German airline Lufthansa said Monday it has received approval for a 9 billion-euro ($9.8 billion) "stabilization package from a government support fund to keep the company going through the turbulence from the coronavirus outbreak, but cautions the deal has not been approved by the European Union's executive commission.
Lufthansa, which has lost most of its passenger business due to travel restrictions during the outbreak, said the government's fund has agreed to take non-voting holdings in return for 5.7 billion euros, plus a 3 billion-euro credit line and 300 million euros in share purchases.
That would leave the government fund with a 20-percent stake in the company and two seats on the board of directors.
One of those seats would be on the audit committee. The airline said however that the government agreed not to vote its shares at shareholder meetings unless there was a takeover of the company.
The company's trading statement said that the deal has not been approved by the ...

Lufthansa: Government fund approves 9 billion euros in aid

PTI Automatic

Pakistan's three medallists from the 2019 South Asian Games, held in Nepal, have flunked dope test and are facing bans up to four years, sources said on Monday.
According to a reliable source in the Pakistan Amateur Athletics Federation, two of the athletes had won gold medals and one was a bronze medal winner in the track and field events.
"Their names are being kept confidential but the federation recently got reports of the dope tests and all three have come positive," the source said.
The source added that the due process under WADA laws will be followed and the athletes will be given a fair chance to clear themselves.
"If they fail to do so they could face bans up to four years each depending on the circumstances," the source said.
The source said banned substances have been found in the athletes' samples.
Pakistan had won 132 medals, including 32 gold during the Games, held in Nepal in December.

Pakistan's three medallist from South Asian games flunk dope test: Sources

Senior lawyer and PCB's legal counsel Tafazzul Rizvi on Monday said he will drag Shoiab Akhtar to the court since he is not satisfied with former pacer's response to the defamation notice sent to him.
Rizvi, the long serving legal counsel of the PCB had sent a defamation notice to the fast bowler after he made some scathing remarks about him while criticising the three-year ban imposed on discarded Test batsman, Umar Akmal.
"I am not satisfied with the reply we have received from Shoaib Akhtar's legal counsel and we will be taking him to court," Rizvi said.
He said that the case would be filed on his behalf by senior barrister, Azam Tarar very soon.
Akhtar, in turn has demanded an unconditional apology and compensation of 10 million rupees to be donated to a charity. He came out more defiant insisting he will fight the legal case.
"Whatever I said on my channel was for betterment of Pakistan cricket and to point out to the Board where it needed to put things right. Whatever I said ...

Rizvi to drag Shoaib Akhtar to court

An Indian Army officer and woman peacekeeper, who has served with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), and a Brazilian woman commander have been selected for the prestigious United Nations Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award (2019), with UN Chief Antnio Guterres describing them as "powerful role models."
Major Suman Gawani and Brazilian Naval Officer Commander Carla Monteiro de Castro Araujo will receive the award during an online ceremony presided over by United Nations Secretary-General Guterres on May 29, the International Day of UN Peacekeepers.
Military Observer Gawani has recently completed an assignment in South Sudan apart from her stint with the UNMISS.
Araujo is working in the United Nations' Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA).
Guterres commended Gawani and Araujo. "These peacekeepers are powerful role models. Through their work, they have brought new perspectives and have helped build trust and confidence ...

Indian peacekeeper Suman Gawani to be honoured with UN Gender Advocate Award

There will be no audience and no handshakes with rivals, but Czech players including two-time Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova relishes the prospect of playing a tournament again.
Sports came to a halt in the Czech Republic in mid-March as the coronavirus began to spread while this year's French Open has been moved to September and Wimbledon cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We are here to reintroduce tennis not only to the Czech Republic, but also to the world," Kvitova told reporters Monday, on the eve of a rare all-Czech competition pitting eight men and eight women in separate draws.
As of Monday, the government has allowed events with up to 300 people, including sports, as the illness' spread started to slow down with over 300 deaths per 9,000 confirmed cases in the country.
"The hardest thing will be to find the rhythm, we haven't played a match for a very long time," said the top-seeded, 30-year-old Kvitova, who faces doubles specialist Barbora Krejcikova in her opening .

Kvitova relishes return to action in all-Czech tournament

Nepal Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli on Monday said the government would expand the scope of the COVID-19 testing by at least examining two per cent of the country's population as the country has witnessed a surge in the number of coronavirus cases.
Nepal on Monday registered its highest single-day spike in the coronavirus cases with 79 new infections, taking the total COVID-19 tally to 682 in the country.
Nepal, which has extended its nationwide lockdown till June 2 to contain the spread of the deadly coronavirus, is among the nations that has the least number of cases of the deadly COVID-19 with four deaths.
In a televised address to the nation, Prime Minister Oli said that his government is doing its best to prevent and control the spread of the coronavirus.
Today we are conducting COVID-19 tests at 20 labs across the country even though we had just one lab facility in the beginning, he said.
Oli said his government would expand the scope of the COVID-19 testing and the tests would .

Nepal to widen scope of COVID-19 testing as cases surge: PM Oli

New Yorkers marked Memorial Day with car convoys and small ceremonies instead of parades, as those looking to honour fallen military memberscontended with coronavirus restrictions.
It's something we're upset about, but we understand," said Raymond Aalbue, chairman of the United Military Veterans of Kings County, which usually puts on a parade in Brooklyn.
There's no reason to put anybody in harm's way," he said. Still, it's really cutting quick to the heart of all the veterans."
His organisation will have a convoy of 10 cars leaving from the Bay Ridge spot where the parade usually starts and then ending up at the Brooklyn veterans affairs hospital, where participants will line up next to their cars for a salute and a wreath-laying ceremony.
On nearby Long Island, a small group of veterans saluted, wearing masks and spaced several feet apart to observe social distancing, as a parade of cars passed beneath a large American flag by the Eisenhower Park Veterans Memorial on Monday ...

Car convoys, small ceremonies mark Memorial Day in New York

China's proposed new security law to firm up its control over Hong Kong could run into problems in courts, the city's Bar Association has warned, stressing that Beijing has no legal authority to enact its national security law for the former British colony.
In a strongly worded statement, the Hong Kong Bar Association also expressed concern over suggestions that mainland security agencies would be set up to safeguard national security within the city, saying it was entirely unclear how that arrangement would comply with Article 22 of the Basic Law, which stipulates that Beijing departments not to interfere in local affairs.
A draft bill on establishing and improving the legal system and enforcement mechanisms for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) to safeguard national security was tabled in China's National People's Congress (NPC) on Friday. It is expected to be passed on May 28.
The bill is regarded as a political bombshell for the former British colony as China has 

China has no legal authority to enact security law for Hong Kong: HK Bar Association

The 2019/20 season in the top two tiers of English women's football was called to an end on Monday by the Football Association (FA), but no decision has yet been made on how final standings will be decided.
"The FA Women's Super League and Women's Championship Board has today confirmed the decision to end the 2019/20 season," the FA said in a statement.
"The FA Women's Super League and Women's Championship Board has been in regular consultation with clubs and key stakeholders from across both leagues to identify the most suitable and appropriate way to conclude the 2019/20 season, and to give clubs and players the clarity and support they need at this time."
The cost involved in providing testing kits to complete the season was a major hurdle for even the top level of the women's game to overcome.
Manchester City led the Super League when the season was called to a halt in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
However, Chelsea would be crowned champions if the points-per-game formula 

English women's football season declared over

With Atletico Madrid ramping up their training for a potential La Liga restart their Portugal attacker Joao Felix has twisted his left knee, his club said on Monday.
The 20-year-old forward was one of Atletico's key players as they reached the last eight of the Champions League, eliminating defending champions Liverpool on the way.
The Spanish top-flight is targeting a June 11 restart but the news of Felix's injury would rule him out of that, with his team in sixth position with 11 matches to play.
An Atletico statement said Felix "has suffered a low grade medial collateral ligament left knee sprain, as confirmed by tests he underwent at the Clinica Universidad de Navarra."
The playmaker would at any rate have missed their first match against Athletic Bilbao due to suspension, but could be in the reckoning for the game after against Osasuna.
While Felix has scored six goals in his 28 games since joining Atletico from Benfica he has also been injured twice missing a total of ten ...

Atletico's Felix sprains knee in La Liga restart preparation

President Donald Trump demanded Monday that North Carolina's Democratic governor sign off immediately on allowing the Republican National Convention to move forward in August with full attendance despite the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Trump's tweets Monday about the RNC, planned for Charlotte, come just two days after the North Carolina recorded its largest daily increase in positive cases yet.
On Friday, Governor Roy Cooper moved the state into a second phase of gradual reopening with some further loosening of restrictions on hair salons, barbers and restaurants. But he said the state must continue to closely watch virus trends and has ordered entertainment venues, gyms and bars to remain closed.
Unfortunately, Democrat Governor, @RoyCooperNC is still in Shutdown mood & unable to guarantee that by August we will be allowed... full attendance in the Arena, Trump tweeted Monday.
He added that Republicans must be immediately given an answer by the Governor as to whether or not the ...

Trump demands immediate answer from governor on RNC capacity

States are spending billions of dollars stocking up on medical supplies such as masks and breathing machines during the coronavirus pandemic.
But more than two months into the buying binge, many aren't sharing details about how much they're spending, what they're getting for their money or which companies they're paying.
An Associated Press survey of all 50 states found a hodgepodge of public information about the purchase of masks, gloves, gowns and other hard-to-get equipment for medical and emergency workers.
Illinois has one of the most detailed tracking websites, showing the date, vendor, purpose, quantity and price of each purchase. In most states, it's not that easy.
Some provided similar information only after the AP pointed to laws requiring the release of government documents.
The public can see only a piece of the procurement puzzle in many states  maybe an estimate of the total spent on supplies, but not the names of the providers or the price of each item, which could ...

States give few details on billions spent on virus supplies

Singapore has to "move cautiously" in exiting its COVID-19 "circuit breaker" period from June 2 as there are still "hidden cases" of infection circulating among the general population, a senior minister said on Monday.
National Development Minister Lawrence Wong made the remarks while citing the example of eight pre-school staff members who tested positive for the virus after a mass testing exercise.
As part of a proactive testing programme that began on May 15, all teaching and non-teaching staff at pre-schools will be swabbed before centres reopen in phases from next week.
"The fact is that there are still hidden cases circulating amongst the general population," Wong said in a Facebook post.
"There are bound to be other undetected asymptomatic cases in the community. That's why we have to move cautiously, the Channel News Asia quoted the minister as saying.
This means that not everything can reopen at the same time, and tough decisions have to be made on which ones go first," he ...

Singapore has to 'move cautiously' in exiting COVID-19 'circuit breaker': Minister

The coronavirus hasn't been kind to car owners.
With more people than ever staying home to lessen the spread of COVID-19, their sedans, pickup trucks and SUVs are parked unattended on the streets, making them easy targets for opportunistic thieves.
Despite silent streets and nearly non-existent traffic, vehicle larcenies shot up 63% in New York and nearly 17% in Los Angeles from January 1 through mid-May, compared with the same period last year.
And many other law enforcement agencies around the US are reporting an increase in stolen cars and vehicle burglaries, even as violent crime has dropped dramatically nationwide in the coronavirus pandemic.
It's a low-risk crime with a potentially high reward, police say, especially when many drivers leave their doors unlocked or their keys inside.
"You might as well put a sticker on the window that says 'come take my stuff'," said an exasperated Alex Villanueva, the Los Angeles County sheriff.
In Austin, Texas, last month, a whopping 72% of ...

Lock your cars! Vehicle theft spikes in COVID-19 pandemic

Spain says it will lift a 2-week mandatory confinement for all travelers arriving from overseas starting July 1.
The government said in a brief statement that Cabinet ministers made the decision to lift the mandatory quarantine during a meeting Monday.
Prime Minister Pedro Snchez had already announced over the weekend that his nation was ready to welcome some foreign visitors in July.
The government is looking to establish safe corridors between parts of Spain that have the outbreak under control and similar areas in Europe that are an important source of tourists.
There has been no talk so far of reopening to travelers from outside the European Union.
Spain is one of the world's most visited countries, attracting over 80 million international tourists each year.
The industry represents 12% of Spain's GDP and employs 2.6 million people. Its economic importance is even greater on Spain's Canary and Balearic archipelagos.

Spain to end quarantine for tourists on July 1

This season's EuroLeague has been cancelled because of the coronavirus pandemic, Europe's top basketball competition announced on Monday.
"Having explored every possible option, the Executive Board has made the decision to cancel the 2019-20 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague," the organisation said in a statement.
The EuroLeague said that no team would be declared winners of the 2019-20 competition.
It cited "local authorities imposing differing restrictions on the movements of their citizens" and medical protocols that require self-isolation for any player, coach or referee who catches COVID-19 as some of the reasons for cancelling the season.
"Without a doubt, this is the most difficult decision we have had to take in our 20-year history. Due to reasons beyond our control, we have been forced to cut short the most successful and exciting season in European basketball history," said EuroLeague President and CEO Jordi Bertomeu.
There were six rounds of regular season matches still to play ..

EuroLeague basketball season cancelled due to coronavirus

Bayern Munich head coach Hansi Flick says the absence of spectators for Tuesday's top-of-the-table Bundesliga clash at Borussia Dortmund will be a "missing factor".
Reigning champions Bayern thrashed second-placed Dortmund 4-0 last November in front of 75,000 fans at the Allianz Arena.
But the teams will meet again in Dortmund with the stands at Signal Iduna Park -- usually packed with 82,000 people -- empty after the Bundesliga became the first top European league to return, behind closed doors, following the coronavirus lockdown.
"It is a very special game," Flick said on Monday, with Bayern heading to Dortmund with a four-point lead.
"As a coach, there is no question that the fans are a missing factor." Ten of the 18 league games since the restart have been won by the away team.
"The atmosphere can inspire any team. It is about how you can cope (without the support)," Flick added.
"You have to accept the current situation and can't look for an excuse." Bayern have restarted were ...

Bayern coach Flick bemoans lack of fans at 'special' Dortmund clash

China's first unmanned helicopter drone designed to fly in plateau areas and capable of firing and conducting reconnaissance from a high altitude has made its maiden flight and could be deployed along the country's borders with India, according to reports in the official media here.
The AR500C unmanned helicopter, which has the ability to relay communication from a high altitude, could help safeguard China's southwestern borders with India in Tibet, the state-run Global Times reported.
The drone, developed by the state-owned Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), successfully made its maiden flight on Wednesday at an AVIC base in Poyang in East China's Jiangxi Province.
During the flight, it conducted several manoeuvres including hovering, horizontal and vertical moves, according to state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV).
The Global Times report on Sunday said the AR500C, China's first unmanned helicopter designed to fly in plateau areas, can take off at an ...

China's high altitude unmanned helicopter drone for Tibet makes maiden test flight: Report

Employees of a major group of French nursing homes on Monday took part in protests across France to call for better pay amid the coronavirus crisis.
Protesters gathered outside homes owned by the Korian group in Paris, Lille and other French cities in response to a call from several far-left unions.
The government is formally opening on Monday two months of talks with healthcare workers over changes to France's public health system, which has suffered from decades of cuts.
Korian is one of the market leaders in the provision of care for older adults. It has more than 850 facilities in Europe, employing more than 53,000 people and caring for 300,000 people in France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Netherlands and Spain.
In France, where Korian manages nearly 300 care homes, the group is facing several lawsuits filed by families who have lost loved ones during the coronavirus pandemic. Prosecutors have opened police investigations.
France has counted more than 14,000 COVID-19 deaths among ...

French nursing homes employees protest pay, conditions

South Korea says it plans to send 370,000 face masks to tens of thousands of South Korea-born adoptees living in the West to help them weather the coronavirus.
The Foreign Ministry said its diplomatic missions will work with dozens of international adoptee groups to distribute the masks to adoptees in 14 countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia and European nations such as Britain, Germany, France and Italy.
The ministry said it initially planned to send 100,000 masks but decided to expand the supplies because most South Korean adoptees were sent abroad as infants during the 1970s and 1980s and are now old enough to have their own children.
South Korea has been a major source of babies for Western adoptive parents since the end of 1950-53 Korean War. According to official figures, there are around 167,000 South Korean adoptees living abroad, including 110,000 in the United States. But experts say the actual number would be closer to 200,000.
South Korea is also in the 

South Korea sending masks to adoptees abroad

Premier League clubs will vote on proposals for a return to contact training on Wednesday as the English top-flight seeks to take another step closer to resuming the season next month.
New UK government guidelines issued on Sunday allow for the return of "close contact" training, including tackling, to help players step up their match fitness ahead of a return to competitive action.
"This type of training would start with smaller 'clusters' of 2-3 athletes and eventually progress to larger groups of 4-12 athletes, and ultimately full team training," added the government advice.
Premier League clubs returned to training in small and socially distanced groups last week.
Players and managers are to be consulted in a meeting on Tuesday before the proposals are put to a vote of the 20 clubs.
Results of the latest round of COVID-19 testing, which is taking place on Monday and Tuesday, will also be published on Wednesday.
The small number of positive tests from the first two rounds of ...

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