Canada: heat up to 49.5^oC, dozens of deaths in Vancouver

Vancouver Sun reports Canada yesterday set an extreme heat record, for the third consecutive day: 49.5 degrees were recorded in Lytton, a village northeast of Vancouver, in the midst of a heatwave that would have caused dozens of sudden deaths reported in recent days in the region. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Vancouver City Police have separately announced that at least 134 people have died since Friday in the metropolitan area located on the Canadian Pacific coast, in a grip of heat that is also affecting the west of the United States.

Migrant death in Italy spurs farm work ban in hottest hours

Outdoor farm work under the afternoon sun on particularly hot days has been banned in a southern Italian region following the death of a migrant who fell ill while toiling in a field and collapsed. Il Tempo reports Mayor Michele Emiliano, who leads the Puglia region, signed an ordinance that forbids farm work from 12:30pm to 4pm through August on days that are particularly torrid. A 27-year-old migrant from Mali fell ill last week as he worked as a day laborer in a farm field, left work and collapsed and died as he was pedaling his bike en route to his residence. Recent weeks in Puglia have seen days where temperature hit 43^oC. At least two mayors in Puglia, including in the port city of Brindisi, had adopted similar measures earlier in the week.

‘All EU countries out of the crisis within 18 months’

“The spring economic forecasts saw a growth of 4.2% this year and 4.4% in 2022.” Le Soir reports EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the numbers were getting better and better and within 18 months all 27 member countries would have recovered from the crisis. Opening the Brussels economic forum, Von der Leyen added that the credit goes to vaccines and unprecedented economic measures.

Delta progressively dominant, record deaths in Russia

French Minister of Health Olivier Véran has told Radio France Info that the COVID-19 Delta variant represents “about 20% of new cases diagnosed in France”. He warned the Delta variant had become “progressively dominant”.

Tass reported the number of coronavirus-related deaths in Russia had risen by 652 in the past 24 hours from 611 deaths the previous day, bringing the total to 134,545 deaths.

Meanwhile, the EU has called on all member states to apply “as soon as possible, preferably by 1 July”, the recommendations of the EU Council to coordinate the restrictive measures on the movement of citizens caused by the pandemic and on the EU digital certificate.

UK to ban mobile phones’ use in schools

Boris Johnson’s Tory government intends to impose a total ban on the use of mobile phones by children and young people in British schools. Education Minister Gavin Williamson said the obsession with cell phones has “damaging effects” on school performance. According to The Times, some teachers’ unions have dismissed the move as “a distraction” from the most urgent school problems.

England, Ukraine complete EURO quarter-finals list

Ukraine substitute Artem Dovbyk headed his first international goal in added time at the end of extra time to sink ten-man Sweden (1-2). They now meet England in Rome on Saturday after Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane scored in the final 15 minutes of their match against Germany (2-0) to earn Gareth Southgate’s men a berth in the last-eight. The quarter-finals will be played on  Friday and Saturday.

Meanwhile, EU Vice President Margaritis Schinas has called on UEFA “to consider very carefully” the possibility of playing “the semifinals and the final” of the Europeans “at Wembley” because of COVID-19.