Cyprus is to pay compensation to the families of the four Egyptian farm labourers who died in the island’s wildfire at the weekend, the interior minister announced Wednesday.

The cabinet approved a budget of over 5.2 million euros ($6.1 million) to compensate people who lost their homes and businesses in the blaze, including families of the four Egyptians aged 24 to 36.
One of the Egyptians was a father of three, and another victim had four children.
Extending his condolences to their families, Interior Minister Nicos Nouris said they would receive 95,000 euros each and an additional €30,000 for each child.
Nouris said provisions would also be made for the Egyptian victims’ children to be granted scholarships at higher education institutions in Cyprus when they finish school.
The deadly wildfire raged for two days before it was brought under control on Monday.
Fanned by strong winds, the blaze broke out Saturday and swept through southern parts of the Troodos mountain range before being reined in by water bombing by Greek and Israeli aircraft.
The fire, described as the worst since the independence of Cyprus in 1960, destroyed nearly 100 homes and businesses, damaged power lines and forced the evacuation of 10 villages.
The four Egyptians died trying to escape the village of Odos, where they worked on a tomato plantation.
A 67-year-old farmer was arrested and remanded in custody on suspicion of causing the blaze, a charge he has denied.

One of the Egyptians was a father of three, and another victim had four children

A helicopter flies over the forest fire in Cyprus

Cyprus to compensate families of Egyptian victims of wildfire

Kazakhstan on Tuesday marked the 23rd anniversary of the establishment of its capital, Nur-Sultan, which was built from scratch.

Capital City Day, also known as Day of Nur-Sultan, is marked every July 6 as a public holiday.
Declaring its independence on Dec. 16, 1991 following the collapse of the Soviet Union, Kazakhstan decided to move the nation’s capital from Almaty in the south to the northern city of Akmola in 1997.
The decree was signed by Kazakhstan's then-President Nursultan Nazarbayev, despite strong criticism from government officials, parliamentarians and intellectuals.
-There were very few supporters of this decision at that time, and I understand this. Because the Soviet Union had collapsed, we went our own way. There was not even money to pay the pension in the country- said Nazarbayev, commenting on the decision.
As a result, work began on rebuilding Akmola -- a small city with harsh winters and under-developed infrastructure -- as the capital of Kazakhstan.
In 1998, the name of the city was changed to Astana, which means “capital” in Kazakh.
World-renowned architects such as Norman Foster and Kisho Kurokawa took part in the construction of the city. The important symbolic and state buildings and social facilities in the capital were built by Turkish construction companies.
While the population of the city was initially 300,000, it reached 1.2 million as time passed.
The capital has not only become the country’s political, economic and tourist center but is also a national brand.
Following Nazarbayev's resignation as president on March 19, 2019, the name Astana was changed to Nur-Sultan by parliament upon the proposal of his successor, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Capital City Day, which is marked with colorful events throughout the country every year, is being celebrated with limited cultural events this year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Capital City Day, also known as Day of Nur-Sultan, is public holiday celebrated every July 6

In 1998, the name of the city was changed to Astana, which means “capital” in Kazakh

Kazakhstan marks 23rd anniversary of capital’s establishment

Despite a strict lockdown and mass testing drive, the Chinese border town of Ruili is seeing an increasing number of locally transmitted COVID-19 infections, data released on Wednesday showed.

According to the National Health Commission, 15 new cases of local transmission were recorded in the city, which is in China’s Yunan province and lies on the border with Myanmar.
The Delta variant of the virus, which was first detected in India, has also been found in the city, Chinese daily Global Times reported.
Over the past few days, 21 local transmission cases have now been recorded in Ruili, which is the second Chinese city after Guangzhou where the highly transmissible Delta strain has been found.
Throughout China, a total of 57 new infections were reported, with 42 of them being imported cases, according to latest figures.
At least 25 of the new imported cases were in Hubei province, the commission said.
Hubei’s capital Wuhan, believed by many to be the place where the global outbreak originated, has seen 56 infections over the past few days, all of them being imported cases, including 52 from Afghanistan.
China’s overall case tally since December 2019 now stands at 91,949, including 4,636 deaths.

21 cases of local transmission recorded in Ruili on China-Myanmar border over past few days, data shows

Throughout China, a total of 57 new infections were reported, with 42 of them being imported cases, according to latest figures

Local infections rise in Chinese border city with virus Delta strain

A search team found the remains of 19 people Wednesday after a passenger plane crashed in Russia's remote far eastern Kamchatka peninsula and the governor promised relatives "all necessary help."

The An-26 plane flying from Kamchatka's main city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to the coastal town of Palana with 28 people on board disappeared and crashed on Tuesday.
Search teams later found wreckage of the plane near Palana after it was believed to have flown into a cliff. 
-Fragments of 19 bodies have been found- the regional branch of the emergencies ministry said in a statement.
The 28 people on board included six crew and 22 passengers, including two minors. All were presumed dead.
More than 50 people combed the coast of the Okhotsk Sea, officials said.
The search operation -- complicated by fog, strong winds and waves -- was halted for the night.
Kamchatka is a vast peninsula popular with adventure tourists for its abundant wildlife, live volcanoes and black sand beaches.
Governor Vladimir Solodov declared a three-day mourning period beginning Wednesday and said families of the victims would receive 3.5 million rubles ($47,000).
In Palana, Solodov also met with relatives of those killed in the crash and promised them "all necessary help." 
He said authorities would "do everything to help them live through this tragedy," his office quoted him as saying. 
In a telegram to the Kamchatka governor, President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences. 
Officials have said the plane -- built in 1982 -- was in good condition and passed safety checks. 
Russia's Investigative Committee, which probes major crimes and incidents, said it was looking at three potential causes of the accident: poor weather conditions, technical malfunctions, or pilot error.
An-26 planes, which were manufactured from 1969 until 1986 during the Soviet era and are still used throughout the former USSR for civilian and military transport, have been involved in a number of accidents in recent years.

The An-26 plane flying from Kamchatka's main city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky to the coastal town of Palana with 28 people on board disappeared and crashed on Tuesday

Search teams later found wreckage of the plane near Palana after it was believed to have flown into a cliff

19 bodies found from plane crash in far eastern Russia

Investigators in Germany on Wednesday searched the homes of two men suspected of helping to plan last year's deadly terrorist attack in Vienna, federal prosecutors said.

Named as Kosovan Blinor S. and German Drilon G., the pair are accused of meeting the attacker through the radical Islamist scene and knowing about the planned rampage but failing to report it.
On November 2, 2020, convicted Islamic State sympathiser Kujtim Fejzulai killed four people in the Austrian capital before being shot dead by police.
It was the first major attack in Austria in decades and the first blamed on a jihadist.
Blinor S. and Drilon G. had been "in close contact with (Fejzulai) via social media for some time before the attack", prosecutors said. 
The suspects, who live in Osnabrueck and Kassel, are accused of travelling to Vienna to visit Fejzulai for several days in July 2020, shortly after he procured the automatic rifle used in the rampage.
They stayed overnight in his flat and met other members of the Islamist scene from Austria and Switzerland, the prosecutors said.
DNA from participants in these meetings has since been found on the weapons used in the attack, as well as on the ring worn by the attacker.
It is likely the pair knew Fejzulai was planning the attack "due to their close personal relationship" with him and "their common radical Islamist convictions", the prosecutors said.
The two men are also accused of trying to conceal their connections to Fejzulai by deleting mobile phone chats and social media content on the evening of November 2, 2020, shortly before the attack.

Named as Kosovan Blinor S. and German Drilon G., the pair are accused of meeting the attacker through the radical Islamist scene and knowing about the planned rampage but failing to report it

It was the first major attack in Austria in decades and the first blamed on a jihadist

Two under investigation in Germany over 2020 Vienna attack

SDA President Bakir Izetbegović, as a guest on Hayat television, once again confirmed that he plans to run for the Presidency of B&amp;H.
-I would be happy for Mr. Radončić to enter the race again, races with him are always interesting, he has his temperament and his way, so it would be interesting and fun to enter a race with him and Nikšić, possibly with Zvizdić, if he gets support, it will not be boring that's for sure - Izetbegović announced succinctly and conciliatory.

Of course, there is no doubt that his optimistic words and compliments are just a bluff that has completely different goals beneath the surface. And the goal is to invite as many opponents as possible for the Bosniak member of the Presidency in the 2022 elections.
It is significant that in the same interview, Izetbegović recalled 2010, when, allegedly as an outsider, he managed to beat Silajdžić and Radončić in the race for the Presidency. It was in 2010 that the multitude of rivals in the elections enabled him to "win as an outsider", with officially only 20,000 votes more than Radončić, but with numerous irregularities and an enormous number of annulled votes.
The same thing happened again in 2014, when he had about forty thousand more votes than Radončić, followed by Emir Suljagić, Bakir Hadžiomerović, Sefer Halilović, Mustafa Cerić and many others.
It is clear why Izetbegović and the Party of Democratic Action like as many opponents as possible and the more fragmented opposition. Thirty years of SDA rule also meant controlling those who count the votes, and votes are always easier to steal when you have a multitude on the ballots, not just two or three options.
Thirty years of power also meant 30 years of resource control. Resource control therefore meant controlling the lives and jobs of a good portion of the electorate, all of which ultimately meant controlling votes.

Instructed by the experiences of the previous elections, the part of the opposition gathered around „the troika“ decided to run in the local elections at the micro level of the Sarajevo Canton with joint candidates for mayors. As a result, they „swept“ the SDA from the capital.
It is clear to Izetbegović that the number of dissatisfied with the catastrophic results of the policy of him and his party in society far exceeds the number of SDA supporters. A joint opposition candidate would certainly mean Izetbegović's convincing defeat in the elections. Therefore, it is clear that in the coming months, the SDA will make great efforts to break up the opposition with various intrigues, pressures and tempting offers, and to bring a disorganized orchestra against itself in the 2022 elections.
The biggest challenge for the opposition by 2022 will be to go to the polls in one piece and with joint candidates. Anything else would mean victory for the SDA even before the election.

Significantly, after months of frantic attacks and accusations by the SDA machinery against political rivals, Izetbegović suddenly decided to use a conciliatory tone towards opposition leaders and even called on opposition parties to work together to resolve the Election Law to meet international verdicts.
Izetbegović's apparent extension of the hand to the opposition a little over a year before the elections, in the midst of strong scandals and catastrophic policies, aims to create the impression that the SDA is not the cause of the problem that needs to be removed, but a legitimate partner in the fight for a common goal. However, this lowering of the tone and the attempt to soften the opposition and break it up more easily is too naive and too transparent even for Izetbegović.

It is clear to Izetbegović that the number of dissatisfied with the catastrophic results of the policy of him and his party in society far exceeds the number of SDA supporters

Izetbegović: Nostalgically remembers 2010

What is Bakir afraid of?

Director for Western Europe, Western Balkans, Turkey and the United Kingdom in the European External Action Service Angelina Eichhorst spoke in an exclusive interview with „Dnevni avaz“ about what changes to the B&amp;H Election Law are needed, as well as the Constitution and the Dayton Agreement.&nbsp;

Negotiations are under way to make amends to the B&amp;H Election Law. What changes are needed to make the upcoming general elections transparent?
-We had really good meetings today (yesterday, Op. cit.), very clear messages were sent. As Ambassador Sattler and Ambassador Nelson repeated, one message of togetherness, one transatlantic message, if I may say so. But, somehow, also a message that is close to a lot of citizens. On the one hand, you have verdicts of the European Court of Human Rights, a significant number of cases and verdicts in those cases that needs to be implemented.
On the other hand, you have the possibility of amending the Constitution, you have a number of recommendations of the Venice Commission, OSCE, ODIHR/GRECO, so you have all the things to be considered in the context of the Election Law, work on the elections for the Presidency, House of Peoples. .. Most citizens, in fact, more or less know what are the issues that needs to be addressed. It is also part of the package from the Opinion of the European Commission or, in short, B&amp;H's path to the EU.
Today (yesterday, Op. cit.) the clearest message was that there is one awareness of importance, and not only importance but also urgency. That is the year when there are no elections, you now have the opportunity. The EU, of course, wants the elections to take place next year, and to that end we are doing all of this to improve the electoral framework. We are aware that this is a complex matter, it is easy to say, eliminate discrimination or election fraud, but it entails a lot of work. The basic thing is, get involved, get to work. An Interdepartmental Working Group has been established, which includes all actors. A lot of work has already been done, they have already met several times. It is very important that they can meet outside the media, therefore, not always under the spotlight. 
In short, there are clear messages about what needs to be done. Now, the question remains what are the attitudes of different political entities. We need to see where some, perhaps, common grounds is and what could be a winning combination, not for two, but for all sides. 
Because we really want a solution that will satisfy everyone, not something that would satisfy the leading parties. We want something that is satisfactory to all political actors and to society as a whole. Today (yesterday, Op. cit.) we had lunch with one part of the opposition. We remain engaged at the level of Brussels, of course, with the full support of our colleagues on the ground, Ambassador Satler and his associates, member states. We will consistently follow that in Brussels as well. We have all the mechanisms that can lead to results. This is quite ambitious, but I don't think it's impossible.

General elections are schelduled for next year. Do we have enough time to implement all the necessary changes to the Election Law?
-Yes, this is actually a good question, from my experience in such processes, when there is political will and when it is clear to people what needs to be done, and the question remains how it should be done, I think it is possible. If nothing else, some of the steps can be implemented. I can’t guess if they will be successful in modifying any of these aspects, because these are quite demanding things.
Amendments, changes of regulations, so it's really a lot of work, but what's important is that you always have a moment in life when you draw the line and say - okay, we've made some strides, now it's July and the European Union will too talk about the situation in B&amp;H. You have a session of the Council in July, we have a big summit in October, so we will reconsider the situation in B&amp;H. Of course, next year's elections. But there are usually those political moments where everyone somehow wonders - well, what's going on here?
And I really think that it is in the interest of all subjects for the answer to be "it happens that we are working on it, we are ready to find a solution". This would not be the first time, I know that there have been a lot of attempts in the past, packages ... I just said in a conversation with Ambassador Sattler that we do not look back at all and do not refer to some earlier model names. I'm not saying that we are starting from scratch, but this is now an attempt to look forward once again, without talking about how it used to be, and come to a solution.
When it comes to the rule of law, where have we failed and what changes are needed?
-Maybe to formulate it differently and think differently as well - where we were successful. But I think that Ambassador Sattler has repeated this many times, there are, indeed, concrete amendments to the law, as well as laws that need to be adopted. They can’t stay in drawers forever. We are talking about the Law on Public Procurement, the Law on the HJPC. As for, in particular, the Law on Public Procurement, there is a real opportunity at the end of July for its adoption. We are only talking about the adoption of legislation here.
But it is not only the legislation that matters, you must also have an electoral framework, within which citizens believe that elections are conducted in accordance with the principles of transparency, where any embezzlement of election results is prevented, citizens, if they go to the polls, their vote matters . That is the essence of any democratic process, so that you know, if you voted, that your vote is recognized. But it is not only a question of the rule of law but also of functionality. If at the FBH level you do not have the necessary elements and tools, if you do not have the appointment of ministers, if you do not have decision-making structures, then it is simply not easy.
I know it's not easy. But, again, we need to somehow look at what has been done and that may have been one of the key messages of these meetings. The agreement in Mostar was implemented. You had elections in Mostar after 12 years. So this is one example of an extremely important agreement that has been agreed upon very concretely. An agreement has been reached, implemented, elections have been held, you have a mayor, you have a strategy for working on war crimes cases, which has now been adopted.
Then, there are several steps that have been taken in the context of public administration reform, so certain steps have been taken, but we must not forget that the dynamics there have been slow, perhaps too slow. There are a lot of activities of the international community as well, but I think we have a lot of new, young voters, but also people on the political scene who clearly want to address these issues.

Many say the Dayton Peace Agreement is the brake on B&amp;H's progress. What changes are needed in the agreement and the B&amp;H Constitution in order for the country to make progress?

- You may have already heard this in the statements of High Representative Borrell, during his visit to B&amp;H last year, I was also with him and I think it was very clear that Dayton exists as a framework in which everyone acts, but we want to see B&amp;H make that transition from Dayton to Brussels.
And these really aren’t just some mere phrases, but we want to see real work. And that means working on European standards, working on the acquis. Because one day when you open negotiations on the joining EU, you have to work on taking over the whole acquis. You are now still in the phase when you need to realize 14 key priorities from the Opinion of the European Commission. There have been some issues that may be simpler and can be resolved sooner than others, but, in general, it is a framework. So this transition from Dayton to Brussels is a good guideline where the future of this country lies.
How far have we progressed on the European path? What else do we have to fulfill?
-It's a little harder question in the sense that we're not here to judge anyone. But, in principle, everyone knows clearly what are the priorities that need to be met. We should not forget the economy or socio-economic reforms in general, we talked about that as well. But here, I will say it as follows - progress is not fast enough, it is too slow. Your work on realizing the priorities from the Opinion can bring you closer to what we all want, and that is candidate status, and generally speed up your accession process. And the only message for now is to continue to work hard and give priority to the functionality of institutions, adopt the necessary laws and show everyone in B&amp;H that progress is possible.

A new High Representative, German politician Christian Schmidt, is coming to B&amp;H in August. What changes will Schmidt make?
- We, of course, work closely with the OHR and will continue to work closely, no doubt. The OHR has played a very important role in harmonizing the Mostar agreement. Thanks to our presence and commitment, we have an entire EU program where we work closely with the OHR and we will definitely continue to do so. The OHR has a very clear fulfilling mandate, the so-called 5 plus 2 agenda, which is important to us.
We are focused on Opinion, on the implementation of Opinion. All EU member states have agreed on that. I don't think it's a person who matters, just that person. It is simply an important institution as such. We have good relations. We agree with them, we act constructively within its framework and in addition you have an overall European agenda. And we, of course, try to ensure complementarity, synergy to work on achieving common goals. I think that's clear.

At the end of April, the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, stated that you are behind the non-paper on resolving the Kosovo issue. Also, in the last few weeks, the story of non-paper related to B&amp;H is current... 
- I think that question has already been asked and that we have given an answer. We don’t make non-papers, non-questions or anything like that. A lot of media attention went to that non-paper story, which I think upset and confused the public, it didn’t help at all.
Especially when you have a very clear direction, a clear path and clear messages about what the EU wants, not only for B&amp;H but for the whole region. Well, now that others appear with some of their other agendas, then we can only urge you to make one reasonable assessment based on your own knowledge and information available. We focus only on what matters. I can only say, stay on your set course, don't be distracted by various distractions in the media. Stick to the set path.

Changes to the Election Law are possible if there is political will, she pointed out

Eichhorst: Accelerate the process of joining EU

Angelina Eichhorst for "Avaz": Make the transition from Dayton to Brussels

The Parliament of Kosovo has passed a resolution on Wednesday condemning the Srebrenica genocide.

A total of 89 MPs voted in favor of the resolution, no one was against or abstained. Before the vote on the Resolution, the representatives of the Serbian List left the Parliament.
Ten Serb lawmakers left the session when Bosniak lawmaker Bahri Shabani took the floor to argue the draft of the resolution, Kosovo media reports.
On the eve of the 26th anniversary of the genocide committed against Bosniaks in Srebrenica, members of the Kosovo Parliament, at the suggestion of the Bosniak community living in Kosovo, voted and adopted a Resolution on the Srebrenica genocide.
The resolution includes a ban on denial of the Srebrenica genocide and is an act of solidarity with the suffering of Bosniaks in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
With the adoption of the Resolution, Kosovo joined many democratic countries and international institutions that condemned the genocide in Srebrenica and showed solidarity in condemning the crime.

Before the vote on the Resolution, the representatives of the Serbian List left the Parliament

Parliament of Kosovo passes a Resolution on the Srebrenica genocide

Members of the Operational Task Force for the Situation with Migrants in the Una-Sana Canton (USC) analyzed the current situation at today's meeting, and once again noted a significant decrease in the number of migrants and refugees in this part of B&amp;H.

-Currently, about 1,250 migrants and refugees are accommodated in three reception camps in the area of ​​our canton. According to our data, almost a thousand more are staying in unregistered camps, i.e. in public areas and abandoned buildings. The reasons for the significant reduction in the number of migrants in the USC are even more difficult circumstances with the crossing of the border with the Republic of Croatia in this area, as well as the more concrete engagement of competent state institutions when it comes to controlling the movement and stay of migrants in B&amp;H- said the Una-Sana Canton Interior Minister Nermin Kljajić.
He added that in the coming period, an attempt will be made to stop the supply of food to those unregistered camps, in order to place these people in official reception centers.
- We have to do that because as long as food is delivered to such locations, migrants will stay in such improvised camps due to the proximity of the border and the lack of control. Unfortunately, we currently have a dozen such locations in the area of ​​Bihać and Velika Kladuša. We have to put an end to this because of the safety, but also the health and epidemiological situation. With the construction of the center in Lipa, there will be enough space to accommodate all people in official and controlled camps with dignified living conditions- said Minister Kljajić.
The minister also confirmed that the works on the construction of a migrant settlement at the Lipa site near Bihać are in progress, but the planned deadline for construction will not be met, so migrants will probably move into this center with a capacity of about 1,500 beds, probably not before September.

In the coming period, an attempt will be made to stop the supply of food to those unregistered camps, in order to place these people in official reception centers

About 2,250 migrants in the USC, almost a thousand outside the reception camps

In the past 24 hours, 1,186 samples were registered with the Public Health Institute of the Federation of B&amp;H, of which 19 were positive for SARS-CoV-2.

In the past 24 hours, one new death was reported in the Federation of B&amp;H, in the Tuzla Canton.
The total number of deaths in the Federation of B&amp;H is 5,530.
In Brčko, 72 people were tested, and all of them were negative for Covid-19, while the recovery of six patients has been recorded.
In the entity of Republic of Srpska, 181 samples were tested in the last 24 hours, and coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was confirmed in one person.
No deaths have been reported to the RS Institute of Public Health in the last 24 hours.
The total number of hospitalized in the RS is 41.

In Brčko, 72 people were tested, and all of them were negative for coronavirus

In the past 24 hours, one new death was reported in the Federation of B&H, in the Tuzla Canton

COVID-19 confirmed in 20 people in B&H, with one death

Turkmenistan announced Wednesday it was introducing mandatory vaccinations for all adults even though the secretive Central Asian country claims to have registered no coronavirus cases.

The state mouthpiece, the Neutral Turkmenistan newspaper, said that all citizens aged over 18 "should be vaccinated." Those with medical contraindications will be exempted from inoculations, the newspaper said, citing the health ministry.
-To make preventive vaccinations effective, each of us should actively participate in this process- the health ministry said. 
Turkmenistan is one of the few countries, along with North Korea, yet to declare a single case of the coronavirus. 
The isolated Central Asian country has approved two Russian and two Chinese vaccines.
Turkmenistan leader Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov said in an interview published in early June that "thanks to work (we) have carried out", Turkmenistan has "yet to discover a case of this disease." 
While Turkmenistan has no local independent media, foreign-based media have regularly cast doubt on the coronavirus-free claim. 
A Turkish diplomat stationed in Turkmenistan was reported as dying from the disease last year and the United Kingdom's ambassador admitted on social media in December that he had contracted the coronavirus while in the country. 
Last weekend, another Central Asian country, Tajikistan, made vaccines mandatory for citizens aged 18 and older.

Those with medical contraindications will be exempted from inoculations

Turkmenistan is one of the few countries, along with North Korea, yet to declare a single case of the coronavirus

Turkmenistan orders compulsory vaccinations

Matthew Palmer, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs, paid an official visit to the Brčko District yesterday and met with the Mayor of Brčko Esed Kadrić, President of the Brčko Assembly Siniša Milić, Deputy Mayor Ante Domić and Deputy Speaker of the Assembly Ivo Filipović. The meeting with District officials was attended by Brčko Supervisor Michael Scanlan.

The leaders of the Government and the Assembly of the Brčko District of B&amp;H visited the Port of Brčko with Palmer, where the reconstruction and modernization of the only river port in B&amp;H has begun, which will increase the competitiveness of the Brčko District of B&amp;H in economic development.
US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Matthew Palmer pointed out that it is a pleasure and honor to be on his first visit to Brčko, where, as he stated, many interesting changes are taking place.
-This is my first visit but not the last. A lot of progress has been made, and the Port of Brčko is another indicator of that. There is also the construction of a motorway and a bridge where agreements are underway. As important as the development of heavy infrastructure is, so are events related to the so-called light industry, recently adopted regulations in the field of conflict of interest regulation and public gathering, which is another indication that leaders in Brčko are able to gather around the same table, find a compromise and an agreement for the betterment of all citizens- Palmer pointed out.
The Mayor of the Brčko District of B&amp;H, Esed Kadrić, said that Palmer recognized the activities in Brčko, which include the establishment of institutions that deal with the prevention of conflicts of interest and the fight against corruption, as well as commitment of the incumbent government to the implementation of major infrastructure projects and business initiatives of private investors who want to invest in this area.
-This is the only city, which is not the capital of a country, where Palmer came and we recognize it as a kind of support for the policies we pursue. Such visits send a message to the public that this area is of great strategic importance and I look forward to the international community recognizing Brčko's potential district of B&amp;H, both for B&amp;H and for the region- concluded Kadrić.

Supervisor Michael Scanlan also attended the meeting

Picture taken yesterday in Brčko District

Matthew Palmer: Major changes are taking place in Brčko

Young Londoners getting their first vaccine jabs this week will be entered in a draw to win tickets for the Euro 2020 football final, the city's mayor announced Tuesday.

The incentive comes as the vaccine roll-out is now targeting those aged 18 and over, and England are in the last four and on the verge of their first major championship final and trophy since 1966.
The final will be played at London's Wembley Stadium on Sunday.
Unlike some other countries, Britain has not had to offer anything to encourage take-up of Covid vaccines.
But the government is in a race against time to jab as many people as possible to slow the rapid spread of the Delta variant, as the economy reopens.
The offer is "an incentive to younger Londoners to receive the jab", London Mayor Sadiq Khan told AFP in an interview.
Londoners who come to walk-in vaccination centres or make appointments for a first jab could win a pair of tickets to the Euro final or 50 more tickets for an "exclusive viewing" on Trafalgar Square, he said.
Khan promised the Euro 2020 final will be the "safest ever" to limit the spread of the virus.
The crowd of 60,000 fans -- or 75 percent of Wembley's capacity - will have to show evidence they are fully vaccinated or have a negative lateral flow test.
-It's a once in a lifetime opportunity. We're hoping that as many Londoners as possible use the incentive of winning these tickets to get the jab- Khan said.
More than half of adult Londoners have already had both jabs, he added.
-We're hoping by July 19th, two-thirds of adults will have had both doses.-The UK has administered nearly 34 million second doses so far, outstripping EU countries, but its death toll of more than 128,000 is the highest in Europe.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Monday confirmed he still plans to lift most restrictions, including compulsory wearing of masks, from July 19.
Khan said that London authorities were "a bit concerned an end to the obligation to wear a face mask, for example, in public transport" and were speaking to the government about this.
He tweeted Monday that passengers' wearing masks gave Londoners confidence to use public transport, "which is vital to our economic recovery".

The incentive comes as the vaccine roll-out is now targeting those aged 18 and over, and England are in the last four and on the verge of their first major championship final and trophy since 1966

The Euro 2020 final will be played at London's Wembley Stadium

Young Londoners told: get a jab, win a Euro final ticket

A French court has ordered Twitter (TWTR.N) to provide clear details on what it is doing to tackle hate speech, according to a court judgment obtained by Reuters, after several French lobby groups had asked Twitter to clamp down more on hateful content.

The court ruling, which was presided over by magistrate Fabrice Vert, said Twitter had to show within the next two months steps it was taking to tackle hate speech.
An official for Twitter in France declined any immediate comment on the matter, when asked about the verdict, which followed pressure from lobby groups including the UEJF French Jewish students association, SOS Racisme and SOS Homophobie.
Tech firms have been accused of doing far too little to address online abuse.
In May, Britain said a planned new law would see social media companies fined up to 10% of turnover or 18 million pounds ($25 million) if they failed to stamp out online abuses such as racist hate crimes, while senior managers could also face criminal action.&nbsp;

Tech firms have been accused of doing far too little to address online abuse.

The court ruling, which was presided over by magistrate Fabrice Vert, said Twitter had to show within the next two months steps it was taking to tackle hate speech

French court orders Twitter to provide details on what it is doing to tackle hate speech

Istanbul Airport became the first to earn ACI reaccreditation for coronavirus health measures, the Airports Council International (ACI) World and ACI EUROPE announced Tuesday.

Istanbul Airport was the first to be accredited in August 2020 for 12 months, and now again is the first to be reaccredited for another year.
More than 600 airports of different sizes have signed up to the program since it was launched last July, which includes recommendations and guidelines for a healthy passenger experience.
All passenger areas and processes are assessed, including terminal access, check-in areas, security screening, boarding gates, lounges, retail, food and beverages, gate equipment such as boarding bridges, escalators and elevators, border control areas and facilities, baggage claim area and arrivals exit.
Processes include cleaning and disinfection, physical distancing, staff protection, physical layout, passenger communications and passenger facilities.
-Fostering confidence in air travel will be key to the sustained recovery of the industry and we congratulate the Istanbul Airport team for again demonstrating to passengers that their health and safety is an overriding priority- ACI World Director General Luis Felipe de Oliveira and ACI EUROPE Director General Olivier Jankovec said in a statement.-Recovery will be best achieved through a coordinated and globally harmonized approach which is aligned with global standards. Istanbul has set an example for the industry in pursuing this through the Airport Health Accreditation program which provides airports with assessment of their health measures against globally accepted standards.-Kadri Samsunlu, CEO of Istanbul Grand Airport (iGA) Airport Operation said iGA has come a long way in health measures by putting in the extra effort.
-For about 2 years, the whole world has been struggling with a health crisis that has deeply affected the humankind. With the acceleration of the vaccination campaign and the beginning of the summer season, we entered a process in which we are approaching the best scenario in terms of aviation- he said in a statement.

Airport was first to be accredited in August 2020 for 12 months

Istanbul Airport was the first to be accredited in August 2020 for 12 months, and now again is the first to be reaccredited for another year

Istanbul Airport becomes first to earn ACI reaccreditation

Large gaps exist between vaccination rates of EU countries, which started their vaccination drive in early 2021, according to data from the European Center for Disease Control (ECDC).

The data showed that at least one does of COVID-19 vaccine had been administered to 225 million people in the bloc with a total population of 450 million.
The number of "fully vaccinated" people who have received both jabs of double-dose vaccines or a single jab of single-dose ones exceeded 147 million.
According to the ECDC, 61.5% of the adult population in the EU received at least the first dose of a vaccine, while the proportion of fully vaccinated adults reached 40.2%.
With these numbers, the target of giving at least one dose of vaccine to 70% of the adult population by July set by the EU Commission has been approached, but this target has yet to be met.

<h2>Belgium has highest rate of vaccination, Bulgaria lowest</h2>

In Belgium, where the vaccination rate is the highest, 78% of adults have received at least one dose, while this rate stands at 17% in Bulgaria.

Belgium is followed by the Netherlands with 73.3% vaccinated adults, Finland with 73%, Malta with 72% and Denmark with 70.5%.
Among the least-vaccinated countries, Romania follows Bulgaria with 30%, Latvia with 39%, Croatia with 43.7%, Slovakia with 44.3%, and Slovenia with 46.7%
The rate is around 50-60% in other EU countries, according to the data.
In Italy, one of the most-populated countries in the bloc, some 67.4% of people received the first dose of the vaccine. This figure in the other highest-population countries is 65% in Spain, 64.2% in Germany and 63.6% in France.
Over 430 million doses of the vaccine have been distributed to EU countries to the date. Around 364 million doses of them have been used.
Vaccines produced by the companies BioNTech-Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca and Johnson and Johnson have so far been approved for use across the EU. The Johnson and Johnson vaccine is given in a single dose, while recipients of the others are given two doses to be considered "fully vaccinated."

Belgium administered highest number of vaccines in EU, Bulgaria has lowest

The data showed that at least one does of COVID-19 vaccine had been administered to 225 million people in the bloc with a total population of 450 million

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News

Cyprus to compensate families of Egyptian victims of wildfire

Kazakhstan marks 23rd anniversary of capital’s establishment

Local infections rise in Chinese border city with virus Delta strain

19 bodies found from plane crash in far eastern Russia

Two under investigation in Germany over 2020 Vienna attack

What is Bakir afraid of?

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Parliament of Kosovo passes a Resolution on the Srebrenica genocide

About 2,250 migrants in the USC, almost a thousand outside the reception camps

COVID-19 confirmed in 20 people in B&H, with one death

Turkmenistan orders compulsory vaccinations

Matthew Palmer: Major changes are taking place in Brčko

Young Londoners told: get a jab, win a Euro final ticket

French court orders Twitter to provide details on what it is doing to tackle hate speech

Istanbul Airport becomes first to earn ACI reaccreditation

Vaccination rates differ greatly among EU countries