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Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian says he and his family have recovered from the coronavirus.Pashinian said on Facebook that he and his family members tested negative Monday for a second time in as many days.Pashinian announced that he was infected a week ago, adding that he probably contracted the virus from a waiter who brought him a glass a water at a meeting without wearing gloves and later tested positive for the virus.Armenia has so far reported over 13,000 infections, including 211 deaths, among its population of nearly 3 million.  
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Britain began imposing a 14-day quarantine Monday on travelers coming into the country — a sweeping measure meant to halt the further spread of COVID-19 that has been roundly criticized by the tourism industry.
 
All passengers — bar a handful of exceptions like truckers or medical workers — will be asked to fill in a form detailing exactly where they will self-isolate for two weeks and give a phone number so authorities can check up on them. The requirement applies regardless if they are citizens or not.
 
In England, new arrivals should stay indoors and rely on others to get their food. They can only leave for specific reasons like needing urgent medical care or medicine. Those who fail to comply with the quarantine rules could be fined.
 
“There are quite a lot of unknowns about the situation,” Crime, Policing and Justice Minister Kit Malthouse told the BBC. “But for the moment, having a clear set of rules around international travel is critical.”
 
The quarantine was imposed after a heated debate on whether it would help British efforts to tamp down the U.K. outbreak or simply stamp out any hopes that the British tourism industry will recover following the country’s coronavirus lockdown.
 
Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary says the quarantine will cause “untold devastation” for the country’s tourism industry, not just on the airlines.
 
“The thousands of hotels, the thousands of visitor attractions, restaurants in the next couple of months – July and August are the two key months for British tourism,” he said. “We’re facing thousands of jobs losses because of a stupid, ineffective quarantine.”
 
Authorities had no immediate answers as to why the 14-day quarantine wasn’t put in place on March 23, when Britain began its lockdown, or why an exception was made for attending the funeral of a close family relative when funerals are known to be virus-spreading events. Britain did not close its borders during the worst of the outbreak.
 
Britain has the second-most most recorded coronavirus deaths in the world — 40,625 — after the United States. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative government has been roundly criticized for its slow response to fighting the outbreak. Many in his government, including Johnson himself, came down with coronavirus.
 
British Airways, EasyJet and Ryanair have written to the British government applying for a judicial review, arguing that the quarantine rules are disproportionate.
 
Willie Walsh, the boss of IAG — the group that owns British Airways — has said that airlines had not been consulted about the move.
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Thousands of people took to the streets of European cities Sunday to show their support for the Black Lives Matter movement, with protesters in the English port of Bristol venting their anger at the country’s colonial history by toppling a statue of a 17th-century slave trader. Demonstrators attached ropes to the statue of Edward Colston before pulling it down to cheers and roars of approval from the crowd. Images on social media show protesters appearing to kneel on the statue’s neck, recalling the death of George Floyd in Minnesota on May 25 that has sparked worldwide protests against racism and police violence. Floyd, a black man, died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee on his neck even after he pleaded for air while lying handcuffed on the ground. The statue met with a watery end as it was eventually rolled into the city’s harbor. It wasn’t the only statute targeted on Sunday. In Brussels, protesters clambered onto the statue of former King Leopold II and chanted “reparations,” according to video posted on social media. The word “shame” was also graffitied on the monument, reference perhaps to the fact that Leopold is said to have reigned over the mass death of 10 million Congolese. Protesters also defaced the statue of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill in central London, crossing out his last name and spray painting “was a racist” underneath. They also taped a Black Lives Matter sign around its mid-section. The day’s demonstration in London had begun around the U.S. Embassy, where thousands congregated — most it seemed wearing masks against the coronavirus — to protest Floyd’s brutal death and to shine a light on racial inequalities at home. “Everyone knows that this represents more than just George Floyd, more than just America, but racism all around the world,” said Darcy Bourne, a London-based student. The protests were mainly peaceful but for the second day running there were some scuffles near the offices of Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Objects were thrown at police. Police have sent reinforcements and calm appears to have been restored. Protesters also threw objects at police down the road outside the gates of Parliament, where officers without riot gear formed a line. They were reinforced by riot police who quickly ran toward the scene. London Mayor Sadiq Khan said violence was “simply not acceptable” and urged those protesting to do so lawfully while also maintaining social distancing by remaining two meters (6.5 feet) apart. But most demonstrators didn’t heed that call, particularly in front of the U.S. Embassy. A protest against racial inequality in Bristol, Englan, June, 7, 2020.Police said 14 officers were injured Saturday during clashes with protesters in central London that followed a largely peaceful demonstration that had been attended by tens of thousands. Hundreds of people also formed a densely packed crowd Sunday in a square in central Manchester, kneeling in silence as a mark of respect for George Floyd. In Hong Kong, about 20 people staged a rally in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement on Sunday outside the U.S. Consulate in the semi-autonomous Chinese city. “It’s a global issue,” said Quinland Anderson, a 28-year-old British citizen living in Hong Kong. “We have to remind ourselves despite all we see going on in the U.S. and in the other parts of the world, black lives do indeed matter.” Hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets in downtown Rio de Janeiro to protest against racism and police killings of black people on Sunday. The protesters weren’t just joining protests against Floyd’s death in the U.S., but also denouncing the killing of black people in Rio’s favelas. The most recent case was João Pedro Pinto, 14, who was inside his house on May 18 in Sao Gonçalo, a city in Rio’s metropolitan area, when police chasing alleged drug traffickers shot into the house. The protesters on Sunday carried banners reading “Black mothers can’t stand crying anymore.” In Sao Paulo, another demonstration ended with clashes between a small group of protesters and the police. Several dozen demonstrators took part in a Black Lives Matter protest held in Tel Aviv’s central Rabin Square. Many wore blue surgical masks but did not observe social distance guidelines. A rally in Rome’s sprawling People’s Square was noisy but peaceful, with the majority of protesters wearing masks. Among those present was 26-year-old Ghanaian Abdul Nassir, who is studying for a master’s in business management at one of the Italian capital’s public universities. “It’s quite unfortunate, you know, in this current 21st century that people of color are being treated as if they are lepers,” Nassir said. He said he occasionally has felt racist attitudes, most notably when riding the subway. “Maybe you’re finding a place to stand, and people just keep moving (away) and you’ll be, like, ‘What?’” Nassir said: “We’re strong people but sometimes everyone has a limit.” At one point, the protesters, most of them young and some with children or siblings, took the knee and raised a fist in solidarity with those fighting racism and police brutality. In Italy’s financial capital, Milan, a few thousand protesters gathered in a square outside the central train station Sunday afternoon. Many in the crowd were migrants or children of migrants of African origin. In Spain, several thousand protesters gathered on the streets of Barcelona and at the U.S. Embassy in Madrid. Many in Madrid carried homemade signs reading “Black Lives Matter,” “Human rights for all” and “Silence is pro-racist.” “We are not only doing this for our brother George Floyd,” said Thimbo Samb, a spokesman for the group that organized the events in Spain mainly through social media. “Here in Europe, in Spain, where we live, we work, we sleep and pay taxes, we also suffer racism.” 
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Thousands of protesters gathered outside the U.S. Embassy in London on Sunday to condemn police brutality after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, some wearing face masks to protect against COVID-19 bearing the slogan “racism is a virus.”On Saturday, thousands of protesters had gathered in central London in a demonstration that was peaceful but that ended with small numbers of people clashing with mounted police near Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Downing Street residence.London Police chief Cressida Dick said 27 officers had been injured in “shocking and completely unacceptable” assaults during anti-racism protests in central London this week, including 14 on Saturday.Both Dick and health minister Matt Hancock urged protesters not to gather in London again on Sunday due to the risk of the spread of the coronavirus. But thousands ignored this to pack the road outside the embassy on the south bank of the River Thames.”It just needs to stop now,” said 17-year-old student Chaniya La Rose who was at the protest with her family. “It shouldn’t have to be this hard to be equal.”There have been demonstrations around the world over police treatment of ethnic minorities, sparked by the death of Floyd, a black American, on May 25 in Minneapolis. A white police officer detaining him knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. The London protest was peaceful, with people clapping, taking to one knee, waving placards and chanting “George Floyd” and “the UK is not innocent.”Pauline Nandoo, 60, said she had been protesting about the issue of racism since the 1970s and the images of violence at the end of Saturday’s protest had not deterred her.”There’s children of all ages and older adults here,” said Nandoo, who was with her brother and 13-year-old daughter. “They are going to experience what we have experienced and we have to try to make that not happen.” 
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A Russian journalist whose jailing prompted protests in which police detained demonstrators has been released. The detentions brought criticism that authorities were using coronavirus restrictions to suppress opposition. Ilya Azar was sentenced to 15 days in jail on May 28, but was released Sunday after a court reduced his sentence. Azar was arrested after holding a one-man picket outside police headquarters in Moscow against the jailing on extortion charges of an activist who monitors police corruption. He was jailed for violating a ban on public gatherings during the coronavirus lockdown. Other pickets protesting his jailing took place in Moscow and St. Petersburg and at least 35 people were detained, many of them charged with violating the gatherings ban. Amnesty International, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe and Russia’s Presidential Human Rights Council have all condemned the Russian crackdown.   
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Pope Francis on Sunday warned Italians to not let their guard down against coronavirus now that infection rates have fallen and urged them to obey government rules on social distancing and wearing masks.Francis, addressing several hundred people in St. Peter’s Square for his Sunday blessing, reacted to applause that broke out when he said their presence, albeit reduced, was a sign that Italy had overcome the acute phase of the pandemic.”Be careful. Don’t cry victory too soon,” he cautioned them, departing from his prepared text.Nearly 34,000 people have died in Italy from the coronavirus, the fourth highest toll in the world after the United States, Britain and Brazil.The number of daily deaths has fallen from nearly 1,000 several months ago to 72 on Saturday. Italy entered the latest phase of an easing of restriction on June 3, when people were allowed to travel between regions again.However, some Italians, particularly young people, have flouted remaining rules on social distancing and wearing masks in public places. Authorities have warned of the danger of a second wave.”We still have to follow the rules,” Francis said. “Thank God, we are leaving the worst part, but always by obeying the rules that the authorities have stipulated,” he said.Francis said no one should forget that coronavirus was still claiming many victims in other countries.He said he has heard that on Friday in one country, a person had died every minute. “Terrible,” he said, without naming the country. 
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Think about Hannibal Lecter, the psychopathic cannibal in the “Silence of The Lambs.” Or Jason Voorhees, the hockey mask-wearing murderer in the “Friday the 13th” slasher film series.Before the coronavirus outbreak abruptly disrupted the livelihoods of millions of people, the sight of masks worn in public spaces in the Western world conjured up images of malevolent clowns and terrifying fictional villains.Even worse, in the streets of Paris, London or Brussels, mask-wearing — a long-accepted measure in some Asian cities — would often trigger unease and angst related to real-life traumatic bloodshed orchestrated by balaclava-led commandos from extremist groups.France banned the wearing of full veils in public places back in 2011 in part because the government said the face covering violated the nation’s secular values, well before the COVID-19 pandemic took shape.But in the space of just a few weeks this spring, this narrative has been turned upside down. Masks are everywhere and carry a new, positive meaning.”The mask, at first, is anxiety-inducing,” Franck Cochoy, a professor of sociology at the University of Toulouse Jean Jaures, said in a phone interview. “When people saw them in the street, it felt like they were faced with the threat of the disease. Today, what people find scary is not having masks. Masks have become soothing objects.”After discouraging citizens from wearing face covers during the early stages of the pandemic, most governments now recommend, or even make their use mandatory, as they try to slow the spread of the virus.Cochoy is stunned by how quickly people have adopted masks. With a team of researchers, he has surveyed their use during the health crisis, scrutinizing more than a thousand testimonies.He said masks have created a new kind of social inequality, “a social division between those who have masks, and those who don’t.””People who don’t have masks feel naked,” he said.At the start of the pandemic, the lack of masks led many people to resort to homemade solutions. Although medical professionals say the protection they offer is not ideal, hand-crafted masks have become a hit and the small pieces of fabric covering the nose and mouth are now a social marker like any other piece of clothing.On the glitzy Champs-Elysees avenue in Paris, when shoppers were allowed back in the streets after two months of a stringent lockdown, a woman sported a black mask with a white Chanel inscription.In Brussels, inside a small shop selling organic fruit and vegetables popular with the so-called “bohemian-bourgeois” urbanites, hand-crafted masks come in a myriad of designs and a rainbow of colors. A few hundreds meters down the road, people running errands at a big-chain supermarket mostly wear the surgical, disposable version of the mask — the one available for less than one euro in pharmacies — with no aesthetic airs at all.Vanessa Colignon, a textile and fashion designer based in Brussels, has been engaged for years in zero-waste projects, using natural or recycled materials from sustainable local producers. It’s the daily sight of cheap disposable gloves and masks thrown away in the streets of her neighborhood that convinced her to start producing her own during the health crisis.”I expected the government to develop reusable masks and gloves,” she said, disappointed by a perceived lack of commitment for sustainable mask production from Belgian authorities.”The priority should have been to say: ‘We don’t make disposable masks anymore,'” she added.Cochoy thinks the dichotomy between the hand-crafted and surgical masks offers a preview of the trend that will shape life after COVID-19, supporters of sustainable development facing off against “growth at all costs” strategies.”It’s fascinating. These two types of masks are carrying voices for the post-coronavirus world,” he said. “On one hand, the surgical masks embody the modern, globalized world, where everything is standardized, with all its advantages and inconveniences. Their filtration power is high, measurable, and certified, but they come from abroad in containers, are carbon-charged, disposable. With the homemade version, we return to a form of less efficient, but also non-market, sustainable economy.” 
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Tens of thousands of people gathered Saturday in cities far from the United States to express their anger over the death of George Floyd, a sign that the Black Lives Matter movement against police brutality is resonating with wider calls over addressing racism in Asia, Australia and Europe.In Berlin, where police said 15,000 people rallied peacefully on the German capital’s Alexander Square, protesters chanted Floyd’s name and held up placards with slogans such as “Stop police brutality” and “I can’t breathe.”Floyd, a black man, died after a Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee on his neck even after Floyd pleaded for air while handcuffed and stopped moving. International protests started last weekend and were scheduled for this weekend from Sydney to Seoul and London to Naples.  Several thousand demonstrators in Paris defied a protest ban — issued because of the coronavirus pandemic — and assembled within sight of the U.S. Embassy, kept back by imposing barriers and riot police.Among the crowd in the French capital was Marie Djedje, 14, a Parisian born on July 14, the French national day.”I was born French, on the day when we celebrate our country. But on a daily basis, I don’t feel that this country accepts me,” she said, holding up a sign that read “Being black is not a crime.”The teenager said that emerging from France’s virus lockdown and seeing officers on patrol again drove home how scared she is of the police and how she has steeled herself for a life of overcoming obstacles.”I know that because of my skin color I’m starting out with a handicap, for example, if I want to get a flat or go to a top school,” she said. “I know I’m going to have to fight twice as hard as the others. But I’m prepared.”In central London, tens of thousands staged a rally outside Parliament Square, invoking Floyd’s memory as well as people who died during police encounters or indifference in Britain. Some protesters ignored thickening rain clouds and later headed toward the U.K. Home Office, which oversees law enforcement and immigration, and to the U.S. Embassy.Many dropped to one knee and raised their fists in the air outside the gleaming embassy building south of the River Thames. There were chants of “Silence is violence” and “Color is not a crime.”The majority of those marching wore masks and other face coverings, and appeared to make an effort to adhere to social distancing guidelines by walking in small groups.A young woman wears a face mark as people gather at the Alexander Platz in Berlin, Germany, June 6, 2020, to protest against the recent killing of George Floyd by police officers in Minneapolis.An estimated 15,000 people also gathered in the heart of Manchester, England, and another 2,000 people joined in a demonstration in the Welsh capital of Cardiff.Andrew Francis, 37, a black man from London, said there’s “a lot of frustration due to racial discrimination, and we want change for our children and our children’s children’s to be able to have equality within the U.K., the U.S., all around the world.”Francis, who wore a face covering, said he wasn’t worried about the coronavirus and said the fight for racial equality was “more important” to him.Floyd’s death has sparked significant protests across the United States, but it has also struck a chord with minorities protesting discrimination elsewhere, including demonstrators in Sydney who highlighted indigenous Australians who died in custody.Peaceful rallyA rally there appeared orderly as police handed out masks to protesters and other officials provided hand sanitizer, though officers removed an apparent counterprotester carrying a sign reading, “White Lives, Black Lives, All Lives Matter.”  In Brisbane, the Queensland state capital, organizers said about 30,000 people gathered, forcing police to shut down some major downtown streets. The protesters demanded to have Australia’s Indigenous flag raised at the police station.Indigenous Australians make up 2% of the the country’s adult population, but 27% of the prison population. They are also the most disadvantaged ethnic minority in Australia and have higher-than-average rates of infant mortality and poor health, as well as shorter life expectancies and lower levels of education and employment than other Australians.Sorry, but your browser cannot support embedded video of this type, you can
download this video to view it offline.Download File360p | 7 MB480p | 10 MB540p | 15 MB720p | 33 MB1080p | 61 MB Embed” />Copy Download AudioIn South Korea’s capital, Seoul, protesters gathered for a second straight day to denounce Floyd’s death.Wearing masks and black shirts, dozens of demonstrators marched through a commercial district amid a police escort, carrying signs such as “George Floyd Rest in Peace” and “Koreans for Black Lives Matter.””I urge the U.S. government to stop the violent suppression of [U.S.] protesters and listen to their voices,” said Jihoon Shim, one of the rally’s organizers. “I also want to urge the South Korean government to show its support for their fight [against racism].”Chris Trabot, who works for Paris City Hall, said Floyd’s death last week triggered his decision to demonstrate Saturday for the first time in his life.Born in the French territory of Martinique, Trabot said he first experienced racism as a child when he moved with his family to mainland France and got into frequent fights with white kids who mocked his skin color.  As an adult, he says, he’s been targeted with racial abuse during ID checks. Recently, his 9-year-old daughter has told him of being a target of racism, too, with schoolmates mocking her hair.  Concern for childrenJessica Corandi, a Paris Metro driver, said she cried when she saw the video of Floyd’s treatment by Minneapolis police. The 37-year-old said her three young girls have started to notice people looking at them strangely on the streets of Paris, which she believes is because they are black.Protesters outside the U.S. Consulate in Naples chanted “Freedom!” and “No justice, no peace, [expletive] the police,” in English and Italian, as they clapped and carried handmade signs and a big banner printed with “Black Lives Matter” and a clenched black fist.In Italy, racist incidents have been on the rise in recent years with an influx of migrants from Africa and the growth of anti-migrant sentiment.Police said 20,000 people rallied against racism in Munich, while thousands more took part in protests in Frankfurt and Cologne.In Berlin, Lloyd Lawson, who was born in Britain but raised in Germany, said he had faced racism his entire life.  “The killing and these violent physical things that have happened is only just the top of it,” said Lawson, 54. “That’s why you’ve got to start right from the bottom, just like an iceberg.”
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As forces loyal to the internationally recognized Libyan government in Tripoli gain more ground near the capital from forces under eastern military commander General Khalifa Haftar, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Sissi called for a cease-fire. Sissi urged both sides to resume dialogue. Tripoli-based Prime Minister Fayez al Sarraj also met Friday with his main backer, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.Amateur video broadcast by Arab media showed forces loyal to the Tripoli government capturing Bani Walid Airport, outside Tripoli, after defenders loyal to General Khalifa Haftar withdrew to positions farther to the east of the capital. Other video showed fighters loyal to the Tripoli government consolidating control of the nearby town of Tarhuna, which they captured a day earlier.Arab media reported that several Turkish drones bombed a convoy of vehicles that had left Tarhuna as they were approaching the coastal town of Sirte, which is still under the control of forces loyal to Gen. Haftar. Qatari-owned al Jazeera TV (Arabic) claimed that supporters of the government in Tripoli were preparing to attack Sirte, which is still under Haftar’s control. VOA could not independently confirm the claim.Meanwhile, in Cairo, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi met with General Haftar and the head of the Libyan house of representatives, Aquela Salah, and called for a cease-fire beginning Monday, June 8.He says that Egypt’s initiative is based on the respect of all international resolutions and calls for a cease-fire beginning Monday at 6 a.m., in addition to the withdrawal of all foreign mercenaries from the entire country, and the dismantling of all militias to allow the Libyan Army and the security forces to exert control. 
Haftar, speaking at a press conference alongside Sissi, backed Egypt’s cease-fire call and urged the Egyptian president to use his influence to oblige Turkey to withdraw mercenaries it has sent to Libya.He says that Turkey’s military intervention in Libya has increased polarization both among Libyans and among countries which are involved in the conflict and have opposing interests. He urges Sissi to increase efforts to oblige Turkey to stop sending mercenaries and weapons to Libya.
 
Responding to the cease-fire call, Khaled al Meshri, head of the Tripoli government’s “presidential council,” told al Jazeera TV that “Libya doesn’t need another peace initiative,” and he claimed that Haftar’s forces now have “suffered defeat and should not be trying to dictate the terms of an agreement.”
 
Fayez al Sarraj, who heads the Tripoli-based “National Unity Government” met Friday with the Turkish prime minister in Ankara. Some Arab media report that Turkey has sent close to 10,000 Syrian mercenaries to fight in Libya. VOA could not independently confirm the figure.
 
Both the UAE and Jordan, which support General Haftar, indicated Saturday that they would support Egypt’s call for a cease-fire.  
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