Germany’s New Coronavirus Cases Fall for First Time in Four Days

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The number of new coronavirus cases in Germany fell for the first time in four days as the country prepares to ease its containment measures.

There were 1,158 infections in the 24 hours through Saturday morning, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. That was the first day of declining cases in four days and brings the total to 170,588.

Germany is preparing to open restaurants, hotels and all shops as well as restarting professional soccer games after Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday declared some progress in fighting the virus. Covid-19 has caused 7,510 deaths in the country after 118 new fatalities were reported on Friday.

Although many lockdown measures are being gradually phased out, social-distancing rules were this week extended until at least June 5. To contain hot spots, Merkel also insisted on a threshold on local infection rates. Restrictions will be reinstated if an area records more than 50 new cases per 100,000 inhabitants in a week.

Manila Airport to Ease Ban on International Arrivals From Monday

Manila’s international airport will allow international charter and commercial flights to resume arriving on designated days, beginning Monday.

Inbound international chartered flights will be permitted to land at Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Mondays and Thursdays, while commercial ones will be allowed on the other days of the week, the civil aviation authority said in a statement. That schedule will last for a month, until June 10.

The Philippines suspended all commercial passenger flights to and from the country on May 3 because of the coronavirus outbreak, while allowing outbound flights to resume the next day. It cited congested quarantine facilities for Filipino workers returning from overseas as the reason for the suspension.

Kashmir police bury slain rebels, won't hand over bodies

Indian officials have stopped handing over the bodies of Kashmiri fighters killed in battles with Indian forces in Indian-administered Kashmir.

Indian authorities did not hand over the bodies of the slain Kashmiri rebel fighters to their families under a new government policy designed to thwart large-scale funerals that have become a rallying point for anti-India protests.

Instead, they are being buried in unmarked graves. The government is blaming the coronavirus pandemic for not allowing a proper burial, but human rights groups are sceptical.

Al Jazeera’s Imran Khan reports.

Italy Weighing Candidates for New Alitalia Company

The Italian government is assessing several candidates to head a new state-controlled company to run failed carrier Alitalia SpA, newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore reported without saying where it got the information.

A leading candidate is former Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV executive Alfredo Altavilla, the newspaper said, adding that no decision has been taken. The government is also considering switching Alitalia’s partnership to Deutsche Lufthansa AG and Star Alliance, abandoning a current tie-up with Delta Air Lines Inc. and SkyTeam, the paper said.

Italy, the euro area’s third-biggest economy, has been under a national lockdown since early March to counter the spread of the coronavirus. Flight cancellations across Europe have badly hurt airlines as revenue craters. Alitalia was seeking help before the crisis and has already cost the taxpayer more than 2 billion euros ($2.2 billion).

Margrethe Vestager, the European Union’s antitrust chief, said last month she’s “neutral” on Italy’s plans to nationalize Alitalia. She told reporters that approval for the proposed transaction could depend more on “the way it’s done” and “if it’s done at market prices,” which might be “quite low” in current circumstances.

Indonesia reports 533 new Covid-19 cases, biggest daily increase

JAKARTA (REUTERS) – Indonesia reported on Saturday (May 9) 533 new coronavirus infections, the biggest daily increase since the South-east Asian country reported its first case, taking the total number to 13,645, health ministry official Achmad Yurianto said.

Mr Achmad reported 16 more have died from the disease, taking the total number of deaths to 959, while 2,607 have recovered.

Nearly 108,700 people have been tested as of Saturday, he added, while urging Indonesians to continue obeying the stay-at-home order to prevent further spread of the virus.

Swedish Premier Calls for Closer EU Collaboration After Crisis

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Sweden’s prime minister said he wants the European Union to work closer together on a number of issues and develop a crisis management system to better cope with future disasters.

There was a lack of solidarity between member states when the coronavirus pandemic first struck, but collaboration has since improved, Stefan Lofven wrote in an editorial published by the Dagens Nyheter newspaper on Saturday.

Lofven said the EU must work together to make the economic recovery process green, to digitalize its internal market and to strengthen democratic freedoms and rights in the member states. He also called for the bloc to strengthen its role in the world and become “a voice for democracy and equality.”

“We need a strong EU, where we stand together,” the prime minister said. “No matter what challenges the EU faces, cooperation is the best way forward.”