Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov has released a video calling for divine help in overcoming the pandemic after Russian media reported he had been hospitalised for suspected COVID-19 symptoms.
But the video, posted Saturday on the Telegram messaging app and marking the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramzan, does not show Kadyrov and uses only his voice, Russian news reports said.
However, state news agency Tass cited Akhmed Dudayev, the head of Chechnya's broadcasting company, as saying Kadyrov took the video himself.
Russian news media last week cited unnamed medical sources as saying Kadyrov had been flown to Moscow for coronavirus treatment, but Chechen officials denied the reports.

Chechen president calls for divine help in overcoming coronavirus pandemic

PTI Automatic

Russia has reported its highest one-day coronavirus death toll but also the lowest number of new infections in three weeks.
The national coronavirus task force said Sunday that 3,541 people have died from the virus, an increase of 153. The previous high was 150.
The number of new infection cases was 8,599. Daily infection tallies of more than 11,000 were reported for several days in May. Overall, Russia has recorded 344,481 infection cases.
Russia's comparatively low mortality rate has raised eyebrows in the West, with some suggesting the country's government may be under-reporting virus-related deaths and manipulating the statistics.
Russian officials deny the allegations and attribute the low numbers to the effectiveness of the measures taken to curb the spread of the outbreak.

Russia reports its highest single-day death toll but fewer infections

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday said any lawsuits brought against China over the COVID-19 have zero factual basis in law or international precedence.
Wang told reporters at a news conference that China was a victim of the global pandemic alongside other countries and had reached out to assist other governments in need.
"To our regret, in addition to the raging of the new coronavirus, a political virus is also spreading in the US which is to take every chance to attack and discredit China," Wang said.
Some US politicians, heedless of basic facts, have fabricated too many lies and plotted too many conspiracies, Wang said.
Raising such lawsuits tramples on the international rule of law and abandons the human conscience. It's untrue, unjustifiable and illegal, Wang said.
Those who would bring such litigation against China are living in a daydream and will humiliate themselves, Wang said.

China's foreign minister says virus lawsuits 'illegal'

France is relaxing its border restrictions as the virus gradually recedes, allowing migrant workers and family visitors from other European countries  but is requiring quarantine for people arriving from Britain and Spain.
Starting Monday, France is abandoning border checks installed in March and switching to spot checks in various places, according to a government statement.
It is also broadening the categories of people allowed from other countries in Europe's border-free travel zone to include migrant workers and people coming for family reasons.
However, since Britain and Spain are requiring quarantine for those arriving from elsewhere in Europe, France is doing the same. It will be a voluntary 14-day quarantine, based on reciprocity for measures taken by Britain and Spain in an uncoordinated manner, the French government said.
Travellers from outside Europe are still banned until at least June 15, except for French citizens.  Any traveller arriving in France must fill out a ...

France relaxing border restrictions

The World Bank has restored Pakistan's budgetary support after four years and approved a policy loan of USD 500 million to help the cash-strapped country mitigate adverse impact of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a media report.
The World Bank's board of executive directors on Friday approved a USD 500-million programme to help Pakistan improve access to quality healthcare and education, support economic opportunities for women and strengthen social safety nets as the country braces to limit the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Express Tribune reported, citing a statement by the local office of the Washington-based lending agency.
Political risks are high because COVID-19 response adds uncertainty to the relations among the federating units, said the World Bank documents.
The lender warned that elite capture would continue to be challenging with more demand placed for concessions that could erode fiscal space.
However, it delayed the approval of another USD 500-million loan 

World Bank approves USD 500 mn loan for Pakistan

"Mission: Impossible" star Simon Pegg says his character, Benji, has "evolved" with every film in the spy-action franchise, something he believes will follow in the upcoming seventh film.
The British actor has featured in the "MI" films alongside series lead Tom Cruise since the first film in 1996.
"(Benji) has evolved from being a lab technician  who reluctantly gets involved in the action  to being a fresh-faced field agent who thinks, 'Oh, this is great and fun, and I'm gonna wear a mask,' to actually experiencing what it's really about, which is not so pleasant," Pegg told The Hollywood Reporter.
The actor said he is looking forward to playing the role again "having been through what he went through on 'Fallout', which was unpleasant".
"I can see him not being quite as thrilled with the job," he added.
Cruise is reprising his role of Impossible Mission Forces (IMF) agent Ethan Hunt in the two back-to-back "MI" films, being helmed by director Christopher McQuarrie.
Pegg, 50, said ..

Simon Pegg on how his role will change in future 'Mission: Impossible' films

A preliminary report on the Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) plane crash, in which 97 people were killed, has raised serious questions about the pilot's handling of the aircraft and what prevented the crew in the cockpit from informing the air traffic controllers about the troubles.
Pakistani investigators are trying to find out if the crash of the national flag carrier's flight PK-8303 is attributable to a pilot error or a technical glitch, with new leads raising fresh questions over the circumstances of the incident, Geo News reported.
According to the report, prepared by the country's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the Airbus A-320's engines had scraped the runway thrice on the pilot's first attempt to land, causing friction and sparks recorded by the experts.
After the third impact, the pilot took the aircraft off into the air again, which officials found very strange as the crew in the cockpit did not inform the Air Traffic Control (ATC) at the Jinnah International Airport .

'Preliminary report of PIA plane crash raises new questions'

Singapore on Sunday reported 548 new coronavirus cases, majority of them foreign workers living in dormitories, taking the total number of infections in the country to 31,616, the Health Ministry said.
Only three of the new 548 cases were Singapore citizens or permanent residents (foreigners).
The rest 545 patients are all foreign workers living in dormitories, the ministry said.
The total number of infections has gone up to 31,616, it said.
The death toll due to the disease stands at 23, the ministry said, adding that 13,882 patients have recovered so far.
As on Saturday, 711 patients were still in hospital. Eight of them were in critical condition in the intensive care unit, the ministry said.
As many as 16,452 patients are isolated and cared for at community facilities as they have mild symptoms, it said.
Meanwhile, pre-school staff are being actively screened for COVID-19 ahead of re-openings of classes in phases, starting from June 2.
About 15,300 pre-school staff members, or 99 .

Singapore reports 548 new COVID-19 cases

Actor Amanda Bynes says her life is back on track and she is doing fine following her mental health treatment.
In an Instagram post on Saturday, the 34-year-old actor said that she spent the last two months in treatment, where she learned to deal with her social anxiety.
''Update: Getting my Bachelor's degree from FIDM ... Taking online classes, trying to get a 4.0 GPA Looking forward to starting my online store in the future #goals
''Spent the last two months in treatment. Worked on coping skills to help with my social anxiety that caused me to drop out of school months ago. Back on track and doing well! I'm now living in transitional living and doing therapy during the week," Bynes wrote alongside a latest photograph of herself.
About her relationship status, the actor said she was still engaged to Paul Michael.
Still engaged to the love of my life Paul Hope you're all staying safe.
Bynes first announced her engagement to Paul, whom she met at her former sober living home in late ...

Amanda Bynes says she is back on track and doing well'

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's corruption trial was set to begin Sunday, the first criminal proceedings against a seated Israeli premier that come just as the long-serving leader returned to power after months of political deadlock.
Netanyahu, who is set to appear at the opening hearing at a Jerusalem court, is accused of fraud, breach of trust and accepting bribes in three separate cases. He has denied any wrongdoing, and has dismissed the charges against him as a witch hunt by media and law enforcement.
Netanyahu and his allies have spent months lashing out the country's law enforcement system, and the charges against him have riven the nation.
Police were prepared for potential demonstrations in support of and against the prime minister outside the District Court in east Jerusalem where the trial will take place.
Several of Netanyahu's Likud party ministers, including the newly appointed minister responsible for police, said they would appear in the courtroom in ...

Israeli prime minister's corruption trial set to open

At least one migrant has drowned, six are missing and over 80 have been rescued off Tunisia's coast, authorities said, amid a new wave of dangerous attempts to traffic migrants across the Mediterranean Sea into Europe.
The Tunisian coast guard rescued 11 migrants after an emergency call from a boat that was filling with water Saturday off the city of Sfax, said coast guard spokesman Lt. Houssameddine Jbabli.
Divers from the Tunisian emergency services retrieved one body and the captain and chief trafficker fled, he said. Six others who had been aboard the boat are missing, Sfax Gov. Anis Oueslati told the national news agency TAP.
The coast guard also rescued 70 people from another boat in poor condition off the Kerkennah Islands, the governor said.
The North African nation of Tunisia has thwarted 10 smuggling attempts to send migrants across the Mediterranean in the last two days, primarily to nearby Italy, the coast guard spokesman said.
The attempts come as European countries start 

Migrant shipwrecks off Tunisia leave 1 dead, over 80 rescued

There is currently insufficient scientific evidence to show that vitamin D can be beneficial in preventing or treating COVID-19, scientists say, warning against health risk due to high doses of supplementation.
Following unverified reports that high doses of vitamin D could reduce the risk of contracting COVID-19, scientists, including those from the University of Manchester in the UK, assessed current scientific evidence base on the vitamin's use in treating infections.
"Until there is more robust scientific evidence for vitamin D, we strongly caution against the use of high vitamin D supplementation," the scientists wrote in a report, published in the journal BMJ Nutrition, Prevention and Health.
The report noted that vitamin D is a hormone, produced in the skin during exposure to sunlight, and helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body.
These minerals, according to the researchers, are needed to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy.
"An adequate level of ...

High doses of vitamin D supplementation cannot prevent, treat COVID-19: Study

Hollywood star Reese Witherspoon says she is in the best phase of her life, both personally and professionally.
The 44-year-old actor said she has let go of the fears and insecurities that dominated her in the initial years of her career and is much more content now.
''I'm having the time of my life. I feel much more centred now, compared to when I was younger. I used to be worried all the time and so concerned with, 'Am I a good actor? Do people take me seriously? Am I funny? Am I not funny?' Now, I'm just calm, Witherspoon said in an interview with HELLO! magazine.
The actor said through her production banner, Hello Sunshine, her aim is to provide female actors with interesting opportunities.
''I sleep when I sleep. It's just a great time. My dad always used to say, 'You gotta make hay while the sun shines.' I'm just trying hard to bring great parts for women to the screen.''
Witherspoon said she started her own production company because she was frustrated by the for lack of ...

I feel much more centred now: Reese Witherspoon

Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulcher reopened to visitors on Sunday after a two-month closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The church, situated in Jerusalem's Old City, is the site where many Christians believe Jesus was crucified, entombed, and resurrected.
The Christian authorities managing the site closed it to visitors in March to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, but clerics maintained prayers inside the shuttered church throughout its closure.
On Sunday, church authorities limited entrance to 50 people at a time, and required that those entering the cavernous site maintain social distance and avoid touching any of the church's stones, icons or other religious items.
A typical day before the virus outbreak would bring thousands of faithful who kissed or placed their hands along the church's surfaces.
As priests from the various Christian sects entered the church, a handful of faithful waited outside for the basilica's church to open for the public.
Israeli ...

Jerusalem's Holy Sepulcher reopens after coronavirus closure

Muslims around the world on Sunday began celebrating Eid al-Fitr, a normally festive holiday marking the end of the fasting month of Ramadan, with millions under strict stay-at-home orders and many fearing renewed coronavirus outbreaks.
The three-day holiday is usually a time of travel, family get-togethers and lavish daytime feasts after weeks of dawn-to-dusk fasting. But this year many can only celebrate at home with immediate family, with virus fears dampening the holiday spirit.
Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority nation, has reported nearly 22,000 infections and 1,350 fatalities, the most in Southeast Asia.
Lockdown orders intended to contain the pandemic mean there will be no congregational prayers at mosques or even open fields, no family reunions, no relatives bearing gifts for children.
Some countries, including Turkey, Iraq and Jordan, have imposed round-the-clock holiday curfews. But even where many restrictions have been lifted, celebrations will be subdued ...

Muslims celebrate major holiday amid curfews, virus fears

Japanese professional wrestler Hana Kimura, who starred in the latest season of Netflix reality series "Terrace House", has died at the age of 22.
Stardom Wrestling, a promoter of women's wrestling in Japan, confirmed that the wrestler died on Saturday, reported Deadline.
"Please be respectful and allow some time for things to process, and keep your thoughts and prayers with her family and friends," Stardom said in a tweet.
No cause of death was given.
The last post on Kimura's Instagram account depicted her and a cat, with the caption "goodbye".
She also tweeted an alarming message earlier on Friday.
"I don't want to be a human anymore. It was a life I wanted to be loved. Thank you everyone, I love you. Bye."
Recently, she had been subject to online bullying following an episode of "Terrace House" in which she fought with a fellow cast member over her wrestling uniform.
In mid-April, Netflix suspended the production of the Japanese reality series "Terrace House" in the wake of the ...

Hana Kimura, 'Terrace House' star and wrestler, dies at 22

With her winning smile and outgoing nature, Fino Dlamini was a natural to succeed in South Africa's booming tourism industry.
Her bicycle tours of Soweto took visitors to historic sites, including the homes of Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and to restaurants where they could meet South Africans.
The tourists and locals would quickly connect over shared interests in sports or TV shows, forming instant bonds that were "magic, she said.
Business was good in January and February, and projections for the rest of 2020 were excellent. Then the coronavirus brought everything to an abrupt halt. Dlamini was confined to her small home under a strict lockdown, with few options for earning money.
Millions of other South Africans share in the same misfortune. The country with the continent's most developed economy also has its highest number of confirmed infections  more than 21,000, representing 20 per cent of Africa's total.
And because the disease may not hit its peak for four more 

In fight against virus, South Africa expects a long wait

Age, male sex, and underlying illnesses like diabetes have emerged as risk factors for death due to novel coronavirus infection, according to a large cohort study which can help health professionals learn more about how the COVID-19 illness progresses.
According to the study, published in the BMJ, the risk of death increases in people above the age of 50, as does being being male, obese, or having underlying heart, lung, liver and kidney disease.
In this largest prospective observational study reported to date, the scientists, including those from the University of Liverpool in the UK, noted the characteristics of patients hospitalised in the UK with COVID-19, and their outcomes.
At the time of publishing the study, the scientists said the study had recruited over 43,000 patients.
While earlier studies had reported the risk factors associated with severe COVID-19 based on reports from China, the researchers said an understanding of features of patients in other parts of the world are .

'Age, male sex, underlying illness validated as risk factors for death due to COVID-19'

Pakistan recorded 32 coronavirus-related deaths during the last 24 hours, taking the total number of fatalities in the country to 1,133, the health ministry said on Sunday.
The total number of COVID-19 patients in Pakistan also jumped to 54,601, it said.
Sindh reported the maximum number of 21,645 coronavirus cases, followed by Punjab at 19,557, Khyber-Pakhtukhwa at 7,685, Balochistan at 3,306, Islamabad at 1,592, Gilgit-Baltistan at 619 and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) at 197.
According to the health ministry, 17,198 coronavirus patients have recovered  and 473,607 tests, including 12,915 in the last 24 hours, have been conducted so far.
The government also issued strict instructions to observe social distancing while offering Eid prayer and asked people to avoid visiting relatives and hosting parties.
Eid congregations were held at open places, mosques and Eidgahs in all major cities and towns while following strict standard operating procedures (SOPs) of social distancing and ...

Pak records 54,601 coronavirus cases; 1,133 fatalities

Former Australia captain Mark Taylor does not foresee the T20 World Cup scheduled in October-November going ahead and wants the ICC to take a decision during its Board meeting this week.
Taylor also feels that if IPL takes place during the window the T20 World Cup was to be held, the Australian players are likely to be cleared by their Board to take part in the cash-rich league in India.
The ICC Board meets on May 28 to discuss a host of issues related to COVID-19 pandemic, including a revamped schedule and the fate of the men's T20 World Cup in Australia.
"My feeling is the World T20 won't go ahead in Australia in October as planned. Is it going to be viable to have a world tournament in October or November? The answer to that is probably no," Taylor, also a former Cricket Australia (CA) director, was quoted as saying by 'Nine Network'.
"It would probably be good (if a decision is made this week). Because then everyone can start planning and we can stop sitting here and saying 'well .

Taylor says T20 WC unlikely to go ahead, urges ICC to decide this week

Claims promoted by the Trump administration that the global coronavirus pandemic originated at the Wuhan Institute of Virology in the central Chinese city are a pure fabrication," the institute's director said.
Wang Yanyi was quoted by state media on Sunday as saying the institute did not have any knowledge before that nor had we ever met, researched or kept the virus...We didn't even know about the existence of the virus, so how could it be leaked from our lab when we didn't have it?
President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have repeatedly said they suspect the virus that was first detected in Wuhan was somehow released from the laboratory.
Most scientists say the pathogen that has infected 5.3 million and killed more than 342,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University, was passed from bats to humans via an intermediary species likely sold at a wet market in Wuhan late last year.
The virus' toll continued to ebb in Asia and other parts of the world, with ..

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