Reuters World News Summary

"I have pawned all my things," Contreras, 34, told Reuters between tears outside the hospital, where she has set up a hammock as she waits for news of her mother, infected amid a resurgence of coronavirus cases in the Andean nation.

Following is a summary of current world news briefs. Greece hopes to lift COVID curbs in retail before end-March, tourism in May

Greece plans to lift COVID-19 restrictions in the retail sector and open schools before the end of March and begin to re-open the tourism sector in May ahead of the vital summer season, a government spokeswoman said on Monday. The decision hinges on epidemiological data, Aristotelia Peloni told reporters. Syria's President Assad and his wife test positive for COVID-19: statement

Syria's President Bashar al-Assad and his wife Asma have tested positive for COVID-19 after showing minor symptoms, the president's office said in a statement on Monday. It said they were both in good health and would continue to work while in isolation at home. French billionaire politician Olivier Dassault killed in helicopter crash

French billionaire Olivier Dassault was killed on Sunday in a helicopter crash, a police source said, with President Emmanuel Macron paying tribute to the 69-year old conservative politician. Dassault was the eldest son of late French billionaire industrialist Serge Dassault, whose namesake Dassault Aviation, builds the Rafale war planes and owns Le Figaro newspaper. Meghan accuses UK royals of racism, says 'didn't want to be alive'

Meghan, the wife of Prince Harry, accused Britain's royal family of raising concerns about how dark their son's skin might be and pushing her to the brink of suicide, in a tell-all television interview that will send shockwaves through the monarchy. The 39-year-old, whose mother is Black and father is white, said she had been naive before she married into royalty in 2018, but that she ended up having suicidal thoughts and considering self harm after pleading for help but getting none. 'Sell the house': Latin Americans beg and borrow to pay COVID-19 debts

Sandra Contreras, camped outside Lima's Villa el Salvador hospital, is running out of funds to pay for her mother's COVID-19 treatment, a sign of thin welfare systems around Latin America that are dragging many into debt and poverty. "I have pawned all my things," Contreras, 34, told Reuters between tears outside the hospital, where she has set up a hammock as she waits for news of her mother, infected amid a resurgence of coronavirus cases in the Andean nation. War crimes court orders record $30 million compensation for Congo victims

Child soldiers and other victims of convicted Congolese militia leader Bosco Ntaganda should get a total of $30 million compensation, International Criminal Court judges ruled on Monday, in their highest ever reparation order. The judges said Ntaganda did not have the resources to pay the compensation himself. Instead they asked the tribunal's own Trust Fund to help set up and finance vocational and other programmes to support victims of his crimes. Pope Francis ends epic Iraq tour where he preached peace

Pope Francis ended his historic tour of Iraq on Monday, departing by plane from Baghdad after visiting conflict-torn cities, meeting Muslim and Christian leaders and preaching peace and coexistence over war. Francis waved one last time from before boarding a plane flying the Vatican and Iraqi flags from its cockpit windows. President Barham Salih accompanied the 84-year-old pontiff down a red carpet to his flight. Philippine leader's order to kill rebels 'legal', spokesman says

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's order to kill armed rebels was legal, his spokesman said on Monday, as catholic leaders joined condemnation of the killings of nine activists in separate weekend raids against suspected insurgents. Human Rights groups are outraged over the deaths of what they said were legitimate activists under the guise of counter-insurgency operations, which came two days after Duterte told security forces they could kill rebels if they were holding a gun and to "ignore human rights". Two protesters killed in Myanmar, shops and factories closed

Two demonstrators were killed by gunshot wounds to the head in Myanmar on Monday, witnesses said, while shops, factories and banks were closed in the main city Yangon as part of the protests against the country's military rulers. Security forces were also deployed at hospitals and universities as part of efforts to enforce the law, state media said. Hong Kong's Lam says China's planned electoral changes could prompt vote delay

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said on Monday that China's planned changes to the electoral system could further delay a vote for the city's legislature, but she was still uncertain on the timing. China's rubber-stamp parliament, the National People's Congress (NPC), is expected to approve on Thursday a resolution that will reduce democratic representation in Hong Kong institutions and vet any candidates for "patriotism".

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