It would be "abominable" if the Obama White House was behind the FBI's controversial interview of former national security adviser Michael Flynn, a former assistant director of intelligence for the bureau said Friday night.

Kicks, punches and grunts echoed through the empty arena. Coaches, commentators and camera clicks resonated like never before. Blood, sweat, swollen eyelids and face masks signaled the return of UFC, the first major sporting event to resume since the coronavirus shuttered much of the country for nearly two months.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver is cautiously optimistic about finishing out the season in a two-site plan which will likely not include fans -- a condition that may carry into next season. 

The NCAA has made it clear that unless college campuses are open to the entire student body in the fall, there are no plans to risk the health of student-athletes for the sake of sports. 

Cleveland Cavaliers’ Kevin Love was one of the few players to enter a training facility Friday as the NBA slowly begins its path back to normalcy but the five-time All-Star described his first day back on the court in almost two months as any but normal. 

Kicks, punches and grunts echoed through the empty arena. Coaches, commentators and camera clicks resonated like never before. Blood, sweat, swollen eyelids and face masks signaled the return of UFC, the first major sporting event to resume since the coronavirus shuttered much of the country for nearly two months.

Shoes continue to drop in the investigation into the Trump campaign's possible connections to Russia. Yesterday, speculation that the FBI was looking into the Trump family was confirmed by reports that Jared Kushner, the president's son-in-law and senior advisor, is under scrutiny. More details are emerging about the investigation.

Enter the Washington Post:

Jared Kushner and Russia’s ambassador to Washington discussed the possibility of setting up a secret and secure communications channel between Trump’s transition team and the Kremlin, using Russian diplomatic facilities in an apparent move to shield their pre-inauguration discussions from monitoring, according to U.S. officials briefed on intelligence reports.

Ambassador Sergei Kislyak reported to his superiors in Moscow that Kushner, then President-elect Trump’s son-in-law and confidant, made the proposal during a meeting on Dec. 1 or 2 at Trump Tower, according to intercepts of Russian communications that were reviewed by U.S. officials. Kislyak said Kushner suggested using Russian diplomatic facilities in the United States for the communications.

The meeting also was attended by Michael Flynn, Trump’s first national security adviser.

This story hasn't been confirmed by other publications, so take it with the weight of a single report based on anonymous sources, but having said that: Yikes.

Go read the whole thing.

The pandemic has had a huge impact on the economy. However, even with all that’s happened, Wipro CMO Ved Bhat sees opportunities for companies to stand apart, and to take their products and brands to the next level. In a recent CMO Talks discussion, Bhat focused on people as he answered ITWC President and CEO…

The SHA is hoping a novel harm reduction program can help the northern village of La Loche win its battle against COVID-19. 

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Saturday reported 1,274,036 cases of the new coronavirus, an increase of 25,996 cases from its previous count, and said the number of deaths had risen by 1,557 to 77,034.

The Cornhole Mania 2020 doubles tournament broadcasted on ESPN noon, and the singles event will take place at 6 p.m. as some live sports begin making a comeback.

Nearly two years ago, “Black-ish” creator Kenya Barris signed a $100 million overall deal with Netflix, placing him among a rarefied list of creators — which also includes Shonda Rhimes, Ryan Murphy and “Game of Thrones” showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss — able to command a nine-figure production pact with one of the world’s […]

Live: Wuhan reports first case since AprilIn a video conference, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal shed light on Delhi's current situation, where he also announced he was arranging for home care of patients with mild symptoms.

This week, we welcome back Paul Shaver, VP of Music & Radio at Nielsen Entertainment Canada, for what's always a fun and fascinating conversation about Canadian music consumption data. Nielsen recently released its latest "Music 360 Canada" report, which provides a thorough look at music consumption trends. Paul and Mike get into the generational divides between teens, millennials, and their parents with regards to music listening habits, why radio continues to be influential in music discovery, streaming’s potential economic growth, how smart speakers could impact the music industry, the growing popularity of podcasts, and a lot more.

On the occasion of Mothers Day 2020, many prominent personalities of sports fraternity like Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Suresh Raina took to their respective social media accounts and posted heartfelt messages for their mother. The life of a sportsperson is filled with obstacles and a lot of hardship and dedication is required to play the game at the highest level.

UFC 249 served as the first major sporting event to take place since the global pandemic shut down much of the country nearly eight weeks ago. It was originally scheduled for 18 April in New York, but was postponed in hopes of helping slow the spread of COVID-19.

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

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

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

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)

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).

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.

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.

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

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.

The Department of Homeland Security has issued new regulations, set to take effect Monday, that will limit visas for Chinese reporters to 90 days.

More than 77,000 people with COVID-19 have died in the United States and more than 1.27 million people have tested positive.

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

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

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

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.

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.

There might not have been any live sport to enjoy over the past week but it was a memorable one in history. See how much you can recall from the week ending 10 May

Forerunner of the modern AFL, the VFL hosted its first round of matches on 8 May 1897, but who took home the competition’s inaugural premiership?

Melbourne

Geelong

Collingwood

Essendon

Perhaps the greatest ODI batsman in history was born on 8 May 1970, but which of these statements about Michael Bevan is true?

First Canberra-born cricketer to represent Australia

First man to play 300 ODIs

First man to retire with an ODI average above 60

A man who took his nickname “The Finisher” to such extremes he was always the first to clear his plate during team meals

Wally Lewis claimed his final State of Origin man of the match award on 8 May 1991, but on how many occasions was the Emperor of Lang Park considered best afield in his 31 Origin appearances?

31

20

12

8

The tennis circuit should be in the middle of the European clay season right now, counting down to Roland Garros and Ash Barty’s defence of the Coupe Suzanne Lenglen. But can you remember who the Queenslander beat in last year’s French Open final?

Simona Halep

Naomi Osaka

Markéta Vondroušová

Amanda Anisimova

Mark Williams won his third world snooker title on 7 May 2018, 15 years after his second, but during his celebrations, how did he honour a bet he had made at the beginning of the tournament?

By appearing at his post-win press conference nude

By taking a midnight dip in the nearby River Don

By reciting Hamlet’s soliloquy in the middle of one of England’s most important regional theatres

By retiring

Melbourne Victory and Melbourne City have only met once in an A-League finals contest, and it happened on 8 May 2015 with Victory romping home 3-0. What was the official attendance that night?

60,873

50,873

40,873

30,873

Australian boxing great Lionel Rose died on 8 May 2011, but at what weight did he hold the lineal world title?

Flyweight

Bantamweight

Featherweight

Lightweight

Leicester City lifted the Premier League trophy on 7 May 2016, becoming the unlikeliest champions in the competition’s history. The presentation ceremony featured a spine-tingling rendition of Nessun Dorma from which tenor?

Andrea Bocelli

Placido Domingo

Luciano Pavarotti

Bryn Terfel

The Super Netball season was supposed to get underway last weekend with which side defending their premiership?

NSW Swifts

Sunshine Coast Lightning

Melbourne Vixens

Collingwood Magpies

Andrew McLeod made the first of his 340 AFL appearances for Adelaide on 5 May 1995, but who traded the dual Norm Smith medallist a few months earlier, without him ever pulling on that club’s guernsey?

Brisbane

Port Adelaide

Fremantle

West Coast

With just three seconds remaining in the deciding fifth game of the first round of the 1989 NBA playoffs Michael Jordan nailed “The Shot”. But who did the Chicago Bulls eliminate in such dramatic fashion on 7 May 31 years ago?

Boston Celtics

New York Knicks

Philadelphia 76ers

Cleveland Cavaliers

Australia began their campaign to secure a maiden ICC Women’s T20 World Cup on 6 May 2010 with a group match against England. Both teams finished 104 all out, and both ended the super over six for two. How was the result decided?

Coin toss

Fewest extras

Most sixes

Points shared

The eyes of the football world were trained on Milan on 6 May 1970 to witness which Dutch side become the first to lift the European Cup?

Ajax

Feyenoord

PSV Eindhoven

FC Twente

The magical four-minute barrier for the mile was broken by Roger Bannister on 6 May 1954 in Oxford, but whose record did he overhaul to set the new mark?

John Landy

Herb Elliott

Peter Snell

Gunder Hägg

Dan Christian was born on 4 May 1983. A successful all-rounder at first-class and 50-over level, Christian has made the T20 franchise circuit his own. How many professional teams (states, counties and franchises) has he represented during his career?

17

12

8

5

13 and above.

Congratulations. Top of the class

10 and above.

You've been immersed in nostalgic re-runs, haven't you?

7 and above.

No disgrace in being average

4 and above.

Plenty of room for improvement

0 and above.

Perhaps use isolation to read up on some history?

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Fauci and heads of CDC and FDA potentially exposed to coronavirus; Boris Johnson to announce UK lockdown changes

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Three members of the White House coronavirus taskforce have placed themselves in self-quarantine after contact with someone who tested positive for Covid-19. It comes as the British prime minister, Boris Johnson, prepares to unveil his “roadmap” to a new normality in a national broadcast and global infections pass four million.

Dr Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Stephen Hahn, are all expected to work remotely due to potential exposure to Covid-19.

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Chelsea star Christian Pulisic says he will be "forever" grateful to Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp for giving him his first chance to impress at Borussia Dortmund.

Welcome to the Evening Standard's LIVE coverage as the coronavirus crisis continues to heavily impact sport across the globe.

QuestCap, a Toronto investment company, and a doctor with the Blue Jays are part of a group that could be central to the games starting up again in North and South America.

The patient's front door has become the district nurse's front line.

When we talk about rivalries in the NRL there’s few bigger than the Melbourne Storm and Manly Sea Eagles so it only seems fair 2011’s infamous Battle of Brookvale snags a spot in foxsports.com.au’s ‘Biggest brawls in Aussie sport’ countdown.

The NRL is charging towards its May 28 return, and some other key overseas competitions will be back even sooner as live sport starts to emerge out of the coronavirus crisis.

A fortnight after Carlton’s 1987 VFL premiership, Robert Walls’ troops flew to London for a ‘friendly’ exhibition game against North Melbourne. The match would turn into arguably the most unfriendly match the code has ever seen, punching its way into foxsports.com.au’s ‘Biggest brawls in Aussie sport’ countdown.

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