Five in 5: May 1

Sunday May 1 2022: A selection of news briefs from around the globe

Russian ruble to be currency in occupied Ukraine

A Russian official has said that the ruble will be introduced in areas of Ukraine under Moscow’s control, despite Russia earlier insisting it was not seeking to occupy captured territory.

A civilian and military administrator of the Russian-controlled region of Kherson in southern Ukraine said Moscow would introduce its currency in the region.

“Beginning May 1, we will move to the ruble zone,” Kirill Stremousov, was quoted as saying by Russia’s state-run news agency RIA Novosti.

He said there would be a four-month period of grace when Ukraine’s currency, the hryvnia, would also be used.

“Then we will completely switch to settlements in rubles.” AFP

Greece lifts Covid-19 curbs for travellers ahead of key summer season

Athens: Greece lifted Covid-19 restrictions on Sunday for foreign and domestic flights, its civil aviation authority said, ahead of the summer tourism season that officials hope will see revenues bouncing back from the pandemic slump.

To fly in or out of the country, travellers were previously required to show either a vaccination certificate, a certificate saying they had recovered from coronavirus or a negative test.

From May 1, passengers and crew will need only to wear a face mask, the civil aviation authority said.

The summer tourism season typically begins after the Greek Orthodox Easter, which was on April 24. Greece is expecting high numbers of visitors this year, with officials predicting revenues reaching 80% of 2019 levels. That was a record year before the pandemic brought travel to a halt.

With infections waning, restaurants and retail shops returned to 100% capacity on Sunday, allowing customers in without proof of vaccination but with a mask.

Greece has reported 3 323 922 cases so far and 29153 deaths from Covid-19. Reuters

5G-connected ambulance makes its debut

A 5G-connected ambulance that can transform health care and save lives in emergency situations made its debut in Bengaluru, India, on Thursday.

Bharti Airtel partnered with Apollo Hospitals and Cisco to build the state-of-the-art ambulance, which is equipped with the latest medical equipment, patient- monitoring applications, and telemetry devices that transmit the patient’s health data to the hospital in real time.

The ambulance also has onboard cameras, and head and body cams for paramedics. It will be further enabled with Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality, to help the ambulance act as an extension of the emergency room by remaining always connected to the hospital. This may also help transport doctors virtually to the ambulance to help save lives. IANS

Glass-bottomed bridge opens in Vietnam

Don’t look down!

Vietnam has launched a new attraction for tourists with a head for heights, with the opening on Friday of a glass-bottomed bridge suspended 150m above a lush jungle.

The Bach Long pedestrian bridge – whose name translates to “white dragon” – in northwest Son La province snakes around dizzying cliff faces before spanning a dramatic valley between two peaks, hitting a total length of 632m.

The floor of the bridge is made from French-produced tempered glass, making it strong enough to support up to 450 people at a time, while giving them a spectacular view of the greenery in the gorge far below. AFP

Palestinians clash with Israeli police at Jerusalem holy site

More than 40 Palestinians were injured in early morning clashes with Israeli police in the area of Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, with 22 sustaining injuries requiring hospitalisation, the International Red Crescent movement said on Friday.

Israeli police said that officers used crowd-dispersal measures against Muslim rioters who threw rocks and launched firecrackers at Temple Mount in Jerusalem on the last Friday of Ramadaan. They said that order had been restored after morning clashes, and the worshippers could re-enter Temple Mount freely.

Israeli officials have blamed recent tensions on Islamist groups, including Hamas, saying they have encouraged youths to stage riots aimed at stirring anger against Israel in the Muslim world.

Palestinians have accused Israel of not doing enough to enforce a long-standing ban on Jewish prayer on the esplanade.

Israel rejects this accusation. Reuters and Sputnik