Coronavirus checkpoints help Irish police seize drugs, weapons
Irish police made one of their largest drug seizures of the year when a car tried to evade one of their checkpoints set up to enforce strict measures to curtail the spread of the coronavirus.
French coronavirus toll jumps by record 1,438 deaths
The number of people who died from coronavirus infection in France jumped by 1,438 or 9.1% to 17,167 in the biggest single-day increase as a number of nursing homes reported cumulative tolls following the three-day Easter weekend, the health ministry s…
U.N. concerned by alleged abuses, prison break in west Libyan towns
The U.N. Libya mission said on Wednesday it was gravely concerned by reports of the sudden release of 401 prisoners and acts of retribution in west Libyan towns captured by forces of the internationally recognized government this week.
Germany eases out of coronavirus lockdown with partial opening of shops, schools
Germany has achieved a “fragile intermediate success” in its the fight against the coronavirus and will take small steps out of lockdown with the partial reopening of shops next week and schools from May 4, Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Wednesday.
Two dead in French military helicopter crash
A French military helicopter crashed on Wednesday near Tarbes, in southwestern France, killing two people and injuring five, local authorities said.
Coronavirus spreads on French aircraft carrier, hundreds infected
Nearly 700 sailors assigned to the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle’s naval group have tested positive for the coronavirus, the armed forces ministry said on Wednesday.
Uzbekistan asks rights groups to lift cotton boycott
Uzbekistan on Thursday asked a coalition of human rights groups, the Cotton Campaign, to end a boycott of Uzbek cotton and textiles so that the Central Asian nation could boost export revenue and create jobs at a time of a global recession.
Captain Tom, 99, raises $8 million with walk in his UK garden
A 99-year-old war veteran has become a celebrity by raising at least 6.4 million pounds ($8 million) for Britain’s health service with a walk around his garden in the coronavirus crisis.
Notre-Dame’s great bell tolls once more on anniversary of fire
A year on from the inferno that gutted Notre-Dame de Paris, the cathedral’s great bell rang out across the capital on Wednesday in a tribute to the Gothic landmark’s resilience and to the medics battling the coronavirus epidemic.
Outraged French lawmakers demand answers on ‘fake’ Chinese embassy accusations
A diplomatic spat between France and China widened on Wednesday as members of the French Senate demanded answers at a hearing with the foreign minister as to why an article they said was fake and cast them in a bad light was still up on the Chinese emb…
