Month: June 2021

Germany Introduces CovPass Digital COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate

German health officials Thursday introduced that nation’s version of the digital COVID-19 vaccination pass, a smart phone app that will allow fully vaccinated Germans a simple way to prove their status.   Speaking to reporters in Berlin, German Health Minister Jens Spahn said Germans who have been fully vaccinated can use the app, known as the CovPass, on their smart phones to give them access to restaurants, museums or other venues that require proof of vaccination.     The health minister said people who get vaccinated will receive a letter or emailed certificates to upload to the app, and people …

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Sunrise Special: Solar Eclipse Thrills World’s Northern Tier

The top of the world got a sunrise special Thursday — a “ring of fire” solar eclipse.  This so-called annular eclipse began at the Canadian province of Ontario, then swept across Greenland, the North Pole and finally Siberia, as the moon passed directly in front of the sun.An annular eclipse occurs when a new moon is around its farthest point from us and appearing smaller, and so it doesn’t completely blot out the sun when it’s dead center.  The upper portions of North America, Europe and Asia enjoyed a partial eclipse, at least where the skies were clear. At those …

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UEFA Orders Change to Ukraine Football Jersey

Soccer’s governing body in Europe, UEFA, ruled Thursday that Ukraine can keep a map that includes Crimea on its jerseys, but must remove part of a slogan that it said has military connotations.   Russia had filed complaints with UEFA about the jersey that Ukraine will wear at the 24-nation European Championships that begin Friday.   Russia annexed Ukraine’s Crimean peninsula in 2014 in a move that has not been recognized by the international community.   UEFA said Ukraine must remove the slogan “Glory to the heroes” that appears on the inside of the jersey’s collar.   A second slogan, …

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Public Faith in EU Declines Due to Pandemic Handling, Survey Finds 

Public confidence in the European Union has dropped largely due to the bloc’s handling of the pandemic and its troubled procurement of coronavirus vaccines, according to a survey for the European Council on Foreign Relations of several member states.  The survey also finds dismay with the EU is spreading from peripheral southern and eastern countries to France and Germany. And doubts about the EU are extending beyond just euro-skeptic voters, warn the think tank’s researchers.    Europeans still, though, believe in the importance of multilateral cooperation between their states and a majority want the EU to become a more significant global actor, …

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В Одесі біля церкви на кладовищі знайшли трьох колишніх пацієнтів центру психічного здоров’я

Поліція розслідує залишення без допомоги трьох колишніх пацієнтів Одеського обласного медичного центру психічного здоров’я. Вони стверджують, що їх вивезли з диспансеру і залишили на кладовищі, де їх і знайшли, повідомила у фейсбуці омбсудсмен Людмила Денісова. У центрі психічного здоров’я підтвердили, що чоловіки проходили лікування, але були виписані. «Моєму представнику підтвердили, що знайдені чоловіки – їхні пацієнти, яких виписали напередодні за власним бажанням і за письмовою заявою. Та пояснили, що вказані особи перебували у задовільному психічному стані на момент огляду, до них не застосовували примусову госпіталізацію. Всі троє не були визнані судом недієздатними», – написала Денисова. Знайдених людей помістили до Одеського …

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Biden in UK on Trip to Meet with Allies, Putin

U.S. President Joe Biden meets Thursday with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on a European trip that includes high-level talks with other Western heads of state and a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The world will be watching how Biden and Johnson will interact Thursday afternoon after past disagreements on policies, including Brexit, the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union, which the Obama-Biden administration opposed.      “The chemistry hasn’t been good. President Biden had called Boris Johnson a clone of Donald Trump,” said Dan Hamilton, the director of the Global Europe Program at the Wilson Center.   Biden, who is of Irish descent, is also concerned that Brexit could undermine the Good …

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Абітурієнти в Україні сьогодні складають тест ЗНО з біології

У четвер, 10 червня, абітурієнти в Україні складають тест зовнішнього незалежного оцінювання з біології. Як повідомляє Центр оцінювання якості освіти, для проходження тесту з біології зареєструвалися 127 202 людини. «Створено 8 631 аудиторія у 551 пункті тестування. Тест налічує 50 завдань, на виконання яких відведено 150 хвилин. За правильне виконання всіх завдань можна набрати 82 бали», – йдеться в повідомленні. Учасників ЗНО допускатимуть до пункту тестування до 10:50. «Якщо учасник прибуде до пункту тестування після 10:50, його не буде допущено до участі в ЗНО. В запрошенні-перепустці зазначено проміжок часу, у який учасникові/учасниці ЗНО рекомендовано прибути до пункту тестування і пройти …

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Biden Kicks Off UK Tour  

U.S. President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden arrived in Newquay, Cornwall, Wednesday evening in anticipation of the G-7 summit, which starts Friday.Biden kicked off his United Kingdom visit earlier Wednesday with remarks to U.S. troops stationed at Royal Air Force Mildenhall, an air force station in Suffolk. The military base is used almost exclusively by American soldiers and home to the U.S. Air Force 100th Air Refueling Wing.”Thank you. We owe you. We’re so damn proud of you,” said Biden, noting the sacrifices that service members and their families have made. “You are the solid steel spine of the …

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Biden Administration Weighs New Sanctions Against Belarus

The top U.S. envoy to Belarus told U.S. lawmakers Wednesday that the country’s dependence on Russia had significantly increased. The warning came as a U.S. Senate panel considered policy options in response to Belarus’ detention last month of opposition blogger Raman Pratasevich. VOA’s Congressional Correspondent Katherine Gypson has more from Capitol Hill.Producer: Katherine Gypson. Camera: Alexei Gorbachev. …

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French Government Spokesman: Slap Won’t Stop Macron Travel

A spokesperson for French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday that an incident in which a man slapped the president would not deter his national tour.Macron was slapped Tuesday while shaking hands across a barrier in a small southeastern French town. The man in question was taken into custody, and after security initially pulled the president away from the scene, he resumed shaking hands and visiting with people a short time later.At a Paris news conference Wednesday, French government spokesman Gabriel Attal told reporters that while the presidential security detail remained as vigilant as always, no special alert had been raised …

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Europe Prepares Warm Welcome for Biden at G-7, but Skepticism Remains

Leaders of the G-7 group of industrialized nations meet this weekend in Britain, with an agenda topped by the global recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, climate change, taxation, and the challenges posed by Russia and China. The three-day summit beginning Friday will be held at Carbis Bay, a popular tourist resort in Cornwall on Britain’s southwestern peninsula. British warships are patrolling the coastline and more than 6,500 police officers have been deployed as Britain prepares to host the leaders of the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Canada. Australia, India, South Korea and South Africa also have been invited as guests. Police …

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Biden Heads to Europe for Summits with Allies and Putin 

President Joe Biden headed to Europe Wednesday on his first overseas trip as the U.S. leader, set to hold high-level talks with other Western heads of state before meeting next week with Russian President Vladimir Putin at a summit in Geneva.  As he boarded Air Force One, Biden said his goals for the trip were strengthening ties with allies, while “making it clear to Putin and to China that Europe and the United States are tight.” President Joe Biden talks to reporters prior to boarding Air Force One, from Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, June 9, 2021.Biden also said he would be …

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