Tag Archives: enter

Norwegian travelers are still not allowed to enter the United States

July 15, 2021 Newslanes Media Leave a comment

Americans can travel to Europe again, but so far, the United States has not reciprocated by opening the border, even though more and more people are being vaccinated.

Europeans can again cross each other’s borders in search of sun, beaches, new impressions, or just a break from everyday life. In early July, Europe also reopened to vaccinated American tourists. Norway has stricter entry restrictions than most countries in Europe, but for a short period, it became easier for Americans to enter Norway as well. But so far, the United States has not reciprocated.

Former United States President Donald Trump imposed a general travel ban on a number of countries, most of them in Europe, during the outbreak in March last year. The ban has remained standing since then.

Ball is on the US side

All EU and Schengen countries are on the list of countries whose citizens cannot enter the United States due to the pandemic, with some exceptions. Close family members, students, journalists, diplomats, and people who maintain critical infrastructure are among those allowed into the country. General tourist and business travel, on the other hand, are not on the list.

The European Commission has said that the ball is now in the court of the United States when it comes to letting European tourists in.

One of the reasons for the restraint may be a worrying increase in infection in recent weeks. Infection in the United States has doubled in three weeks. It is still far below what it was at its worst, but the delta variant and lagging vaccination are causing concern.

The United States was at the forefront of vaccination from the start, and more than 47% of the population is fully vaccinated. In Norway, around 30% are fully vaccinated, but we have surpassed the United States in the proportion of those who received one dose of the vaccine. 55% of Americans have received at least one dose, compared to 57% of Norwegians.

Actively working on reopening for tourists

US authorities still cannot give a clear answer as to when the border will reopen. The issue was raised in several meetings with European leaders in June, but since then, it has been quiet. At the end of June, during a visit to Paris, Foreign Minister Antony Blinken said that science and professionals are leading the decisions that are made.

“We are concerned with being able to resume travel as quickly as possible. But I can’t set a date,” Blinken said.

“I can say that we are working very, very actively on it because there is nothing we would rather see than travel restored,” he said. NTB has been in contact with the American embassy in Oslo, which referred to Blinken’s answer above.

Changes can happen quickly

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health told NTB that they are not in direct contact with other countries about entry for Norwegians. But the infection situation in Norway is made visible through the sharing of data with the European Infection Control Agency (ECDC) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

NTB has asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (UD) what kind of dialogue they have with the US authorities about entry and whether they have received any signals of reopening.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has replied that the Norwegian authorities do not have the opportunity to influence other countries’ entry regulations.

“The situation in many countries and areas is still unpredictable, and both easing and tightening are often announced at short notice,” Communications Adviser Guri Solberg at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Source: © NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today / #NorwayTodayNews

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This post originally posted here Norway News

We will enter the EU as Macedonians who speak Macedonian

July 13, 2021 Newslanes Media Leave a comment

This was stated by the Macedonian Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs Nikola Dimitrov.

The Portuguese view is based on the negotiating framework proposed by the European Commission – the paragraph on the Macedonian language to remain as formulated – the Macedonian language and the envisaged unilateral (unilateral) manifestation of Bulgaria in one of their positions.

Regarding the statement of the Portuguese Secretary of State for European Affairs Ana Paula Zakaria, Dimitrov said that yesterday they had many contacts with Lisbon and with representatives of Portugal, ie. the Portuguese Presidency that, in his words, they had said that: “The statement absolutely does not reflect Lisbon’s position, which remains in line with the Portuguese proposal, and regret is expressed in this regard.”

We remind you that Anna Paula Zakaria stated that Portugal has understood the Bulgarian point of view on the dispute with RS Macedonia. Bulgaria cannot approve the non-fulfillment of the Neighborhood Agreement by RS Macedonia, the attempts to steal Bulgarian history, denial that the Macedonian language is based on Bulgarian and was drawn up in 1945 and therefore imposed a temporary veto at the beginning of RS EU negotiations Macedonia, but gave the green light to Albania.

“The issue of the Macedonian language is key for us,” Dimitrov said. Nor do we have a mandate to think about negotiations. We will enter Europe as Macedonians who speak Macedonian and we hold on to our right to defend our dignity regardless of any statements – today or in the future. For me personally, this was a rather unpleasant statement, said Dimitrov, answering news questions at today’s press conference dedicated to the National Program for Voting European Union Law.

Asked what the reaction to this statement would be, Dimitrov said that the public often has some kind of confusion regarding diplomatic reactions when we have such occasions.

Yesterday, on several levels, I spoke personally with Lisbon, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and also with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Buhar Osmani. What is important in diplomatic communication, Dimitrov asked. It is important to express your position clearly, to express dissatisfaction, to express protest. All this was done several times yesterday.

What we received was confirmed, among other things, by the brief statement of the Portuguese ambassador, who is not responsible for us in Belgrade, given, if the memory of Deutsche Welle did not deceive me last night. According to him, Portugal will never do anything that would harm finding a solution, remains firm in its proposal and does not intend to enter into a substantial debate on cultural issues, identity issues, etc.

He reiterated the government’s position that the Macedonian language is one of the main characteristics of the identity of the Macedonian people, internationally recognized and codified with its unique specifics and inscribed on the UN identity card of Northern Macedonia. The Macedonian language is an expression of the inalienable right of the Macedonian people to self-determination and dignity, according to Dimitrov.

According to him, there is a paragraph in the draft negotiating framework issued by the European Commission, according to which all European legislation will be translated into Macedonian and that the country will have to have a sufficient number of translators during membership. So far, we have translated about 80,000 pages of European legislation, translated another 16,000 pages and are working on several thousand new pages of translations, Dimitrov added.

We remind you that Bulgaria confirmed its position on the European perspective of Northern Macedonia during the regular meeting of the General Affairs Council in Luxembourg.

On June 11, 2021, after the last meeting of the Joint Multidisciplinary Expert Commission on Historical and Educational Issues with the Republic of Northern Macedonia, its chairman from the Bulgarian side, Prof. Angel Dimitrov, announced another failure. “The last hours have shown that it is difficult to reach an understanding for a text about Gotse Delchev,” said Angel Dimitrov.

In general, the negative findings of failure are repeated after each of the meetings, as the talks were interrupted before the elections in the Republic of Northern Macedonia, which took place last year. At the same time, both the ruling and the opposition in Northern Macedonia expressed a number of hopes that after the change of power in our country there would be a reversal of our position and the veto imposed by Bulgaria on the negotiating framework for EU membership of RNM and Albania.

At the same time, attempts at influence by a number of EU member states are increasing, with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas speaking at a virtual meeting of the Berlin Foreign Minister.

Sarah Everard trial: Ex-Met officer Wayne Couzens accused of murder to enter plea tomorrow

July 8, 2021 Newslanes Media Leave a comment

The suspect pleaded guilty in June to the kidnap and rape of Ms Everard. However, whilst his barrister said “responsibility for the killing is also admitted”, he has yet to answer the central charge of murder.

Ms Everard, a 33-year-old marketing executive, was abducted on March 3 whilst walking home from a friend’s home in Clapham.

She was reported missing the following day by her boyfriend.

Police found the victim’s body inside a large builder’s bag on March 10 in Ashford, Kent.

She was formally identified using her dental records.

Whilst an initial post mortem was inconclusive, later investigation determined she died from compression to the neck.

Ms Everard left her friend’s flat in the Clapham Junction area, on March 3, at around 9pm.

The journey to her home was approximately two-and-a-half miles.

CCTV cameras recorded the victim walking along the route prior to her abduction.

Mr Couzens had worked for the Metropolitan Police’s Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command.

This unit is tasked with protecting Parliament and foreign embassies across London.

His wife was initially arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, but will face no further action.

Ms Everard’s death sparked outrage and protests over women’s safety across the UK.

On Saturday March 13 police broke-up a vigil on Clapham Common which contravened coronavirus regulations.

The Duchess of Cambridge attended the vigil to lay flowers.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick later said this was legal because “she was working”.

The future Queen also wrote a personal letter to Ms Everard’s family.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror an insider said: “This was a deeply personal and heartfelt letter, simply to express her absolute sadness at what Sarah’s family and loved ones are going through.

“The Duchess knows that no words can change what has happened, but wanted to let them know that they and Sarah are in her thoughts.”

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Author: James Bickerton
Read more here >>> Daily Express :: UK Feed

Travel

Spain holiday breakthrough: Britons will not need a negative COVID-19 test to enter

May 22, 2021 Newslanes Media Leave a comment

While Spain may still be on the UK’s “amber” list for travel, the holiday hotspot has announced it will be allowing Britons to enter the country for “non-essential” travel from Monday, May 24, 2021. In a further update, the Spanish Tourist Office in London has revealed the UK has been included in the list of exempted countries from which a negative COVID-19 diagnostic test is required from passengers before entering Spain.

This means travellers will not need to take a PCR test in order to enter Spain.

However, the rule will only apply to travellers from the UK who have remained in the UK for the previous 14 days.

Travellers entering from “risk” countries will be required to present a negative COVID-19 test result upon arrival.

Other countries on the exempted list include Australia, China, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand.

Following the announcement, Antonio Mayor, President of the Benidorm, Costa Blanca and Valencia Region Hotel Association Hosbec, said: “This is great.

“Everything that means opening borders and trying to normalise mobility is good news.

“We are delighted with the announcement.

“The important thing now is that the UK puts us on green light status.

“We expect many British tourists will now come to Spain but green light status would encourage even more.”

Speaking previously, PM Boris Johnson said: “I think it’s very important for people to grasp what an amber list country is: it is not somewhere where you should be going on holiday, let me be very clear about that.

“And if people do go to an amber list country, they absolutely have to for some pressing family or urgent business reason, then please bear in mind that you will have to self-isolate, you’ll have to take tests and do your passenger locator form and all the rest of it.”

However, travel industry bosses have hit out at the Government for “confusing” rules when it comes to the “traffic light system”.

easyJet’s Johan Lundgren said: “We have a huge amount of people that are contacting us to say: ‘Look, can I go? Can’t I go?’

“So it’s been very confusing, and the Government is almost dismantling the system that it set up themselves.”

Author:
This post originally appeared on Daily Express :: Travel Feed

Some business owners require proof of vaccination before you can enter without a mask

May 15, 2021 Newslanes Media Leave a comment

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Business owners have a tough choice to make now that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced vaccinated people can go mask-less in most situations.

Do you drop the mask mandate? And if you do, how can you be sure your customers are truly vaccinated?

The choice was easy for Deco Blue Salon stylist and owner Deklynd Channing. He will require all customers to show proof of their vaccination card before sitting in a salon chair without a mask.

“It’s the right thing to do. It’s just irresponsible for everyone we see every day if we don’t,” Channing said. “Let’s not undo everything we’ve just done for the past 14 months.”

Personal trainer Ashli Cooper feels the same way. She will not be leading indoor, mask-less workouts without verifying vaccination. She said it is the best way to protect her family.

“As a mom, my daughter is always top of mind, so thinking about risk to her and how it may impact her is always my number one concern,” Cooper said. “Until that pediatric vaccine is available to young kids, we are not really there yet.”

Retail and grocery giants Walmart, Trader Joe’s and Costco won’t be requiring a mask for those who have received their shots. But they aren’t requiring any actual proof, just respectful cooperation.

Here’s the latest on major U.S. stores, as verified by NewsNation.

Walmart/Sam’s Club

“Vaccinated customers and members are welcome to shop without a mask, and we will continue to request that non-vaccinated customers and members wear face coverings in our stores and clubs. We will update the signage in our facilities to reflect this,” Walmart said in a letter to employees.

The company acknowledged that some city and state ordinances will still require masks. In addition, employees who are fully vaccinated will be able to stop wearing masks on Tuesday.

Employees of the stores will also get a $ 75 bonus for getting vaccinated.

Costco

Costco released a new mask policy on Friday:

In Costco locations where the state or local jurisdiction does not have a mask mandate, we will allow members and guests who are fully vaccinated to enter Costco without a face mask or face shield. We will not require proof of vaccination, but we ask for members’ responsible and respectful cooperation with this revised policy. Face coverings will still be required in healthcare settings, including Pharmacy, Optical, Hearing Aid. Costco continues to recommend that all members and guests, especially those who are at higher risk, wear a mask or shield.

As with Walmart and Sam’s Club, if there is a state or local mask requirement, the store will continue to require masks.

Home Depot

The home improvement giant told NewsNation it will keep mask mandates in place for now.

Walgreens

“As a destination for COVID-19 vaccines and testing, we have decided to keep our current face-covering policy in place for the time being,” Walgreens said In a statement to NewsNation. “The safety of our team members and customers is our top priority and will continue to guide our decision process.”

Target

In a statement to NewsNation, Target said it “will continue to require all of our coronavirus safety measures in all stores, including masks and social distancing, while we review guidance from the CDC and evaluate the guidance we offer our team and guests.”

Trader Joe’s

“We encourage customers to follow the guidance of health officials, including, as appropriate, CDC guidelines that advise customers who are fully vaccinated are not required to wear masks while shopping,” the grocery chain said on its website.

JCPenny

The company told NewsNation in a statement that it will continue to require masks.

Author: Alex Caprariello
This post originally appeared on KXAN Austin

Gaming

DC Universe Online: Enter the World of Flashpoint

April 16, 2021 Newslanes Media Leave a comment

The Flash’s time travel accidentally created an altered timeline where everything and everyone is different. Thomas Wayne, Batman’s father, is Batman. Cyborg is the quintessential super hero. Wonder Woman and Aquaman are at war. So it’s up to you to fix the timeline in DC Universe Online’s new episode, World of Flashpoint.

Free for All

What’s better than new content? Free new content! World of Flashpoint will be free for all players on Xbox One. All you need is a Level 15+ character to join our event version, which can be accomplished in a flash (see what we did there?). There’s also a standard mode and elite mode with all World of Flashpoint content for our experienced players.

Flashpoint-Inspired Locations

Get ready to travel across a diverse set of Flashpoint-inspired locations starting with the new open world area of Flashpoint Gotham City. Batman has agreed to save the world we know under one condition: help him keep his home safe. So, get ready to dive down from the rooftops and confront various Gotham City gangs as well as the prehistoric Kryptonian, Doomsday, as you try and patrol these crime-riddled streets.

The attack isn’t just a ground assault, though. Heat Wave is mounting an aerial attack with plans to crash the Hall of Doom into Flashpoint Gotham City, which means you’ll need to join forces with Flashpoint Batman and Cyborg in the Queen’s Row Penitentiary [2-player duo] to neutralize the threat.

Players can also adventure into new areas of Atlantis and Themyscira in The Royal War [4-player alert]. And, after you’ve earned Flashpoint Batman’s trust, he’ll share his own plan to stop the conflict: if the Atlanteans and Amazonians both have their own massive, “super” weapons, just take out both assets and end the stalemate. It’s just crazy enough to have a shot at working, but it does go against Professor Zoom’s masterful plan…

Finally, and without giving too much away, Flash and his allies need someone from the future to leverage enough Speed Force to revert the paradox. That means you can travel to Nightmare Central City [8-player raid] and fight alongside Flash and Kid Flash as you make your way through Rogues Gallery super villains like Pied Piper and Captain Boomerang. Then head into the 31^st Century [8-player raid] and confront Brainiac himself!

DC Universe Online: Enter the World of Flashpoint

New Villainous Rewards

If success prevails, there’s a chance to earn new rewards including a normal and enhanced version of the “Pyromaniac,” a Heat Wave-inspired gear suit, as well as the “Ultimate,” a Doomsday-inspired gear suit.

New or Returning to DCUO?

Download DCUO for free from the Microsoft Store on Xbox One. Once you start the game, choose your morality, mentor, and powers to use in battle. Then create and customize your unique character to begin your adventures in the iconic DC universe!

For additional content details and guides to get started in DCUO, please visit us at DCUniverseOnline.com. And if you want to learn more about all things Flashpoint, be sure to check out dcuniverseinfinite.com to read the comics that inspired this latest episode!

DC Universe Online

Daybreak Game Company, LLC

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DC Universe™ Online is now on Xbox One! Join thousands of other players in this Free-to-Play, massive online action game set in the popular DC Comics universe. Choose your side – Hero or Villain – and create your character to experience true action combat, as you fight alongside and against legendary characters such as Batman, Wonder Woman, Superman, Lex Luthor, and Circe. Jump in and explore the DC Universe; walk the darkened streets of Gotham City, investigate the mysteries of the futuristic cityscape of Metropolis, and travel to legendary locations such as Arkham Asylum and the Watchtower. The Xbox One version of DC Universe Online includes the following: – Xbox One Exclusive items: Powered-Up Character Emblem + Powered-Up Cape + Vapor Aura! Become a part of our thriving community at DCUniverseOnline.com! Please note the download is around 35GB and could take several hours, but it’s worth the wait! Bandwidth requirements may exceed 192 Kb.

Ryan Hilz, Senior Brand Manager, DCUO

This article originally appeared on Xbox Wire

Life Style

'Stay at home' :Tesco tells shoppers NOT to enter stores – 'shop only when you need to'

April 14, 2021 Newslanes Media Leave a comment

Non-essential retailers, pubs and hairdressers reopened in England this week. Supermarket giant Tesco shared an update amid the lifting of restrictions. Pubs and restaurants have also been allowed to open for outdoor service for the first time this year, following the latest coronavirus lockdown.

“So, as good as our deals are, this week we’d rather you support your local pub (as long as you feel safe to do so). Because right now, #EveryLittleHelps.”

The supermarket has also shared the latest shopping rules in place to keep shoppers safe.

During the pandemic, supermarkets added in new procedures those visiting have had to follow.

A Tesco statement said: “Since the start of the pandemic, we’ve focused on ensuring everyone can get the food they need in a safe environment.

DON’T MISS

“Our safety measures are there to protect you and our colleagues, as we all follow the latest Government guidance.

“We wanted to share an update on some of the ways we’re supporting you to shop safely.”

In line with Government requirements, those visiting stores must wear face coverings unless they are medically exempt.

The supermarket chain has also asked Britons to continue to shop one person per trolley to limit how many people are in stores.

The statement continued: “We have introduced a traffic light system at more than 1,300 of our store entrances.

“The system monitors numbers and will light up green when you can safely enter.

“If the light is red, then the limit has been reached and our colleagues will ask you to join a queue outside the store.

“We continue to limit the number of people in our stores and we have a ‘one–in, one–out’ system in place to ensure social distancing.”

Limits on how many people can enter stores can help promote social distancing.

This article originally appeared on Daily Express :: Life and Style Feed
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ERCOT says it may enter emergency conditions due to outages, demand

April 13, 2021 Newslanes Media Leave a comment

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Just nearly two months after earning national attention for mass power outages during Texas’ winter storms, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas, which controls the flow of electricity in the state, fears it may soon enter “emergency conditions.”

ERCOT says system was four minutes away from complete collapse during winter storms

On Tuesday, ERCOT announced that high generator outages that are typical for the month of April coupled with “higher-than-forecasted” demand caused by a stalled cold front have led to the condition.

The council says it doesn’t expect customer outages and that declaring an emergency would allow it time to access additional resources. Nevertheless, ERCOT is asking customers and businesses to conserve electricity use into Tuesday evening.

Back in February, millions of Texans spent days without heat or electricity under single digit temperatures, and ERCOT’s management — or mismanagement — of the crisis came to be near-universally acknowledged as a failure. With this judgment, came increasing attention on its leadership.

This meant a wide-reaching shuffle in the coming weeks, including resignations for several board members and the termination of President and CEO Bill Magness. Even more trouble for the council: hearings in both the Texas House and Senate to determine the extent of the council’s preparation for the storms.

As of Tuesday evening, the ERCOT Real-Time System Conditions board showed Texas is using about 99.999% of available power across the state.

Russell Falcon
This article originally appeared on KXAN Austin