English

More about this topic

No Comment

Cellist Camille Thomas fills empty Louvre with classical music

Empty of its usual visitors, the Louvre's gallery spaces were filled with the strains of Bach in a performance by cellist Camille Thomas who went viral in France's first lockdown.

USA

Joe Biden's €1.5 trillion COVID relief bill passes House vote hurdle

The vote is seen as a crucial victory for President Biden but is likely to run into trouble in the Senate over proposals for a $15 minimum wage.

Stays

Can virtual wellness retreats really compete with a beach in Bali?

What it's like taking part in a wellness retreat from your living room.

Czech Republic

Czech Republic imposes tightest restrictions yet amid COVID surge

More than 1,500 COVID-19 patients are occupying intensive care beds, the highest number yet recorded by the Czech healthcare system.

ADVERTISEMENT

People

Meet the laid off cabin crew forced to start again during the pandemic

Dreams of a career in the sky have plummeted for 100,000s of airline staff. Starting again can be daunting, but these four Europeans are climbing to new heights in second careers.

World News

Some EU member states relinquished COVID vaccines last year: Macron

EU member states agreed to redistribute COVID vaccines among themselves and many member states took extra vaccine doses that were not wanted by others.

Netherlands

Victory for Dutch government over legal challenge to COVID curfew

Court found government was entitled to use an emergency law to introduce the measures forcing residents indoors from 9 pm to 4:30 am

Europe News

EU chief: Vaccine certificates could be available within three months

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said after a virtual meeting of EU leaders that vaccination certificates could be ready to use in three months time.

France

Paris City Hall rows back on 3-week lockdown proposal amid criticism

"Let's not play with French people's nerves," said government spokesman Gabriel Attal after the Paris City Hall announced it would propose a three-week lockdown in the French capital.

Spain

Spain's vaccination programme picks up speed as second phase kicks in

The authorities expect to have 70% of the population vaccinated by the end of the summer

World News

'I'm not the same': COVID sufferer still has symptoms nearly a year on

"I'm not the same person," Richard Roels, a British long COVID sufferer who still has debilitating symptoms, eleven months after he was first infected with coronavirus.

France

France v Scotland Six Nations match cancelled due to COVID outbreak

Around 10 of France’s 102 territorial areas known as departments are in a "very worrying situation" in terms of COVID-19 infections, government spokesman Gabriel Attal has said.

World News

Single dose coronavirus vaccine effective against severe COVID-19

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine is 66% effective and protects against severe COVID-19, US regulators confirmed. They could authorise the vaccine within the coming days.

United Kingdom

PPE is the new plastic waste nightmare threatening the environment

Plastic bags have been overtaken by face masks as one of the most common pieces of plastic waste. In fact, 102 million are thrown every week in the UK alone.

Germany

Are you coronamüde? Learn these brand new German (COVID-related) words

It's mostly thanks to coronavirus that another 1,200 words have been added to the German language this year. Here's some of the best.

Travel News

Are vaccine passports for travelling a good or bad idea?

Those in favour say vaccine passports will open up travel again. While those against them say they are an attack on civil liberties. We consider both sides.

Travel News

Quarantine hotels: Which countries are using them to stop arrivals spreading COVID?

Here's a summary of the quarantine hotel rules in different countries around the world.

Travel News

UK's Reading and Leeds music festivals to go ahead this summer

Other iconic UK music events have been cancelled for 2021, but Reading and Leeds have announced they will go ahead

Serbia

Take your pick: Serbia lets citizens choose from four COVID-19 jabs

Which would you prefer? In Serbia, people can select any of four jabs: the one developed by Pfizer-BioNTech, China’s Sinopharm, Russia’s Sputnik V and Oxford-Astrazeneca's.

Europe News

Speeding up vaccine rollout set to be high on agenda at EU summit

Council members will also discuss the emergence of new variants, which are quickly becoming dominant COVID variants throughout the bloc. They are complicating countries' efforts to bring down infection levels.