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☆ US to send Ukraine cluster munitions, NATO makes membership pledge
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

The cluster munitions "will deliver in a time frame that is relevant for the counteroffensive," a Pentagon official told reporters. Cluster munitions are prohibited by more than 100 countries.Russia, Ukraine and the United States have not signed on to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which bans production, stockpiling, use and transfer of the weapons. BOTH SIDES SHOULD STOP USING CLUSTER BOMBS -HRWHuman Rights Watch has accused Russian and Ukrainian forces of using cluster munitions, which have killed civilians. Turkey's President Tayyip Erdogan said after meeting Zelenskiy that Ukraine deserved NATO membership and that Ankara would continue working on a negotiated end to the war. "Our summit will send a clear message: NATO stands united, and Russia's aggression will not pay," Stoltenberg said at a news conference in Brussels.

Persons: Washington's, Vladimir Putin, Jake Sullivan, Joe Biden, Anatoly Antonov, Antonov, Igor Ovcharruck, Clodagh, It's, Colin Kahl, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Tayyip Erdogan, Zelenskiy, Jens Stoltenberg, Stoltenberg, Biden, Putin, Martin Griffiths, Griffiths, Robert Muller, Jason Hovet, Pavel Polityuk, Mike Stone, Phil Stewart, Idrees Ali, Michelle Nichols, Grant McCool, Diane Craft, David Gregorio Our Organizations: NATO, United States, Rights, United Nations, Pentagon, Cluster Munitions, White House, Watch, U.S, Washington, TASS, REUTERS, Treaty Organization, CNN, UN, Initiative, U.N, United, Thomson Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russian, U.S, United States, Ukrainian, Kharkiv, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Zelenskiy, Ankara, Prague, Sofia, Brussels, Vilnius, Lithuanian, RUSSIA, Moscow, Odesa, United Nations, Kyiv, Washington

☆ Ukraine Nears Nuclear Deal With Bulgaria in Fresh Blow for Russian Influence
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Georgi Kantchev | Joe Parkinson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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Persons: Dow Jones, e9c083ab Locations: ukraine, bulgaria

PRAGUE, July 6 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy landed in the Czech capital Prague on Thursday as part of a tour to drum up support for a fast track to NATO membership for Kyiv ahead of a summit next week. "At the meeting, the presidents should coordinate their positions before the NATO summit in Vilnius, where it is expected to discuss, among other things, security guarantees for Ukraine." His arrival follows a visit to Bulgaria for talks on security and the NATO summit. Zelenskiy's diplomatic adviser Ihor Zhovkva said Kyiv had secured the backing of Bulgaria for its membership of the military alliance "as soon as conditions allow. " During the visit, Zelenskiy urged Sofia to continue military support and moved to dispel the notion that supplies of Western weapons to his country had expanded the scale of the war.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Petr Pavel, Pavel, Zelenskiy, Ihor Zhovkva, Jason Hovet, Robert Muller, Ronald Popeski, Alan Charlish, Jonathan Oatis, Richard Chang, Conor Humphries Organizations: NATO, Kyiv, Ukraine, European Union, Air Force, Thomson Locations: PRAGUE, Czech, Prague, Ukraine, Vilnius, Russia, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Sofia

☆ This Bulgarian Writer’s Books Bend Time
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-05 | by ( Thomas Rogers | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The award has focused an international spotlight on Gospodinov, 55, but it also represents a coming-out moment for Bulgarian literature, which is little-known outside the country. Recently, several other Eastern European authors also received high-profile awards, including Nobel Prizes for Literature to Olga Tokarczuk, of Poland and Svetlana Alexievich, of Belarus. Gospodinov, who was soft-spoken and self-effacing in conversation, argued that surging global interest in Eastern European authors may be connected to a global climate increasingly shaped by nationalism and Russian aggression. His fiction often features fragmentary structures and uses elements of his own personal and family histories to explore lofty ideas about time. He is so famous in Bulgaria, the country’s culture minister once said that he would resign if the author told him to.

Persons: Olga Tokarczuk, Svetlana Alexievich, Gospodinov Locations: Poland, Belarus, Bulgaria

☆ Ryanair aiming for at least 50% growth in east, central Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Alan Charlish | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] FILE PHOTO-General view of the Ryanair logo at their headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, September 16, 2021. "We want to focus very much on this region," Alicja Wojcik-Golebiowska, the CEE and Baltics country manager for Ryanair told Reuters in an interview. "We see that central and eastern Europe was a little bit left behind in last years. Hungarian budget airline Wizz Air will be its main competitor as it offers similar cheap fares, as well as connections to the Middle East. She said the company was also aiming for a dominant position in countries like Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary.

Persons: Golebiowska, Alan Charlish, Joanna Plucinska, Mark Potter Organizations: Ryanair, REUTERS, Wizz Air, Europe's, Boeing, Reuters, Wizz, Irish, Airlines, Thomson Locations: Dublin, Ireland, WARSAW, Europe, Poland, Spain, Italy, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, Warsaw, London

☆ Reading the Tea Leaves on the End of the War in Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Thomas E. Ricks | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The Russian invasion of Ukraine that began in February last year has led to the biggest war in Europe in many generations. Within a month of the war’s onset, it had already become “a [foul]-up of historic proportions,” as one veteran Ukraine correspondent recently put it. Five weeks after the invasion, Putin’s spokesman claimed that Ukraine’s military was “largely destroyed.”But a war intended to undercut Ukraine’s leaders and NATO has instead strengthened both. Less noticed in the West is how Russia’s war has also alienated former Soviet nations such as Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan. Just before the war, the Scottish American historian Niall Ferguson wrote that Ukraine would receive “no significant military support from the West” and speculated on the location of Putin’s victory parade.

Persons: —, Don, Vladimir Putin, Izvestia, Niall Ferguson Organizations: Wagner, NATO, Scottish, West Locations: Ukraine, Europe, Russian, Rostov, mull, Bulgaria, Romania, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Scottish American, Ukrainian

☆ A bachelor party — including a groom in fancy dress as a pilot — delayed their flight 3 hours after harassing staff and passengers, reports say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-26 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Seven passengers on a bachelor party trip to Bulgaria harassed crew and passengers, WalesOnline reported. The seven revelers — including the groom-to-be dressed in a pilot costume — then began swearing as other passengers told them to quiet down, witnesses told the news outlet. "Another stewardess then approached them to warn them over their behavior and they cheered her loudly and wolf-whistled her," one passenger told WalesOnline. One person told WalesOnline everyone had to give their names to a TUI employee before they all had to deplane. We can confirm the flight was delayed due to disruptive passengers on board the flight," a TUI spokesperson told The Mirror.

Persons: WalesOnline, — Organizations: Morning, Boeing Locations: Bulgaria, deplane, Sunny Beach, Cardiff

☆ French cave markings may be oldest known engravings by Neanderthals
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Katie Hunt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Made by dragging fingers across relatively soft rock, lines, swirls and dots on the walls of a cave in France are the oldest known engravings by Neanderthals, according to a new analysis of the ancient marks. The finding adds to a growing body of evidence that Neanderthals — who have been characterized as dim-witted cave dwellers — were creative beings and more complex than the stereotype suggests. Neanderthals’ ‘deliberate composition’To understand how the markings were made and whether they were intentional, the researchers made detailed 3D models of the engravings from photographs of the Loire Valley’s La Roche-Cotard cave using a process known as photogrammetry. Based on the shape, spacing and arrangement of these engravings, the team concluded that markings in eight panels in La Roche-Cotard cave were intentional shapes and patterns created by human hands. At some cave sites in Spain, there’s evidence — albeit contentious — that Neanderthals created abstract motifs and hand stencils.

Persons: Jean, Claude Marquet, Cotard, La Roche, JC Marquet Organizations: CNN, University of Tours Locations: France, La Roche, Europe, Bulgaria, Spain

☆ Alcaraz makes semi-finals at Queen's with win over Dimitrov
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Tennis - ATP 500 - Queen's Club Championships - Queen's Club, London, Britain - June 23, 2023 Spain's Carlos Alcaraz in action during his quarter final match against Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov Action Images via Reuters/Peter CziborraLONDON, June 23 (Reuters) - Top seed Carlos Alcaraz reached the semi-finals at the Queen's Club Championships with a 6-4 6-4 victory over Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov on Friday as the Spaniard warms up for Wimbledon. "The movement on grass, I try to move easy and move well," Alcaraz told the BBC. I'm playing at such a great level and feeling really, really comfortable playing on grass." He will face big-serving American Sebastian Korda, who beat Briton Cameron Norrie 6-4 7-6(1) to extend his Queen's debut. "I'm playing really well on grass and feeling really comfortable," said Korda.

Persons: Spain's Carlos Alcaraz, Bulgaria's Grigor Dimitrov, Peter Cziborra LONDON, Carlos Alcaraz, Bulgarian Grigor Dimitrov, Alcaraz, I'm, American Sebastian Korda, Briton Cameron Norrie, Alex de Minaur, Adrian Mannarino of, De Minaur, Dane Holger Rune, Italy's Lorenzo Musetti, Andy Murray, Roger Federer, Korda, Norrie, I've, Rune, Musetti, He's, Lori Ewing, Ken Ferris Organizations: Queen's, Bulgarian, Wimbledon, BBC, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, American, Adrian Mannarino of France

☆ Column: Europe's clashes over coal may extend well beyond Poland
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Gavin Maguire | Thomson Reuters | Gavin Maguire Is The Global Energy Transition Columnist. He Was Previously Asia Commodities | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

However, while Poland may be Europe's most coal-dependent economy with roughly 70% of electricity coming from coal, it is far from being Europe's only economy with a vested interest in extending the life of its power plants. HEAVY USERSGermany has the highest number of coal plants in Europe, with 53 facilities listed as participating in the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS), data from Ember shows. Poland is also home to the Belchatow Power Station, which is by far Europe's largest thermal coal plant, which alone spewed out over 35 million tonnes of CO2 in 2022. Czechia, formerly the Czech Republic, has 19 coal-fired plants in the EU ETS which emitted a collective 34 million tonnes of CO2 in 2022. Share of electricity from coal in select European countriesBulgaria, which depended on coal for 42% of electricity last year, has five plants in the EU ETS which emitted 23.8 million tonnes last year.

Persons: Ember, Belchatow, Gavin Maguire, Sonali Paul Organizations: Union, European Union, EU, Trading, ETS, EU ETS, World Bank, Belchatow, Southern, Global Energy Monitor, Western, Reuters, Thomson Locations: LITTLETON , Colorado, Ukraine, Poland, Germany, Netherlands, Romania, Turkey, Czechia, Greece, Europe, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Italy

☆ Russia's 'least capable' troops aren't in Ukraine, but they're still causing problems next door, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Moldova, next door to Ukraine, has been under pressure from Russia for decades. Amid the war in Ukraine, Kyiv and Western officials say Moscow is stepping up its interference. As a result of a 1992 war between Moldovan forces and Transnistrian separatists, Russian troops entered the breakaway region to support the separatists. Following that war, Transnistria gained a form of autonomy. SERGEI GAPON/AFP via Getty ImagesMoldova declared a state of emergency after Russia attacked Ukraine in February 2022, and it remains in effect.

Persons: —, that's, John Sullivan, SERGUEI VORONIN, Chișinău, Maia Sandu, Diego Herrera Carcedo, SERGEI GAPON, Moldova's, John Kirby, Kirby, Pierre Crom, Thomas de Waal, Dara Massicot, Massicot, Jamar Marcel Pugh, Sandu, Ursula von der Leyen, Constantine Atlamazoglou Organizations: Service, Georgetown University, Getty, Moldovan, NATO, EU, Anadolu Agency, Getty Images Moldova, White House National Security Council, Carnegie, RAND Corporation, US Army National Guard, European Commission, Fletcher School of Law, LinkedIn Locations: Moldova, Ukraine, Russia, Transnistria, Kyiv, Western, Moscow, Soviet Union, Romania, Europe, Baltic, Poland, Bender, Transnistrian, Chisinau, May, Lithuania, Sweden, AFP, Russian, Carnegie Europe, NATO, Bulgaria

☆ NATO 'Air Defender 2023': Hundreds of warplanes fly over Germany in alliance's largest-ever aerial drills
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Brad Lendon | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

An F-16 fighter airplane takes off from the Schleswig-Jagel Air Base in Jagel, Germany, on June 12 during the Air Defender 2023 exercise. “Air Defender is necessary because we live in a more dangerous world. Two US Air Force A10 fighter jets taxi onto the runway ahead of Air Defender 2023. Peter Layton, a fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute and former Royal Australian Air Force officer, said Air Defender 2023 should give Russian military planners a lot to think about. Similar planes are taking part in Air Defender 2023.

Persons: Vladimir Putin, Oleksandr Vilkul, Andriy Dubchak, Gregor Fischer, Oana Lungescu, “, Putin, Amy Gutmann, Ingo Gerhartz, CNN’s Nic Robertson, Formidable ‘ hodge, Karl, Josef Hildenbrand, ”, Brynn Tannehill, it’s, Adam Casey, Tannehill, Peter Layton, Harald Tittel, ” Layton, ” Tannehill Organizations: CNN, NATO, Air, Russian, Russia, Operational Command, Alliance, Atlantic Treaty Organization, Jagel, Base, AP NATO, “, ” United, Russia –, Latvia –, German Tornadoes, US Air Force, RAND Corp, US Navy, Aviators, Griffith Asia Institute, Royal Australian Air Force, US, Air National Guard, National Guard, Air Force Locations: Germany, German, Moscow, Ukrainian, Kryvyi, Black, Odesa, Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, Russia, Soviet Union, Schleswig, Jagel, ” United States, Russia – Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom, United States, Japan, US, Finnish, Spangdahlem, NATO

☆ EU to try again for renewable energy deal after nuclear row
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, June 10 (Reuters) - European Union countries will try again next week to pass a deal on new renewable energy targets, which have been stalled by concerns from France and other states that the law sidelines nuclear energy. Paris has sought changes to the law to offer more favourable treatment of nuclear energy, and said the final deal puts at a disadvantage countries like France with large shares of nuclear power. Nuclear energy is low-carbon, but not renewable. The EU law is designed to drive a rapid expansion of renewable energy sources like wind and solar. Meanwhile, states including Germany and Luxembourg - both anti-nuclear countries - plus Denmark and Ireland have urged the EU to resolve the spat quickly, warning the delay endangers investments in renewable energy.

Persons: Paris, Bruno Le Maire, Kate Abnett, Dominique Vidalon, Frances Kerry Organizations: Union, EU, European Commission, French Finance, France, Thomson Locations: BRUSSELS, France, EU, Paris, Bulgaria, Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, Germany, Luxembourg, Denmark, Ireland

☆ Twice as many Europeans see Russia as an adversary since the Ukraine war
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-08 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Participants of a demonstration against arms deliveries to Ukraine stand in front of a carnival figure of Russian President Putin in a bloodbath in Düsseldorf. Twice as many Europeans now see Russia as an adversary than did before the war, yet almost half are unconfident that Ukraine will defeat its opponent. In a multi-country survey by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), almost two thirds of respondents said they now regarded Russia as an adversary or a rival — double the number of 2021. Majorities across Denmark, Poland, Sweden and Germany viewed Moscow as an opponent, while only 37% of those surveyed in Italy and 17% in Bulgaria felt the same. Only one third of respondents said they saw Ukraine winning the war as likely or highly likely, while nearly two fifths (22%) were undecided, and almost half viewed it as unlikely or highly unlikely.

Persons: Putin, Sweden — Organizations: European Council, Foreign Relations, U.S Locations: Ukraine, Düsseldorf, Russia, Denmark, Poland, Sweden, Germany, Moscow, Italy, Bulgaria, Austria, France, Hungary, Netherlands, Spain, U.S, Europe

There are plans to open the Olari Cultural Center, a new institution on Olari Street, in September. It will showcase Horezu ceramics, host conferences and present demonstrations by potters. The cultural center was paid for by the town of Horezu and the Romanian government. Olari Street is about a 10-minute drive from the entrance to town, which is crowded with souvenir shops. Many hawk ceramics from Bulgaria that tourists mistake for local pottery, said Laurentiu Pietraru, 52, a potter and shop owner in Horezu who sells ceramics made in the town for about $2 to $54.

Persons: Constantin Popa, Georgeta Popa, ” Tim Curtis, Daniela Ogrezeanu, Nicolae Sardarescu, Laurentiu Pietraru Locations: Horezu, Romanian, Bulgaria

☆ The Treasury Paradox
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-02 | by ( Jeff Sommer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Treasury bonds have been at the heart of the debt ceiling drama. But as the deadline for an agreement to avert a U.S. debt default loomed, Treasury bills due in early June were priced as the near equivalent of junk bonds. In the credit default swaps market, Treasury bonds were suddenly deemed riskier than the sovereign debt of countries like Mexico, Bulgaria and Greece. But in the nick of time, President Biden and Speaker Kevin McCarthy reached a deal to suspend the debt ceiling. The Senate gave final approval on Thursday to legislation ensuring that the Treasury won’t run out of cash.

Persons: Biden, Kevin McCarthy Organizations: Treasury Locations: Mexico, Bulgaria, Greece, United States

The latest surge of dark fleet ships began after Russia invaded Ukraine and the West tried to limit Moscow’s oil revenue with sanctions. The ships most likely sell their Russian oil to China above a price limit set by the sanctions. “The price cap is achieving its dual goals: restricting Russia’s oil revenues while keeping Russian oil flowing, and markets stable and well-supplied,” a U.S. Treasury spokesperson told The Times. The spoofing tankers using American insurance show that the practice is not limited to Russian oil alone. The company, Gatik Ship Management, owns a fleet of 50 newly acquired tankers dedicated to the Russian oil trade, the report said.

Persons: ”, David Tannenbaum, it’s, Samir Madani, Daniel Tadros, Russia Lady Ella, Russia Snow, Price, Konstantin Zavrazhin, Tannenbaum, Mr, Tadros, what’s, Min Chao Choy Organizations: Cathay, Labs, Copernicus Sentinel, Maxar Technologies, The New York Times, The Times, U.S . Treasury, Times, American Club, Club’s, Alma, Cargo, Russia Cathay Phoenix, Hong, International Maritime Organization, American, ”, AIS, telltale, Treasury’s, Foreign, Control, Maritime, C4ADS, Gatik Ship Management Locations: Japan, Kozmino, China, U.S, Russia, Venezuela, Iran, Ukraine, ”, Hong Kong, Niigata, Russia Ginza, Varna, Bulgaria, Taman, Niigata Port, Siberia, Cathay Phoenix, O.F.A.C, South Korea, Washington, Ginza, Oman, India

☆ The US Air Force's first stealth jet showed up to an exercise in Alaska with a not-so-stealthy addition
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-25 | by ( David Cenciotti | The Aviationist | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Stealth aircraft, such as the F-22 Raptor or the F-35 Lightning II 5th generation jets are equipped with Luneburg (or Luneberg) lenses: radar reflectors used to make the LO (Low Observable) aircraft (consciously) visible to radars. In fact, tactical fighter-sized stealth aircraft are built to defeat radar operating at specific frequencies; usually high-frequency bands as C, X, Ku and S band where the radar accuracy is higher (in fact, the higher the frequency, the better is the accuracy of the radar system). However, once the frequency wavelength exceeds a certain threshold and causes a resonant effect, LO aircraft become increasingly detectable. For instance, ATC radars, that operate at lower-frequency bands are theoretically able to detect a tactical fighter-sized stealth plane whose shape features parts that can cause resonance. F-35s deployed abroad usually feature their typical four radar reflectors: to exaggerate their real RCS (Radar Cross Section) and negate the enemy the ability to collect any detail about their LO "signature".

☆ Ukraine wants to work with Western countries to create another 'sea of NATO' on the border with Russia
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-24 | by ( Constantine Atlamazoglou | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Doing so would help turn the Black Sea into another "sea of NATO," the foreign minister said. "It's time to turn the Black Sea into what the Baltic Sea has become, a sea of NATO," Dmytro Kuleba said. "The Black Sea can never be a NATO sea," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said in response to Kuleba's comments. The Black Sea region is "a strategically important area for Euro-Atlantic security," Geoană said in April. At the conference in April, Romania's foreign minister said a strong NATO presence in the Black Sea was a "must."

☆ EU Parliament delays renewable energy vote after late backlash
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-22 | by ( Kate Abnett | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, May 22 (Reuters) - The European Parliament has delayed a planned vote to approve new EU renewable energy targets, after France and other countries lodged last-minute opposition to the law last week, according to an internal email seen by Reuters. The vote in the Parliament's energy committee had been due to take place on Tuesday. The European Union is attempting to finalise a key pillar of its climate agenda - a law containing a binding goal for the EU to get 42.5% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030. Parliament had been due to hold a first vote on Tuesday, followed by a final vote in July. The EU Parliament and EU countries' approval of the law was supposed to be a formality, after negotiators from both sides agreed what was supposed to be a final deal earlier this year.

☆ Black Sea grain deal: A crucial pact aimed at averting a global food crisis has been extended
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Sophie Tanno | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —A crucial deal aimed at averting a global food crisis following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has been extended for two months. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Wednesday an agreement has been reached with Russia and Ukraine to extend the Black Sea grain deal. Murat Kula/Anadolu Agency/Getty ImagesWhat is the Black Sea grain deal and why is it important? The Black Sea grain deal was first reached in July 2022. The Black Sea grain deal was an agreement made between Russia and Ukraine – however, it was not a direct agreement.

Farmer Marin Iliev poses for a picture in his fields near the town of Saedinenie, Central Bulgaria on April 20, 2023. By all accounts, the deal brokered in July to reopen key ports, known as the Black Sea Grain Initiative, is set to expire on May 18. Earlier on Tuesday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said "there are still a lot of open questions" about a potential extension of the agreement. Before Russian troops poured over Ukraine's borders in February 2022, Kyiv and Moscow accounted for almost a quarter of global grain exports. Those shipments came to a severe halt for nearly six months until representatives from Ukraine, Russia, the United Nations and Turkey agreed to establish a humanitarian sea corridor and reopen three Ukrainian ports.

☆ Italy and EU allies "have the numbers" to block Euro 7 emission rules, Salvini says
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

VERONA (Italy), May 16 (Reuters) - Italy's transport minister said on Tuesday that Italy and its allies in the European Union can block the Euro 7 regulation which tightens vehicle emission limits for pollutants including nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide from 2025. The proposed Euro 7 regulation was "clearly wrong" and not even helpful from an environmental pint of view, said Italy's Transport Minister Matteo Salvini, the leader of the League coalition party in Italy's right-wing government. "Italy, with France, Czech Republic, Romania, Portugal, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Poland and Hungary, has the numbers to block this leap in the dark," Salvini said during an automotive dealer conference in Verona. European carmakers have been fighting back against the proposed emission regulations they argue are too costly, rushed and unnecessary. The European Commission says are needed to cut harmful emissions and prevent a repeat of the Dieselgate scandal.

☆ Djokovic says 'Big Four' rivalries made him tougher
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-15 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"Luckily for me, in my career, I managed to win more matches than I lost when I was facing difficult circumstances," Djokovic said. "I got stronger because of the rivalries, particularly with Federer, Nadal and Murray," he added. Djokovic, Federer, Nadal and Murray were dubbed the 'Big Four' as they won a combined 67 Grand Slam titles in an unprecedented period of dominance and were involved in some of the most memorable matches over the last two decades. "Staying the course, staying patient and believing in the process and the journey," Djokovic said. "Understanding what works for you best, what's your winning formula mentally and also physically and emotionally, and then sticking to it."

☆ Djokovic battles past Dimitrov in Rome, Swiatek cruises
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The former world number three did however reel off four straight games from 2-4 to take the second set and force a decider. But the world number one hit back to claim the next 12 for a 6-2 6-0 victory that extended her Rome win streak to 13 matches. Sixth seed Coco Gauff later crashed out against Marie Bouzkova, who sealed a 4-6 6-2 6-2 win. Daniil Medvedev broke his Rome duck on his fourth attempt with a clinical second-round win over Emil Ruusuvuori. "It's a little bit (of a relief)," Medvedev said after his 6-4 6-2 win.

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