upi--2020-05-25--Soccer: La Liga plans to return on June 11

May 25 ( UPI ) -- La Liga president Javier Tebas said he hopes the Spanish soccer league can return June 11 after it was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic .
The La Liga season was suspended indefinitely in March .
Up to 10 players were allowed to return to training as of May 18 .
Spain Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Saturday that La Liga was free to return after June 8 .
`` [ The La Liga return ] will be the weekend of June 12 for sure , or even Thursday , June 11 , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't decided yet , we have to hold the relevant meetings with the federation and the National Sports Council to discuss some outstanding issues .
`` We have to see what happens with the phases so that full training with all players can take place as soon as possible .
We have to be cautious .
We 'll look at that first , and we 're working with broadcasters , too . ''
The first match of the La Liga return will be between Sevilla and Real Betis .
Tebas said that match @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He said the league will announce the first four matchdays once the match becomes official .
FC Barcelona sits in first place in the La Liga standings , two points ahead of rival club Real Madrid .
Sevilla , Real Sociedad and Getafe also sit in the top 5 of the standings .
The German Bundesliga is the lone league of Europe 's five major soccer leagues to return from coronavirus suspension .
The Premier League and Serie A will also likely return in mid-June .
The Ligue 1 season was canceled @ @ @

Lionel Messi (R) and FC Barcelona returned to training on May 8 and will likely resume their La Liga schedule in mid-June. Photo by Enric Fontcuberta/EPA-EFE
May 25 (UPI) -- La Liga president Javier Tebas said he hopes the Spanish soccer league can return June 11 after it was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic. The La Liga season was suspended indefinitely in March. Up to 10 players were allowed to return to training as of May 18. Spain Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Saturday that La Liga was free to return after June 8. Advertisement
"[The La Liga return] will be the weekend of June 12 for sure, or even Thursday, June 11," Tebas told Movistar. "It isn't decided yet, we have to hold the relevant meetings with the federation and the National Sports Council to discuss some outstanding issues.
"We have to see what happens with the phases so that full training with all players can take place as soon as possible. We have to be cautious. We'll look at that first, and we're working with broadcasters, too."
The first match of the La Liga return will be between Sevilla and Real Betis. Tebas said that match could be played in Seville, Spain. He said the league will announce the first four matchdays once the match becomes official.
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FC Barcelona sits in first place in the La Liga standings, two points ahead of rival club Real Madrid. Sevilla, Real Sociedad and Getafe also sit in the top 5 of the standings.
The German Bundesliga is the lone league of Europe's five major soccer leagues to return from coronavirus suspension. The Premier League and Serie A will also likely return in mid-June. The Ligue 1 season was canceled in April.


upi--2020-05-25--Ex-comfort woman decries ‘betrayal’ in South Korea activist scandal

May 25 ( UPI ) -- The former South Korean comfort woman who accused an activist of misappropriating funds said Monday she had been `` betrayed overnight '' after being `` used '' by lawmaker-elect Yoon Mi-hyang for three decades .
Lee Yong-soo , 91 , said Monday at a press conference in the South Korean city of Daegu her relationship with Yoon began in June 1992 , Yonhap reported .
Yoon had requested former comfort women who had come forward at the time to gather at a church , where , according to Lee , Yoon distributed about $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ According to Lee , Yoon claimed the money was from a retired teacher in Japan .
Lee also said she had no idea how Yoon handled cash as Yoon grew her organization , presently known as the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery .
Referring to allegations Yoon used comfort women funds collected from the public -- including South Korean and Japanese students -- to enrich herself , Lee said she had been `` living in the dark . ''
`` Had I known the Japanese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I would have sent it back , '' Lee told reporters , referring to the 2015 formal agreement between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and former South Korean President Park Geun-hye .
Yoon may have been apprised of the fund while leaving the surviving victims in the dark .
The money was returned following protests from some of the victims .
On Monday , Lee also said Yoon had `` committed a crime , '' and should be justly punished .
Lauren Richardson , director of studies and lecturer at the Asia-Pacific College @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , told UPI on Monday the Korean Council played a definitive role in the failure of the 2015 accord , which `` did not meet its demands . ''
`` It 's important to note that some of the former 'comfort women ' are in agreement with the Council 's demands , but some are not , '' Richardson said .
The Council rejected offers from Japan on behalf of victims , even when some of the victims were `` prepared to settle for less . ''
Misappropriation of funds by the Council @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some of the Japanese professors involved in implementing the 1995 Asian Women 's Fund in South Korea complained the money was not reaching the victims , according to Richardson .

Former South Korean comfort woman Lee Yong-soo has spoken out against Yoon Mi-hyang, head of the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance. File Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo
May 25 (UPI) -- The former South Korean comfort woman who accused an activist of misappropriating funds said Monday she had been "betrayed overnight" after being "used" by lawmaker-elect Yoon Mi-hyang for three decades. Lee Yong-soo, 91, said Monday at a press conference in the South Korean city of Daegu her relationship with Yoon began in June 1992, Yonhap reported. Advertisement
Yoon had requested former comfort women who had come forward at the time to gather at a church, where, according to Lee, Yoon distributed about $1,000 in cash to each woman.
According to Lee, Yoon claimed the money was from a retired teacher in Japan. Lee also said she had no idea how Yoon handled cash as Yoon grew her organization, presently known as the Korean Council for Justice and Remembrance for the Issues of Military Sexual Slavery.
Referring to allegations Yoon used comfort women funds collected from the public -- including South Korean and Japanese students -- to enrich herself, Lee said she had been "living in the dark."
"Had I known the Japanese had paid 1 billion yen, I would have sent it back," Lee told reporters, referring to the 2015 formal agreement between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and former South Korean President Park Geun-hye. Yoon may have been apprised of the fund while leaving the surviving victims in the dark.
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The money was returned following protests from some of the victims.
On Monday, Lee also said Yoon had "committed a crime," and should be justly punished.
Lauren Richardson, director of studies and lecturer at the Asia-Pacific College of Diplomacy at the Australian National University, told UPI on Monday the Korean Council played a definitive role in the failure of the 2015 accord, which "did not meet its demands."
"It's important to note that some of the former 'comfort women' are in agreement with the Council's demands, but some are not," Richardson said.
The Council rejected offers from Japan on behalf of victims, even when some of the victims were "prepared to settle for less."
Misappropriation of funds by the Council was also suspected decades ago, when some of the Japanese professors involved in implementing the 1995 Asian Women's Fund in South Korea complained the money was not reaching the victims, according to Richardson.


upi--2020-05-25--Brad Keselowski holds off Jimmie Johnson for Coca-Cola 600 win

May 25 ( UPI ) -- Brad Keselowski held off Jimmie Johnson to win a rain-delayed Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte , N.C .
The race was NASCAR 's third Cup Series event since its season returned from a suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic .
No fans were allowed at the 1.5-mile track for NASCAR 's longest race .
`` I wanted to win the 600 my whole life , '' Keselowski told reporters .
`` I wish it was in front of everybody .
I recognize that 's not always how it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the win .
I 'm trying not to get too caught up in all the peripherals .
But it would have been nice to have my family and the fans here ...
I wish they could have been in victory lane with me . ''
Keselowski qualified for the No .
9 position but was forced to start in the back of the field due to an unapproved part on his car before he claimed his first victory in the event .
Alex Bowman won the first two stages but finished 20th @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disqualified because his car failed a post-race inspection .
Chase Elliott finished third , followed by Ryan Blaney , Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick .
Keselowski and Johnson broke away from the pack on the final restart after a wreck on lap 399 .
Most of the cars went into the pits but Keselowski , Johnson and six other cars chose to remain on the track .
The move paid off as Keselowski held off Johnson to claim the checkered flag .
Cup Series drivers will return to the track for the Alsco @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Charlotte .

Brad Keselowski started at the back of the field before he claimed the checkered flag in the Coca-Cola 600 Sunday in Charlotte, N.C. File Photo by Edwin Locke/UPI | License Photo
May 25 (UPI) -- Brad Keselowski held off Jimmie Johnson to win a rain-delayed Cup Series Coca-Cola 600 Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C. The race was NASCAR's third Cup Series event since its season returned from a suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic. No fans were allowed at the 1.5-mile track for NASCAR's longest race. Advertisement
"I wanted to win the 600 my whole life," Keselowski told reporters. "I wish it was in front of everybody. I recognize that's not always how it works.
"I'm just thankful for the win. I'm trying not to get too caught up in all the peripherals. But it would have been nice to have my family and the fans here ... I wish they could have been in victory lane with me."
Keselowski qualified for the No. 9 position but was forced to start in the back of the field due to an unapproved part on his car before he claimed his first victory in the event.
Alex Bowman won the first two stages but finished 20th. Johnson finished second but was later disqualified because his car failed a post-race inspection. Chase Elliott finished third, followed by Ryan Blaney, Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick.
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Bowman led a race-high 164 laps.
Keselowski and Johnson broke away from the pack on the final restart after a wreck on lap 399. Most of the cars went into the pits but Keselowski, Johnson and six other cars chose to remain on the track. The move paid off as Keselowski held off Johnson to claim the checkered flag.
Cup Series drivers will return to the track for the Alsco Uniforms 500 at 8 p.m. EDT Wednesday in Charlotte.


upi--2020-05-25--New Zealand to further ease restrictions; global infections top 5.5M

May 25 ( UPI ) -- As global infections surpassed 5.5 million on Monday , New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the limit on gatherings will be expanded to 100 people by the week 's end .
`` We want to get our economy moving quickly without losing the gains we have made to date , '' she said during a press conference .
The archipelago nation has been one of the fastest to bounce back from the coronavirus pandemic through issuing strict lockdown measures in mid-March , which have since been slowly eased .
Currently in level two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ measure , New Zealand has permitted gatherings of up to 10 people , but staring Friday that limit will be upped to 100 , Ardern said .
The increased limit on gatherings follows Ardern having said the government will regularly adjust restrictions to allow for more activity when medical advice permits it .
New Zealand moved to level 2 on May 14 .
The New Zealand Ministry of Health has reported a total of 1,154 cases of COVID-19 and 21 deaths with only 15 new cases this month .
Ardern said its drop @ @ @ @ @ @ @ counter to what other countries have experienced and that is due to New Zealanders following the rules to maintain social distancing .
The expanded limit on gatherings , she said , will still prevent large concerts but more events can occur from noon Friday when the measure goes into effect .
`` These changes are good news for business and for those who look to plan larger gatherings , '' she said .
`` It 's another step in renormalizing life as we continue to stamp out the virus . ''
The government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1 as quickly as possible with lawmakers to re-examine the situation on June 8 , she said .
Ardern added that Tourism New Zealand has kicked off a new campaign targeting residents to explore parts of the country they have n't visited before to help revive the economy and tourism sector and that she encourages those who are able to take advantage of the opportunity to do so .
`` I 'm still in the process of locking down my plans for the weekend but I do intend as much as I can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our local economy as well , '' she said .
In neighboring Australia , schools in New South Wales and Queensland reopened on Monday with their premiers encouraging people to continue to work from home if possible to relieve pressure on the transit system .
`` I am very pleased that the system has n't been overwhelmed , '' NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said during a press conference .
Australia , like New Zealand , has fared better than most countries amid the COVID-19 pandemic , recording 7,109 total cases and 102 deaths @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health reported four new cases in the past 24 hours .
Oceania nations have so far fought off the worst of the pandemic with stringent lockdown measures , recording a total of 8,726 cases and 123 deaths , according to worldometers.info .
Globally , the number of coronavirus cases surpassed the grim 5.5 million infections milestone on Monday with the virus ' death toll climbing toward 350,000 .
The United States leads the world in both total cases with nearly 1.7 million infections and almost 100,000 deaths .

1/2
An employee wears a face shield and face masks at the Matsuya Ginza department store, which partially reopened Monday in Tokyo. Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo
May 25 (UPI) -- Amid a rash of countries and regions the globe over moving to reopen their economies and lift their people out from under lockdown measures, the World Health Organization on Monday warned there could be an "immediate second peak" of the coronavirus before there is a second wave. With infections on the decline, countries such as Japan, New Zealand and Britain on Monday announced further easing to restrictive measures imposed months earlier when their number of coronavirus cases surged. Advertisement
However, Dr. Mike Ryan, executive director of WHO's Health Emergencies Programme, responded to a reporter's question concerning scenarios of a second wave, stating the world is still in the middle of the first wave of infections with cases still increasing.
"Right now, we're not in the second wave, we're right in the middle of the first wave, globally, and if we look at the data from Central and South America, for Africa, for South Asia and for many other countries, we're still very much in a phase where the disease is actually on the way up," he said during a televised press conference.
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Since the virus emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan early December and then spread the globe over, former epicenters, such as Europe and Asia, have seen daily infections decline to low numbers.
While Ryan said those countries should be applauded for containing and suppressing the virus the percentage of people in those nations who have been infected is low meaning many more are still susceptible to the disease.
A second wave, he explained, follows when a virus, once having rampantly spread, slows before resurging several months later. Concerning COVID-19, he said countries need to be cognizant it can "jump up at any time."
"We cannot make assumptions that just because the disease is on the way down now that it's going to keep going down and we're going to get a number of months to get ready for a second wave," he said. "We may get a second peak in this wave."
A second peak has occurred during previous pandemics, he explained, urging European, North American and Southeast Asian countries to continue public health, social surveillance, testing and other measures as well as implement a comprehensive strategy to prevent "an immediate second peak" in cases.
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Discussions over a possible second wave can be had later in the year, he said.
Maria Van Kerkhove, the technical COVID-19 lead with the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, added that all countries need to be on "high alert" against the virus.
"Let us be perfectly clear: All countries need to remain on high alert here," she said. "All countries need to be ready to rapidly detect cases -- even countries that have had success in suppression. Even countries thave have seen a decline in cases must remain ready."
Based on studies of the virus, a large portion of the population remains susceptible to it, meaning if it finds an opportunity to start an outbreak, it will, she said.
The warning came as the number of global infections climbed to 5.5 million on Monday.
Health experts at Johns Hopkins University have tallied 5,494,287 coronavirus patients as of late Monday, with the United States reporting by far the highest number of infections at more than 1.6 million.
Japan, with 16,581 cases and 820 deaths, according to its health ministry, has been experiencing a decline since a peak in mid-April, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Monday lifted a state of emergency in Tokyo.
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The prime minister also declared an end to the emergency in Chiba, Kanagawa and Saitama prefectures, as well as Hokkaido, about a week earlier than expected. He declared the emergency in Tokyo on April 16 in response to climbing coronavirus cases and deaths.
At its peak, Japan was reporting about 1,000 confirmed new cases in a day, but that number has dwindled.
"Recently, new infection cases have fallen below 50 for the entire nation," Abe said, "and what was once nearly 10,000 hospitalized cases -- that has now fallen below 2,000.
"The lifting of the emergency does not mean the virus is gone or infections are down to zero. Our battle against the virus will continue."
In Britain, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that starting early June thousands of shuttered shops, department stores and shopping centers may resume business.
The prime minister said from June 1 outdoor markets and car showrooms may reopen if they can ensure COVID-19 guidelines are met and all other non-essential retail may open their doors to the public on June 15, his office said in a release.
Shops, such as supermarkets and pharmacies, have been open during the pandemic.
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"I want to give the retail notice of our intention that they too can get ready," Johnson said in a press conference.
The announcement came as the British Department of Health and Social Care reported 261,184 confirmed positive cases of the virus after recording 1,625 new patients in the previous 24 hours. Nearly 37,000 have died from the virus in the country.
In Palestine, the government also announced Monday it would be ending its lockdown amid falling coronavirus numbers.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, there have been 602 cases of infection with zero new cases recorded on Sunday and nine on Saturday.
The lifting of lockdown measures permits industry to resume after the Eid holiday and churches and mosques to reopen from Tuesday with social distancing practices in place, Arab News reported.
In New Zealand, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced the limit on gatherings will be expanded to 100 people by the week's end.
"We want to get our economy moving quickly without losing the gains we have made to date," she said during a news conference.
The archipelago nation has been one of the fastest to bounce back from the coronavirus pandemic through issuing strict lockdown measures in mid-March, which have since been slowly eased.
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Currently at level 2, the second-lowest of its four-level lockdown measure, New Zealand has permitted gatherings of up to 10 people, but staring Friday that limit will be upped to 100, Ardern said.
Ardern said the government will regularly adjust restrictions to allow for more activity when medical advice permits it. New Zealand moved to level 2 on May 14.
The New Zealand Ministry of Health has reported 1,154 cases of COVID-19 and 21 deaths with 15 new cases this month.
Ardern said its drop in cases despite easing of restrictions runs counter to what other countries have experienced and that is due to New Zealanders following the rules to maintain social distancing.
The expanded limit on gatherings, she said, will still prevent large concerts but more events can occur from noon Friday when the measure goes into effect.
"These changes are good news for business and for those who look to plan larger gatherings," she said. "It's another step in renormalizing life as we continue to stamp out the virus."
In neighboring Australia, schools in New South Wales and Queensland reopened Monday with their premiers encouraging people to continue to work from home if possible to relieve pressure on the transit system.
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"I am very pleased that the system hasn't been overwhelmed," NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said during a press conference.
Australia, like New Zealand, has fared better than most countries amid the COVID-19 pandemic, recording 7,109 total cases and 102 deaths from the virus. The ministry of health reported four new cases in the past 24 hours.
Oceania nations have so far fought off the worst of the pandemic with stringent lockdown measures, recording 8,726 cases and 123 deaths, according to worldometers.info.
World moves to reopen amid COVID-19 pandemic


upi--2020-05-25--China proposes lifting North Korea sanctions

May 25 ( UPI ) -- China 's top diplomat called on the United States to ease North Korea sanctions , the same day North Korea 's Kim Jong Un discussed strengthening nuclear deterrence , according to state media reports .
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Sunday action is more important between the United States and North Korea than `` sitting down to discuss '' differing points of view .
While `` dialogue is better than nothing , '' Wang said Washington and Pyongyang need to take action in order to promote `` mutual trust '' and `` overcome @ @ @ @ @ @ @ past few years , North Korea has taken active steps to relieve tensions and denuclearize , but regrettably it has been unable to obtain a substantial response from the United States , which has led to stalled U.S.-North Korea talks , '' Wang said , referring to sanctions .
China has offered to provide a mediating role between the United States and North Korea in recent years .
In September at the United Nations General Assembly , Wang called on the United States and North Korea to `` build trust through synchronized actions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parallel progress in denuclearization , '' Wang had said last year , referring to a step-by-step denuclearization supported by Beijing .
`` North Korea is meeting the United States halfway , rolling back terms , in order to bolster the political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue . ''
China has also supported the lifting of North Korea sanctions at the U.N. Security Council , alleging economic embargoes have impacted ordinary people in the country .
In his first public appearance in more than 20 days , the North Korean leader had said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Workers ' Party to `` bolster the overall armed forced forces . ''
The meeting could be a sign Pyongyang is soon to hold a plenary meeting of the party 's Central Committee , where it could decide to cancel a moratorium on nuclear tests , according to Yonhap .

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said more action is required on North Korea. File Photo by Stephen Shaver/UPI | License Photo
May 25 (UPI) -- China's top diplomat called on the United States to ease North Korea sanctions, the same day North Korea's Kim Jong Un discussed strengthening nuclear deterrence, according to state media reports. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Sunday action is more important between the United States and North Korea than "sitting down to discuss" differing points of view. Advertisement
While "dialogue is better than nothing," Wang said Washington and Pyongyang need to take action in order to promote "mutual trust" and "overcome the deadlock."
"In the past few years, North Korea has taken active steps to relieve tensions and denuclearize, but regrettably it has been unable to obtain a substantial response from the United States, which has led to stalled U.S.-North Korea talks," Wang said, referring to sanctions.
China has offered to provide a mediating role between the United States and North Korea in recent years. In September at the United Nations General Assembly, Wang called on the United States and North Korea to "build trust through synchronized actions."
"The way forward is parallel progress in denuclearization," Wang had said last year, referring to a step-by-step denuclearization supported by Beijing. "North Korea is meeting the United States halfway, rolling back terms, in order to bolster the political settlement of the Korean Peninsula issue."
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China has also supported the lifting of North Korea sanctions at the U.N. Security Council, alleging economic embargoes have impacted ordinary people in the country.
In his first public appearance in more than 20 days, the North Korean leader had said during an enlarged meeting of the ruling Workers' Party to "bolster the overall armed forced forces."
The meeting could be a sign Pyongyang is soon to hold a plenary meeting of the party's Central Committee, where it could decide to cancel a moratorium on nuclear tests, according to Yonhap.


upi--2020-05-25--Taiwan vows 'necessary assistance' to Hong Kong residents

May 25 ( UPI ) -- Taiwan 's President Tsai Ing-wen has promised `` necessary assistance '' to the people of Hong Kong after protests reignited in the semi-autonomous region over the weekend against Beijing 's move to pass controversial national security legislation .
On her Facebook page late Sunday , Tsai said the people of Taiwan stand with those of Hong Kong in their struggle against China 's introduction of a new security law .
`` If the law is implemented , the core values of Hong Kong 's democratic freedom and judicial independence will be severely eroded , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ seriously threatens Hong Kong . ''
Late last week , China announced it was planning to pass legislation that would criminalize treason , secession , sedition and subversion against the central Beijing government and permit central government security forces to perform national security duties in the region .
The legislation 's announcement followed months of often violent pro-democracy protests that rocked the semi-autonomous region starting last summer but have simmered for months amid the coronavirus pandemic .
Following the law 's announcement , protesters returned to the streets over the weekend , resulting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cannons at demonstrators .
Police said at least 180 people were arrested , mainly for participating in an unauthorized assembly , unlawful assembly and disorderly conduct .
In a statement , police said `` rioters '' damaged stores and smashed windows , built barricades along roads and attacked officers and those they disagree with .
`` Some injured victims have been hospitalized for treatment , '' police said in the statement .
The law has attracted international condemnation as it is widely viewed as in violation of the Sino-British Joint Declaration that returned @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in 1997 .
The agreement states Hong Kong must exercise a `` high degree of autonomy , rights and freedoms '' for 50 years after returning to Beijing rule .
A Hong Kong government spokesman disregarded the criticism on Sunday as smacking of hypocrisy to suggest China `` does not have the right to legislate to protect national security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region . ''
`` The proposed law will only target acts of secession , subversion , terrorist activities as well as activities interfering with HKSAR 's internal affairs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spokesman said in a statement .
`` The vast majority of law-abiding Hong Kong residents , including overseas investors , have nothing to fear . ''
In her statement Sunday , Tsai said in the face of the protesters ' demands for freedom , the answer is not bullets and repression by security forces but `` the real implementation of freedom and democracy . ''
`` This is the only way that Beijing and the Hong Kong government will regain trust and return Hong Kong society to freedom and calm , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said , have extended `` a helping hand '' to the people of Hong Kong amid the protests and Taiwan will do the same .
Taiwan will `` provide the necessary assistance to the people of Hong Kong , '' she said , without elaborating .
Tsai was inaugurated for her second term as Taiwan 's president last week , stating in her inauguration speech that she rejects Beijing 's demand for Taiwan to reunify with China .
Like Hong Kong , Taiwan is claimed by China but many on the island state @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an independent country .

Police charge down the street during clashes with protesters in Hong Kong on Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019. Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo
May 25 (UPI) -- Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen has promised "necessary assistance" to the people of Hong Kong after protests reignited in the semi-autonomous region over the weekend against Beijing's move to pass controversial national security legislation. On her Facebook page late Sunday, Tsai said the people of Taiwan stand with those of Hong Kong in their struggle against China's introduction of a new security law. Advertisement
"If the law is implemented, the core values of Hong Kong's democratic freedom and judicial independence will be severely eroded," she said, stating it "seriously threatens Hong Kong."
Late last week, China announced it was planning to pass legislation that would criminalize treason, secession, sedition and subversion against the central Beijing government and permit central government security forces to perform national security duties in the region.
The legislation's announcement followed months of often violent pro-democracy protests that rocked the semi-autonomous region starting last summer but have simmered for months amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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Following the law's announcement, protesters returned to the streets over the weekend, resulting in police firing tear gas and water cannons at demonstrators.
Police said at least 180 people were arrested, mainly for participating in an unauthorized assembly, unlawful assembly and disorderly conduct. In a statement, police said "rioters" damaged stores and smashed windows, built barricades along roads and attacked officers and those they disagree with.
"Some injured victims have been hospitalized for treatment," police said in the statement.
The law has attracted international condemnation as it is widely viewed as in violation of the Sino-British Joint Declaration that returned Hong Kong from British to Chinese rule in 1997. The agreement states Hong Kong must exercise a "high degree of autonomy, rights and freedoms" for 50 years after returning to Beijing rule.
A Hong Kong government spokesman disregarded the criticism on Sunday as smacking of hypocrisy to suggest China "does not have the right to legislate to protect national security in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region."
"The proposed law will only target acts of secession, subversion, terrorist activities as well as activities interfering with HKSAR's internal affairs by foreign or external forces," the spokesman said in a statement. "The vast majority of law-abiding Hong Kong residents, including overseas investors, have nothing to fear."
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In her statement Sunday, Tsai said in the face of the protesters' demands for freedom, the answer is not bullets and repression by security forces but "the real implementation of freedom and democracy."
"This is the only way that Beijing and the Hong Kong government will regain trust and return Hong Kong society to freedom and calm," she wrote.
Foreign governments, she said, have extended "a helping hand" to the people of Hong Kong amid the protests and Taiwan will do the same.
Taiwan will "provide the necessary assistance to the people of Hong Kong," she said, without elaborating.
Tsai was inaugurated for her second term as Taiwan's president last week, stating in her inauguration speech that she rejects Beijing's demand for Taiwan to reunify with China.
Like Hong Kong, Taiwan is claimed by China but many on the island state, including Tsai, say it is an independent country.


upi--2020-05-25--NASA astronauts will test new SpaceX capsule, execute spacewalks

ORLANDO , Fla. , May 25 ( UPI ) -- Astronauts heading to space from U.S. soil for the first time in nine years will test SpaceX 's Crew Dragon capsule and perform spacewalks on the International Space Station .
The spacecraft , which will carry people for the first time , is scheduled to lift off at 4:33 p.m. EDT Wednesday and fly for 19 hours before docking at the space station .
Weather remains an uncertainty that day , however , with rain and a heavy cloud cover predicted .
If the launch is postponed , NASA has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The capsule could make it to the space station quicker than in 19 hours , but astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley are to conduct several tests , including flying Crew Dragon manually with its unique , high-tech touchscreen panel .
`` This is a test flight .
There are checkouts that we 're doing along the way , '' said Kathy Leuders , NASA 's manager of the Commercial Crew Program .
`` So we picked a day and time when we can do that on the way to the ISS @ @ @ @ @ @ @ important flight for us , and we 've got two great test pilots . ''
The first manual test will occur on the evening of the launch .
Astronauts are to conduct another manual test briefly as they approach the space station for docking the next morning .
Astronauts also will try out various life-support features on the capsule , including meals -- unheated , according to NASA .
`` Bob and Doug are gon na get the chance to try sleeping in the Dragon , also , '' said Benjamin Reed , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Upon return , the astronauts will pack the capsule with a few space experiments that have been aboard the space station , and then experience the first splashdown of a capsule carrying humans since the Apollo era , in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida .
The mission originally called for only a few days aboard the space station , but NASA announced that would be extended due to necessary space station maintenance .
Behnken and Hurley will be there for one to four months , depending on how quickly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ set to participate in five spacewalks with astronaut Chris Cassidy , who already is on the space station with two Russian cosmonauts .
Hurley will support the two by controlling robotic systems while inside orbiting laboratory .
Four of the spacewalks are required to replace the space station 's nickel-hydrogen batteries , which are charged by immense solar panels .
Cassidy and Behnken also are to install new equipment onto the European Space Agency 's module , preparing it for a new platform that will host scientific experiments .
A fifth spacewalk will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ module .
A sixth spacewalk is possible later in the summer , NASA said .

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NASA astronauts Bob Behnken (L) and Doug Hurley have a full schedule for their historic first mission aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule and on the International Space Station. File Photo courtesy of SpaceX/NASA | License Photo
ORLANDO, Fla., May 25 (UPI) -- Astronauts heading to space from U.S. soil for the first time in nine years will test SpaceX's Crew Dragon capsule and perform spacewalks on the International Space Station. The spacecraft, which will carry people for the first time, is scheduled to lift off at 4:33 p.m. EDT Wednesday and fly for 19 hours before docking at the space station. Advertisement
Weather remains an uncertainty that day, however, with rain and a heavy cloud cover predicted. If the launch is postponed, NASA has said the next opportunity would come Saturday.
The capsule could make it to the space station quicker than in 19 hours, but astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley are to conduct several tests, including flying Crew Dragon manually with its unique, high-tech touchscreen panel.
"This is a test flight. There are checkouts that we're doing along the way," said Kathy Leuders, NASA's manager of the Commercial Crew Program. "So we picked a day and time when we can do that on the way to the ISS. This is a really, really important flight for us, and we've got two great test pilots."
The first manual test will occur on the evening of the launch. Astronauts are to conduct another manual test briefly as they approach the space station for docking the next morning.
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Astronauts also will try out various life-support features on the capsule, including meals -- unheated, according to NASA.
"Bob and Doug are gonna get the chance to try sleeping in the Dragon, also," said Benjamin Reed, SpaceX's director of crew mission management.
Upon return, the astronauts will pack the capsule with a few space experiments that have been aboard the space station, and then experience the first splashdown of a capsule carrying humans since the Apollo era, in the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Florida.
The mission originally called for only a few days aboard the space station, but NASA announced that would be extended due to necessary space station maintenance. Behnken and Hurley will be there for one to four months, depending on how quickly the work is accomplished.
Behnken is set to participate in five spacewalks with astronaut Chris Cassidy, who already is on the space station with two Russian cosmonauts. Hurley will support the two by controlling robotic systems while inside orbiting laboratory.
Four of the spacewalks are required to replace the space station's nickel-hydrogen batteries, which are charged by immense solar panels.
Cassidy and Behnken also are to install new equipment onto the European Space Agency's module, preparing it for a new platform that will host scientific experiments.
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A fifth spacewalk will install new communications upgrades on the European module.
A sixth spacewalk is possible later in the summer, NASA said.


upi--2020-05-25--Famous birthdays for May 25: Ian McKellen, Anne Heche

May 25 ( UPI ) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Gemini .

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Ian McKellen arrives on the red carpet at the "Beauty And The Beast" New York Screening at Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center on March 13, 2017, in New York City. The actor turns 81 on May 25. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
May 25 (UPI) -- Those born on this date are under the sign of Gemini. They include: Advertisement
-- Poet/philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson in 1803
-- YMCA leader/Nobel Peace Prize laureate John Mott in 1865
-- Dancer Bill "Bojangles" Robinson in 1878
-- Aircraft designer Igor Sikorsky in 1889
-- Humorist/publisher Bennett Cerf in 1898
-- Actor Claude Akins in 1926
-- Spy novelist Robert Ludlum in 1927
-- Opera singer Beverly Sills, born Belle Miriam Silverman, in 1929
-- Basketball Hall of Fame member K.C. Jones in 1932 (age 88)
-- Canadian writer W.P. Kinsella in 1935
-- Actor Dixie Carter in 1939
-- Actor Ian McKellen in 1939 (age 81)
-- Singer/actor Leslie Uggams in 1943 (age 77)
-- Singer Jessi Colter in 1943 (age 77)
-- Director/actor/puppeteer Frank Oz, born Richard Frank Oznowicz, in 1944 (age 76)
File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI
-- Actor Karen Valentine in 1947 (age 73)
-- Actor Connie Sellecca in 1955 (age 65)
-- Comedian/actor Mike Myers in 1963 (age 57)
-- Actor Anne Heche in 1969 (age 51)
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File Photo by Christine Chew/UPI
-- Actor Octavia Spencer in 1972 (age 48)
-- Actor Cillian Murphy in 1976 (age 44)
-- Former professional football player Brian Urlacher in 1978 (age 42)
-- Actor Esme Bianco in 1982 (age 38)
-- Wrestler Roman Reigns in 1985 (age 35)
-- Gymnast Aly Raisman in 1994 (age 26)


upi--2020-05-25--On This Day, May 25: 'Oprah Winfrey Show' airs for last time

On this date in history : In 1787 , with George Washington presiding , the first regular session of the Constitutional Convention , which drew up the Constitution of the United States , convened at Independence Hall in Philadelphia .
In 1925 , John Scopes was arrested for teaching evolution in a Tennessee high school , leading to a trial that became a media sensation .
Scopes was convicted and fined $ 100 ; the conviction was later overturned .
In 1935 , winding up his legendary career ( with the Boston Braves in his last season ) , Babe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ his final game .
The record stood for 39 years until Hank Aaron , also with the Braves , although in Atlanta , broke it in 1974 .
Aaron went on to hit 755 homers and current record-holder Barry Bonds had 762 .
In 1961 , U.S. President John F. Kennedy told a joint session of Congress of the plan to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade .
In 1977 , the first installment of George Lucas ' Star Wars film series was released .
In 1986 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 4,000-mile human chain from Los Angeles to New York in `` Hands Across America , '' to benefit the nation 's homeless .
The event raised $ 24.5 million .
In 1994 , after living 20 years in exile , mostly in the United States , Russian author Alexander Solzhenitsyn returned to his homeland .
He had been expelled after The Gulag Archipelago , an expose of the Soviet prison camp system , was published in the West in 1974 .
In 2008 , NASA 's Phoenix spacecraft made a smooth landing on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ million-mile journey , setting down in the planet 's frigid polar region where scientists hoped to find water .
In 2011 , The Oprah Winfrey Show broadcast its final original episode after 25 years on the air .
In 2012 , private space company SpaceX 's Dragon capsule became the first commercial cargo vessel to visit the International Space Station .
In 2013 , amid tight security , about 3,000 people who had been in the Boston Marathon April 15 when bombs killed three people and injured scores of others returned to complete @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the event , called OneRun , was `` a great way to show the strength of Boston and the camaraderie in our city . ''
In 2019 , French filmmaker Mati Diop , the first black female director to be considered for a prize at the Cannes Film Festival , won the event 's Grand Prix , the second-place prize , for her film Atlantics .
The first prize , the Palme d'Or , went to Parasite , which later won Best Picture at the Academy Awards .

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Oprah Winfrey talks to the audience during the taping of “Surprise Oprah! A Farewell Spectacular” at the United Center in Chicago on May 17. 2011. The show aired over two days, May 23 and 24, and her final episode aired May 25. File Photo by David Banks/UPI | License Photo
On this date in history: In 1787, with George Washington presiding, the first regular session of the Constitutional Convention, which drew up the Constitution of the United States, convened at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Advertisement
In 1925, John Scopes was arrested for teaching evolution in a Tennessee high school, leading to a trial that became a media sensation. Scopes was convicted and fined $100; the conviction was later overturned.
In 1935, winding up his legendary career (with the Boston Braves in his last season), Babe Ruth hit his 714th home run in his final game. The record stood for 39 years until Hank Aaron, also with the Braves, although in Atlanta, broke it in 1974. Aaron went on to hit 755 homers and current record-holder Barry Bonds had 762.
File Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI
In 1961, U.S. President John F. Kennedy told a joint session of Congress of the plan to put a man on the moon by the end of the decade.
In 1977, the first installment of George Lucas' Star Wars film series was released.
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In 1986, 5 million people formed a broken 4,000-mile human chain from Los Angeles to New York in "Hands Across America," to benefit the nation's homeless. The event raised $24.5 million.
In 1994, after living 20 years in exile, mostly in the United States, Russian author Alexander Solzhenitsyn returned to his homeland. He had been expelled after The Gulag Archipelago, an expose of the Soviet prison camp system, was published in the West in 1974.
In 1997, mutinous soldiers seized power in Sierra Leone.
In 2008, NASA's Phoenix spacecraft made a smooth landing on Mars, completing a nine-month, 422 million-mile journey, setting down in the planet's frigid polar region where scientists hoped to find water.
In 2011, The Oprah Winfrey Show broadcast its final original episode after 25 years on the air.
In 2012, private space company SpaceX's Dragon capsule became the first commercial cargo vessel to visit the International Space Station.
File Photo courtesy of NASA
In 2013, amid tight security, about 3,000 people who had been in the Boston Marathon April 15 when bombs killed three people and injured scores of others returned to complete the final mile. One runner said the event, called OneRun, was "a great way to show the strength of Boston and the camaraderie in our city."
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In 2019, French filmmaker Mati Diop, the first black female director to be considered for a prize at the Cannes Film Festival, won the event's Grand Prix, the second-place prize, for her film Atlantics. The first prize, the Palme d'Or, went to Parasite, which later won Best Picture at the Academy Awards.


upi--2020-05-25--Shinzo Abe’s approval rating slides amid coronavirus, prosecution scandal

May 25 ( UPI ) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe 's approval rating has dipped by double digits in the wake of his administration 's response to the global coronavirus pandemic .
According to a poll conducted by local paper Asahi Shimbun on Saturday and Sunday , Abe 's approval rating now stands at 29 percent , down from 41 percent on April 18-19 .
The latest poll numbers are the lowest since Abe assumed office , according to the report .
Tokyo 's declaration of a state of emergency came after the postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympics @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for under-testing for COVID-19 .
According to the Asahi poll , 48 percent of respondents said their confidence in Abe has waned , while 5 percent said their confidence has risen following the coronavirus response .
Abe is also being evaluated based on his decisions on prosecutor appointments .
The poll showed 68 percent of respondents hold the prime minister responsible for attempting to extend the retirement age of Hiromu Kurokawa , head of the Tokyo High Public Prosecutors Office .
Kurokawa , Abe 's choice for prosecutor-general , was to succeed Nobuo @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to retire this summer , the Mainichi Shimbun reported last week .
When Inada refused to resign as suggested , Abe 's office proposed extending the retirement age so that Kurokawa could still serve as prosecutor-general .
Kurokawa 's closeness to the prime minister also came under criticism , according to the Mainichi .
Kurokawa was eventually forced into resignation this month , when it was revealed he had been gambling during coronavirus quarantine .
Japan ended a state of emergency in some of its major cities last week .
The Nikkei reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ being lifted , allowing movie theaters , commercial facilities and private academic institutes to reopen in the city .

Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's approval rating has dropped amid the global coronavirus pandemic. File Photo by Keizo Mori/UPI | License Photo
May 25 (UPI) -- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's approval rating has dipped by double digits in the wake of his administration's response to the global coronavirus pandemic. According to a poll conducted by local paper Asahi Shimbun on Saturday and Sunday, Abe's approval rating now stands at 29 percent, down from 41 percent on April 18-19. The latest poll numbers are the lowest since Abe assumed office, according to the report. Advertisement
Tokyo's declaration of a state of emergency came after the postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympics. Medical professionals have criticized the administration for under-testing for COVID-19.
According to the Asahi poll, 48 percent of respondents said their confidence in Abe has waned, while 5 percent said their confidence has risen following the coronavirus response.
Abe is also being evaluated based on his decisions on prosecutor appointments. The poll showed 68 percent of respondents hold the prime minister responsible for attempting to extend the retirement age of Hiromu Kurokawa, head of the Tokyo High Public Prosecutors Office.
Kurokawa, Abe's choice for prosecutor-general, was to succeed Nobuo Inada, who may have been planning to retire this summer, the Mainichi Shimbun reported last week.
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When Inada refused to resign as suggested, Abe's office proposed extending the retirement age so that Kurokawa could still serve as prosecutor-general. Kurokawa's closeness to the prime minister also came under criticism, according to the Mainichi.
Kurokawa was eventually forced into resignation this month, when it was revealed he had been gambling during coronavirus quarantine.
Japan ended a state of emergency in some of its major cities last week.
The Nikkei reported Monday the coronavirus alert for Tokyo is being lifted, allowing movie theaters, commercial facilities and private academic institutes to reopen in the city.


upi--2020-05-25--Republicans sue to block California from voting by mail in November

May 25 ( UPI ) -- Several Republican groups have filed a lawsuit against California Gov .
Gavin Newsom 's executive order to allow Californians to vote by mail in the November presidential election due to the coronavirus pandemic .
The lawsuit filed Sunday by the Republican National Committee , the National Republican Congressional Committee and the California Republican Party is seeking to have Newsom 's executive order to send vote-by-mail ballots to all registered voters unlawful .
Early this month , Newsom , a Democrat , issued the executive order , stating `` no Californian should be forced to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their right to vote . ''
However , the Republican Party argues the Democrats are attempting to use the coronavirus pandemic to orchestrate `` a power grab . ''
`` Democrats continue to use this pandemic as a ploy to implement their partisan election agenda , and Gov .
Newsom 's executive order is the latest direct assault on the integrity of our elections , '' RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement .
`` Newsom 's illegal power grab is a recipe for disaster that would destroy the confidence Californians deserve @ @ @ @ @ @ @ vote . ''
In the 27-page lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California , the Republicans argue Newsom 's executive order will violate citizens ' right to vote by mailing ballots to inactive voters , stating it will invite fraud , coercion , theft and illegitimate voting .
The Republicans also described the executive order as a `` usurpation '' of the California legislature 's authority to determine how the state chooses electors for the presidency .
In the court document , the Republicans point out that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state has moved to the second phase of Newsom 's four-phase reopening plan from lockdown measures put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 .
The plan , the Republicans said , is for the state to have exited a state of emergency by the vote in November .
`` The order is less about protecting the health of Californians and more about protecting the electoral prospects of the governor 's political party , '' the court document reads .
Alex Padilla , the secretary of state for California who has been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ began , rejected the accusation late Sunday that expanding vote-by-mail was a partisan issue , describing the move as `` a moral imperative to protect voting rights and public safety . ''
The lawsuit mirrors comments President Donald Trump made earlier Sunday railing against mail-in ballots .
In a tweet , Trump said it would lead to `` the greatest Rigged Election in history . ''
Padilla said the lawsuit is `` just another part of Trump 's political smear campaign '' against voting by mail .
`` We will not let this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Padilla said .
The lawsuit was filed days after the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Newsom 's restrictions on churches to open amid the pandemic .

May 25 (UPI) -- Several Republican groups have filed a lawsuit against California Gov. Gavin Newsom's executive order to allow Californians to vote by mail in the November presidential election due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The lawsuit filed Sunday by the Republican National Committee, the National Republican Congressional Committee and the California Republican Party is seeking to have Newsom's executive order to send vote-by-mail ballots to all registered voters unlawful.
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Early this month, Newsom, a Democrat, issued the executive order, stating "no Californian should be forced to risk their health in order to exercise their right to vote."
However, the Republican Party argues the Democrats are attempting to use the coronavirus pandemic to orchestrate "a power grab."
"Democrats continue to use this pandemic as a ploy to implement their partisan election agenda, and Gov. Newsom's executive order is the latest direct assault on the integrity of our elections," RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement. "Newsom's illegal power grab is a recipe for disaster that would destroy the confidence Californians deserve to have in the security of their vote."
In the 27-page lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California, the Republicans argue Newsom's executive order will violate citizens' right to vote by mailing ballots to inactive voters, stating it will invite fraud, coercion, theft and illegitimate voting.
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The Republicans also described the executive order as a "usurpation" of the California legislature's authority to determine how the state chooses electors for the presidency.
In the court document, the Republicans point out that since the executive order was issued the state has moved to the second phase of Newsom's four-phase reopening plan from lockdown measures put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The plan, the Republicans said, is for the state to have exited a state of emergency by the vote in November.
"The order is less about protecting the health of Californians and more about protecting the electoral prospects of the governor's political party," the court document reads.
Alex Padilla, the secretary of state for California who has been pushing for mail voting since the pandemic began, rejected the accusation late Sunday that expanding vote-by-mail was a partisan issue, describing the move as "a moral imperative to protect voting rights and public safety."
The lawsuit mirrors comments President Donald Trump made earlier Sunday railing against mail-in ballots. In a tweet, Trump said it would lead to "the greatest Rigged Election in history."
Padilla said the lawsuit is "just another part of Trump's political smear campaign" against voting by mail.
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"We will not let this virus be exploited for voter suppression," Padilla said.
The lawsuit was filed days after the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld Newsom's restrictions on churches to open amid the pandemic.


upi--2020-05-25--Trump bans travel from Brazil as pandemic also surges in Mexico

May 24 ( UPI ) -- The death toll and cases from coronavirus are surging in two Latin American nations -- Brazil and Mexico -- while the pandemic stabilizes in other former hotspots , including Asia and Europe .
The United States , despite reporting the most deaths and cases in the world , is restricting travel from those nations .
The border with Mexico already was closed except for goods and essentials workers since March , and President Donald Trump on Sunday night issued a proclamation restricting passenger travel from Brazil effective at 11:59 p.m. EDT Thursday .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the interests of the United States to take action to restrict and suspend the entry into the United States , as immigrants or nonimmigrants , of all aliens who were physically present within the Federative Republic of Brazil during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States , '' the proclamation reads .
Travel also has been restricted from China as well as some European nations .
Over the past few weeks , Brazil and Mexico have moved into the top 10 for the most deaths in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increases last week with Brazil second in the world and Mexico third for 24-hour totals behind the United States on Saturday and Sunday .
Brazil 's deaths have more than doubled in two weeks from 11,123 to 22,716 in sixth place , according to Worldometers.info .
One week ago , the toll was 16,118 .
The nation reported 16,220 additional cases Sunday , following 16,508 additional ones Saturday and a record 21,472 Wednesday for a total of 347,398 in second place behind the United States .
Mexico , meanwhile , last week climbed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Its total on Sunday was 7,179 deaths after 3,353 two weeks ago and 5,045 seven days ago .
Conversely , the six European nations in the top 10 -- Britain , Italy , Spain , France , Belgium and Germany -- have seen a dramatic decline in the number of deaths .
Combined , they posted 325 on Sunday and 533 deaths Saturday , according to Worldometers.info .
Their combined daily highs total 5,319 .
In Asia , mainland China , the original epicenter of the virus , has n't reported a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cases since then , including none for the first time Saturday , for a total of 82,974 .
The nation has dropped to 13th place with 4,634 fatalities after being No .
1 for several weeks .
Worldwide , the death toll was 346,434 and cases neared 5.5 million on Sunday .
That includes 99,300 in the United States , which reported the most deaths Saturday : 1,036 .
Mexico had reported a record 479 Saturday and 190 Sunday .
The nation updates its death total often late at night .
Mexico also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ infection rate might be three times higher than the government figures , according to an independent survey , Al Jazeera reported .
More than one-quarter of the deaths have occurred in the nation 's capital in Mexico City where paramedics say hospitals are being inundated with patients .
The nation of 126 million people includes poor and dense population centers , making it difficult for people to self-isolate .
In addition , workers need to stay on the job to earn any money .
`` We live in an extraordinarily unequal country ; @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day and they 're suffering , '' Deputy Health Minister Hugo López-Gatell told reporters Friday night .
`` They do n't have [ money for their ] daily sustenance , to feed themselves .
That affects their health and can affect their lives . ''
Last Monday , approximately 300 municipalities throughout the country -- called `` municipalities of hope '' -- lifted sheltering-in-place recommendations .
Similar measures are scheduled to start June 1 in the rest of the country , including classes .
All but around 1,000 of the deaths in North @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Canada and the United States .
Like with Mexico , the border has been closed with Canada , which reported 69 more deaths Sunday after 105 Saturday .
On Saturday , Brazil reported an additional 965 fatalities , which was not far from the United States ' total and one less than Friday after a record 1,188 Thursday .
On Sunday , Brazil reported 703 deaths -- the most of any country and nearly 100 more than the United States , which recorded 617 deaths on Sunday .
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ urge social isolation measures .
On May 14 , he said : `` We have to be brave to face this virus .
Are people dying ?
Yes they are , and I regret that .
But many more are going to die if the economy continues to be destroyed because of these [ lockdown ] measures . ''
Originally , he said the virus was just `` a little flu . ''
`` It 's not a flu .
It 's the worst thing we have ever faced in our professional lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Paulo told CNN .
When asked if he is worried about his health , he said `` Yes , '' twice .
Tests are only performed when someone has three symptoms .
`` Mostly the test is done when the person is already in an advanced stage of the disease , '' Renata Alves , a volunteer health worker , said .
In South America , all but nearly 9,000 of the 31,352 deaths have occurred in Brazil .
Second most is Peru with 3,456 .
The White House would `` take a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ country by country basis '' in Latin America for restrictions , O'Brien said .
The surge in deaths in Brazil has only happened relatively recently .
On April 1 , a total of 242 deaths were reported there .
By then , the pandemic was reaching epic heights in Europe .
That 's even before it peaked in the United States , when the toll was 6,394 .
On that date , in Italy , the death toll was 13,155 -- the most in the world .
Since then the count has climbed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States and Britain .
On Sunday , only 50 deaths were reported after 282 on Saturday .
The high was 919 on March 27 with the current toll 32,007 .
Since April 1 , the death toll has surged in Britain more than other counties to 36,675 .
The count was 3,095 on that date .
In the past week , the daily death toll been between 160 and 545 , including 118 Sunday after 282 Saturday .
The record was 1,172 on April 21 .
Primary schools will open on June @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Prime Minister Boris Johnson said during a briefing Sunday .
`` In line with the approach being taken in many other countries , we want to start taking our children back into the classroom , in a way that is as manageable and as safe as possible , '' Johnson said .
`` We said we would begin with early years ' settings and reception , year one , and year six in primary schools . ''
Johnson , who was hospitalized in intensive care with the virus , has been criticized @ @ @ @ @ @ @ pandemic and calls for him to fire Dominic Cummings , his chief political aid .
The Guardian and the Daily Mirror reported Dominic Cummings and his wife traveled 260 miles across England to stay at his parents ' property while sick with coronavirus symptoms .
Johnson said Sunday he would n't fire him .
`` Enough is enough , '' Conservative lawmaker Steve Baker wrote in an opinion piece for The Critic website .
`` Dominic Cummings must go before he does any more harm to the UK , the Government , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Conservative Party . ''
The death toll has been stabilizing elsewhere in Europe .
Spain is in fourth place after reporting 74 Sunday , 50 Saturday and 688 Friday to climb to 28,752 .
Health Ministry on Friday reported 56 additional fatalities in the past 24 hours and the big jump is due to the various regions `` cleaning '' their historic datasets .
The high was 961 on April 2 .
Spanish Health Minister Salvador Illawarned though the situation has improved `` the virus is still among us , `` he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the top 10 reporting additional deaths in double figures are No .
5 France with 35 , No .
7 Belgium with 43 and No .
8 Germany with 5 .
France 's high was 1,438 in April 15 .
Germany , with strict safety measures and extensive testing , greatly controlled the outbreak with its record 333 on April 8 .
Sweden , which has been attempting `` herd immunity , '' reported six more deaths in 16th place with 3,998 as well as 271 new cases .
Neighboring Norway reported zero @ @ @ @ @ @ @ row to stay at 235 as well as six more cases .
Russia continues to surge in cases with 9,434 more on Saturday and 8,599 on Sunday for a total of 344,481 in third place .
Russia reported 153 more deaths to rise to 3,541 in 17th .
In all , more than one-half of the worldwide deaths were in Europe with 169,844 , including an additional 569 of the 2,647 total on Sunday .
On Saturday , the total number of deaths was 4,183 .
Asia also has significantly stabilized .
Only @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 27,442 .
In China , three cases were reported Sunday .
The head of a top Chinese laboratory in Wuhan again rejected suggestions that it leaked the pathogen , saying the institute `` had never discovered or kept '' the virus before it erupted in central China late last year .
Wang Yanyi , director of the Wuhan Institute of Virology , said it was `` pure fabrication '' that the coronavirus leaked from the lab in an interview with state media on Saturday .
For the past week , the city of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11.1 million residents .
Since May 14 , asymptomatic carriers , who are infected people with no outward sign of illness , have been sought -- after confirming its first cluster of COVID-19 infections since the city 's release from a virtual lockdown on April 8 .
South Korea has reported only four deaths in one week , including two on Sunday , for a total of 262 .
The cases stand at 11,165 .
A few weeks ago , the nation had relaxed its social distancing .
But several people who visited @ @ @ @ @ @ @ during the first weekend of May tested positive for the virus .
All bars and nightclubs were shut down , and South Korean officials had tracked down 46,000 people who had contact with known infected cases linked to the nightclubs and tested them for COVID-19 .
Cases linked to nightclub rose to 225 -- 96 believed to have contracted the virus from visiting the clubs and the 129 others by coming into close contact with confirmed cases -- the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Sunday .
India reported 7,113 new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ -- the country 's biggest one-day surge .
The death toll stands at 4,024 , including an additional 156 Sunday and 142 Saturday in 15th place .
The government has announced that domestic airlines would be able to resume services starting this week .
Incoming passengers would still be subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine in some states .
Elsewhere in Asia , Iran reported 58 additional deaths for ninth place in 7,417 .
The death toll has been minimal in other continents .
In Oceania , neither Australia nor New Zealand reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , with one reported Saturday .
In New Zeland , the count is 21 with the last fatality on May 6 .
`` It is crucial that people do n't relax over the weekends as we go forward , '' New South Wales Health Minister Brad Hazzard said after one new infection and an unconfirmed case involving a female high school student who had developed mild symptoms was reported .
Parents have been told to stay away from school grounds , and workers are being urged to drive or walk to work .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at 3,356 , led by Egypt with 764 and Algeria with 600 .

A sanitary team in Mexico City on Saturday disinfects the Jamaica Market, which is scheduled to reopen Monday despite surging deaths and cases in the city and nation. Photo by Jorge Nunez/EPA-EFE
May 24 (UPI) -- The death toll and cases from coronavirus are surging in two Latin American nations -- Brazil and Mexico -- while the pandemic stabilizes in other former hotspots, including Asia and Europe. The United States, despite reporting the most deaths and cases in the world, is restricting travel from those nations. The border with Mexico already was closed except for goods and essentials workers since March, and President Donald Trump on Sunday night issued a proclamation restricting passenger travel from Brazil effective at 11:59 p.m. EDT Thursday. Advertisement
"I have determined that it is in the interests of the United States to take action to restrict and suspend the entry into the United States, as immigrants or nonimmigrants, of all aliens who were physically present within the Federative Republic of Brazil during the 14-day period preceding their entry or attempted entry into the United States," the proclamation reads.
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Travel also has been restricted from China as well as some European nations.
Over the past few weeks, Brazil and Mexico have moved into the top 10 for the most deaths in the world. Both countries set daily death increases last week with Brazil second in the world and Mexico third for 24-hour totals behind the United States on Saturday and Sunday.
Brazil's deaths have more than doubled in two weeks from 11,123 to 22,716 in sixth place, according to Worldometers.info. One week ago, the toll was 16,118. The nation reported 16,220 additional cases Sunday, following 16,508 additional ones Saturday and a record 21,472 Wednesday for a total of 347,398 in second place behind the United States.
Mexico, meanwhile, last week climbed into the top 10, displacing Canada. Its total on Sunday was 7,179 deaths after 3,353 two weeks ago and 5,045 seven days ago.
Conversely, the six European nations in the top 10 -- Britain, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium and Germany -- have seen a dramatic decline in the number of deaths. Combined, they posted 325 on Sunday and 533 deaths Saturday, according to Worldometers.info. Their combined daily highs total 5,319.
In Asia, mainland China, the original epicenter of the virus, hasn't reported a death since April 26 and only 164 cases since then, including none for the first time Saturday, for a total of 82,974. The nation has dropped to 13th place with 4,634 fatalities after being No. 1 for several weeks.
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Worldwide, the death toll was 346,434 and cases neared 5.5 million on Sunday. That includes 99,300 in the United States, which reported the most deaths Saturday: 1,036.
Mexico had reported a record 479 Saturday and 190 Sunday. The nation updates its death total often late at night.
Mexico also announced 3,329 cases Sunday. And the infection rate might be three times higher than the government figures, according to an independent survey, Al Jazeera reported.
More than one-quarter of the deaths have occurred in the nation's capital in Mexico City where paramedics say hospitals are being inundated with patients.
The nation of 126 million people includes poor and dense population centers, making it difficult for people to self-isolate. In addition, workers need to stay on the job to earn any money.
"We live in an extraordinarily unequal country; half of all people live day by day and they're suffering," Deputy Health Minister Hugo López-Gatell told reporters Friday night. "They don't have [money for their] daily sustenance, to feed themselves. That affects their health and can affect their lives."
Last Monday, approximately 300 municipalities throughout the country -- called "municipalities of hope" -- lifted sheltering-in-place recommendations. Similar measures are scheduled to start June 1 in the rest of the country, including classes.
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All but around 1,000 of the deaths in North America have been reported in Mexico, Canada and the United States.
Like with Mexico, the border has been closed with Canada, which reported 69 more deaths Sunday after 105 Saturday.
On Saturday, Brazil reported an additional 965 fatalities, which was not far from the United States' total and one less than Friday after a record 1,188 Thursday. On Sunday, Brazil reported 703 deaths -- the most of any country and nearly 100 more than the United States, which recorded 617 deaths on Sunday.
Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has focused on reopening businesses as many governors urge social isolation measures.
On May 14, he said: "We have to be brave to face this virus. Are people dying? Yes they are, and I regret that. But many more are going to die if the economy continues to be destroyed because of these [lockdown] measures."
Originally, he said the virus was just "a little flu."
"It's not a flu. It's the worst thing we have ever faced in our professional lives," Dr. Jacques Sztajnbok in Sao Paulo told CNN. When asked if he is worried about his health, he said "Yes," twice.
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Tests are only performed when someone has three symptoms.
"Mostly the test is done when the person is already in an advanced stage of the disease," Renata Alves, a volunteer health worker, said.
In South America, all but nearly 9,000 of the 31,352 deaths have occurred in Brazil. Second most is Peru with 3,456.
The White House would "take a look at the other countries on a country by country basis" in Latin America for restrictions, O'Brien said.
The surge in deaths in Brazil has only happened relatively recently. On April 1, a total of 242 deaths were reported there.
By then, the pandemic was reaching epic heights in Europe. That's even before it peaked in the United States, when the toll was 6,394.
On that date, in Italy, the death toll was 13,155 -- the most in the world. Since then the count has climbed to 32,785 for third place behind the United States and Britain. On Sunday, only 50 deaths were reported after 282 on Saturday. The high was 919 on March 27 with the current toll 32,007.
Since April 1, the death toll has surged in Britain more than other counties to 36,675. The count was 3,095 on that date. In the past week, the daily death toll been between 160 and 545, including 118 Sunday after 282 Saturday. The record was 1,172 on April 21.
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Primary schools will open on June 1 and secondary ones on June 15, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said during a briefing Sunday.
"In line with the approach being taken in many other countries, we want to start taking our children back into the classroom, in a way that is as manageable and as safe as possible," Johnson said. "We said we would begin with early years' settings and reception, year one, and year six in primary schools."
Johnson, who was hospitalized in intensive care with the virus, has been criticized for his government's handling of the pandemic and calls for him to fire Dominic Cummings, his chief political aid.
The Guardian and the Daily Mirror reported Dominic Cummings and his wife traveled 260 miles across England to stay at his parents' property while sick with coronavirus symptoms.
Johnson said Sunday he wouldn't fire him.
"Enough is enough," Conservative lawmaker Steve Baker wrote in an opinion piece for The Critic website. "Dominic Cummings must go before he does any more harm to the UK, the Government, the Prime Minister, our institutions or the Conservative Party."
The death toll has been stabilizing elsewhere in Europe.
Spain is in fourth place after reporting 74 Sunday, 50 Saturday and 688 Friday to climb to 28,752. Health Ministry on Friday reported 56 additional fatalities in the past 24 hours and the big jump is due to the various regions "cleaning" their historic datasets. The high was 961 on April 2.
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Spanish Health Minister Salvador Illawarned though the situation has improved "the virus is still among us, "he said at a news conference Sunday
Nations in the top 10 reporting additional deaths in double figures are No. 5 France with 35, No. 7 Belgium with 43 and No. 8 Germany with 5. France's high was 1,438 in April 15.
Germany, with strict safety measures and extensive testing, greatly controlled the outbreak with its record 333 on April 8.
Sweden, which has been attempting "herd immunity," reported six more deaths in 16th place with 3,998 as well as 271 new cases. Neighboring Norway reported zero deaths for the second day in a row to stay at 235 as well as six more cases.
Russia continues to surge in cases with 9,434 more on Saturday and 8,599 on Sunday for a total of 344,481 in third place. Russia reported 153 more deaths to rise to 3,541 in 17th.
In all, more than one-half of the worldwide deaths were in Europe with 169,844, including an additional 569 of the 2,647 total on Sunday. On Saturday, the total number of deaths was 4,183.
Asia also has significantly stabilized. Only 394 deaths were reported Sunday to total 27,442.
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In China, three cases were reported Sunday.
The head of a top Chinese laboratory in Wuhan again rejected suggestions that it leaked the pathogen, saying the institute "had never discovered or kept" the virus before it erupted in central China late last year.
Wang Yanyi, director of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, said it was "pure fabrication" that the coronavirus leaked from the lab in an interview with state media on Saturday.
For the past week, the city of Wuhan has been working to test all 11.1 million residents. Since May 14, asymptomatic carriers, who are infected people with no outward sign of illness, have been sought -- after confirming its first cluster of COVID-19 infections since the city's release from a virtual lockdown on April 8.
South Korea has reported only four deaths in one week, including two on Sunday, for a total of 262. The cases stand at 11,165.
A few weeks ago, the nation had relaxed its social distancing. But several people who visited nightclubs in Seoul's Itaewon entertainment district during the first weekend of May tested positive for the virus.
All bars and nightclubs were shut down, and South Korean officials had tracked down 46,000 people who had contact with known infected cases linked to the nightclubs and tested them for COVID-19.
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Cases linked to nightclub rose to 225 -- 96 believed to have contracted the virus from visiting the clubs and the 129 others by coming into close contact with confirmed cases -- the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced Sunday.
India reported 7,113 new coronavirus cases in the past 24 hours -- the country's biggest one-day surge. The death toll stands at 4,024, including an additional 156 Sunday and 142 Saturday in 15th place.
The government has announced that domestic airlines would be able to resume services starting this week. Incoming passengers would still be subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine in some states.
Elsewhere in Asia, Iran reported 58 additional deaths for ninth place in 7,417.
The death toll has been minimal in other continents.
In Oceania, neither Australia nor New Zealand reported any deaths. Australia has reported 102, with one reported Saturday. In New Zeland, the count is 21 with the last fatality on May 6.
"It is crucial that people don't relax over the weekends as we go forward," New South Wales Health Minister Brad Hazzard said after one new infection and an unconfirmed case involving a female high school student who had developed mild symptoms was reported.
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Parents have been told to stay away from school grounds, and workers are being urged to drive or walk to work.
In Africa, the death toll stands at 3,356, led by Egypt with 764 and Algeria with 600.


upi--2020-05-24--Judge rules Florida law restricting voting rights of ex-felons unconstitutional

May 24 ( UPI ) -- A federal judge on Sunday granted a permanent injunction against a controversial Florida law requiring former felons to pay outstanding legal fines or fees before regaining their right to vote , ruling the measure was unconstitutional .
U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle ruled conditioning voting rights on legal financial obligations violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment by preventing people from voting based on their wealth .
The law also violates the 24th Amendment that prohibits states from instituting a poll tax .
Hinkle referred to the legislation as the pay-to-vote law @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be `` universally derided '' as unconstitutional if it was n't applied against former felons .
`` A state may disenfranchise felons and impose conditions on their re-enfranchisement , '' he wrote .
`` But the conditions must pass constitutional scrutiny .
Whatever might be said of a rationally constructed system , this one falls short in substantial respects . ''
He said the state can condition voting on payment of fines that a person is able to pay but can not condition amounts a person is unable to afford .
Hinkle @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former felons can vote , causing some citizens who are eligible to vote not to out of fear of criminal prosecution .
Leah C. Aden , deputy director of litigation at the NAACP Legal Defense , called Hinkle 's decision `` a monumental win for our democracy . ''
`` The court recognized that returning citizens should not have to pay to vote if they are unable to do so -- and that certain legal financial obligations function today like the unconstitutional poll taxes that state erected to lock black people out of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Aden said in a statement .
The injection comes in a case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union , the Brennan Center and the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund after the restriction was signed into law by Gov .
Ron DeSantis last June after it passed the Republican-controlled legislature a month earlier .
Former felons in the state were prohibited from voting until Florida voters in November 2018 approved a measure to give as many as 1.4 million former felons in the state the right to vote after completing their sentence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the district court granted a preliminary injunction against the law .
`` This is a historic win for voting rights , '' said Sean Morales-Doyle , senior counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice .
`` Judge Hinkle told the state of Florida what the rest of America already knows : You ca n't make wealth a prerequisite for voting .
This ruling opens the way for hundreds of thousands of Floridians to exercise their fundamental right to vote this November -- and our democracy will be stronger for their participation . ''

May 24 (UPI) -- A federal judge on Sunday granted a permanent injunction against a controversial Florida law requiring former felons to pay outstanding legal fines or fees before regaining their right to vote, ruling the measure was unconstitutional.
U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle ruled conditioning voting rights on legal financial obligations violates the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment by preventing people from voting based on their wealth. The law also violates the 24th Amendment that prohibits states from instituting a poll tax.
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Hinkle referred to the legislation as the pay-to-vote law in his 125-page opinion, stating it would be "universally derided" as unconstitutional if it wasn't applied against former felons.
"A state may disenfranchise felons and impose conditions on their re-enfranchisement," he wrote. "But the conditions must pass constitutional scrutiny. Whatever might be said of a rationally constructed system, this one falls short in substantial respects."
He said the state can condition voting on payment of fines that a person is able to pay but cannot condition amounts a person is unable to afford.
Hinkle added the law made it unclear which former felons can vote, causing some citizens who are eligible to vote not to out of fear of criminal prosecution.
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Leah C. Aden, deputy director of litigation at the NAACP Legal Defense, called Hinkle's decision "a monumental win for our democracy."
"The court recognized that returning citizens should not have to pay to vote if they are unable to do so -- and that certain legal financial obligations function today like the unconstitutional poll taxes that state erected to lock black people out of the political system decades ago," Aden said in a statement.
The injection comes in a case brought by the American Civil Liberties Union, the Brennan Center and the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund after the restriction was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis last June after it passed the Republican-controlled legislature a month earlier.
Former felons in the state were prohibited from voting until Florida voters in November 2018 approved a measure to give as many as 1.4 million former felons in the state the right to vote after completing their sentence.
In October of last year, the district court granted a preliminary injunction against the law.
"This is a historic win for voting rights," said Sean Morales-Doyle, senior counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice. "Judge Hinkle told the state of Florida what the rest of America already knows: You can't make wealth a prerequisite for voting. This ruling opens the way for hundreds of thousands of Floridians to exercise their fundamental right to vote this November -- and our democracy will be stronger for their participation."


upi--2020-05-24--NBA in talks with Disney about resuming 2019-20 season

May 24 ( UPI ) -- The NBA has entered into discussions with The Walt Disney Company about potentially resuming its season at Disney 's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando , Fla. , at the end of July .
NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement that the talks were still `` exploratory , '' but it is the clearest sign yet that the league believes the 2019-20 season can resume amid the coronavirus pandemic .
`` The NBA , in conjunction with the National Basketball Players Association , is engaged in exploratory conversations with The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ NBA season in late July at Disney 's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida as a single site for an NBA campus for games , practices and housing , '' Bass said Saturday .
`` Our priority continues to be the health and safety of all involved , and we are working with public health experts and government officials on a comprehensive set of guidelines to ensure that appropriate medical protocols and protections are in place . ''
The NBA suspended its season in mid-March because of the COVID-19 outbreak .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ finish the remainder of its regular season or jump to the playoffs .
The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex , which spans more than 200 acres and features three arenas and plentiful hotel accommodations , would permit the NBA to resume play while preventing outside exposure at different venues .
Barring any unexpected changes , many NBA owners , executives and NBPA leaders believe league commissioner Adam Silver will approve the return to play in June , according to ESPN , with games expected to commence sometime before the end of July @

The NBA could resume its season at Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo
May 24 (UPI) -- The NBA has entered into discussions with The Walt Disney Company about potentially resuming its season at Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla., at the end of July. NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement that the talks were still "exploratory," but it is the clearest sign yet that the league believes the 2019-20 season can resume amid the coronavirus pandemic. Advertisement
"The NBA, in conjunction with the National Basketball Players Association, is engaged in exploratory conversations with The Walt Disney Company about restarting the 2019-20 NBA season in late July at Disney's ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida as a single site for an NBA campus for games, practices and housing," Bass said Saturday.
"Our priority continues to be the health and safety of all involved, and we are working with public health experts and government officials on a comprehensive set of guidelines to ensure that appropriate medical protocols and protections are in place."
The NBA suspended its season in mid-March because of the COVID-19 outbreak. It remains unclear whether the league will finish the remainder of its regular season or jump to the playoffs.
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The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, which spans more than 200 acres and features three arenas and plentiful hotel accommodations, would permit the NBA to resume play while preventing outside exposure at different venues.
Barring any unexpected changes, many NBA owners, executives and NBPA leaders believe league commissioner Adam Silver will approve the return to play in June, according to ESPN, with games expected to commence sometime before the end of July.


upi--2020-05-24--Nationals unveil 2019 World Series rings featuring monuments, 'Baby Shark'

May 24 ( UPI ) -- The Washington Nationals revealed the design of their 2019 World Series championship ring Sunday .
`` Ladies and gentlemen , your 2019 Washington Nationals World Series Championship Ring , '' the team wrote in a tweet accompanied by a video highlighting the ring 's design .
The Nationals ' cursive `` W '' logo features 30 rubies , which represents the 30 combined runs Washington scored in its four wins in the World Series against the Houston Astros .
Surrounding the team 's logo is a ring of 32 sapphires , referencing the total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( seven ) , shutout wins ( 13 ) , longest winning streak ( eight ) and postseason rounds won ( four ) .
The ring also has 108 diamonds , symbolizing the club 's 105 wins in the regular season and postseason , plus one for the World Series victory and two additional gems in a nod to the franchise 's history as the Montreal Expos and Nationals .
The championship ring depicts some of the most iconic monuments in Washington , D.C. , with the roman numerals `` MMVI '' placed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year ( 2006 ) the Lerner family purchased the organization .
The inside of the ring contains an image of a shark holding the Commissioner 's Trophy in honor of outfielder Gerardo Parra 's walk-up song , `` Baby Shark . ''
The Nationals ' ring reveal Sunday came after players vetoed a plan to hold a virtual ceremony , which was brought about by the coronavirus pandemic .
Initially , the franchise announced it would give out the rings during a show that would be broadcast on television and online .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they would rather wait and receive the jewelry in person .

May 24 (UPI) -- The Washington Nationals revealed the design of their 2019 World Series championship ring Sunday.
"Ladies and gentlemen, your 2019 Washington Nationals World Series Championship Ring," the team wrote in a tweet accompanied by a video highlighting the ring's design.
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The Nationals' cursive "W" logo features 30 rubies, which represents the 30 combined runs Washington scored in its four wins in the World Series against the Houston Astros. Surrounding the team's logo is a ring of 32 sapphires, referencing the total of the Nationals' 2019 walk-off wins (seven), shutout wins (13), longest winning streak (eight) and postseason rounds won (four).
The ring also has 108 diamonds, symbolizing the club's 105 wins in the regular season and postseason, plus one for the World Series victory and two additional gems in a nod to the franchise's history as the Montreal Expos and Nationals.
The championship ring depicts some of the most iconic monuments in Washington, D.C., with the roman numerals "MMVI" placed within the Capitol Building to represent the year (2006) the Lerner family purchased the organization.
The inside of the ring contains an image of a shark holding the Commissioner's Trophy in honor of outfielder Gerardo Parra's walk-up song, "Baby Shark."
Advertisement Ladies and gentlemen, your 2019 Washington Nationals World Series Championship Ring.@Jostens // #NATITUDE pic.twitter.com/TqPTnEIFsa— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) May 24, 2020
The Nationals' ring reveal Sunday came after players vetoed a plan to hold a virtual ceremony, which was brought about by the coronavirus pandemic.
Initially, the franchise announced it would give out the rings during a show that would be broadcast on television and online. The Nationals reversed course after the players decided they would rather wait and receive the jewelry in person.


upi--2020-05-25--Virgin Orbit terminates rocket launch after releasing it over the Pacific

May 25 ( UPI ) -- Virgin Orbit said it terminated the launch of a demonstration rocket Monday afternoon shortly after its release from the wing of a 747 jet over the Pacific Ocean .
The rocket , called LauncherOne , was to ignite its engines in mid-air for the first time as the company develops a new method to send satellites into orbit .
The jet released the rocket just after 3:50 p.m. , but the company announced the mission was terminated shortly afterward , without immediate explanation .
Later in the afternoon , Virgin Orbit tweeted , `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and we ignited our first state engine , NewtonThree .
An anomaly then occurred in first stage flight .
`` We 'll learn more as out engineers analyze the mountain of data we collected today . ''
The crew on the plane was safe and returned home , according to the company .
Virgin Orbit , privately owned by Richard Branson 's Virgin Group , intends to use the rocket to launch commercial or government satellites .
Launching from a jet means the company can launch from any approved airport , not just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a jet is known as a horizontal launch .
Virgin Orbit said Monday 's attempt was is the first horizontal launch for a liquid-fueled , orbital-class rocket .
Once in space , the rocket was supposed to release a small satellite that would transmit data to the ground and then leave , according to Virgin Orbit .
Being able to launch rockets from airports means the company can `` repopulate a satellite constellation very quickly , placing them into orbit at exactly the right time and place because we can take off from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Eisele , Virgin Orbit 's vice president of business development .
`` We can even help the government replace satellites quickly if they are knocked out by a bad actor , '' Eisele said .
Virgin Orbit is trying to develop a system of under-wing rockets intended to be cheaper and more flexible than its most similar competitor .
That is Northrop Grumman 's under-wing system called Pegasus , which first launched in 1990 .
Recent Pegasus missions have carried price tags of more than $ 40 million per launch , while Virgin @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 million to $ 12 million per mission .
Virgin Orbit has worked on developing the LauncherOne system for five years , with hundreds of test-firings of its NewtonThree engines and two dozen test flights of the jet , called Cosmic Girl .
The rocket is designed to carry relatively small payloads , a little over 650 pounds , into space .
By comparison , a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket can carry over 50,000 pounds into space .

1/2
Virgin Orbit terminated the launch of a rocket Monday, released from 747 carrier aircraft Cosmic Girl like this one in summer 2019. File Photo courtesy of Virgin Orbit
May 25 (UPI) -- Virgin Orbit said it terminated the launch of a demonstration rocket Monday afternoon shortly after its release from the wing of a 747 jet over the Pacific Ocean. The rocket, called LauncherOne, was to ignite its engines in mid-air for the first time as the company develops a new method to send satellites into orbit. Advertisement
The jet released the rocket just after 3:50 p.m., but the company announced the mission was terminated shortly afterward, without immediate explanation.
Later in the afternoon, Virgin Orbit tweeted, "Launcher One maintained stability after release, and we ignited our first state engine, NewtonThree. An anomaly then occurred in first stage flight.
"We'll learn more as out engineers analyze the mountain of data we collected today."
The crew on the plane was safe and returned home, according to the company.
Virgin Orbit, privately owned by Richard Branson's Virgin Group, intends to use the rocket to launch commercial or government satellites. Launching from a jet means the company can launch from any approved airport, not just from rocket launch pads.
Launching from a jet is known as a horizontal launch. Virgin Orbit said Monday's attempt was is the first horizontal launch for a liquid-fueled, orbital-class rocket.
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Once in space, the rocket was supposed to release a small satellite that would transmit data to the ground and then leave, according to Virgin Orbit.
Good morning, world! Today is a momentous occasion for the Virgin Orbit team: operations for the first orbital launch demonstration of our LauncherOne rocket are well underway. pic.twitter.com/P51cYc1nFi— Virgin Orbit (@Virgin_Orbit) May 25, 2020
Being able to launch rockets from airports means the company can "repopulate a satellite constellation very quickly, placing them into orbit at exactly the right time and place because we can take off from so many locations," said Stephen Eisele, Virgin Orbit's vice president of business development.
"We can even help the government replace satellites quickly if they are knocked out by a bad actor," Eisele said.
Virgin Orbit is trying to develop a system of under-wing rockets intended to be cheaper and more flexible than its most similar competitor. That is Northrop Grumman's under-wing system called Pegasus, which first launched in 1990.
Recent Pegasus missions have carried price tags of more than $40 million per launch, while Virgin Orbit looking at a price at $10 million to $12 million per mission.
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Virgin Orbit has worked on developing the LauncherOne system for five years, with hundreds of test-firings of its NewtonThree engines and two dozen test flights of the jet, called Cosmic Girl.
The rocket is designed to carry relatively small payloads, a little over 650 pounds, into space. By comparison, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket can carry over 50,000 pounds into space.