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On this day in sport: Cruyff wins first trophy as Barca coach, Nadal makes tennis history

May 10 saw Barcelona win their first trophy with Johan Cruyff as coach, while Rafael Nadal achieved a remarkable tennis feat.





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On this day in sport: Cruyff wins first trophy as Barca coach, Nadal makes tennis history

London, May 10: The transformation of Barcelona under Johan Cruyff took an important step forward on May 10, 31 years ago. The Catalans won their first trophy since the great Cruyff's return to his old club, beating Sampdoria to claim the





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Serie A will return 'one step at a time' after coronavirus, says Italian sports minister

Vincenzo Spadafora discussed the top flight in Italy, which is looking to return as Germany's Bundesliga prepares to resume on May 16





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Rumour Has It: Real Madrid set Arsenal Aubameyang deadline, Barcelona poised to sign Pjanic

Arsenal reportedly must decide on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's future by next month amid Real Madrid links.





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Rumour Has It: Real Madrid set Arsenal Aubameyang deadline, Barcelona poised to sign Pjanic

London, May 10: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is out of contract in June 2021 and the Gabon international is no closer to signing a new Arsenal deal. The former Borussia Dortmund star is not short of suitors amid uncertainty over his future





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Sport-On this day: Born May 11, 1984: Andres Iniesta, Spanish footballer

SHOWS:

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (FILE - JULY 11, 2010) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE)

1. STILL PHOTO SHOWING ANDRES INIESTA SCORING THE WINNING GOAL IN THE FINAL OF THE 2010 FIFA WORLD CUP AS SPAIN BEAT THE NETHERLANDS 1-0

2. STILL PHOTO SHOWING INIESTA CELEBRATING AFTER SCORING

3. STILL PHOTO SHOWING INIESTA CELEBRATING AFTER THE FINAL WHISTLE AS SPAIN WERE CROWNED WORLD CHAMPIONS

4. STILL PHOTO SHOWING INIESTA HOLDING THE WORLD CUP TROPHY ALOFT WITH HIS TEAMMATES

5. STILL PHOTO SHOWING HOLDING THE WORLD CUP TROPHY ALOFT AMONGST PHOTOGRAPHERS

MADRID, SPAIN (FILE - JULY 12, 2010) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

6. INIESTA (RED HAT) NEXT TO XABI ALONSO ON OPEN TOP BUS PARADE AFTER SPAIN RETURNED HOME FROM THE 2010 FIFA WORLD CUP AS CHAMPIONS

7. BUS DRIVING PAST AS FANS CELEBRATE

MADRID, SPAIN (FILE - JULY 14, 2010) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

8. THEN SPANISH PRIME MINISTER JOSE LUIS RODRIGUEZ ZAPATERO INTRODUCTING INIESTA AS SQUAD AND FANS START CHEERING HIS NAME

9. SQUAD AND FANS CHEERING INIESTA'S NAME

INNSBRUCK, AUSTRIA (FILE - JUNE 10, 2008) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE)

10. STILL PHOTO SHOWING INIESTA IN GROUP D ACTION AGAINST RUSSIA AT EURO 2008, WHICH SPAIN WON

KIEV, UKRAINE (FILE - JULY 1, 2012) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE)

11. STILL PHOTO SHOWING INIESTA IN ACTION DURING THE EURO 2012 FINAL AGAINST ITALY WHICH SPAIN WON

NICE, FRANCE (FILE - JUNE 16, 2016) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

12. INIESTA JOGGING DURING TRAINING

SAINT-MARTIN-DE-RE, FRANCE (FILE - JUNE 24, 2016) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

13. INIESTA PASSING THE BALL DURING TRAINING

14. INIESTA DRIBBLING WITH BALL

MADRID, SPAIN (FILE - MARCH 26, 2018) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

15. INIESTA BEING HELPED UP AND WARMING UP DURING TRAINING

16. INIESTA JOGGING

SAINT-MARTIN-DE-RE, FRANCE (FILE - JUNE 23, 2016) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

17. INIESTA GREETING HIS WIFE

18. INIESTA HOLDING HIS CHILD

LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (FILE - MAY 27, 2011) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

19. INIESTA TRAINING WITH BARCELONA INSIDE WEMBLEY STADIUM AHEAD OF CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FINAL WHICH THEY WON AFTER BEATING MANCHESTER UNITED

BARCELONA, SPAIN (FILE - MAY 29, 2011) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

20. INIESTA AND LIONEL MESSI POSING WITH CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TROPHY

BARCELONA, SPAIN (FILE - JUNE 7, 2015)

21. INIESTA ON OPEN TOP BUS WITH TEAMMATES CELEBRATING WINNING THE TREBLE DURING PARADE

22. TROPHIES AND INIESTA CELEBRATING

BARCELONA, SPAIN (FILE - MAY 15, 2016) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

23. INIESTA ON OPEN TOP BUS DURING PARADE CELEBRATING BARCELONA WINNING LA LIGA

LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (FILE - FEBRUARY 19, 2018) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

24. INIESTA PASSING BALL IN CIRCLE DURING TRAINING

BARCELONA, SPAIN (FILE - SEPTEMBER 9, 2016) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

25. INIESTA JOGGING DURING TRAINING SESSION

BARCELONA, SPAIN (FILE - MARCH 18, 2017) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

26. INIESTA WALKING OUT FOR TRAINING

27. INIESTA WARMING UP

BARCELONA, SPAIN (FILE - MAY 20, 2018) (MEDIAPRO - ACCESS ALL)

28. VARIOUS OF INIESTA WAVING TO BARCELONA FANS DURING FAREWELL CEREMONY

BARCELONA, SPAIN (FILE - DECEMBER 18, 2018) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

29. INIESTA RECEIVING SPAIN NATIONAL TEAM MVP AWARD AT AN AWARDS CEREMONY ORGANISED BY MARCA SPORTS NEWSPAPER

TOKYO, JAPAN (FILE - MAY 24, 2018) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

30. INIESTA ARRIVING ON STAGE FOR SIGNING CEREMONY WITH VISSEL KOBE CHAIRMAN HIROSHI MIKITANI

31. INIESTA AND MIKITANI POSING FOR PHOTOS WITH VISSEL KOBE SHIRT

32. INIESTA'S NUMBER 8 VISSEL KOBE SHIRT

33. INIESTA AND MIKITANI

STORY: A shy village boy who could not bear to leave his parents' bed, Andres Iniesta may have seemed an unlikely candidate to become one of the best footballers of all time, but anyone who saw him play rarely had serious doubts.

Iniesta, who turns 36 on Monday (May 11), weaved his magic for Barcelona for 16 years and was one of the architects of the club's greatest era, playing a defining role as they won 32 trophies including nine Spanish titles and four Champions League crowns.

"This kid is going to retire us all," said Pep Guardiola when he first watched a teenage Iniesta in action while Spain coach Luis Enrique describes the diminutive midfielder as "Harry Potter, waving his wand".

Iniesta conducted an equally mesmerising orchestra for Spain and clinched his country's finest sporting achievement when his extra-time goal against the Netherlands sealed victory in the 2010 World Cup final.

That cold-blooded strike in Johannesburg's Soccer City Stadium forever endeared Iniesta to Spaniards no matter their allegiances, earning him standing ovations even when playing away to Barca's sworn enemies Real Madrid and Espanyol.

Most touching, though, was how he celebrated that career-defining goal -- ripping off his shirt to pay tribute to his late friend and fellow footballer Dani Jarque who died the previous year.

Jarque's sudden death and a series of injuries had led Iniesta into a severe bout of depression, things getting so bad that he asked to sleep in his parents' bed, just as he had done as a 10-year-old when home from Barcelona's academy.

He conquered his demons with the help of a psychologist and a supportive coach in Guardiola, who had never forgotten how Iniesta backed him when he got off to a rocky start in his first season at Barca.

That campaign ended with Barcelona winning the Champions League, helped by Iniesta's stoppage-time goal against Chelsea to reach the final, sparking a 50% surge in the birth rate in Barcelona.

Last week, he honoured the anniversary of the "Iniestazo" by calling up some of the children his goal had given life to.

"Iniesta is the boyfriend every mother would want for her daughter," said his former Spain team mate Sergio Ramos, summing up the player's universal appeal.

Iniesta called time on his magnificent spells with Spain and Barcelona in 2018 to see out his career in Japan with Vissel Kobe, where he is a role model for the club's future generations.

The only major thing missing from Iniesta's honours list is the prestigious Ballon d'Or, and when he announced he was leaving Barca, organisers France Football felt a pang of guilt for not giving him the award for best player in the world.

"Forgive us, Andres," said their editorial.

"Of all the absences on the list of Ballon d'Or winners, his is particularly painful."

(Production: Stefan Haskins)





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IPL 2020 in UAE? Emirates Cricket Board Offers to Host T20 League, BCCI Undecided: Report

Emirates Cricket Board has offered to host the Indian Premier League 2020 (IPL 2020) amid the coronavirus pandemic in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). As per a report, Emirates Cricket Board has made the proposal to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).





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Italy to take 'one step at a time' towards resumption of sports: Vincenzo Spadafora




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Hamilton avoiding Esports but busy “racing himself”




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China central bank signals more policy measures to support virus-ravaged economy

China's central bank said on Sunday it will step up counter-cyclical adjustments to support the economy and make monetary policy more flexible to fend off financial risks.




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Polar vortex unleashes rare May snow, shatters historic low temperature records

The popular saying "April showers bring May flowers" might not be the case this year. The northeastern United States is experiencing an unusual Mother's Day weekend as most restaurants remain closed amid coronavirus concerns and a historic polar vortex packing snow shatters temperature records. Freeze watches and warnings along with frost advisories were put into effect Friday night for many places across parts of the Midwest, down into the Southeast and into the Northeast.





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Asymptomatic testing centre set up in Alberta city as 7% of the population tests positive for COVID-19

Provincial health officials will open a second centre to test for COVID-19 in the southern Alberta city of Brooks, as an outbreak connected to a nearby slaughterhouse continues to grow.



  • News/Canada/Calgary

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The day police bombed a city street: can scars of 1985 Move atrocity be healed?

Eleven people, including five children, died and a Philadelphia neighborhood burned down in the airstrike against a black liberation group. Now an effort at reconciliation is under way

Frank Powell, a Philadelphia police officer who in 1985 was chief of the city’s bomb disposal squad, remembers vividly the moment he was given his instructions. “Wow,” he recalls thinking. “You want me to do that?”

On 13 May 1985 Powell was handed an army-style green satchel containing a bomb made of C-4 plastic explosives of the sort widely deployed in Vietnam. He boarded a state police helicopter, and took up his position balanced precariously on the skids of the aircraft.

Continue reading...




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'People would be going hungry': how a London charity is responding to coronavirus crisis

Volunteer Services Lewisham’s food delivery service is a lifeline to vulnerable people suffering under lockdown

Brown bread. Baked beans. Tea. And would you happen to have any custard, dear?

Some things stand out in the middle of the prodigiously energetic food-parcel line being run from a community hall in south-east London.

Continue reading...




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Venezuela says troops seize abandoned Colombian combat boats, weapons

Venezuela's military said it seized three abandoned Colombian light combat vessels that soldiers found on Saturday while patrolling the Orinoco river, several days after the government accused its neighbor of aiding a failed invasion.




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Thailand reports five new coronavirus cases, no new deaths

Thailand reported five new coronavirus cases but no deaths on Sunday, bringing the total to 3,009 cases and 56 deaths since the outbreak started in the country in January.




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Singapore reports 876 new coronavirus cases, taking total to 23,336

Singapore registered 876 new coronavirus infections, its health ministry said on Sunday, taking the city-state's total to 23,336 cases.




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China reports first coronavirus case in Wuhan since April 3 among 14 new infections

China's National Health Commission reported 14 new confirmed coronavirus cases on May 9, the highest number since April 28, including the first for more than a month in the city of Wuhan where the outbreak was first detected late last year.




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Iran says United States yet to respond about prisoner swap

Washington has yet to respond to Iran about a prisoner swap, Iranian government spokesman Ali Rabiei was quoted as saying by the government's website on Sunday, reiterating that Tehran was ready for a full prisoner exchange with the United States without preconditions.






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Ontario long-term care home suffers possible privacy breach, minister says

A Pickering long-term care home has suffered a possible privacy breach, Ontario's minister of long-term care said Saturday.






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NHL GMs offer range of feelings about possible early-June draft

There are mixed feelings among NHL executives about the idea of holding the draft in early June with the season on pause, ranging from frustration to begrudging acceptance.



  • Sports/Hockey/NHL

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CBC Sports Late Night: Olympic Games Replay - Rio 2016 Women's Soccer

Relive the excitement of Women's Soccer from the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics.




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Nova Scotia reports another death and three new cases related to COVID-19

HALIFAX - Another resident of Nova Scotia's largest long-term-care home has fallen victim to COVID-19. The Northwood facility, which has more than 400 residents, is the site of the province's worst outbreak. Provincial health officials said Saturday that deaths related to the viral infection




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Canadians who work on two cruise ships are being allowed off in U.S. ports

Canadians working aboard two cruise ships who weren't allowed to come to shore because of concerns about COVID-19 are finally able to return home. Princess Cruises said in an emailed statement that 19 Canadians on the Koningsdam disembarked in Los Angeles on Friday, and that they would be flown




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Brits urged not to 'throw away' coronavirus lockdown efforts as Boris Johnson prepares to exercise 'extreme caution' with restriction easing

Boris Johnson will exercise "extreme caution" in easing lockdown restrictions, the Transport Secretary has said, as he warned the public not to "throw away" their hard work by going outside.




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Government launches £2 billion bid to turn England into nation of cyclists and walkers to reduce spread of coronavirus on public transport

England's commuters will need to walk, cycle and even scoot more as ongoing social distancing will force them to seek alternative forms of transport, the Government has announced.




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Motorist caught driving hundreds of miles to deliver puppy from Liverpool to Wales

A driver has been given a warning by police after breaching lockdown restrictions to transport a puppy to the other side of the country.




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Prince Harry says life has 'changed dramatically' as he pays tribute to healthcare workers in Invictus Games video message

The Duke of Sussex has reflected on how "dramatically" life has changed, as he marked what would have been the opening ceremony of the Invictus Games.




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Boris Johnson to replace 'stay home' message with 'stay alert' as he delivers lockdown 'road map' address to nation

Boris Johnson is to replace his "stay at home" slogan with a fresh rallying cry to the nation, as the battle against coronavirus rages on.




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Food For London Now faces: 'Anything you can spare will go towards helping those who might have lost everything'

Felix Project volunteer Ed Preston shares his story You can donate at virginmoneygiving.com/fund/FoodforLondonNOW




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Food For London Now faces: 'We need to use this Covid-19 crisis as a wake-up call to help those in need'

Christopher Evans-Gordon from Family Meals shares his story You can donate at virginmoneygiving.com/fund/FoodforLondonNOW




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Barack Obama describes Donald Trump's response to coronavirus as a 'chaotic disaster'

Former US president Barack Obama has criticised Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic, calling it an "absolute chaotic disaster".




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UK coronavirus LIVE: Boris Johnson to address nation on lockdown plan as new 'stay alert' slogan set to be rolled out

It comes as trade union leaders warn that they will not tell their members to return to work unless safety standards are improved. Mr Johnson is expected to urge employees who cannot do their jobs from home to begin returning to their workplaces while following social-distancing rules.




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Polar vortex brings rare May snow, low temps to US East

Mother’s Day weekend got off to an unseasonably snowy start in the Northeast on Saturday thanks to the polar vortex bringing cold air down from the north. John Cannon, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Gray, Maine, said parts of northern New England saw as much as 10 inches of snow and even coastal areas of Maine and New Hampshire got a dusting.





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Artists donate free, uplifting images to the UN in pandemic response

The internet is a scary enough place as it is, and now with the added misinformation and panic surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, it's even scarier. Thanks to the United Nations and dozens of artists, however, the internet just got a little more beautiful.





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Do not allow 'biased' election watchdog power to prosecute, say MPs

The election watchdog has revealed that it is pressing ahead with plans to hand itself powers to prosecute campaigners and political parties, putting itself on a collision course with ministers. The Electoral Commission is planning to publish a consultation setting out proposals to hand itself a "prosecutions capability", despite senior Tories insisting that the body is "not trusted to be impartial". The disclosure comes after the Metropolitan Police confirmed that it had ended investigations into Darren Grimes and Alan Halsall, two pro-Brexit campaign figures, two years after a referral by the commission for alleged breaches of spending rules. The move prompted calls for the commission to be "overhauled", with Mr Grimes describing the body as a "kangaroo court" that was not "fit for purpose". Separately, the National Crime Agency found no evidence that any criminal offences were committed by Arron Banks, another prominent Brexiteer, after another referral by the watchdog. Last night Matthew Elliott, who was chief executive of the official Vote Leave campaign, claimed that the commission's record showed that if it acquired the new powers, "there will be countless travesties of justice, and democracy will be undermined.” Sir Bernard Jenkin, the former chairman of the Commons public administration committee, said: "These proposals appear to be doubling down on a failed system. Parliament should change it." Another Conservative MP said: "I can't think of any public body that is less deserving of prosecuting powers than the Electoral Commission, who have shown themselves to be biased and, frankly, vindictive." Last year Jacob Rees-Mogg, now the leader of the Commons, and Brandon Lewis, who has also been appointed to Boris Johnson's cabinet, both expressed alarm at the watchdog's plans to hand itself powers currently exercised by the police and Crown Prosecution Service - after the move was revealed by this newspaper. The watchdog has faced repeated accusations of bias against bodies that campaigned for Brexit in 2016, which it strongly denies. The commission claims it could hand itself the powers without ministers bringing forward legislation, by altering its enforcement policy following a public consultation - due to open in the coming weeks. But MPs warned that some groups could be unfairly targeted. Speaking last year, while Tory chairman, Mr Lewis pointed out that one senior figure at the commission - the same official spearheading the proposals - had previously said that she would "not want to live under a Tory government". He suggested the body was not seen as a "fair" arbiter. As a backbencher, Mr Rees-Mogg called for the Conservatives to formally oppose the move, saying: "The Electoral Commission is not trusted to be impartial and a number of its leading figures have said very prejudicial things about Brexit." The commission's corporate plan for the period from 2020 to 2025 states: "To deter people from committing offences, and to make sure we can respond proportionally if they do, we will continue to build the capacity to prosecute suspected offences. We will consult on the way we approach the use of prosecutions." An Electoral Commission spokesman said: “Later this year we will be consulting with political parties, the police and the CPS on changes to our enforcement policy, which includes a prosecutions capability, and will bring our regulatory work in line with a wide range of other regulators. “Extending our work in this direction would enable us to bring lower order offences before the courts in a way which is swift and proportionate, freeing up the resources of the police and prosecutors and delivering more effective regulation of political finance to support public confidence.” Mr Elliott said: “The Electoral Commission’s track record at conducting investigations is woeful. "In the case of Leave campaigners ... they assumed that we were guilty until proven innocent ... Thankfully, the Metropolitan Police and Crown Prosecution Service looked at the evidence thoroughly, and saw through the conspiracy theories that the Electoral Commission had believed without question." The commission insisted it was "right that potential electoral offences are properly investigated by the appropriate authority". A spokesman said there was "no substance to allegations that the Commission is biased", saying the organisation had investigated campaigners and parties across the political spectrum.





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Libyan officials: Shelling at Tripoli's only working airport




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Obama lashes out at Trump in call with supporters

Former President Barack Obama harshly criticized President Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic as an “absolute chaotic disaster” during a conversation with ex-members of his administration, according to a recording obtained by Yahoo News. Obama also reacted to the Justice Department dropping its criminal case against Trump’s first national security adviser, Michael Flynn, saying he worried that the “basic understanding of rule of law is at risk.” Obama’s comments came during a Friday call with 3,000 members of the Obama Alumni Association, people who served in his administration.





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Virus prevents diaspora Venezuelans from sending money home

After fleeing Venezuela along with millions of others amid the country's grueling humanitarian crisis, Misael Cocho made his way by bus to Peru — where he got odd jobs and sent money home monthly to support his mother and his 5-year-old son. The pandemic's economic fallout left many Venezuelans abroad and the relatives back home who rely on them in dire straits.





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Pakistan police: Cross border firing from India kills woman




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Robot ‘dog’ named Spot to help social distancing efforts at Singapore park

Singapore has reported 20 deaths and 22,460 COVID-19 cases as of Saturday, according to data tracked by Johns Hopkins University.







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Author Alison Roman Apologizes to Chrissy Teigen After Receiving Major Backlash

Cookbook author and New York Times cooking columnist Alison Roman has publicly apologized to Chrissy Teigen after receiving backlash for comments she made about her fellow culinary...




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Kim Kardashian Says Psalm West Makes "Everything Perfect" in Sweet Birthday Post

Kim Kardashian's baby boy turns one! The Keeping Up With the Kardashian star is celebrating Psalm West's first birthday. It's safe to assume her and Kanye West's little...