Covid: Outdoor meetings and sports to resume in England

BBC News says two households or groups of up to six people are now able to meet outside in England again as the stay-at-home Covid restrictions order comes to an end.

Outdoor sport facilities including tennis courts and golf courses are also reopening, and organised outdoor sports can resume in the latest easing. And weddings will also be on again, attended by up to six people.

The prime minister said: “Despite today’s easements, everyone must continue to stick to the rules, remember hands, face, space, and come forward for a vaccine when called.”

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Merkel presses German states to get tough with Covid curbs

The Guardian says Angela Merkel pressed Germany’s states to step up efforts to curb rapidly rising coronavirus infections, and raised the possibility of introducing curfews to try to get a third wave under control, Reuters reports.

Merkel expressed dissatisfaction that some states were choosing not to halt a gradual reopening of the economy even as the number of infections per 100,000 people over seven days had risen over 100 – a measure she and regional leaders had agreed on in early March.

“We have our emergency brake … unfortunately, it is not respected everywhere. I hope that there might be some reflection on this,” Merkel said in a rare appearance on broadcaster ARD’s Anne Will talk show.

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Paris doctors sound alarm, warn of catastrophic overload of Covid-19 cases

France24 says critical care doctors in Paris say surging coronavirus infections could soon overwhelm their ability to care for the sick in the capital’s hospitals, possibly forcing them to choose which patients they have the resources to treat.

It comes as President Emmanuel Macron has been vigorously defending his decision not to completely lockdown France again as he did last year. Since January, Macron’s government has instead imposed a nationwide overnight curfew and followed that with a grab-bag of other restrictions.

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Container ship stuck in Suez Canal ‘partially refloated’

Arab News says the stranded container ship blocking the Suez Canal for almost a week was re-floated on Monday and is currently being secured, raising expectations the vital waterway will soon be reopened.

The 400-metre (430-yard) long Ever Given became jammed diagonally across a southern section of the canal in high winds early on Tuesday, halting shipping traffic on the shortest shipping route between Europe and Asia.

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Dozens of ‘defenceless’ civilians killed in Mozambique attack

Aljazeera says Mozambique’s government has said dozens of civilians were killed in an attack this week on the northern town of Palma, including seven people whose convoy of vehicles was ambushed as they attempted to flee.

Omar Saranga, a spokesman for the defence and security forces, told journalists on Sunday that hundreds of other people – locals and foreigners – were rescued from Palma, a logistics hub for international gas projects in Cabo Delgado province.

“A group of terrorists sneaked into … Palma and launched actions that resulted in the cowardly murder of dozens of defenceless people,” Saranga said.

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Fresh protests hit Bangladesh after Modi’s visit

TRT World says more than a dozen protesters have been wounded in the third day of demonstrations in Bangladesh, local media reported, as violence spread across the country in the wake of a controversial visit by Narendra Modi.

At least 11 protesters were killed in clashes with police during demonstrations organised by Muslim religious groups against the right-wing Hindu leader’s visit, and violence raged on after his departure as anger swelled over the deaths.

Five people died on Friday, and another six the next day, after police shot at demonstrators in several major districts across the Muslim-majority nation of 168 million people.

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US Vows ‘Consequences’ for Russian Actions

VOA says Antony Blinken says there will be “costs and consequences” for Russia for its allegedly malign activities against the United States.

“We will take the steps necessary to defend our interests” at the time of the U.S.’s choosing, Blinken said.

He said there was “a shared commitment” among Western allies to be “clear-eyed” about Moscow’s actions and hold the Kremlin accountable.

The top U.S. diplomat said officials “are in the process” of considering what sanctions or actions Washington plans to take against Moscow, and in consultation with other NATO countries.

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