after ...

Michigan flood displaces thousands, threatens Superfund site

China has reported 33 new coronavirus cases, including 31 asymptomatic ones, majority of them in Wuhan, the first epicentre of the COVID-19 where the city's 11 million people are being tested in order to prevent a second wave of the deadly virus, health authorities said on Thursday.
According to China's National Health Commission (NHC), two confirmed coronavirus cases, including one imported infection, was reported on Thursday in Guangdong province and a locally transmitted one in Shanghai on Wednesday.
But there was a spike in asymptomatic cases. The NHC said 31 asymptomatic cases were reported of which 28 of them were in Wuhan.
Wednesday's addition takes the number of asymptomatic cases in the country to 375, according to the NHC data.
In Wuhan itself 281 people with asymptomatic symptoms along with 861 of those who came in contact with them were kept under quarantine, local health commission said.
Asymptomatic cases pose a problem as the patients are tested COVID-19 positive but ...

China reports 33 new coronavirus cases; spike in asymptomatic infections in Wuhan

COVID-19 has created enormous anxiety and uncertainty but the US administration wants that Indian students come to the country for study, a senior American diplomat told a Washington DC-based think tank on Wednesday.
Alice Wells, the outgoing Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, however, said presently visas are not being processed due to the pandemic.
So this is going to be an issue that I think we have to muddle our way through, she told the former US Ambassador to India, Richard Verma, during a virtual discussion held by the Atlantic Council.
Over 200,000 Indian students study in various American universities and they constitute the second largest group of foreign students in the US after China.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, almost all educational institutions are shut during the spring break, which has now been extended for the rest of the academic year till August.
COVID-19 has created enormous anxiety and uncertainty for both ...

Want Indian students come to country for study: Wells

Recession-hit Japan's exports plunged nearly 22 per cent in April, the country's worst drop in more than a decade as the coronavirus pandemic slammed global demand.
The Finance Ministry also said Thursday that imports fell 7 per cent.
The drop in exports is the worst since the 2008 financial crisis, as export-dependent Japan struggles to juggle the health risks of COVID-19 with the dire need to keep the economy going.
Like many other nations, Japan has asked people to work from home and maintain social distance to stop the virus from spreading. The government initiative was eased this month in regions with few or no new infections, though it remains in place for Tokyo and some other areas.
For April, exports totaled 5.2 trillion yen (USD 48 billion), down from nearly 6.7 trillion yen the same month in 2019. Imports dropped to 6.1 trillion yen (USD 57 billion) from 6.6 trillion yen.
Exports fell most dramatically to the US, India, Australia, South America, Russia, Iran and Italy. ...

Recession-hit Japan's exports, imports fall due to pandemic

A former Green Beret and his son have been arrested in Massachusetts on charges they smuggled Nissan Motor Co. Chairman Carlos Ghosn out of Japan in a box while he awaited trial there on financial misconduct charges.
Michael Taylor, a 59-year-old former Green Beret and private security specialist, and Peter Taylor, 27, are wanted by Japan on charges they helped Ghosn escape the country in December after he was released on bail.
The Taylors were arrested by the US Marshals Service in Harvard. They appeared before a federal judge from jail via video conference, wearing orange jumpsuits and tan face coverings because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Assistant US Attorney Stephen Hassink said Japan plans as quickly as possible to submit a formal request to extradite the Taylors.
An attorney for the Taylors said they plan to challenge Japan's extradition request on several legal and factual grounds.
Michael Taylor is a distinguished veteran and patriot, and both he and his son deserve a full ..

2 accused of smuggling ex-Nissan boss out of Japan in a box

Homicides in Mexico dropped only slightly in April despite widespread lockdowns and social distancing measures for the coronavirus outbreak, suggesting the pandemic has done little to stem drug gang violence.
Killings nationwide amounted to 3,020 in April, down from 3,078 in March. That was below the peak of 3,158 in July 2018, but it was above the average of about 2,900 killings that had occurred in recent months.
One bright spot is that mass looting events that authorities feared might happen during the pandemic have not materialized. After a half dozen such incidents reported between late March and mid-April, authorities haven't reported any in May.
With many stores, factories and other businesses closed and huge reductions in traffic and movement of people, some had thought killings might decline. But much of the violence appears linked to dispute between rival drug gangs.
The state of Guanajuato, where the Jalisco and Santa Rosa de Lima cartels are fighting for control, once ...

Mexico faces continued drug gang violence despite pandemic

The United Nations called on Venezuela's feuding political leaders Wednesday to urgently resume serious negotiations, while Russia and its Caracas government ally traded barbs with the United States and Colombia over a failed armed raid on the Venezuelan coast.
UN political chief Rosemary DiCarlo told the UN Security Council that Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has repeatedly called for a negotiated solution and we remain convinced that a real negotiation among Venezuela's main political actors is the only way forward.
In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, an agreement that strengthens democratic governance, with full respect for human rights and the rule of law is more urgent than ever, DiCarlo said.
We therefore call on all main political actors to resume serious negotiations.
Her comments came during a council meeting called by Russia to support Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's view that the May 3 incursion threatened peace in his country and regional security.
The raid at .

UN urges Venezuela's rival political leaders to resume talks

A senior US diplomat on Wednesday questioned the India's ability to crack a trade deal while underlining that it needs to bring economic reforms to grab the opportunity provided by the coronavirus crisis.
Alice Wells, the outgoing Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, said the US wants a trade pact but India has not been able to do so.
Companies want to diversify their supply chains post-COVID 19, this really represents a golden opportunity for India, which we think it should seize with market-friendly approaches instead of protectionist impulses, she said observing that the US really wants to work with India to improve the business environment.
I would point out that we're a country that makes trade deals. As rough and tumble as these discussions are, we make deals. We have not seen India be able to make these trade deals yet, Alice Wells told told a Washington DC-based think tank.
So, this is not just a US issue. It's an issue that India .

India needs to adopt market-friendly approach in post-COVID world: Wells

A 6-year-old victim of a fire that killed 13 children and two adults in a children's home outside the Haitian capital in February has been buried in a ceremony attended by her mother and one other mourner.
Lovena Luberice died in the home run by the U.S.-based Church of Bible Understanding, which has millions in annual revenue but repeatedly failed inspections at its two facilities in Haiti.
Authorities suspect the fire started because the home used candles instead of a functioning generator or battery in a country where power failures are frequent.
Lovena's body was held by authorities for three months awaiting autopsy because officials are investigating if the church or its employees bear criminal responsibility for the fire. The autopsy was never performed, officials told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Lovena's mother, Ermilia, attended the ceremony at the Alma Funeral Home along with one friend, Yolande Jean-Louis.
Jean-Louis said other family members couldn't attend because ..

6-year-old children's home fire victim buried in Haiti

Venezuela's defense minister said Wednesday that planes and ships from the nation's armed forces will escort Iranian tankers arriving with fuel to the gasoline-starved country in case of any US aggression.
Defense Minister Vladimir Padrino Lpez said Venezuela's navy and air force will welcome the five Iranian tankers, seeing them through the nation's maritime territory and into port.
He compared the fuel tankers to humanitarian aid that China and Russia have sent to help Venezuela combat the new coronavirus pandemic.
A force of US vessels, including Navy destroyers and other combat ships, patrol the Caribbean on what US officials call a drug interdiction mission. Venezuelan officials paint them as a threat, but US officials have not announced any plans to intercept the Iranian tankers, or threatened to try that. Both countries have been hit with U.S. economic sanctions.
Venezuela's ambassador to the United Nations, Samuel Moncada, also lashed out at the U.S., saying any attempt to ...

Venezuela to escort Iranian tankers bringing needed fuel

Before COVID-19 killed thousands of nursing home residents, about 4 in 10 homes inspected were cited for infection control problems, according to a government watchdog report Wednesday that finds a persistent pattern of lapses.
In light of the pandemic, seemingly minor cutting of corners such as an employee caring for residents while battling a cold has taken on new significance.
Warning signs were ignored and nursing homes were unprepared to face a pandemic, said Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon, the top Democrat on a committee that oversees Medicare and Medicaid. There need to be big changes in the way nursing homes care for seniors.
The report from the Government Accountability Office found that state inspectors who help enforce federal nursing home standards classified the overwhelming majority of violations as not severe, generally meaning there was no actual harm to residents.
The federal Centers for Medicare and Medicare Services carried out enforcement actions for 1% of violations ...

Watchdog cites persistent infection lapses in nursing homes

President Jair Bolsonaro unveiled rules Wednesday expanding the prescription of chloroquine, the predecessor of an anti-malaria drug promoted by US President Donald Trump, for coronavirus patients despite a lack of clinical proof that it is effective.
Chloroquine was already being used in Brazil for COVID-19 patients who are hospitalized in serious condition, and under the new regulations, it can be given to people with lighter symptoms such as abdominal pain, cough or fever, according to the Health Ministry.
There is still no scientific evidence, but it is being monitored and used in Brazil and worldwide, Bolsonaro, who has likened the virus to a little flu and feuded with local governments over their stay-at-home measures, said via his official Facebook page.
We are at war: 'Worse than being defeated is the shame of not having fought.'
More than 291,000 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Brazil, the third most in the world after the United States and Russia, and the ...

Brazil expands use of unproven drug as virus toll rises

Beyond its hard-hitting rhetoric against China over its handling of the coronavirus, the White House on Wednesday issued a broad-scale attack on Beijing's predatory economic policies, military buildup, disinformation campaigns and human rights violations.
The 20-page report does not signal a shift in US policy, according to a senior administration official, who was not authorized to publicly discuss the report and spoke only on condition of anonymity, but it expands on Trump's get-tough rhetoric that he hopes will resonate with voters angry about China's handling of the disease outbreak that has left tens of millions of Americans out of work.
The media's focus on the current pandemic risks missing the bigger picture of the challenge that's presented by the Chinese Communist Party, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Wednesday before the White House released its report.
China's been ruled by a brutal, authoritarian regime, a communist regime since 1949. For several decades, we thought .

White House report blasts Chinese 'malign activities'

The two astronauts who will end a nine-year launch drought for NASA arrived at Kennedy Space Center on Wednesday, exactly one week before their historic SpaceX flight.
It will be the first time a private company, rather than a national government, sends astronauts into orbit.
NASA test pilots Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken flew to Florida from their home base in Houston aboard one of the space agency's jets.
It's an incredible time for NASA and the space program, once again launching U.S. crews from Florida and hopefully in just a week from about right now, Hurley told reporters minutes after arriving.
Hurley was one of the four astronauts who arrived at Kennedy on July 4, 2011, for the final space shuttle flight, so it's incredibly humbling to be here to start out the next launch from the United States.
We feel it as an opportunity but also a responsibility for the American people, for the SpaceX team, for all of NASA," Behnken added.
The two are scheduled to blast off next Wednesday ...

Astronauts arrive for NASA's 1st home launch in decade

The United States on Wednesday asked China to take steps to ease the burden its predatory and unfair lending is causing to Pakistan during the coronavirus crisis.
Alice G Wells, US State Department's top official for Central and South Asia, told reporters during a conference call that be it the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) or any other assistance, the US supports investment that meets international standards, upholds environmental and labour requirements and benefits the people of the region.
I've enumerated the United States government's concerns over the CPEC, lack of transparency involved in the projects and unfair rates of profit that are guaranteed to Chinese organisations," she said in response to a question on the corridor.
I think at a time of crisis like COVID, when the world is reeling from the economic consequences of having shut parts of the economy, it is really incumbent on China to take steps to alleviate the burden this predatory, unsustainable and unfair ...

Ease burden of 'unfair, predatory' lending on Pak: US to China

A two-day-old baby became the youngest victim of coronavirus in South Africa as the death toll due to the infection continues to rise ahead of the proposed easing of lockdown restrictions from June 1.
According to the latest figures, the fatality count has risen to 339 in the country with 25 fresh deaths while the number of those testing positive for the virus has gone up to 18,003.
A total of 8,950 people have recovered from the disease so far.
"Sadly, we have recorded the first neonatal mortality related to COVID-19. The baby was two-day-old and was born prematurely, Minister of Health Dr Zweli Mkhize said on Wednesday.
The baby had lung difficulties which required ventilation support immediately after birth, he said, adding that the child's mother had earlier tested positive for the infection.
Mkhize said a health care worker was among those who died in the preceding 24 hours.
My heart goes out to the family, colleagues and loved ones of this compatriot," he said.
"When COVID-19 ...

Two-day-old baby youngest victim of COVID-19 in S Africa

A senior US diplomat on Wednesday said Pakistan's commitment to peace has grown as it has started taking steps to curtail terrorist groups and their funding.
Alice G Wells, US State Department's top official for Central and South Asia, told reporters during a conference call that the suspension of security assistance by President Donald Trump in 2018 marked a fundamental change in the country's  approach towards Islamabad.
The South Asia strategy made it clear that Pakistan needed to take decisive action against these groups, particularly those who support the conflict in Afghanistan and threaten regional stability, Wells said.
Since then, the United States has seen constructive steps by Pakistan to encourage the Taliban to advance the Afghan peace process, Wells said.
Pakistan has also taken initial steps towards curtailing other terrorist groups that threatened the region such as arresting and prosecuting (terrorists) and beginning to dismantle terrorist financing structures. As ...

Pakistan's commitment to peace has grown: Alice Wells

The post-coronavirus world provides a window of opportunity to India as countries are looking to diversify their supply chains, a senior American diplomat said on Wednesday.
Alice G Wells, US State Department's top official for Central and South Asia, however, said India needs to open up as it is still a protected market, which sometimes denies a level playing field to foreign companies.
In the post-pandemic environment, countries are looking at a little bit of de-globalisation and onshoring of the critical production. And at the same time, there's a very vigorous effort to diversify supply chains, Wells said during a conference call with reporters.
And this is a real moment of opportunity for India by adopting a more open and welcoming policies by reducing tariffs that allow manufacturing companies inside India to be part of the global supply chain, Wells added, stressing on building trusted supply chain relationships.
Wells said as India is the world's foremost producer of generic ..

Post-coronavirus world provides window of opportunity to India: Wells

New York City will offer free coronavirus tests at the city's 169 nursing homes and will provide staff to replace nursing home employees who test positive for the virus, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Wednesday.
To me this comes down to, the seniors in our lives, what they have given us, what they mean to us, and what we owe to them, what we owe to them in terms of making sure they are healthy, making sure they are safe, always being there for them, de Blasio said.
The announcement comes after some 3,000 residents of nursing homes in the city have died of COVID-19, including those confirmed whose diagnoses were by lab tests and those for whom COVID-19 was the presumed cause based on symptoms.
De Blasio noted that the state is in charge of regulating nursing homes but said the city would start a two-week blitz to provide up to 3,000 tests a day to residents and employees at the facilities.
He said the city has already sent 240 fill-in staff members to replace nursing home employees who 

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