Europe

ROME (AP) — Italy started stirring Monday, with millions allowed back to work as Europe’s longest coronavirus lockdown started easing, while the U.S. took halting steps to lift some restrictions even as tens of thousands of new cases were reported daily.

In Washington, the Senate convened for the first time since March. The Supreme Court heard arguments by telephone and allowed the world to listen in live — for the first time ever.

LONDON, May 03 (APP): Chairman Jammu and Kashmir Self-determination Movement-International, (JKSDI) (United Kingdom ), Raja Najabat Hussain strongly condemned the Indian forces indiscriminate and unprovoked firing on the civilian population in Azad Jammu and Kashmir and said it would escalate tension on Line of Control (LoC).

In a statement here Raja Najabat Hussain warned international community including the United Kingdom (UK) that turning a blind eye to India’s blatant acts of belligerence would be a catastrophic for entire region and the global peace.

MOSCOW, May 3. /TASS/: Everyone, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, will have to live with coronavirus precautions for a while, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told Rossiya-1’s "Moscow. Kremlin. Putin" show.

"Clearly, it is impossible to remove precautions overnight, with a stroke of the pen. All of us, particularly the president, will have to live with these precautions for a little longer," he said, when asked for how long the head of state would continue to work remotely.

MOSCOW, May 3. /TASS/: The Ukrainian authorities continue to shield radical nationalists by making allegations about Russia’s unwillingness to figure out the causes of the 2014 Odessa Trade Union House tragedy, Chairman of the Russian State Duma (the lower house of parliament) Foreign Affairs Committee Leonid Slutsky told reporters on Sunday.

MOSCOW, May 3. /TASS/: The Board of the International Ice Hockey Federation will discuss the insurance payouts and the new season at its upcoming meeting on May 6, IIHF President Rene Fasel told TASS on Sunday.

"The Board meeting on May 6 will be in the online conference format. Its main topic will cover insurance," Fasel said.

"We will talk about the next season. No decisions will be made - simply an information exchange at the moment," he added.

MOSCOW, May 3. /TASS/: Exports of the personal protective equipment, including masks, have been authorized within the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) only, press service of the Ministry of Industry told TASS on Sunday.

"For purposes of eliminating barriers in mutual supplies of personal protective equipment in the [Eurasian Economic] Union, the Russian government made the decision to abolish the national ban, keeping the Union-wide one," the Ministry said.

MOSCOW, May 3. /TASS/: The international air traffic may recover in the middle of summer, official spokesperson of the Russian flag carrier Aeroflot Yulia Spivakova said on Sunday on the air with the Rossiya-24 TV Channel.

"It is difficult to indicate the exact timing of flights so far but when looking at the best case forecasts, then the international traffic may start recovering in the middle of summer," she said.

"However, it can be definitely said that we will keep intensive disinfection of aircraft, while such need remains," Spivakova said.

ST. PETERSBURG, May 4. /TASS/: A flight transporting Russian nationals from Bali (Indonesia) has landed in St. Petersburg, the airport’s timetable informs.

The SU 6296 flight left Denpasar at 17:23 Moscow time on May 3.

MOSCOW, May 4. /TASS/: Russia will partly maintain some of the restrictive measures taken to slow down the spread of the novel coronavirus until a vaccine for the new disease is found, Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko said in an interview with the Rossiya-24 TV channel.

"The restrictive measures must be lifted stage by stage as well, however, some of them will be maintained until medical prophylactic means are found," he said.

Murashko stressed that there is a risk of a second wave of infection if there is no herd immunity to the virus.

4 May 2020; AFP: Stir-crazy Italians will be free to stroll and visit relatives for the first time in nine weeks on Monday as Europe's hardest-hit country eases back the world's longest nationwide coronavirus lockdown.

Four million people -- an estimated 72 percent of them men -- will return to their construction sites and factories as the economically and emotionally shattered country tries to get back to work.

Restaurants that have managed to survive Italy's most disastrous crisis in generations will reopen for takeaway service.