Air France plane forced to land in Sofia due to disruptive passenger

22:47, March 06, 2021

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  As third wave rages, show goes on at Sofia opera

  With an orchestra spread out across the entire parterre, audiences limited to the balconies, and no breaks but plenty of disinfectant, the Sofia Opera is one of the few music venues still hosting live performances in Europe.Bulgaria first eased pandemic restrictions in June and allowed operas, concert halls and cinemas to reopen at 30 percent capacity. (Photo: AFP)Across the continent, a third wave of Covid-19 infections is keeping opera houses and other cultural venues closed -- loud singing poses a particular risk as the virus spreads through droplets -- but in Bulgaria, classical music plays on, from "Tosca" to "La Traviata"."I am hungry for music. And the risk, why think about it? Its not riskier here than in the supermarket or the subway," says 81-year-old Petya Petkova, who attended Verdis "La Traviata" with her daughter last week.Despite the disinfectant, social-distancing and staff taking peoples temperature, a festive spirit reigns at the historic opera house in the Bulgarian capital, a stark contrast to its silenced counterparts in Paris, Vienna or Milan.Bulgaria first eased pandemic restrictions in June and allowed operas, concert halls and cinemas to reopen at 30 percent capacity, leading the Sofia Opera to arrange plastic and fabric flower bouquets as placeholders on the majority of the crimson plush seats."We perform in front of 250 spectators, but its better than not playing or performing," Sofia Opera director Plamen Kartaloff says.Even as Europe struggles with a third wave of infections, in part due to a number of mutations that spread more easily, Kartaloff expects the opera to remain open.- Acoustic challenges -Tragedy has touched the operatic community, and not just on stage: In November, Bulgarian tenor Kamen Chanev died of Covid-19, three weeks after he debuted Otello in the central Bulgarian city of Stara Zagora.Remembering him, soprano Stanislava Momekova, 36, becomes serio...

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  Philippines, Malaysia latest to get vaccine help

  Staff members unload vaccines donated by China at a Philippine Air Force base in Manila, the Philippines on Feb 28, 2021. [Photo/Xinhua] The Philippines and Malaysia received vaccine help from China over the weekend, the latest nations around the world to do so, while Thailand launched its va

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  Belt and Road boost sustainable development

  Staff members unload vaccines donated by China at a Philippine Air Force base in Manila, the Philippines on Feb 28, 2021. [Photo/Xinhua] Vaccines: New BRI frontier In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Chinese pharmaceutical companies are researching and developing vaccines with standa