Category: Євросоюз

In a gloomy, indoor football camp on an industrial estate on the edge of Barcelona, Marta dives into tackles with the boys  without fear.   The 11-year-old has been playing with teenagers who are older — and stronger — than herself for months, but so far has held her own.  Her newfound passion for football meant she watched as Spain beat England 1-0 Sunday and carry away the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Sydney, Australia.   The victory for the Spanish women’s team will have knock-on effects for the next generation of Martas who may dream of sharing the glory, said Sara …

READ MORE

A public kitchen closes early so workers can get home on a day of heavy bombing. Police officers stuff the windows of their station with white sandbags. Every few minutes we hear the boom or thud of weapons being fired into and out of the city. Each hit could mean a death. The Russian military is drawing closer. In a golden-domed church on Sunday morning, Valentina, a 70-year-old singer, looks sad when she tells us she will stay in her eighth-floor apartment, despite fears that Russia once again has her city in its sights. “This year I will plant potatoes …

READ MORE

Google, Facebook, TikTok and other Big Tech companies operating in Europe are facing one of the most far-reaching efforts to clean up what people encounter online. The first phase of the European Union’s groundbreaking new digital rules will take effect this week. The Digital Services Act is part of a suite of tech-focused regulations crafted by the 27-nation bloc — long a global leader in cracking down on tech giants. The DSA, which the biggest platforms must start following Friday, is designed to keep users safe online and stop the spread of harmful content that’s either illegal or violates a …

READ MORE

A massive wall of flames raced through forests toward a port city in northeastern Greece overnight, prompting authorities to evacuate another eight villages and a city hospital as firefighters battled dozens more wildfires across the country on Tuesday. Gale-force winds and high summer temperatures have hampered the efforts of hundreds of firefighters backed by dozens of water-dropping aircraft as they tackle wildfires breaking out across Greece. The fire risk level for several regions, including the wider Athens area, was listed as “extreme” for the second day Tuesday. Authorities have banned public access to mountains and forests in those regions until …

READ MORE

Russian mercenary chief Yevgeny Prigozhin posted his first video address since leading a short-lived mutiny in late June, appearing in a clip — possibly shot in Africa — on Telegram channels affiliated with the Wagner group on Monday.  Prigozhin is seen standing in a desert area in camouflage and with a rifle in his hands. In the distance, there are more armed men and a pickup truck.  Reuters was not able to geolocate or verify the date of the video, but Prigozhin’s comments and some posts in the pro-Wagner channels suggested it was filmed in Africa.  “The temperature is +50 …

READ MORE

Ukraine’s president has described the decision by the Netherlands and Denmark to supply his country with F-16 fighter jets as “historic and inspiring.” The Western allies will supply dozens of the technically advanced jets after Washington’s approval. Henry Ridgwell reports from London. …

READ MORE

Major wildfires were burning in Greece and on one of Spain’s Canary Islands off the northwest coast of Africa Monday, with hot, dry and windy conditions hampering the efforts of hundreds of firefighters battling the blazes, two of which have been burning for several days. European Union officials have blamed climate change for the increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires in Europe, noting that 2022 was the second-worst year for wildfire damage on record after 2017. In Greece, authorities ordered the evacuation of two villages in the central Viotia region, about 100 kilometers northwest of Athens, after a forest fire …

READ MORE

  Two people were injured in Moscow on Monday when debris from a Ukrainian drone destroyed by Russian air defenses fell on a house, according to the regional governor.   Russian officials said that Ukraine launched a drone attack aimed at the Moscow and Kaluga regions. The aerial assault temporarily disrupted flights at several Russian airports, but service later resumed.     Both Russia and Ukraine have deployed drones to target the opposing side, with damage on the ground often caused by debris from downed aircraft.     Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy thanked Danish lawmakers as he addressed them in Copenhagen Monday, a day after Denmark and …

READ MORE

Spaniards erupted in joy after La Roja won the Women’s World Cup on Sunday, with some following coach Jorge Vilda’s call to take to the streets and celebrate Spain’s first major soccer title in more than a decade.  Fans in Madrid, Barcelona and around the country cheered when the final whistle blew in Australia following Spain’s 1-0 win over England to clinch the women’s world title for the first time.  The women’s triumph came 13 years after the men’s national team won its only World Cup title in South Africa. The men’s team also won the 2008 and 2012 European …

READ MORE

The swimming leg of a triathlon test event ahead of next year’s Olympic Games in Paris was canceled on Sunday due to poor water quality in the River Seine, the third such decision this month.  “Water quality tests … do not provide the necessary guarantees to properly hold the swimming event,” organizers said in a statement.  The mixed relay triathlon test event was switched to a duathlon format as was the case on Saturday for the Para triathlon event.  Organizers also canceled the Open Water Swimming World Cup in Paris this month after heavy rainfall caused the water quality in …

READ MORE

The Netherlands and Denmark announced Sunday they will give F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine. During a visit to the Netherlands, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy welcomed the “historic” announcement making Denmark and the Netherlands the first countries to donate F-16 jets to Ukraine’s counteroffensive against Russia. “It makes me proud that Denmark, together with the Netherlands, will donate F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine’s fight for freedom against Russia and its senseless aggression,” Zelenskyy said after his visit to a Dutch air base with Prime Minister Mark Rutte. Zelenskyy said that the F-16s will be an important motivation for his country’s forces …

READ MORE

Greek authorities Sunday evacuated another five villages near the northeastern border with Turkey where a large summer wildfire that has already destroyed several homes over the weekend drew dangerously close. There were no reports of serious injuries to firefighters or residents from the forest blaze near the town of Alexandroupolis, that forced the evacuation of another eight villages Saturday. Strong winds whipped on the flames, and civil protection authorities warned of an “extreme” fire risk Monday in the region around the capital, Athens, and other parts of southern Greece. Some 200 firefighters, assisted by 16 water-dropping aircraft, volunteers and police, …

READ MORE

The British defense ministry said Sunday in its daily report about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that Ukraine is striking deep inside Russia and the leadership of Russia’s Aerospace Forces is “highly likely” being pressured to improve its defenses over western Russia.    The ministry said Russian President Vladimir Putin “almost certainly” invaded Ukraine believing that it “would have little direct effect on Russians.”  Uncrewed aerial vehicles are regularly hitting Moscow, the ministry’s report said.    There have been “increasing reports” of SA-5 GAMMON missiles hitting Russia. The ministry said the 7.5-ton Soviet-era GAMMON had been retired from Ukraine’s defense inventory …

READ MORE

A wildfire on the Spanish island of Tenerife that has forced thousands of people to flee their homes remained out of control on Sunday, despite a slight improvement in weather conditions during the night. Orange flames lit up the night sky from Saturday into Sunday on hillsides just above the lights of inhabited areas, while thick black smoke billowed high into the air. Late on Saturday, emergency services said the fire was now affecting 10 towns, although 11 had been evacuated as a precaution. No major tourist areas have been affected. It covered an area of over 8,000 hectares (20,000 …

READ MORE

Large wildfires are ravaging northeastern Greece near the border with Turkey. Local authorities have evacuated residents from eight villages where out-of-control flames have reportedly damaged homes and other property. So far, no deaths or injuries have been reported.   Strong winds have fueled the fires by the village of Melia east of the city of Alexandroupolis, scorching farmland.   More than 130 firefighters, 14 water-dropping planes and three helicopters are struggling to contain the blaze while reinforcements arrived from other parts of Greece.  Earlier, Greek Fire Service spokesperson Yiannis Artopoios said the wildfires, that broke out Saturday, were “strong, aggressive …

READ MORE

Firefighters battling a vast wildfire on Tenerife are facing another difficult night after severe weather conditions worsened the blaze, forcing thousands to flee their homes on the Spanish holiday island, regional officials said.  The huge blaze that broke out late Tuesday in a mountainous northeastern area of the island quickly morphed into the Canary Islands’ biggest-ever fire.  “It is a devastating fire … a fire on a completely different scale, a scale that the Canary Islands has never experienced before,” said Rosa Davila, head of the government of Tenerife.  So far the blaze, which now has a perimeter of 70 …

READ MORE

An “abnormal situation” occurred at Russia’s Luna-25 spacecraft Saturday as it was preparing to transfer to its pre-landing orbit, Russia’s national space agency Roskosmos said.  The Russian spacecraft is scheduled to land on the south pole of the moon Monday, part of a big power race to explore a part of the moon that scientists think might hold frozen water and precious elements.  “During the operation, an abnormal situation occurred on board the automatic station, which did not allow the maneuver to be performed with the specified parameters,” Roskosmos said in a short statement.  Specialists are analyzing the situation, it …

READ MORE

From a hospital bed, her legs still covered in blood, Diana Kazakova described the horror of a Russian missile hitting the heart of Chernihiv city in northern Ukraine on Saturday.  She was inside a fabric store when the strike happened around 11:30 a.m. local time, moments after warning sirens sounded across the city.  “The window completely fell on me, and I fell,” she told AFP from the hospital where she is being treated for a concussion and leg injuries. “Then I woke up later and was completely stunned and shocked.”  In the street outside, “people were crying, shouting … it …

READ MORE

This year’s World Humanitarian Day is being commemorated at a time of increased risk for the thousands of aid workers who put their lives on the line every day to help millions of people affected by conflict and natural and human-made disasters. The United Nations says humanitarian workers are in far greater danger today than 20 years ago, when the U.N.’s headquarters in the Canal Hotel in Baghdad, Iraq, was bombed. The attack killed 22 staffers, including Special Representative Sergio Vieira de Mello, and injuring some 150 others. The U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or OCHA, says …

READ MORE

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy visits Sweden on Saturday, where he is scheduled to meet with government officials and King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia. It is the Ukrainian leader’s first trip to Sweden since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Sweden changed its long-established policy of military nonalignment to back Ukraine with weapons and other support in the war against Russia. Sweden has applied for NATO membership and is in progress to join the alliance. Also Saturday, the Kremlin said that Russian President Vladimir Putin has visited Rostov on Don, the headquarters for Russia’s military campaign in Ukraine. The Russian leader …

READ MORE