Good news for travellers
The EU has boosted hope for summer holidays with plans to allow tourists back soon. And those with just one jab may be able to travel if they are from areas with low COVID rates. Les Echos quotes Commission President Ursula von der Leyen saying it was “time to revive the EU tourism industry”. She unveiled plans to welcome back people from countries outside the bloc with low Covid case rates, even if they have not had both doses of the vaccine.
Malta on the green list
This week, the UK government is expected to to release the “green list” of countries to which people can travel without having to isolate for 14 days on their return. Both The Times and The Guardian said destinations likely to make it onto the list for travel from May 17 include Malta, Portugal and Gibraltar, while the Telegraph said Spain, Greece and France could be added by the end of June. It comes as Boris Johnson said the approach to foreign travel this summer will be sensible and cautious to avoid “an influx of disease”.
Libya urges Turkey to withdraw troops
According to Al Jazeera, Libya’s foreign minister Najla al-Manqoush has called on her Turkish counterpart Mevlut Cavusoglu, urging Turkey to implement UN Security Council resolutions demanding the withdrawal of more than 20,000 foreign forces and mercenaries from the North African country. Turkey had deployed troops and Syrian mercenaries to fight along with Tripoli militias since forces of eastern-based military commander Khalifa Haftar launched an offensive to wrest control of the capital in 2019.
Madrid goes to the polls
Madrid votes today in a closely watched regional election which surveys suggest is expected to deliver a serious drubbing to Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s Socialist Party. According to AFP, polls suggest the conservative Popular Party would win by a wide margin although it would fall short of a majority and would need the support of far-right party Vox to govern.
Aid needed in India
The executive director of UNICEF, Henrietta Fore, has told CNBC she was “very worried” about the current COVID-19 crisis in India and urged the world to send urgent help to the country. Speaking during World Immunisation Week, Fore said it was a “race to save lives” through vaccinations, particularly in some of the world’s poorest countries with “very fragile” health systems.
Bill and Melinda’s shutdown
Global media reports Bill and Melinda Gates have announced they are to divorce after 27 years of marriage, saying they “no longer believe we can grow together as a couple”. The Microsoft co-founder turned philanthropist, and his wife have built up a combined €103 billion fortune. The couple, who jointly run the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, has said they would continue to run the foundation together.
