News: Top 5 Stories For June 16, 2021 (Reuters)

Five stories to know for June 16, 2021:

1. U.S. President Joe Biden meets Russian President Vladimir Putin in Geneva for their first face to face since he took office. Disagreements remain between the U.S. and Russia. Expectations for any breakthroughs are low.

2. Israeli airstrikes hit Gaza after Hamas launched fire balloons at Israel earlier in the day, which sparked fires. Tensions are high after an Israeli nationalist march in Jerusalem

3. The U.S. Senate voted to establish Juneteenth as a federal holiday.

4. Taiwan reported a record incursion of Chinese aircraft after the G7 scolded Beijing and called for peace in the Taiwan Strait.

5. Fireworks lit up New York state as COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. NY reported that 70% of adults have received at least one vaccine dose.

Morning News: Biden & Putin, Cryptocurrencies, French Property Laws

Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin have much to hammer out today—but don’t expect it to be genial. We examine what is on the table, and how each president will be judged.

 Competition in the cryptocurrency world is mushrooming; we ask whether any contender might knock bitcoin off its top slot. And France’s curious sell-now, die-later property scheme

Dining: Opening Up New Restaurants In London

The coronavirus pandemic has been catastrophic for the hospitality industry and the delay to the June 21 unlocking has led to more uncertainty. The FT’s Daniel Garrahan and food critic Tim Hayward meet Harts Group, the business behind Soho institution Quo Vadis and tapas chain Barrafina, as it opens a new Soho branch of its El Pastor taquerias

Covid-19: Are Vaccine Incentives Paying Off?

Across the country, states are shelling out incentives ranging from free beer to $1 million lotteries to encourage residents to get their Covid-19 shots. But is the effort to boost vaccination rates working? And is it worth the cost? Photo composite: Adam Falk/The Wall Street Journal

City Walks: Nördlingen – Bavaria, Germany (4K)

Nördlingen is a town in Bavaria, Germany. Its old town is encircled by well-preserved medieval walls with towers and covered parapet paths. The city center is anchored by the massive Gothic St. George’s Church. Its tower, called the Daniel, has views across town. The Rathaus (town hall), with its gabled roof and towers, is one of several medieval buildings, some half-timbered, on the main square.

Literary: Virginia Woolf’s ‘A Room Of One’s Own’ Read By Natalie Dormer

Listen to the first chapter of Virginia Woolf’s classic A Room of One’s Own, read by Natalie Dormer.

Download the full audiobook here: https://adbl.co/3grA9PY

A Room of One’s Own, based on a lecture given at Girton College Cambridge, is one of the great feminist polemics. Woolf’s blazing writing on female creativity, the role of the writer, and the silent fate of Shakespeare’s imaginary sister remains a powerful reminder of a woman’s need for financial independence and intellectual freedom. This Penguin Classic is performed by Natalie Dormer, best known for her standout role as Queen Margaery in Game of Thrones, as well as her roles in The Hunger Games and Captain America: The First Avenger.

Astronomy: What’s Inside An Exoplanet? (Video)

Out in the vast universe, unknown billions of strange worlds drift around other stars. Many of them are quite unlike anything in our solar system. While astronomers hope to use immense upcoming observatories to get a better look at their outsides, Federica Coppari has been using the world’s largest laser to investigate their insides. Coppari compresses familiar substances, including rocks and water, into new forms. Her work has yielded insights into the inner workings of frozen giants such as Uranus and Neptune, as well as the potential habitability of super-Earths — rocky planets that dwarf our own. Read more at Quanta Magazine: https://www.quantamagazine.org/federi…