Italy’s schools finally reopen after six-month closure

After a six-month shutdown, the longest in Europe, Italy reopened most of its schools, testing the organisational skills of the government, the nerves of teachers and the self-control of excited students.

Schools in 13 of the country’s 20 regions cautiously resumed face-to-face lessons, calling back 5.6 million students to their desks. The remaining seven regions have decided to delay for another week.

Battling to halt the spread of coronavirus, the government shut the nation’s schools in early March. Efforts to make classrooms safe again and limit the possibility of fresh contagion have been mired in controversy.

“At the beginning there are going to be problems,” Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said.

In Italy, about 35,500 people have died of COVID-19, the largest death toll in the European Union, and the number of new cases has picked up recently raising fears of a second wave
[0:28 pm, 14/09/2020] Kolawole Naija: World News: (Iran: Middle East)

Iran court brings new charges against Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, sparking UK outrage

The British government has condemned an Iranian court’s decision to bring new charges against Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British-Iranian charity worker jailed on espionage charges four years ago.

Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested at Tehran airport in April 2016, accused by the Iranian government of working with organizations allegedly attempting to overthrow the regime — a claim that she and her family have consistently denied.

She had been visiting her parents with her young daughter from their home in the UK.