Greece, Germany and five other European Union nations have introduced a vaccination certificate system for travelers weeks ahead of the July 1 rollout of the program across the 27-nation bloc. The other countries starting early were Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Croatia and Poland. Greece, which depends heavily on tourism, has been pressing for the commonly-recognized certificate that uses a QR code with advanced security features. The certificates are being issued to people who are fully vaccinated as well as those have already contracted the virus and developed antibodies and other

Naomi Osaka's agent has confirmed to The Associated Press that the four-time Grand Slam champion has withdrawn from the French Open. A spokeswoman for the tournament said the French Open was not aware of Osaka's withdrawal. Osaka wrote on Twitter that ``the best thing for the tournament'' would be if she pulled out and took a break from competition. She had declared last week that she would not speak to the media at Roland Garros and was fined $15,000 after she skipped the post match news conference following her first-round victory Sunday. Osaka also said Monday she has ``suffered long bouts

Eight people are dead after an employee opened fire at a San Francisco Bay Area transit agency. The San Jose shootings Wednesday occurred at the Valley Transportation Authority. San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo says ``this is a horrific day for our city.'' He spoke after a shooting took place at the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority rail yard in San Jose this morning. Officials say the dead include transit employees and the suspect. There's no motive given yet. The mass shootings this year follow a lull in mass killings during the pandemic in 2020, according to a database compiled by Th

Amazon is going Hollywood. The online shopping giant is buying MGM, the movie and TV studio behind James Bond, ``Legally Blonde'' and ``Shark Tank,'' with the hopes of filling its video streaming service with more stuff to watch.Amazon is paying $8.45 billion for MGM, making it the company's second-largest acquisition after buying grocer Whole Foods for nearly $14 billion in 2017. The deal is the latest in the media industry that's aimed at boosting streaming services to compete against Netflix and Disney+.AT&T and Discovery announced last week that they would combine media companies, cre

Israeli media say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Security Cabinet has approved a unilateral cease-fire to halt an 11 day military operation in the Gaza Strip. The decision came after heavy U.S. pressure to halt the offensive. It was not immediately clear when the truce was to take effect. The public broadcaster Kan said the fighting was to halt immediately. Other TV channels said it would go into effect at 2 a.m. An official from the Palestinian militant Hamas group says Israel's declaration of a cease-fire represents a defeat for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and ``a victory to the

Chinese leader Xi Jinping and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin have joined in a videoconference to initiate a series of nuclear energy projects, an event intended to display warming ties between two nations that are the chief geopolitical rivals to the United States. Chinese state media showed Xi and Putin greeting each other via video link and announcing the start of construction of Russia-designed reactors at two Chinese nuclear power plants. China has being seeking to reduce its reliance on coal for electricity, but the political aspects of the event were as important as the economic

Canada is calling for a ceasefire in the more than week-old flare-up of violence between Israel and the Palestinians. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the violence needs to stop. Trudeau says Canada will work with the international community to de-escalate the situation so there is no more loss of civilian life. At least 212 Palestinians have died and 10 people in Israel have been killed since both sides renewed attacks eight days ago. U.S. President Joe Biden expressed support for a ceasefire during a call to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday.

Palestinian families grabbed their children and belongings and fled neighborhoods on the outskirts of Gaza City as Israel unleashed heavy artillery fire and airstrikes. A family of six was killed inside their home. Israel says it was clearing a network of militant tunnels ahead of a possible ground invasion. It has massed troops along the border and called up nine-thousand reservists as fighting intensifies with the Islamic militant group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip. Israeli aircraft have leveled a multistory building housing a bank affiliated with the Hamas militant group in Gaza C

U.S. President Joe Biden is calling it "a great day for America" and a major step toward returning to pre-pandemic life.Biden says the Centers for Disease Control has announced that some Americans can stop wearing a mask.The new CDC guidance still calls for wearing masks in crowded indoor settings - but it clears the way for reopening workplaces and schools.Public health officials in this country suggest a different approach will be taken here and that physical distancing, mask wearing and frequent hand washing remain key.