Indonesia may allow foreign tourists to start returning to the popular resort island of Bali and other parts of the country by October after a sharp slide in COVID-19 cases, senior minister Luhut Pandjaitan said on Friday. The Southeast Asian nation intends to move cautiously to reopen its borders following a devastating second virus wave, driven by the Delta variant. FILE PHOTO: A man carries a surfboard at Kuta beach on the Indonesian resort island of Bali, which has seen a downturn in tourism following the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus. (Photo by SONNY TUMBELAKA / AFP) Luhut, the Coordinating Minister for Maritime and Investment Affairs, said the addition of confirmed cases of COVID-19 had dropped by 94.5% since a peak in mid-July. "We are happy today that the reprod...
Read MoreDay: September 17, 2021
French President Emmanuel Macron on Thursday inaugurated a posthumous installation conceived by the late artist Christo that envelops Paris's Arc de Triomphe monument in 2,500 square metres of silvery blue, recyclable plastic wrapping. "This is the achievement of a 60-year-old dream, a crazy dream come true," said Macron, who was accompanied by his wife Brigitte and officials ranging from Culture Minister Roselyne Bachelot to Paris Mayor and Presidential hopeful Anne Hidalgo. View of the wrapped Arc de Triomphe, designed by the late artist Christo, during its inauguration in Paris, France, September 16, 2021. Ludovic Marin/Pool via REUTERS Macron said he was particular happy the installation took place at the Arc de Triomphe because the monument had "suffered so much at the end o...
Read MoreThe British government will on Friday consider easing England’s COVID-19 rules for international travel, a late-season boost for airlines, holiday and tourism companies which say they will not survive another winter of onerous rules and red tape. While Europe has relaxed travel restrictions for the fully vaccinated, expensive COVID-19 testing requirements remain in place for fully vaccinated arrivals into Britain, preventing a travel recovery as the tougher winter period nears. FILE PHOTO: A worker sanitises a sign at the International arrivals area of Terminal 5 in London's Heathrow Airport, Britain, August 2, 2021. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls But rule changes could be announced later on Friday, Agriculture Secretary George Eustice said, following hints from Prime Minister Boris John...
Read MoreThe first plane carrying tourists in more than four months touched down on the Malaysian island of Langkawi on Thursday and was greeted by a twin water cannon "salute", in the launch of a programme to revive a travel sector frozen by the pandemic. The first batch of 159 travellers from the capital, Kuala Lumpur, arrived eager for a vacation after a monthslong, nationwide lockdown imposed to address one of Asia's highest per-capital coronavirus infection rates. Tourists arrive at the airport as Langkawi reopens to domestic tourists, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Malaysia September 16, 2021. REUTERS/Lim Huey Teng Known for its beaches, geoparks, bird life and impressive rock formations, Langkawi, a group of 99 islands, is the test case in a drive to allow vac...
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