Europe

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Cafes and restaurants reopened in Greece on Monday for sit-down service for the first time in nearly six months, as the country began easing coronavirus-related restrictions with a view to opening the vital tourism industry in the summer.

Cafes, restaurants and bars, which had been shut to all but takeout and delivery services when lockdown-type measures were imposed in early November, reopened for outdoor seated service only. Tables are set a certain distance apart to maintain social distancing, while standing customers and music aren’t allowed.

MOSCOW (AP) — While at the Park House shopping mall in northern Moscow, Vladimir Makarov saw it was offering the coronavirus vaccine to customers, so he asked how long it would take.

“It turned out it’s simple here — 10 minutes,” he said of his experience last month.

But Makarov, like many Muscovites, still decided to put off getting the Sputnik V shot.

MOSCOW, May 2. /TASS/: The situation with COVID-19 in Russia remains tense, with more than 300,000 infected people under supervision, Health Minister Mikhail Murashko told Vesti program on Rossiya-1 TV channel on Sunday.

"The situation with coronavirus still remains tense. More than 300,000 patients remain under supervision," Murashko said.

The minister also noted that the May holidays were extended in the country to stop the infection spread.

MOSCOW, May 2. /TASS/: Russia confirmed 8,697 COVID-19 cases over the past day, reaching 4,823,255, the anti-coronavirus crisis center told reporters on Sunday.

In relative terms, the growth rate stood at 0.18%.

The lowest growth rates were registered over the past day in the Jewish Autonomous Region, the Nenets Autonomous Region and the Chukotka Autonomous Region (0%), the Republic of Tuva (0.01%), the Murmansk and Magadan Regions, the Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Region, the Khabarovsk Region and the Republic of Altai (0.04%).

PARIS, May 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The novel coronavirus has killed at least 3,182,408 people since the outbreak emerged in China in December 2019, according to a tally from official sources as at 1000 GMT on Saturday.

At least 151,307,700 cases of coronavirus have been registered. The vast majority have recovered, though some have continued to experience symptoms weeks or even months later.

SICILY, May 2 (NNN-AGENCIES) — An American has been detained after arriving in Sicily on a private jet from Florida in possession of weapons and drugs, Italian media report.

Patrick Joseph Horan, 64, told police he was visiting relatives on the Italian island when he landed on Friday, according to news agency Ansa.

But a check carried out on the aircraft was said to have uncovered guns, bows and arrows and 1kg (35oz) of marijuana.

The items were reportedly seized and Horan was taken away for questioning.

(Reuters) --- Britain has not made a final decision on whether to grant the European Union’s ambassador in London, Joao Vale de Almeida, full diplomatic status, Foreign Minister Dominic Raab said on Sunday.

Britain and the European Union have been at odds over the British government's refusal to grant EU representatives' full diplomatic status in London after Brexit.

Asked whether a decision had been taken to grant diplomatic status, Raab said:

(Reuters) --- French President Emmanuel Macron's centre-right party has formed an alliance with the conservative Les Republicains (LR) for regional elections in June in the southern Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur region, the prime minister was cited as saying on Sunday.

Coming a year after Macron’s La Republique en Marche (LREM) party got trounced in municipal elections, the alliance shows a recognition within the ruling party that it is too weak and unpopular to win some regions on its own.

(Reuters) --- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced more allegations on Sunday about his expenditure on the refurbishment of his apartment and on childcare for his young son, which his foreign minister dismissed as baseless gossip.

Johnson has repeatedly weathered gaffes, crises over Brexit and disclosures of his adultery, but the revelation that he and his fiancee, Carrie Symonds, spent lavishly to redecorate their residence with a designer feted by royalty has touched a nerve.

(Reuters) --- The Group of Seven richest countries will look at a proposal to build a rapid response mechanism to counter Russian "propaganda" and disinformation, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told Reuters.

Speaking ahead of a G7 foreign ministers' meeting in London, the first such in-person meeting for two years, Raab said the United Kingdom was "getting the G7 to come together with a rapid rebuttal mechanism" to counter Russian misinformation.