Paris - France on Thursday announced the long-awaited nationwide reopening of bars, restaurants and cafes from June 2, albeit with restrictions, and lifted limitations on domestic travel in time for the summer holidays.

One indication of the extent of the COVID-19 pandemic has been a 17 percent drop in global carbon emissions worldwide. The fall in pollution levels will please many in the environmental movement.

Den Haag - Dutch authorities on Thursday announced a nationwide ban on the transport of mink after mink farm workers were believed to have contracted coronavirus from the small mammals.

Sofia - An Australian man who was jailed in Bulgaria for a 2007 murder is free to go home after serving 11 years of his sentence, the supreme court ruled Thursday.

Bujumbura - Burundi's main opposition party on Thursday filed its submission to the Constitutional Court to contest the results of a presidential election it alleges was riddled with fraud and irregularities.

Kigali - Rwanda's High Court on Thursday sentenced a former mayor to life in prison for his role in the country's 1994 genocide, which included leading attacks that resulted in the deaths of around 25,000 ethnic Tutsis in his town.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is co-hosting a major United Nations conference today, aimed at developing a coordinated global response to mitigate the devastating social and economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kano - Gunmen on motorcycles killed dozens of people in a string of attacks on villages in the restive northwest of Nigeria, as the authorities struggle to curb the violence.

London - UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Thursday some English schools and shops would reopen from next week as he tried to end a scandal over what police said appeared to be a "minor" lockdown breach by his closest adviser.

Bujumbura - Burundi's main opposition party on Thursday filed its submission to the Constitutional Court to contest the results of a presidential election it alleges was riddled with fraud and irregularities.

Washington - US President Donald Trump was set Thursday to target social media giants like Twitter, which he accuses of bias against him, with an executive order opening them to new regulation."This will be a Big Day for Social Media and FAIRNESS!

With the death toll from the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. now over 100,400 people, President Donald Trump, more concerned about his reputation and reelection in November, is taking his war with Twitter to a new level.

Rowin Amone chatted with Digital Journal's Markos Papadatos about her 2020 Daytime Emmy nomination for "Outstanding Lead Actress in a Digital Drama Series" for "King Ester," which was created by Dui Jarrod.

Berlin - Germany's foreign ministry on Thursday called in the Russian ambassador to discuss possible sanctions over a 2015 hacking attack on the German parliament, in an escalating diplomatic row.

Moscow - Russian authorities on Thursday sentenced prominent reporter and activist Ilya Azar to 15 days in prison and detained several prominent journalists who rallied in his support.

Tripoli - After backing rival sides in Libya's long-running conflict, Russia and Turkey appear to have agreed to avoid direct confrontation and instead carve the country into "spheres of influence", analysts say.

Negrar - Archaeologists have discovered an exquisitely preserved Roman mosaic under a vineyard in northern Italy after a century of searching, the local mayor said on Thursday.

Khulna - Rezaul Islam wades through waist-high water, a sack of rice on his head salvaged from what remains of his home, a week after a cyclone savaged Bangladesh and eastern India.

Kano - Armed criminals on motorcycles killed dozens of people in a string of attacks on villages in the restive northwest of Nigeria, medics and residents said.

Bejing - Chinese couples seeking a divorce must first complete a month-long "cooling-off" period according to a new law passed Thursday that sparked outrage over state interference in private relationships.