TOP HEADLINES

- The European Union has launched a second lawsuit against vaccine maker AstraZeneca. Our Brussels correspondent explains the ongoing row here.

- England's COVID-19 app will become a vaccine passport for those who have received two doses of a vaccine, according to the UK government. The change to the contact-tracing app will come into effect on May 17. A paper version will also be available. 

- AstraZeneca shareholders approved CEO Pascal Soriot's bonus deal worth $25.1 million, but nearly 40 percent of investors voted against the proposed package, which is set to rise to 650 percent of his $1.8 million base salary. 

- Germany will make the Johnson & Johnson vaccine available to all adults, Health Minister Jens Spahn said. The European Medicines Agency has given the jab the green light, after concerns over potential blood clots. 

- Germany's Interior Minister Horst Seehofer has tested positive. He is a key ally of Chancellor Angela Merkel, and the 71-year-old is reportedly isolating at home without symptoms. 

- A 23-year-old Italian woman was accidentally given six doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. She is said to be in a good condition, and is under observation in Tuscany, central Italy. A nurse reportedly injected an entire vial of the drug, instead of one-sixth of it. 

- Norway's government commission on vaccines has recommended not using the Johnson & Johnson or AstraZeneca jabs due to rare cases of blood clots. But it said Norwegians who want to volunteer for these vaccines should be allowed to take them.

- EU member states' Europe ministers met in Brussels today to discuss a certificate to allow EU citizens to move freely again, as countries open up again over the summer. An agreement has so far not been forthcoming. 

- The World Health Organization has declared the COVID-19 variant B.1.617, discovered in India, "of global concern." The WHO said the mutation spreads more easily than other types of the virus. Variants first found in the UK, South Africa and Brazil have been given the same label. 

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AROUND EUROPE

Toni Waterman in Brussels 

The Belgian government meets on Tuesday to discuss a further easing of COVID-19 measures this summer. One of the big things up for debate is the resumption of large festivals, which Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said was possible in the second half of summer if infections remain under control. 

Officials will also try to hash out a plan to reopen the entire hospitality industry after cafe and bar terraces opened again last Saturday. The hope is that indoor dining at bars and restaurants can start from June 1, but that is dependent on high vaccination rates and low ICU admissions. 

The Flemish government in northern Belgium, meanwhile, has set out its own easing timeline, dubbed the "Freedom Plan." The scheme lays out a pathway to returning to normality by October, based on coronavirus indicators.  

Andrew Wilson in the UK

The Queen opens parliament today in her first major public engagement since the funeral of her husband, the Duke of Edinburgh.

The state opening of parliament will be a more muted affair because of COVID-19, with fewer lawmakers in the House of Lords and the Queen arriving by car instead of royal carriage.

In a marked change of tone and strategy Downing Street has indicated an end to direct government direction and has told people to start using their common sense with their behaviors going forward.

England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland recorded no deaths from the coronavirus on Monday for the first time since last summer. However, four deaths were recorded in Wales, meaning that, overall, the UK registered an increase on the two deaths recorded on Sunday.

Ross Cullen in Paris

France's Prime Minister said "we are finally, lastingly coming out of this crisis." 

Jean Castex gave an interview to Le Parisien newspaper in which he said: "Evidently, this exit from the crisis will have to be progressive, sensible and guided". 

Castex confirmed that on May 19, outdoor areas of cafes, bars and restaurants will only be able to open at 50 percent capacity. All other public places that will open on May 19 (non-essential shops, museums, theaters, cinemas) have to follow a guide based on floor size for how many people can be inside at once.

Sports stadiums can have up to 35 percent of spectators inside from that date. Intensive care pressure is starting to ease in France, with 5,100 people being treated in urgent care on Friday, 5,000 people on Saturday, 4,900 on Sunday, and 4,800 yesterday.

FROM OUR GLOBAL COLLEAGUES

CGTN Europe: 'Cautious cuddling' for the UK as it is set to continue relaxing restrictions

CGTN China: Engagement with Taiwan over COVID-19 has been 'robust,' says WHO

CGTN America: The fight against COVID-19 in Native American territory

CGTN Africa: Egypt to produce 60m doses of Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines from next month

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