Fire-fighting resources from EU nations are on their way to Greece, Italy, Albania and Northern Macedonia to help fight forest blazes, the EU crisis management commissioner said on Wednesday.

-We are working around the clock to send help as fires rage across Europe- commissioner Janez Lenarcic said in a statement.
-I thank Cyprus, Czechia, France, Slovenia and the Netherlands for swiftly deploying firefighting airplanes, helicopters and a team of firefighters to support countries heavily affected by forest fires.-The dispatch of the aircraft and firefighters were being coordinated by the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, with the European Commission picking up most of the mobilisation cost.
Greek firefighters have been battling several heatwave-fuelled forest infernos, including around Athens that have destroyed or damaged dozens of homes and businesses and forced the evacuation of villages, and others in the south and on the island of Euboea. 
Devastating fires have also scorched parts of Italy, including in Sicily and near Rome.
Both Greece and Italy are EU member states. 
EU help was also being given to non-EU neighbours, in the form of two helicopters sent to Albania and 45 Slovenian firefighters to North Macedonia.
The European Union earlier this week deployed firefighting help to Turkey, which is also struggling with violent summer wildfires that have sent residents and tourists scrambling to safety.

EU help was also being given to non-EU neighbours, in the form of two helicopters sent to Albania and 45 Slovenian firefighters to North Macedonia

Burned cars after a wildfire in Varibobi area, northern Athens, Greece, Wednesday, Aug. 4, 2021.

EU sends help to fight fires in Greece, Italy

China on Wednesday tightened overseas travel restrictions for its citizens as part of efforts to contain rising coronavirus cases, after reporting its highest number of infections in months.

The movement of people is coming under more restriction inside China - with localised transport closures and stay-at-home orders in places in some cities - and beyond China's borders.
China had previously boasted of its success in crushing Covid-19, with hard lockdowns in the early stages mixed with tight controls of its borders, but mass testing campaigns have uncovered Delta variant infections across the country.
The latest outbreak is threatening to undo the country's economic rebound and return to normal life with nearly 500 domestic cases reported since mid-July.
Local governments have tested entire cities and locked down millions, with the official figures on Wednesday revealing 71 new infections -- the most since January, but still a low caseload despite the outbreak spreading to dozens of cities.
The outbreak, which began when an infection among passengers on a flight from Moscow spread to airport cleaners in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, has exposed weaknesses in the country's already strict border containment measures.
China's immigration authority on Wednesday announced it would stop issuing ordinary passports and other documents needed for exiting the country in "non-essential and non-emergency" cases.
That does not yet mean a blanket overseas travel ban for the Chinese public.
Immigration official Liu Haitao told a press briefing that those who "have real needs for studying abroad, employment and business" will still have their documents issued upon verification.
Foreign crews on hundreds of ships have been stopped from disembarking and changing shifts at Chinese ports.
The central government has also ordered localities to cut off public transport and taxis in and out of areas hit by the outbreak, the transport ministry said at the same press conference.

Wuhan, where the virus first emerged in 2019, reported its first local infections in over a year this week and said Tuesday it was "swiftly launching" testing of all 11 million residents.

Long lines of residents waited at outdoor testing stations in the summer heat Tuesday, fanning themselves with paper forms while workers in hazmat suits took throat samples.
In Beijing, where the city government reported three new virus cases on Wednesday, authorities blocked entrances to a compound where one of the patients lived, while residents reached over fences to receive parcels from delivery drivers.
Nanjing has tested its 9.2 million residents three times after shutting down gyms and cinemas and closing off residential compounds.
And the tourist destination of Zhangjiajie in central Hunan province, where infected travellers who had been in Nanjing attended a theatre performance, abruptly announced Tuesday that no one would be allowed to exit the city after it emerged as an infection hotspot.
Meanwhile, Shanghai is investigating a Delta case detected in an airport worker this week. 
Authorities said on Wednesday the infection was not linked to other domestic cases and that they suspected the worker had been exposed after removing protective equipment while in a "contaminated area".

The latest outbreak is threatening to undo the country's economic rebound and return to normal life with nearly 500 domestic cases reported since mid-July

China is battling its biggest coronavirus outbreak in months

China restricts overseas travel to curb Covid outbreak

German police on Wednesday arrested a Syrian man for war crimes, accusing him of having fired a grenade into a crowd of civilians waiting for food and water from UN relief workers in Damascus in 2014.

At least seven people were killed in the attack allegedly carried out by Mouafak Al D. on March 23, 2014, German prosecutors said in a statement.
-The accused is strongly suspected of having committed war crimes. In connection with this, he is also charged with seven counts of murder and three counts of grievous bodily harm- said prosecutors.
At the time of the assault, the suspect is believed to have been a member of the "Free Palestine Movement" which laid siege to the southern Damascus neighbourhood of Yarmuk on behalf of Bashar al-Assad's regime.
Founded in 1957 with tents for Palestinians forced to leave their homes by the establishment of Israel, Yarmuk was once the Palestinian diaspora's largest urban settlement.
It developed into a sprawling neighbourhood that became home to 160,000 Palestinians, as well as Syrians.
But after Syria sank into a civil war in 2011, around 140,000 residents fled Yarmuk in the following year, leaving the rest to face severe food shortages under government siege.
The UN's relief agency for Palestine refugees UNRWA had access to Yarmuk and was able to conduct food distribution there until April 2015, when Islamic State jihadists entered the area.

At least seven people were killed in the attack allegedly carried out by Mouafak Al D. on March 23, 2014, German prosecutors said in a statement

At the time of the assault, the suspect is believed to have been a member of the "Free Palestine Movement" which laid siege to the southern Damascus neighbourhood of Yarmuk on behalf of Bashar al-Assad's regime

Syrian man arrested in Berlin over Damascus war crime

Pope Francis returned to work full-time on Wednesday following a colon operation, urging the international community to help a struggling Lebanon.

The 84-year-old took time to bless children and pose for selfies in the Vatican at the weekly general audience one month to the day after the delicate operation, which saw him hospitalised for over a week.
-Today I appeal to the international community to help Lebanon along the path to resurrection through concrete gestures, not just words- Francis said.
Lebanon was Wednesday marking a year since a cataclysmic explosion ravaged Beirut, killing at least 214 people in its worst peace-time disaster, when the country's economy was already in tatters.
The spiralling economic crisis has been branded by the World Bank as one of the planet's worst since the mid-19th century. Lebanon has also had to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic.
Francis said he hoped an international conference co-hosted by France and the UN on the day of the anniversary to raise humanitarian aid proves "productive".
According to the Vatican News portal, the general audience marked the resumption of normal activities for the pope, who underwent planned surgery for inflammation of the colon at Rome's Gemelli University Hospital on July 4.
Francis, who had previously been in fairly good health, had been taking it easy since the operation although he led the Sunday Angelus prayers both from hospital and from the Vatican window on his return.

The 84-year-old took time to bless children and pose for selfies

Pope back to full-time work with call for Lebanon aid

Although he was part of numerous scandals, inappropriate meetings, threats to prosecutors, journalists, Ranko Debevec, the severely compromised President of the Court of B&amp;H by the decision of the First Instance Disciplinary Commission of the HJPC was only publicly warned in disciplinary proceedings against him for several disciplinary offenses.
One of them is inappropriate contact with Osman Mehmedagić Osmica, the director of ISA, on the day when the Prosecutor's Office of B&amp;H filed a new indictment against Osmica last year. But all this was not enough to suspend Debevec and relieve him of his duties. There is ample evidence of his abuse.
This outcome, among other things, was clear when the journalists of "Avaz" were confirmed the verdict that they are not allowed to write about the compromised Debevac.
It is obvious that the HJPC B&amp;H has double standards: One for the Chief Prosecutor of the Prosecutor's Office of B&amp;H Gordana Tadić, and the other for the President of the Court of B&amp;H Ranko Debevac.

While Debevec, although he hid property in Spain, dual identity and citizenship for 14 years, threatened prosecutor Vedrana Mijović, sent mafia messages to former friends, is only publicly warned, Tadić was expressly relieved of her duties, although an appeal is still pending.
It is obvious that the great debtor of Debevac, Mehmedagić, who was saved by the President of the Court on several occasions during court proceedings and even from detention, agreed about everything with the blackmailed disciplinary prosecutor Kurspahić-Nadarević a long time ago, because she, with the help of the President of the Court, saved her father who killed pedestrian Salko Džaferović in a car on the sidewalk, from criminal responsibility.
With this decision, the HJPC B&amp;H, Bakir Izetbegović, the leader of the SDA, who controls Debevec through Osmica, still has the head of the Court and the head of the ISA at his disposal. Now he only needs to remove prosecutor Tadić in order to stop the KCUS scandals, "Ventilators" affair and the prosecution of Sebija Izetbegović and Fadil Novalić.

It is obvious that the great debtor of Debevac, Mehmedagić, who was saved by the President of the Court on several occasions, agreed about everything with the blackmailed disciplinary prosecutor Kurspahić-Nadarević a long time ago

Debevec and Mehmedagić: You save me, and I'll save you

HJPC double standards for Prosecutor Gordana Tadić and Court President Ranko Debevec

The First Instance Disciplinary Commission for Judges of the High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council of Bosnia and Herzegovina (HJPC B&amp;H/Council), deciding on the disciplinary lawsuit of the Office of the Disciplinary Prosecutor (UDT) of the HJPC B&amp;H against the defendant Ranko Debevec, President of the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, establishes the disciplinary responsibility of the defendant for disciplinary offenses prescribed in the Law on the HJPC, Article 56, item 22: “conduct in court and out of court that damages the reputation of the judicial office” and item 19: “intentionally providing false, misleading and insufficient information with any other matters within the competence of the Council ”, and related to item a) and c) of the disciplinary action.
The defendant is imposed a disciplinary measure for the stated disciplinary offenses, based on the provisions of Article 58, paragraph 1, item (b) and Article 59 of the Law on the HJPC of B&amp;H: Public reprimand.
The defendant was released from disciplinary responsibility for item b) of the disciplinary lawsuit.
An appeal against this decision may be lodged with the Second Instance Disciplinary Commission of the HJPC B&amp;H within 8 days from the day of receipt of the decision.
The Office of the Disciplinary Prosecutor (UDT) filed a lawsuit against Debevec on April 2 this year. With that report, he was charged with inappropriate and intentional contact with Osman Mehmedagić Osmica, director of ISA, for putting pressure on the Prosecutor of the Prosecutor's Office of B&amp;H Vedrana Mijović and hiding information in his annual financial report, ie that he owns real estate in Spain.
It is a scandalous decision considering that Debevec hid the property in Spain for 14 years and did not report it in the property card, which he was obliged to do.
It is obvious that the HJPC has double standards for Debevec, who is controlled by Osman Mehmedagić Osmica, the director of the ISA, and Bakir Izetbegović, the leader of the SDA.

In her closing remarks, Chief Disciplinary Prosecutor Alena Kurspahić-Nadarević emphasized that the UDT had fully proven Ranko Debevec's disciplinary responsibility and suggested that the Commission impose one or more disciplinary sanctions on him. 
-In the first point of the lawsuit, we stated that during December 2020, Debevec met in Branilaca Sarajeva Street at number 45 with Osman Mehmedagić, Director General of the Intelligence and Security Agency of B&amp;H, after which they went together to private premises owned by M. A. At the time of the defendant's meeting with the Director of ISA, a criminal case was pending before the Court of B&amp;H, with which the public was informed on the basis of media reports, initiated by the indictment of the Prosecutor's Office of B&amp;H, confirmed on November 4, 2020.The information about the meeting between the defendant and Mehmedagić was published by several electronic and written media - Kurspahić-Nadarević stated in her closing remarks.

It is obvious that the HJPC has double standards for Debevec, who is controlled by Osman Mehmedagić Osmica, ISA director, and Bakir Izetbegović, SDA leader

HJPC disciplinary commission imposes sanction: Ranko Debevec only publicly warned even though he hid property in Spain for 14 years

Two people died and dozens more were injured on Wednesday when two trains collided at a village in the west of the Czech Republic, police said.

-We can confirm that two people lost their lives- national police said on Twitter.
-Dozens of injured people were reported at the scene. We are helping with the evacuation of passengers.-The police said the accident happened shortly after 8:00 am (0600 GMT) at Milavce.
-At the moment 31 people whose lives are not in danger are being treated, seven people are in a critical state and two are dead- Plzen region rescue teams' spokesperson Maria Svobodova told iRozhlas.cz
The Munich to Prague train number Ex 351 collided with a regional service between the Czech towns of Plzen and Domazlice.
Czech Transport Minister Karel Havlicek said "the Ex 351 did not respect a signal... and crashed into the regional train".
-The situation is serious- Havlicek said as he headed to the scene of the accident.
Two train crashes in the Czech Republic in July last year left three people dead and dozens injured.

The Munich to Prague train number Ex 351 collided with a regional service between the Czech towns of Plzen and Domazlice

The police said the accident happened shortly after 8:00 am (0600 GMT) at Milavce

Two killed, dozens hurt in Czech train crash

Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Wednesday that vaccinations and renewed restrictions could spare Israel another lockdown, even as coronavirus infections soar.

-Our goal is to keep Israel open but not reach a situation where hospitals will say we're full- he said on a tour of a new vaccination centre in Jerusalem. 
-We're seeking to avoid that, and know when to hit the brakes- Bennett said.
-To refrain from harsher restrictions, we'll get vaccinated, wear masks and maintain distancing.-Bennett's government had announced a package of new restrictions Tuesday, including requiring vaccine certificates or negative tests for entry to venues holding fewer than 100 people, and mandatory mask wearing in open spaces holding more than 100.
Announcing the new restrictions, the cabinet's Covid committee warned the highly infectious Delta variant of the coronavirus was spreading fast and called on Israelis to "stop shaking hands, embracing and kissing."
The health ministry has also expanded the list of countries from which arrivals are required to quarantine, regardless of their vaccination or testing status, to include France, Italy and the United States, among other countries.
For the past week and a half, Israel has been recording an average of more than 2,000 new cases a day, with 229 people in serious condition -- the highest since April.
The rise in infections is a step back after Israel's world-leading vaccine campaign drove down new Covid-19 cases from 10,000 a day to fewer than 100.
Israel had lifted most Covid restrictions in early June, but began reimposing some of them last month following the resurgence of cases.
Nearly 60 percent of Israel's 9.3 million people have had two shots, mostly of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine. 
But about one million Israelis still refuse to be vaccinated even though they are eligible.
Israel last week rolled out a booster shot for the over-60s. It has also made children as young as 12 eligible for inoculation.

Bennett's government had announced a package of new restrictions Tuesday, including requiring vaccine certificates or negative tests for entry to venues holding fewer than 100 people, and mandatory mask wearing in open spaces holding more than 100

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett accompanies his mother Myrna as she receives a third Covid vaccine shot as part of the government's booster campaign for the over-60s

Israel reimposes more restrictions as virus surges

Greek firefighters said Wednesday that they hope to bring a forest fire blazing near Athens under control "in the coming hours".

-The situation has improved and we hope to bring the fire under control in the coming hours- the fire service said in a statement. 
More than 500 firefighters, a dozen water-bombing planes and five helicopters have been battling the blazes outside the capital since Tuesday afternoon.
Around a dozen houses have been destroyed in the flames, and dozens of businesses, bars and holiday accommodation have been severely damaged in Varympompi, 30 kilometres (20 miles) northwest of Athens, officials said.
Villages have been evacuated and part of a major motorway linking the capital with the north and south of the country was cut for safety reasons.
With the country reeling under a severe heatwave, the blaze spread at the foot of Mount Parnith, sending thick smoke over the capital.
Local media reported dozens of children had been rescued from a holiday camp near the Athens suburb of Varympompi.
-We are facing a difficult fire in extreme heatwave conditions- said Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis who went to Varympompi during the morning. 
Deputy minister for civil protection Nikos Hardalias told reporters that after "an exceptionally difficult night", with four fire fronts, "there is only one left now".
Experts have warned climate change is increasing both the frequency and intensity of the wildfires.
Several other blazes were still raging Wednesday in Greece, notably in the southern Peloponnese region, 300 kilometres from the capital, three villages were evacuated after a fire started Tuesday afternoon.
Another was blazing on the island of Euboea, some 200 kilometres east of the capital where eight villages were evacuated. 
More than 3,000 hectares (7,400 acres) of pine and olive were burned out by a fire that erupted Saturday near the city of Patras, 200 kilometres (125 miles) west of Athens. It was brought under control on Monday.
Turkey is suffering its worst fires in at least a decade, claiming the lives of eight people and forcing hundreds to evacuate in southern areas popular with tourists.

More than 500 firefighters, a dozen water-bombing planes and five helicopters have been battling the blazes outside the capital since Tuesday afternoon

Around a dozen houses have been destroyed in the flames, and dozens of businesses, bars and holiday accommodation have been severely damaged in Varympompi, 30 kilometres (20 miles) northwest of Athens

Greece hopes to bring wildfires under control 'in coming hours'

In the past 24 hours, 1,946 samples were registered with the Public Health Institute of the Federation of B&amp;H, of which 96 were positive for SARS-CoV-2.

A total of 756,059 samples have been tested so far, and SARS-CoV-2 has been confirmed in 134,741 individuals.
In the past 24 hours, no deaths were reported in the Federation of B&amp;H. The total number of deaths in the Federation of B&amp;H is 5,542.
Last week, in the Federation of B&amp;H, 36,078 people were vaccinated with the first dose, while 14,248 people received the second dose. So far, a total of 244,996 people have been vaccinated in the Federation of B&amp;H, of which 142,713 have received both doses, the Institute announced.
In Republic of Srpska, in the last 24 hours, 253 laboratory samples were tested, and coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was confirmed in 24 people.
No deaths have been reported to the Republic of Srpska Institute of Public Health in the last 24 hours.
So far, 64,497 cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Republic of Srpska, and a total of 3,809 people have died in whom a coronavirus test has been confirmed.
In the Brčko District, 146 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, of which four were positive for coronavirus. There are no new recovered or dead people, and six cases of infection are currently active.

In the Brčko District, 146 samples were tested of which four were positive for coronavirus

So far, a total of 244,996 people have been vaccinated in the Federation of B&H, of which 142,713 have received both doses

B&H registers 124 new cases of COVID-19, with no deaths

A hearing is scheduled for tomorrow in the Court of B&amp;H, according to the proposal of the Prosecutor's Office of B&amp;H to extend the custody of the accused in the "Zijad Mutap and Others" case. They are accused of covering up the murder of Dženan Memić on February 8th, 2016 in Ilidža.
We remind you that Alisa Mutap, Dženan Memić's ex-girlfriend who was with him in Great Alley on the fateful night, her father Zijad, police officers Hasan Dupovac and Josip Barić and Muamer Ožegović, an employee of the Crystal Hotel in Ilidža, are the accused.

The Prosecutor's Office of B&amp;H rightly requests that the accused, who are defending themselves at large, be returned to custody, which can now last up to three years.
As we published earlier, from the filed and confirmed indictment, which was submitted to "Avaz" from sources close to the Court, it is clear that Alisa Mutap refused to state all the facts that were very well known to her as an eyewitness and that it was established that on the fateful night she was conscious and communicative.
According to the indictment, Alisa's father Zijad is the organizer of a group whose goal was to cover up the real perpetrators and the real way in which Dženan Memić suffered severe bodily injuries as a result of which he died.
However, the indictment contains new details, primarily when it comes to SC MUP police officer Josip Barić and employee of the "Crystal" hotel in Ilidža Muamer Ožegović, who worked at the hotel reception on the fateful night.
Barić was a police officer who took a statement from Alisa Mutap at KCUS, but he did not seize her bloody sweater, although he had a clear order to do so.

The indictment also states that Barić questioned Zijad Mutap, Alisa's father, whom he has known for many years, at the KCUS. So far nothing has been known about it.
However, it is indicative that Barić also had a conversation with Alisa Mutap at KCUS, although he was not authorized to do so by the then acting prosecutor.
It was pointed out that Barić was interested in the degree of Dženan Memić's injuries and was collecting information about it. It all happened on February 8 and 9, 2016, in the late evening hours in the premises of this medical institution.
- He had informative conversations with Alisa Ramić (maiden name Mutap), knowing that Alisa Ramić (maiden name Mutap) was the only eyewitness to Dženan Memić's suffering, and he presented the content of the informative conversation with Alisa and the facts presented in official documents on several occasions in different ways. After the acting prosecutor ordered him to seize all items originating from the injured Dženan Memić and Alisa Mutap, including complete clothes with traces of blood, at the KCUS premises, he knowingly failed to seize the bloody sweater from Alisa Mutap, which was visibly bloody, which was important evidence for determining the manner and place of Dženan Memić's death - the indictment alleges.

<h2>Ožegović had access to a surveillance camera system</h2>

As for the accused Ožegović, it is stated that as a worker at the reception of the Crystal Hotel in Ilidža, it was pointed out that in order to prevent the establishment of facts and circumstances regarding the death of Dženan Memić, he "deliberately deleted surveillance camera footage from 8 to February 11, 2016. "
The prosecution stated that Ožegović had access to a surveillance camera system. Earlier, members of the SC Ministry of the Interior tried to seize the recordings, but were prevented from doing so due to a power outage.
- After members of the SC Ministry of the Interior re-entered the premises of the Crystal Hotel on 22 June 2016, they established that the videos had been intentionally deleted, which was also established in the SC Ministry of the Interior's expert report of 15 March 2016 and the findings of the Agency for Forensic Examinations of April 19, 2016 - the indictment alleges. 
Prosecutors believe that surveillance camera footage of the Crystal Hotel provided important evidence to establish all the circumstances.

Barić was a police officer who took a statement from Alisa Mutap at KCUS on the fateful night, but he did not seize her bloody sweater. The question is who ordered him to take a statement from Zijad Mutap

Josip Barić: Why didn't he seize the bloody sweater of Alisa Mutap

We reveal new details from the indictment in the "Memić" case: Who did police officer Barić talk to at KCUS on the fateful night and how Ožegović deleted surveillance footage from the "Crystal" hotel in Ilidža

America's largest city will become the first to mandate that people show proof of coronavirus vaccines to get into indoor restaurants, gyms and entertainment venues, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced Tuesday.

The mayor said all workers and customers in those industries will have to show proof of at least one dose of the vaccine.
-We're setting the pace!- he enthusiastically said as he rolled out the plan that he is calling "The Key to NYC."
De Blasio pointed to the surging Delta variant as a driving force behind his plan and he included a health scientist at his announcement who talked about the severity of the variant.
-We have a real different threat here- he said, -and we need new measures like this.-He called his plan a first-in-the-nation approach that will encourage more people to get the vaccines. Hesitancy about the vaccines, even outright hostility, has hampered efforts in some parts of the country where cases and hospitalizations are surging.
The mayor said his plan will take effect Aug. 16, while enforcement will begin Sept. 13.
-We want to give businesses time to get acclimated- he said.
A number of conservative critics have lashed out at the possibility of so-called vaccine passports. A top Republican leader in Oklahoma has been calling vaccine passports a form of segregation, similar to Jews being forced to wear the Star of David during World War II.
A member of the New York City Council who joined de Blasio in the announcement applauded the plan but acknowledged that it would be controversial. De Blasio remained enthusiastic.
-We know this is what is going to turn the tide- he said. -This is an easy approach … just show it and you're in.-

'Just show it and you're in,' Mayor Bill de Blasio says in latest effort to boost vaccination in US's largest city

The mayor said his plan will take effect Aug. 16, while enforcement will begin Sept. 13

New York City to require vaccine proof for gyms, restaurants, entertainment

Bangladesh on Tuesday extended the existing COVID-19 lockdown restrictions to be effective until Aug. 10 as the prevailing situation across the country continued worsening.

The South Asian country has implemented a 14-day strict lockdown since July 23 amid surging coronavirus deaths and infections, Bangladesh Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haque told the reporters following an inter-ministerial meeting on the COVID-19 situation in Dhaka.
However, amid the growing demand from the factory and shops owners association, the minister said malls, businesses, and offices will be allowed to reopen on Aug. 11 with strictly maintaining health guidelines.
The public transportation will operate with half of its seat capacity after Aug. 10, he added.
The government has a target of administering 10 million doses of COVID-19 vaccines in just one week, with citizens aged above 18 to be eligible for vaccination as the government is planning to return to normalcy gradually from Aug. 10.
-Citizens aged over 18 will not be allowed to move on streets without being vaccinated. All shop owners will have to take vaccines by Aug. 7, 8, and 9 to reopen their shops and malls after Aug. 10- the minister added.

<h2>Gov't to rent hotels as hospital beds almost fully occupied</h2>

The government was considering renting hotels to extend COVID-19 treatment amid the growing demands for beds in hospitals across the country, Health Minister Zahid Maleque told the media after the inter-ministerial meeting.

-Ninety percent of general beds and 95% Incentive Care Unit (ICU) beds have already been occupied. And, to meet the demand, we are working to prepare a field hospital having 500-600 COVID beds at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University in Dhaka- the minister added.
Not all COVID-19 patients require a hospital facility, so we are thinking of renting hotels for the patients with mild symptoms, while doctors, nurses, medicine, and arrangement of oxygen support will be ensured at those facilities, the minister added.
Meanwhile, over 235 people died due to the disease in the past 24 hours, raising the death toll to 20,397, with a rising death rate of 1.65%, according to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
At least 15,776 new infections were registered, nearing the caseload to 1.3 million, with a daily 28.54% positivity rate, the DGHS noted.
Amid the alarming spike in infections with the presence of the Delta variant, Bangladesh has so far inoculated only 5.17% of its 170 million population.

Gov't to rent hotels to treat COVID-19 patients with mild symptoms as hospital beds almost occupied, health minister says

Meanwhile, over 235 people died due to the disease in the past 24 hours, raising the death toll to 20,397

Bangladesh extends lockdown with worsening pandemic situation

The United States has now donated more than 100 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine to other countries, the White House said Tuesday.

It said this is more than that donated by all other countries combined and marks "just the beginning" of President Joe Biden's efforts to ship the live-saving medicine around the world.
The United States has shipped 111,701 doses to 60 countries, mostly through the international vaccine distribution system known as Covax, but also in conjunction with organizations such as the African Union and the Caribbean Community, or CARICOM. 
-According to the United Nations, this is more than the donations of all other countries combined and reflects the generosity of the American spirit- a White House statement said.
Major recipients of donated vaccine include Indonesia, the Philippines, Colombia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and South Africa.
The does "are just the beginning of the Administration’s efforts to provide vaccines to the world," the statement reads.
Starting late this month the United States will start sending 500 million Pfizer doses that it has pledged to purchase and donate to 100 low-income countries.
The White House insisted that the US does not use vaccines to curry favor with other countries and just wants to save lives. China and Russia have been accused of engaging in so-called "vaccine diplomacy".
Biden was to give a speech later Tuesday to discuss his efforts to push vaccination abroad and at home, as the Delta variant surges and triggers new coronavirus health restrictions by government authorities and companies.

Major recipients of donated vaccine include Indonesia, the Philippines, Colombia, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and South Africa

Starting late this month the United States will start sending 500 million Pfizer doses that it has pledged to purchase and donate to 100 low-income countries

US says it has donated more than 100 mn vaccine doses

The new High Representative in B&amp;H, Christian Schmidt, met today with B&amp;H Presidency Chairman Željko Komšić and Presidency member Šefik Džaferović, said that B&amp;H would return to the international agenda with the help of the international community. 

-Today I am officially in the Presidency for the first time and it was the first meeting on my schedule since I took over the duty of the High Representative in B&amp;H. I will perform this duty with a firm determination to help the people of this country, I will use all my strength and not only my own but also the strength of the international community and my influence to achieve that- Schmidt said after the meeting.
In his work, he says that he relies on the support of the Peace Implementation Council and close cooperation with the European Union and especially the United States.
-In accordance with the Dayton Peace Agreement, I will see the Presidency of B&amp;H and the institutions of B&amp;H as the first of my work partners in accordance with the Constitution. The integrity of B&amp;H with the two entities must be protected and with the help of the international community of B&amp;H we will return to the international agenda. We will all work together on 14 priorities for B&amp;H's accession to the European Union, and especially on the protection of the territorial integrity of the state- says Schmidt.
He expressed regret that B&amp;H Presidency member Milorad Dodik did not attend the meeting today.
-I am convinced that we will find opportunities to meet and work together, because it is our obligation - to work in the best interest of the people and B&amp;H. I will continue to talk to everyone and I am convinced that we will reach a constructive dialogue- said Schmidt.
He underlined that it is not only up to the international community to show the progress that is expected and to move forward.
-It's on everyone. Everyone in office at the state, entity, cantonal and municipal levels should work towards this goal. One cannot expect someone to come from outside and do a miracle. Everyone must think carefully about how they can contribute to betterment of the country and for B&amp;H to join the EU. No one in the EU can understand that someone does not want to cooperate. After the difficult experience of the Second World War, the EU is based on cooperation, mutual understanding and tolerance. I am not here just to watch what is happening and wait, I am here to be active and rest assured that I will be- Schmidt pointed out.

He underlined that it is not only up to the international community to show the progress that is expected and to move forward

Schmidt: I will talk to everyone, I am confident in a constructive dialogue

Uzbekistan has passed a law allowing employers to prevent staff from working if they are not vaccinated against the coronavirus, state media reported on Tuesday.

The measure comes as Uzbekistan and other countries in the former Soviet region toughen up their vaccination campaigns with the Delta variant of the virus seen driving fresh outbreaks. 
Employers in Uzbekistan will be permitted to suspend employees if they refuse to get vaccinated, according to the law signed by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Exceptions to the rule are employees who have health conditions that prevent them from receiving the vaccine. 
Uzbekistan, a Central Asian country of over 34 million people, borders two countries, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, who have made vaccinations compulsory for citizens over the age of 18. 
Another neighbour, Kazakhstan, a country of 19 million, ordered mandatory vaccinations for most workers last month. 
Uzbekistan has broken its record for daily coronavirus cases several times in recent weeks, although officials have admitted that registered totals may be undercounts. 
As of Tuesday, the country has reported more than 130,000 cases and over 890 deaths.

Exceptions to the rule are employees who have health conditions that prevent them from receiving the vaccine

Employers in Uzbekistan will be permitted to suspend employees if they refuse to get vaccinated, according to the law signed by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev

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News

EU sends help to fight fires in Greece, Italy

China restricts overseas travel to curb Covid outbreak

Syrian man arrested in Berlin over Damascus war crime

Pope back to full-time work with call for Lebanon aid

HJPC double standards for Prosecutor Gordana Tadić and Court President Ranko Debevec

HJPC disciplinary commission imposes sanction: Ranko Debevec only publicly warned even though he hid property in Spain for 14 years

Two killed, dozens hurt in Czech train crash

Israel reimposes more restrictions as virus surges

Greece hopes to bring wildfires under control 'in coming hours'

B&H registers 124 new cases of COVID-19, with no deaths

We reveal new details from the indictment in the "Memić" case: Who did police officer Barić talk to at KCUS on the fateful night and how Ožegović deleted surveillance footage from the "Crystal" hotel in Ilidža

New York City to require vaccine proof for gyms, restaurants, entertainment

Bangladesh extends lockdown with worsening pandemic situation

US says it has donated more than 100 mn vaccine doses

Schmidt: I will talk to everyone, I am confident in a constructive dialogue

Uzbekistan allows employers to suspend unvaccinated staff