Merkel aims for Schengen border controls to end from June 15
German Chancellor Angela Merkel wants all emergency border controls introduced to slow the spread of the coronavirus to be removed within Europe’s 26-nation Schengen zone from June 15, she said on Wednesday.
Airline SAS to require face masks on all flights
Swedish-Danish airline SAS said on Wednesday wearing a face mask would be compulsory on all its flights through to the end of August to reduce the risk of coronavirus contagion.
France’s bookstores fight for survival after coronavirus lockdown
Neighbourhood bookstores in France survived the television and later the advent of online shopping. Then came the coronavirus lockdown, an eight-week-long hiatus that has weighed heavily on profit margins and threatens the survival of some stores.
Nigeria’s president appoints ex-U.N. diplomat chief of staff
Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Ibrahim Gambari as his new chief of staff, secretary to the government said on Wednesday.
UK PM Johnson says 275 health and social care workers have died from COVID-19
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday that the deaths of 144 health care workers and 131 social care workers had been reported as involving COVID-19.
Spain plans keeping borders closed until July: government sources
Spanish authorities are planning to keep borders closed to most travellers from abroad until July, two foreign ministry sources said on Wednesday, in a move to try and avoid a second wave of contagion from the coronavirus.
UK voters more critical of government over COVID: poll
Support for the British government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis has fallen, leading to a drop in Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s standing in the eyes of voters, a survey showed on Wednesday.
Cambodian official says human rights ‘need to be put aside’ in drug war
A Cambodian official on Wednesday defended an anti-drug campaign that has been decried as rife with abuses, saying human rights “need to be put aside” to fight drugs that destroy families and fuel violent crime.
Chinese lab boosts Serbia’s coronavirus testing capacity
(This May 12 story corrects Chinese name of lab to Huo-Yan, not Huo-Yun)
Russia suspends use of ventilator type sent to U.S. after fatal fires
Russia on Wednesday suspended the use of some Russian-made medical ventilators after two fatal hospital fires reported to involve the machines, a setback in its fight against the novel coronavirus.
