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France and Spain, two of the worst-hit countries in the coronavirus pandemic, were laying out separate roadmaps Tuesday for lifting their lockdowns, while signs emerged the virus has been all but vanquished in New Zealand and Australia.   But on the other side of the globe, Brazil is emerging as a new hotspot for infections. And new doubts were raised over whether Japan would be able to host the already postponed Summer Olympics next year without the development of a vaccine. In Europe and elsewhere, the key question of when…

During times of war and strife, national leaders often aim to unite a broken country and, in the process, broaden their appeal beyond their most loyal supporters. Not President Donald Trump.   Confronting a pandemic that has upended his presidency and threatened his reelection prospects, Trump has focused almost exclusively on tending to his base. While the coronavirus has claimed the lives of more than 54,000 Americans, eliminated more than 20 million jobs and dashed the routines of daily life for nearly everyone, Trump has leveled attacks on Democrats. He’s…

Will the fans rush back? Will training abroad be as hassle-free as it used to be? What about contact sports where social distancing can’t really be practised? In a nutshell, will sports and watching sports ever be the same again in a world scarred by the COVID-19 pandemic? Seeking answers to these questions, PTI sports team reached out to some of India’s biggest sportspersons — current and former — who gazed into the crystal ball and predicted the future of sports once the action resumes. The responses were a mix…