Briefly

RUSSIA

Missing plane found with all aboard safe

All 18 people on board a Russian Antonov An-28 passenger plane that vanished from radars in Siberia survived after the aircraft made an emergency landing on Friday, the emergencies ministry said. The aircraft－operated by SiLA, a small airline offering regional flights in Siberia－went missing while flying from the town of Kedrovy to the city of Tomsk. But the aircraft was located after helicopters were dispatched to search for it. The crew made an emergency landing after one of the plane's two engines failed, said news reports. The ministry said the 18 people on board were being evacuated from the site. The incident comes less than two weeks after a similar aircraft crashed in Russia's far east, killing all 28 people on board.

FRANCE

Reopened Eiffel Tower draws crowds

The Eiffel Tower reopened on Friday after an eight-month shutdown because of the pandemic, its longest closure since World War II. As a countdown clock at the foot of the tower turned to zero, there were cheers and applause from visitors queuing to get in, a brass band started playing and people starting filing through the entrance. "We feel pretty lucky to be here," said Croatian Patrick Perutka, 18, who had been waiting for hours for the gates to open. Because of concerns about the virus, masks remain compulsory for anyone over 11 years of age, and each elevator car will only carry half the normal number of visitors. From Wednesday, visitors will need to show a French government "health pass" to demonstrate they are either vaccinated or have had a recent negative test for COVID-19.

Agencies Via Xinhua