Clowns visit Indian shelters, briefly giving stranded migrants a laugh
Two sisters dressed up as clowns are visiting shelters packed with Indian migrants, trying to bring a moment of levity to poor families stranded in cities where they can no longer afford rent or food.
Blast hits chemical plant near Italian city of Venice
An explosion at a chemicals plant in an industrial zone in Venice sent clouds of black smoke and flames into the sky on Friday, prompting local authorities to order residents to stay inside and close doors and windows.
Amnesty says 1,000 Rohingya stranded at sea as Southeast Asia seals borders
At least 1,000 Rohingya are stranded at sea as Southeast Asian nations tighten their borders to keep out the new coronavirus, Amnesty International said on Friday, urging action to ensure they were not buried in an “invisible graveyard” at sea.
Germany loosens quarantine restrictions for travellers from Schengen area, UK
Germany will loosen coronavirus quarantine rules for travellers arriving from the European Union, the Schengen passport-free zone and Britain, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry said on Friday.
Tropical Bali looking to reopen to tourists in October
Indonesia’s tropical holiday island of Bali could reopen to tourists in October, thanks to its success in controlling the coronavirus outbreak, the government said on Friday.
Bulgaria to reopen shopping malls from Monday as virus curbs eased
Bulgaria will allow shopping malls to reopen on Monday as part of its push to ease restrictions imposed two months ago to stop the spread of the coronavirus, Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said on Friday.
First Hong Kong protester to admit ‘rioting’ gets four years’ jail
A 21-year-old Hong Kong lifeguard, the first anti-government protester to plead guilty to the charge of rioting during last year’s unrest, was sentenced to four years’ jail on Friday for a “direct attack on the rule of law”.
Austria’s junior minister for culture first to quit over coronavirus fall-out
The coronavirus pandemic claimed its first political scalp in Austria as the junior minister for culture quit under pressure from theatre directors and performers over a lack of urgency in reopening cultural venues even as a lockdown has been eased.
Hungary ruling in Roma segregation case ‘unfair’: PM Orban
Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban on Friday said a Supreme Court ruling awarding damages to schoolchildren from the Roma minority who were put in separate classes was unfair and pledged to change the law to prevent any future such decisions.
Free movement across Italy to be allowed from June 3: draft decree
Italy is set to allow free travel across the country from June 3, according to a draft decree seen by Reuters on Friday, as the government moves to unwind its coronavirus lockdown and revive the battered economy.
