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Italy is to become the first European country to make a vaccine passport system compulsory for all workers. Proof of vaccination, a negative test or recent recovery from infection must be provided or staff will be suspended without pay and face a fine. The law set to apply to both public and private employees from 15 October after the Italian government approved the measures on Thursday.
Despite all the promises to take action, the world is still on course to heat up to dangerous levels. That’s the latest blunt assessment of the United Nations. Its experts have studied the climate plans of more than 100 countries and concluded that we’re heading in the wrong direction. Scientists recently confirmed that to avoid the worst impacts of hotter conditions, global carbon emissions needed to be cut by 45% by 2030.
China’s president, Xi Jinping, has vowed to resist “interference from external forces” as Taiwan welcomed support from major allies after a US-Australia ministerial forum pledged stronger ties with the island and the European parliament called for a bilateral trade deal. On Wednesday, the US, the UK and Australia announced a trilateral security and defense partnership to counter China’s growing influence.
Russian opposition activists accused Alphabet’s Google and Apple of caving to Kremlin pressure on Friday after the U.S. tech giants removed an anti-government tactical voting app from their stores on the first day of a parliamentary election. The app, devised by allies of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, gives people detailed recommendations on who to vote for in an effort to thwart the ruling United Russia party.
An Indonesian court has ordered President Joko Widodo and other senior government officials to improve the hazardous air quality of the capital Jakarta after finding them guilty of environmental negligence in a civil lawsuit. Dasrul Chaniago, the environment ministry’s director for air pollution management, on Friday said that an appeal would be made against the court’s decision.